Moments...

...this year of...

...happiness...

at celebrating Midsummer at a camp with friends the weather was perfect, as was the location and the company.  Some of the children performed a Midsummer Night's Dream in the woods on midsummer eve which was enchanting.  Taking my children camping and exploring Hadrian's Wall on my own, the weather was cool and damp but we had a wonderful time.  They particularly loved going for walks in the evenings.  A hot enough summer that enabled us to go river swimming several times.  Our regular visit to a music festival, this was the second year we attended Shrewsbury Folk Festival which we will now make a regular trip to.  I love live music and this is one time of the year that I indulge in doing what I want to do, staying up late and soaking up the music, we have already booked our tickets for 2014.  A wonderful summer camp with teenagers from a local Explorer Scout group, it is hard work but we always have a wonderful time.  On the last evening as we were celebrating achievements at camp and saying goodbye to some of the older members who were going off to university the owls joined in and were hooting all around it was a truly magical evening.  My husband deciding to return to work and being happy about that decision, the regular stable income has made our lives much easier and being invited to join a friends singing group for my youngest, she absolutely loves this each week.

...sadness...

the loss of a member of our family, my dear father in law.  He was diagnosed at the very beginning of this year with mnd and none of us was prepared for how quickly he deteriorated.  We celebrated Christmas 2013 with him and his speech at that time was a little difficult to understand by February I could not understand him at all, by June the muscles in his mouth were so wasted that he had a tube fitted for feeding.  The fear in his eyes was heart breaking.  This is a terrible disease, one which affected us all and he lost his fight the day after my birthday in October.  Despite the sadness some good has come of it, my husband and his brother who have never got on stayed up talking late into the night, the night he died and laid their differences to rest.  They now speak on the phone regularly, it is sad that their father never got to witness that but I am just glad that they have become friends.

...creating...

pieces for our seasonal table for winter, spring and autumn, sewing a needle case for my dpn's, a skippy skirt, trousers and a princess hat and cape, lots of knitting including animals, a jacket, my first projects with cables and baby cardigans.

...reading...

inspired by other bloggers I have gotten back in to reading this year.  I really thought I did not have time for it but like so many things if you want it to happen you can make it happen.  Wonderful and inspiring reads have been Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracey Chevalier, Someone I Loved by Anna Gavalda, Why be happy when you could be normal? by Jeanette Winterson and The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri Mauri.

...learning...

aside from the learning that happens day to day numbers, Vikings, Romans, rivers, snakes, dinosaurs, filtration, parachutes, fractions, migration, geology, reading maps I could go on the two big learning achievements this year have been both my children learning to swim and riding bikes.  These are both activities that we love to do as a family and I am looking forward to bike rides with the children next year.

...thinking...

about a hugely diverse range of topics screens, trust, creativity, friendships, rhythm, siblings, measuring achievement and green living

...hoping...

for 2014 to stay true to what I believe in, be open to new ideas and look after myself and my family to the best of my abilities.

...looking forward to...

another great year, how about you?