REFLECTING ON 2019 - THE YEAR OF HIGHS AND LOWS

January 2019 kicked off right.... I picked up a book from the Op Shop about an Orphanage in Cambodia that really spoke to me.... and I felt like my life was aligning... and I was on track.
I was walking each morning ... eating well.... and I felt overwhelming gratitude for everything in life. I honestly felt this was going to be the most amazing year .... seeing as much of 2018 I wasted feeling scattered and unproductive.

Little did I realise that 2019 was going to spiral into a series of events and emotions that would change me so much....that I actually don't recognise myself any more.
My hope is that 2020 will be a year of rebuilding ...healing and acceptance.

Here is a little recap of the wonderful highs and heartbreaking lows of 2019 -

• I made a commitment to wake at 5.30am each morning to walk....  it was on one of these mornings I had the most incredible connection to something... its a pity it was so fleeting. Its also a pity I broke this commitment to myself early in the year.
• Our Grandbabies came to stay during each of the school holidays and some weekends as well....we walked... baked... crafted and had a lovely time together... these times are all the more special now that they live away from us.
• Ian and I took 3 or 4 little 'beach weekends' to restore.... and enjoyed some time in Winnie our Motorhome.
• I made some roadtrips to talk about healthier homes and Essential Oils.
• I worked on some crafty projects including a patchwork quilt - a sneaky project for Briony and Jarrads expected baby. I also crocheted over a dozen beanies...and began scrapbooking again.
• In March.. life changed forever -  Poor Dad became unwell and was in Adelaide. Life stopped for us all...as we spent as much time possible with Dad. 
• I started a crochet crib blanket for Briony and Jarrads baby - I kept it in my hospital visiting basket and would work on it while I sat with Dad..... he loved watching it progress and was so looking forward to meeting their baby.
• We cancelled our planned trip to Cambodia at the last minute because we just couldn't leave with Dad as ill as he was.
• On the 13th of April we lost Dad.... life changed...forever.
• I attempted to get myself back on track....I felt like life had been on hold and I was 'out of touch' with myself.
• We had a Baby shower High Tea for Briony - it was a lot of fun and we were so grateful for everyone that came along and shared on the excitement.
• I went to the doTERRA Convention on Sydney and totally loved it. It was wonderful spending time with friends... and the guest speakers were fabulous.
• Kim dropped me off to spend a few days with my beautiful friend Janelle....it was just what I needed.
• Ian and I took off to Singapore for a week...  it was a last minute decision after cancelling Cambodia. I am so glad we did.
• Baby Hamish was born on 23rd June.... and we adore him. (Grumps would have loved him)
• After months of putting up with a painful armpit I had it checked. I had a ruptured breast implant with silicone free floating in my axilla. I was also informed they were Allergan implants and there was a risk of BIA ALCL - breast implant associated lymphoma.
• 8th October I underwent my Breast Implant explant - and had some fat transfer which resulted in a very painful and unmovable leg which took months to recover from.
• 12th October I arrived home again.... so glad to be back.... but it was the beginning of a longer than expected recovery with multiple trips back to Adelaide for follow-up treatment.
• Ron and Donna (our Qld friends) came for a visit ...we had a lovely week with them.
• The weather was ridiculously hot and dusty,
• We prepared for a big family Christmas.... our first without Dad.
• Brent and Alex (plus grandbabies) arrived early after being evacuated from the Adelaide Hills fires. Only to hear overnight their home may not have made it.... they rushed home to find it had survived (by a sheer miracle... the fire had surrounded them on three sides)
• Christmas was lovely with lots of family and friends...we had 20 for lunch and a few less for dinner ... it was so nice to all be together and it capped off the year in a beautifully positive way.

So here comes 2020 ... a fresh new start... a fresh new decade... and because I always love to have a focus for the year ahead mine (at least for a time) will be on healing and acceptance and self care.

What is your focus for 2020?