Out with the old year ... in with the new

A Happy New Year to you all ... well by the time you read this, it probably will be the New Year anyway. We wish you all well, health and happiness for the New Year and if that is not coming your way - then the strength and courage through God's help to deal with whatever comes ... for He does know the plans He has for us.

It is hard to believe the year has gone so fast. Highlights for us:
Gawain starting to walk in January ... the visit of Opa Smit (Wout's dad) and Job (brother) in Febuary and going on holiday with them and my Nana. Two blue lines on a pregnancy test in March ... finding out one of my best friends was also due at the same time! Having puppies and lambs around us and Wouter and Dad building me a vege garden (although the flower garden didn't have much success due to aforementioned puppies and lambs). Sunday lunches at friends and getting to know them better - friends who have so willingly looked after the kids while I've been in town. The visit from Renee, Jono and Brierly was another highlight. Oh and on the top of the list would have to be the safe arrival of Melinda Anna Maria in December. Bryn starting to crawl and then walk around behind the doll's pram (give him another month or so and he might be walking unaided LOL) ... so that's just some of the highlights.

Gawain is still very much into 'helping' - so much that I'm trying to teach him that it isn't his 'right' to help each time I'm at the kitchen bench doing something. A bit hard since I've always let him help. Gawain and I do have together kitchen time at least twice a week when I do the baking while Bryn has his morning nap. I think he knows the ingrediants to shortbread and chocolate chip biscuits pretty much now. He loves tipping the flour and sugar and things into the mixing bowl and pressing out the shapes in the cookie cutters we borrowed from a friend. He is also into doing puzzles with us, he got some from Tante Madelene in a parcel and loves doing them.

The boys are also learning about sharing and taking turns. They love playing together outside in the sandpit (thanks Mum and Dad) or on the deck with the bikes (thanks Pa Smit). It is wonderful to see them chase each other around the house after dinner with Gawain yelling "run Brynnie, run".

Bryn is very much our cruiser, he likes to have some of his own time, and can happily sit in the highchair picking away at raisens for 1/2 and hour. Nights are a bit of an issue for him at the moment because of eye teeth coming through, so hopefully once they are over we get a bit of a break from teething till the 2yr old molars. I have accepted that we have kids who are horrid teethers.

Melinda is growing - 4.1kgs at her checkup yesterday, starting to outgrow some of the newborn clothes already ... it still amazes me how quickly they grow and change. She is a bit of a spilly baby, and quite a different character to the boys. I'm finding that a bit of a struggle during the day when she isn't happy to lie somewhere awake but prefers to be held - but they're only little once and some of the jobs can wait. We're getting out and doing some walks the woolshed which is also nice for us all. Gawain walks, Melinda goes in the buggy and Bryn in the back-pack. Takes us a bit longer than it used to, but fun none-the-less.

Not much else really. We're taking it day by day - Wouter will be busy again in a week or so with shearing all the lambs and ewes, so it makes us appreciate these couple of slower weeks. He is an absolutely amazing Dad, I love watching him goof off with the boys when he's home and I am truly blessed to have him as a husband.

All in all, I am amazed at the amount of blessings we have been undeservedly showered with in this past year. Thanks be to God for all these gifts.