Well it certainly has been a while, hasn't it?
I have literally had a terrible bout of writers block this year, and between homeschooling, decluttering, colds and flues, a friends wedding, a family member dying, a family catch up or two, Church, Social events, our women's conference at church, school workshops, Tafe, driving lessons with our eldest teen, and running the kids to all their ventures, I have finally found my way back to my trusty keyboard.
I have missed you my friend. We have a few things to catch up on.
I personally find it ironic that the more I try to live intentionally and simply, the more chaotic my life feels.
Sadly, the holidays have come to an end. Today we started our road to the end of the year. We might be on the homeward stretch before the Christmas holidays, but it does feel as though we have more things to do this term, than actual time to get it all done in. This week end coming is the Emilys Voice Pro-life dinner, Amy turns 17 this month, and at this point she literally has three weeks left of Tafe. She will have completed her Certificate III in Visual Arts by the end of October. Then exam week (three exams), and an interview and exam with the Tafe Tutor, reporting with our teacher, and then we will literally be finished year 11, 10, 8 and 3!
This year has been the hardest year I think I have ever had. The great thing about admitting hardship, is that I can also say that it is almost over. Only a few more hoops to jump through and then we will be on holidays again and Christmas bound. I don't know about you, but I have a good feeling about 2020.
These holidays have been about getting some order back into our lives. I have been decluttering like a crazy person. I have sold things on facebook market, given things away and we have taken junk to the tip. I love getting rid of stuff we no longer need. It's quite therapeutic. Downsizing our stuff feels good. Getting organised, and making sure that the things we do decide to keep have a home. It thrills me to say that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
We have had some fun though. Last week I took the kids to the Novotel Twin Waters Resort. They have an Adventure program where you can go and use their gorgeous premises for the day. It basically cost $10 per person (the family pass cost $50 for two adults and 3 kids, so we paid the extra $10 for the fourth child. In the grand scheme of things, its a fun day for very little considering the fun you have while there. We packed an esky and filled it with lunch and water bottles. We spent the entire day at the lake kayaking, sailing, stand up paddle boarding, as well jumping and flipping off the water trampoline.
The Coast has a lot of beautiful spots, but this one has a special place in our hearts as the Novotel Twin Waters resort is where we started our married life. Hubby and I stayed for a few nights on our honeymoon at Twin Waters, and while we haven't stayed there again since getting married, it is a lot of fun visiting.
Over the holidays, Amy and I have been working on her 100 hours. I would personally like to inform you all that we are officially out of the car park, and driving on the roads around the coast! I'm learning patience, I'm learning the art of responding calmly despite moments of intense panic, and I am learning to trust my girl to remember the road rules and how to clutch and gear change all at once. We have just under 90 hours to go, so if you see me in the passenger seat and the learners magnets on the car, feel free to say a little prayer for me, I mean us!
Teaching my daughter how to drive has been a learning experience. While I'm not at the stage where I feel I can rest in the knowledge that she is a good driver, I know that she will one day be a good driver, we won't be taking the test until she is ready to take the test. It doesn't matter if she's at the 100 hour mark or the 150 hour mark. We will take the test when she is ready, not when the book says she is ready. It takes practice and time to become a good driver, and its the practice and time that gives us the confidence to know that we are ready to go to the next level.
So as you can imagine, today, while I was working with the kids I found myself thinking about sitting on the deck chair looking over the lake at Twin Waters, reading my book, sipping on a tropical juice. It's the very first day of term and I am already dreaming of being on holidays again. I just can't help it. I think part of it is because we have decided that this is our final term of homeschooling for our little crew. I realise that I need to pull my homeschooling mojo out of a hat so that we can get through this term, but we have started the process of looking at schools for next year, and filling out application forms. There is a lot to do with regard to filling out application forms and finding the right documents.
I will admit that I am looking forward to next year, but I don't want to miss out on the rest of this year. There's a lot to still live and enjoy and be present for this year, and so for this reason its important to not wish away time. 2020 will be a great year, but the remainder of 2019 will also be good. There's a lot of great things to enjoy over the next couple of months, so 2o2o can wait.
We'll get there when we get there.
So, while I am interested in your plans for the next year, I'd love to hear your plans for the rest of the year. Spring is here, Summer is coming! Happy Days ahead.
