Bye, Bye 2023

As this year draws to a close, and I’m winding down for a little break with my family, I’m waving goodbye to 2023 and starting to think about 2024.

At the start of the year I decided that my word of the year would be ‘entertaining’, and in many ways I do feel it’s lived up to that, huge curveball aside.

My daughter wanted this to be a year of live music, and she’s been to several concerts this year and we’ve already got 3 lined up for next year. She’s loved every one of them and we’ve also visited Harry Styles’ birth place and spent a weekend together checking out the pier used in a One D video.

She’s been a part of the school musical earlier this year and is now in rehearsals for next year’s performance. She’s also continuing to grow her own music stash and along with her CDs, she’s building up her vinyl collection now. 

My son has been to plenty of sporting events over the year, from the Harlem Globetrotters, to Villa games both women’s and men’s, to several cricket matches at Edgbaston.

He’s met a Bears player, got Jacob Ramsey’s signature and I couldn’t even begin to count up all of the hours he’s spent watching sport on the TV! He’s loved playing cricket for a second season and has joined a new football team and he’s enjoying playing with them every week. 

Whilst we were unable to go overseas this year due to the timings around my treatments, we had two lovely breaks over the summer that we all thoroughly enjoyed and earlier in the year we spent a fun long weekend with my brother’s family in Chester.

They’ve had countless days out, catch ups with friends, sleepovers and more. They’ve also had a new cousin arrive and they’re loving getting to know her. 

I’d say they’ve had an entertaining year, wouldn’t you?

Of course, they’ve deserved every second of entertainment this year as they’ve also had to deal with the reality of their mum having cancer. 

Having to tell them that news will be forever imprinted on my brain and was without doubt the lowest point of 2023 for me. The surgery, tests, treatment and results waits pale in comparison to watching your kids’ hearts break.

So of course, where we can, we’ve done what we can to indulge and treat them.

They’ve been brilliant and have coped so well throughout my active treatment. Their school work, results and reports have continued to be great, and as my main priority when I received my diagnosis was to keep things as calm and ‘normal’ as I could for the kids, I feel we’ve managed that. 

My year personally has had many lovely moments and then some hard times. A mix of good days and bad days and a breast cancer diagnosis that shifted everything for me. Priorities, realities, plans, focus and more. 

2023 wasn’t the year that I expected and it’s been tough, but there are still so many things from the past 12 months that I look back on fondly. 

What will 2024 bring?

Honestly, I do look at time a little differently now and I don’t take things for granted. I’m hoping for a lot less drama, a lot more normal, and I want to pack it full with family time and fun.

I’m going to start making some plans for the early part of the year when the days seem dark and the winter seems to go on forever.

We’ve booked our trip to California, the flights, hotels and attractions are all sorted, so we’ll all be looking forward to that.

My boy will be leaving primary school and starting at secondary school, my girl will be choosing and then beginning her GCSEs, so school’s going to be a big part of 2024. 

I’ll think up a word for the year over the next couple of weeks and report back soon. Until then, I hope you enjoy the holiday season, thanks for this year and have a good one! 

 

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