2024 is drawing to a close. Already.
I do feel that the year’s gone by quickly, especially this last quarter. Honestly, I feel like I’ve just got back from our holiday and the kids have got back to school, and here we are, ending the first term with Christmas right around the corner.
When I look back over the year, it has been a busy one. Maybe that’s why it’s flown by?
For much of the first half of the year, I focused on my health and fitness, as my body adjusted to my hormone therapy treatment. I then hit a bump in the road with that over the summer, and I’m ending the year with my body having to adjust to another new treatment. I guess the first half of 2025 I’ll be focused on adjusting to that one. Hopefully, all adjustment periods will soon be over!
Cancer aside, it’s been a good year. I’ve really soaked in everything that I could and been grateful for so many lovely moments with the kids. I’ve also spent time with family and friends and as I look back on 2024, those are the memories that come rushing in.
Thinking over the year, there was a lot going on.
Without a doubt, our California road trip is the stand out memory for me this year. It was just fabulous, and I want to be back there!
It was one of those holidays that I think we’ll all remember and chat about in years to come. We packed so much into it and it was so good to have that time together.
We were also fortunate to have a couple of mini breaks too, a few days away with my brother and his family and then a trip up to Liverpool.
We saw Taylor’s Eras tour, all four of us, a weekend to remember. We spent the weekend up in Liverpool, making a break of it.
The concert itself was fabulous, and it was fun to be at one all together, our first as a foursome. And we also enjoyed looking around Liverpool, going on a Beatles tour and a lovely hotel breakfast – always a treat!
My girl and I also saw Olivia Rodrigo and Niall Horan, it’s been a good year for music. And we went to see Hamilton, so good! There have also been cricket matches, football games, and a few other trips to the theatre. Oh, and my son and I enjoyed the Beyond Van Gogh experience over the summer, we both loved that.
It wasn’t all trips and outings, the kids hit a few milestones too.
My son left his primary school. I stopped doing school runs and we cut ties with a school we’d been at for a decade. If I’m honest, he walked away without a backward glance.
It still felt like the end of an era, but we’re not missing it. OK, maybe I am missing the odd school run or the sight of him in his old uniform, but that’s just me loving him being little!
He doesn’t miss it. His first day at secondary school, he came home content, and it’s been that way ever since. It suits him, growing up, more independence, he’s happy.
My daughter made her GCSE choices, started in Year 10 and has taken to it all so well.
She’s happy with the subjects she’s chosen and is happy to have been able to drop several subjects that she did not enjoy. All seems to be going well so far, she’s getting everything done and staying on top of things. She’s busy with the school musical rehearsals, football practices and her Duke of Edinburgh award.
These are the things that make up our weeks. Football training, cricket matches, rehearsals, not to mention taking them to their friends’ houses, sleepovers, fun outings with their mates. These are the things that make the time fly by, moving from day to day with busy routines and squeezing in family time whenever we can.
The kids are growing up. They’re out and about more, spending more time away from me, as it should be. But I’m so happy when we still spend time together, and thankfully they also love to do that too.
I’m not sure what 2025 will bring. I learned the hard way last year that anything can happen, so I’ll take it day by day, always hope for the best, and enjoy the good stuff.
Goodbye 2024, thanks for the fun.