2010

I can't believe that 2010 has arrived. Finally.

Looking back over 2009, it's been a huge year for us: renovating our house and moving into it, and Nathan's birth (and being on maternity leave putting us in serious financial difficulty).

Graeme and I are both exhausted - phyiscally and emotionally. We couldn't go away for a holiday this Christmas, and we're feeling it now. We need to be kid-free for a day or two to rest and get some sleep, but that's not going to happen so I guess we just bite the bullet and get on with it.

Financially it's been a really tough year, with massive credit card debt as a consequence. We've just about cleared the debt though, so by the end of January we should be back on track, I hope.

The house still has lots of small things that need to get finished off after our renovations, but we're just too tired to do them ourselves, and too broke to hire someone to do them. I've been in the garden a heck of a lot these holidays, trying to reconstruct our front garden. I'm getting there, but it's a very, very, very laborious process. My back is very sore from digging up grass.(NEVER plant grass unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE you will NEVER need to take it out again... particularly kikuyu.) My hands are blistered and scratched and I've removed countless thorns...

However, as tired as I am, and as old as I feel, there is much to give thanks for from 2009:

• We formally joined a church community.
• We have a wonderful house (even if it is cluttered and doesn't look very "grown up").
• Nathan was born alive and well, and is growing beautifully.
• Nellie is growing into an incredible little girl.
• We are surrounded by family who love us.

My hopes and dreams for 2010?

1) I want to be more organised, so that I can have more time with Graeme and my kids.
2) I want to drop down at least half a dress size, but preferably a full dress size. This will involve more effort than I'm keen on giving, but if I want to stop feeling so negative about myself, then I'm going to have to do something significant about it.
3) I want to start having regular times with God again, as opposed to the ad hoc, sporadic meetings we're having at the moment.
4) I want to start giving back to the community in service in some way.

I'm looking forward to this year, but at the same time, part of me is already sighing because work is always so busy and I'm already tired. Two things that would really help? If my mother moved back this side of the boerwors curtain and if my kids' nanny learnt to drive. So, inbetween trying to reorganise my schedule to include exercise classes and other exercise, and the usual manic-ness of the first term, I'm going to try to help my nanny get her learner's and then teach her to drive. At least that's something I CAN do something about!

May 2010 be a good year for all of you. May this year give you what you need, rather than what you want. May it teach you the true priorities in life and give you the skills/ ability to put first things first and to priortise the important over the urgent.

If you hear less of me this year, it will be because I'm trying to do just that - to prioritise my kids and my family over my love of web 2.0 stuff. As much as I love you guys, and as much as I love this place and space, my kids are only little and small once. Love to you all.