Last year, at the end of 2020, and at the end of a year full of lockdowns and the Covid19 pandemic sweeping the globe, many of us were excitedly saying goodbye to such a crazy year, and looking forward to 2021 with such anticipation!
As I quoted at the end of 2020 (here) ... "
" If there was ever a year that people were eager to farewell, it would be 2020. Filled with a global pandemic along with many other memorable tragedies, most people seem desperate to welcome 2021 in."
Now, on the eve of 2021, a year filled with turmoil, sadness and so much dissention, and as we nervously look toward 2022, my heart is still thankful for so much.
I know that 2022 may be another tough year, but thankfulness paves the way for hope for the future. For if you can be thankful in the midst of pain and sorrow, whatever the future holds, you can be assured that there will be more good things to be thankful for there too.
So keeping with my annual tradition of a year in review post, here's to 2021, one of the toughest years yet, but a year filled with things to cherish and celebrate nevertheless!
This year started off with Symon and I on a much needed sabbatical break. It was so good for the family and the soul.
Adventures
Early 2020 we took our girls on a Rotorua Roadtrip. It was quite special spending time with just the two girls and all exploring Rotorua together.
We got to visit friends before poor Auckland was put into lockdown for months...
Symon and I got to see one of our favourite old bands perform (Drinkwater) and hear Phil Joel play. So good!
I also did something I should have done many years ago, climb our local Mountain, Mt Parihaka. This became a regular event for a while (until Symon broke his arms in a cycling accident!). Hoping to get back into it again in 2022!
Makings
I love making things but tend to put creativity on the sideline when I'm busy or stressed - ironic when it's probably one of the best things to do when stressed!
This year I made softies...
A bright Granny Stripe blanket...
I finished this Mustard and Cream Zig Zag Blanket... My favourite colour combo so far!!
More softies were made, including the cutest felt Minecraft Bee for my daughter's friend.
It was so nice to teach one of my girls and my daughter in law to crochet this year!
And of course there was Christmas crafting!
Some delicious things were made as well, including smores, homemade lemonade and more!
And of course the classic Christmas treat recipes were shared once again, and plenty of Peppermint Bark was made!
Celebrations
One of our biggest celebrations for 2021 was our 25 year wedding anniversary!
We decided to celebrate by heading to one of our favourite places for a few days... Wellington (post here)!
We explored, ate crab (twice!) and had heads of fun.
There were many birthday celebrations with many delicious things made for those celebrations like the classic Icecream cake (recipe here)
We celebrated one of our best mates releasing his first book! You can order it here!
Our eldest daughter turned 17, so I took her on a roadtrip to Auckland to see the Van Gogh live experience and also visit the local art museum. It was such an awesome day!
We also had some fun Mother's Day celebrations at church and heard from some amazing women as they told their stories.
My eldest daughter had her last day of school, and then won the top award at her school along with her bestie! So special.
First and last day of school...
Our daughter also was in her last school production, and did such an amazing job in one of the main character roles! So proud.
We had awesome end of year celebrations with our team at church, including our staff and those in key volunteer roles as well as all of our amazing volunteers at our annual Volunteer Awards night, this year hosting a quiz night!
Our Christmas celebrations were a bit quieter this year, but it felt perfect after such a tough year.
Renovations
This year we finally finished our Hallway Renovation. When I say hallways, I actually mean 3 x giant hallways. It was a missions, but is making our house feel so much more nearly finished! We've also had our deck replaced (nearly done) and have started work on our second lounge.
But the hallway... boy I'm glad that's done!
Critters
Not one but two new feline additions were made to our family!
We welcomed Stimpy (aka Mr Stimpson) into our family...
And Thumper...
So after looking back at this year, and remembering the good things and being grateful, I am blown away at what a wonderful year 2021 actually was. Despite the tough times, there was so much to be thankful for!
Most of all I'm thankful to God, who truly has been my anchor of hope in such a turbulent time.
For the past couple of years I've recorded a 1 second snippet of each day, then make a year video of each second. Here's my year of 1 seconds for 2021!
Here's to 2022, whatever it may hold. Walking into it with peace in my heart and a tonne of gratefulness, as I know God is with me every step of the way.
My best 9 from Instagram for 2021:
To check out past Year in Review posts, click here.
