This year I have decided to put together a quick note updating you on the year’s news. My mother receives Christmas “newsletters” from her friends each year and I have always loved reading them finding out what their family and children are doing. Having said that, I generally struggle with just getting cards in the mail so I’m not sure how successful I will be in writing newsletters each year, however having the girls offers a lot of inspiration and if it is only to get a few photos out to friends to show how much they have grown, it will be worth it.

Our Meg is now almost 15 months, so the year started with her very much a baby and now she is a little monster (opps) I mean toddler. She is starting to stand and move around the house as much as she can. Unlike Cait she seems to have no fear so I think we will be in for an interesting year as she climbs, explores and generally gets into trouble. We are blessed as she is really a very good baby, and while she has show signs of the “temper tantrum” she is generally a happy girl with a sweet nature. (and we just laugh at the tantrum)

Cait is a “little lady” now (though generally she says she would like to be a boy because Daddy and Connor are). At 3 years and 11 months she is growing up fast – and is starting Kinder next year (only 2 more years to school Ahhhh so fast). She seems to wave between being an absolute baby (making baby noises and wanting a dummy) to being an independent little girl (with lots of opinions and lots of boyfriends). Marriage is the current big topic and Cait comes home from crèche telling me she is marrying a new boy almost every week. She came home telling me Michael (a boy at crèche) kissed her 3 times, and when I asked her if she kissed anyone she then reeled off 5 more names of boys she had kissed that day. I just hope this is not an indication of what is to come in the next 15 years.

Connor is growing up so fast it is scary. At 14 he is taller than me (5’6”) and very quickly catching up to his father’s 6 foot plus. His interest in computer games is all consuming, and he is quite an expert on lots of games, but it is a challenge to encourage him to take up other hobbies. A couple of years ago we brought him a bike and this is becoming a more well used “toy” as his desire for greater independence takes over. We are lucky he is such a lovely boy and a wonderful big brother to his little sisters. His help around the house and with the girls has been invaluable this year.

Matt and I have had an up and down year. Both of us have been struck with bouts of illness. I have literally been coughing since March with colds and virus’s brought home from crèche by the girls. This resulted finally in a bout of pneumonia which laid me low for a couple of months. Matt has also been subject to the same colds but has been a bit more resistant to the long term effects but we are both looking forward to holidays at Christmas time and January to recharge out batteries.

Both Matt’s father and my father have been unwell and in hospital this year, which gave us a bit of a shock but fortunately for us they have both recovered. We were reminded just how necessary family support is, and how lucky we are when each of our families pulled together to help support our parents and each other.

On an exciting news front Matt and I are to become grandparents in July (well step-grandparents). Jamie and his partner Sarah are due to have a baby then. I think we are still adjusting to the news, which is both wonderful but a bit of a wake up call on how quickly things can change. It’s also very odd to think that Meg at 20 months and Cait at 4 ½ will be Aunties.

As the holiday season rolls in Matt and I are frantically trying to gather our resources to get ready for going away. The Herman Family (everyone including grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins etc) are heading up to Mallacoota for Christmas. We all plan to spend a week and we are spread across 4 houses (so not to overcrowd each other too much). It is the first time we have all gone away together, as Christmas is generally always spent in Melbourne. However it seemed like a wonderful opportunity, with my brother Warwick living up there, to get away and do something different. Matt is relieved that for once we are not hosting the Christmas day as it seems for the last 4 years we have held at least two major events over that Christmas week. This time we are along for the ride and happy to let others take the major lead for planning meals and events.

Matt and I (and the girls) are also planning a second break in January, taking a caravan over to South Australia to Robe for 10 days. We will miss Connor but I think he feels that 10 days at the beach takes away from his computer time too much – so he is staying with his mum. It is our first time “caravanning” and holidaying without the luxury of being in a hotel – but I figure if I could camp for 2 months in Africa, 10 days in a neat little caravan can’t be too bad? We are actually really looking forward to it and Matt hopes to get a bit of 4x4 wheel driving in on the beaches to test out the new Land Rover. (new as in -for us, not new from the show room). Our second hand “Disco 2” has become a bit of an obsession for Matt at the moment and he hopes to test its cross terrain capabilities while we are away.

Well that’s my natter for the year. There are so many friends that Matt and I have barely seen this year, but we genuinely hope that we will be able to make more time next year to renew and rejuvenate friendships.