So, first a look back at 2019. Last year I blogged about the best year of my life, but alas, this year was the worst of my life. I would never have predicted this year. On January 1 2019, I started the year knowing I had seven months off work with my wonderful daughter, a trip to Iceland was booked and I was turning 40. However, the 3 June changed our world forever when mum suddenly and unexpectedly passed. As such, that’s all I can think of, and then a couple of weeks later, our greyhound Sailor joined mum. However, something sticks in my head – Don’t put off to tomorrow, what you can do today. We need to live.
Highlights of 2019
- Reyka milestones – Sitting up, first tooth, crawling, first steps, first words. Our lives were full of baby yoga, messy play, Hartbeeps, swimming lessons, rhymetime sign language, baby gym, Moo Music and messy play. Absolutely loving nursery!
- Visits – so many National Trust and English Heritage visits. Hampton Court Palace, Duxford, Bletchley Park every month, Weston Super Mare, zoo’s, parks, Peppa Pig World. Holiday with our NCT group in Lincolnshire. Emmeline statue in Manchester.
- Trips abroad – Paris for Ali’s birthday, Iceland for Reyka’s first birthday and Budapest for my 40th birthday.
- Illnesses galore – Roseola, tonsillitis multiple times, laryngitis, tummy bugs, conjunctivitis, one ambulance visit, two weeks of 40 degree temperatures and endless colds.
- Iceland – Staying in the Antarctica suite of Hotel Ranga (where we got married), eating skyr birthday cake, Icelandic horses, Reykjavik Pride, waterfalls, museums and the Beluga Whale sanctuary.
- Family – Spending so much wonderful time with friends and family.
- Random visits – Friends fest and cereal café,
- Baking – making cakes every week for the local community café.
- Afternoon tea – Fortnum and Mason, Woburn Hotel and Ampersand Hotel
- Spa – Few spa visits
- Sports – watched Spartans rugby match
- Went back to work and started a new job as a Diversity Manager.
- Escape rooms – something I thought I’d hate, but actual really enjoy
End of the ‘teens’, start of the 20’s
- 2010 – Getting engaged in a hot tub at Hotel Ranga, on the foot of a volcano in Iceland. Seeing my first university friend get married (John and Vicky), Visit to Borneo with Mum and Brigitte, Manchester Pride, Bristol Pride, Engagement party at Aunties, loads of Devon beach visits, watched Wicked at the theatre,
- 2011 – Moving to Bedford, then moving to St Neots. Sailor joined our family. Caroline and Peter get married, visited Ali’s dream destination of Galapagos islands, Pre wedding trip to Iceland in deep snow, housewarming party, visited Istanbul with Phil, visited Barcelona for Aunties 40th, we said goodbye to Devon, an inspiration of my childhood passed away in an accident – Allan,
- 2012 – Wedding in Iceland, honeymoon in Australia and New Zealand, flew business class for the one and only times in our lives, amazing time watching the London 2012 Olympics and paralympics, Ali completed the Great North Run, World Pride in London, attended the Queen’s Garden Party, Brigton Equality Walk, we both completed the swimathon, visited Paris,
- 2013 – Penny joined our family, afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason, Duck tour with Liv and Caitlin, cottage holidays in lincolnshire and Norfolk, went punting in Cambridge and haven’t laughed like that…ever, watched a cricket match for the first time, completed a walking half marathon, visited Hastings with Phil, visited Buckingham Palace, my school best friend got married.
- 2014 – Walking a marathon, attending Trooping the colour, watching a football match for the first time, going on a speed boat on the Thames, many amazing afternoon teas, watching the London marathon, watching London Pride, camping with doggies!, canoeing with Windband, watching Laurence and Jerome get married in Paris, visiting the set of Bad Girls with mum, Jen and Jemma who were all big fans, Windsor Castle, Scotland tour, visited the Tower of London poppies, started a Brownie Pack, attended the Cenotaph Remembrance Day Service, an Ice based anniversary to the Ice Bar.
- 2015 – First visit to Bletchley Park, visiting my dream destination – Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia, Walking the Shackleton trail, Cottage in North and South Wales, watching Wimbledon on centre court, watching an ordination, visiting Blenheim palace on a soggy family camping trip, Sophia was born, Ali got a new job, shook hands with Prince Harry on Christmas Day at Sandringham and was interviewed by Sky News, Cabinet War rooms with Mum and Dad, Alison and Paul’s wedding and watched the Oxford Cambridge boat races.
- 2016 – Cottage holidays to Isle of Wight and Northumberland, multiple afternoon teas, visiting Iceland, Kensington Palace, watching the Order of the Garter, Patrons lunch, polo and state opening of parliament, completed an Olympic triathlon for my diamond duke of Edinburgh award, watching the anniversary games, hosting a street party for 100 rainbows, Brownies and Guides for the Queen’s 90th birthday, Mum’s birthday visit on the orient express, Ellie and I being award the Civil Service Award for Diversity and Inclusion.
- 2017 – Got stuck at the top of a ski jump in Oslo, cottage holidays to Norfolk, Hull and Cornwall, cruise, archery, women’s march, Windsor Horse Show, more afternoon teas, Matilda and Royal Albert Hall for classical spectacular, Lots of being in the audience of TV shows, spoke at my biggest audience yet – 800 people.
- 2018 – Reyka completed our family, Visited Titanic museum and Bristol Aerospace, cottage holidays, led the Civil Service celebrations of the suffrage centenary. Best job of my life!!!! Loads of afternoon teas, Sienna was born, was sat at Windsor castle at 4am to watch Harry and Meghan get married, marching with Girl Guiding in pride, Baby shower and the unbelievable – being awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Attended the investiture with Mum, Dad and Ali. A day I cried for most of the day!
- 2019 – As above, but I will focus on the time I spent with Reyka on Shared Parental Leave.
Hopes for the next decade
Watching Reyka grow and showing her the world. Russia, Nepal and Costa Rica are top of my list. Hopefully good health for all of my family. Here starts a new chapter in our lives.
