Best year of my life

I love New Year. I love reflecting on the year gone by, and tomorrow I look forward to the year ahead. To say it has been the best year of my life would be an understatement. This time last year we had told our parents about Ali being pregnant and we talked about how life will change in 2018.

It has become a tradition on my blog to have a look back at the year:

• Reyka completing our family - We managed to keep her a secret to all but a handful of people, right up until the day she was born. Having spent 2 years and giving up, we didn't believe she was real until we held her in our arms. We can't remember what life was like before she completed our family. 

• Brownies - Starting the year with a weekend in Butlin with thousands of Brownies for Brownie Starburst. Dressing as Belle for the Brownie Holiday in May, then dressing as a Reindeer for Christmas Brownie holiday.

• Visits - Bristol Aerospace, Titanic Museum, cheering Ellie at London Marathon, Royal Albert Hall, The Shard, visiting Tim Peake's space craft at Peterborough Cathedral. 

• Cottage Holidays - Herefordshire, Kent

• Suffrage centenary - Way way way too many amazing things I've loved. A few key memories - Suffragette City and chalking the pavements outside Piccadilly circus and then thrown in jail, hunting suffrage Blue Plaques around London which saw me on the train at 6am to trundle around London seeking the plaques before work, seeing the suffrage post boxes, visiting the cupboard where Emily Wilding Davison hid for the 1911 census, seeing the unveiling of the first female statue on Parliament Square, sewing a banner which took an entire weekend (I can't sew!) and leading a group in Processions, hosting a workshop in the ballroom in Blackpool, visiting the suffrage tree in Glasgow, the volunteer team winning an award, visiting Emmeline Pankhurst's grave and then ending the year visiting the Pankhurst Centre in Manchester and buying sashes for friends Christmas presents, then walking from Hatfield to Holloway (this is not a common walking route).

• Votes for women day - Leading a day of activities for over 100 Rainbows, Brownies and Guides in St Neots to celebrate the Suffrage Centenary. They were dressed as inspiration women in history. 

• Afternoon tea - Carriages of Cambridge (twice), Fortnum and Mason, Bristol Patisserie Valerie

• Sienna being born

• Royal wedding  - 4am start to get a front row pitch to see Prince Harry ad Meghan. Early in the morning we were on BBC weather when Carol asked where we were from and I enthusiastically started by shouting St Neots. 

• Cakes - Baking every week for the community café and baking the Great British Bake Off bakes again. 

• Wimbledon - In the Debenture area! 

• Pride - marching in London Pride with Girl Guiding makes me so proud

• Baby shower - a joint baby shower for Ali and I including games and lovely afternoon tea at Emma's. 

• Witnessing the fly past to celebrate RAF100 in London. 

• Speaking at every Women into Leadership conference this year, including Glasgow and Belfast. My first day back after parental leave was speaking to 850 people in London. 

• MBE - I still pinch myself that this actually happened, it still doesn't feel real, even though I've been to the Palace and have the medal. Being awarded for something you love is the best feeling in the world, especially in this phenomenal year. 

Let's see what 2019 brings.