Writing about my 2017 and ready to welcome 2018!
In January we made the first and only visit to Portugal for the year. To see, to speak and to hug those we love fills our hearts, however is a trip we simply cannot call a 'holiday' - each day a new location, a new house, adapting to the place, the people, the circunstances, the chats and bringing with us all the bags, luggages and all fingers crossed nothing will be left behind on the previous house.
Revisiting those faces we once knew so well on a daily basis, walking through those streets, places and views that meant so much (or so little) once upon a time is priceless.
Priceless indeed, but when we are back to England, we are exhausted. Simply and purely exhausted, with open luggages on each corner of the flat, stuff everywhere that we won't put back where it belongs because we are just too tired and lazy, a month of laundry to do and mixed feelings to last for weeks.
Time is short. It goes so quickly and passes by like a breeze.
Unsatisfied with our renting agency, February was the month I decided to do my very best for our family and my ambition took another level. I wanted a house. Our house.
My husband said me and my ambitions were delusional and I promised to prove him wrong.
March was marked by appointments at the bank, meeting consultants and mortgage advisers.
Our hopes were up and down each day until we fell in love by a potential house through a photograph and on the 23rd we found out that the house we kept dreaming of would be ours. Little we knew how painful the next months would be for something promised to be so simple and straightforward.
Easter Bunny for April on our favourite farm - Sacrewell and our little girl first trip to the cinema to watch Peppa Pig.
May was a so much expected month and the most important visit since we turned England our 'home' took place: My best and oldest friend and the best sister I never had brought the joy to our girl (and me, I admit) for nearly 2 weeks.
Cousins + Alton Towers Resort = The best combo to remember the good old times.
Zero news about the new house. No contracts exchanged, little news from solicitors.
In June I failed on my attempt to loose weight but my ambition to invest on my online shop grew.
Our summer holidays in July were lovely but a total fiasco too: One week at the south of England and one full day of sun...
No news about the new house. I was fuming by now.
On August 11th we became officially homeowners. We bought a house!
And we were naive enough to refurbish our new home's ground floor in time to our little girl's 3rd birthday party. We had 14 days and no holidays or time off from work left.
What was I thinking?
But we did it, we had a piñata, a unicorn cake and it was probably the hotest day of the year, so we even managed a paddling pool in the garden. Mission accomplished (sort of).
We said our last goodbyes to our flat in September and it was officially the month for toddler's birthday parties. Each weekend Alice attended to one of her little friend's birthday party. My daughter has a more active social life than I ever had during high school and all that jazz!
On this month I also reached my 100th sale on my Etsy shop and I cried. Tears of happiness of course.
With October, serious committments and decisions took place. The house was still a work-in-progress after two months living in it, we made the tough decision of leaving Alice's swimming lessons and our little girl started preschool.
Until today, the day I'm writing this post, somewhere between the end of the year and the beginning of the new one, let me tell you that the love-hate stage for preschool hasn't finished yet. Each day she still wakes up shouting at me: Mummy, it's not preschool day!
Even when it is. Bless her.
Also because October and Halloween season are pretty much the same thing, we went pumpkin picking with a very temperamental 'threenager' and ended up with a miserable Halloween trick or treat evening, with this little girl refusing to open the door to anyone with a mask - the joys of motherhood!
November is my birthday month.
I always have good and positive expectations for this month. But 2017, November and turning 29 weren't holding hands and after a generally good year, it all kind of went downhill. I had the worst birthday morning I can remember - our car stopped working right on a roundabout and a whole amount of family frustrations came to the surface so buying a new car and saying goodbye to the old one was part of the plan. The very unexpected plan.
For December we had snow and it was amazing.
The mood was gloom, the orders for PipaCrafts' unique gifts were an incredible blessing but as a family we were left incomplete after spending a beautiful Christmas on our home - the first Christmas on our first owned house - with no car.
Long story made short: We sold the old car. We bought a new car. 12 days after purchasing the new one, it went to the garage with faulty eletric problems.
Is this karma or whatever?
And so 2017 is coming to an end and I am a confused person, more than happy to embrace and welcome the new year to come.
Yes, I do have a resolution plan.
Yes, I still have plenty of plans and ambitions for the new year.
We will be ordering Chinese for the last meal of the year.
I can't wait and I'm feeling positive about a whole new year to start!
#Yearinreview #About2017 #2017inphotos #Ourfamilyyearinreview #amumblogging #Weboughtahouse #Toddlerbirthdayparty #Etsyshop #PipaCrafts #Lifewithatoddler #Familylife #Thejoysofmotherhood