The Year That Was

Although our blog does chronicle the events of our lives, we thought we would recap 2008 with a Christmas letter in digital form.

We quickly and unexpectedly were relocated to Perth this year after Michael received a too-good-to-refuse job opportunity. We weren’t looking to move back to Perth but with Cam being sick and Number One grandchild on the way, we knew it was generous provision.

The first few months of Perth living was like being on camp. With Cam & Libs and John & Carms living within coo-ee we’d see them often for chats and food.

May 8th changed our lives when Angus Punk Bubba-louie Barr turned up. Most of the year’s blog has been about his every twitch and giggle so I won’t expand too much on how delightful he is. We slept little for 6 months while we waited for his kidney operation in October and then we called in the big guns of Sleep Management to sort out his chronic unsettled sleep. Since that night we have slept long and undisturbed. So don’t be surprised if we actually DO have a second child and that she might be named Andrea after our guru!!

Michael has met hundreds of people since living in Perth. Everyone was keen to wine and dine the new Leighton Property boy in town. Many days my evening greeting to him included a question of where he went for lunch. He likes living in Perth and has added 2 hours to his day by commuting 5 min to work rather than the Sydney travel time. He is an incredible father and never seems to tire of repetitive games or baby routines.

In February I prayed that somehow I would find some other yummy mummies in the inner-city neighbourhood who would become my ‘new best friends’. Incredibly my Mothers Group consists of 3 others, two of whom live in our short street. We’ve had a great year, sharing our new found bundles of fun. As well as that I go to another group run by the hospital and there’s a bunch more girls there who are great company. Our Angus meets weekly with Angus #2 who is 2 days younger than him and was born in the same hospital. I go walking with his mum every week although sometimes we choose to walk through Karrinyup shopping centre instead of Kings Park.

We have found a great bunch of like-minded believers that we meet with on Sunday mornings. We love their perspectives on faith…having a good ol’ Pentecostal belief in the supernatural and no emphasis on programs, slick music or owning property. We also admire their desire to build the local community more than building their church attendance.

Perth is a pretty easy place for me to live in with family and familiarity all around. Mum and Dad are doting grandparents who love to take photos and baby sit. Carmel did a marathon labour to get Stella (Lala) into the world to be best buddies with our AB. Cam is officially in remission which is an incredible place to be after more than a year of turbulent treatments. Understandably the process of rebuilding is hard and complicated.

If you’re reading this in Sydney…we miss you. The Eastern grandparents have visited for Angus Intensives and we did one trip over mid year. We will spend time in Sydney over Christmas this year which will be fabulous.

We feel blessed.