Life has been very different for the Thomases this year and began slowly and badly but has improved as it has passed.

We’ve gone through all the ‘first’ milestones of being without our darling Miriam but she is never far from our thoughts – at least not for Graham and me.  We talk of her often but not every single day now.

Our trip to Canada and Alaska in June was well timed – we needed time out to just be ourselves and be with those who knew nothing of what we’d been through, so we could just be ourselves.  We had a wonderful time and now have a beautiful coffee table book filled with photos from our trip.

In May, on Mother’s Day, Melanie and Ryan announced they were pregnant and this became a welcome distraction and something to look forward to.  They blessed us just a week ago with a lovely grandson named Oliver.  He really is very beautiful and we look forward to watching his growing up and having lots of cuddles with him.

Christine has bought her own home in the country – one of her dreams to have her own place and garden now being fulfilled.  She is loving this and currently has a girlfriend sharing her home with her.

Angie and Ben continue to do work on their home and gradually renovate it or fix up things. They’ve been there 3 years now.

Meredith has been working interstate but will return home to Victoria early in the new year and then will do a bit more travelling before settling into a new job.  Her friend Sara has been a tower of strength and support and has been her constant companion in Canberra.

During the year Graham and I began looking at houses for sale in the country in earnest.  We’d spent years staying at B&B cottages in secluded country places and now we finally have one that is entirely our own – although somewhat larger than a cottage. Our youngest, Angela, said she thought we were downsizing and my response was that it’s less rooms – just bigger 🙂  We shifted almost 6 weeks ago and still have a few things to unpack but getting there. Our old home has been sold. We love the surroundings of our new home and continuously discover bird life we’d not seen around before, or a plant in the garden, or something else in our new home, or something in our new area and surroundings. I expect we’ll be on a discovery tour for quite some time to come yet.  The Dandenong Ranges really is a lovely area and my camera is well and truly working overtime.

Graham and I have just celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary and we spent a quiet peaceful afternoon on a cruise boat in Pt Phillip Bay.  I’d not seen Melbourne from the water like that before and the boat was not crowded. Most of the guests stayed upstairs with the band and their workmates, so Graham and I pretty much had the bottom part to ourselves most of the time.  It was a gorgeous day too – couldn’t have been better.  Thank you Father for such a beautiful time together.

Thank you for visiting this blog over the past years, for your comments, emails, encouragement and support as needed.  I look forward to what life will bring us in the new year and showing you our new home and surroundings as each season passes.  Below is one of our resident kookaburras. I’ve counted four so far on our property.

Have a Merry Christmas – make sure you spend it in the company of people you enjoy being with.  Happy New Year to you also.