2021 - A Year in Review

Well, this is why I should do regular blogging - because trying to catch up on a whole year at once takes forever! But it's kind of fun looking back.

It feels like a long time ago that we were homeschooling in lockdown, back in January and February! As the restrictions eased and the weather improved, we got out to some new places and some old favourites. We visited family (and they visited us!), kept busy at work and school, followed England's football fortunes in the Euros, and made some furry friends.

A local alpaca farm

Of course, these are the edited highlights. We had a few ongoing issues as well - some have resolved themselves, so that I look back and think, "Oh yes, I'd almost forgotten we spent ages dealing with that," while others are still chuntering along in the background.

Big events

We had a summer holiday in Somerset - we stayed in a dinky little AirBnB cottage and visited Wells Cathedral, Glastonbury Tor, the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Blue Anchor Bay, and Taunton.

Picnic on the beach

Playground at Fleet Air Arm Museum

Rainbow path in Taunton

Wells Cathedral Close

We had a weekend in Wales in a big blue camper van - and I did blog about that!

We bought a convertible Mini (the MG died)

It holds all four of us!

And we smartened up the house a bit, with new windows, a new front door, and a few licks of paint.

Toby

Had his first overnight trip away with school, to an outdoor activity centre near Buxton

Achieved Merit on his Grade 1 keyboard exam

Went to basketball, dodgeball and zorbing clubs, and tried karting.

Took some friends to Nottingham for his 11th birthday, to see Ron's Gone Wrong and eat at Taco Bell.

Applied for secondary school (eek!)

Theo

Got a bike and pizza for his 7th birthday

Enjoyed playing guitar

Tried to make things explode

Got covid - entirely symptom-free

Graham

Learned archery and joined a club

Celebrated his birthday in style

Went for long bike rides with friends

Was very busy at work

Martha

Wasn't able to open the cafe until May, so I painted a labyrinth and sold afternoon tea boxes instead.

Kept on reading

Got given some flowers

And grew stuff, as usual (lots of tomatoes this year!)

The wider family

Exchanged Christmas presents with my parents in February - but we still couldn't let them in the house!

Visited John (my brother) and Katie in Glasgow, where they've recently moved.

Met up with Mark (Graham's cousin) and Andy not once but twice this year - possibly a record!

Smashed up a sideboard for Graham's mum, and enjoyed a trip to the Media Museum in Bradford with Colette (Graham's sister) and Karl.

Finally got together for a meal to celebrate Graham's dad's life, only a year and a half after he passed away.

And my grandma sadly died in October, at the age of 92.

And we got outdoors...

...in floods and ice and snow...

...in mud...

...and in sunshine.

There's been some ups and downs, but lots of smiles too.

Let's see what 2022 brings!

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