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Monday 20 January 2014

Moments that mattered in 2013

More than any other year I can look back on 2013 and see certain moments that defined it in pure technicolour. In fact a lot of the last 6 months is very blurry, it's only those moments that stand out.

There are plenty of moments in my life that were played out in slow motion, every second catalogued and memorised forever. In 2013 we were gifted several 'moments that mattered' that will stay with me forever - for good or bad, in sickness and in health...

The year started really calmly, bumbling along. The Brick Castle was new, the blogging community were brilliant, I felt immediately part of a huge and completely surprising family. Little did I realise that the very first time I ventured onto Twitter purely to chat to that family would I find that the very worst had happened to one of them. It gave rise to this post, which showed a side of me that I hadn't expected to show in public.

March provided some of the most spectacular experiences and sights I'll ever see with the amazing 8ft snowdrifts at Easter when we visited my partner's parents in Scotland.


In July I was getting excited about attending my first ever blogging conference - Blog On at The Museum of Science And Industry - when everything crashed. At 12.30pm on 10th July 2013 I realised my partner was seriously ill, may have Meningitis and needed immediate medical attention. That moment was incredibly scary, but it wasn't as terrifying as when I arrived back at hospital the second day and found him even more seriously ill, and nothing has ever been as horrible as sitting with him while he had his Lumbar Puncture.

It led on to my moment that mattered the very most for 2013. My partner being allowed home from hospital under my care. He was still very ill, slept 21 hours a day and had to go back each day for a check up, but it was wonderful for everyone, especially the children because they hadn't been allowed to visit and it had been a very scary thing for us all to deal with.


August saw us back at my partner's parents and on the way home a moment that matters very much because I genuinely will regret it forever. The moment I jumped from The Great Stone Of Fourstones and broke my leg. It left our family with 2 disabled parents, 7 children and several almost impossibly hard and painful months ahead of us.

September saw our eldest move out and go to University, and our youngest start Nursery - big milestones which were lost in the post-Meningitis and broken leg blur, so I don't remember them as vividly as I perhaps should.


In December I found out I had won a hefty Amazon voucher in a Gingerbread House blog competition. The moment I decided to make that castle has to go down as very important. It meant we were able to almost double our present budget for the kids and buy loads of extra treats, and even though my scheduled leg operation didn't happen, a calm descended on the house, which, despite everything we had all been through, helped us have THE best Christmas ever.
  
All together as a family - and THAT is what matters the most. 




This is my entry for the Lloyds Bank 'Moments That Matter' Bloggers competition. 

24 comments:

  1. What a year!! So many wonderful and not so wonderful moments but they all mattered!! Beautiful post x

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    1. Thank you Kim - that's a lovely comment. You have to take the downs to get the ups :) x

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  2. It's been a tough year for you Jenny, and no doubt one you will never want to relive, but look at you all together there. Family is the most important thing. Hope 2014 is better for you x

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  3. wow that is a year and a half, but now a new year and new challenges and excitement!

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    1. I'm hoping for very little excitement this year. My aim to write a similar post next year that says "The 16 year olds passed their exams and the 4 year old started school, and that was about it" :D

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  4. Sounds like it's been a year of many highs and many lows. I hope 2014 is much more high for you all. You deserve it.

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  5. You've certainly had an eventful year. Fingers crossed 2014 brings you many more ups than downs!

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  6. What a year you guys had, at least that big win gave you all something to smile about at the end of it all. That Gingerbread Castle was brilliant.

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    1. Aww thanks Mary! I have to say it was a lovely win an beautifully timed to cheer us up :)

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  7. Life is always a roller coaster and it has done me no harm to read this, take note and realise that so many others out there deal with incredibly stressful situations and still manage to come out if it on top. Family,friends and love are all that count. Although a hefty amazon voucher or lottery win for that matter would be a welcome surprise in my household right now :-) if I were Lloyd's you'd get my vote Jenny.

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    1. It's a roller-coaster indeed. I equate those first few weeks after my partner became ill as being on a millwheel and just running as fast as I could to stay upright - I definitely prefer the roller-coaster!
      Thank you for your lovely comments :)

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  8. oh my goodness - what a year you had. Thanks for entering the competition and good luck.

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    1. Thanks very much for hosting! It was certainly a year we'll never forget :D

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  9. you know im always under your bed. someone you can rely on. lol! good luck!

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    1. :D I know. Thanks Eileen, you've been a real star to me x

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  10. This time next year, I hope you will do a similar post to this but the news will be all smiles.
    Thanks for letting us into your life.
    It took nearly 40 years but I finally feel that we are family at last. xxxx

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    1. Aww Craig. I don't know who's tearing up the most, me or Euan. It did take us a while, but it's really great to have found you and not just have those vague memories of a little boy who used to visit and had the cheek to ride on my bike! :) xxx

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  11. My goodness - what a year but I'm so glad that after all of it you were able to enjoy Christmas

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    1. It really was spectacularly eventful! I think we deserve a year off! :D

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  12. Oh crikey, what a year you had. Here's hoping 2014 is full of health and happiness for you all #momentsthatmattered

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