2008 - a year of adventure

I am sitting here with Emily in her sling. I've finally worked out how to get her into it without dropping her! I managed to get a bit of housework done with her in the sling, but my c-section scar started hurting after about 15 minutes, so I've had to sit down for a while. She feels so warm all snuggled up against my chest. I hope I get time to write this before she wakes up for her next feed, which is due any time now.

Well, no doubt about it - 2008 was a year packed full of adventure and good times for the M family. What a year! I'm looking forward to a restful 2009 after all last years excitement. This time last year we were busy packing suitcases and trying to plan our route across America. I remember the daunting feeling I had as we walked into our RV home for the first time. I wondered if we had gone totally insane and was sure we'd all kill each other during five months of living in one room on wheels together. But it turned out to be the trip of a lifetime. We saw the most spectacular, awe inspiring sights, spent precious family times with our children, and bonded as a couple on our 14,000 mile drive across the USA.

We closed down our business in January 2008. This has been the first year that Dan hasn't been self employed for what seems like a lifetime. It's taken him quite some getting used to, but he's finally learning how to relax. It was a big decision for us to close down our beloved CD shop, which was our little baby, but it was certainly the right thing to do.

Obviously the biggest change 2008 brought to the M family was the arrival of our fourth child, our souvenir from America. Nine months of pregnancy have flown past. I guess that's because 4 months of them were on the road. I don't relish the mornings waking up in the RV with morning sickness, having to drive sometimes 200 miles whilst feeling terribly nauseous and wanting to just be back at home in my own bed. 39 weeks and one caesarean section later, we have the most beautiful little baby girl.

So 2008 has brought so much to our family but here's a brief summary and reminder...

adventure - travelling for 5 months, what an awesome adventure!
surprises - a new baby girl
sadness - the death of Dan's uncle was a very sad time for him and his family
sickness - plenty of morning sickness, plus suffering from high blood pressure complications during pregnancy for me. And a bad spell of asthma for young Barney.
laughter - plenty of that! I still wake up laughing when I remember Dan walking into the fly screen at Tammy's house in California (twice!)
friendship - we made some lovely new friends on our way round America, as well as strengthening some existing friendships this year. I also lost a friendship that was becoming unhappy, which was a sad time.
music - I finally got to see Metallica in concert! (Emily's first gig too!)
schools - Barney started his first year at primary school, whilst Annabelle started her first at secondary school.

Emily's crying for a feed again so I will have to leave it there. But here are some memories of our year in photo form...