The 2015 Adventures of the Hill Family

SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM THE HILLS!

What a big year 2015 has been!

Sean, our big boy, is nearly 5 years old, and very much looking forward to starting kindergarten in the new year. Sean had a fantastic year at St Dunstan's Preschool in Eastwood, where he enjoyed learning new things every day, and has made some very good friends over the course of the year. His teachers are totally amazing and we are looking forward to returning to the preschool when it's Henry's turn. Sean is so active and full of life, with a huge imagination and a fabulous ability to make up stories and role play with his toys. He loves to play chasings and tip with his friends, or just run around like a mad thing at a playground. It's hard to keep up with him!

Henry will turn 2 in March next year, and he is such a cheeky and funny little man. He learned to walk just shy of his 1st birthday this year, and hasn't looked back since! He runs almost as fast as his big brother, and copies everything Sean does. He is an adorable and affectionate little man who loves a cuddle and a kiss. He is an engaging little man who loves to initiate play time, although his current favourite “game” is to jump up and down in Momma’s lap and dig his little toes into her thighs! The boys share a beautiful bond and they really do adore each other. Henry will start day care in the new year when Gloria returns to work after her maternity leave runs out in February 2016.

Jonathan has notched up another year at his job, with the 10-year mark almost in sight. The mid-year appointment of a new manager who is very engaged and engaging with the team has seen Jonathan become a lot happier with the work environment. This year saw Jonathan's working hours shift to start at 7am and finish at 3pm, which has meant more family time in the afternoons as he usually arrives home around 4pm. There may be some professional development opportunities come the new year - these opportunities have been in the pipeline for the past couple of years, and hopefully, the new manager will actually see these through.

Meanwhile, Gloria has enjoyed her final year of maternity leave, ever! Being able to spend this year at home, watching Henry grow from a lump to a fast-moving toddler has been so precious. She has also enjoyed being very actively involved in Sean’s preschool (she was a member of the preschool’s Management Committee and volunteered for kitchen duties and cooking duties at the preschool’s fetes), and is looking forward to being part of the primary school's community next year. To keep herself busy, Gloria set herself a cooking challenge at the beginning of 2015, to cook new recipes every week and eat something different every night. This week marks Week 49 of the cooking challenge and the whole family has benefited from all the different tasty and healthy meals whipped up by Masterchef G!

We didn’t manage to travel anywhere this year, as we did plenty of travelling last year. But a surprise announcement by our cousin Joy will see us travel to Hong Kong to be part of her wedding fun in January 2016. We are thrilled to be invited to join Joy and Fohn on their special day, and are excited to be jetting to Hong Kong for a short week of fun and food and fabulous family time.

2016 will be a huge year for one and all at the Hill Manor. Gloria returns to work in early February, Sean starts kindergarten on 3 February, and Henry starts day care at the end of January. The whole family will be diving into the deep end, to try and juggle before-school care, day care, after-school care, work, school and associated school activities. We are hoping we don’t sink!

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. Dream big in 2016!

Photo Credits: All of our beautiful photos, with the exception of the Harvey Norman Santa Photo, were taken by the very talented and exceptionally patient Danielle Colley. To see more of her beautiful work, please visit http://www.keepingupwiththeholsbys.com/family-photographer/.

Extraordinary Me

Image borrowed with love from Keeping Up With The Holsbys

It's been a while since I've written anything. I've been busy living an extraordinary life.

Indeed, it is an extraordinary life. Although my gorgeous boys and my beautiful man and I may seem like normal, ordinary people on the outside, we are, in fact, extraordinary people.

And it's time I reminded myself how extraordinary I am.

All my life, I was told "you're not good enough", "you haven't done enough", "you haven't achieved enough", "you'll never be good enough". Words of encouragement were few and very far between from those from whom I sought the most approval, and the loving support I so desperately craved seemed so far and out of reach. For the longest time, I felt like I was not good enough, I had not done enough, I hadn't achieved enough, and I'll never be good enough.

I was made to feel ordinary.

Some weeks ago, I finally realised something. I AM good enough.

Not just good enough. I am extraordinary.

I married the most wonderful and patient man on earth. So loving, so kind, so considerate. So extraordinary.

I grew 2 humans, who are the most gorgeous and gregarious little people. So loving, so kind, so considerate. So extraordinary.

I have an extraordinary glitch in my genetics. Extraordinarily, I gave the glitch to my big boy, and essentially handed him a death sentence.

I watched my big boy go through aggressive chemotherapy and a stem cells transplant, and then I nursed him back to health. So extraordinary, because things could so easily have gone so horribly wrong. He is an extraordinary picture of health and the epitome of life, largely because of me.

I injected my body full of hormones and allowed medical professionals to perform multiple invasive procedures on my body, just so we could have another baby, one who would be born without the extraordinary glitch.

I work for an extraordinary organisation that allows me to stay at home with my babies for 2 years after their births, and then allows me to work on a part time basis for an extended period of time after returning to work.

I have the most brilliant and extraordinary people around me who love me for who I am. Extraordinary people who are loaded with words of encouragement and loving support and ready and willing to dispense the same at will.

I will continue to live this extraordinary life of mine, surrounded only by extraordinary people. Be gone are those who have ever made me feel ordinary. I will not accept anything less than extraordinary.

Because I am EXTRAORDINARY.