2014 - the year that was over in the blink of an eye.

Yep, seriously. Where did this year go? It seems like yesterday it was the same time last year.  Due to the fact that 2014 is drawing to a close I think a yearly wrap-up is in order.


What was the best thing that happened to me this year? Making new friends and developing old friendships. I enjoyed having more people over to our house and we had the most amazing time preparing for and attending the 2014 International Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses here in Melbourne, as well as the 2 bus tours we were able to take along the Great Ocean Road and to the Otway Fly Treetop Walk.

What did I do this year that I'm really proud of? Spending much more time in my volunteer work than I ever have in any other year. Apart from hours spent in the ministry work, my husband and I spend hours and hours preparing for our bus tours and also preparing gifts for delegates, not to mention all the rehearsals and practice sessions for the Aussie choir and delegate evening. It was all so worth it.

Some of the delegates on our first bus tour.

Who did I help? I hope we helped the International visitors that came for the International Convention. Surely we were able to tell them something interesting about our Great Southern Land and fed/entertained them to an acceptable level.

Some of the delegates on our second bus tour.

Who do I need to thank and acknowledge for having been there for me? Of course my wonderful husband needs first mention; he is always my biggest supporter. Also my bestest girl pals - Skye, Melina, Vanessa, Bianca, Maryanne. I really could go on and on listing names of the fantastic people that continue to support me. I want to thank each and every one for the pat on the back, the encouraging words, bouncing ideas off of, putting up with me and being totally amazing.

What are the top three lessons I learned? Lessons? Just 3? Um... 1. When you think you still have heaps of time to do stuff before a deadline, the deadline always comes way faster than you think it would (i.e. International Convention). 2. Helping others really does make me feel truly happy (i.e. volunteering, bus tours, hosting delegates at our house, giving gifts, throwing parties, etc, etc). 3. When I plan and schedule, I can make it happen, but I am lost without some sort of diary to keep track of everything (i.e. auxillary pioneering, bus tour training, preparing delegate gifts, etc).

What increased my happiness and joy this year? Being content. Seriously, not trying to impress, just being myself, and being happy with what I have and not longing for stuff I don't really want, need, or can't afford. Realising we have it pretty good compared to others is also pretty humbling - who am I to think my life isn't good enough already? That, and the International Convention and all associated activities - we had a blast!

What's something I got through that was really tough? Our first bus tour. We had been preparing for months, expectations were high. Matt and I were both super excited to have the opportunity to be guides to our international visitors as well as super nervous of what could go wrong and what we had forgotten. Matt was recovering after a week of the flu, still not feeling 100% and I was starting to feel the dry scratchy throat and sinus pain... I didn't get much sleep the night before both with excitement and nerves, so armed with about 3hrs sleep and a dose of Sudafed, Panadol and throat spray (thanks to Hijiri), we set off at 6am - and had a FANTASTIC day! Everything went smoothly and we were so overwhelmed by expressions of gratitude for the job we did and awe of our great landscapes. We were utterly exhausted afterwards but we were on such a high.

What did I avoid that I must pay more attention to next year? My scrapbooking and crafting for my own enjoyment, just for fun. I miss Project Life (I didn't do a single page this year although I continued to take heaps and heaps and heaps of photos). Oh, and this blog.

Making glass tile fridge magnets

What character trait did I develop most this year? Determination. I accomplished more than I thought possible. I tried new things (like soap making, sewing, oh and being a bus tour guide), I didn't get overwhelmed - I may have had some sleep deprived nights and weeks where the housework suffered, but I prioritised and made sure what needed to be done got done.

Soaping and Sewing

What new people did I meet that are now in my life? Many, many friends that we met before, during or after the International Convention from America, Germany, Netherlands, Britain as well as many other countries that we have received emails from and/or sent emails to. In particular, the lovely family that spent 3 weeks with us locally from the Netherlands. A new friend in Melissa who moved into our congregation. Peter and Tracey who have a fabulous attitude, are true gems and have a fantastic rural estate we have been privileged to explore. I'm sure there are others I've forgotten too.

Manly Beach, Sydney

Sydney Harbour

 I'm very excited to see what 2015 will bring - BRING IT ON!