Yet another year is coming to an end, another pandemic-affected year! I write these letters as much for myself as to share, and as I re-read last year’s letter it made me smile that we spent 106 days at home in lockdown together and all stayed healthy. Until Christmas Eve that was! Ross’ parents arrived with ham and turkey just as we discovered Abi had contracted the dreaded Covid at her retail job (despite being the best at masking and sanitising out of us all), so we had to send the grandparents home (without their ham and turkey) and spend the Christmas-New Year period in lockdown together! The photo on the back of our Christmas card shows our Christmas lunch, with Abi eating on the stairs as she maintained a Covid-acceptable distance from us.
To no avail though….late December we discovered that Ross and Nik had also caught it – and quarantining from the healthy children while still caring for them in lockdown was not easy. Thankfully the friends who in 2020 had dropped off supplies difficult to find, such as toilet paper, left at our front door seafood and other treats to get us through. It’s so hard to remember at this end of the year the difficulties back then of accessing groceries and getting PCR tests.
As soon as the period of quarantine ended, Jarrod went to Cairns with friends who had been waiting for him to be able to travel. He had his turn with Covid after he returned, and then over the next three months everyone else except for Sam had a turn, never catching it from each other but from outside sources, plunging us all into lockdown multiple times during term one. Sam has still amazingly not had Covid, but has suffered more than the others from influenza and RSV several times during this year. Nik was the only one to have long Covid, which sent her to ER a couple of times in January but that has thankfully settled down as the year went on.
Our lockdowns meant we missed a planned holiday with other school families to Thredbo in April, but between our constant lockdowns we were able to make memories such as seeing ‘Hamilton’, a weekend at Eagleview Escape before we sold the business, Nik’s 30 year school reunion, Tim’s uni graduation, and also attend a couple of (superspreader 😉) conferences. Aunty Cheryl turned 70, and some friends turned 50, which gave us events to look forward to. Nik even managed her first ever holiday alone! A week in Hawaii in August (well…with three friends, but no husband or children), which was a great experience.
We also bought a farm! Since June, Ross and Mark have spent a few days down at Milton each week maintaining and improving the property, and we are hoping for some time down there over the school holidays to observe what Farmer Ross has learned about looking after sheep, and to enjoy the produce of the orchard. When not being a farmer, Ross is still working at Revesby for NSW Fire and Rescue, and Nik has continued to work for her new employer, Maher Group. She has continued to work from home as the rest of the employees returned to the office, and it is still working well and allows her to continue with her volunteer work/kids’ schedules/regular lunches and coffee catch-ups (I had to include that last one in the spirit of honesty seeing as it is a regular and enjoyable part of some weeks).
Jarrod began his new full-time position as Data Scientist at The King’s School this year, and they made his hours flexible enough to continue tutoring at Sydney Uni as well, with a promotion to Head Tutor (which as the year went on meant coordinating subject tutorials while packing for his trip!). He took seven weeks’ leave for a European vacation with several friends from high school (even paying us board in advance to ensure no sibling took over his room while he was away).
Even being overseas for nearly two months, we suspect we saw more of Jarrod this year than Tim, who spent a lot of time, when not working part-time shifts at Rebel, at uni enjoying his responsibilities as Credo President. (We think he has spent more time having coffees or meeting up with people than even Nik does….). Credo has asked Tim to continue as President for 2023, which he will do as he continues working at Rebel and completes his Masters in Human Resource Management.
Abi continued her Bachelor of Music Education at the Conservatorium of Music, continued tutoring students, and moved last December to part-time employment in retail from hospitality. Apart from catching the dreaded C three weeks into her new role, she has loved working at Harry Hartog this year and we have all benefited from her working at a bookstore! She took on a small role in the Con’s EU (Evangelical Union) group, but doesn’t want to or have the time to get as involved as Tim does! Abi has also completed her first stint in a school on practical experience (at Padstow Park Primary School) and is still keen to become a teacher.
Isaac, Sam and Belle have all enjoyed another year of high school (years 11, 10 and 8, respectively). They all served on the SRC together, and all had main roles in the school musical together. Belle continued with soccer and cricket, for our local clubs but also representing school in interschool comps. She still enjoys singing and music, and she has written a few original songs this year (even performing one of them at a school concert with Jarrod accompanying her on the piano). She continues to enjoy comparing her results with the boys’, and has been elected as a Year 9 Leader for 2023, which we were thankful for as she was feeling the pressure of following five siblings who all achieved that role.
Sam continued with tennis lessons, Zone Cross Country and Zone Athletics, and also improved his CSSA State Cross Country result. He played soccer for the Sutherland Shire Football Association, which he enjoyed more when on the field than when waiting impatiently to go on from the bench. Games were often rain-affected at home (we only had one canteen duty all year!), and as far afield as Bathurst, Manly and Bella Vista. Sam completed his work experience in a physiotherapy practice and loved it, and Ross and Nik with all their ageing complaints have fingers crossed he explores this field of study!
Isaac continued with tennis and baseball, and band. His school marks varied once he wasn’t learning at home without distractions, but his social life improved! He broke another toe before the school musical, but disturbingly did not alter any of his dancing scenes to protect it. His most exciting news of the year was finally obtaining his ‘P’s’, and he is now always first in line offering to drop anyone anywhere or pick them up wherever and whenever required. He was elected as a School Prefect for 2023, so will begrudgingly do the HSC to be able to fulfil that responsibility and continue to enjoy the accompanying social life with school friends.
Who knows what next year will bring! For now, we are not planning too far ahead but hoping to be able to share Christmas with extended family and not to be in isolation. We hope you too are able to enjoy time with loved ones this season and wish you a beautiful Christmas.
