This (Christmas Eve) is the latest I have ever sat down to review the year and write a Christmas letter, because we have spent most of December in Japan. But we are now home safely, the washing is up to date, the presents are wrapped, and I am ready to enjoy the season.
Our trip to Japan was motivated by Isaac and Belle leaving at the beginning of December to go over there with a school music tour. They stayed on to meet us as the school returned home, and we enjoyed a couple of weeks exploring Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo and surrounds as a party of eight. The timing of the trip was not great for Jarrod and Tim, so we swapped them out for Abi’s boyfriend, Tom, and our niece, Jess, who like Isaac had just finished the HSC.
Jess chose to spend her “schoolies” trip with us; Zac managed to fit in a week in Fiji with school friends as well. For an HSC year, Zac did quite alright, with the eight of us taking a family trip to Hawaii in July as well. The number of overseas trips this year inversely reflected HSC results for both of them….while Zac did not get the results he may have hoped for, they probably did reflect the effort expended. He was offered early entry to a Bachelor of Business at UOW before the final exams began, so is looking forward to that and is very keen to get out into the workforce.
He had a great year as a school leader, made the baseball grand final, and enjoyed many 18ths including his own. Zac didn’t break any more toes this year but did have some back issues due to the curvature of his spine which he is keen to deal with while we still pay for his chiro/physio appointments! His Major Project for his Media subject was nominated for SHAPE (a selection of exemplary HSC major projects), and for InTech (an exhibition of outstanding Major Projects by HSC Industrial Technology/Multimedia students).
The family holiday in July followed a girls’ trip to NYC and LA for Belle, Abi and me. We headed over to New York at the end of the uni semester to celebrate Abi’s 21st /her HSC from 2020 which was when we had originally planned to go until a worldwide pandemic got in our way. We then stopped in LA for a couple of Disneyland days before we met the boys in Hawaii. Abi also completed the third year of her Music Education degree at the Conservatorium of Music, with a long stint of prac at St George Girls’ High School. She hasn’t had much free time this year between her three part-time jobs (tutoring privately, tutoring at the after-school study program, and working at Harry Hartog), leading a bible study at the Conservatorium, and getting great uni results, but we did manage to celebrate her 21st well and she was able to organise time off for our overseas trips.
Belle felt very privileged to join Abi and me on the trip, and it was a real confidence boost for her. She is still shy and not overly confident, but can become “New York Belle” when she needs to (so called because after a few days away she was hailing taxis for us, organising things, and making conversations with drivers and tour guides). Belle enjoyed the opportunities being a Year 9 school leader provided. She also continued playing soccer for her local club and representing the school, and won a major award from her cricket club for team spirit/encouragement of players. Over the last few months she has started work on her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award, and is planning to find some paid employment next year if she can fit it around school and sport commitments.
Sam’s sporting commitments were less this year as he chose not to return to representative soccer and instead played for our local club. He didn’t love the culture, so trained instead to coach young teams, and also earned qualifications to be an official referee, which he did all season as his part-time job. He and a school friend started a podcast about soccer, which didn’t provide the monetary return they were hoping for, but was a great learning experience.
Sam also completed an accelerated HSC subject, started driving lessons, and continued with success in athletics and cross country. This year he even made it to State Athletics and experienced competing at Homebush. He has now started year 12 and was voted as a prefect. We were all in shock when, at the Prefect Induction ceremony, he was announced as School Captain! Between that and earning a major role in the school musical for next year, he has some busy months ahead. And Isaac is already advising him not to follow in his footsteps and make sure he spends time studying (in a do-what-I-say-not-what-I-did fashion).
Jarrod continued working as the Data Scientist at The Kings School this year and continued tutoring uni subjects at Sydney Uni in their Master of Data Science program. His job took him interstate and gave him the opportunity to present at conferences. He also managed another trip to Europe, for five weeks this year, leaving us in Hawaii to travel on to Ireland and then Manchester to meet friends. His trip took in several European countries and was the first time he has had to deal with lost luggage and a spell of sickness while away. “Adulting” was in high gear while we were away in Japan and he was running the house in our absence.
Tim was occasionally home with Jarrod while we were away in December, but he also continued with his pattern from throughout the year – part-time work at Rebel; several retreats, functions and meetings in his role as the UTS Credo President; and time spent travelling to and from his girlfriend’s home on the north side of Sydney. Tim has now finished up with Credo as he has completed his Masters of Human Resource Management (managing to maintain a Distinction average) and will hopefully be entering the workforce full-time next year.
Ross still works full-time as Station Officer at NSW Fire & Rescue, and divided his days off between maintaining the farm at Milton, helping Mark manage caravan parks, and looking after all of us at home. I have worked many more hours this year than the last few, but it hasn’t prevented me from enjoying the usual plays and musicals, volunteer work, and coffee/lunch dates with family and friends.
We faced up to the reality that we rarely travel anywhere altogether anymore, so we sold our van and Ross replaced it with a 4wd suitable for farm work. We celebrated our nephew Daniel’s wedding, Mark’s 60th, 50ths and Uncle Bill’s 90th this year. Sadly we also farewelled Aunty Marilyn, who passed away in late November.
Tomorrow is our first Christmas in three years able to be shared with extended family and not to be in isolation. We hope you too enjoy this season and wish you a beautiful Christmas.
