JYC 2012 - Remaining Pages!

Gosh Happy New Year - where did the last month go? On a bright note - not only did I manage to do JYC but it was finished on 7 January and covers the period up to 6th January - so Im feeling quite pleased with myself!!!! I also achieved my goal of using more photographs this year too!

My last post on the blog was the LO for 15th December, and the biggest lesson learned for JYC 2012 is not to head back to the UK so late - I left myself too much to do and ran out of time - I threw out our old and tatty tree last January in a fit of decluttering and by the time I got back to the UK this year - there were only the bald and puny ones left in the real tree department and the artificial trees that were left were of the tacky variety so we did without!!! On the bright side we did catch up with all of the family - but very few friends - again largely due to the fact that we didnt have enough time!

So here are the remaining pages from JYC 2012


As a child I used to always go to the local Panto with my Auntie - it gave me a lifelong love of live theatre! Im not sure who enjoyed it most me or her - but its a very happy childhood memory and I journalled about the excitement of going to the theatre and the thrill of a live performance!!!!

This year was not my most organised Christmas - somehow I really never caught up with myself - so my note to self for next year reads - GET ORGANISED EARLIER! You might need to remind me of that nearer the time - OK?

Food does feature pretty large in our Christmases! I have gained 3 kg somehow! Im hoping most of it is fluid retention after a long flight back from the UK to Singapore - then again, it could be three weeks of bacon croissants for breakfast and a ton of chocolate I ate on the basis that I needed the extra calories to keep warm - which clearly I didnt!!!!

On the 19th I talked about Santa and the thrill my son had when he was sure he saw a flash of red disappearing as he carefully descended the stairs as a three year old too many years ago! Oh the joy of having a child around who believes!!!!

My DH and I had our Christmas on 20th as we were apart for Christmas Day itself, he collects stamps and this year I bought him a penny black - he was thrilled with it - unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of it in the excitement of seeing him open it!!!

A special treat - I flew back to the UK and did my first trip on the A380 in Business Class - which was a very pleasant experience!!!!

I have had much kindness shown to me this Christmas - but my son's decision to spend Christmas with me and my Aunt as my husband wasnt going to be there was simply the best news I could have had as I headed back to the UK!

After Singapore the UK in the middle of winter was positively arctic! I headed up North on 23rd to pick up my Aunt, drop off presents and then drove back home and got warm as quickly as possible! Its always good to see family though and although I love living in a warmer place its my family I miss most!!!

Having my son and my Aunt with me on Christmas Eve was lovely, although the jet lag saw me head to bed at 18:00 on 23rd, my son stayed up and woke me at 01:00 so we could go and do the food shopping in the early hours before most people were about! We timed it perfectly and missed the rush - arriving home at 03:30!

Christmas Day lunch - a small but lovely gathering and dinner was delicious! We have had a few Christmases where there was just my Aunt, my son and me - I missed my husband and the rest of our family but we still had a lovely day together!!!

My son left us to visit his Dad, and we had a quieter day - it was freezing cold but we enjoyed having a bit of a duvet day at home!!!!

We did the sales today! I was carrying too many bags to take a photo, so this is the only other gap in my album!

At last my DH was back in the UK too, he was shattered but we were both really happy when I met him at the airport!!!!

My DH and DSS went to the football - it was Leeds at home and they won 2 - 0 In our house that makes it a very good day indeed!!!! If you don't follow Hull City it wont mean much but since the whole family do - and Leeds are our local rivals - it couldn't have been much better!!!!

We went up north again together and I collected my stepdaughter - the boys followed after the game!!!


Another Christmas Day - our third! Everybody loved their presents felt a bit like groundhog day doing it three times in a little over a week!!! Maybe because we had three Christmas Day's was the reason I wasn't organised, or maybe I just wasn't organised - cant be sure though!!!!

New Year's Eve - we spent with our neighbours - my DH was jetlagged and tired, we did manage to stay up to see the New Year in - but we were pleased to go to bed afterwards - or it might be that we are just getting old!!!!

January 1 is always another football day and no words are needed to say how cold my DSS was in this photo - Blackpool in January - freezing - we went shopping to the Sales again and DSD spent her birthday money, Auntie got a new coat and amazingly - for me - I didnt find anything I wanted to buy!!!!

My best memories of Christmas are all about having the family with us, and spending time with them and our neighbours! We didnt spend as much time as we would have liked with our friends sadly, but we simply ran out of time!!!!

We have a few traditions worth a mention! They include football on Boxing Day and New Years Day, Baking with the neighbours kids, my brothers Mississippi Mud Pie - always deelish! The German Christmas Market, the British Association Christmas lunch and a Terry's Chocolate Orange in my stocking! This  year we managed everything except the German Christmas Market!!!!

Remember for next year................. Go back to the UK a bit earlier - I ran out of time this  year!!!!

 The 5th is my birthday and my son was down again for a few days - It was a lovely day shared with all the family except my DSS who had to work!!!!

My Aunt and DS left on the 6th - it would have been her 62nd Wedding Anniversary! We had a few more days in the UK - catching up with more family and seeing our closest family again before departing! This year will see many changes for us and as we prepare to move away from Singapore for pastures new in Texas - I know that whatever life throws my way - Im blessed to have such a lovely family and husband - who made this Christmas special! Even if we didnt get everything done we did spend time together and enjoyed the time we shared! I just have to loose the 3 kg I gained whilst we were having that good time!!! Happy New Year one and all - May 2013 bring all you wish for!!!!