Goodbye 2014 - hello 2015!!!

2014 was an interesting year. I started celebrating the New Year with Steve in Adelaide as this was the only place I could make it to for the New Year's celebration.

I always say how you celebrate the new year is how the year will unfold. As we were travelling, we more or less travelled the entire year. We had a nice week in South Australia with low temperatures (around 15 deg C) while a heatwave in Queensland made things uncomfortable.

In March, my heart got broken with the sudden death of my beloved Quentin who got bitten by a snake. Quen, I will never forget you and I miss you so much!

We spent a few days in Brisbane in March. We stayed at a fantastic place but unfortunately my grief was still too strong to enjoy it.

To thank Steve for being there for me when I needed him the most, I arranged for a romantic weekend away at Lake Maraboon in June. We both enjoyed it there very much.

When I came home from work in July, I was really excited as it was Steve's 60th birthday and I bought him a Harley as a birthday present. He always wanted one, so finally his dream came true. He was very happy and excited! Doesn't he look good on his bike?!

We spent a day on Keppel Island to have a look around and decided that we need to come back here when it's warmer, so we can jump in the water. It was beautiful and very peaceful.

At the end of July, we travelled to Tasmania for 2 weeks. It was beautiful and cold. We both look forward to go back there as it has magnificent countryside. We enjoyed walks in the rain and snow, we tasted the fantastic local produce and sampled some of Tassie's Scotches. It was a great holiday and I loved that there were no long distances to drive. I wanted to get a painting with Tasmanian landscape, like mountains, forest, a lake and an Australian animal but unfortunately we didn't find anything no matter how hard we looked.



I went straight back to work from Tasmania and so Steve and I said our 'goodbye' in Launceston and our 'hello' in Dubai as we were travelling to Europe after my swing. We had an overnighter in Dubai and then landed in Germany where we visited my family and did lots of sightseeing. After Germany, we continued to travel to Brussels and London from where I left to go back to work in WA, while Steve enjoyed another month abroad in England and Wales which he enjoyed very much.



When Steve returned from England and I from work mid-November, we met up in Sydney as we wanted to go and see his family as well. We spend a couple of days at the Eagle View Escape which was absolutely magnificent. So beautiful and peaceful!

Steve gave me presents from his trip and when I unpacked the last one, he said 'That's it - you're stuck with me; we're getting married.' I was speechless. Now, after 14 years, we're engaged and are getting married in November next year - how exciting is that?! 

We visited Steve's daughter, parents and brother while we were in NSW and they're all excited about our engagement. I can't wait for my family to meet Steve's family next year for the very first time!

I was sooo excited to get back home at the end of November! I haven't been home since July!!! We had fantastic housesitters who took care of our animals and our home. We had our kitchen extended into the family room as this was just wasted space and as our kitchen is tiny - the pantry was in the shed. With the new cabinets, I have even more benchspace AND I can store everything in there. Doesn't it look fabulous?!

I decided to do a big spring clean. I actually managed to clean the entire house AND outside areas top to bottom within my 3 weeks I was home which makes me re-consider the monthly focus areas. We'll see.

We also extended our flock of chicken and took 3 French Marans on. They will eventually lay beautiful chocolate coloured eggs. I've transformed the cubby house into a chook pen but more about that later.

Steve and I celebrated Christmas on the 6th December - just before I had to go back to work. So, I've spent Christmas and New Years at work and am ready to go home in a week's time. It is very hot and humid at work at the moment. Going outside feels like walking through fire. But it's not long now and I can sit at home in the pool and relax. 

In 2015, we want to take it easier. We want to enjoy our little paradise we built us in the past few years with occasional trips. We have a few projects around the house planned and I'm looking forward to continue my simple life journey. I've lost track for a little while, stepped back and now I'm back, stronger and more determined than ever. I look forward to my routines, new dishes to cook and bake while becoming fitter and healthier, so I can create the wardrobe I dream off. I have new challenges in the garden as Steve created new garden beds for me and I want to try and grow fruit and vegetables from seed for the very first time. I've done up the budget for 2015 and showed it to Steve so we're both aligned. I can't wait to mix new cleaning mixtures which make our home sparkle without hurting the environment. I'm also anticipating my new Christmas presents and the projects I can do with it. More about that in a couple of weeks. :-)  Our wedding in November is something we all look forward too.

2015 - the year of new beginnings!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015!!!