The Highs and Lows of 2022.

For the last few years I have done this tag on recapping the last year! I think I originally got it from Woman on Thin Ice at the end of 2017 and I think it is a great way to remember and recap the year. There has been years where not much has happened, then 2019 when it was all about us starting a new life in Scunthorpe, 2020 was quite the year with lockdowns, home learning and lots of worry and 2021 saw the end of the lockdowns and home learning, losing my great aunt and if I was to pick one word to describe this year it would be change!

1. What was your happiest event?

I don't think there was just one thing which made me happy last year it was more little things. The fantastic June half term that we had, it was Becky's last ever half term in education. We had a day out at a theme park with my dad and his partner, the Jubilee celebrations and a trip into town. My birthday was amazing with my friend from Northumberland coming to visit.

2. What was the saddest thing to happen?

I wouldn't say I am a massive fan of the Royal Family but the Queen dying upset me more than I thought it would. We all knew it was coming but it was still such a shock. All the pomp and ceremony was interesting to see but I did feel for the family especially Charles. It made me think a lot about my great Aunt who reminded me a lot of her.

3. What was the most unlikely thing to happen that actually went ahead and did?

Stu got a new job! He wasn't serious about getting a new job but he saw one advertised and applied on the off chance not expecting to be offered it. It has changed our lives mostly for the better. Stu works more hours so therefor the money is better, the bonuses that he gets are fantastic but some days he is out of the house for almost 13 hours depending on if the buses are running on time. It has took some getting used to but we're getting there.

4. Who let you down?

Our local hospital but mainly a doctor didn't do his job properly and refer Ellie to get her hearing aids. What should have taken 6 weeks took about 10 months. When we had the appointment with him he did nothing to reassure us about the bleeds which were discovered from Ellie's MRI and didn't refer us to the neuro people, we are still waiting for that appointment. We have seen Ellie's cardiologist, who is amazing and he did reassure us that the bleeds were most likely from before or during her open heart surgery.

5. Who supported you?

My dad of course, he is always there for us. It's the little things like helping with jobs around the house, giving us lifts places we would struggle to get to using public transport, offering advice and wise words and his endless supply of DIY stuff is a great help.

6. Tell us what you learned?

To go with my gut instinct. I gave someone chance after chance despite knowing there was something off about them. I wrote a blog post about someone who was lying to me but it turns out who I thought was the liar was innocent and the liar was someone closer to us.

7. Tell us what made you laugh?

I said TikTok last year and it's the same this year! I always have a scroll through when I go to bed and I always find myself laughing. It's the cats which do it for me, they are funny creatures. 

8. Tell us the things that made you cry?

There hasn't been much to make me cry this year apart from when I watched the Queens funeral and they brought her pony out to watch the procession go by and I of course had tears at the hospital when I was dealing with the aftermath of the doctor not referring Ellie, it was more out of anger and frustration than upset.

9. Tell us three things your child or children did to make you feel proud. Please miss this question out if you are not a parent.

Ellie has been amazing over the past year. She smashed her mock GCSE exams doing better than we could ever imagine, she has stepped up and matured so much. She does a lot more for herself and helps more around the house and finally she is coping brilliantly with her new hearing aids. She's only had them a couple of weeks but she's taken to them like a duck to water.

Becky left college and changed from working part time to full time at the care home and she is doing great! She has started saving more than spending and finally started her driving lessons.

Both of my girls make me proud every day but over the past year they both seem to have grown up a lot and instead of me having to nag I am stepping back and they are making good choices and are making me smile.

10. Tell us the things that made you proud of yourself.

With Stu working full time hours I have had to step up more and do things out of my comfort zone like phoning places and sorting things out, taking Ellie to her hospital appointments without him and just dealing with things that he would usually deal with.

11. Tell us the challenges you overcame?

I think the biggest challenge we have had this year is finding time to spend together as a family with Stu and Becky both working full time. Ellie and I will have a snack after she's finished school to see us over until tea time when we can all eat together at about 7pm. 

12. Tell us the things you would like to change about your life in 2022.

I would like to save more and be able to go on holiday, not abroad, just somewhere in the UK. I think it's about time we had a holiday.

Happy new year! Wishing you all the best for 2023.