The thing about 2011

The thing about 2011 is that it's over. History, past, done. Just like each yesterday is unique and gone when we wake up in the morning. It's all memories now. Good, bad, beautiful, ugly, mundane and glorious memories.

Similar to this time last year, this is for me, a recap:

In January 2011 I turned 30. My cousin (one of my best friends in the world) experienced an extremely unexpected, unreasonable and difficult marriage break-up, and my mind was with her for much of the year, when I wasn't actually speaking / messaging / visiting her. My family had a JinkyArt photo session, which was gorgeous! Ben started his new job.

 

In February, Ash started school, and Sienna went into year 2, changing classrooms and teachers for the first time since she had started school. With ASD changes are hard, so this was a bit of a hiccup for Sienna for the first term or so. Ben was diagnosed with Aspergers as well, at 33. Cedar started walking at 19 months. We had a big 'Neverland' themed kids party.



Also in February, I went through the process of applying for aide support for Ash with the school. It wasn't that bad, actually, though it can be confronting reading all the worst things about your child presented in formal reports, knowing why it is written that way makes it better. And the worst things are true, they are just not the most obvious parts of Ash. Anyone who knows Ash knows he is adorable most of the time. Anyway, that application was successful and he had 15 hours of support a week from term 2 onwards. The aides really got their systems and Ash figured out by term 3 and Ash made much better progress after that, reaching the minimum levels (needed to move up to year 1) in term 4. Awesome progress :)



March was a busy one for me, with two interstate trips. One to Newcastle for the first time for a few photo sessions, and the other to Byron Bay for a retreat (as the photographer) with the added bonus of catching up with my friends who live there. I was invited to join the DT for Aussie Scrap Source, the major Australian wholesaler for scrapbooking. I accepted, of course ;)



April 2011, Ben and I had our 12 year anniversary. Over April and May I did five family photo sessions and one wedding, all beautiful in the Autumn landscape. I took the kids to Adelaide for a week in the school holidays. In June we also drove over to Adelaide as a family for the long weekend. I spent a girls weekend in Daylesford in June too.



In July Cedar turned 2. This month, he was also assessed for Autism Spectrum Disorder but results were inconclusive (contradictory). I had an art exhibition at a local cafe, and took the kids to Adelaide for a week during the school holidays again. Sienna and I visited the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. Kell hosted a 'sci fi tv party' which was a real highlight - we do love dressing up :)



August saw Ben start another new job, the first change hadn't worked out for him. Though hearing how much they wanted to keep him was a boost to his self esteem I think! Jobs can be pretty soul-destroying if they are just not good, so it was great for him to move on to a much more positive work environment. In September, we spent a weekend at Mt Buller, our first time visiting the snow as a family!




Photography was a feature of October, with my first ebook having just been released, I ran my first workshop in Adelaide (yep, took the kids over again, it was school holidays after all!) and did a family session while there as well. I photographed Little Tree Kids, Monet Paisley and Polkadot Lane for the online magazine Tickle the Imagination's summer issue. I went on a girls / work / market weekend in Anglesea and the diamond fell out of my vintage engagement ring. I still need to get that fixed. I went to the dentist for the first time in 15 years or so.



In November I ran a workshop here in Melbourne and launched my new online shop Curious Bazaar, stocking the creative and crafty good of me and a few of my friends. I had two wisdom teeth removed, I think that was November? I did my last market for awhile. Well, last market selling crafty things at least. One of my re-direct decisions for 2012.

In December I went to Newcastle for a photo shoot and to teach a one-on-one workshop. I resigned from Scrapboxx after two years on the design team, though my resignation only comes into effect after I work with the gorgeously fun December kit, which I have just finished yesterday. We went to Adelaide as a family, where I photographed Ben's brother Toby's marriage to Sonja, and Sienna was the flower girl in their wedding party. School finished. I started an online course in Business Administration. I shook my head at my constant ability to add more things to my plate. And it isn't stopping there, I have more things to come but they are all exciting and cool ;)

Now I kind of feel like a nap after all of that. I won't, because I have editing to do. We're on the 4th day of 2012 and I still don't quite feel ready for it yet! We'll make it a good one, though :)