Monday 31 December 2018

The Year that was 2018


So many friends post their best of the year just past, so I thought I would give it a try this year. Oh my goodness, what a wonderful time waster it was, sifting through my multitudes of pics, with so much joy reliving the adventures of the year. From travel overseas, hiking with friends, photos of Ben, wildlife on the golf course, sunrises, sunsets and the local beauty of my early morning walk, I have been truly blessed. 
I am so grateful to have the health and time to enjoy it all.

It has been with great difficulty that I have kept to two photos for each month!

Australia Day falls in January - this flag was spotted on my regular early morning walk route. The flowering gum is quinessential Oz!


The Gaitor Girls, dear friends, hiking the magnificent Coomera River trail - 18 kms of soaring giants and endless creek crossings and waterfalls.  Now my favourite rainforest hike.


February - The Hungry Hikers posing beneath our shady tree ferns on a hot summer's day hike.  I would be lost without this wonderful group of friends.


Sunrise at Pottsville Beach. Another wonderful few days away in the campervan.


March and my birthday. My very special friend Laurel, knows how much I love Lady Birds.


The perfect setting for the wedding of my niece Emma to her soulmate Dale.


April - the local beauty of our birds and lagoons.


Sewing for darling Ben.


May - visiting Ben, Gunner, Stuart and Kim on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Oh, the joy of these 3 special weeks with them.


It was also the joy of witnessing the arrival of spring.

July - Our magnificent cruise of the Rhine and Danube over two weeks. Here we are onboard playing darts, as one castle after another comes into view.


I think the photo says it all.


August - The Hungry Hiker's weekend away and the amazing winter sky above the Stanthorpe landscape.


In contrast, travelling north to visit my brother in north Queensland.


September - another family wedding. This time in Sydney with my nephew Jacob, marrying his lovely Kym. The morning of the wedding we explored the local public gardens in full spring bloom.


The day after, we explored downtown Sydney and its Botanical Gardens.


October - On this occasion a city walk was the order of the day for the Hungry Hikers. Our meeting point was King George Square, which we discovered was hosting a free breakfast.


This month the Gaiter Girls returned to the rainforest and completed the Twin Falls walk.


Oh dear, this is number 3 for October, but I can't omit the beauty of our jacarandas in flower.


This is either October or November. Yes, I am hopless at culling. 
Included because, this early morning walk through the countryside just across the motorway and only 5 mins away, was a glorious find. Fields glistening in the early morning sunlight after several days of rain, cattle grazing and a sensational bird chorous beckoning us on - impossible not to have that glad to be alive feeling!


November and our own stunning Melbourne Cup luncheon.

The bliss of another escape in the campervan. This time to the sleepy beach town of Evans Head.


December - a time of carol singing with my choirs and missing my sons. Matthew in Perth and Stuart with Kim and Ben in Canada. Decorating the house lifts ones spirits.


Christmas day with our wonderful neighbours and close friends, Reg and Laurel and their extended family. The weather was perfect making for just the most relaxed and happy day.


Well 2019 has been rung in, in the company of wonderful friends. Time now to wish you all a year of sunshine, laughter and all the love your hearts can possibly hold.

9 comments:

  1. I'd say you had a very good year! I hope we all have a good 2019.

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  2. Enjoyed reliving your 2018. All the very best for 2019! ��

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  3. What a wonderful year you had! Enjoyed your recap. Happy 2019!

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  4. Narrowing all your beautiful photos to a couple from each month is an impossible task, but you've done a nice job. (That task would have had me second-guessing myself and creating anxiety in general!) At any rate, I hope your 2019 is as full of wonderful adventures as your 2018 was. I appreciate your friendship across the miles.

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  5. You obviously had a great year! I especially appreciated the photographs in the Sydney Botanic Gardens to remind me of my own visit there in September. I think we did a kind of swap - you came to Canada and I went to Australia!

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  6. What a wonderful year! It looks like it was pretty full of wonderful adventures, treasured friendships and family moments to be savoured. Wonderful recap.

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  7. Oh Helen, you had a fabulous year! It must have been very difficult to choose only two photos per month. :)
    Of course the time with family and friends is the most precious, but also visiting beautiful places (like the Sydney Botanical Gardens) makes life better. :)
    Happy 2019! xx

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  8. You had a great 2018 Helen! It is quite a task to pick only two photos for each month. I like doing the recap because it's a reminder how fortunate we have been. I wish you just as much fortune for 2019! I don't know if I will ever reach the kilometres of distance that you hike.

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  9. Happy New Year Helen!!
    May your memories of 2019 be as fun and precious as 2018. A great post :) Have a wonderful week with hugs from us.

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