New Year, New Life

So 2011 draws to a close.  I could wax lyrical about what a year it has been - my first full year in Australia - the year of Melbourne - the year of Scarlett - the fulcrum of my life.

12 August 2012 - the day my life became bigger than myself

Melbourne has turned on quite a day to draw this momentous year to a close too, 33 degrees outside and a stunning blue sky...

Give me a home amongst the gum trees...

But instead I'd rather think about the year to come - and I have a good feeling about it.  We are gearing up here for The Big Move - interstate from Melbourne, across the vast desert to our new house in Perth, which is being built as we speak.  We expect it to be finished around February 2012, so we will be packing up all our stuff and shipping it in early February, before heading off to New Zealand to visit bubba's grandma and aunties and then onwards to our new life in Perth.

Along the Swan River in Perth

I am very much looking forward to our new life.  Moving into a brand new house is exciting in itself.  But also, for a while now we have known we are moving, so I haven't made an effort to meet people in Melbourne, knowing we would be moving away shortly anyway.  So I am looking forward to making some connections, meeting other mums, building a network, a home base.

I am looking forward to seeing my little girl grow and change, and building our new life as a wee family :-)

So I can't really mourn 2011, as good as it has been... I get the feeling that the best is yet to come, and welcome 2012 in with open arms.

And most importantly... I celebrated the end of one year and the start of the next with my first Coke in over a year.... hallelujah!!

*angels sing*

Cheers to a great new year! :-)