As you reflect on 2024, will you be ecstatic about all you've accomplished, or will you be eager to wave goodbye to it and welcome 2025 with open arms and a fresh start?
For us, 2024 seemed like a whirlwind, bogged down by life's demands, of jobs, house selling, and house buying. But when we look back at this year's photos, we truly appreciate just how much we have done and how much we have achieved!
We've celebrated the arrival of more grandchildren into the family, cheered as Ellie graduated as a nurse, applauded Jodie for buying her first home, and cherished time with our many grandchildren and family members from near and far.
Throughout the year, we've embarked on exciting short adventures, exploring the UK and our beloved Scotland. These quick getaways have given us that essential thrill, recharging our spirits and fueling our desire for more!
Our grand summer trip to the Alps didn't pan out as planned due to an unexpected house move, which then didn't happen will less than 7 days to go! But as it turned out, the weather in the Alps was dreadful, so we gained by enjoying the glorious weather here in Scotland. Our summer transformed into a series of delightful short trips, seizing every opportunity to bask in Scotland's fresh air and breathtaking scenery.
We spent lots of time camping and exploring more of our local Cairngorm National Park sharing time with family and friends. Our base camp was Dalraddy Holiday Park and when setting up for more than a couple of nights we bring the Oztent. This gives us an extra 2 rooms and allows us to base camp and head out daily in the van.
Dominic also got to celebrate his 8th birthday whilst camping.
In September the Adventure Overland Show was billed as being the last ever so we jumped in the van and drove down to Stratford Upon Avon for the final show! Or was it?
The show also gave us the opportunity to visit familiy in Somerset and for Dave to meet the new grand daughter Evie.
We split the journey on the way down, staying a night on the borders and then in Peak District which was really nice and a chance to break up the jourey into shorter sections and chill.
Finally, at the end of October, we successfully closed the chapter of selling one house and purchasing a new one. This charming old house, dating back before 1853, needed some TLC, which has kept us busy with long hours in the evenings and weekends. But we're making fantastic progress and hope to move in very soon.
Whilst the renovating of the new house has meant we have not got away recently as much as we would like but we are still using the van. In the house we have stripped out everything including the kitchen, a downstairs bathroom and bedroom, resolved some maintenance issues and dug in drains around the gable end. Throughout this it has meant we could not live in the house so we have instead been sleeping in the van when we are over working on the new house. This have progressed and although the house has need more than initially envosaded we hope to be moving in in the near future.
So while 2024 wasn't exactly what we envisioned, it has been a fantastic year. As we head into 2025, we feel grateful for our extensive family, excited for the new era in our new home, and ready to plan an overseas summer road trip again as things settle down. We wholeheartedly embrace what 2025 has in store and eagerly anticipate the adventures that await us.
Happy New Year and our very best wishes for 2025 to everyone!
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