365/365+1 Reflections.. New Year's Eve!

Writing this at 2am January 1st with the Proclaimers on the radio!!

It's been a busy 2013 already!!!... just got back from collecting Zac from town and the others have all checked in by text and stuff! Ross & April are working in St Ives and Kate there with pals for a 16th.  Jordan worked earlier and is at a friends, so we saw the New Year in at home just us two... awwwhh a nice hour though, we had been playing taxi taking kids out, then went for a quick Indian and checked out a band for Col's 50th (possibly!) and still got homw in time to see his Dad before 12!

So.. reflecting.. on the year.. well I think the 365+1 gang have really made it special.. my family and work guys have got used to me delivering 'my word of the day' and recounting my tenuous links!  I have had a lovely year, I stood back pretty much and enjoyed the world and his sister raving about the Olympics and the Jubilee, I had a few lovely family gatherings and a few weekends away just chilling.  No big holidays, a short trip to France for work and play, but if I browse back through the blogged bits to the roots of things I enjoyed were family and the people I know and have got to know...oh and those two little girls who have continued to amuse and beguile the whole family!

Just last night (Sunday) Col and I went with all the home based kids to see my cousins up at their local.  We usually meet at the Carol Service and this year Ross set up another catch up which turned out to be last night. Sarah bought lots of pictures and some great family tree info I shall have to share with my brother.. we wondered at how our children look like each other when we were kids and tried to remember ourselves when we had 'that hair' or those shoes'!

If you recall this picture I posted a few days ago,

 

I had an idea that we daughters of the ladies in the Sports Day picture took up the mother's spots..  Penny moved up to Val's place, Sarah slipped into Penny's place and me and Gill completed the picture.. see and I'm still talking!

Funny too as we could ALL have moved again and our daughters were also there and could have done the next generation. 

On the way home the kids were asking me the detail of how close we were as cousins, hard to explain, our great grandmothers were sisters, but what I told them, and this is the rub.. that is has much much more to do with having experienced a common history .. you know, that boy who lived across the road may have been from Timbucktoo but if your Mum and his raised you in the same road, with the same events and friendships and you each called your Mums 'Auntie' from respect and love as much as if they were your Mum's sisters.. then that's a cousin..more so than the ones who visit twice a year and maybe look a little more like you but have had lives lived in different towns and with experiences you will never quite understand! ( ;-) )

I'm just so glad that my kids get what I mean and that they will keep it up, maybe Facebook and iPads will be the way they do it, but so long as some of them can feel the way I do about that little square few miles then my job is done.. x

Happy New Year everyone, to you and yours.. and hope we catch up next week at LuckySnapping in 2013... xxxxx