December we had the chaos which is Christmas. We spent part of Christmas Day with Kim's Aunty Phoebe and the family (16 in all that day I think), following that we spent some time with the Glissons (My brothers fiancés family) It was a wonderful Jam packed day. Boxing Day we dialled it back a bit and had the "Walker" Christmas at Dads house. It too was a wonderful day spent with my dad, my brothers and their respective other halves, our son and our nephew.
I decided to pick a word for 2014. This year will be 'Bloom'! 2003 - 2011 the word was ‘Survive’
2011 - 2013 the word was ‘heal’. It has started off well. We went to see the place for the reception for next years wedding between my youngest brother and his beautiful fiancé. The food was divine! steak you could eat with a fork, no knife required.
Scrolling forward a bit, we had a BBQ for my 40th at the beautiful Cedar Creek Lodges Sapphire Room on Sunday. It was fantastic having family and friends come for around the country to help celebrate the day. Thank you to +Alison Christensen and +Steve Christensen for coming all the way from Victoria, and thank you for bringing the hugs from our friends there :) Tuesday night we had some of the family over for dinner for my Dads 71st.
Wednesday (yesterday) was my actual birthday. I received birthday wishes from friends around the world which was fabulous. I also had lunch with my Dad, some amazing news, a dream made reality, my beautifully worked award from a group I joined 23 years ago framed and some more news which was both good and less good. Lunch was lovely. I love spending time with my dad and we have shared our birthday since I can remember, half and half pink and blue birthday cakes included.
The amazing news is that after spending last year studying my uni prep course and receiving honours across the board, giving me an OP 6 equivalent, I was accepted into Bachelor of Science (Clinical Science) at Griffith! Another step down the road to researching brain tumours.
A dream made reality. Before I had my tumour removed, I set a goal to climb all three climbable bridges in the southern Hemisphere. The Story Bridge in Brisbane, The Sydney Harbour Bridge (obviously in Sydney) and the Auckland Bridge (..in Auckland NZ). Yesterday my wonderful husband gave me a gift to do the dawn Story Bridge climb next weekend!!!
The framed award was my Award of Arms scroll from The SCA. It arrived via various skipping and jumping about 5 years after I quit the SCA but as I value it greatly and so very much work have been put into it I decided to have it framed to preserve it. I am ecstatic with how well it has come up. All the colours and gold leaf pop!
The good/bad news was that the position Kim applied for in WA has fallen through. Bad news obviously as it was a fabulous opportunity for him to gain even more experience in the company he currently works for. Good news, as I don't lose my husband for 2 years while he works 3 on 1 off.
I am overjoyed to have become 40. I was 29 when diagnosed with my tumour and was told then that i could drop dead at any moment without notice. I was 36 when I was given 6 - 12 months to live and 37 when I had the surgery that ultimately saved my life. There are a number of people who are responsible for both keeping me alive and saving my life. My family has spent 10 years living with and supporting me through my years of illness and recovery. Paul Bettles, an anaesthetist friend in WA from an MMORPG, suggested I see Charlie Teo (my last hope) and in doing so helped save my life. Dr Charlie Teo, without whom I would not have reached this age and this milestone. Of course there are my friends who have helped me through some of the lumpier parts and the new ones who accept me as I am.
2014 is absolutely 'Bloom' and is rolling out at an amazing pace.
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