The new year is finally here!
We have kissed goodbye to 2020 and the ups and (many) downs it brought us and say hello to 2021, which we hope will bring many happier times.
I can't pretend 2020 was all bad, though. It was Arlo's first birthday and we had a wonderful time celebrating. We were exceptionally lucky as it fell before that first lockdown, so our cake smash photo shoot went ahead as planned. I must have baked ten cakes that month in an attempt to get it just right for both the shoot and his birthday party!
Lockdown soon followed and I have to admit it was hard. I think most will agree, but it did give us a chance to spend a lot more time together as a family. We played in the garden, basked in the glorious sunshine, made sand castles in our tiny sandpit and turned the house into our very own soft play centre full of sofa cushions and blanket forts. I have so many fond memories to look back on, despite the difficult times and hardships ours and many other families faced.
We also managed to find a few local beauty spots that we had no idea existed. It is strange that we travel so far and yet often fail to explore what is right on our doorstep. We found a few fields full of horses, much to Arlo's delight and even a new duck pond we had no idea existed.
So, as we look ahead to what 2021 may bring, I will try to remember 2020 not just for the hard times, but the brighter moments, too.
Happy New Year, everyone!