2022 started with high hopes that perhaps life would be a little more ‘normal’ than in recent times. Looking back, it maybe failed a little on the normal criteria, although it’s hard to know what ‘normal’ is these days, but it did have some fantastic highlights contrasted by a few more worrying times. Overall, though, the good has outweighed the less good!
The dark hand of COVID struck again early in the year when Amy and Jacob were told that their carefully selected wedding venue had closed down with immediate effect! So, after a brief frenetic search for an alternative they were able to secure a new wedding venue and the wedding date only had to move by one day. As the April wedding date approached, we nervously waited to see if the UK family who had optimistically booked their flights when the borders were still closed would be able to actually get here! To everybody’s relief and delight, they did, although it took much jumping through hoops of compliance and many COVID tests! So, it was wonderful to be back at Brisbane airport greeting family from the UK once again – a real Love Actually moment. Jacky’s niece Lizzie with her husband Matt and their children Poppy and Bertie were the first to arrive and we had a great time showing them around and giving the younger generation of cousins the opportunity to meet and play together. Then Jacky’s sister Jo and her husband Andy arrived a few days before the wedding which was wonderful.
COVID again caused a couple of minor dramas in the lead up to the wedding but come the day all was good and the wedding itself was fantastic, Amy of course looked stunningly beautiful, Jacob handsome and the new wedding venue, Gabbinbar Homestead, in Toowoomba, was just outstanding. A truly fabulous day. If you are interested here is a link to lots more photos (Google Photos) and the Wedding Video (Youtube).
Around this time, we decided to try and organise a fairly short notice trip to the UK. Fortunately, it all worked out well, on reflection our time in the UK was a little too short but we still managed to catch up with lots of friends and family. We billeted ourselves in the lovely little Cotswold village of Shilton near Burford. To John’s delight, there was a fantastic pub slap bang opposite the cottage! It was a revolving door of friends and family visiting, too many to name individually but thanks to everyone who took the time to come and see us, it was a lot of fun. Then we flew to Copenhagen and enjoyed three weeks of cruising around Scandinavia – all the way up to Nordkapp at the top of Norway, the northern most point of mainland Europe apparently.
Shortly before the European trip we had other UK visitors, John’s old mate from Royal Free Network days, Andrew Karno and his wife Jennifer. It was great to see them and show them some of the delights of Queensland, including a short course what a proper beach is!
Then in October it was time to go back to the airport to meet another of Jacky’s nieces, Beccy with her fiancé Alex and their little lad Oscar. Another opportunity to visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and another excuse to go up to Port Douglas (third trip of the year!).
It’s been a busy year for all the family over here and touch wood everyone is well with the grandkids growing and thriving. Arlo has recently graduated from Kindy and is off to ‘big’ school in January. Lane decided he wanted rid of his beautiful blond curls so he would look more like his Dad, judging by recent photos he certainly got his wish. Mark and Emma have had a busy year, Lyla is now three and looking forward to moving up to the Kindy class in the New Year. They are all excited as a little sibling for Lyla is scheduled to arrive in May 2023. Amy and Jacob are enjoying married life, Amy has had a really busy year at work with in-person events able to happen again. She and the team she leads at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have just won a Vice Chancellor’s Award for their recent TEDXQUT event they organised.
We have generally been in good health, except for Jacky hitting a little road bump just a few weeks ago. What started out one evening as ‘I have a bit of tummy ache’ turned into an emergency operation to remove a gangrenous appendix! But she’s made a good recovery and the doctor has signed her off to be fit to travel. Which is a good thing as we are set for our (somewhat delayed) Antarctica trip in just a few days. This time taking in the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, if all goes to plan we should be in South Georgia for Christmas day.
John wrapped up his radio show in December after three seasons and 30 programs of the Entrepreneurs Journey. Jacky has been kept busy in her role as President of the local refuge for women and families escaping Domestic Violence. The never-ending search for the perfect property to live in has gone on, plenty of viewings but no winner so far, watch this space!
So that’s a wrap on our news for 2022. Have a Happy Christmas and a great New Year.