Well 2020 is finally coming to an end. Thank goodness! We hope you have come to the end of this unprecedented year well, healthy and sane! We are both fine and extremely thankful to have been living in Australia, particularly Western Australia and have frequently commented how lucky we are. We are now six years into retirement – where did that time go? There are no regrets! Life does (and has) thrown in some curved balls along the way, but when things are going well, life truly is good!
Obviously our very much anticipated trip to Japan, Canada, USA and Hawaii to celebrate our 60th birthdays this year didn’t happen! We were so disappointed, but on a brighter side, after a wait and paper trail at least we got most of our money back and will plan to do some more overseas travel – but not in 2021!
January saw us heading to Albany camping on our block for some R&R and then we stopped a few nights in Busselton on the way home to stay with our friends Pam and Roy. Always a fun time with those people!
A fabulous High Tea at the “C” revolving restaurant with the “Yates” ladies was also a highlight for 2020. What a wonderful place to spend the afternoon spinning around and checking out the beautiful views of Perth. Those ladies that could make it had such an enjoyable time. The conversation and bubbles flowed. We plan to do it again!
We also had our beautiful Tyler to stay over the January school holidays and spent special time with him and enjoying his company. He is now nine and a gentle, easy going boy. We are planning to have him several times over the Christmas break and are looking forward to spending time with him and having more adventures!
February brought about Steve’s 60th birthday! A few days before the actual date we had a lunch with the kids and Steve’s dad at the Atrium at the Casino and also stayed three nights to celebrate. We went on an Optus Stadium Tour on one of the days we were there which was really good and worth the effort if anyone is thinking of it. We also caught a train into Perth and spent time wandering around our city streets and up and down alley ways. We really do have a beautiful city. Mostly though, we relaxed, ate, drank and just had time to ourselves which at times had been lacking during the 12 months prior. On Steve’s actual birthday some family and friends called by our house to share a few drinks and celebrate a little more.
During February we also headed off in our vans and stayed in Cervantes for a week with Pam and Roy and celebrated Pam’s birthday while we were there. An easy place to spend time doing not a lot.
After a difficult year for and with Mark who still struggles with mental health conditions, he moved back to his house in March.
Lockdown during this Covid year saw regional borders within W.A. set up for a period which limited travelling anywhere. Once these were lifted however, we followed Government advice to “Wander Out Yonder” several times. We headed to the Wheatbelt area and had the most wonderful time - again with Pam and Roy, staying in bushland areas and camping near some amazing and stunning rocks throughout the region. We climbed up and down rocks, did some bush walking, caught yabbies and generally explored some areas we hadn’t been to or stayed at before. Steve and Roy had the opportunity to metal detect and found some old coins and generally had fun wandering around. While out metal detecting near Boddington where we planned to stay 3 nights before heading home, Steve was bitten by a Gwardar snake, which is a species of the highly venomous and very fast Brown Snakes. Steve didn’t see the snake at first, only after he started digging. He thinks it was hidden in the leaf litter. Initially he didn’t realise he had been bitten, but 15 minutes later, after feeling woozy and a little disoriented he took off his glove, and saw the puncture marks. Thankfully Roy was with him, bandaged his arm up and got him to the Boddington Hospital. After a teleconference with a doctor in Perth, he was taken by ambulance to the Armadale Hospital! Very dramatic, but Steve was fine. The snake was a juvenile and while there were puncture marks on Steve’s hand, he had been wearing thin gloves and it is thought only a small amount of venom may have entered his system. He actually felt light headed and dizzy at his worse which was so very fortunate for us all. Never a dull moment!
After seven years on the market, we finally sold the block in Albany in July. It certainly was a bittersweet moment for Paula. It had been a part of her life and her tie to Albany. While we enjoyed going down there to stay and relaxing, this was rarely the case as there was so much work to do containing the weeds that grow so quickly. In many ways it is a relief as we were spraying and using poisons which we were increasingly uncomfortable doing.
David continues to work at Austal Shipping as a supervisor in Naval Base doing marine electrical work. He has been doing heaps of overtime and is often working 6 days a week. He is exhausted but unfortunately only has a couple of days off over Christmas. We have been lucky enough to baby sit Poppy when he has overtime! Yay! We are the winners. Sophie is currently managing the MIMCO store at Karrinyup. She also is working ridiculously long hours, also exhausted, and has a heavy work load over Christmas. Added to this, she is studying Law AND pregnant! She is half way through her pregnancy and Baby Yates is due in April. How very exciting for us all
Poppy is now two and a half years old and is a precious treasure. Like Tyler, Poppy is just a gorgeous child – empathetic, gentle and nurturing. We are so lucky. She will be a fantastic big sister!
Sophie, David and Poppy had plans to head to Devon during the year to celebrate her Mum’s birthday. Like so many others out there, travel plans were cancelled. So, we all decided to take a two week caravan trip away to show Sophie parts of our beautiful West Australian coast and towns. David and Sophie had their own camper to use. We visited Cervantes, Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Exmouth (unfortunately not the English Exmouth!) and Billabong Roadhouse! It was such a special, wonderful, exciting and exhausting trip. We saw so much, created so many magical memories, had wonderful weather, went to places we hadn’t been before and would do it all again. In fact, that is a plan for the future. So special. Sophie also gained her Australian Citizenship in February! Well done Sophie! A small celebration was held and Aussie food eaten of course.
Ashleigh is still at Hammond Park and has had a Kindy class for the past two years and finds herself moving back to Pre-Primary for 2021. She would have like another year in Kindy, but was asked (told) she would be the Pre-Primary Team Leader. She will be good in this role. Ashleigh works very long hours and is a perfectionist so there is always something to do. She loves her job, but at this stage of the year, she is worn out. She still lives in South Perth in a lovely little unit and turns 30 next year! Yikes, again, where did those years go? She already has plans for us to cater for her birthday at our house! Very generous of her. She has a wonderful relationship with Steve’s Dad, Denis. They are always heading out to lunch or to the Swan Valley for wine testings. It is so lovely. During the height of lockdown in W.A. we would go over to visit Denis for morning tea. He would have table and chairs set up outside with a tablecloth and china plates ready to go – social distancing was observed!. It was all very civilised and safe and good fun!
As our plans to go overseas to celebrate our 60th birthdays had gone, we decided to head to Broome to celebrate Paula’s 60th birthday in November. What a brilliant time we had! We stayed at the Mangrove Hotel overlooking the Roebuck Bay. Sitting watching the tide come in and out in the late afternoon drinking bubbles and beer was just the most satisfying, relaxing and enjoyable feeling. We had fabulous weather and while people warned us that it would be hot and humid, we were fine and enjoy those conditions. While apparently Broome had been incredibly chaotic and bursting at the seams in September and October, things were more settled when we were there and it wasn’t crowded or a problem. We liked the experience so much we are considering making it a more regular event in our lives. And yes, Paula did get some pearls! Like Steve’s birthday, we also had a low key gathering of friends for a lunch at our house. Such a wonderful group of people.
After stalling for many years, we finally got around to renovating our final two bathrooms and laundry as well as getting the whole house painted including the eaves. We cannot speak highly enough of the builders we had and if anyone is looking at any house renovations, let us know and we will pass details along. Outstanding! We are happy with the finished product especially as we also replaced window treatments, carpets and bought a beautiful new Jarrah dining table and lounge suite. While we ordered the lounge early October, it arrives in February! Oh well.
So next year we will have a new grand child and look forward to that! We also plan to get in the caravan and just go after the new grandchild is born and settled. Not sure where or when and this will have to remain fluid in this climate.
All the best to everyone for a Happy Christmas and fingers crossed for a much brighter and safer 2021.