2021 at The Cupcake Kitney House

 Well, well, hello there strangers!

It's been about 7 months since I wrote anything on here. We are still in a global pandemic, Cupcake Mumma turned 10 very quietly and I have mostly set up camp over on Instagram (link to my page there!) getting sucked in by watching reels and falling in love with stories. 

There's only 2 main traditions on this blog and that's sharing birthdays for my children to look back on (and myself) and our yearly write up. If I write nothing else I'm happy to keep up with that at least.

So let's jump in shall we? Let's see how much I can actually remember of 2021!

January 

Midge turned 13 in January and we celebrated with a large chocolate cake, Indian fakeaway, gifts and pancakes. 

We also had Will's private educational physiology assessment that we had to get done before the council would consider our application for an EHCP. It was a good day out in London spotting sports cars with A while Will did his assessment really well despite the long hours it took.

Midge sat at the table with 2 pancakes smiling in a white t shirt

February

A turned 10 years old quite happily with his gifts and a big flapjack instead of a cake. It seems he now doesn't 'do' cake.. We enjoyed a swim at the leisure centre and a walk with hot chocolate in Rochester this month. 

Will also had a birthday turning 12! He enjoyed homemade burgers and wedges for his birthday tea and a zoom session with all his cousins with a virtual DJ. It was pretty cool! It also snowed at the beginning of February which was good fun.

Sadly I also lost a close friend from complications of Covid. I hadn't seen him since I moved to Kent but had spoken to him just 2 weeks before he became unwell. I will always hold that last phone call close to me.

A wearing joggers and a black puffer coat holds a costa cup standing on a grass area in front of rochester castle

Wills face is smiling in a grey wooly hat with fennal sticking down the front of his face. He is in a grey coat and close to the camera

April

The biggest news for April (and the whole year really) was Martyn and I getting engaged! We got the kids involved in the proposal, which you can read in this post 'How I Proposed' and had a lovely time celebrating as a family.

Hannah on the left smiling opened mouthed wearing glasses shows off her ring on her hand next to Martyn wearing a maroon jumper and smiling widely wearing black framed glasses

May

The last of our lovely tribe, James, finally got his day turning 10 as well. This year he mostly got money for gaming and a few sweet treats. We had a Japanese themed dinner by ordering sushi and cooking a katsu curry which was delicious. 

I also got to see my sister for the first time in over a year. We met up halfway at a lovely park for a walk and a picnic and also got Midge back from her weeks stay with them. 

James sits on a pavement with green leaves behind him wearing a white and red hoody. He smiles at the camera

June

In June we had a few days out which was nice. I walked around Rochester exploring it properly for the first time in months, actually entering small shops and spending time in the gardens near the library. 

We had a church day out at the beach, I paddled with all the kids, we ate chips and ice cream and had a good walk back. We made some new friends that day which was wonderful. 

Lastly, we got to try out a new piece of equipment to help Martyn use his arm fully. It's called a Neater Eater and will allow him to eat easier and brush his hair which he can no longer do as easily.

A stands close to the camera on the beach wearing a black with white splats hoody and a black sun cap. He smiles holding an ice cream cone with blue ice cream on top. Blue is on his chin and teeth

July 

July was heavily based around baking and gardening. I got to grow more this year which made me much happier. Still more work to be done but a garden is never truly finished! 

We also enjoyed water fights and outdoor church which was so good I think we will do it again next year.

August

My two went to Cornwall for several weeks to see family and their dad. I remember missing them lots and missing out on not seeing my parents. They had a great time and I always love getting them back. 

We also enjoyed a great trip to London with the older two later on in the month to explore The British Museum; such a good day out. 

Will on the left wears a white and black t shirt and leans in next to L wearing jeans and a blue funky shirt. The are wearing seatbelts in the back of the car and smiling

September 

The kids went back to school after intermittent home schooling and a long summer break. We now have a year 8, two in year 6 and 1 in year 9!

On the 12th Mr K and our friend Nat took part in the Brighton Marathon raising money for Macmillan cancer charity. They raised an amazing £1250 and Nat ran so well pushing Martyn in the chair. I got to walk and explore the town a bit, have a dip in the sea and a rest on the beach in-between chasing them around main points for photos and cheering!

Martyn on the left sits in his wheelchair smiling. He is wearinga red hoody and his marathon bib. Nat stads nect to him in her bib and running gear smiling with the finsih line just behind them both.

October

Martyn turned 39 this month followed by myself turning 32 later on. Neither of us did anything special. I got a cake made for me by Midge and Mr K and we both had simple dinners with the kids.

We made some awesome pumpkins this year all of which were grown in our garden, I am so proud of them! Martyn's creation was the best (pictured below.)

November 

We had a surprise family reunion in a lovely lodge in Cambridge for my Dad's 60th birthday. We stayed 2 nights, ignored the awful weather, had a delicious roast cooked by my sister and Mr K and also enjoyed the hot tub! A would've stayed in that thing if you let him!

It was so good to see my brother and sister after so long and surprise Dad. 

On a grey sofa sits A on the left on the arm of the chair with I in grey, Dad and mum holding hands, me wearing a large hoody and smiling. Martyn is behind me in his power chair with B and M and L smiling at the camera behind the 4 on the sofa

December 

This year I didn't have my 2 although it was very close! 11 days before they were due to go both Martyn and I got sick with covid after James caught it a few days prior. Some how my 2 avoided it all and managed their Christmas holiday.

We had the boys in the afternoon of Christmas eve and went to church to celebrate the stable service. We also had a random tea thanks to a gammon and oven disaster (I didn't turn it on!) Not a huge problem because gammon on a Christmas dinner turns out to be very, very nice indeed! 

I got several books, a wonderful pink  fluffy weighted blanket, a couple of care bears and a giant care bear too. 

James smiles at the camera holding a plush cat wearing a long blue shirt and standing in the pews at church

It's been a weird Christmas with the boys mostly doing their own thing and my 2 did the same by the sounds of it. Presents were smaller and the magic was less but we all had fun, a delicious dinner and a very slow, intentional Christmas

There's our 2021, or what I can remember of it! Here's to 2022 with no expectations set by myself for the year. If I've learnt anything from this year it's to stop expecting things to happen, don't try too hard to plan oh and don't read the news too much *wink*

Have a blessed 2022 friends!

1 comment:

  1. Hello there, it has been a while.
    I am glad you and your family are all doing well. Lovely photos!
    Happy new year! Wishing you, Martyn & your family all the best for 2022 x

    ReplyDelete