Our Year in Review 2017

Having got back into monthly reviews during the second half of 2017, I decided to get on with a Year in Review.

I’ve started the same post 3 or 4 times so determined that it will be finished before the end of January and ready to go.

Our Year in Review 2017

Things I/We Did in  2017

  • We took Jaxon on his first international trip and his first trip on a plane. We went to Rome for a weekend back in January. I’ve been wanting to go to Italy for most of my life. The weather wasn’t always great but it was a great time all the same. (More here)
  • In January, we attended the Student Exhibition at Tudor Rose Patchwork that our friend Kathleen was organising. Little did I know that in December, I would attend one of her workshops and then in January 2018 my work would be exhibited at the Student Exhibition.
  • I attempted yoga classes. I really did enjoy them. I always thought that my brain is a bit noisy and that yoga would be too slow for me but actually I really got it. I’d be so focused on “Is my hand in the right place? Is my leg in the right place? Am I breathing right?” that I was too busy focusing on that to worry about the chores that needed doing or the to do list that needed clearing.
  • I attended a film premiere (or sorts!). My friend Suzy needed some willing volunteers for her A Level Film Studies coursework. So having been part of her willing volunteers during filming, we were invited for lunch and a movie showing. It was so strange seeing myself part of the film (just about as strange as looking back at my cousin’s uni coursework that I helped with!)
  • I completed a self esteem workshop at church – it was interesting to think over bits that I probably don’t think about everyday. I realised that rather than embracing my nerdiness, I would often apologise for it.
  • In April I attended Planner Con organised by Anna aka Mrs Brimbles and in June I attended the Elliebeth Planner Day too which were both seriously good fun.
  • In May, we were due to go to to Amsterdam to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It was only when Chris was packing about three days before we were due to travel did we realise that my passport would expire while we were away. We attempted to get an emergency appointment but the nearest one was Durham I think and even then they couldn’t guarantee that my passport would be ready in time for our flight. In the end we had to cancel it and went glamping in a bell tent in Wye Valley. In September I got my passport renewed and that’s all ready for this year’s adventures.
  • Jaxon started talking (and didn’t stop!). Prior to the boys heading off on their crazy adventure. Jaxon and I had been off to many referral appointments for one thing and another. One of these was his possible speech delay. Having been away with Chris, Our Sidekick and my Mother in Law, Jaxon has come back with an insane vocabulary which I swear grows daily! I now get full sentences and we have actual conversations!
  • Our Sidekick finished college and passed his course – yeah!
  • For Chris’s birthday we went to Salcey Forest and MK Museum. Some bits went down better than others but all in all we had a good time and it beat doing the “normal” birthday stuff.
  • Our Sidekick got a job. It’s his first non-paper round job which is really great.
  • We applied for Jaxon’s Primary School place. We won’t hear until Easter – and now I’m a little nervous whether I’ve made the right choice but we’ll see I guess. Hopefully, if our first choice doesn’t work out we can transfer him to our second choice.

Places Visited

Favourite Songs

  • Happy Dance by MercyMe
  • Move by MercyMe
  • Old Church Choir by Zach Williams
  • Chain Breaker by Zach Williams
  • Good Morning by Mandisa feat. TobyMac
  • Do Everything by Steven Curtis Chapman
  • Stronger by Mandisa
  • Overcomer by Mandisa
  • Happy in My Skin by Philippa Hanna
  • Build Your Kingdom Here by Rend Collective
  • Arrow by Philippa Hanna
  • God’s Not Dead by Newsboys
  • Speed of Light by Philippa Hanna
  • Shoulders by for KING & COUNTRY
  • Hello, My Name Is by Matthew West

Movies Seen

Favourite Shows Watched

  • Madam Secretary
  • Grey’s Anatomy
  • Scandal
  • Once Upon A Time
  • Criminal Minds (although I’ve fallen out of love with it at the moment)

Favourite Insta Accounts (this one was adopted/adapted from Emily at Today’s Letters)

Books Read

Books Read in 2017

  • What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Women on the Gifts That Mattered Most by Elizabeth Benedict
  • The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
  • Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
  • On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher
  • Undercover Princess by Connie Glynn
  • The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake
  • How to Stuff Up Christmas by Rosie Blake
  • The Cake Shop in The Garden by Carole Matthews
  • The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
  • Four Days at Christmas by Emma St Clair
  • Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

While writing this I realised that I read 29 books in 2012 (the most) and then 2011 was the only year close to matching 2017. Hopefully I can at least beat 2017 this year (I think beating 2012 would involve reading lots of short books or something like that!) 

Top Posts

  1. Planner Love: Meadowgate Traveler’s Notebook
  2. Wagamama Bedford
  3. My Current Planner Setup: B6 Chic Sparrow
  4. Monthly Christmas Prep: September
  5. Monthly Review: October 2017
  6. Monthly Review: July 2017
  7. Monthly Review: June 2017
  8. Printables
  9. How I Use My Bullet Journal: Part 1
  10. Storing and Organising Duvet Sets

#2017BestNine from Instagram

#2017BestNine

Now I am pretty sure that there is more to share from 2017, but for now I’m leaving it here. 

About the author

Hannah
Hey I'm Hannah. Christian. Wife. Mum. Best Friend. Sister. Daughter. Auntie. Musician. Crocheter. Knitter. Planner Addict. Self employed social media whizz kid.