And All Of A Sudden The Year Is Gone.

No joke. I blinked and suddenly it's the 27th of December and the year is almost through.

I'm yet to decide whether I'm happy or sad about it. I think I'm happy.

Looking back, 2011 has been a whirlwind year; beautiful, challenging, crazy, heartbreaking and enjoyable all at various times. There were many times when giving up felt like the best option. But I heard somewhere that giving up (in the sense that I'm talking about) is the permanent solution to a temporary problem. I don't want to do that.

By God's grace, mercy and faithfulness I pushed through another year, and God brought into my life the most wonderful and remarkable people, the greatest opportunities and a closeness with Him that I had always been hoping for. For this I'll be eternally grateful.

And now that the year is closing, I feel like I'm able to walk into 2012 with God by my side, ready to take every opportunity, make the most of every moment, enjoy every relationship and journey towards my vision and destiny with God.

Amen to that.

So now it appears that I finally have time to sit down and blog. The past few weeks have been a hectic blur of rehearsals, appointments, birthdays, shopping trips, new school books and uniforms, cleaning, fixing, sorting and preparing. And now finally, a moment of peace.

I'm keeping my dad company at the nursing home where he moved a few weeks ago. The rehab told us he couldn't stay there forever- it's a rehabilition centre, not a home. We couldn't possibly look after him on our own at home, so our only choice was to find the best possible nursing home for him, and pray that it all went well. It was heartbreaking, putting my 55-year old dad into a nursing home with geriatrics, but by the grace of God, the staff are lovely and it's so clean and quiet and peaceful. And best of all, dad likes it.

Unfortunately though, he got himself a chest infection last week and has been coughing and spluttering for a few days now. I'm hoping anti-biotics and rest cures it, because it's no joke. Dad's sick enough- a chest infection could kill him.

But enough on that, let me fill you in on everything you've missed.

So December has already been the busiest month by far. It consisted of rehearsals, to begin with. Rehearsals for our dance performance at Awards Night on the 13th, and rehearsals for the cute little Christmas Carol's Night at church. I was a wise man. That's right, be jealous.

I felt absolutely swamped, having to remember routines and steps, and also lines from the script. I felt annoyed at myself for taking too much on.

The 13th came, and I found myself having a little anxiety attack backstage, even though I thought I had it down pat. When the curtains opened and the lights came on, I was suddenly more nervous. I managed to get most of the dance routine more or less right, but I found myself completely muddled up by the last quarter, so I conveniently shimmied my way to the back row, hoping no one would see me there. I got my act together quickly though, and managed to finally conclude the dance (to my greatest relief). For the final step, we were required to strike a pose however. During the past weeks of rehearsals, I'd been deciding what sort of pose I would choose. For some whack reason, in the spur of the moment, I suddenly got a little cocky and thought I could pull of a pose on one leg, with the other in the air.

I could not.

I didnt fall, but I let my pose go and so I just stood there, on both feet, with one arm in the air. Like an idiot.

But apparently no one saw.

Thankfully, the play went a little smoother than that. My two best friends came to watch, so I hope I did them proud. The idea of bringing the two of them was so that they could keep each other company throughout the duration of my terrible acting.

So I take that back. I probably did not do them proud..at all.

The rest of the month was filled up with days dedicated to Christmas shopping, appointments with lawyers (long story, but dont fret), travels from outlet to outlet to pick up bits and pieces for the new school year, and in between all that, the long, arduous task of cleaning my room.

I've been at it all month. I'm still not finished.

Maybe I'll finish next year..