2021

 

We counted ourselves lucky that the pandemic didn’t affect us too badly in Queensland over the past 12 months.  We hoped the year ahead would be a return to normal.  It’d didn’t happen quite as quickly as we’d hoped but we still made a lot of fantastic memories as a family.

Wearing masks and tuning in to the daily updates on case numbers became a ubiquitous part of 2021.  Fortunately not too many lockdowns in Brisbane.  Maybe 30 days total.

I’m not sure who was more excited to see the stage show Bluey – Penny or the grown ups.  This was Penny’s first ever theatre experience.

No overseas travel in 2021 because of border restrictions meant we spent our holidays travelling around Queensland.  Here we are at a strawberry farm in Stanthorpe.

During lockdowns, we spent a lot of exploring the nearby creek.

Penny got into crafting in a big way in 2021.  We spent dozens of hours making decorations, cards and colourful creations.

Penny loved cooking.  Pizzas, baking cakes, helping with meal prep.  You name it.

We made a lot of trips to the zoo.  Penny loves animals.

I began to collect Fighting Fantasy books during the pandemic.

 

Meet Couscous.  The newest member of our family.  She’s crazy.

This was the year Penny began to get super excited for Easter.

We took Penny to a Wiggles concert.  Truly a rite of passage for many Aussie kids.

Penny had a ball at the Samford show.

 

Our holiday in Cairns.  Penny went on her first ever flight during this holiday.

At the Van Gogh exhibit, or as Penny calls him, Vincent Mango.

We bought an arcade machine this year!

and a (digital) pinball machine.

Getting vaccinated!  Was a huge relief and a massive milestone after everything that happened in the past two years.

Another year, another huge Halloween night.  Over two hundred trick or treaters!

We finally got a new computer!

The Christmas season is still our favourite time of year.

Uncle Dom!  Although 2021 wasn’t the full return to pre-pandemic life that we hoped for, it ended on a high with a visit from Dom who lives in Sydney.  It was the first family member Penny had seen from outside Queensland in two years.  She absolutely loved the time she spent with him.

Merry Christmas from the Inoues!