Hello!
It appears it is time for my 5th Annual Updates Thread (what?! 
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If you want to, please tell us how your year has been. The good, the difficult, anything you want to. We like to know how everyone else has been faring, and hopefully we also 'get it', also being neck deep in adoption-land! Adoptive parents, prospective adoptive parents, adoptees, birth mothers...and lurkers, feel free to make yourselves known.
Wishing everyone a good 2015 x
My update
My eldest granddaughter is now over 2 and a half, and the little one is 16 months old. They brighten every day I see them on, and I've needed it this year. GD1 is loving and stubborn like her mum, and loves nothing more than getting herself wet, muddy, covered in snow etc. Her favourite shirt is her oversized 'xyz' club football shirt her dad bought her (as part of his determined plan to make her as much a fan as he is...it's working so far). GD2 is a bit quieter and less keen on being snuggled for ages, is in a picky phase over her food, loves her sleep/naptime, and bathtime too. And loves me, obviously. I'm clearly both of their favourite person ever 
DD1 met up with all of her other 5 brothers and sisters this year and I got a lovely photograph of them together 
For me though, this year has been very hard. The house is much quieter now DD2 has left, but it still feels empty. I miss her so much. She is still living with one of her sisters but I don't really know how its going. I try and communicate with her, but how she responds really varies. Sometimes I go and sit in her room for a while and lie on her bed. I don't know what to do with her things.
I'm moving forwards, slowly. I'm sure the antidepressant has made quite a big difference. I'm sleeping better, eating much better, stopped reacting to unexpected noises. I've got an appointment with a counselling service in the New Year. I have a small pile of books stacked up to read. I have the urge to read back again. I'm enjoying walking etc. The Gerbils (both of them are still here and fine!) still live in my room, I love listening to them when I'm in bed!
DS is in Year 5 now, and after a not-very-good start to the year, things are going much better now. Had one difficult adoption related incident but it was resolved as much as it could be and he's back on track in nearly all his subjects. Not living with DD2 has made a big difference, which is painful for me to see but at the same time I've needed to see the evidence that I did the right thing in telling her to leave. He started Judo classes at the beginning of the year after having a couple of trial lessons of that and Karate so he could choose the one he preferred, and he's really enjoyed it. Did his first grading recently and he did well He also changed his name, so all of his names are now ones I chose for him (he refused to wholly choose his new middle name). His middle name is now my Dad's name, and it was an emotional day when it was chosen. He was so proud of his new passport, showing it to everyone. I'm so very proud of him and how he's managed this year, given it's been so hard for him.
He's on about more pets. Fish or a cat. As I've said before, I'd love a cat, I'm just concerned about mixing a cat (and it would be a rescue cat) with 2 Gerbils, although I do have a lock on my bedroom door. We'll see, it may happen, we may have to wait a while.
Best wishes to all x