Cresting The Hill

LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW YEAR

Wednesday 30 December 2015

THE YEAR AHEAD

It's nearly the new year. 2016 is just around the corner and I can't wait to leap in and see what it has in store for me. I wrote about some of the good things and the changes that 2015 brought with it, so I am keen to see what lies ahead. I'm not usually so positive about where I'm heading, but this year it just feels right to look forward instead of back to what has been and gone.

AFTER THE KIDS CAME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Monday 28 December 2015

What it's like after the kids have returned for Christmas - expectations and reality. #Christmas #expectations

RE-DEFINING CHRISTMAS

A week or so ago I wrote a post here about the anticipation of having our adult children and their spouses come home for Christmas. Christmas is now behind us and they've left to go back to their own homes and lives....but not before I do a recap of what this family Christmas meant to me!

this is what CHRISTmas is all about

Thursday 24 December 2015

Sometimes in all the hustle and bustle of Christmas it's good to take a moment to remember why we celebrate this special day. I saw this beautiful and moving clip on Youtube and had to share it because it is what the CHRISTmas story is really all about.

WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS WHEN YOU'RE IN MIDLIFE

Wednesday 23 December 2015

When you reach Midlife, you realize that Christmas is all about family. #midlife #Christmas

WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO MIDLIFERS

I think I am on the same page as most women my age when it comes to Christmas - it's not about the presents or the colour co-ordinated decorations or the carols or the Christmas lights, what Christmas truly is about is family. The nativity family and the joy of a Saviour born to save the world, but also our own little families that gather together to celebrate this special time.

SUFFERING FROM A BAD CASE OF P.O.P.D

Tuesday 22 December 2015

the perfect Christmas - and I'm just a little POPD

OBSESSIVE CHRISTMAS DISORDER

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw a quote (on Pinterest of course) asking for forgiveness for the person's OCD problem. I thought that I was the only person around with OCD - Obsessive Christmas Disorder. I can't help myself... I like my Christmas tree to look balanced and colour coordinated - with a different colour scheme each year. I'm not a decorator or stylist by any means, but I have a very orderly mind and there are certain things that are required when putting up the tree.

WHEN THE "KIDS" COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Friday 18 December 2015

A VERY BRADY CHRISTMAS

I've always been guilty of wanting a Very Brady Christmas - it's one of the first things I ever blogged about because I've had to learn the lesson that real life Christmas and Brady Christmases rarely intersect. I've learned over the years to accept whatever I can get in family time over the holiday break and be grateful that I see my children for whatever time they can fit me in.

FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT

Wednesday 16 December 2015

THE OFFICE MOTTO

The expression "fake it til you make it" was something I heard back in the days when I worked at a government call centre. Because it was the government, there were always changes to policy and new stuff popping up every day. It could all be a little daunting at times. Team coaching was a big part of the culture of the organization and this was a catch cry that our team was taught.

an excuse is worse than a lie

Tuesday 15 December 2015

An interesting thing about having my mother staying with me is seeing how my values have changed over the years. Every so often she will say something from a world view that is completely alien to me, one I realize that I grew up with but have moved on from as I have become my own person.

my awards, features, podcasts and where I party with my blog

AWARDS, FEATURES, PODCASTS AND MORE

Sharing some of the wonderful awards Cresting the Hill has received, as well as where my writing has been featured and a the podcasts I've been interviewed on. It's such a joy to have my work appreciated and shared by others.

looking back before looking forward

Friday 11 December 2015

The end of the year brings with it a time of reflection and I'm sure there will be a lot of blogs looking back over the year that has been and almost gone. I think it's good to look back in a positive way - not to regret what's happened, but to look at how far we've come over the 12 months that have passed.

keeping the connection alive

Wednesday 9 December 2015

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my mum is staying with us for a month or so after having knee replacement surgery. It has been a steep learning curve having her living in our (previously) empty nest and it has made more of an impact on my relationship with my husband than I would have expected.

BLOGGING - BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES AND ENDS

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Never compare your beginning with someone else's middle. Blogging is a long process - you need to love it for what it is - not for the fame you thought it would bring you. Enjoy the ride and stop comparing. #blogging

DON'T COMPARE

I have been a fan of Jon Acuff for many years - his "Stuff Christians Like" blog was one of the first blogs (in fact it was THE first blog) I ever read regularly. He has since moved on and done lots of other amazing stuff - but in that blog he often came up with some excellent one-liners and the quote below was one of them.

WHERE I'M FROM

Friday 4 December 2015

A few months ago I read the poem by George Ella Lyon titled "Where I'm From" and then found that it had been used as inspiration for a writing exercise.

SIMPLE AND TO THE POINT - NO MORE SHRINKING

Wednesday 2 December 2015

It's taken me 50 years to realize that I don't have to make myself small and quiet - or to conform to what I think others want from me. I can be "me"

NO MORE SHRINKING

I'm not going to say much in this post, I think Daniell Keopke says it all. If you've got a moment, read the quote above all the way through, it is the summing up of how I have felt all my life - always making myself less to fit in with the expectations of others. I've come to see my midlife as my time for claiming back who I truly am - the real "me". The words "I am done shrinking" is what my life now is all about.

"My thoughts matter. My feelings matter. My voice matters." This is so true and so profound and simply states what life is about for me today. No more seeking approval from others and no more choosing to shrink myself to fit in their little boxes. No, I am doing my best to be the authentic "me" who is brave enough to say "take me or leave me, but this is who I am!"

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME

Tuesday 1 December 2015

WHO I AM

Hi! I'm Leanne and I live in the southwest of Western Australia - about 2 hours drive south of Perth (our capital city). I blog about enjoying Midlife and the empty nest, early retirement, and thriving in your 50's and 60's. I'm loving every minute of my life: my marriage, my family, my friends, my hobbies, the free time I have now I'm no longer working, and Midlife in general.