Ive realised that the last journal was up since August last year and it may be time for a new one to show that I am still alive!

Im going to try and do this journal with one simple rule - dont be mawkish and sentimental! that could be hard though.

On July the 3rd last year my Dad died. He was 63 years old and had no health issues that we knew about. He had been up in Johannesburg on contract and had had a great last day working hard on a project he was enjoying greatly. In the evening he had one of his favourite meals at a local restaurant and then spent most of that night talking and laughing on the phone with my mom who was in Cape Town. She was going to be picking him up from the airport the next day and they were looking forward to seeing each other even though he had only left a few days before hand. Later that night he said he wasnt feeling great and went to bed. He passed away peacefully during the night.

Dad's death was hard. No death is easy - that's for certain - but losing him was for multiple reasons particularly difficult. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word and was immensely supportive and loving towards his wife and continually proud of myself and my sister. His loss though came 2 months before my wedding to Naomi. Not having your Dad there for something like that was especially hard.

My wedding to Naomi was fantastic. It was hard getting ready for it as we had spent a few weeks in South Africa supporting Mom whilst we dealt with Dad's affairs. But despite that it was a gorgeous day, filled with laughter, happiness, good friends and close family and lots of excellent memories.

We've settled into married life very well - in fact so well we are now expecting our first child! Our baby is due in the middle of July - almost exactly a year after dad's death. Naomi is doing as well as could be with a giant expanding stomach (it is truly a sight to behold ...) and im quietly crapping myself with the thought of all that responsibility (but also very much looking forward to it!)

It's hard to comprehend all that has happened in the last 8 months or so and will be happening in the rest of this year. My title for this journal is an apt way I think of summing up this last year but it still doesnt come close to acknowledging the strangeness and complexity of my own and my family's time.