counting down to xmas!

Once again the year has flown by and as it nears xmas, I take stock of where I am and what I have achieved: 1) house building - the saga continues, the journey is long and we were always in it for the long haul. Since my last post, we have sold our current principle residence and are now renting back from the new owner with a clause in the contract of sale that we can rent up to 3 months from settlement date. We are about 2 months into that... everything is almost done, we are awaiting the interim occupation certificate now but its really dragged out much longer than we imagined house renovating - we have since had our other investment house renovated thanks to my extended family and just a fortnight ago obtained a tenant! It was a super fast turn around, we signed up with the agent that sold our house and within 2 days, they turned around the property to get a tenant who moved in 4 days later at a higher rent than what we expected which was tremendous news! I should add that the auction of our current principle residence while resulted in a profit, was not as heated or exciting as we had hoped. It did not make our reserve of 950K and we were optimistic of making the 1 million mark but it was not to be. Still, it was good to not have to worry about open houses every weekend. 2) work- I have since passed the 9 month mark but it really feels like 5 years. I know my heart isn't in it and I keep urging myself to look to the positive. I don't feel I belong although all the signs are there for a long and reasonably easy extended stay there. Thoughts of leaving give me hope so I believe it is only a matter of time (once we move to the new house) before I move on although I dread the goodbyes and disappointing anyone there. I keep telling myself the work is interesting and that I am learning a lot, which I am but something is still missing and I'm not entirely sure I will find it back at my old workplace. 3) kids - always my light and my joy, i'm now in preparation to move them to the new school. We met the new principal who seems a little more proper than our current principal. I will miss our current little school but onwards and upwards. Kids at school have told my kids they will be missed which is sad, hopefully they will make just as great friends in the new school 4) in laws - in a complete unforeseen turnaround, my father in law is seemingly well installed in the new nursing home. While I am at times sorrowful and wracked with mild guilt that he is there, there is much less friction in the house hold and he also seems quite busy with his social group at the home as well. I am now counting down to the end of the year, where I hope it will signal a time to enjoy the hard work we have put in this year. It has been a hard slog but also a rewarding one. The year has been a tumultuous one for many of my friends, I have seen break ups, separations, changes in jobs, new homes, many new beginnings. I hope next year is a settling one.