What a year!

2016... Has been an absolutely amazing year for me with the exception of Joseph being diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. It has been a very busy year with lots of highlights and rather than make a long boring post that nobody read I am just going to bullet point all the memorable stuff that has happened and post memorable photos..

• Took Joseph to go an see Slipknot and he loved them
• My sister gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Zachary.
• Joseph wins 1st place in Chuldow championships for Karate point stop
• I win 1st place in Karate point stop and 3rd place in kick boxing continuous at Chuldow Championships
• My cousin, Jose Louis from Spain comes to visit.
• We go to the beautiful country of Cuba for a two week holiday.
• Julie takes up Karate and gets to green belt
• Joseph and I get our yellow belts in Kick Boxing.
• I get my brown belt in Karate
• Joseph gets his black belt in Karate
• I got a new guitar
• I started playing Dungeon World again
• My friend Anthony got married.
• I am awarded Rothwell's student of the year at the end of year Chuldow presentations/Christmas party.
• My wife wins me a CIT (Certified Instructor Training) Course for 2017.

Joseph gets his black belt

After a lot of uncertainty Joseph managed to get his black belt in karate last weekend.
As you may have read in my previous post he was diagnosed in the summer with JIA (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis) and spent many weeks unable to walk properly and then when the medication kicked in building up the muscle in his legs again.
In October his joints were in injected with steroids and after only a couple of days he had full mobility again and off medication, this wonderful treatment meant he was fit and able enough to take his black belt grading.
To say i am incredibly proud of him is an understatement, not just because he has achieved so much in his martial arts but because of the obstacles and personal demons he has had to overcome to get there.