Since the kids were born we’ve taken them back to see the farm and my parents.
Since we moved to America it has been less, obviously. It’s a long way and it’s a lot of money. I try to take the kids every other summer so they get to see family but don’t miss out on summers either.
Every time we’ve been back I’ve taken a ‘gate’ photo when we leave, just to see the changes…
Miss Gremlin was 2.5 and Grand Master D celebrated his 6th birthday there. He had 3 parties that year. The flies were more than Miss Gremlin could cope with, along with the other bugs and anything that moved…….. we were toilet training that trip too 🙂
In 2008 we flew back for my Dad’s 70th birthday. We were a surprise. It was the best thing, he totally didn’t know we were coming. There’s a ‘gate’ photo, I know, BUT for the life of me I can’t find it…….The extra on the right is my nephew 🙂 The kids were 8 and 4. Miss Gremlin started school just after we got back to NYC.
2010 was a big year for the kids, they were older and got to really enjoy the farm, running around the house paddock with their toy guns was quite the highlight! Yes we had to replace them twice on that trip but the fun they had was worth the extra $40. It was the last trip they spent with their Pa too.
There were a lot of changes this last trip. This was the first time back for the kids since Pa died in July 2011, so it was hard for all of us to come back and find the farm missing him. Then we had the cemetery and all the visits to family, the grieving process continued….
But this year the kids spent a good amount of time on the farm, and being older they had free reign. I just took them to the top of the hill and showed them the boundary fences.Then I said ‘Don’t cross them, have fun!’….. They really did get to explore freely, like my brother and I did 30 years before, when we were 12 and 8 🙂
Since Dad died, Mum has had to sell of part of the farm, it’s too big and she needs the money, so next time we go, it will be different again but also still the same !
The gate will still be there and until that’s gone, I will take these pictures.
Comments 7
I love these pictures. What a great way to remember each year and to see the changes. It must be bittersweet every year with so many changes.
HI! I am your newest follower and found you on the blog hop. I was kinda, maybe, sorta hopin’ that you would hop on over to my blog and follow me back! 🙂
xoxo-
Sarah
http://www.enjoyingtheepiphany.com
This brought tears to my eyes. It’s SO hard having a family divided by half a world. And with the cost of travel… I often wonder if we lived in LA would it be easier? But then we would both be far from our families… I wonder when my son grows up and has the choice, where will he want to live? AUS or US?
wow! I just loved those pics!! So sorry that the farm has been sold though.
Great pictures! It must be very bittersweet for you though.
Author
It hasn’t really sunk in, I suppose the next trip will be different
I’m so sorry for your loss! It must be difficult for you with all the changes on the farm. I love that you take pictures in the same spot every year though…I do the same thing at my house at the beginning of the school year. Thank you for linking up with us at LOBS.