Off to Oz...and the other half of me...

So on Wednesday I embark on the trip to Australia. The thought of my darling sister's face (and that of my 3 year old nephew) at the airport at the end of the 23 hour journey will sustain me through...and then the thought of picking the other two up from school later that day (they know I'm coming in October, but they don't know when...ha!) makes me fizz with excitement. It'll be 17 months since I last saw them all. Way too long, but I know how lucky I am to be able to make the journey and we'll make the most of every minute. It may not sound very special to an outsider, but just doing the everyday things - making breakfast porridge for the kids, doing the school run, picking up a coffee at my favourite cafe, walking the long beach to Point Cartwright with Esther

hanging the washing on the line and avoiding the ENORMOUS spider who makes her home on the garden fence, catching up with Aussie Masterchef while cuddling Clara Bow,the one-eyed miniature black pug, eating cheesy popcorn at the movies - the bliss of watching a movie with Esther - just talking and laughing as much as we want to...all these things are my idea of perfection and bring tears as I think of them. Ordinary, simple everyday things that are usually denied us because we live so very far apart. The stuff of life.

And this time, some new experiences too...Esther and I are taking a long weekend trip to Melbourne, a city we've both long wanted to visit....I'll be celebrating my birthday there too (something I've never done with the 3 children) and Scout, my niece, is planning an ice-cream extravaganza party for me...and Esther will make my very favourite devils food cake....I won't mind being another year older at all!

I'm leaving Paul & Alice behind this time...and I'll miss them so much, but it'll be wonderful to see Paul at the airport when I get home and then I get to celebrate my birthday all over again! Lucky, lucky...I am so truly lucky and blessed. This I know.

I'll be blogging from Australia, so will update you then. But you can think of me, perfectly happy, the children playing on the swings and slides behind us - maybe one of them cuddled into my side, holding the hand of my darling sister as we sit by the sea in Cotton Tree...

maybe on this very bench.....

See you in the Land Down Under. xoxo