FAMILY TIME
I sometimes write about how much I miss living near my adult
kids. I often feel like I miss out on the little day to day connections because
of the distance between us. But then we get a visit from them or we pop up to say hello and have some time together and all that is
forgotten in a heartbeat. The benefit of distance is that those lovely visits
and catch-ups always last a bit longer because there has been so much time and
effort put into the process of getting together.
A SURPRISE VISIT
One of those catch-ups happened for us a couple of weeks ago, our
son and daughter-in-law and their gorgeous little girl decided to spontaneously take a few
days off and come and visit us in the country. They arrived on Saturday morning
and stayed all the way through to Tuesday – what a blessing and what a lovely
time we had together.
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| Lunch in the gazebo at Donnybrook |
Extended family is so special – we get to see our kids being
happy, healthy adults, parenting in their own right and doing it so well. They
get to have two extra pairs of hands to keep their little girl happy and
entertained. I’m sure they love being
able to stop and relax, sleep in, and not have to think about what to cook for dinner.
We get to have baby snuggles, morning play times, pram walks, playground visits
and lots of laughter and joy. It’s
really the best win/win situation in the world.
OUR FIRST PLAYGROUND VISIT
June in Australia is usually when Winter is settling in for
its first serious wet season, but this year we had an unusually warm and sunny
long weekend to share. Not a cloud in the sky, cool and sunshiny and just
perfect for little excursions and outings. It was even nice weather to be
driving in and we took full advantage of that with a lovely drive down to a
nearby town that has a giant playground built from a very generous family
donation and community input.
 |
| Fun with Mum and Dad at the Donnybrook playground |
SNAPSHOT
So that was just a little Wednesday snippet of our family having fun in the sun before Winter sets in and we are snuggled up inside by the heater. I love seeing other families enjoying time together so I couldn't resist sharing a snapshot of ours.
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How lovely Leanne surprise visits mean so much. Sophia is gorgeous and growing fast. For me, I'm lucky to see Ethan each week but my other grandchildren not so often. I think there is too much pressure on families seeing each other almost daily. Reality is that we have nurtured our children to be independent adults and life is busy. Apart from full time work, add children and then their activities it is unrealistic and unreasonable to expect everyone to get together often. Besides we are enjoying our Midlife phase of life and our own freedom. Your photos show how close you all are whether you see each other daily or much less often. Xx
ReplyDeleteSue
www.sizzlingtowardssixty.com.au
I think that's what makes these visits even more special Sue - knowing how busy and committed they are in their everyday lives, and the fact that they chose to take some time out to share it with us was just lovely.
DeleteI'm so happy you shared this with us -I loved getting to see you and your family. It's hard to imagine going into winter at this time - Our June 20 temperature was 94 degrees (Fahrenheit - no clue as to Celsius) We also live a few hours from our grandchildren, and it's the best thing ever when they just decide to come for a weekend. The trips are always packed with fun activity. There's something really special about getting up with the grandchildren while their parents are still sleeping.
ReplyDeleteThanks Melody - I always enjoy seeing little snippets of other bloggers' lives - and grandbabies are so adorable. I try not to overshare, but every now and then it's nice to have some happy family shots :)
DeleteAh this is way too cute! In my opinion, family time is the best time spent! How lovely of them to come surprise you! I bet that really made your weekend!
ReplyDeleteLove the post! Thanks for sharing xx
Tropical Colours
Thanks for stopping by (love the name of your blog) and yes you're right - family time just makes my heart smile!
DeleteOh lovely. I lived away from my parents for much of my adult life. I still remember being in Canberra in the late 1990s and seeing a mother and adult daughter at the movies and feeling kinda sad I didn't get to do that.
ReplyDeleteI lived overseas for a while so being back in Qld only a few hours away was better, but after my dad passed away I made my seachange and I'm now only 40-ish km from mum in a nearby town. We see each other every week which is good and I often overnight at her place to get away from my own company a little. She's still in my childhood home, so it's still 'home' there for me. I'm actually going for a 2night stay this weekend.
Now when I'm the mother being visited by my adult kids Deborah, I can really appreciate how much mum's still love seeing their kids - no matter how old they are. Spending those weekends with your mum are so special - a lovely break for you and a really blessing for her to have a chunk of your time devoted to her.
DeleteSuch gorgeous photos of your lovely family Leanne. It's so important to spend time together whenever you can and make those memories. A surprise visit is always delightful! :) #TeamLovinLife
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how a couple of days spent relaxing together builds family relationships Lyndall. It gives you time to get past the "hello/goodbye" stage and relax into enjoying time together - I love it so much - and I think the kids do too.
DeleteAs you probably know, we've recently moved away from Sydney. My daughter (19) flew down today to stay with her grandparents & seeing their faces on FaceTime tonight made me realise that yes, they're probably sad to see me go, but they miss her so much more. It's great that she loves spending time with them still -really loves it. #TeamLovinLife
ReplyDeleteIt's so difficult with extended family isn't it Jo? We all need to make our own decisions about where we live but as the distance increases, it stretches the heart strings. One bonus is that the visits are longer than a 1/2hr cup of coffee! So glad your daughter got some special time in with her grandparents - those memories are so valuable.
DeleteHow cool is that playground! #teamlovelife
ReplyDeleteWell Leanne you already know this is the case with us too these days. When we lived close by to our grown up kids we saw the grandkids a lot...because we were caring for them and I miss aspects of that so much. However, my adult kids are kist that. Adults making their own choices about when and whether they see us. We have seen both our son and daughter in recent times as my illness did catch them off guard somewhat. However, I MISS the day to day stories of the little kids more but they are grown and are at school. I think I am the one who is stuck! Denyse x
ReplyDeleteThese times are so precious and definitely more memorable than the regular, every day ones. What a great weekend with weather too! #lovinlifelinky
ReplyDeleteHow sweet is your grandbaby!
ReplyDelete