Saturday 27 May 2017

Reflections


It was a real delight to travel down to England and catch up with everyone.  Mum and Dad are doing OK, the family seem to have rallied around and visit on a more regular basis.  My niece goes  weekly  to take Mum for her shopping.  The bungalow has now been valued and will go on the market this week, so that they can move to be near me.  Hopefully, a buyer will be forthcoming soon.

The wedding was a delight and it was so nice to catch up with family on Gerard's side that we do not see very often.  It was bitter/sweet to see some of Gerard's late Mums friends but the added bonus was to catch up with our beautiful daughters and their families.

We had a day out with Victoria and the boys to Marwell Zoo, the wedding reception was actually held at the hotel there so no extra travel needed.  It was overcast and drizzling when we went in but with a stiff upper lip and armed with waterproof coats we carried on regardless.  Hector has really grown in the short period of time since we last saw him and now runs around with his big brother Wilbur.  What a joy to see them play together.




 
Ice cream is always on the agenda for a day out and an easy way to get Hector back into the pushchair, he prefers walking these days.
 

 
Despite the rain it was a lovely day out and brought back some lovely memories of us taking our girls when they were small.  It was always a nice treat for them when we visited Grandma and Grandad.  I am not a fan of animals been caged but in fairness the enclosures were large and designed to reflect their natural habitat as much as possible.  It was certainly clean and did not have the pungent smell that you get sometimes.





There were lots of different play parks as we wandered around, each area designed for different age groups so something for everyone.  We also enjoyed a stroll through the garden and made a wish or two in the well.





We drove to Ampthill and had a wonderful few days with Amie and her family.  There was also a marked difference in Honey, she has certainly grown and is walking.  Bertie still enjoys quality time with us playing games and doing jigsaws.  Dinosaurs still a firm favourite...

 
 
We had a wonderful day out to the mill, enjoying a stroll through the shops and of course tea and cake.





One of the highlights for Bertie is the fish in the pond, he is always mesmerised by them.




There are some great artefacts to admire and indeed play, some wonderful old penny slot machines adorn the walls along the emporium, if only they were a little lower...

 
The added bonus is there is a little park for us all to enjoy.
 

 
 
Last but certainly not least was our visit to Lucy, sadly Lily had to go to school but we did get some quality time in the evenings.  They certainly enjoyed seeing Mickey and he loved running around with them.
 
 

 
There was a little gardening done, but mainly games that involved a lot of laughter...
 


 
...and the cleaning off of dirty faces.
 
 
We did get some quality time in the local park but sadly I forgot to take the camera.
 
 
I cannot express the sheer joy of seeing my family again and am so looking forward to seeing them again soon.  We have plans to go again in August and they will of course be visiting us, Victoria has flights booked for July and Lucy plans for August.  The journey back on the ferry was a time for reflection and deep thoughts about the distances involved.  Had we made the right decision moving so far away?
 
 
YES!  We love this beautiful Island and its people.  We love our little cottage that is now HOME and despite our overwhelming love for our families and missing them terribly we are here to STAY.  It felt like home on our return, it was a beautiful homecoming.
 
The washing has been caught up with, I am trying to ignore the ironing pile and the garden is calling it is in dire need of attention.  But not today, we are going to the soup and pudding event to meet up with our neighbours and help raise some funds for Church.  Tomorrow is another day.  Have you any plans for the weekend?
 
See you soon.
 
 

 
 
 

29 comments:

  1. It looks like you had a wonderful trip and the children are all so cute! It must have been wonderful to spend time with them :)

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  2. You certainly packed a lot in to your time away. It must be hard being so far away from your family but there'll be trips to see them and they'll have trips to see you too and that time you spend together will be special time.

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  3. What a wonderful family time. You may be far away, in distance at least, but it is so easy to keep in touch these days and the time you spend together will be appreciated and enjoyed all the more.
    Enjoy your weekend. The soup and pudding club seems like a good plan. X

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  4. You know when you're home no matter where it is. People were surprised when we moved from California to Georgia--about 3,000 miles- and most of my husband's family is in California, mine's in the middle of the country and our daughter was in the Washington DC area and then moved to Japan. So you have to find where your heart wants to be.

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  5. As hard as it may be to live away from family and friends, the visits are always worth the travel. Thanks for sharing these lovely photos of your grandchildren and other family. The zoo outing looked a bit chilly but seems all had fun and what's better than playing in the dirt when gardening!

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  6. Lovely smiles....
    Have a great weekend !
    Hug
    Anna

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  7. ....and a grand time was had by all by the looks of it.
    Your grandchildren are gorgeous-x-

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  8. Your grandchildren are gorgeous! And I really enjoyed your photos, it looks like everyone enjoyed themselves.

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  9. What beautiful grandchildren you have. Spending time with them is so precious. Being far away does cause one to reflect, and thankfully, we have things like Skype and Facetime that enable us to connect more easily than in the past.
    I'm glad that returning felt like coming home.

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  10. I was happy to see you get to visit all the grandkids! I bet you're looking forward to them visit your island cottage and showing them around your new home. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  11. Such sweet, happy children and you can tell they are loving spending time with Grandpa and Grandma! I never, ever thought I would move away from my children and grandchildren and I miss them so much. But, we are happy here and I visit as often as I can afford to and that will have to do.
    It's a long weekend here in the States, Memorial Day weekend with Monday being a holiday. So we walk the beach early, by 8 at the latest, and then stay home and let the crowds of holiday visitors have the Ocean Hwy businesses, beaches, etc.

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  12. Looks like a great time was had by all, how wonderful. It is nice to feel like you're in the right place when the time comes to return home though isn't it.

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  13. Family times are precious and even more so now that you have to travel further to see one another. I can see that you and your husband did a lot in the time available to you and you had a lovely time. You have peace of mind knowing everyone is well and that you are in the right place fulfilling your dream of making a home in the Isle of Lewes. You now have the Summer holidays to look forward to. Enjoy meeting up with your neighbours and getting involved in activities in the local community.

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  14. Glad that you know the decision was right. Life is too short to second guess ourselves all the time. The grands all look healthy and happy and taller!

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  15. I'm glad you're confident in the decision about moving away. Visits will be something you can enjoy looking forward to.
    xx Beca

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  16. I loved every bit of this post. The last paragraph could have been written directly to me. We're trying to sort out where we will live when Dennis retires. None of our children live close by but we love this place we call home in Washington State. Our family is all 1500 miles away in Nebraska. Do we move there or stay here? Difficult decisions to be sure. I loved seeing ho Ethel children have grown. The littlest are now walking!!! Time flies!
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  17. Eek I hope that isn't a real crocodile! Looks a wonderful trip, I bet you were sorely missed when you returned. Enjoy your new adventures, the family are all just a Skype call away. x

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  18. Such lovely photos and wonderful children! I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip, thank you for sharing x

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  19. Such a wonderful time spent with family members. Your grand kids are so cute and lovable! Have a beautiful day!

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  20. Looks like you have had a wonderful holiday! X

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  21. Looks like you have had a wonderful holiday! X

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  22. Your trip sounds wonderful and I am so glad it felt like home upon your return. I am sure you miss everyone but this is an amazing adventure for you two.

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  23. I know you enjoyed being with the family again. I enjoyed the pictures! You write the sweetest post!

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  24. I am so happy for you! I'm glad you visited your family and I'm glad that home is HOME. Simply the best!

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  25. How lovely that you could visit with relatives and your daughters plus the grands who are growing up so quickly. Honey is a sweetie.... aptly named!! I hope you have a restorative week ( you probably need it).

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  26. Apparently you spent a beautiful time with your family ! I think you made the right decision, today nothing is far ! Imagine you live in Australia and your next neighbour lives 200 km far ! My family lives in Amsterdam, also 250 km.

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  27. Beautiful photos of your lovely grandchildren. I admire you for making what I know is a very long journey, having made it ourselves, so soon after moving to your dream of Lewis. I admire you because we have found our perfect, never-to-move-from home and I cannot bear the thought of leaving it to visit ANYONE! It has to be done sometimes, though. We didn't leave Wales for 9 months after moving. I recently went to see my mum for the day and when he scenery started to change from townscape to the gorgeous Welsh countryside I could breathe knowing I was home where I belonged.

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  28. It looks as though you had a wonderful time with your lovely family. I'm sure you have made the right decision...you can now look forward to their visits to you in your beautiful new home. Take care. Debbie x

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  29. Though some members of my family lived within close proximity of one another my husband and I spent most of our years together traveling to visit family and friends or having them come to visit us. When my husband died nearly eight years ago we had four grands and now I live with five of my grands and rarely get to visit with two others who live 3000 miles away. However, I feel at home where I am now and am trying to invest love in all my relationships, near or far...hoping for good adventures in the time ahead. Cheering you on as you settle into your new location. xx

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