I have been calling California home for the last 12 years but seriously when I am lucky enough to be with some of my family in the same country (whether it be me visiting Brisbane or my Aussie family here in Southern California) it's a treat! Don't get me started on the saying goodbye part .. well I'll write more on that later .. I don't like the goodbye part.
The last three weeks we were lucky enough to enjoy the company of my sister, her husband and my two handsome nephews. Now that there are kids involved in the equation .. living apart from my family has its sad moments. My older sister and I have two kids each (and she has a third baby on the way) and they are all very close in age. The fact that these cousins don't get to grow up together ... *insert big big sad face here*. It really does get me down sometimes .. however I have to look on the bright side like my kids having international pen pals. Hello? Happy mail is amazing. Not to mention we have to thank our lucky stars that we live in the world of skype!
It's hard to believe just how quickly those three weeks passed by. As I very slowly get back into my own little life routine now that they are back home in Brisbane Australia, I reminisce on the awesome moments we shared. We shopped, ate, explored a new city (Dallas) and somehow ended up spending a few extra days in Dallas because of some crazy freezing weather, we celebrated a certain little boy's third birthday, spent a couple of days saying Hi to Mickey and friends, had a beach day, ate some more, cousins reunited and we watched as they played nicely (and not so nicely), there were a lot of hugs, kisses and more beach time to round it all off.
Dallas was a fun adventure in many ways .. we explored a few new cities that could possibly be home someday (?!?). What a contrast to California living .. a nice contrast if you ask me!
And how could we forget our unexpected extended stay in Texas after some crazy (freezing) weather caused our flight back to Orange County to be cancelled. We went from a gorgeous and HOT Saturday to waking up to heavy cloud, COLD temperatures and Freezing rain on Sunday morning ... they day of our original flight home.
After six days in the lone star state it was back to enjoying the predictable California Sunshine (funnily enough while we were in Dallas, Southern California experienced its one and only winter rain storm which we just happened to completely miss).
From February 26th-March 13th our little house was full. With four kids under five, our house was loud. But you want to know my least favourite part about living so far from family?
The day after we say goodbye and go our seperate ways. Of course it's more like 'see you later'. However, that day after my family leaves or the day after we arrive back to the USA ... when that loud noise and chatter goes away is no fun. Experiencing the void that is left behind kind of hurts my heart a little. My husband is a smart guy (one of the many reasons I love him so) he told me something many years ago, when we had our own 'see you later' experiences in the early stages of our own long distance relationship and that is: to enjoy that moment (no matter how sad you feel), to really feel it because you will never get that moment back. So I try .. I really really do. He does a good job of reminding me of this every so often. And I'm Ok with that because I need that reminder that's for sure!
