You'll have to excuse this post that is heavy on photos and light on words, but we are half way through the winter school holidays and all sense has flown out of the windows and all that is left behind is silliness and chatter. And song and stories and descriptions and instructions. So many words and yet none left to use here.
There was this day last week where Jazzy stayed inside and stripped her room for painting, my farmer boy and I walked up and down the hill doing the farm chores, and these two played together in the forest for hours. Climbing and laughing and sliding and telling funny stories.
There certainly are times when I wonder about living on a farm, when I worry about country kids and I hope that we are giving them enough. But at times like these I feel confident that this farm fresh world is the best world for us. It is more than enough.
I don't know if they know it yet.
But I do.
I love the way these two play and love each other fiercely.
I'm so glad I had my camera to capture them and their muddy knees.
Happy days friends. Happy days!
May the chatter that fills your head be kind and funny.
Bye!
xx
I want indy's boots and pepper's cardi - their childhood seems perfect to me. Freedom is a rare and precious thing x
ReplyDeleteI just wish I MADE Pepper's cardi.
DeleteEveryone's always asking and I'm forever saying op-shop. x
My parents brought us up on a ten acre farmlet in the Yarra Valley and it was the best thing ever. Yes, even with gumboot toes full of huntsman spiders and awful times when the foxes got into the hen house. I wish I could still live in the country and from the images you share of your family, it certainly looks as though they are having the time of their lives, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm always saying to Bren that I wish I had their childhood. I think it's pretty ace, I hope they do too. x
DeleteWhat lucky girls - and what lucky, lucky chooks!
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh yes, love those forest chooks. x
DeleteBeautiful, joyful girls. And I have a tear in my mother's eye.
ReplyDeleteMe too. I sobbed a few happy tears watching them that day. So lucky. x
DeleteSo beautiful. Country life has so many advantages, and Daylesford has the positives of country AND city. You couldn't have made a better choice by the looks of those two!
ReplyDeleteX
Yep, that's what drew us here. Such an incredible spot, so far from everything but still so close too. xx
Deletegorgeous photos, gorgeous girls.... and Peppers cardy.... I'd love one exactly the same! x
ReplyDeleteso would i. we need to find the pattern so we can all make/have one, i think. xx
ReplyDeleteLove your work Kate! Love those girls and those chooks. I didn't realize you had alpacas...do you shear them or do they live with your chooks, or both? As a farming/country mum I worry about providing our kids with enough too...but really just look at them. They are not missing out are they? x
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, we have two alpacas; Cloudy and Meatballs. They live with a flack of chooks as herd guards. We shear but I've been donating their fleece to spinners because I still don't know how. xx
DeleteI needed to read this today...thanks for posting it. It asked and answered some questions I've had within and replaced it with a lighter frame, making room for happy chatter too. Xo
ReplyDeleteYep, it is so important to lighten up and change our expectations sometimes. Especially during school holidays. I hope you've had a gorgeous day. x
DeleteThey live in a wonderful world, natural, beautiful, where the basics and simple things in life are appreciated as being the most important things. Look at their faces filled with joy and happiness, it speaks for itself.
ReplyDeleteAnne xx
Thank you Anne, it's so true. x
DeleteOne day your beautiful girls will be at uni and they will tell their friends stories about the "real" childhood they had growing up on an organic farm. Next time I am being a real grump around the house doing chores I will remember your lovely mantra.
ReplyDeleteI love thinking about that, thanks Zena. x
DeleteI think the city kids miss out on fresh air, and many lack an awareness of their connections with the nature. Some children have never had the pleasure of planting something and watching it grow. I was so sad a couple of weeks ago to come across a city child who, at age 10, could not identify a very large turnip and thought it was an onion! (That child's school didn't have the benefit of a food garden) Your girls will grow up to be very healthy, strong, self sufficient, resilient young people and have an appreciation of the truly important values in life.
ReplyDeleteIt's so true, there's so much we take for granted that other kids have no idea about. x
DeleteMore than enough for sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks lovely Sally and whatever you do, don't head east for a few months still,m it's FREEEEEEZING!! x
DeleteLes photographies sont tellement belles! I love it!
ReplyDeleteLucie xxx
Thanks so much! x
DeleteIt looks like ideal way to grow up to me.
ReplyDeleteSame! I'm always telling them I'm jealous of their childhoods. x
DeleteI was curious. Are you homeschoolers? The pictures (I've been lurking for a while) make it appear as though your kids are homeschooled? How fortunate to grow up the way they do. I was blessed to grow up similarly, my kids aren't, regrettably. Lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteNo, all three of my kids go to school.
DeleteMy smaller two go to a tiny Buddhist school and my biggest goes to the local high school. I'd happily home school her but she really loves it. x
How utterly wonderful- it's all you could wish to give your children- a childhood as opposed to a mini-adulthood. Well done to you!
ReplyDeleteOh I love that!! I might use that expression myself if it's ok with you. x
DeleteFantastic photos! I think my favorite is the one with just their legs dangling off the high log. Your girls definitely do not look like they are lacking in what is important. Family, love, creativity, and the opportunity to be themselves.
ReplyDeleteI love that one too - I think it looks like they are deep in the jungle.
DeleteThese photos made me tear up Kate because my girls are of similar age. I see elements of their relationship here just different sisters in another place and time. Beautiful snaps you've captured here. It's tricky to capture big girls sometimes-teenagers! I can see your big girl's kind heart in her smile.
ReplyDeleteThose sister relationships get me all emotional too Lea, so beautiful. x
DeleteSuch beautiful photos Kate. You should be very proud that your girls know where their food comes from, know a loving family home and most important of all, know how to be just kids.
ReplyDeleteJak x
I am absolutely Jak, thank you. xx
DeleteLove the shot of the girls crawling along the tree trunk, followed by the chook! :)
ReplyDeleteI know Naomi, it was like she wanted to be part of their gang. So funny. x
DeleteWe are moving to the country later this year and hope to eventually have a similar lifestyle to you for our children. There is nothing better as far as I'm concerned. Your children will look back on these days with happiness and appreciate the freedom they have. Teresa.
ReplyDeleteOh that's wonderful Teresa, happy times. x
DeleteHeartwarming pictures! They remind me of my sister and me when we were younger (even though she was a lot more careful about not getting dirty... I wasn't. At all...).
ReplyDeleteTake care
Anne
http://crochetbetweentwoworlds.blogspot.de
yeah, i don't think any of my kids worry about that one, hopefully it continues that way. x
DeleteI grew up on the countryside myself. And I loved every minute of it, although I didn't live on a farm. But ad kids we were able to play on the streets, every house had a garden and my mother wasn't anxious about letting me go out alone when I was still a kid. I lived in a big city (Vienna, Austria) for five years and returned to the countryside last year. Nothing better than having nature right in front of your doorsteps. And I have a lot of friends who still live in the city and say, that they would move to the countryside the moment they'd find out that they're pregnant because they wouldn't want to raisw their kids in the city! Exactly my opinion as well!
ReplyDeleteYep, although we did want to start a farm and grow organic produce, it was the kid thing that really pushed us to leave the city. Best thing we ever did. x
DeleteGorgeous photos and post Kate. I wrote a long comment on here after you posted it and when I hit publish it disappeared. Don't worry though, it's happened to me on other blogs too. xo
ReplyDeletestupid blogger. i'm sorry not to read your comment though julie. xx
DeleteI love this post - reminds me of my own childhood in the bush. We had two goats, guess when they were born "Daylight" and "Savings".... we also had a pet sheep, called "Pet".... I think mum was trying to convince dad that Pet wasn't for dinner. Mum did spin. I remember weekends when Mum hosting the spinners club. Thank you for sharing you beautiful memories so I can capture my own too....
ReplyDeleteHey Kate,I did'nt when I was younger,but now that I'm older, I really appreciate all the thing's I thought I was missing out on.I alway's love and enjoy your blog so much. Blog friend's, Felicia
ReplyDeleteHey Kate,I did'nt when I was younger,but now that I'm older, I really appreciate all the thing's I thought I was missing out on.I alway's love and enjoy your blog so much. Blog friend's, Felicia
ReplyDeleteAhhh beautiful Kate. In contrast to your sometimes wondering. I sometimes (more and more often lately) think we should pack up and move to the country so my kids can learn true gratitude and appreciation for all that we have and just generally what life is really all about.
ReplyDelete