Who says you can't go home?

I’ve just had the loveliest week in Adelaide. I was sad to leave Sean, my boys (that’s Pickwick and Hercules) and my friends, but it’s always special to catch up with everyone “back home”. Well, almost everyone – sorry Kerin L The weather was glorious for the whole week, and it was a great farewell to Australia.

From my sister’s hilarious R-rated Nigella Lawson impersonations over her incredible roast pork (I’d post a pic but she’d likely kill me), to relaxing with Dave on the verandah and taking in the sea view, to the Easter egg hunt in my parents’ backyard, to seeing the progress on my parents’ new house (check it out!), to a lovely long lunch with Nichole and Andrew, to seeing beautiful Lilah and taking Jemima ice skating for the first time, to spontaneously taking Mum to see “My Afternoons With Margueritte” Wednesday evening, to a slap-up meal at Balhannah with Mum and Dad last night, it was a week filled with fun and wonderful times.

Oh, and this is random, but it’s stuck with me all week. I saw this amazing documentary on ABC showing a tribe of people who make and live in tree houses. They build the houses right in the top of the tallest trees they can find – the height of the tree is a symbol of status. Once the house is built (and it’s a proper house with a level floor and a roof), the whole tribe climbs up, including babies, pets and miscellaneous animals, like piglets. It’s somehow reassuring to think that there are still people living as one with nature – but I did wonder how the tree house people went to the toilet. Darren suggested the “long drop” option. They’d have to look out below.

I think the most special and uplifting memories were those involving the children. Seeing all six Morgan and Loechel kids generously sharing their eggs equally after an Easter Monday egg hunt. Doing cartwheels and headstands together on the lawn, and despairing that I couldn’t do them as well as John or Henry. Having a lovely long chat with Narridy, Bronnie, Tiana and Amelia. Hearing Bronnie and Amelia discussing where in the world they wanted to travel when they were older. Spending priceless moments with Lilah. Hearing Jemima singing in the back seat of the car after an afternoon of ice skating, and watching Madeline doing tricks on the swing set. Warm cuddles with beautiful children who mean the world to me.

I have to make special mention of 4-year-old Jemima. She had been wanting to try ice skating for a long time, but learning to skate is not as easy as it looks. We went to the rink together yesterday, laced her up, got on the ice, all excited…..and I promptly fell over in rented hockey boots, and – horror of horrors - pulled the poor little mite down with me. In my own skates, I’m as safe as in my sneakers, but the hockey style rentals were beyond me. After a big cuddle and rest, and, for me, a switch to figure-style skates (which I’d asked for in the first place but was initially given a too-big pair), Jemima bravely returned to the ice and managed to do two whole laps on her own, holding the barrier and with my arms around her. What a trouper. And luggage limits be damned, next time I’m bringing my own skates.

Jemima’s little sister Lilah is very ill and her whole family are being incredibly strong and are a total inspiration. That's Lilah with her Mum, Andrea, and I at the top of the page. The family's “Live Life for Lilah” initiative, where they encourage friends and supporters of Lilah to live in the moment and make each day special, is a beautiful concept. Lilah has her own Facebook page, “Lilah Sophie”, and it means the world to Andrea and Nic to know that people are aware of Lilah’s life and of her gift of appreciation of every moment.

Thank you Nic and Andrea for the amazingly generous loan of your car, and for making time to spend with me at such a difficult time. Thank you Nichole and Andrew for giving up some of your special weekend together to see me, and for the beautiful flowers. And thank you Mia, Hugh, Henry, Amelia, Sharon, Darren, Narridy, Bronwyn, John and Tiana for coming up to Nairne to celebrate Easter Monday together. And thank you to the Loechels for the yummy Haighs Easter eggs.

Speaking of eggs, look what I found yesterday:

We suspected the odd one or two may pop up. And Mum found another next to the backyard broom. Sharon, Mia and I RULE when it when it comes to Easter egg hiding. At one point, we looked at each other incredulously, amazed that we were no longer the kids and were hiding eggs for THEIR children – has it really been (gulp) 20 years since high school?!? Still, I think we had more fun hiding the eggs than the kids had finding them.