So I’ve actually been away this past week!

Our little family drove up north to a small country town for a 6 day stay at my in-law’s property.

We eagerly immersed ourselves into the slow country pace – making bonfires, wading in the creek, playing in the fields, digging for rocks, exploring broken tractors, toasting marshmallows, eating wonderful home cooked meals, and reading novels.

There was no internet connection and it was WONDERFUL.

The drive took about 6 hours, but with a few stops, the whole trip took about 8 hours – with 3 boys crammed into the back of the car!

We’ve made this trip every year for the past 9 years. So when my first son was a little baby, he screamed for 1 hour before he went to sleep. My second son screamed on and off, for a total of 2 hours.

But Liam, who is 4 months old now, he didn’t cry AT ALL. He spent most of the 6 hours asleep, sitting, staring out the window, gooing at his dangly toys, enjoying the occasional pat on the tummy by my older boy. And he did this for the 6 hour trip up and back. Of course we stopped every 2 hours for food and a stretch, but it’s almost unbelievable how good he is.

We had a few jobs to do, such as clearing the paddock of dead trees and branches. Come summer time, these could be a fire hazard, so while it’s winter we can safely make a bonfire to burn off the wood.

This is me getting dirty and glowing from the sheer pleasure of physical yard work. I seriously can’t put into words how good it feels to balance my life out like this.