Thirteen

In what feels like the blink of an eye my girl who has a special place in my heart is becoming a teenager.

I can't begin to capture the joy and happiness that she creates.
(Is it too dramatic to say that? Will she think that I'm a right old softie?)

I do think it's safe to say that she knows that she is loved and she knows that I am proud of her and of the way that she is growing into a beautiful young lady. I feel really lucky that we still have valuable chat time and there are many life lessons that over time I'll share with her.  I could probably write a book of them, but I'm sure someone has beaten me to that!

Now as she hovers on the cusp of the next milestone in life I wonder what's ahead of her?

Her dreams are not my dreams and vice versa but I do wish her certain things.

• I hope that she continues to approach life with a smile on her face.

• I hope that she maintains the compassion, kindness and respect that she has for others and can practise this on herself too!

• I hope that she makes life long and meaningful friendships with people that will love her as she deserves to be loved.

• I hope that she finds her voice in the world and isn't afraid to use it.

• I hope that she can keep building her resilience and that her heart will be strong enough to manage those challenges that will inevitably come her way.

• I hope that she never forgets that I will always be her biggest supporter...Yes, there will be times that I won't necessarily agree with everything that she chooses and does...(I'm not that naive), but I will be there for her. 

So to my teenage Sibsy girl - get prepared to over-live your life, open your eyes and embrace opportunities, give things a go, have fun along the way, and don't forget your manners!

Love you now, always and forever 

(and more than you'll ever know...)

Cariad mawr,

Bupper

xxx

PS, My other hope for her is that the pierced ears that she has patiently waited seven years for won't hurt too much!

Some images from Minjerribah - Stradbroke Island

This is a photo post with a few sparse words here and there.

A few weeks ago Sibs went away camping to Stradbroke Island known locally as Straddie, or to give it its aboriginal name - Minjerribah.  It's an island just off the coast of Brisbane and it takes 25 minutes to get to via the passenger ferry or 45 minutes via the vehicle ferry. 

I don't really do camping.... so I stayed at home.

I knew that I would miss out on the beautiful views and tranquility of the sun, sea and sand, but sand in tents and I just don't get on! So with the instructions of "have fun, take care and lots of photos" I waved her off. 

She got to spend time with her cousin, her uncles and her dad and she swam, sand surfed, fished, cooked around the camp fire, walked, talked and took a hundred and one photos!

Sibs planned to write a blog about Straddie so I asked her to choose some photos and I uploaded them and left them in a draft post.  However, life got in the way and things like homework and socialising kept eating into her time so the photos have just been sitting here. 

I wanted to write a blog post myself this week but the words just didn't come to me. That sometimes happens. There's lots going on in my head at 1am and by the next day....nothing!

So I'm just going to take advantage of these images. It seems a shame not to share them.

This is Winter in my little corner of the world. Not bad is it?