This last week has been bitter sweet.

It has been fantastic to have all of our family together again - Tom (the handsome one in the back row) has been back with us from Forbes NSW for a week or two's break from shearing, and he certainly brings some life and energy into the place! 

And another high point was that we had a bit of a do with friends here at home on Saturday night with a big fire and plenty of fun and food, for Rod's 50th birthday, but really to say goodbye to our eldest youngster, Katlyn.

Katie flew to Vancouver Canada yesterday to start a new adventure. She will be assistant Music Director at Mountain View Academy, a boarding High School in the mountains about 4 hours drive out of Vancouver. That bit is fantastic - we are so excited about the new experiences and opportunities she will have to grow as a person and bless others! But we miss her already. That's the bitter bit in the sweet.

But isn't it a pleasure to watch young people grow up, pursue their interests and dreams, work out their values and the principles they will live by, make decisions and take responsibility for those decisions, make mistakes and learn from them, learn about themselves (including how much like their parents they are!), make peace with themselves, and become productive, useful, valuable, respected members of society.

Well that's the goal anyway. I'd like to make it there myself someday...