14 Months Ago

Its been over a year since we returned from Australia.
And, as I made myself toast this morning, I couldn't help but think how far away it all seems.
What was once normal, is no more.
Toast is even different - its quality, style, frequency, abundance.  Toast.


As a small toast to my memory of Australian toast, and to provide myself with a small walk down memory lane, I give you a small visual of our "normal" from 14 months ago.  But first, remember that today, here in St. Louis, we are trying to brave through the last frigid days of a seemingly endless and exhaustive winter.

We are trying to find fruit in season, minimize our daily car use, and wondering if we should join a pool.

We are trying to make walking, hiking, and riding scooters and bikes a typical request, not met with groaning.

Just keep that in mind as you peruse these photos, and think about how much a physical environment, climate, and geographic location can affect your everyday habits, choices, and lifestyle. 

We went to Little Kickers here once a week.

Our tiny kitchen had a small table where the kids spent hours a day on average.

This is the ferry we took several times a week.  Chris took it to work every day.

The kids daycare where they spent one day a week.

We had swim lessons here every week.

Rainbow Lorikeets as common as a Chickadee.

The bus stop we waited for almost every day.

The lush, botanical path we walked many times a week.

Manly beach, one of our favorite weekend outings.

Our family room at Christmas.

Where Chris arrived home from work every day.

Bushwalks.

Balmoral Beach - another favorite.

The Kookaburra that perched on our deck every so often.

The Nature Reserve we ran, walked and played on several times a week.

The pram.  This amazing cargo ship was attached to my arms constantly.