Sometimes there is gregarious giggling and peaceful playing, Lego or markers strewn between the two of you, and I can picture you growing up to be friends who call each other up to hang out.

Sometimes there is pushing and yelling STOP IT! because the two of you are so very different but with the same stubborn determination, and I raise my hands to plead with the Lord that these will be your worst fights. 

Everyday I look at the two of you and see the toddler and baby you once were and imagine the women you might be. And I want to remind you both that the sisterhood you have is a precious gem that must be taken care of, polished and shined, so that it will add sparkle and vibrant colour to your entire lives.

Winter holidays means games and puzzles, learning new skills, chasing the sunlight around the house, grumpy chickens, the garden reaching new depths of green, reading endless books, spending mornings crafting, picking flowers, and drinking mugs of tea to survive the chilly days. It means a whole lot of slowing down, being in our space, all together; our favourite place to be

Late summer fruits. Fluffy scavengers. Early rain. Lines hung full of washing. Making indoor fun. Heads full of curls. Quiet moments. Little seedlings poking their heads up through the soil. Waiting for produce to ripen. Siblings to hold, always. Adventuring outdoors. Roasting marshmallows over the fire. This is our autumn daze.

The middle months of the year are often long. The cloudy, rainless days seem to drag on and on. The brilliant colours of summer are over and everything seems brown, grey, unexciting, dull. Daylight is short, and is filled with endless tasks, some that inspire, but many others that must simply be done. 

And yet, even in these gloomy days, there are moments of joy. Of discovery. Of creativity. Of wonder. Oh to wonder as a child does, with even the smallest of things inspiring great fascination and delight!

This summer looked like big sister squishy snuggles, puzzles all over the floor, and building Duplo zoos. It looked like fairy floss flowers, tomatoes in bloom, and endless washing drying outside. This summer looked like afternoons in the pool, overcoming fears and growing in strength. It looked like vibrant blooms defying the sweltering heat, chooks dust-bathing to keep cool, and surprising new growth, found only if you look closely.