A year that was a year ago.

 

Our whole group (minus the sick ones) for sports day

Today marks 6 months living in Omaha and a year since I had to say my hardest goodbye yet. Can't believe its been a year since I was at TLC. Since I said good-bye to my sweet girl. To some of my closest friends, and to a place the has stolen my heart. A place that taught me so much about love and patience and friendships. A place that became family and my home for a year.
 

The grubs just before bed.

My sweet girl

Every day I think and miss those kids and my fellow volunteers. I miss my little girls laugh when I poke her tummy. I miss holding on to Johnnys hand while her fell asleep at night. I miss dance time with the creepies. I miss laying on the floor of the grubs room with all the beautiful babies learning how to sit and crawl and walk. I miss putting them all to bed and the end of the day, patting their backs till they slept. I miss pushing three kids in a stroller made for one. I miss evenings playing spoons or sipping wine while chatting in the hide. I miss planning days off with kids and then making them happen. I miss hugs from Mama Thea. I miss teas with Eleanor. I miss movies on breaks with Laila. I miss scrapbooking after shift with Elisabeth, Laila, Eleanor, Robert, and others. I miss walking up to the farm to get fresh eggs. I miss chasing chickens. I miss meetings with Zoe. I miss volunteer meetings when it was just us volunteers bonging and relaxing. I miss painting the nursery and making it more of a home for the kids. I miss trying to sweep up rice from the floor. I miss every once of it. Yeah there were times that weren't that great. Nights I would cry myself to sleep. Days I would get frustrated with co-volunteers. The good and the beautiful out shine all the dark and gloomy. I always remember the good. As each day passes those hard things are harder to remember. I was a year that will always be close to my heart. A year filled with smiles, laughs, crys, giggles, dances, walks, and crawls that will always be remembered.

The lions when I first arrived.

What a year it was. A year of cuddles, screams, long walks around the farm, jumps on the trampoline, visits to the chickens, turtles and cows, chats on the couch in the hide, drawing on the bathroom wall, changing nappies, reading stories, praying with the lions before bed, bath times, messy meals, trips to the outdoor fridge, day offs to the glen, meals out with great friends, swims in the pool with the best lions ever, piles and piles of laundry, and so so much more. 

My last night with the Lions.

Thank you to all who volunteered with me and made it a year I will NEVER forget.

Eleanor and I before the big game.