Last updated on March 4th, 2024 at 08:28 pm
him
B, we have landed in America just under two weeks ago and just like every summer, you have come out of your shell and are making the most of every day outdoors. You love the water more than ever before. I have never seen you so keen to swim all day, everyday, everywhere we go. You have been to the beach, Grandma’s pool, the river, the lake, our friend’s pool and the city pool soon too. There isn’t a body of water you haven’t been jumping in around us. The weather has been so hot more than it normally is and that hasn’t stopped you from being out in it day in and day out. You really enjoy it here in the states playing with all your cousins. I wish you could do that each week as I did when I was growing up but I guess it just makes your summers here that much more special and memorable. I love that you are older this summer to remember who everyone is and remember the fun we are having from here on out. Your new favorite thing is soccer. You want to kick the ball back and forth constantly if you aren’t swimming with it in the pool. Daddy was impressed to see you loving soccer so much. We will have lots of practice over the summer. It’s going to be one summer to remember too before you start big boy school in September.
her
MM, we are in the states and this year you aren’t a baby anymore. We are able to do some much more as a family without being tied more to naps and feeding times. You nap each day wherever we go and don’t need the comforts of home. You turned two years old when we landed and it really just made you seem so very grown up lately. I keep looking at you thinking how has it been two years already? How have you been here two full summers in the states and yet you are still too young to remember most of what goes on here. I love that this year you seem more interested in meeting family and playing with your older cousins. You have your best friend, K here to play with too, which is more than enough for you. You love her so much and keep asking for her every time she goes home. It’s the first friend you have had your own age to bond with and play with and I hope you girls stay close for all future summer visits. Back home, we normally just have kids your brother’s age so I think it’s good for you to have your own friends too. It won’t be long though when you are running around with the older cousins in a few summers too though. I love coming home with you guys and having you get the chance to be with Mommy’s side of the family. You love being outside and while you aren’t the water baby I thought you were being scared of the water at the beach and the lake because you can’t see through the water you have become a good sandcastle builder and fake ice cream maker in your playhouse here. Maybe you are just trying to tell Mommy you prefer a swimming pool, I knew you were born a diva. Either way, you are changing each day with your speech, making friends, getting confident and bonding with family. Your new favorite thing is chalk on the chalkboard that Grandma bought you and your new baby dolls from your birthday party. Your scribbles are getting better and better, I think you just might be able to write your name before your brother can not that I am comparing. It happens. You continue to amaze me girl.
Linking to Shutterflies for #LivingArrows
How grown up are these two looking!!! Hope you’re having a blast in America, I’m loving following your journey! I think its an amazing thing how much they can do with their own mind at such a young age, preferences, opinions, mobility, no fear. fab post x
They really are looking so old lately. I can’t believe it either. Glad you are loving my holiday spamming. Thanks hunny.
They both seem to have come out of their shells so much even in the photos. It must be so lovely to have a wonderful summer outside, the place looks beautiful. xx
Yes it really is nice to be able to spend every waking moment outside in the fresh air, mountains and beaches and lakes around us. I feel so relaxed and living a slower paced life is great. It has really helped me. Thank you hun.
It’s such a lovely idea to write letters to your children so that both you and they can look back and remember the fun and the experiences. I’m looking forward to my two (now 3 and 1) being just a touch more independent so that we can roam a littler freer on holiday too. I hope you continue to have a wonderful summer vacation! Gorgeous photos too!
Yes, holidays are definitely getting better and better the older they get. Even at 2 and 4 they are more independent and holidays are getting more creative and fun too. Thank you.
I hope you have an amazing summer, it looks like your guys are loving it! Hope missy gets use to the water too x #sharewithme
Thanks Ali. It is an amazing summer so far and it’s always great when you can run and be free outside everyday. The kids are loving the mountains and being here with mother nature.
Wonderful photos. It is great when they make a friend their own age., particularly the youngest child as they they do so much that suits their elder sibling. #sharewithme
It really is…I was so good about it with B and going to classes but when my second came along it was harder to go to other classes for her and still keep in touch with B’s classes as well so she has missed out on friends her own age really. So this summer is great for her.
What an amazing record for your kids future.. I am sure they will thank you later. beautifully written too, i can feel your love for your kids shining through. Enjoy your visit, it sounds magical! #Sharewithme
Oh thank you Catie, I hope they love them when they are older. I would love to put them all in a book someday for them each. Its also great for me to look back on the little moments I may not remember either. lol So sweet of you to say.
I love it! Looks like they’re having a blast with your family in the US, they both look so happy! And I know I’ve said it before, but it really is gorgeous where you are! Have a great time xx
It’s easy to be so happy with so much family and sunshine around you. hahaha We are loving it and so grateful for this time together each summer. Thank you darling. Glad you are enjoying following along. Hope everyone else is too.
Oh wow it’s so nice to reflect back on your yearly holidays and see how much they have grown and how much more involved they are becoming. These holidays will feel special to them still when they are older and it sounds like they’re making lasting friendships with their cousins. 😀 xx
I really hope you are right and that they love their America summers here and seeing where mommy grew up as well as playing at Grandma and Papa’s house. it’s been lovely weather too and its great to have so many cousins so close. Thank you.
These posts are so lovely. Such a special time over the summer to be spending in the US – so many great experiences for them #sharewithme
Glad you like them Rebecca, I wanted to capture them not just in a photo a week but also the little things they may not remember themselves at this age. Thank you.
Gorgeous post Jenny, you have inspired me to write something similar. They are growing up so fast aren’t they. #ShareWithMe x
It’s such a great way to share adventures and the little things they won’t remember themselves each week. I have done this for two years and I really want to print them in a book for them someday. Thank you.
Lovely letters. It sounds like they are both having a wonderful time with your family in the States #sharewithme
Oh yes it’s always a great summer here in the states. We have a blast with family and friends. Thank you. Glad you are enjoying following along.
It is such an amazing experience for them. I am so glad they thrive so much when they are there. Lovely letters x
Thank you Aby lovely of you to say. It really is a great experience for them and they are having the best summer ever. I am so grateful to be home with my family.
It’s so lovely to see these two so grown up! Summer suits them so well. Glad they’re having such a blast here in the States, and they’re so lucky to be able to visit and bond with their cousins every summer. Thank you for hosting #sharewithme. I look forward to all the links and features every week 🙂
They really are grown up now aren’t they? The baby era is finally shut for us at the moment it seems to have gone too fast. Thank you Maria. Love that they see their cousins every summer and spend it together with lots of extended family.
Wow looks you are in for a lovely summer of fun Jenny enjoy! #sharewithme
It really will be, and it’s already going so fast I can’t believe it’s the middle of July soon. Where does the time go? We love being home with all the family around.
Fantastic experience for your children with memories they will treasure. x #sharewithme
I really hope so, and it’s emotional to even go back a year ago and read this letters I wrote to them when they were so young. It helps hold those little moments in my memory as much as for them too. Thank you.
This is such a wonderful idea, letters to your kids. I’m sure they will treasure them when they are older and it’s such a nice memory to have. Sounds like you are having an amazing time home in America and it’s lovely for your kids to build such a strong bond with your family and your roots. I always feel that way when I take my kids to Germany. It’s nice to know that they will have a sense of where their Mummy comes from and the different cultures I and they are influenced by. Enjoy the rest of your stay there, it looks lovely! x
America (HOME) has been absolutely amazing. We are loving all the family around us and the beautiful weather and being outside everyday together. I really love sharing my country and culture with them too.
These posts are so beautiful, they’ll mean so much to them when they’re older. Hope you’re having a wonderful time in America. #sharewithme
Oh thank you hun, they are growing up so fast I just felt I needed to document the moments they won’t remember themselves and two years later I am still doing it. Loving it too. 🙂
She seems so much more grown up that my just turned 2 year old but maybe it’s a boy/girl thing as my daughter seemed very grown up at 2 also. #sharewithme
I think it’s a boy / girl thing too. As MM just turned 2 too (happy birthday to your little one too) and she is so much more grown up than her brother was at her age. They grow up so fast don’t they?
These are lovely letters 🙂
Thank you so much Jenna, lovely of you to stop by. 🙂
Enjoy the states! It looks like you are having a fab time! I love these letters to both of them, great to look back on when they are older! Thanks for hosting #Sharewithme x
Oh don’t you worry darling we are making the most of it and enjoying it to its fullest for sure. I really hope the kids love them when they are older. Thanks for joining in.
Thats really great that she will nap wherever you are. That was a big problem for us trying to travel with our little a few years ago. Hope You’re enjoying your time on this side of the pond!
Oh yes the power of the snooze shade has saved us with both kids and traveling. I also think because she has always had to nap on the go alot and we just make sure its the same time everyday it doesn’t matter where we go she will do it. But each child is different too. 🙂 I hope the naps long continue for her as they have done for B who is almost four and still having them. lol
I totally get your girls lake swimming fear. I am not keen on taking the plunge if I can’t see what’s floating underneath me!
#sharewithme
Its a funny thing as a lot of people are scared of it. I obviously have been swimming in them my whole life so never thought of it until she got scared and then now I think twice about what might be underneath me. It’s like a backwards fear factor where the child has shared the fear with the parent instead of the other way around. lol
It’s lovely that your babies get to experience life in the UK and in the US. I think experiences and your time are way more important than “things”. x
#sharewithme
Oh definitely I always tell my hubby that I will move into a smaller house and sell my car and still come home in the summer if I had to because family is way more important than anything I can own. So true hunny.
So beautiful xx
Thank you darling.
What a lovely post 🙂 You’re kids will look back fondly on these letters in years to come 🙂 Hope you all enjoy your holidays. Thanks for hosting #sharewithme
Debbie
http://www.myrandommusings.blogspot.com
I hope you are so right. I hope they look back and love their summers here in the states and learning about mommy’s country and culture as much as being with my side of the family too. We are having a blast thank you.
Glad you are having such a lovely time back home. My boys love the water too x
Thank you Louise, its been an amazing summer and we have been really busy. It’s already going way too fast. I can’t believe we are near the middle of July. But loving every moment of it.
Your letters to him and her are so sweet. When they’re older, they will love that you took the time to write these to them. It sounds like you all are having a fabulous time back in the States. It’s so wonderful that your little ones get to experience both cultures! Enjoy your summer vacation!
It was the one thing I told my hubby when we first dated that if I moved to the UK and had kids I have to be able to come home each year and have my kids bond with my family and learn my culture. So I am so grateful we really can keep that promise up. It’s good for me and them as well. lol Thank you.
Aaah it’s SO lovely that they’re getting to spend some quality time with your side of the family! What a lovely, lovely treat for them — but mostly for you!! To get to spend time with your mama is priceless 🙂 So happy for you darling xx #ShareWithMe
Caro | http://www.thetwinklediaries.co.uk
It is SOOO priceless for sure. I cherish each summer more than the last and the memories we make here are so close to my heart. Thank you.
Aww, lovely letters as always. They are both so cute and I am glad that you are all enjoying your time across the pond. It is lovely to make memories and spend lots of time with family! 🙂 x
Thank you darling it’s been amazing so far. The weather is better than ever if that’s even possible. IT’s been busy too but we are having a quiet few days before it gets busy again. 🙂 I love it here but sad how fast our summers go too.
I can’t imagine being so far away from home and all the people I would want to be in my children’s lives. It sounds like you are making the most of your summer with your family and two special little people #sharewithme
Thank you Claire. It’s hard to live so far away but makes those moments together that much more special. When we are home here in the states we see as many people as much as possible. So it’s busy and goes fast but we fit them all in so they know they are loved and a part of our lives forever.
I love this idea of writing letters to them. Sounds like a good holiday and an active one that you can all enjoy. Hope you have a fabulous time and enjoy being with your family. #sharewithme
Thank you darling. It’s been a great vacation so far, an active one indeed. We never stop when we are visiting here as they are so many things to do and adventures to be had all around us. Just being outdoors everyday helps that too.
I love reading these letters and they melt the heart! Sounds like they are having a wonderful time and I bet you are too 🙂
Oh they get me emotional too but I am bias as their parent. lol We are having such a lovely time thank you so much.
These are some of my favourite photos of your tw Jenny, I don’t know what it is about them but I especially love the one of Buba. I think seeing them back with your family in America really shows a different side to them, I love that they love the outdoors so much and they are getting to experience the things you did growing up, it is really special!
Ahhh Hayley thank you darling. B was really into his swimming at the beach and being free. Its great how much better he can swim and be in water without my holding my breath. It really does show a different side to them and they seem happier and calmer and not so ratty here but I assume that’s because they get to be outside everyday in the sun all day. That can help anyone feel happier.
Ahh lovely letters. There’s something about the beach that does bring children out of their shells, my shy boy was suddenly Mr. Sociable at the seaside and i’d never seen him so happy before. Enjoy the rest of your holiday! Sabrina xx #sharewithme
The beach definitely does that for the kiddos. I love it. I was the same as B on the beach and just got into it so much. So cute you get a little social one on the beach. Sounds cute. We are having a blast here thank you.
Oh, they are both growing up so much, and I bet they are having the best time with your family in the US. What a wonderful way for them to spend the summer!
Oh thanks Sara I couldn’t agree more. They are way too grown up all the sudden. The sun and family are really doing us all great favors. So much happier being able to play outside everyday.
Love these letters! I am having my first baby in August– and I am living as an expat, married to a Brit, as well 🙂 Although we met and live in Malaysia. His family now lives in Australia, so we will have two summer vacations (December in Aus, July in America), for a while, so our son gets to know his cousins and family.
I have been thinking about putting together a website with photos and videos for our family– and reading your letters has inspired me to finally start today. I can add the ultrasound photos and 3D videos to start, and I want to have a letters page for him! What a special thing for him to look back on.
Oh you will love sharing so many countries and cultures with your little dude soon. What a great idea to start today. I wish I was a blogger when I had been pregnant with both of mine but only started when MM was four weeks old to share our lives with my family back home and my hubby’s family in Southern Ireland. Really does help to capture those memories down for myself as you do forget the little things eventually. Thank you.
Beautiful letter. They grow so quickly and it’s sad but also so wonderful to watch the grow and flourish into beautiful children #sharewithme xx
Thank you ever so much darling. They are getting way too big. My baby days are over and its so sad. How do I now have a 2 and almost 4 year old now? I can’t believe it and I know it only goes faster when they start school.
In years to come, these posts will be so lovely for you and the little ones to look back on, great idea.
I really wanted to share memories at a time they may not remember and put them all together in a book some day for them and for me to look back on too. Love captures a photo a week and seeing how much they have changed and grown. Thank you.
I love how their personalities are captured here. Your son is so happy and your daughter so pensive. Lovely words too! They are growing fast!
They really are starting to shine those personality these days aren’t ‘they? Thank you. They do grow way too fast I can’t believe it.
Gorgeous post – I love that they are British AND American and they seem to embrace both sides so much. Enjoy your summer xxx
Thank you Megan. Yes I really want to make sure they are involved and well known to both cultures and both countries. We are enjoying it fully thank you.
How lovely love the idea of writing your children a letter on your blog so they can access it when they are older there will be so many things that they are too young to remember. I have a friend who does something similar. She has set up email accounts for her children and emails them regularly she plans to give them the account when they turn 18. I think I need to do something similar to this for mine. Thanks for the inspiration and great pics #sharewithme
What a great idea with emails. Each year at Christmas I put the letters into a book for each of them and all the weekly captured photos to see them grow throughout the year. Be nice to have them printed in case anything every happened to the world wide web or even my little space here. You never know. hahah
Beautifully written and you such an amazing job.
Oh thank you so much darling. She deserves a tribute for sure. She is amazing. I love being home with her here and the kids too.
Beautiful photos and keepsake letter. Your little ones look very happy.
Thanks Christine, I put them each year at the end of the year in a book for them to have. Hope they love them when they are older.