THE GALLERY (trees)

This entry for The Gallery has been dug out of the dusty archives, but was the perfect choice for the latest prompt ‘Trees’.

It was taken way back in Autumn 2012, not long after Lil Sis had turned two, and marked a real turning point for me. We’d moved from the Big Smoke to Buckinghamshire when Lil Sis was just a few months old, but it was a long time before we were able to truly enjoy our new surroundings.

OH was working all hours of the day – sometimes seven days a week – and I was half a world away from my family, and a county away from all my London friends. I was essentially a pseudo-single Mum trying to juggle work, house renovations, and two children under 2.5 years old. It was tough, exhausting, and – at times – lonely.

Then Lil Sis reached that age where she wasn’t so utterly dependent on me; her attention span was longer than a microsecond so she was taking more interest in her surroundings, and could now walk quite happily and safely on her own. OH, THE FREEDOM!

On this day the three of us had driven to some nearby woodlands and spent a lovely afternoon collecting leaves, clambering over fallen tree trunks, and marvelling over big brown mushrooms. I was the first time I’d been out with the girls, and truly been able to relax and enjoy the day.

I picked this particular photo because I just love the way the trees in the background are made from a million shades of green and gold…

… and because Lil Sis looks so darn cute I could just eat her up!

Don’t forget to check out all the other entries in THE GALLERY.