Dear Barbara, We Love You!

Dear Barb,

In our learning room, I, Ben and Sarah are getting around the table, trying to make words out of the feelings we have been keeping for you. Ben keeps frowning, just a way how he's engaged in a deep thought, with his lower lip tucked in, and playing with a pen in between his little fingers. Sarah keeps chirping out some words while trying to make the best thought she ever feels, while she must be unaware that she's too noisy for her big brother.

We then decided to go outside, to the roses beds, to the paddock and orchard, to track back what we usually did when you, Bryan and The Binsteds gathered together for luncheon date here. We stopped at the greengage tree.



Ben said, 'Pity the plums are not ripen yet, Mum. Otherwise, Barbara would be enjoying them. I know Barbara likes greengages.' And Sarah nodded approvingly. So, we just took a snapshot of the green plums when they are still... green, just for you to remember the time you were enjoying them (the peach which you said you had to eat it over your kitchen sink because the juice is running down your chin is apparently not ripen as well, not just yet, but we'll keep you posted) when you visited us way back then.






And then, we came to the strawberry patch. Sarah jumped up and cried 'Mum! Mum! Strawberries are all ripen! We should make strawberry smoothies for Barbara! I am sure she'll like it!'. As we all have known that you love pink, we then agreed to make pink smoothies, we picked the strawberries and managed to bring home three handfuls red, juicy, and fragrant ones out of those we should have scoffed. Mind you, these little children love enjoying freshly picked fruits or vegetables and will eat them straight away (not to mention their mother).



There they were, being busy bees in the kitchen themselves, washing, whizzing the strawberries, mixing them with honey, a banana, plain yogurt and a little drizzle of cranberry juice. They also decided what to use on the photo shoot. Sarah included her dance skirt on the backdrop. I just had a few moment to capture the smoothies when they allowed me, before the smoothies had really gone. Here's what they have scribbled:



Ben is going to be 6 years old the end of this year and he has developed his own scribble, although his handwriting is still large and disorganized. I'll be busy preparing his birthday party after Christmas for sure, which is reminded all the time. He is curious what presents he's going to receive for his birthday. On that card, he also wrote to you on behalf of his ginger cat, Bow Bow.

Sarah is now 4.5 years old and definitely is catching up with her brother. She is writing the words in the pink heart. I think she meant to write 'I love you', but she wrote 'I hope you' instead. Well, I guess she means something good.

John's sending you his smile and hope. We'd love to visit you some time when we're traveling to Australia. Hopefully, we will as well be able to go visit Indonesia again next year. Finger crossed, what will happen will happen. Good timing is all we need to work on today.

That's all the updates from the Binsteds household and farm since it's been a long time we haven't had luncheon date anymore. We are all thinking of you and will always send our best love your way. Stay strong, Barb. We love you!

Love from us all,
The Binsteds at the farm

P.S: You may be expecting to receive this similar big hug from other fellow bloggers who are involved in Secret Blog Event, a special blogging for our special friends, secretly hosted by Bron and Ilva.