It was a big month for us. Min's and Penny's birthdays fell close together, and in between, Penny's mum visited New Zealand for the first time.

Min's birthday was the loud kind. Five friends, lunch at her favourite place, an escape room, a swim, then a surprise pizza party at home. She started the morning full of energy and kept going until the dark came down. Twelve years old, and she used every minute of it.

The week Penny's mum was here, we finally took a family trip. A year and a half in New Zealand, and this was our first. Three nights in Rotorua, a place with a different landscape, a different smell, a different temperature altogether. It was full and unhurried at the same time, if that makes sense. Penny's birthday landed on the last day of the trip. We came home, cooked the food he likes, and had a quiet dinner together.

One of Min's friends left for Korea not long after the party. Another will go back soon too. Penny's mum flew home after two weeks with us. We carry these goodbyes with us, not knowing when the next one will come, and try to hold on to today while we still have it.