Today’s very belated celebration with around 20 members of Wayne’s extended family of Alex’s birth in May and Zoe’s birthday in June signalled something else: the turning of the year in our family’s favour.

Back in June, we were beside ourselves. We were halfway through a marathon six-month calving period, welcoming a colicky new baby and coping with the wettest season in a very long time. Absolutely stretched to the limit.

We’ve finally turned the corner. Calving is finished and almost all the suckies are weaned, silage is well underway and Alex is a jovial, thriving five-month-old (mind you, no cake for his Mama thanks to his plethora of food intolerances).

Every dairy-farming family knows the annual cycle of crazy winter/spring workloads followed by the hiatus of December through to March. The heat slows pretty much everything on farm and is the perfect time to catch up – with everything from maintenance chores to entertaining friends. Summer is already in the air!