ready for Christmas ...

Journalling ...

nothing quite like it ...

Journalling ...
"an afternoon spent swimming, building sandcastles, playing cricket, catching up with friends, relaxing with a glass of wine, watching the sun set, then heading home, one of my favourite places to go, it's oh so relaxing, the only hard bit is trying to remember how to put up the shade".

Greek night ...

hey ...

The long weekend ...

... Quiet night at home Friday night

... up early to get organised to go to Football at Tumby Bay and pack so we could stay over there for a couple of nights

... the day at Football & Netball followed by a big group of us going to one of the hotels for tea

... we enjoyed a bottle of Mitchells Peppertree Shiraz 2007 (happened to have a bottle of the 2006 during the night too but the better one was the 2007) along with a couple of others!!

... late night listening to old records!! Lots of fun ... a very diverse range of music from the Zorba (accompanied by dancing duo!!), 1982 with a bullet, and one about baking chocolate cake!!

... relaxing day on Sunday , a few went to the dawn service

... enjoyed a yummy lasagne and salad dinner with those that were staying over for the weekend

... more record playing, red wine drinking and meeting the neighbours!! South Australia is a very small place!

One of the Music Monitors during the night ...

A few self portraits were attempted without much success!!

I think we were laughing too much!

A great time away with some special friends and lots and lots of laughs

... quite afternoon today at home scrapping, watching footy for the boys and playing for Hannah ... an early night I reckon!

Julie & Julia ...

This afternoon I did something that I haven't done for years, yes years...

I watched a DVD!!!

Julie & Julia ... I really enjoyed it and it felt like just a little bit of escapism!

The best bit was that it was virtually a guilt free experience because I made my way through my pile of ironing at the same time!!

Now I might just be able to put the iron board back in the laundry as it has been in the lounge room for weeks!!

The story is set in two period of time and in Paris and Queens /New York. It is based upon Julie Powell's experience of blogging about cooking all of Julia Childs's recipes over a period of a year.

Julie wrote a book upon which the film is based (obviously!!) ... I think I need to go order a copy online right now!!

I feel really inspired and uplifted from just relaxing and watching this movie.

One quirky thing about the movie was that Meryl Streep spoke how Julia Childs obviously spoke ... I think she would have had a hoarse voice by the end of filming!!

The other DVD I bought recently (as you could guess I don't usually buy DVD except for the kids since I haven't watched one in so long!!) was Lost In Translation starring Bill Murray ... I heard a reviewer on the ABC last year who recommended it so the next time I have a pile of ironing and a free afternoon I'll be watching that!!

Yesterday and today ...

Yesterday

... was the start of the football and netball season for us and so Jack & Lachlan played football

... the boys did the scoreboard for the first time and earnt a little bit of money!!

... Hannah had lots of fun with her friend Joe and then they saw their other friend Mia a little later on!

... we went to the club rooms after the game and had a good night with a Players Auction ... a group of girls and I bought a group ... fingers crossed we bought the right group and we win some money!!

Today ...

... we went out in the boat fishing

... I caught this funny looking fish ... we think it is called a Barracuda!! It was really hard to fillet so we didn't ;-)

I think he photographed quiet well though!!

... Rohan and me

... a few photos of the kids when we got home

... this one of Jack was on the boat

John had a little help scaling the 52 fish we caught!! Tommies and salmon trout ... just had some for tea and they were yummo!!

... now I reckon it's time for an early night

... tomorrow is a pupil free day and then back to school Tuesday!

family tree ...

Photo by Lysanna Hayes.

Oh dear it's that time of the year again ...

the cricket bats and balls have been put away and out come

... the footy boots

... the footy shorts

... the foot guernseys

... the footballs

Jack got a nbew pair of footy boots on the weekend. All of the previous pairs have been handme downs from cousins and friends so he was pretty excited!!

Jack is feeling a bit confused in this photo ... Saints socks, Port Power Shorts and Crows Guernsey!! At least his boots are Saints colours "like Nick Riewoldt" he said!!

He follows the Saints and his guernsey was in the wash when they decided to have a kick of the footy!

Obviously Lachlan is a Bulldogs follower and Rohan actually follows Hawthorn because his cousin Ruby does and her uncle is an assistant in the coaching department!!!!

Rohan couldn't find his footy socks so put some long ones on and said "Look they come up to my hammy."!!!

a keen angler is he ...

Cummins District Community Bank Airshow ...

was on today and it was fantastic!

The RAAF Roulettes ... there were 6!!

They were almost nausea inducing with their amazing skill and precision!!! I had to look away a few times - sensational!

Little Miss Hannah eating her plane shaped cookie that Aunty Jan bought for her ...

Planes everywhere ...

The amount of timne it would take to organise such an event is incredible and it went off so very well!

Chris Sperou was there too in his gorgeous red plane!!

The finale was Dave Benson parachuting in with the Australia flag ... very clever!

I think the organisers would have been thrilled with the crowd ... not sure how many but lots!!

Last night we went to the Dinner in the Hangar ... can't show any of the photos but we had a fantabulous time with lots of laughs!!

jetty fishing ...

and transition man makes three ...

Jack's first innings ...

Don't you just love ...

1. the sound of rain on the corrugated iron roof?



2. the smell of fresh rain?



3. going to your neighbour's house for dinner? (I am so very lucky because our neighbour is John's brother & his family and we just had wood oven fired pizzas ... omg they were delicious!!!)



4. the end of the week? I thought yesterday was Saturday because I usually work on Fridays but I worked Thursday this week and it felt good except I woke up at 5.30am and got up at 6.00am!!



5. having a fabulous family ... I am a realist and know that my children are terrible at times (probably more often than not in truth!) but omg I am so lucky!!!



6. I have the best husband that I am aware of ... he is amazing!!



7. I love living on a farm ... the peace and quiet, the fresh air (except when I got home today and my darling husband was spraying the weeds just outside the yard!)



8. the feel of a Lindt Lindor chocolate as you bite into it ... delish!!!!

I think we need a photo ...

to come later!!

... days like this ... great friends, a wine or two, children just having fun and good weather, apart from a few drops of rain

;-)

A new colour challenge blog has started ...

The Colour Room

A diverse and inspiring team of world wide scrappers including 3 from Adelaide!!

Cute little basket ...

http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2008/05/tutorial-fabric-basket.html

... would be a great way to use up some scraps!

Easter wrap up ...

Well we returned home today from 5 nights at Coffin Bay.

We rented a shack this time ... this is where we stayed . It was just great, had everything we needed!

Good Friday we enjoyed some of this ...

along with some local crayfish, oysters, whiting, calamari, prawns and smoked snapper with some good friends.

We were then joined by some other friends later for a few more drinks and then I was a bit tired!!

Easter Saturday we didn't go out in the boat as the weather wasn't so good and Hannah was unwell.

Jack & I ventured out to Almonta Beach with friends to look for cockles ... the Cockle King was successful but Jack and I only got 2!!

Jack had a go at beach fishing but no luck!

Easter Sunday we ventured out in the boat for a great day - caught some Tommies, spent some time on Longnose Beach and checked out a few other spots.

Before we left I thought I'd take a photo of the kids ... 35 photos later I realised I wasn't going to succeed in getting a good one!!

John spends a lot of time sorting these out when we go in the boat ... he is very patient and even thought he says he wont do it again he does!!

Fishing off the back of the boat at Longnose ...

Saturday night tea with friends and a not too late night which was good!! Only had to walk up the street to get home so that was even better although John had to carry 2 children!!

Easter Sunday and the end of daylight saving saw a very early get up time of 6.50am!!

Lots of eggs from Easter Bunny as well as Lego for the boys and a Tinkerbell singlet and knickers for Hannah (which she proceeded to wear for two days in a row, couldn't understand why I had put it in the washing bag this morning!!).

After we got organised we headed out in our boat with some friends in their boat for a terrific day ...

we headed across the water to look at a cave in the edge of the cliff face, in the Coffin Bay National Park, we had to swim into it and then with torches we could see around inside, lots of people have left their names there over the years.

Lachlan ventured in but the rest stayed in the boat.

Then a spot of fishing before going to a little beach next to Three Monkey Beach (there are three jaggedy rocks just off the water's edge that look like 3 monkeys!!).

We pulled our boats onto the shore and set up a picnic of nibbles, a few light beers and some lovely sauvignon blanc!!

The boat monitor ...

What happens when you wear your goggles for too long ...


On the way back to Coffin Bay we did a bit more fishing, no luck from our boat and a little luck from the other boat!!

A wonderful day all round!

An early night before we packed up this morning to head home.

Now to tackle the huge pile of washing and sorting out of stuff!! Lucky it is school holidays for the next week and a half!