final cricket match

 

cricket

there's something about watching a game of backyard poolside cricket that warms my heart.
love it !!

a random quilt

last year Jo showed us a beautiful quilt that her mum had made for her. i was inspired by the design and the colour mix. when we bought the van the first thing i did was think to make a quilt for our bed, that could also be a picnic blanket, throw, and just to cuddle up in when its cold.
i went to the fabric shop and this material caught my eye. so with this as my starting point i found a variety of fabrics with similar colours.
i like the randomness of the squares but i struggle to be free and random and agonise over where each piece should go, do they match next to the other squares near it....... which totally defeats the purpose of a random quilt !!! so i gave the job to 3 willing volunteers. they had fun. Hugo i think has my tendencies and quickly moved pieces around that were the same or really clashed. but i love that it is a family affair.

Archie's school rule

Archie's class must have spoken about rules for their classroom.
they are all on display.

renovating

once we put our mind to something..... off we go.
today was no exception. during the week we took our van to a friends place round the corner. today the boys and their kids played all day while we ripped out the shower, ripped up all the flooring, took door handles off, built a new wall and prepared the van.
now we will paint, add new flooring and add a new bench seat where the shower was, build a new bed base and re upholster the cushions and we are done.

Babysitting

5 kids and a dog for a sleepover. I think I must be crazy.
friends have gone away for the weekend and we have the kids but during the afternoon their dog escaped so after numerous phone calls we finally found her at the police station. So a swim in the pool. Another family dropped in for dinner as well
Pizza for dinner then an outdoor movie and bed.
10 pm and there is alot of whispering. Might be a long night !!!!!

valentines day

tinkering and cleaning

we awoke to a beautiful morning. after breakfast and watching the boys build their own tree swing we set to work ripping out all the old curtains, old speakers, and doing a general clean.
i think its going to be lots of fun.

our new van

this afternoon we drove to Echuca and bought our new old van.
its great.
i am looking forward to many adventures as a family.
we arrived at our friends parents place, and were greeted like long lost friends. an initial problem with one of the brakes not releasing, called for the neighbour to come over (who happens to me a mechanic) and in no time it was fixed and we were on our way. 2 tired excited little boys and a pretty happy mum !!
we drove to our first caravan park in a place called Cohuna.
let the adventures begin.

dinner

our dear friend Ben Cooper was cooking at a reisling dinner last night at Pearl.
great food with some good friends.

swimming sports

Hugo's first ever swimming sports.
25 metres freestyle - HE WON!! miles in front, the look on his face was priceless !!!
25 metres back stroke - as he neared the end he stopped to check where he was and came second by about 1 second !.
well done Hugo - i am very proud of you

a home on wheels

on the weekend John and I drove into a little town called Jamieson for real coffee while we were away camping. John had spent time there in his younger years, fishing with his dad and family friends. we stopped at a beautiful little cafe, and drove through some really quaint little streets, the river and caravan park.
as we drove back to our friends place i made comment that in time i would love a caravan to explore towns like that, place we never normally go, but have lots to offer for the weekend.
my thought was early on in the week we would sit down as a family and circle a town to visit the coming weekend. then come Friday night, hitch up the van, drive to the town and spend the weekend exploring. a great way top all spend time together and also a great way to see victoria.
well John being John has bought us a caravan and we are off to collect it over the weekend.
friends of ours, their parents are selling their old 1988 van. its old, buts it goes, its clean and its hardly been used.
so look out victoria we are coming to explore !!!!!

i think i am back

i have been lurking....
:: reading a few blogs and then turning off my computer.
:: taking photos for a purpose but then doing nothing with them...
i guess I'm not sure how to start, there's lots i want to tell you and lots i want to show but time ran away from me and i just didn't find the time.
:: i cant let these last few months disappear as we have had like all family's good and bad times, interesting experiences and emotions and decisions that are important in our lives. i need to document this time.
::so please stay with me as i say hello now and then i need to go back in time.
:: its nice to be back and i hope you continue to share my journey.

Howqua

a weekend with good friends to celebrate their daughters 7th birthday.
our friends have a block of land that they have a caravan on and we took our tent and camped for the weekend.
the weekend was lots of fun and great weather.
:: the kids spent most of Saturday knee boarding
: i had a couple of ski's and a wake board
:: friends from Mansfield dropped in and stayed for the afternoon and evening
:: birthday cake and pinata
:: camping in a tent again

knee boarding continues

First Day

my baby went to Prep today.
i hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about it before the actual day as i just couldn't.
Arch was excited yet nervous this morning. once we arrived at school the nerves kicked in, but he quickly and happily settled into an activity. His teacher, Anthea warmly welcomed him and made him feel right at home.
as i left the school grounds i started to cry, and couldn't stop !! that's it. all my kids are at school and its time for the next chapter in our lives; although i am not sure i am ready for it. i want to hang on to those baby days and enjoy the time where little ones are dependent on me, and my mothering. i guess that's what i need to decide very soon, whether or not that part of my life has closed for good or that there might be hope for another???
arch thoroughly enjoyed himself and he is looking forward to Monday.