~ letting go gently ~

We're saying goodbye to 2011 quietly tonight.

The Doc is working from home and we're having a few friends over for casual dinner and drinks.

Some chatting, some slip'n'sliding, some silly pictionary and scattergories games. 

Lots of bubbles and laughs.

We'll remember a happy, busy year:

• When we moved back into our house and loved it so.
• When we adopted two kittens and loved them so.
• When Lily spread her wings at a new school and blossomed.  
• And Gracie had her own space at school and revelled in it.
• When Jack continued his love affair with trucks and cars and maxi-taxis.
• An amazing conference, a fabulous adult getaway with old friends, time at the shack, the fabulous Wednesday dinners, new friends, blogging, raspberries, Tuesday play days, family traditions (new and old), soccer games, a quilt in progress, lots of photos,  ballet concerts, priceless art works, precious moments....

We'll go gently into 2012 too.

Counting our blessings, looking forward to new challenges and enjoying the little things that make every day special.

Wishing the same to you.

Happy 2012!

♥

~ 'tis the night before Christmas ~

All is not silent.

Jack had decided to give his dummies to Santa...but apparently NOW he is not so sure...could be a long night!

The carols are on and the music is washing over me.

The dishwasher and oven are still on too (the pavlova is just about done - cracked and crooked but that's how we like it).

I love Christmas Eve.  

We're wrapping and chatting and sipping on wine.  Looking forward to tomorrow.

I hope your Christmas day is full of joy and the people and things that are important to you.

♥

~ the man of the moment ~

Happy (wordless) Christmas!

Joining in the wordless experience at  faith, hope and a whole lotta love and my little drummer boys.

♥

~ the unexpected bonuses of blogging ~

This week I've made a recycled Christmas card garland

 packaged up lots of reindeer noses

and made a felt ornament for a friend.

I blame blogging.

I've been blogging for about 6 months.

I started because I wanted to write, to remember and record, to connect.

All good.  All safe.  All ticked off.

But I've also found friends, a latent desire to craft and the cooking bug all over again.

I've spent hours admiring beautiful photos, been inspired by words, thoughts and deeds and discovered pinterest.

I've laughed and cried, been made to think, to ponder, to wonder... and won a couple of awesome prizes.

78 posts down and I'm loving it.

 ♥

~ saturday evening ~

The carols are on, the children are asleep, the first Christmas cocktail of the night has gone down a little too easily (vodka, ginger ale, lots of lime, mint and ice).

Its much calmer than last night when we followed a pathetic meow to find a kitten stuck up a tree and almost had to call the fire brigade (do they still do that?).  Sense prevailed and we left her there - she obviously waited until first light and came scooting down demanding food.

We've had a fabulous dinner - crayfish courtesy of a grateful patient (we love those ones) and raspberries freshly picked (Still).  At the current prices we've gobbled our way through $500-600 worth so far.  Will definitely be planting more for next year.

I'm sitting down now to finish the Christmas cards.  Wondering why it feels like a bit of a chore.
I love getting them - catching up with the news, remembering some of those friends whom we only seem to hear from at this time of year, seeing how the children have grown.
I think its the burden of having to do them in a hurry, of writing the same things over and over.
Tomorrow I'll post the last ones off (late again!) and will feel satisfied.

Do you send cards?  Do you love to receive them?  Or think it's all a bit of a joke and just do the email cc'd to everyone?
How's your weekend going?


♥

~ handpicked ~

 

 

There's always something pretty on our table.

Joining in the wordless experience at  faith, hope and a whole lotta love and my little drummer boys.

♥

~ grateful for ...Christmas craft ~

I simply adore the little handmade creations my children bring home from school. 

Made with clumsy hands and big hearts.

 

I am so grateful to their lovely teachers with their big imaginations and boundless patience.

I am extra grateful each Christmas when I unearth these treasures from the Christmas box and get to have the on display all over again.

 

 

{Joining with Maxabella this week (and often) to express gratitude for the little things and big things that make life better} 

 ♥

~ when winning isn't everything ~

Infant school sports day... quite possibly my favourite day of the school year.  I love that its so totally appropriate for the littlies and the whole competitive thing is left on hold until they get to the big school. Blessed this year with perfect sunshine (hello sunburn).

One of the things I love most about our little school (and its a long list) is how inclusive it is - parents, siblings, various other family members are encouraged to come along and join in at any time.  And on sports day it's generally all in.  Grandmothers falling over in sack races,  brothers and sisters holding hands for egg and spoon racing, teachers failing miserably to manage tiny obstacle courses, mums trying too hard to recall their youthful racing days in the sprints (or that could have just been me).

Grace took Jack under her wing and let him do everything with her.  They fell over 3-legged racing, they threw noodle javelins together, she tried patiently to teach him flowerpot stilts.  

They came dead last in the siblings race with the biggest grins ever.

We embraced the concept of participation and fun over winning*.  We had fun.  In bucketloads.  Roll on next year.

♥

* It must be noted, in fairness, that my children are far better at this than me.  I was born with a competitive streak which has bypassed them completely.  
I'm a bit on the fence on this - I love that they enjoy participating for the sake of it but the joy of winning has yet to make its mark on them.  I want them to know that too.  I guess the question is when?  and how?

~ romantic roses ~

From my garden

Happy wordless Wednesday

Linking with  faith, hope and a whole lotta love and my little drummer boys.

♥

~ fa la la la la, la la la laaaa ~

{tonight by the fire}

It was freezing here today...we lit the fire, did some sewing, cranked up the carols and decorated the tree.

Much excitement.

Lots of "oohing" and "ahhhing" and "remember this...?"

Lots of decorations round the bottom and not much at the top.

Lots of enthusiasm and (regrettably) not so much style

Much love though.

And some new decorations that I made today - they turned out ok - wonky stitches and all.

  {another pinterest inspiration}

How are your Christmas preparations going?

 ♥

~ grateful for .... raspberries ~

They're early.  They're delicious.  They say summer to me.

Plump, juicy and not well hidden from the birdies.

It's the first year we've had enough to fill containers rather than just eat them straight from the vines.

I've had them on weet-bix and ice-cream today.  

I've hidden some more in the fridge for later.

I'm always grateful for raspberries....and even more so when they're ours.

And not $11.49 for a teeny container at the local fruit'n'veg place (seriously).  

 

{Joining with Maxabella this week (and often) to express gratitude for the little things and big things that make life better} 

 ♥

~ my creative space - advent calendar ~

I only just got this finished and on the wall last night.

The squeals of joy made the late night scramble all worthwhile.

 

 

Totally inspired by others I've seen but don't have the links for.

I used Kikki-K stickers and other bits I had lying around.  So happy with how its turned out.

Planning to find lots of little treats and surprise activities inside (but may well resort to chocolates).

Joining up for the first time with loads of  clever people here.

 ♥

~ brilliant browns ~

 

My different hued wordless theme continues.

Linking with  faith, hope and a whole lotta love and my little drummer boys.

♥

~ the big girl turns 9 ~

Our beautiful Lily turned 9 over the weekend.

She was the baby who made me a mother, the one who changed the landscape of my heart and turned everything I thought I knew about myself on its head.

She's the one who has borne the brunt of my uncertainty and ineptness as I learn to be the best mum I can.

She made us a family, introduced us to that terrible fear when you realise that part of your heart resides outside your body and teaches us all the time.

{the red bike that goes faster}

{Harry's hat - cake #15 or so that we've made from the AWW bible}

I've been a mother for 9 years - it's amazing, challenging, tough and joyful - and it just keeps getting better.


♥