Family Christmas #1

Because we are leaving on our trip this week and will miss Christmas with Matt's family, we all got together on Saturday to celebrate the season together. Despite the weather forecast predicting rain, it was a pleasant day without a single drip! We celebrated in true Aussie style with a scrumptious BBQ and an assortment of salads followed by a beautiful selection of desserts.

There was plenty of laughing, singing, dancing and playing for all.

Keith and Dawn enjoying a joke.

It was nice to have everyone over to test out the new room and deck!

below: Matt and his brothers Paul, Joe and James.

Aimee and Amy - oh and little Meggie too (she is sooo cute!)

It's always fun to see the kids exchange gifts and find out who their Secret Santa was.

It's fun to get together to swap stories, to laugh at each others expense, to hang out, to eat way too much, to share pressies, to make heaps of mess, and to just be together. Some people think it's a bit of a pain to have to do Christmas twice with both sides of the family, but I don't. I feel very blessed to be able to share fun family times with all of the family we have - although we do madly miss our family who are absent (Lou, Dan, Zeek & Ollie, and Declan, Justine, Gus, Tilly & Felix, and Bridey, Tone, Sam, George, Jack and Mia) We wish you were here! Looking forward to seeing your family soon Lou and to spending Christmas #2 with you guys Bride. Can't wait.

Christmas pageant

Last Saturday our family did as many other Hobartian families did and took to the streets of Hobart to watch the Christmas Pageant. It was a cool morning and I had the WORST headache I've ever experienced (it lasted for 3 days!!!! horrible) but I was so glad we went. I think the last time we went Reuben was a baby. I loved the Christmas spirit that was everywhere. The parade was so colourful and multicultural. I took lots of photos and I've made a little book for Charlotte to read during 'quiet' times. Anyway check out this years' Hobart Christmas Pageant in photos:

the kids were pretty excited to see these guys walking our streets!

the dragon was my favourite! They came right up to the crowd. so cool.

Go Hawks!

Kilroy was even there!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

BLEURGH...

I had planned to visit Chelsea today to check out her new house and to give her some hand-me-down clothes of Charli's but I never made it. Why? you ask, well....

I was approaching the first set of traffic lights into Hobart from Mt Nelson when I heard the familiar sound of my mobile phone ringing. It was the office lady at Taroona High saying, "Oh hello love, I have Isaac here, he looks a terrible shade of green, he's saying he feels like he's going to throw up, can you come and get him?"

I turned my car around and headed for Channel Highway. I picked up my 'green' son and headed for home. Once he was settled in bed with a bucket and a book I decided he'd be ok by himself. I had an appointment in town so I headed in that direction. Following the appointment I called Isaac - all ok so I thought I'd zip out to Chelsea's for just a bit. I was only in second gear when my phone rang again. "Oh Hello Blanche, Reuben is feeling a bit unwell, he thinks he might throw up, can you come and get him? A quick U-turn and I'm once again heading for Mt Nelson. Almost there and the phone rings AGAIN. " Hello, is that Blanche? yes. "I have Isabella here, she's unwell. Are you able to come and get her?".

It's like dominos!

I collect my children and on the way out I overhear Reuben's friend Conner, talking with the teacher. Conner is also sick but his mum can't get him "because she's at work today". So I bring him home with me too (one for goodluck!!)

Isaac spewed

Reuben didn't

Bella Spewed

Conner didn't.

They all slept

my house smells like...mmm... sickness

I have a huge headache.

On a slightly different note...hasn't it been the most glorious day today in Hobart? More please.

New Lounge Room

FINALLY...the extension video. The room still has some furnishings to come (I have my eye on a red chair and a lovely coffee table) but we are in and very much enjoying! It's quite amazing how one extra room can make such a difference.

CHELS

This is my gorgeous cousin Chelsea and her man Tom. Aren't they a cute couple?

On Friday afternoon Chelsea and Tom came to visit. And or course they brought with them their beautiful daughter Mai (named after Chelsea's mum who died from cancer in 1996). They live on the East Coast and were in Hobart for Mai to have day surgery. Everything went extremely well.

We enjoyed the balmy conditions we were blessed with on Friday afternoon by sitting out on the new deck catching up, eating watermelon (what else on a hot day?), munching on biscuits and dip, and downing lots of iced water.

The kids played and of course I took photos.

b

Chelsea and Tom enjoyed a good laugh thanks to Matt, who is always up for joking around.

I think Chelsea has the most beautiful smile.

Trying to get a family shot proved a little too difficult - Mai just wanted to bounce on the trampoline! Fair enough too.

Thanks for making time to come and see us for a couple of hours.

I loved it xx

NEW ROOM

Our new room is all finished.

I LOVE it.

It has made such a difference to our home. I'm so glad we did it. Rory and Joel have done an excellent job. It was so nice to have them hanging around for a while. We had some good conversations - I think we covered every topic known to man!

We don't have any furniture in the room yet (apart from a new tv and stand) but it is really nice to have a lounge room with carpet. I really do love our hardwood floors, they are so family friendly but when I veg out in front of the box I like to sprawl out on the floor...now I can :)

The deck is awesome. Charlotte does laps around the house all day long.

I can't wait to have some friends over or a family get together so we can test it out.

I will put all the photos together and post something soon.

Jim & Sue

last month Carmen & Chernoa asked if I would like to take some photos of their parents, Jim & Sue. They offered to pay me but seeing as though I have no qualifications other than a keen interest and an adult ed course under my belt I said I'd do it for nothing and notch it up to experience.

We met at the warf for a few shots and moved around to a few other locations nearby. It was a perfect day for photos all morning but as Murphy would have it by lunch time (when we had planned to meet) the rain had began to sprinkle. It wasn't heavy rain at all but we did get wet and it did ruin a number of good photos. Flat, drenched hair never looks good really!

Anyway...Jim and Sue were a bit nervous and I must admit I was a little nervous too. It's not like taking photos of your own family who have to love you no matter what. I was worried about the weather and very conscious of the fact this was quite possibly the only chance we would have to get together. And then when I was going through them later I would look at a photo I thought was pretty nice and then wonder "will they like it", "Is that the way they normally look", "will their eye for what looks good agree with mine". Eventually I managed to choose about 30 that I thought were the best of them all. I've put up just a few that were my favourites.

This is my very favourite and the one I think they should put up!!!

Thanks for a fun day, it was a real learning experience for me.

Now I just need to get my head around editing.

SOUTHPORT

During the school holidays we went to Southport. We stayed in the Hutchin's cabins (one of Matt's perks). It's a great set up. 4 cabins with bunks lining the walls and a 'main block' containing showers, toilets, kitchen, dining area, lounge area, and some open space with ping pong tables and other games. There is a wood heater and ceiling heaters (I discovered on our second last day!!). One of the cabins is the 'teacher's cabin' and has ensuites -basic as they are- which is handy. There are foam matresses on all the bunks and pillows galore. You need to take all your own linen. There is also one innerspring mattress in the teacher's cabin and you guessed it, I get it every time - one of my perks!

We try to go down to Southport once a year and invite some other families to come and share the joy of open spaces, beach, bush, toasted marshmallows and late nights. We usually have the BEST time (except for that one year hey Bride and Jus!!!).

This year we were joined by the Toselli's and Parsons' and they all proved to be fun company. Once again the kids and adults got on exceptionally well.

As soon as the toselli's arrived we headed for the beach to use up some of the energy the kids (and adults) had accumulated gearing up for this little holiday. What better way to do that than beach soccer?

Next morning was Father's day. The kids showered their dad's in home made and handpicked gifts while Kirsten and I cooked up a yummy Father's Day Gourmet Brekkie.

One evening we built a campfire and let the kids play with it!!!!! They had a blast lighting the ends of their sticks and writing messages in the dark. look at the cool way the camera caught the sparks from the fire in the photo below. Not a great photo but I like it anyway.

A campfire wouldn't be complete without gooey, sticky burnt marshmallows!

Of course we took Rosie with us. She loved all the free running space she had and all the attention she received from little Izzy Toselli.

Time out with Chelsea wouldn't be complete without a little bit of 'camera talk'.

and a few photos.
You can't go as far as Southport and not include a visit to Hastings! By all reports the thermal pool was fun but maybe 'tepid pool' would be a more accurate description. The kids had a blast. Thank goodness for dad's (eh Chels???) who have to do those things the mum's don't want to, like swimming with the kids on a Freezing, overcast, wet day!! Thanks Matt 'n' Dave.

Something the kids have enjoyed doing over the years is building forts in the bush. A couple of years ago they were fortunate enough to have 'supplies'. Adam Rea supplied, timber, nails, axes etc and the forts were awesome. This year they had to do it survivor style and rely totally on what they could find in the wild. Isaac and Reuben couldn't leave without photographic evidence (to show the Rea boys) that they could do it without the supplies!! So they took these few photos. I love the skull and crossbones :)

And this last photo I have included simply because when I took it I said

"that's going on the blog!"

There are several things I didn't take photos of but you can check out Chelsea's blog for her take on the holiday. I'm happy to say that I was way too busy having a relaxing few days away from the phone and the tv -( although we did have Chris' projector for a couple of nights and enjoyed a movie or two!!) To take photos of everything we did.