Sarah Birks

If you were looking for us

2011-08-03T16:07:00.001+10:00

I've actually started a new family blog. You can find us at samsarahfamily.blogspot.com.

My Mum

2011-04-22T01:04:00.002+10:00

When Hyrum and Ashton were born, my Mum and Dad were living in Hong Kong. Except for a short interlude where they lived in Sydney in between their time in Hong Kong and their time now in the middle east, I have raised my boys with my mum living a plane ride away. But while not living close to my parents can be a challenge it is also a blessing. Because we get to have visits, sometimes short, sometimes long, where we get to spend time together in a way we never would if we lived closed by. My mum flew in two and a half weeks before Julian was born and left two and a half weeks after he arrived. For that short time she became completely integrated into our lives. Taking the boys to school, ducking down to the beach for morning swims, sharing meals with us around our table. And her arms were welcome arms for cuddling this little man anytime, day or night.It was such a special time. I can't even begin to put into words how grateful I am for my mum and all she did for my family as well as my dad for being willing to be without her for so long. I don't think we can say thank you enough.

Julian's BirthDay

2011-04-21T23:07:00.003+10:00

Our little bub was due to make his entrance into the world on Friday the 17th of March. The week before his arrival we were set and ready and waiting. On the Monday before, I went for my last ocean swim. My mum and I swam and talked, it was so peaceful, I felt ready. As I walked out of the water the full force of gravity hit me and I felt my little bub drop down nice and low, he also was settled and ready. And now it was time to wait.

Contractions had been coming and going for several weeks. Nothing too strong or regular, just enough to let me know my body was preparing. By Friday, my due date, the midwife confirmed what I had suspected, I was a few centimetres dilated, baby's head was engaged, everything was ready. That night the contractions increased substantially in frequency but not intensity. I knew they weren't strong enough to do much but I was worried based on the relatively short labours of my other boys that this baby could come fairly quickly when it decided to come. I was worried about leaving my exit to the birth centre too late. So Sam and I ventured into the birth centre just in case. The contractions slowed down after our arrival and an hour later we headed back home.

The next day Sam kept me busy. We headed to the shops, the only place in Perth cool enough to do some serious walking in this never ending heatwave. We shopped and walked until I begged Sam to let me sit down. I remember looking at people walking around the shops, free from the burden of carrying another person around inside of them, I was so jealous of them. That night as I went to bed, we opened up the blinds in our bedroom, filling our room with moonlight. It was a full moon but not just any full moon, a "supermoon". I had heard that delivery wards are notoriously more busy during full moons, I figured if this supermoon didn't get things going, nothing would.

At 1am I woke with a start. A contraction so strong I felt like something was pulling on my insides. I rushed to the bathroom worried my waters were about to break. And with that it started. It wasn't the familiar waves of contractions flowing in and out that I was used to with my other two. It was intensely strong, chaotic, with no break. Within five minutes I was waking Sam up. This was it and this baby was coming soon. We called the midwife, no one was at the birth centre that evening. It would take her 30 minutes to get there (we were 10 minutes away). I hoped to wait at home a little bit longer but within a few minutes I knew I didn't have that luxury. We were in the car and out the door. We drove straight to the hospital adjacent to the birth centre. Once our midwife Lou arrived she would come find us at the hospital. If I had time I would transfer to the birth centre. If not, she would deliver my baby at the hospital.

I stood half keeled over at admissions, trying to breath through the intense contractions. They started talking about finding a room to examine me before they admit me. I gave the admitting nurse a death stare, raised 3 fingers, "this is my third" I managed to pant between breaths. That was enough, they had me into a wheel chair and speeding up to the delivery suites. I have to smile at the drama of it all, just like the movies, the movies I always laugh at. Its never like that, we always say as they go careening down hospital corridors, the mother panting in a wheelchair. I guess sometimes it is like that!

Lou arrived not long after they got me into the delivery suite. Lou was a beautiful, petite woman from England. I always found her accent soothing, she would always call me "my lovely". She knew my boys, she knew the birth I had planned. Before the message reached her that I was in the hospital she had started filling up the birthing pool for me in the birth centre. When she arrived I felt ready, Lou was there, now this baby could come.

Julian arrived at 3:08am Sunday 20th March. I birthed him standing up, my planned water birth ruled out due to the meconium staining in my waters that meant monitoring for distress was required. As the pain overwhelmed in those intense moments, I took myself away. Closing my eyes I found myself here at this beach. The sun was setting, I could hear the waves crashing and feel the sand between my toes. As I stood there I said to myself over and over again, "you are strong, you can do this."

He was birthed straight into his daddy's hands. There were no cries. A few nervous moments with the midwives and then my little boy took his first breath. They placed him in my arms and I welcomed him into the world. In those first moments I told him about how loved he was, how excited we were to have him come into our family. As with all my boys I was struck by how familiar he looked to me, I looked at him and saw reflected back to me so many people that I love. He looked so blue in those first few moments. Then he found my breast and I watched pink gather across his skin. In the rush we had left our bags in the car, there was no camera to record those first moments, I locked the images in my mind, to always remember. Soon after that we moved across to the birth centre for a few hours of rest.

At about 7:30am my mum called. She and the boys had slept through the drama of those early morning hours, oblivious to what had taken place. When they noticed our bedroom was empty Mum knew he had come. She put the boys on the phone, so I could tell them the news myself. They were so excited, I could hear yells of excitement as they jumped around in celebration. They came to visit soon after, thrilled to meet their new brother. They drew pictures for him, and cuddled him, examined this tiny new being who had entered their lives. They left for a fun day with their Gran knowing we would be home later that afternoon.

Sam and I rested, we cuddled our new son. After all the checks were done, we celebrated over a delicious Wagamama lunch, bathed our son for the first time and then headed home. 12 hours after he was born, 14 hours after that first contraction woke me from my sleep, we brought our son home. Welcomed by a family so thrilled that he was finally here.

He's Here

2011-03-25T15:42:00.003+11:00

Julian Don Joseph Birks arrived in a flurry of excitement on Sunday in the early hours of the morning. I am soaking up these moments of newness with him. Needless to say we are all besotted with this little man. I will try to post a bit more about all the excitement of this week when I can (right now I'm typing one handed while I snuggle my sleeping bub in the other arm).

Thank you so much for all the kind words and well wishes!

Auction

2011-01-24T21:03:00.002+11:00

Hi Everyone,

Although I know some people are finishing off their auctions early at 9:00pm, I'm keeping my auctions open until midnight as I originally advertised to be fair in case there are some who weren't aware of a change in finish time. Even though I'm in Perth I think it would be a bit harsh for the Eastern States bidders to keep it open until midnight Perth time, so it will be midnight Eastern Australia time (9:00pm for us on the Western Coast)!

Thanks!!!!

QLD Flood Relief - Item 2

2011-01-18T17:13:00.003+11:00

My second item up for auction is an 8x10 inch print of my rose photo. I have always loved the softness of this print, to me it conveys all the beauty and elegance that a rose represents.

This fine art photo is printed on Art Gloss Barta Paper using "Ultrachrome" permanent pigment inks. This gives the print a long lasting archival quality with an indoor display life of 75-100+years. Please note the watermark will not be present on the printed photo.

How this auction works:

1. Bidding will start at $10 (Australian).
2. You can place a bid by leaving a comment on this blog post with your bid amount and email address. Please make sure that your bid is higher than the previous bidder.
3. Your bid must be in whole dollar increments.
4. This auction is open to everyone. Postage is FREE for Australian residents and international buyers.
5. The auction begins NOW and will END at midnight on Monday 24th January 2011.

6. At the close of the auction, I will contact the winner (please make sure your bid comment includes your email address). The winner will pay the winning amount directly into the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and send their proof of payment via email. Once proof of payment has been received, I will post your photo to you.

7. Thankyou for participating and happy bidding!

QLD Flood Relief - Item 1

2011-01-16T21:28:00.007+11:00

My first item up for auction is an 8x10 inch print of my sunset photo. This photo was taken at Trigg Beach in Western Australia and is the last sunset of 2010. This is one of my favourite fine art photos. I don't normally sell my prints so this is a great opportunity to have on display in your home one of my favourite images of the beautiful Western Australian coast line.

How this auction works:

7. Thankyou for participating and happy bidding!

Evening Swims

2011-01-14T11:04:00.002+11:00

Sam and I were laughing so hard when I took these photos one evening at the beach. I was actually trying to get some beach shots in the evening haze but this boy insisted on me snapping a few pictures of him while I was at it. Hyrum was busy off snorkelling and bodyboarding, he rarely has time to stop for a photo these days. But this boy loves a good posing session, he always makes me smile!

I'm guest blogging over at Toni's blog today. The number of people signing up for auctions is growing and growing, I'm so excited to see all the wonderful goodies when the master list goes up on Sunday, I should have my items posted here this afternoon or tomorrow. I'm even more excited to see how much money we're all able to raise for the Flood Relief Appeal. And if you're visiting from Toni's blog, welcome! Lovely to have you here.

The Pinnacles

2011-01-13T20:49:00.004+11:00

We recently took a day trip up North a little ways to The Pinnacles. Man was it hot! Sam was so determined he wanted to see them so the boys and I tried not to grumble too much as we hiked a short distance to the look out in the blistering heat. There was no way we were going to hike the regular 1.2km trek, so we drove through the rest of the way. The landscape was harsh and beautiful and I think I felt a bit more appreciation for the challenges my parents must face living in the real desert of Doha.

After the pinnacles we found the coast again and spent a glorious afternoon swimming in a hidden cove. Sam and the boys fished and snorkelled. We caught a glimpse of a dolphin passing through our hidden spot. And on the way home we shared a spectacular sunset with a few local kangaroos.

QLD Flood Appeal

2011-01-12T11:39:00.002+11:00

I have been absolutely overwhelmed by what is going on in Queensland, the destruction of so much is beyond comprehension. We have family and friends in Brisbane and its surrounding areas and have been anxiously watching as the situation has developed. Sam's sister and her family live near Warwick and we were relieved to hear that so far they haven't experienced any flooding in their home but she jokingly told Sam they are living off weetbix because they are completely shut off from surrounding towns and can't restock supplies. Its hard to even imagine what will be involved in helping and rebuilding so many lives.
My very talented friend Toni is organising a wonderful online auction to benefit those affected by the horrendous floods in QLD. If you head to her blog or click on the image above there is lots of information about ways to help, either by hosting an auction or bidding on someone else's. The auctions go live from Monday 17th January and I'm excited to see all of the wonderful goodies that will be on offer. All the proceeds go straight to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal.
I'm going to host an auction here on my blog of some of my favourite photography prints. I'll have them professionally printed, beautifully packaged and all ready to be framed and displayed in your home. So stop by in the next few days to see what's on offer.

Summer Days

2011-01-10T13:46:00.002+11:00

In thinking about our summer holiday plans for this year, we decided pretty quickly that what we wanted to do most was actually stay home this year! This gives us a chance to save some money, keep Sam's annual leave for the baby's arrival and enjoy all the fun things on offer right on our doorstep. Luckily, the WA government offers a wonderful vacation swim program that I've been able to take advantage of for Hyrum. The price is incredible, $10 for two weeks of daily 45 minute lessons (at that price I decided to book him in for 2 back to back programs - so 4 weeks of swimming lessons for $20). They run the lessons at various pools around WA but they also offer a beach swimming program at some of the beaches as well. Because Hyrum and Ashton already do weekly swimming lessons that run throughout the year, we enrolled Hyrum in the beach program. It teaches swim skills specific for the surf and builds up to a qualification similar to what the surf life saving clubs offer.

So our lazy summer days have consisted of sleeping in, heading off to the beach each day for lessons and then hanging around for a play afterwards. We usually head home for a late lunch in the afternoon with a bit of nap time for me! Then maybe back to the beach in the evening with Sam before dinner and bed. It has been the perfect way to spend our summer days, especially with this baby getting closer to its arrival! The boys are happy and I'm getting plenty of rest and easy going days. We slot in some time out doing other things, maybe the park or the boy's regular swimming lessons and heading to the gym for my yoga classes. But really this is pretty much our summer days right now and I love it.

Where most of our days are spent right now.

Ashton having fun while Hyrum has his lessons.

Hyrum's class heading into the surf.

Lesson time.

Finished for the day, heading back to the beach with his teacher (Hyrum is in the orange cap on the left. After 45minutes straight in the surf a wetsuit is a must, even on the really hot days).

Looking Back on 2010 - Part 1

2011-01-07T17:06:00.010+11:00

2010 was such a whirlwind for us in a lot of ways, and my blogging of it was a bit patchy to say the least! So I thought a bit of a Year in Review was in order to fill in a few of those gaps.

JANUARY

January began with Sam heading back to Perth after a crazy week of selling almost everything we owned and packing up the remainder of our lives in anticipation of new opportunities and new adventures. After some lovely time with Sam's parents, the boys and I hopped on a plane and headed over to Perth to join Sam. One of the first activities - enjoying the Australia Day fireworks on the river overlooking the city.

FEBRUARY

Sam and I both have quite a bit of history with Perth. Sam served his mission here about 10 years ago and my parents are both originally from Perth. So moving here has meant reconnecting with some wonderful friends and family. Not long after we arrived we reconnected with some family friends I have known since I was little. They were kind enough to take us out on their boat down in Mandurah. The boys loved riding the jet skis, Hyrum enough took a ride on an inflatable tube dragged behind the boat. The most memorable part for me was when Sam and I were out on the jet ski and dolphin decided to come play, swimming along with us under and around the jet ski, it was amazing. Such a fun day.

MARCH

The parks here in Perth are spectacular, definitely a very family friendly place. We have had so much fun exploring all the different parks around here. These pictures were taken on a trip to King's Park.

APRIL

In April we went exploring a bit and took a day trip to Toodyay. We visited a bee farm and learnt all about how we get our honey.

A visit to a local lolly shop.

MAY

Sam took the boys on a camping weekend away. They went apple picking in Donnybrook.

Hyrum and Sam enjoy the coastal bike paths near our home.

JUNE

A picnic birthday party with some friends from school.

Hyrum stays in touch with some of his buddies from Sydney via Skype.

JULY

The popularity of Junior Masterchef takes hold in our house. Hyrum starts cooking lessons with Sam.

Hyrum's first tooth came out on the eve of his 6th birthday. This is Sam trying to convince Hyrum to let him pull it out.

Hyrum was definitely not happy with that plan. It ended up falling out of its own accord the next day.

Some exciting news for our family, we discover we have another bubby on the way.

AUGUST

A monthly Saturday dedicated as "boys day" means some fun time for Hyrum and Ashton with their Dad and some time off from all the testosterone in our home for me!

A New Year

2011-01-02T18:09:00.003+11:00

We headed down to the beach to watch the final sunset of 2010.

One of the most challenging years for us so far, it was a really peaceful way for us to look back on the year that was, the changes we had been through, the progress we had made.

The wind was fierce at the beach, whipping the sand up against our bare skin.

It felt like the year was being blown out with gusto.

We found shelter amongst the rocks, nestled together as a family we were shielded from the harshest winds.

It reminded us of our biggest lesson in 2010, that if we hold close to each other we can get through the harsh winds of life.

And now we look forward to 2011, so excited by all that lies ahead and so very thankful for so many wonderful blessings.

Christmas Day

2011-01-02T17:44:00.003+11:00

Christmas Eve was spent feasting away. My cousin who lives here in Perth and her partner joined us for dinner which was so fun to have some family with us. After dinner the boys opened up their Christmas jammies that my mum had sent over for them (a Christmas tradition in our family). Then they set out cookies and eggnog for Santa, sprinkled the front yard with special reindeer food to help Santa find his way to our house, and finished up with some favourite Christmas stories with Sam (Night Before Christmas and Silver Spurs are definite musts!)

The boys were surprisingly good at going straight to sleep, leaving the adults time to have a great time playing card games while watching the traditional Carols By Candlelight.

Sam and I woke Christmas morning to stirring in the boys room. There were delighted yells and exclamations as they tucked into their stockings. By this stage Hyrum had already declared it "The Best Christmas Ever" leaving me to wonder if Santa could have gotten away with not even bothering with presents at all!

The boys were so good at playing quietly in their room until Sam and I were ready to face the morning.

Once we'd all gathered in the lounge room, we took some time to reiterate the specialness of the day. Every year we try and bring more and more elements of the true purpose of Christmas into our celebrations, I hope these moments are the highlights for our boys because they sure are for me.

And then the present opening.

I love the delight and happiness in their faces.

So much fun.

The rest of Christmas Day panned out in such a relaxing way for us. We headed down to the beach part way through the day and enjoyed the glorious sunshine in one of our favourite quiet little coves about 5 minutes from our house. We enjoyed delicious seafood for lunch and lazed the day away just enjoying each others company. Such a special day for all of us, one we felt truly blessed to enjoy.

Turkey Baking

2011-01-02T17:02:00.004+11:00

This was the first year we were away from family for Christmas, which meant cooking our own Christmas dinner for the very first time. Sam is definitely the gourmet chef in our family but after much discussion we realised that he just did not have the time with his busy schedule at work to organise and cook a big Christmas dinner for us. So I decided to step in and try my hand at it. We decided to follow in my family's tradition of having a cooked roast dinner on Christmas Eve, leaving Christmas Day for much more relaxed celebrating. Sam ended up finishing work just after lunch on Christmas Eve so he could step in and help with extra hands (and advice when needed).

I have to admit, I had so much fun doing all the research and preparation for this dinner. It was a lot of work but I was so proud of myself afterwards, it just felt like a really big achievement (and gave me a whole new appreciation for my mum and mother in law who pull these amazing dinners off every year). What I'm most proud of though is the turkey. I have always had a bit of a fear barrier when it came to roasting poultry, like it was something that was just beyond my abilities - so it felt great to smash that fear out of the park.

So, please forgive me while I dissect my turkey baking experience (and probably best to turn away now if the sight of raw poultry makes you queasy)!

My tutelage came mainly from The Pioneer Woman herself on these posts here and here. I also got some really good tips from here and also or course checked what Martha herself had to say on the matter. Everyone seemed pretty adamant that brining the turkey was essential so we thought we'd give it a go. We got a lovely fresh free range turkey from a local farm so we didn't have to worry about defrosting just got straight into the brining.

Our turkey brining in the fridge. We only got a 4kg turkey but it still took up a lot of space so I don't know how you'd do it with a bigger bird. Sam and I are still debating as to whether the brining made a big difference, but the whole process was pretty fun and the brine sure made my kitchen smell Christmasy.

The turkey stuffed and trussed.

Youtube talked me through how to truss the turkey, so if I've done it wrong I blame them! Either way, it kept the wings in nice and close and stopped the stuffing from falling out so it seemed to do the job.
This is the point where you feel very thankful for the bird who gave up its life for your dinner and reassure yourself that at least it lived a somewhat peaceful life ranging free on a farm.

Part way through.

The metal skewer sticking out is the thermometer. I love this thing. It's connected to a digital thermometer that sits outside the oven and beeps when the turkey has cooked through to the right temperature in the centre. It takes away so much of the anxiety of under or over cooking the bird.

On the table ready to be carved.

And what else was on the menu:

homemade dinner rolls

cheesy potatoes

warm bean, asparagus and broccolini salad

cauliflower gratin

cranberry and pinenut stuffing

honeyed carrots and corn

and for dessert, my family's traditional icecream pudding which we mixed up a bit by mixing in toblerone chocolate and pistacio nuts.

I wish I had taken more pictures of the food, but to be honest we were just too busy eating it!

Trimming the Tree

2011-01-02T16:48:00.003+11:00

Since our first Christmas after we got married Sam has been buying me a new, special decoration for our tree. We unwrap this decoration as part of our "putting up the tree" festivities and I always love seeing the beautiful decorations Sam always manages to find for me. This year it was especially sweet to unwrap each of our decorations that were newly arrived from Sydney. Each one is extra special in its own way. These are some of the decorations I managed to get pictures of this year.

The Bump

2010-12-29T18:05:00.003+11:00

Ashton took this picture a few weeks ago. I'd been taking some pictures of him at the park across the road from us and when I was done he wanted his turn. So he took some pictures of what is directly in his eyeline at the moment, this here bump.

I am into my third trimester now and baby is a busy little thing. Lots of kicks and moving around. It feels like quite a while since my last two pregnancies so there is a lot of "I'd forgotten about this" moments. I think there is also a sense of how quickly time passes and how these little ones grow so fast. I'm trying to enjoy each special moment this time around.

Hyrum and Ashton are so excited to welcome a new little one into our family. There is lots of discussion about names and whether they think it is a boy or a girl. They've asked the bub to communicate its sex via kicks but baby has stayed decidedly quiet on this detail!

Christmas Lights

2010-12-29T17:49:00.003+11:00

Christmas lights were definitely scarcer here in Perth than what we would find in Sydney. But when we did stumble across some lit houses they sure did impress. These pictures are from two houses directly across the street from each other in a nearby suburb to us.
The lights were all timed to music and flashed and lit according to an impressively elaborate soundtrack.
There were crowds and crowds of people coming to enjoy the display. The families were raising money for the local children's hospital here and every time someone donated $20 they would turn on a snow machine.
Very magical.

Remembering December - Putting up the tree

2010-12-29T12:49:00.003+11:00

Life has been pretty busy for us of late, we moved to a new house in November and are finally starting to feel settled here in Perth. We have had a lovely December here and now that all the Christmas busyness is over, I'm determined to get things a bit more up to date here with the blog. When we moved here we pretty much came just with what we could fit in our suitcase. While we sold or gave away a lot of things in Sydney we did still hold on to a few special things that we kept stored at Sam's parents house until we had the room to store them here. So the first thing on our list when we moved was our Christmas tree. It thankfully arrived in early December and coincided with a visit from Sam's mum, so we had a lovely time putting the tree up together.
It was so funny seeing how seriously the boys took their job of preparing the Christmas tree branches. Sam is very particular about how a tree should go up, so it was a good chance for him to pass on his wisdom to his boys!
The boys were so excited to have their Grandma here, they absolutely adore her as they do all their grandparents. We feel so blessed that our children have such wonderful grandparents who are so involved in their lives.

Once the tree was all up, there was much admiring of our handiwork. Sam and I held back till after the boys had gone to bed to do a bit of reallocating of decorations. Since then things have been moved, bumped, adjusted and a few decorations broken (oh well). Sam and the boys are all eager to take the tree down now that Christmas is over. I've convinced them to hold off until after New Years, I want to enjoy it for just a few more days.

Why I haven't been blogging much lately...

2010-09-24T23:20:00.002+10:00

Playgroup

2010-09-24T22:53:00.003+10:00

Some of the ladies in our ward get together every fortnight for a little playgroup for the kids who aren't at school yet. One week we made a trip to a lovely petting farm and the kids had a wonderful time.

I was so impressed by how well cared for the farm and the animals were. It was immaculately clean and the animals were adorable.

Ashton is the only boy his age at church so he's surrounded by girls a lot. He doesn't seem to mind though, he calls them "my girls".

Definitely worth a trip back with the whole family I think.

Jumping Cars

2010-09-24T21:47:00.003+10:00

A new obsession in our house.

Hyrum's Birthday

2010-09-24T21:35:00.002+10:00

Way back in July, Hyrum turned 6. We've kept Birthdays pretty low key this year, so it was lovely to go in to Hyrum's school for the special Birthday presentation they hold for each of the kids. The teachers and kids recite poems and sing songs. Hyrum and his teacher act out his journey to this earth, as a prince being given special gifts to assist him in this life. It finishes with him stepping over the rainbow bridge into the arms of his family that he has chosen. It was simple and beautiful and resonated so nicely with our own personal beliefs. It was so special to take the time to think about this special spirit who entered our lives six years ago, what a joy and a blessing he has been.

Check out this giveaway

2010-08-08T11:18:00.003+10:00

I have news to share and things to catch up on here but will save that for another day. I just wanted to duck in quickly and share a beautiful new blog I've discovered recently and spread the news of a great giveaway that's being hosted there.

I love seeing all the amazing things being done in the party/events arena and get so excited at the wonderful things making their way down here to Australia.

Tracey Lau is based in Sydney and her blog is full of beautiful images and tons of inspiration. I was so excited by this Christmas in July party she threw recently. Such a great idea and this dessert table is breathtaking.

Tracey is hosting a really generous giveaway at her blog. She is giving away a Silhouette Cutting Machine. Check out their website to see all the nifty things you can do with it. I've seen a few of these machines being given away on different blogs but because of shipping they're never open to all of us down here in Australia. So its pretty exciting Tracey is hosting a giveaway just for Australians. So head on over to Tracey's blog to enter.

Oranges, Mandarins and Chickens in the Swan Valley

2010-07-04T21:58:00.005+10:00

A recent visit to the Swan Valley consisted of collecting some truly free-range eggs and stocking up on oranges and mandarins straight from the tree.

Winter Festival

2010-06-25T14:07:00.002+10:00

Boy Time

2010-06-22T22:38:00.004+10:00

Recently Sam took Hyrum on a boys day out. They headed off into the bush to an archery range and had so much fun together. These are some pictures Sam took from the day. I'm pretty impressed with how Hyrum took to it, he actually seemed pretty confident managing the bow and arrows. Since their trip he's been fashioning bows and arrows out of sticks all the time!

I love how involved Sam is with the boys. He does so many fun things with them and really loves spending time with them. He is such a great Dad.

School

2010-06-15T22:27:00.002+10:00

I've had a few people ask me how Hyrum is finding school here. Particularly, I've had people ask about our experience with sending Hyrum to a Steiner school. I feel like it would probably take a few posts to describe our experience with Steiner schooling, I've been meaning to take my camera along to school for a few days just to try to capture a bit of a feel of what it is like there. I'll try and do that soon, but in the meantime just wanted to say how happy Hyrum is at school. We are thrilled and amazed by the changes we've seen within him and also within our home.

Today was wet and rainy and miserable. As I dropped Hyrum off at school the kids were happily buzzing, pulling on their gumboots and raincoats ready for their morning nature walk and play outside in their own magical garden. Wet weather doesn't deter outdoor time, the kids just rug up and get on with the work of playing. When I collected Hyrum from school he happily showed me the bread he had baked that day, told me excitedly about how close he is to finishing the pillow baby he is sewing. We stopped by the markets run by families from the school. Hyrum and Ashton decided on mini pizzas today, homemade of course, served by some of the girls from school who carefully counted out their change after the boys handed over their money. Munching on their pizzas we trudged through wet grass, under the canopies of magestic trees, Hyrum calling out farewells to friends as we all bundle into our cars. It was a good day, and we're so looking forward to doing it all over again tomorrow.

A Visit to the Museum

2010-06-10T22:19:00.002+10:00

We took the boys to the WA Museum on Saturday. The cultural precinct in Perth, where the museum is housed is a bit of a favourite with the boys and I. I love that you can access the State Library, the Art Gallery and the Museum all on each others doorsteps, with free entry (except for special exhibits) and super cheap parking (considering you're right in the middle of the city).

The museum is so child friendly. They have a wonderful discovery centre that we usually spend most of our time in. They have couches for the kids to get comfy, with their choice of a load of books on all sorts of topics. There are live snakes, frogs, lizards and other creepy, crawly things to examine. They also have rows and rows of cabinets filled with so many things for the boys to inspect.

Ashton loves the tables full of puzzles. That boy is puzzle crazy and he's reached a stage where its really hard to find decent puzzles for him. Ones that are challenging enough and aren't covered with some TV or movie merchandising! Anyway, the library is great for those kind of puzzles (now I just need to find where the museum get their puzzles from).
And when the boys were ready for a bit of a break, I found them huddled up with Sam having a bit of down time with his iPhone. I love their faces in this picture, I totally don't get the appeal of playing games on his iPhone but I love that its something they love doing together.

And I loved all the beautiful trees we passed on our way in and out, reminding me that the seasons have definitely changed.

Whole Foods

2010-06-09T00:41:00.005+10:00

I've never been a big fan of oatmeal, I think making it right must be an acquired skill because for a while I just couldn't see its appeal. It tasted like glue to me (not that I know what glue tastes like, but I'm imagining it must be pretty similar to my early attempts at oatmeal making)! And on Saturday I think I finally nailed it. I was so pleased with myself I had to take a photo. And it tasted as good as it looked.

Perfecting oatmeal is one of the little steps I've been trying to take to include more whole foods in our diet. I've been thinking a lot lately about what we've been eating as a family, the habits we've allowed to sneak in and the lack of consciousness often in what we eat. We've always been fairly healthy food wise, the boys love fruit and eat a good selection of vegies, white bread is almost foreign to them and packaged food is pretty rare in our house. But I think we've started becoming a bit too complacent at times, I feel like our eating is a bit like the girl with the little curl - when we're good we're very very good and when we're bad we're horrid! So I'm trying to eliminate some of the last of the packaged foods (breakfast cereal full of additives and preservatives being one of them) and working towards more home made, more simple, more local, more organic, more natural foods filling our kitchen and our tummies.

Some inspiration I've been getting lately:

This fantastic book by Barbara Kingsolver.

This documentary. Definitely worth a look.

And for some recipe inspiration, this blog.

I'll keep you updated on how we go.

This Way of Life

2010-06-04T13:28:00.003+10:00

This documentary played at the Sydney Film Festival yesterday and I'm so disappointed we weren't there to see it. It follows one of Sam's cousins and his beautiful wife and children for four years. From the trailer it looks like it gives a breathtaking portrait of their own unique way they're choosing to live their lives and the New Zealand landscape looks unbelievable as well! This is a cousin that Sam has never met and really didn't know too much about. Sam's family on his Mum's side is big and complex and so interesting and I find it fascinating to see how the family history trickles down from one generation to the next and manifests itself in future generations in different ways. Anyway, I can't wait until this is available on DVD and hope it continues to do well as it does the rounds of the festival circuit.

Sick Day

2010-06-03T18:28:00.004+10:00

Last night Hyrum was sick. I sat up with him for a large part of the night because its hard enough being sick but being sick on your own is really awful. So I washed bedding, cleaned out sick buckets and generally did a lot of back rubbing, cuddling and tummy soothing. He was much better by morning but I still kept him home today so we could all relish in a good old sick day. Its funny, but all that time sitting up last night gave me a chance to think and this morning I said to Sam, "I'm ready to blog again." The last few months (well actually the last year) has been really tough for us. A lot of ups and downs, definitely a learning/growing time, which in hindsight is great because you can look back and see all the tender refining and roughing back of edges that has been taking place but at the time it hurts - a lot.

I always want to keep this blog positive and full of the things that make me happy, but sometimes those things are hard to find. So rather than turn this into a pitty party blog, I get quiet and turn inward and try to flow with what I'm supposed to be sorting through, learn the lessons, come to terms with things. And then one day I find myself emerging from out of the tempest and I'm ok, I've got through it, and I'm ready to embrace the simple beautiful moments again. That's when I find myself coming back here. So I offer up this explanation for my irregularities on this blog. I've decided to make the blog public again and instead find my own private spot to record the more personal details of our family history. Things that aren't always full of sunshine, nevertheless are still part of our history and need to be recorded.

So here are some moments from a little break we took today around the corner to the park. I worked on a beanie for Hyrum - this wool is so soft and lovely, I picked it up from the shop at Hyrum's school. It is organic and hand-dyed and feels so good. I love Hyrum's school shop, so many amazing goodies to be found there!

Hyrum played and climbed (that's his teddy hanging upside down with him by the way) and eventually wore himself out. He curled up on the picnic table begging me to carry him up the hill to the car. The park is a really short walk from our house - maybe 10 minutes, but I brought the car because I suspected Hyrum may end up like this - so glad I did and didn't have to carry him home.

And the view behind me as we head up the hill home. I see this view multiple times a day and never get tired of it. It reminds me to always be grateful for how blessed my life really is.

Going Private

2010-04-24T12:41:00.003+10:00

After thinking about this for soooo long, I've finally decided to make this blog private. We really want to make the blog more of a family journal, somewhere where all of us can post and record what's going on in our family (even the boys). So just taking into consideration the need to be careful about the information we put out there and protecting the boy's privacy we have made this decision. I will switch the blog over to private at the end of next week. If you would like to still be able to access our blog just leave a note in the comments if I already have your email address. If I don't have it, please email me at sarahl_birks at hotmail dot com and I will make sure you have access. If you're a bit confused about how this works, just let me know.

Good Friday

2010-04-10T01:19:00.006+10:00

I finally have photoshop set up, which makes it so much easier to post photos here to the blog. So now there is a bit of catching up to do!

Good Friday was such a fun day for us. Sam took off really early with some people from work to go deep sea fishing so it was just me and the boys and we were determined to thoroughly enjoy ourselves, even without Sam! We met up with a few friends we have made since we've moved here who all have kids around the same age as us, at a park near the city. The park was fantastic, with a lake, waterfalls, rocks and hidden paths. Perfect for an easter egg hunt.

The kids started off with some origami boat making, then all the kids launched them down the rivers and waterfalls leading to the lake. A few boats needed rescuing along the way but the kids had so much fun in the process.

There was egg and spoon races, piggy back races, and of course the customary easter egg hunt.

The kids all pooled their stashes and then they were divided up equally, so none of the little ones missed out. The older kids were so sweet with the younger ones though, we had a few boys take Ashton by the hand and offer to help him find his choccies.

After the picnic we headed off to the beach for the rest of the day. And that evening Sam came home with some lovely fish from his trip. A perfect day.

Want a Tour?

2010-04-01T02:10:00.007+11:00

Hyrum wanted to take you on a little tour around where we live right now. We flew over here with not much more than what we could pack in our suitcases, so Sam needed to find us a place that met a few criteria before we hopped on that plane. It needed to be furnished, it needed to be convenient to his work, it needed to be close to the beach, and it needed to be temporary.
So this is it. A block of villas and terraces, a stone's throw from the beach. It's given us a chance to get settled in, get familiar with the area, plan ahead for furnishing a house, and have a bit of a holiday by the beach. There are a few things I could do without with our house, but how about I start with what I like instead? See beyond those houses where Hyrum is riding, where the sun is setting. There is one more street, and then the beach. On still nights, I can open my bedroom window and hear the waves crashing. I love that.

We live in a terrace, in the middle of a row of 6. The others are all renovated. Ours isn't. It's retained that lovely 1970s feel, mixed with a bit of neglected rental property charm. Ah, joy. So I thought I'd show you my neighbours house instead. They have a lemon tree in their front yard. Every day I remind my boys not to pick the lemons that are still small and green. A couple in their 50s live here, they're lovely. All our neighbours are pretty quiet, they hardly make any noise. So I wonder what they think of us.

My neighbour takes beautiful care of all his plants. I like to peek over the fence into his backyard, its like a secret garden with grass and bowers of flowers.

There are pathways and alleys circling around the houses. Perfect for young boys exploring on their bikes. There are a few other kids in the complex, they all meet up after school and take off for adventures on their bikes. Hyrum has to stop by our house every so often and yell out "just checking in" otherwise I get cranky.

This is the alleyway behind our terraces. It reminds me of my lunch time walks through Surry Hills when I used to work there. And the white painted bricks and 1970s feel reminds me of Manly Vale when I was a kid.

The flowers that were in full bloom when we arrived here are starting to wilt and fall. The weather is still so warm but seems to be having its last hurrah and is heading out the door, making room for autumn.

I don't know if we'll still be living here by next summer. So I figure I should soak all the lovely things in around here while I can.

Adjusting Plans

2010-03-31T00:35:00.003+11:00

Remember this post not so long ago? I was glimpsing back over it this evening and remembering the stress and worry of that time (and that stress and worry continued after we moved). The interesting thing though was that I have been anxious about Hyrum's schooling for a long time before that moment, I had tried so hard to come to peace with my decision to send Hyrum to our local public school but I still felt so uneasy. I even said to my Mum after coming home from his orientation, something along the lines of "it just doesn't feel right" but also realising that there weren't really any other options.

And then with this sudden and unexpected move, everything was thrown back up in the air again. I researched schools here in Perth, I visited them when I got here, enrolled him in two different local schools, then pulled him out of both before he even started. I had to make a decision and quickly. My thoughts of keeping him home until I found a place that was a good fit for him was not working out. He was unhappy, unsettled, angry. I know him, I'm his Mum, and I knew what he needed. But to do that, I had to let go. I had to let go of the plans I had held inside me since before he was even born, of how I thought my life as a Mum would be.

Hyrum missed his first day of school. But he started a week later at a place that was just the right fit for him. A place filled with trees and flowers and beauty. A place that nurtures and loves him and helps him to find all the wonder that he holds inside himself. A place that every morning he can't wait to get there and every afternoon I pick him up with a big smile on his face. A place that fits just right for him. Today I heard him telling Ashton how awesome he thought his school was and knowing Hyrum, this was something I thought I may never hear from him. And it made me smile, because finally I felt peace.

Sunset Swimming

2010-03-26T21:15:00.004+11:00

Yes we are still alive! I've been away from the blog for so long, there is so much to catch up on, and I think I've forgotten how to do this! We finally have the internet connected at home which was a long drawn out drama, but now, thankfully, I can reconnect with this little blog. I haven't got photoshop set up yet and am getting used to using a Mac again which I haven't been near since I was working. I love it but feel like I'm learning quite a few things all over again.

I just wanted to share these pictures I shot a few weeks ago on one of our many sunset swims. These pictures seem to sum up for me what the last few weeks have been like since we moved here to Perth. This is at Scarborough Beach, about a 5-10 minute walk from our house. When we arrived here in late January we pretty much spent every day here. Not just because the beach is unbelievably beautiful but because it has been so HOT! Weeks and weeks of consistent 30- 40C days. Even now we are still sitting in the thirties most days. So most evenings when Sam comes home from work, we head down to the beach one last time for the day to swim while the sun sets. We have loved it.

I'll try and add some more pictures and details of our life here in Perth over the next few days. as well as catching up on whats been happening while I've been away from here. Its really nice to finally be back!

Sleeping

2009-12-15T22:18:00.004+11:00

Sleeping seems to take place all over our house, at least for the boys. They sleep in my bed, they sleep in each other's bed, they sleep on the floor even. But the other night when I stopped by their room to tuck them in one last time before I went off to bed myself, I came across a first for this family.

Sleeping standing up. I'm guessing that Ash fell asleep in Hyrum's bed, decided after a while he wanted to head back to his own bed, but never quite made it. Poor little man, I figured it can't be good for your feet to sleep like that. But I had to take a picture before I cuddled him up and tucked him back in for the night.

Traditional Santa Visit

2009-12-14T10:35:00.007+11:00

Before Sam headed off we managed to squeeze in our traditional visit into the city to see Santa. This was the first year Ashton would actually sit on Santa's knee, Sam and I could just stand back this time while Hyrum and Ashton had their little chat with the big man.

We make the trek into the city because Myer and David Jones put on such a magical display for the kids. The talking tree in DJs is always a favourite, as well as the Myer train that gets ridden several times.

Then a stroll outside DJs, glimpsing at the beautiful window displays. This year its puppets, themed around Christmas carols.

Then off to Hyde Park to watch the broadcast of the tree lighting in Martin Place. We tried actually going to Martin Place one year and found it way too crowded, so we prefer Hyde Park. They have their own concert there and also cross live to the Martin Place concert as well. And Santa pops through with the Lord Mayor on a horse drawn sleigh (Santa is such a busy guy)! It all culminates in the official tree lighting, followed by fireworks.

Then to finish off the night, feeling pretty tired and finding our feet dragging a bit, we pass by the Queen Victoria Building to gaze at their amazing tree that soars three stories high. We rest in its beautiful light for a few minutes. Then take our tired selves home.

Imaginary House Hunting - WA

2009-12-12T17:12:00.003+11:00

I am so over scouring this site for prospective homes over in WA. We'll be renting and at the moment we're thinking Fremantle might be the area for us. But it can get a bit frustrating looking at house after house, knowing there's not a whole lot I can do about it here except send Sam along to have a look when he can. So when I get a bit sick of it all, I wander over to the properties for sale section and do a bit of imaginary house shopping, you know, picking exactly where you would live if money were no object.

These images are from two of my favourites in Fremantle, a spacious penthouse and a garden nestled home.

Now the imaginary part of it means that I can disregard the fact that I would be constantly terrified that Ashton would try to be batman off the picturesque roof terrace in the penthouse.

But this kitchen flowing into the courtyard needs absolutely nothing changed to it, it is perfect exactly how it is.

Some more

2009-12-11T01:41:00.005+11:00

Photoshop isn't liking me today. It froze up in protest when I was resizing our family photos, these are the few I got done before its tantrum. There are so many other lovely pictures which I'll have to post another time.

It is late. I should be asleep. The boys are snuggled up in my bed, they keep me company at night right now while Sam is away. On any given night I will usually have one or both of them make their way into my bed for snuggles anyway but they think its pretty cool right now that they can actually go to sleep in my bed and stay there all night.

My minding is running around, hence the lack of sleep. The move, school for Hyrum, packing, all making lots of noise in my head. Hyrum was all set to start his first year of kindergarten next year. He'd attended his orientation days, we'd bought his school uniform, he had his Year 5 buddy all sorted. I had pictured Ashton and I walking him down the road each day, his classroom was nestled under some grand Jacarandas as well as some lovely old trees that put on a beautiful autumn display of colour. I liked that he was going to school with such magestic trees.

But now that vision is changing. And because here in Australia we are still yet to implement universal starting ages and national curriculum, I can't enrol Hyrum in school in Perth for next year. I can put him on a waiting list. And wait. And I'm realising that my vision of taking pictures on his first day of school, out the front of our house in his new school uniform is not going to happen. While all the other kids head off for their first day at school he'll be at home with me.

And I'm really sad about that. But I'm also really intrigued by it too. Because what if, maybe, instead of just sitting around waiting for a place to open up, what if I took advantage of the time I've been given and I homeschooled him? Just a thought that's knocking its way around in my head.

Family Photos

2009-12-08T21:59:00.003+11:00

My incredibly talented sister-in-law did a photo shoot for us recently and the pictures are AMAZING. They mean even more to me now that we are transitioning into a new phase for our family, they seem to capture this moment of where we are at right now so perfectly and will be so treasured by us as we move on to new things very soon. I've been going through all the pictures tonight trying to decide which ones to share and its so hard, I have so many favourites. Hopefully I'll have narrowed it down by tomorrow so check back for some more of Sally's beautiful work.

Some News

2009-12-06T22:42:00.002+11:00

I don't know what it is about us, Christmas time and moving, but they all seem to go hand in hand around here. We are moving again. This time a bit further than last. We are heading over to the beautiful western coast of Australia. We're taking a big leap and heading to Perth. Sam has been offered a great work opportunity over there and we're always up for a bit of an adventure. Sam heads off on Tuesday to start his new job, leaving me here to pack, sell, chuck and store all our possessions, and do a bit of Christmas celebrating somewhere in there too. Sam will be back for Christmas and New Years and then me and the boys head over in January.

I'm excited, extremely nervous and a bit more excited. These pictures are from a holiday Sam and I took to WA way back when I was pregnant with Hyrum. I remember feeling a great big mix of excitement and anxiety when this last picture was taken, knowing I had a special little bub on the way. Its a good reminder for me I think, sometimes the things that make us the most scared also turn out to be the greatest experiences of our lives.

The Season - Baking

2009-12-03T08:05:00.004+11:00

Its such a busy time for us at the moment, so many wonderful and exciting things going on and so much to share! We officially launched the Christmas Season in our home Monday of last week (so these pictures are a little old!). This is one of the traditions that I love and it was extra exciting because my Mum was here to share it with us. Taking advantage of some time between their move from Abu Dhabi to Doha we've had Mum here for over a week and Dad just joined her on the weekend, its so exciting to have them here.

We launch the Christmas Season in our home on the last Monday of November (this year we made it the second last, because putting it on the 30th just doesn't give me enough Christmas time). The Christmas music comes out, the baking begins, the tree goes up and we celebrate it all with a special dinner.

I love this tradition for so many reasons. I'll share more photos of this fun day soon.

what the boys get up to

2009-11-14T18:19:00.006+11:00

One of the boys' little projects recently. While I was out and about doing things Sam and the boys decided to build a teepee.

So off they trekked, saw in hand, into our neighbouring bushland and cut down some bamboo. Then making use of some things around the house this is what they came up with.

The fabric clips on, so when they're not using it we just put the material away and pop the bamboo behind the shed. I love it.

Spring

2009-11-13T22:47:00.003+11:00

It really doesn't seem all that long ago that I was blogging about all the autumn colour in our garden here. Well spring has come in full force and summer is definately just around the corner with temperatures inching up to 38C this past week.

I would love to know who planned the garden in our little house, because I have so loved watching it evolve over the course of this year, planned so well to ensure something interesting is happening all the time.

At the moment it is the grand jacaranda in the backyard that is captivating me, its glorious purple blossoms blanket the ground just like crisp Autumn leaves did not so long ago.
The back corner of our garden is a bit of an enchanted wilderness, ivy vines entwine with the trees and leave dangling strands perfect for swinging wild boys.
And this chair is my favourite place to sit at the moment. You'll often find me there with a book while the boys climb trees, swing on vines and run around to their hearts content, I sit nestled under the trees soothing shade whose branches not so long ago were empty for the winter chill. And I remember that time is passing.

Remembering

2009-11-12T08:24:00.005+11:00

I feel like there are so many gaps in this little history of ours here this year. So many things that didn't quite make it to the blog. So I'm going to do a few remembering posts, just special things over the last few months that definately deserve a little post here.

My memories:
-Wondering the night before Hyrum's birthday why we started the tradition of filling the boys rooms with balloons when it involves so much blowing (and then so much popping later on to get rid of them). Then seeing how excited Hyrum was to wake up to his special room... yep, that's why we do it.
-Having Hyrum's special requested dinner of Spaghetti and meatballs with his Grandma and Grandad as well as my Mum who was luckily in town at the time.
-Frantically calling Sam to pick up an icecream cake on his way home from work because I'd miscalculated the cooking time on the cake and it had collapsed in the middle when I pulled it out of the oven (every oven we've had we have to almost double the cooking time when baking anything... why is that!)
-Being in awe of how quickly my boys are growing. 5 is so big!

Its been a while...

2009-11-08T17:46:00.004+11:00

I needed a break. I never intended the break to be for so long, but I guess that's what I needed. But lately I've been missing my blog, missing having somewhere to record the comings and goings of our little family. And I started to feel sad that these moments might be lost if I didn't take the time to capture them, with my camera and here with my thoughts. So me and this little blog are getting reaquainted with each other again.

Today Hyrum took part in his Primary's special presentation for church. He had two sentences he memorized and got up in front of all those people to let them know how reverence strengthens his family. He's been practicing his part for weeks and could recite it in his sleep but I wasn't sure what his nerves would do to him when it came time to speak into the microphone with all those people looking at him. For all his confidence in so many things, Hyrum is also the one to hold back, become shy and anxious, especially when it involves people and situations he's not comfortable with.

He was nervous all morning, anxious to get dressed in time. Sam even caught him practicing his part in the mirror (so precious!) I know they had a bit of a father-son chat about being scared and what he could do to get through it. I'm not sure exactly what he told him but whatever fatherly advice was given, it worked, because Hyrum faced his fear and did his part, just as he'd practiced and wanted to do it.
I was so proud of him.

Rhiannon and her bubs

2009-08-27T10:35:00.002+10:00

Some pictures I took of my lovely friend Rhiannon and her family. Aren't her daughter Carrington's footsies too cute for words? I love them.

..what to do on a sunny winters day...

2009-08-25T20:50:00.004+10:00

I think someone forgot to mention to the weather that its supposed to be winter around here at the moment. The days and evenings have been warm, unseasonably warm and it feels like summer is just peeking around the corner. So what else is there to do when the weather is like this but get out an enjoy it.

I love finding great new playgrounds, and I'm pretty picky about what constitutes a great playground. This little gem at Jackson's Landing definately ticks all the criteria.

Its full of natural spaces, where kids are open to explore and play in a self directed way. Kids of all ages can interact easily and cooperatively.

Parents aren't hovering or continually directing children in their play. If they are present in the play its because they're playing right alongside their kids.

And its nestled smack dab on the edge of the city. It just goes to show that you don't have to be out in the burbs to make great playspaces (actually some of the worst playgrounds I've ever seen are out in the suburbs).

So if you're ever around the Pyrmont area, its definately worth a visit. There's ticketed parking on the road and come prepared with extra clothes (or bring your kids in their swimmers) because if they're anything like mine they won't stay dry for long.

Namaste

2009-08-21T16:53:00.003+10:00

Hyrum demonstrating for us some yoga poses he learnt at preschool.

Love it!

Red and White with Sunshine

2009-08-20T09:10:00.007+10:00

Quickly thrown together, but lovingly planned. A red and white picnic in the park to celebrate my Mum and her legacy built over 60 years.

Peek

2009-08-19T10:41:00.003+10:00

I loooove giant lollipops. I think they are the greatest invention since sliced bread. And I love watching kids trying to eat them. We had a party for my Mum's 60th Birthday on the weekend, taking advantage of having her in town for a short break. It involved glorious sunshine, giant lollipops and some other fun special touches, because you don't turn 60 every day! Check back tomorrow for lots of photos from the day.

..a visit to Sam on his special day..

2009-08-17T16:22:00.005+10:00

My love turns 30 today. Last year I listed 29 reasons why I love him. I just have one more to add today. As Ashton I were driving in to visit him at work for lunch I popped a random CD in and this song came on. Ashton wanted me to play it over and over again, giving a pretty good impersonation of Alicia, and cracking me up. And then as I stopped and listened. I realised that I got it. I got exactly what she is singing about. So that's my reason number 30 - Sam makes everything better just by the fact that I have him in my life, without him nothing else would feel as good. Happy 30th sweets.

Lilly

2009-08-06T22:53:00.002+10:00

Some pictures I recently took of my niece Lilly. I could cuddle her all day long, she's just so yummy.

Imagine

2009-08-01T09:58:00.002+10:00

We have a basket full of dress ups in our playroom and by far these get the most play milage out of anything else in the room. Ashton lives in dress ups, his clothes are found in discarded piles around the house. And I love the combinations he comes up with. These are just some of the outfits I found him in in just one day.

Puppy dog magician. Don't you love the tail poking out the back.

Batman firefighter, with a red beanie to keep the cold out.

I have no idea what goes on in this little man's mind, but it sure is entertaining to watch him.

Eve

2009-07-29T21:12:00.002+10:00

I have so many photos to share at the moment, I'm not quite sure where to start. We celebrated Hyrum's 5th Birthday yesterday, can't believe my baby is already 5! I'll post a few pictures of the big boy soon. In the meantime here are a few more of my favourites from Eve's maternity shoot. Eve seems to epitomise the peaceful pregnant aura! Doesn't she make pregnancy look good!

Orange Picking

2009-07-24T17:50:00.002+10:00

This is our third year running of orange picking. Second year with friends in tow. There is nothing like eating fruit straight off the tree. I love it, the boys love it, our tummies love it.

Sunday Walks

2009-07-20T16:26:00.002+10:00

We have some amazingly beautiful bushwalks surrounding our house. And its starting to become a regular habit of exploring different walks each Sunday before church.

We put on our gumboots so we can traipse through streams and ponds with ease and set off to explore.

The sun escaping through the tree canopies is so soothing for my sometimes frazzled self, and the boys always seem a bit happier after a trek through the bush.

The Girls

2009-07-18T08:18:00.002+10:00

I'm so used to photographing my little men, it was a joy to photograph two sisters for a change.

Aren't they just too cute?!

Precious bump

2009-07-17T18:26:00.004+10:00

One of my friends has a new bubby on the way. And no gorgeous baby bump should go unrecorded so I popped round today to take some pictures of Eve, her bump and her beautiful girls.

This was a first for me and so much fun.

*some more photos of Eve and the girls coming soon*

Milestones

2009-07-16T12:36:00.002+10:00

A bit of a milestone for me yesterday. My 30th Birthday. Plans are in place for an evening out tonight and a trip away next month. So yesterday was just my time to think on the past 30 years and wonder where the next 30 will take me. More than anything I feel grateful, what a life full of abundant blessings I get to live.

To My Sweet Niece

2009-07-07T16:23:00.004+10:00

Thank you for loaning me your copy of High School Musical 3. Uncle Sam refused to watch it with me, but I thought it was gorgeous. And you're right, Gabriella's prom dress was perfect.

And thank you for putting up with me and my camera today, you make a beautiful model.

Much love.

To save my sanity...

2009-07-07T16:07:00.003+10:00

Last week the boys were sick. The dreaded flu kindof sick. Miracle of miracles it swept through our household but spared me, so I was left to care for the poor invalids.
My heart aches for them when they're not well, when the fevers hike and you can tell they're hurting. But the afterwards, the still too sick to do much but tired of being stuck in the house, whinging on high speed, Mummy I NEED you to do everything for me stage, I have to admit I'm not so patient with that. So by the end of the week they were better but I had had enough. So I packed them off with Sam for some father son time while I reclaimed my sanity.

So off they went exploring in the blue Blue Mountains.

I always feel a little bit sad when I miss out on adventures with them. But Sam took lots of photos so I didn't feel too left out.

And when they returned home I felt like my sanity had once again been restored.

And looking at these photos reminded me again why it is I put up with these two little men.

Vibrance

2009-07-03T16:42:00.002+10:00

I took the boys to the park yesterday. The sun was out in full force and the park seemed full of the most vibrant colours.

I have no idea what this flower is but couldn't take my eyes off it. It must be full of lots of nectar goodness because the birds were loving it too.

Hyrum was very earnest working with the sand.

And the wind was very earnest in blowing his tower away.

Afternoon Sun

2009-07-03T00:50:00.003+10:00

I love sunny winter afternoons where the warm sun keeps popping up in unexpected places.

A very welcome visitor.

Looking to buy?

2009-06-12T22:22:00.002+10:00

So I've been doing a bit of imaginary house hunting again (I really can't help myself sometimes) and I came across this amazing home. Yes, you heard me right, this is someone's home and could be yours for the measly sum of $2.5 million.
I'm not completely sure what to make of it but am just so fascinated by the whole church to home conversion. Definately a challenge I would imagine and I'm pretty impressed with how this one was done.
I love that they made the interior sleek and streamlined, the church features are so powerful, I think if this were carried over into the interior it would almost be scary to live in!
But instead there is a soft simplicity to it that creates a lovely sense of home while still maintaining the incredible unique character of the church.
Even with all that said, I'm not sure that I could live here (given that in imaginary house hunting the $2.5 mil price tag means nothing). Something about walking up to the grand facade every day would just not sit well with me. But I would really love one of my friends to buy it, because it would sure be a cool home to visit.
Any takers?

Elegance

2009-06-05T15:32:00.003+10:00

Spotted blossoming in my garden today.

A Precious Bundle

2009-05-25T18:05:00.004+10:00

We welcomed a new neice and cousin into our family last week.

Little Lillian May.

Such a precious little bundle.

Contrast

2009-05-23T21:10:00.002+10:00

Here in Sydney, our seasons can be so mishmashed, all over the place. You can have a gorgeous warm sunny day that has you peeling off the layers, followed by a blistery cold day that finds you rugged up inside. It can be hard to find the seasons, to pinpoint those things that signify time is passing, that our days and weeks are marked by a world that cycles full circle each year.

But since moving house, we find ourselves surrounded by subtle signs that this cycle is in full force. Even here in Sydney. Our garden is full of trees and plants that mark time in their own way. But in true Sydney style there is still contrast.
Like this scene that catches the corner of my eye as I walk across our front porch, the blossoms persisting, even though they seem so out of place on these cold almost wintry days.

But in my backyard I see this.

And this.

And this.

And I'm not exactly sure why, but it makes me oh so very happy to watch.

Sending Love

2009-05-10T09:11:00.003+10:00

My Mum is a long way away today. They have no internet or phone connected yet in their new apartment in Abu Dhabi. I've sent some love through the mail but have no idea how long it will take to get to the Middle East. So I can't give my Mum a hug today, or tell her how much I appreciate her over the phone. I just hope she knows and feels it anyway.

I am so grateful for the mothers in my life. My own Mum who sacrificed so much to love and care and teach and nurture me. My mother in law who helped prepare the amazing man that I am blessed to be married to. For the amazing grandmothers they both are to my boys (I think they're the best grandmothers EVER!) For my own grandmothers who instilled a heritage of hard work, committment, determination, humour, in all of us as their posterity. And to the many women who are a constant example to me of how noble this role is that I hold.

Sam is speaking in Church today about Motherhood and I've been collecting quotes for his talk throughout the week. I love this one, it brings tears to my eyes every time I read it.

"While we tend to equate motherhood with maternity, in the Lord's language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve "the mother of all living" - and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born. Just as worthy men were foreordained to hold the priesthood in mortality, righteous women were endowed premortally with the privilege of motherhood. Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us."
[To read this talk in full go here.]

Happy Mother's Day!

Hot Cross Buns

2009-04-14T20:14:00.003+10:00

I've been meaning to try making my own hot cross buns for ages... and finally gave it a go this Easter. I used this recipe, but cheated a bit by letting my breadmaker do all the kneading and proving for me. My crosses were a bit wonky (me and piping have issues) but the buns were super, super yummy.

And the smell wafting through the house was just so Easter.

His Many Faces

2009-04-13T09:29:00.003+10:00

Ashton is such a cheerful boy, about 90% of the time. But when he's grumpy, boy does this boy know how to make his feelings known. And he is a master of the sulky pout. It is so cute, I have to hold off laughing every time he does it. Because even little men's feelings are important, you know.

But it never lasts.

These happy souls can't stay grumpy for long.

None Were With Him

2009-04-12T21:17:00.003+10:00

Amongst all the holiday goodness, there were some beautiful moments for reflection for our family this weekend. And it was so wonderful to have our Easter weekend coincide with our Church's General Conference. I was so deeply moved by this beautiful talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. I find it hard to put into words the gratitude I feel on this sacred day and yet I know I cannot even begin to comprehend the love that has been extended to me by my saviour. Today I rejoice at the empty tomb and all that that means for me and my family and for every single one of us.

The Ache

2009-03-26T09:45:00.004+11:00

On Wednesday 11th March, a beautiful, precious little soul, my nephew Mosiah, came into this world. On Wednesday 18th March, this cherished and noble child returned to his Father in Heaven.

There is an ache that sits deep within me for my brother and his beautiful family. While we all feel this loss, this is their private and sacred journey and I haven't felt it right for me to share it here. But as I ease my way back in to blogging, I couldn't write without acknowledging that my life as with all of my family's has been touched by this loss. And today I find myself with a fervent love for my family, I never knew was possible, and tremendous gratitude for the knowledge and faith that I have in a loving Heavenly Father who holds us all so gently in his arms.

Morning Chill

2009-03-07T08:30:00.002+11:00

The mornings are getting cooler. Which gets me thinking about lots of lovely things, like frothy hot chocolate, knitting projects to get started on, and good books to nestle down to read at night.

Creating

2009-03-04T11:18:00.004+11:00

I love watching Ash creating. He seems to always need to be busy making or doing. And the end product is so not important to him, he just loves the process. And this creating takes place any time, any where, in any position that works for him. My favourite thing to watch though is when he jiggles his legs while he's drawing because it creates a certain "wiggly" effect on the paper that he likes. Always makes me smile.

Around the Garden

2009-03-03T11:25:00.003+11:00

So in our old house we had a courtyard. A lovely little courtyard, but the key word here is "little". The boys have never experience a real backyard to run around to their hearts content, and Sam and I have never had a big backyard to take care of. So our new house has a backyard. A great, big, sprawling, backyard. And at the moment we're all at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it.

Oh there are plans. Plans for vegie patches, trampolines, homemade cubby houses and herb gardens.
Plans for rustic tables under the trees, with tealights floating and yummy food shared with friends. Of a restful park bench nestled under swaying branches blown in the breeze.
But where to start? How to begin to create all the magical things we envisage?
So after a scorching heatwave, followed by torrential rain, I took my camera out and decided to start getting aquainted with this little domain of ours. So many magical little nooks and crannies to discover. And on Saturday the work began. Some weeding, mowing and tidying up. And much discussion about the practicalities of making our plans a reality.
But in the meantime, I'm quite happy to enjoy this special spot, just as it is.

Amidst the Clouds

2009-02-22T22:54:00.006+11:00

There is a secret hidden place that rests amid the clouds. We follow the winding roads, through the tangled bush, upwards and round and through and somewhere we take a step out of this world into a magical place. The air is softer, life is gentler, and for a moment, time stands still.

It seemed only fitting on what may be her last visit with us, that I take my Grandmother here. Her ninetieth birthday inches weeks away, yet her eyes are so bright, her mind sharp as a nail, her hold firm and strong. As we walk the unsteady path this proud strong woman takes my hand, and I know it is not so much that she needs my help, but that we must connect, in this moment, together. For the first time I really see in her all that I am, I understand how we are all intrinsically connected, held together by silvery threads that make us all one somehow. I am grateful. So grateful for this woman. And when she is gone, I know I will find her, here in our secret place, amidst the clouds.

Crunchy Apples and Soggy Boots

2009-02-21T22:06:00.005+11:00

A weekend trip to the orchards. We picked apples galore, peaches and pears. Braved the rain as we trudged about in our gumboots. A beautiful day.

Oh and these aren't "real" polaroids (although I am seriously eyeing a polaroid camera off) I ran my shots through this fun little toy.

Love...

2009-02-20T20:57:00.002+11:00

...mornings where little men can't wait to get outside to play, jammies and all. This morning consisted of painting feet and hopscotch on the footpath.

Some more family

2009-02-20T08:35:00.005+11:00

Thanks everyone for your sweet comments about my brother's wedding. All the pictures I'm posting are just some fun ones I took. My super talented sister-in-law Sally was the professional on the day, she took some amazing photos that you can have a peek at on her photography blog here. I'm still a bit in post wedding mode, catching up on things, recovering from a nasty cough and trying to spend some time with family before they fly home. So here are just some pics of some of us hanging around while the gorgeous bride and groom strutted their stuff.My beautiful sister-in-law Nichole who is only a few weeks away from welcoming her second bub to the world.

Me and my brothers. Having two sons isn't such a big deal for me, I'm used to being surrounded by boys.

My gorgeous cousin Demi who came all the way from Perth. Ashton is besotted with Demi now, very devasted that she left on one of those big planes the other day.

Sally who was such a trooper all day. She had to deal with torrential rain and morning sickness, I imagine she must have crashed in exhaustion at the end of the day.

My Mum and Dad. Dad has headed back to Abu Dhabi already and Mum is in the process of packing up the house to join him. But we try not to think about all that!

My neice Layne with her cheeky grin, right before she did somersaults across the temple lawn, she is too cute!

And my brother Glen with his little man Jared. Don't you just want to nibble on Jared's chubby dimpled cheeks, I do!

Have a great day everyone!

Family Time

2009-02-14T09:38:00.006+11:00

This past week we have had family flying in from all over the world. A 90th and 60th Birthday party for my Grandma and Dad. And lots of last minute preparations, all culminating in the beautiful wedding day of my brother to his gorgeous bride. My heart feels full from all of this wonderful family time, so for now, just some photos from a very special day.

How to Help

2009-02-11T21:19:00.003+11:00

Whenever a tragedy strikes, I always feel overwhelmed by a desire to help but then equally overwhelmed by not knowing where to start or how my little efforts can even make a difference. The devastation in Victoria is beyond comprehension to me and my heart aches for all the people who have suffered and are suffering right now because of it. So when I was picking something up at Coles today and they asked if I'd like to donate to the Red Cross appeal, I excitedly said yes, because that's a first step, that's somewhere to start from. Here's a bit of a list of other things that we can do to help, for anyone feeling as equally overwhelmed as me.

For all you talented craftsters out there (and the rest of us who love buying their beautiful work) there is a handmade auction taking shape here. There's also a wonderful list of ideas here
including donating handmade items directly to the victims.

Do your weekly grocery shop this Friday at Coles, they are donating all profits directly to the Red Cross appeal, or just make a donation next time you're in there.

Donate blood. For many burn victims, that donation of blood is crucial. The Red Cross has had an influx of donors the past few days but will need donations for the weeks ahead, so register your interest and they'll let you know when you can help.

And pray. For me, that always feels like the most powerful thing I can do.

Foody Inspiration

2009-02-10T19:41:00.003+11:00

How great are all the inspiring foody spots out there on the web? While I love our collection of recipe books, food magazines and family recipes that permanently reside in our kitchen, I'm finding a couple of websites are becoming my permanent go-to for recipes these days.

We buy our fruit and veg in bulk direct from the wholesale markets and split it up amongst a little co-op we've organised. So I find myself cooking more and more by what I have on hand at home rather than heading off to the grocery shop with a set list in mind. I love that I am going to the grocery shop less and less. Anyway, this is where the Taste website is becoming my best friend. It is a compilation of all my favourite Aussie foody magazines, categorised, rated, with lots of useful comments and tips added by people who've tried the recipe out. Today I was dealing with an oversupply of carrots, so I type it into the search engine and get a bunch of recipes based around carrots. Looking through a few and working out what ingredients I had already on hand resulted in this Carrot Cake for dessert tonight.

Chow is another great website, with lots of recipes to search through, but we mainly visit it for the Obsessives section. These people are literally obsessed with their chosen field of expertise, whether that be making pizza, raising bees or cooking Offal. They impart their wisdom to all the world (with some colourful language at times I have to warn). I find it so fascinating! I'm wanting to start venturing away from using my breadmaker to actually make bread completely from scratch so I've been watching the artisan breadmaking section to get inspired. I'm thinking I should probably give that breadmaking a go tomorrow...Where do you go for inspiration?

Pest Control

2009-02-09T17:52:00.006+11:00

We have ants. Lots and lots and lots of little black, biting, multiplying, infuriating ants. Now to begin with I was happy to leave the ants to themselves. I'm a bit of a pacifist when it comes to bugs, I'm sure we can all just find a way to live together in peace. This is spurred on largely by my abhorrence of chemicals in my home - I would take a fly over fly spray any day, can't stand having all those chemicals floating around in the air in my home. So when I discovered our ant problem when we first moved in I figured as long as I did my part by not tempting the ants with crumbs and unwashed plates around the place, we could surely cohabitate in peace until the weather turned and the rain came and the ants took their exodus for the year.
Then this morning, I discovered the ants had turned guerrilla in their efforts...They'd found the pantry. Now even though there wasn't a crumb in sight, they were trying to dig their way into a bag of sugar, they were swarming around my Tupperware (like they were ever going to get inside those airtight succors) they were on everything! Now even though they hadn't passed my fortifications to reach the food, I knew it would only be a matter of time - I've seen what ants are like when they get like this THEY WILL FIND A WAY TO GET INTO YOUR FOOD OR DIE TRYING! And I'm just not ready to sacrifice a whole pantry worth of food, not even for the sake of peace.

So I let Sam retaliate. Out came the ant rid, luring the little succors in to kill them and all their loved ones. I've been watching them all day, swarming around the sticky substance in droves, thinking they've hit the motherload, oblivious to their dead comrades already strewn along the path to the forbidden fruit.

But I hate having this nasty chemical in my house. Its been stressing me out all day, trying to keep the boys away from it, keeping the food away from it. And I realised today, for all the information I've absorbed over the past 12 months or so while I've been eliminating chemicals from our home, I have barely spared a second to consider chemical free pest control. So please, if you have any tips or tricks share your wisdom in the comments. And I am off on a fact finding mission to make sure when the bugs wage war on me again, I can avoid resorting to another Hiroshima because I've got lots of earth friendly weapons in my arsenal to restore a peaceful balance in my home.

It's in the Details

2009-02-06T22:23:00.010+11:00

We placed a holding deposit on our house without me ever walking through it. I had searched and searched for weeks to no avail. Jostled with tons of other Sydney siders through the quagmire of rental houses that were overpriced, some barely habitable, and found nothing that was right for us. Then one Saturday right before Christmas, Sam popped into an open house I had completely missed in my searching, that we had had no intention of looking at. He called me straight away to tell me he'd found our house. Staring at it from the road outside I knew he was right, I didn't have to go inside to see. The white picket fence, the trees, the porch, it was meant for us. But once I finally got to walk through the house, it was the little unexpected details that made me fall in love with it. The polished wooden floorboards, the detailed ceilings that go on forever. The great big windows that glimpse out to green.
The mantles, all mine for the decorating, not one, but two!
The window in the boys room that opens onto the playroom, so they never have to go out their door, they can just climb on through and play to their hearts content (not so great though when I think they're sleeping when in fact they've just snuck out to play).
Oh and so many other things. The original Hills Hoist, the endless grass and trees and enchanted nooks and crannies in the garden. But most of all I love this little guy. Hyrum and I named him Frederick. Freddy the Frog keeps an eye on our outside water supply via our tap, he's a very serious fellow, and not too happy with our water usage of late due to this heatwave. But somehow I think this house wouldn't quite be right without him.

Nesting

2009-02-05T17:25:00.002+11:00

Well, I guess I was a bit ambitious believing that the phone and internet would actually be connected when we were told they would be, but we are now finally all wired up, only a few niggly last boxes are left to be unpacked and I feel all nesty in my new little home.

The quiet and peacefulness of the past few weeks with no phone, no internet and no TV has been lovely and interesting and I feel a bit sad to be invaded by the noise of life again. But mostly I feel ready to throw open the door, as my mind spins with ideas and plans for the year ahead. I love new beginnings.

All Packed

2009-01-16T16:03:00.002+11:00

photo courtesy of flickr.

See you back here in 2 weeks.

Traditions

2009-01-15T21:55:00.007+11:00

This year we gave smashing Santa to smithereens a go. Somewhat distressing, yet strangely exciting for the kids, the fact that Santa was filled with lollies probably had something to do with that.

Then a visit from the "real" Santa, who this year chose to wear ugg boots instead of thongs.

And also got an extra special kiss. There are some wedding bells on the horizon for this beautiful girl and my brother in the not too distant future (don't think my brother was too jealous about Santa snuggling up with his fiance, come to think of it, Juzz always seems to disappear around the time Santa turns up...strange that).
Things are always changing with my family. No more Christmas Eve dinners at my parents house for a while as they'll be sizzling away in Abu Dhabi for three years. But the great thing about traditions is - you make 'em, you can change 'em - we're pretty good at adapting.

Brown Paper Packages

2009-01-14T21:02:00.002+11:00

Giving is way more fun than receiving,
especially when Kikki K has 50% off their Christmas wrapping!

Light so bright.

2009-01-13T22:59:00.003+11:00

A beautiful backdrop as the sun sets

for a stroll through shimmering lights.

The Queen's Tree

2009-01-12T20:45:00.001+11:00

I love the Christmas tree in the Queen Victoria Building. Takes my breath away every year.

An Appointment With Santa

2009-01-11T20:19:00.002+11:00

Because we all know the "Real" Santa is at Myer in the city right?

The month that was...

2009-01-10T16:27:00.003+11:00

I've been taking a bit of an unplanned for break here on the blogging front. December has flown by but not in the way I had anticipated and now I find myself in the process of sorting through 5 and a half years worth of stuff in preparation for moving into a new house. Amidst the chaos of the past few weeks I've missed stopping by my little blog, so with the intention of getting back into the swing of things and to show that Christmas and summer fun did still find their way to our home, inspite of everything else going on, I thought I'd post a bit of a "best of" series over the upcoming days of pics of some of my favourite shots from the last few weeks. Hopefully, in the next week or two I'll be back to normal blogging (with hopefully some shots of our new house which I am sooo excited about), but until then hope you enjoy the pictures.

Serious?

2008-11-27T06:54:00.006+11:00

We've been having a lot of discussion in our house about honesty lately. Especially for this little man who seems to think you can say anything as long as at some point its followed by a "I'm only joking". But because he sees the truth as a pretty fluid thing he is starting to wonder how much of what everyone else says is true or "just jokes".
So a statement I hear over and over again most days is "Are you serious Mummy?". This could be in response to anything, "time for lunch", "we need to leave for swimming now," "ouch I just stubbed my toe." I've never had anyone question my seriousness so much before in my life!
Yesterday as Hyrum asked if he could have a sleepover at his grandparents house after they'd been away for a few weeks, we asked the mandatory "will you be good?" His response in very sombre tones "yes Daddy. I'm VERRRY serious."

This was followed by an equally sombre "Now goodbye Daddy."

Guess that's our cue to leave this not so little anymore little man to his fun
and a bit of seriousness practicing.

Today. In my Garden.

2008-11-25T17:13:00.008+11:00

I found. a neglected basket of long forgotten strawberries, repurposed by the birds to build their nests.
. a fence, worn and straining under pressure.

. a contented kitty, dozing in the sun.

. discarded shells from an afternoon of splashing fun.

.and brothers.

.being brothers.

I have eyelash envy...

2008-11-11T14:30:00.004+11:00

... of this little man. Every time I put on mascara I think of these lashes and wonder where they came from because it certainly wasn't from me!

So this is how Halloween went down...

2008-11-04T14:19:00.011+11:00

All dressed up and ready to go. For those of you unversed in the world of young (and not so young) male super heroes, this is Ben Tennyson, affectionately known as Ben 10.

Notice the look. We call that the "Stare Bear" look, Hyrum gets that from me. Sign of brilliance really, when the mind is just too busy for the face to register.

Bit of a photo shoot. Me encouraging "now stand like Ben 10". Apparently this is it. Me - "Ok, stop standing like Ben 10 already, I think 20 pictures of you standing like this is enough!"

Ashton doing his best impression of looking like a puppy dog. Actually, this is his look a lot of the time, it serves him well those puppy dog eyes, you should see the free stuff he gets from the Deli ladies at the shops just by flashing that look.

Ben out with his peeps, Stephanie from Lazy Town and Spiderman.

And our little puppy dog, working so hard to keep up.

Surveying the loot at the end of the night.

And now that Halloween is done and dusted, can you say Christmas Prep?!

Who Says Aussies Don't Celebrate Halloween?

2008-11-04T14:15:00.002+11:00

At least there are some little pockets of Halloween fanfare around here. We had so much fun on Friday out trick or treating. Will be back soon with some pictures of the fun, in the meantime enjoy these spooky images of some neighbours who definately know how to make an effort.