twelve days of christmas :: christmas eve

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Acually, there is a lot of noise and plenty of stirring.  My two babes seem to have missed that it is Christmas Eve and that requires all children in bed early.  They are both putting on quite a performance not going to sleep, cheeky monkey's.
Most uncivilised at this time of night and quite unusual for them both!

Meanwhile in "Santa's Workshop"............the novice elf is hard at work.

twelve days of christmas :: christmas lunch

I have decided that such a small group for Christmas lunch requires a break in tradition.  We will do our best not to become too nostalgic for past ones full of lots of friends and family.  Hence the modern twist to our lunch this Friday.

Two dips, olives and south cape brie

crispy bread and crackers.

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Baked chicken pieces with fetta, lemon and basil.

Almond cous cous.

Green beans in butter.

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Grilled peaches with Marscarpone and Amaretti

Traditional Christmas Pudding with vanilla custard.

twelve days of christmas :: the meaning of christmas

It is so amusing and sometimes mildly annoying when people chatter mindlessly about the Christmas season.

"Are you ready for Christmas?" for instance from the girl at the supermarket.   The guy at the coffee shop near the beach this morning was most vexed and distressed about the whole thing.  Carols in the park interupting the "locals"  parking spots, (Funny that most who attend will be from the area anyhow and his takings will double?)  How very selfish of those annoying, cheery, festive christmas folk!  What do these people really mean and do they even think about the words they utter?

I guess they mean, madly running around the shops and preparing relish, rum balls and ridiculous amounts of food and drink to be consumed in only a few short hours.  Buying gift after gift and frantically going to the stores for "one last time" when the need arises to purchase a reciprical gift for an unexpected giver! 

Don't misunderstand me....I am a big, big fan of christmas gifts and I love to both give and receive.  Our family has tried various noble attempts at forgoing gifts to focus more on the true meaning.........sadly it was a dull Christmas and we decided on a return to gifts the following year.  In fact, there are rumors of excessive presents all round next year as we will all finally be together that day.

This year, as we have two small babies in the house, it will be a quiet day for us.  No fussy lunch, no barrels of bikkies, no eggnog or rumballs.  I have even not sent a single card! 

After all, shouldn't we give freely, love deeply and celebrate daily on this journey of life?

I have realised that this year, the only thing to be ready for, is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, saviour of all who answer his call.


A novel depiction of the real reason we celebrate.

twelve days of christmas :: high tea

Annabelle's Christmas gift

I am not really sure who this gift is more for.....little girl or mama. I am soooo bursting to sit and have a tea party with her. It will be such fun to share that with her and teach her the social institution of a having a "cuppa".

Being invited to have a cup of tea or coffee is not really about the drink. It is simply a way to express things like "I need a chat" or "Let's get to know each other better" or "I miss you" or simply "I like you, lets be friends"

I am a big fan of the cuppa!

My strong warrior :: number one

His name means warrior, he is strong, compassionate and confidant....(he also makes a mean pavlova!) My hopes for him are, that he is warlike in fighting for truth, integrity and freedom in his journey of life,
He is a natural leader and his character shows a young man with such potential and strength....I am so proud to know and love him.

The Felix Files :: mishchief and mayhem

He is heard before he is seen,
A rare moment of standing still,

Charming with his beautiful eyes,

Quite reflection,

Happy Days.......

twelve days of christmas :: a special girl

She is so sweet and gentle,

When she smiles her eyes light up,

She loves a cuddle,

And she knows she is so pretty because her mama tells her so much!

It would be a shame not to share these pretty girl pics.......

twelve days of christmas :: christmas cookies

My very clever son decided to get into the spirit of the season and made some christmas coloured cookies on saturday. He carefully prepared all ingredients and informed me that he needed no help. He has watched lots of MasterChef and has a given himself an alias of "Fat Preston" and thinks himself quite knowledgable in culinary pursuits.

He completed the task from start to finish on his own.

Including collecting ingredients from the local store....well done Lachlan...we all enjoyed the yummy cookies after a walk to the park.

twelve days of christmas :: two turtledoves

Tips to see you through the silly season.........

As much coffee as you can handle,

Some steady words,

and lastly the occassional scream,

twelve days of christmas :: day one........little red shoes

Annabelle is now ready for the festive season with some gorgeous little red "chookleaf" shoes. They are the softest leather and such a lovely colour.

Her sweet little toes curl up when they first go on.....

She looks so very stylish and lovely with her new little shoes....I do love shopping for a little girl...what fun!

Have you ever seen an angel?

I am not about to enter a theological debate as to what consitutes an Angel. The term is used here in my ramblings to describe people who have blessed me in unexpected ways at just the right time.

Number one............There is Ros the lady from number 100 or is it 110? who has taken a fancy to our dog Franklin and walks him every other day. This signals the end of his tiresome boredom expressed through endless barking........thankyou Lord!

Number two............The lady whose name I don't even know from the supermarket. I bumped into her the first time out with two babies alone. The second was the first time out alone after Megan went home. She was full of encouragement and kindness and took the time to chat with me and fuss over my babies.....thankyou again Lord!

Number three..............My sister. At a critical time, she considered her own needs least and mine greater. She gave me the gift of herself and weeks of her time. She saw a need and put aside anything she didn't understand and served our family in love.

Forever will we be grateful....thankyou Lord you know my needs and have blessed me.......xxoo

To market, to market

I can't believe just how quickly the last few weeks has gone. My sister and husband have been with us and I have been utterly blessed to spend some quality, girly, sisterly time with her. We have shopped more in these weeks than I did all of this year. Laughed ourselves silly. Rationalised all our bad habits and shared honestly our deepest emotions. To be understood and appreciated quirks and all, is, I think one of the many treasures of a sister.

Last weekend we took an outing to the market on sandy bay road and picked up a couple of delightful, unique items.

One for our pretty little Annabelle.....



And one for me!
It is such an inspiring market with gorgeous pieces from really talented folk. We are both now motivated to create new things and complete all the unfinished projects buried deep in the back of our cupboards.

One, two, three reasons to smile........

A dear, precious girl

A sweet little boy
A much loved strong and kind young man

Peace

this is one of my favourite psalms........number 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

the simple things

Initially, I struggled to see the bright side of our new "old" car breaking down on monday. I guess I was just not destined to accessorise with a new red leather bag as was the purpose of the outing. To set the scene.........Firstly, I was a little concerned when realising that I had forgotten the baby carrier, no matter we could carry Annabelle. Mildly vexed when I had forgotten my purse and cash, no problem, sister could cover me. I was however by this time, not even surprised on exiting the car (after solving those little challenges) to discover that my car had a leak. Actually to be more accurate, a "lot" of water had leaked from my radiator. It only rains when it pours so naturally this would have to be the week for this to occur....murphy's law or something like that.

There is however, a bright side.........

We broke down behind a fabulous shop with excellent coffee and beautiful shoes on perhaps one of the few days of the year where you can sit outside in Hobart and be just the right amount of warm. Secondly, the RACT man truly was just like Indianna Jones rescuing a damsel in distress. Kind, considerate and not once did he make me feel silly about the car dilemma. He even followed us home to make sure we arrived ok, after helping get the pram in the car and patiently waiting to pack up the babes and bags. My faith that there is good in this world was restored, thank you universe!

Testing..........Testing.......

Something exciting is happening which has all of the household buzzing. Some much loved visitors are arriving from overseas on tuesday. I have been busy baking this morning testing some new culinary delights in preparation for next weeks guests.

Olive & Baby spinach tart with pine nuts......yum....

Hazelnut brownies to go with big scoops of rich vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce.....approved by the boys in the house...... I come from a long line of cooks who "love to love" with food! Sorry folks, the diet will have to start when you leave us.

My daily indulgence

There is one thing that I am completely unashamed to admit complete addiction to..........my first coffee of the morning. When my husband was first discovering the joys and quirks of co-habitation with me, this was, I am sure, quite amusing to him. He wasn't entirely sure why we couldn't go away for the weekend without either packing my morning saviour (I rely heavily on my coffee pot as pictured) or confirming in advance the location of the nearest place to grab and espresso before 7am. He happily obliged my harmless obsession and went along with my requests. I confess I am a coffee snob, very particular about how it is made. I even turn my nose up at the "barista" on sandy bay road. He gives me the mildly frustrated "i know how to make coffee and you are just a mere consumer" when I specify how I like it to be made.
Now my daily routine has changed somewhat. The click, click of my stilletto's along the pavement of collins street has long since faded. I have traded my suits and heels for sneakers and tracksuits. I don't even dare venture into a cafe, too perplexing with two babies crying in harmony to each other.

I do however indulge in coffee made to perfection on my own stove.....two a day....no more....no less. This is the little piece of heaven I savour in rare moment of quiet during the day. My husband is now bursting with confidence as he is now trusted with the task of making the perfect cup. I have taught him the ways of the stove top coffee and he has passed with flying colours. He now understands and appreciates my coffee fixation and am sure is a little addicted himself.

Happy birthday to me.

This was the much desired gift that Mum spoilt me with..............now to find a quiet moment to enjoy....perhaps 2011??

Flowers on the kitchen table at breakfast alongside some lovely blocks of fine chocolate........

He does know me so well.

My birthday dream is for one hour of time alone with my husband to talk about anything except who is changing the nappy, feeding the babies or cleaning up the mess.............I can dream...........but for a slightly more realistic treat......perhaps some takeout and cake...

Grey skies are gonna clear up...put on a happy face.

Waking to the sun on saturday morning had us inspired to get outside and enjoy the day....a welcome relief from weeks indoors. A perfect sunny but crisp Hobart spring morning.

We spent the morning shopping in town....complete with pram, nappy bag, baby carrier and three children following along....what an entourage...... One of these was purchased for an upcoming family birthday.

We went to the wharf and bought fish and chips wrapped in paper cones.

Then we ate at the park and played in the sun.

We delighted in the sunshine and fresh air at the park. The little one ran around enjoying the freedom of outdoors as the big ones chased him.

There was no time to stop to eat as there was too much to see and do.
Then home exhausted for a rest and some quiet time whilst the babies slept.....We thoroughly enjoyed all five minutes of it.....

Still Raining

I can't believe I am wishing away the rain................but seriously it feels like we have only had one nice day all winter and it's now spring! Little Felix is desperate to get oustside for a walk to the park and I could do with some sunshine too.

The thing about the rainy weather though............it really calls for more cake and coffee to keep away the blues. I guess everything has an upside.

Franklin

Introducing our family pet Franklin.........aka Frankfurter or "The Furt".

At a very romantic, warm and fuzzy time early on in the newlywed days we thought it would be great to get a dog....to expand our family at a manageable pace rather than starting off with a baby. We met a lovely welsh springer spaniel on a beach at sunset on the north west coast and were smitten. As fate might have it, some welshie pups were due that month with a breeder in Tasmania!!! Our excitement took over and we paid the deposit, bought the leash and anxiously awaited the arrival of our new family member.

He arrived and howled every night for a week. Jon dutifully woke up and comforted him, whilst I took a less than loving parental approach and tried desperately to ignore his whimpers while being transported back to the early weeks of Lachlan's life as a newborn. He did however settle into being a fairly compliant, trouble free pet. That was until our move into town where he has escaped with more skill than Harry Houdini from our new yard. One advantage to this, has been meeting at least six different neighbours who have returned him on too many occasions to count.

That was until my dear husband attached some lattice to the sides of the house and it seems he can escape no longer..............hooray!! I was (and am sure they were) getting a little tired of greeting the neighbours in my uggboots and pajamas when he was returned early morning or late at night. Peace has returned to our castle........how's the serenity...........

A little ray of sunshine.

A little ray of sunshine has come into the world, a little ray of sunshine in the shape of a girl.

There never was a child so lovely, but her mother was glad to get her to sleep.

A moment of rest for everybody.......


Annabelle is starting to take notice of the world and the people in it.

Outside

Felix exploring.......and getting into mischief.

Felix is very happy when outside. He has used every trick in the book this week to sweet talk Grandma into taking him outdoors................Cute grins, saying "ma", trying to convince her to put his boots on.....he is pretty clever for his size................she is a pushover! Oh how we are all wishing for sunshine and clear skys as the rainy days are not as exciting for big people to go outside............

He is particulary fond of his new blue gumboots and loves to show them off and stomp around ..........

Welcome to the world

Our beautiful girl arrived Monday September 7th. How precious is a little girl to a mother......she is just divine and such a blessing to our family.

In the sheltered simplicity of the first days after a baby is born, one sees again the magical closed circle, the miraculous sense of two people existing only for each other.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Aviator.

Spring is Here..........

Hooray!! Spring is here.......Green grass starts to grow, blossoms start to emerge, the air is a little sweeter. Accually, I love aspects of all the four seasons. It is one of the most amazing benefits of living here, the noticeable change of each season which triggers memories from past seasons, each time the changes begin. I am looking forward to citrus tarts, sunshine on my face during a morning walk, leaving some windows open, the scent of flowers on the breeze. Spring is a happy time for me as it reminds me of the beginnings of the greatest romance of my life, meeting my husband. We became engaged mid spring and married soon after that summer. Our family is in the summer season of life at the moment. It is busy with children, work, various activities and little time for much else. Perhaps the warmer weather will help us enjoy some time outside with the boys to recharge our souls after the wet, dark winter.

Things to do on rainy days.....

It has been raining for days and days and I am a suffering a dose of cabin fever. We did as all the other dutiful parents did yesterday and braved winds, rain and mud to spectate the last soccer match of the season, however most of the week has been indoors for Felix and Mummy. I will miss the weekend sports matches as we have a wonderful, interesting and fun group of parents and children in our teams. We mother's have an unspoken rule that of course we saw every detail of every exciting play our children make. Truth is that most of us don't stop to take a breath from chatting for the hour. You really do catch up on lots of news at the match. It seems a shame to have them encourage and support me through the last nine months of pregnancy only to miss the big event. Lachlan played extremely well and scored the two winning goals and showed great sportsmanship which is so rewarding for me as his mum. I am especially proud that he is a real team player and uses great strategy in his game.

I was sure the rain had moved on when I woke to clear sky and sunshine this morning but alas it was a brief reprise. Today is the due date for our new baby and due to the weather, I decided to do some baking to keep me from wondering and waiting for the moment to arrive. Lemon and Poppyseed are a new variation and the family favourite Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins. There is nothing better than a creamy coffee and fresh muffin while reading the weekend paper. Bliss.....

Special Memories

Next month my grandfather turns 80 years old which I almost don't believe. He is one of the greatest men I know for many reasons and I can't help but reflect on memories and experiences that have included "Grandy". I am the oldest of his seven grandchildren and first called him by "Grandy" as was my limited ability when beginning to talk. Everyone in our family knows him by this name as well as my friends and extended family from other sides. Whenever I see my Grandy, he makes me feel like I was the person he most wanted to see that day. Grandy has a manner that is a blend of gentleness and kindness and humor that is always reassuring to be around. He is tanned with the trademark white sock lines of a man from the land. He works hard and is generous with his time even at this age. He mows lawns for the "old" people....and young for that matter! He paints houses for people who can't themselves. He helps wherever there is a need. A self made man who built a farm and family from humble beginnings. The farm and all that belongs with it is a place I treasure when visiting and hold dear in my heart when thinking about. I remember with great affection the times I have spent at the farm and of staying there for school holidays. We were never in the way and he made everything into a game or fun. He always stopped what he was doing and had time for me or I tagged along. I can't help but shed a tear of happiness and thankfulness when I think about the security, consistency, love and care that this dear man has gifted me with. He is the one person who I always knew (because he told me and still tells me) that he loves me very much. He saw the best in me even at my worst. I treasure most his kindness, gentle and encouraging words and his generous love and care of me. He has put his family above all else and that is a legacy for us to continue. My hope is that I can remember and in turn pass on the legacy that this man has begun in our family to my children and grandchildren. I regret not being able to celebrate with him at his party but with a baby due any day that is just part of the sacrifice of living so far away. Happy Birthday Grandy...xxoo

Patience

I am waiting it seems on so many things.

A baby to arrive, school holidays to start, family to arrive, my dream home, my dream job, twelve hours sleep at the one time, dinner served at a leisurely, civilised pace with cloth napkins and matching plates and polished cutlery, a spotless kitchen and no papers all over the table or toys under the chairs. The children are smiling, my hair and makeup look fabulous and Jon and I engage in lively, cheerful, intelligent conversation (i am just daydreaming, we are all usually just two steps from falling asleep while trying to convince Felix not to throw all his tea on the floor or in his hair, nose, eyes or anywhere else whilst trying to remember if the dog has been fed today).

I know that once these things arrive there will be a list of many more to follow. The list just continues and re-invents itself depending on my current want. Is there another option? We have so many things to be content with now but culture and society urge us on to higher and greater and larger states of wanting, impatience and discontent. We are as a society always waiting and wanting yet no happier than before.

Pause..................

What if i stopped in reflection, counted my blessings, said a prayer of thanks, decided that contentment was a journey worth choosing and pursued that as the most important thing on my list. It is my desire to accept how things are, hope for all that might become, apprecitate all that has been and keep a grateful state of mind for all that I have learned in the waiting.

Dreaming of the Country

Looking at photo's taken on my last trip back home to the country in Queensland has left me feeling somewhat nostalgic. The memories leave me longing for the familiar aspects that seem so deeply ingrained in my thoughts from my growing up years. The smell of the hot sun and dust coating on my skin as I took a walk at the farm to check the crops with my grandparents. The taste of strawberries picked in the heat, still warm from the sun, which taste so sweet and delicious yet at the time I hardly noticed. The ease with which people from the country relate, in good old fashioned hospitality and honesty and integrity. The strong sense of community and belonging which forms when you are born and bred somewhere small. The ability to not take life or one's own importance too seriously. Time has been very kind to me and I remember with affection the great things I gained from the country and the first part of my life. The not so good has gradually faded into a distant and hazy memory. I still dream of a life in the country yet appreciate and enjoy our "city" life we have right now. Who am I kidding, we do after all live in just a big country town. It just comes with water views, fabulous shops, divine restaurants and interesting people, beautiful buildings and many more treasures. We are living the sweet life already.