"Mum, I'm really happy to be 4"

What she said kinda sums it up.

Months ago Laura asked if her birthday cake could be chocolate with pink icing and strawberries on top, and never changed her request. 

Easy!

She seemed pleased to have a Bruny birthday with family, and friends who came down for the day. The party was the day before her actual birthday, and so when I said happy birthday, she said, "I'm not 4 yet!!" I expected her to say it wasn't the real day, so I asked her when she was going to be 4. She said, "When I have my cake!!"

We had fun giving her a bit of a girly birthday, including giving her a dollhouse...

The birthday tattoo that stayed on for nearly 4 weeks!

Happy birthday Laura!!

Miss him

We're at Bruny, which is a place surrounded my memories of Rudie. 

He is the one who wanted 2 long tables to be able to seat heaps of people. Great idea.

He's the one who put most of the photos on the wall throughout the years. Priceless.

He's the one who put the thick clear plastic covering on those tables which we are constantly telling the kids to keep flat and not put their hands under. Thanks Rudie.

He's the one who decided to put the extension on the deck, perhaps without technically being permitted by council to do so. Shhh...

He's the one who used to be up early on a Saturday morning mowing and chainsawing... Can't say I miss that noise!

Can't help but miss him here...

At Bruny - Rudie holding Laura, Daniel in the background - Dec 2006

The girl's got moves

Too funny... Found these photos on the camera. Looks like they put on their own concert! Gotta love the lighting in the first picture that gives an 80's hairdo look.

Blondes

Hey Daniel, who's the blond chick in your backseat?

4 blondes... (ps. lose the bubble wrap Daniel, it's kinda weird :)

Thanks Ella for coming and spending the weekend with us, your mum and I had a great time! Oh yeah, I'm sure you kids had a ball too... 

School Holidays!!

School holidays = good times

Had I known that the walk to the shop [didn't know it was closed] would be 2+ hours round trip, along the beach, road and rocks, with kids laughing and exploring and being silly and playing in the water, but also tripping, falling, whining... well maybe I would have cut my losses and gone for reading books on the couch. Who knows. But we were feeling relaxed and apparently pretty game, so off we went. So good to make the choice without prior knowledge.

Lead the way Nick

What's a long walk without a good stick?

Swagger Wagon

This goes out to all my SUV-driving friends, yeah...

"And it's true if I were you, I'd be jealous of me"




(credit goes to those who have posted before!)

Boys

Boy #1 on the toilet reading.
Boy #2 learning what boys do at the same time as going to the toilet.
Really, wouldn't you rather read on a comfy couch than the toilet?!!

Passport photos

You gotta love a good passport photo!! This is what the immigration officials will be looking at for the next 5 years.

And a bit more current than this one which is in his passport now...

70 Years. 840 months, of course...

These are my grandparents, married for 70 years today. SEVENTY YEARS! That's a long time. Every morning on the 17th he says "happy [# of months] anniversary". Too cute. Happy anniversary Grandma and Grandpa, I so wish I could have been there to celebrate with everyone.

Friends

It's fun to have out of town friends visiting - they provide motivation to see/do things in the town we live! I'm sure they were cold here, compared with temps in Sydney, but for us it was fabulous weather for mid-May. Annie and Luke, we had such a fun weekend with you, and you were very patient traveling around in our people-mover!!! :)