Pre-wedding fun & Dan's birthday

A week in France before the wedding meant lots of hanging out and relaxing. 

At least for us it did, since we weren't the ones getting married!! :)

We stayed here - apartments in an old converted barn.

And had this view, with sunflowers in bloom!

and some of us slept like this (exhausted every night!)

We had a couple dinners like this, at Eugenie's house, where her family hosted us and many others, with large amounts of food! Her dad makes an impressive Paella, I wish I had taken a picture of it!

Dan had a dream of a birthday. 

Uncle Luke found some particularly fun things to do on the day - 

first kayaking around a little city surrounded by river,

...and then we went go-karting! 

Who needs presents when you have a birthday while on holiday in France?! 

I think it was about 10 or 11pm when we finished dinner and sang happy birthday.

Daniel had kind of figured there wouldn't be a candle and cake, so it was a fun surprise.

What a day!

Dan, we love you so much. What a fine young man you are becoming.

Laura got a special treat and got to go to a pottery class with Eugenie's niece. 

Making new friends 

Getting excited about all the wedding and flower girl duties

Trying on shoes, many of them!

Do I like France...or do I love it?!

It's so good being a big cousin

A local summer evening food festival in Eugenie's hometown, St Yrieix la Perche

 

Goodbye St Yrieix (however you say it!)

Thank you for the less than touristy experience of France, it was perfect.

Europe 2015

Long time coming, this post from our July trip. 

I'm not into having to really 'catch up' on my blog, but this trip was worth blogging, and as much as I have slowed my blogging efforts, I really don't want to end just yet. It's such fun to go look back and read stuff, some of which I wouldn't remember otherwise...

Dubai

47 degrees. (that's 116F!!)

What in the world do you do (with kids!) in that kind of heat??

You go inside (shopping mall). 

You find water (water park). 

You go back inside (and up the world's tallest building)!!

The Burj Khalifa, extraordinarily impressive from the outside! 

Going up was definitely a highlight for Daniel, and it was cool (cooler than the temp outside!), 

but honestly I thought the outside was more spectacular.

Such a desert out there!!

London

Cool by comparison, but still warm, especially when we were staying in an apartment on the 3rd story, 87 steps up with no elevator. Wow. Seeing London sights for 2 days was such whirlwind fun. Didn't know what I'd think of London, but I enjoyed the bustling fun of the city. We did all touristy stuff, and the kids loved it. Once we got a replacement pram for our lost one, grrr... we were off!

Chillin' at Buckingham Palace

Stuck in a phone booth.

'Mum, what did you need phone booths for back then?'

 A [fake] Buckinham palace guard.

Kissin on the London Eye

Double Decker bus

 Camera filter fun... the London Eye is huge.

Thank you London for the touristy fun. I hope our pram of 11 years is happy in its new country. Having traveled across the oceans with us countless times, trying to lose us multiple times, it finally succeeded and will most likely live out the rest of its days in the lost baggage cupboard of Heathrow airport!). Farewell. And by the way rogue stroller, your replacement doesn't even compare.

Updated.

Hey Erica, this is for you. My blog. Officially updated!!

(but just quietly I think you should encourage your mom and Aunt Jill to update theirs, as their last blog posts are older than mine. just sayin...)

Eugenie et Luke!!!

What a trip, what a wedding, what a couple.

They're just a little bit too good looking, don't you think?!! 

What a wonderful wedding day, it was a spectacular setting, full of color and fun, all the way from 11am till 5am the next morning! We left at 2am, but most did not! The kids lasted the whole way, except the youngest, who happily fell asleep in the corner...

Congratulations on the best day of your lives!

Sweet flower girls!

Josh must have thought she was pretty cute, 

he brought her flowers!

Cousins looking spiffy

And my boys, though still in shorts, 

are looking clean, and in button up shirts no less!

Hey princess, is that your prince behind you?

A whole lot of family! 

And, you know, getting a photo next to an old castle cause that's what you do.

This was the reception venue!

Pretty awesome really.

First kid birthday of the year

It is so tricky to have one day that you look forward to for SOOO long, and then it's over before you know it. A day just isn't long enough for some things. But I can't quite bring myself to do what a friend of mine does: 'birthday week' for everyone. Sheesh! But Laura did get birthday breakfast, party with friends, a friend over to play afterwards, birthday dinner, and even birthday lunch the next day with Oma and Papa at the Pancake Train! And her pocket money went up this year, so no complaints from her, she went to bed smiling. 

How I love this girl. 

Homemade egg mcmuffins. 

Beats McD hands down!

We did something different this year, and for this I did take a page out of a friend's book: having a book exchange instead of presents. We saw a friend do it, and Laura liked the idea, so everyone brought a book, and went home with a new one!

Choc pudding made by dad for her 'cake' - thumbs up for that!

Only 1 more year till double digits, wow wow...

Life just goes and goes

A cute nephew to hold. 

Kids learn quickly how best to get each parent's attention!

She loves loves loves dressing up!

This is the newest thing, "I wash up?!"

I knew all those cardboardy things I've kept for so long 

would be useful one day - we made a big castle!

This boy got an "Aussie of the Month" award for his initiative at school 

to fundraise for a school in India that he visited. 

Everyone at school supported it so enthusiastically, 

some kids came and gave all the money in their piggybanks!

Compassion is priceless.

Just a normal Saturday afternoon hanging around on the 

velcro wall at the newest local playcentre - too cool!

...too much technology you think?

This book has been a favorite through toilet training.

I can read it with my eyes closed, 

and she can nearly recite the whole thing too...

Monkey faces!

I really love rainbows. Never tire of them, 

especially when we're virtually driving under one!

(Dan took the picture)

Breakfast in bed for the dog?? Sure, why not.

He's decided he's not a morning dog. 

That suits us.

Dogs have favourite soft toys too!

I'm full with living beings to care for constantly.

But I'm also full with gratitude for those beings.

I've been letting the fullness of responsibility outweigh the fullness of gratitude.

Here's to switching that around.

Oh and did I mention I have 2 cute little nephews??