Day 3

It was another hot day here today and Jonas was busting all day to get in the dam for a swim. Thankfully he didn't have any yabbies nibbling on his toes.

He also flogged me at 'pick up sticks' (several times) and showed off his very clever mathematical skills by adding up his sticks to prove just how significantly he flogged me!

Campbell has been very busy writing stories again and tonight I had to print off three of his latest creations!

We miss you Drew but hope that you enjoyed your day fossicking for quartz crystal and rubies!! I will be looking forward to designing my lovely new ring with all of the gold and gems you will bring home. I am sure that your planned swim in the Bingara Pool was a happy relief from the heat today.

xxxxxx

Day 2

Hi Drew!

We are hoping that the high temperatures didn't interfere with your gold panning riches! Were are expecting you to come home with $millions$. It was hot here today so we assumed it must have been pretty warm in Bingarra. We hope it wasn't too bad and that you may have got a swim. It was so warm here that Joe not only had a swim in the pool, but also in the dam. He said it was warmer than the pool. He also (finally) found a yabbie in the dam today. Not in the trap with the tin of cat food I was instructed to purchase yesterday, but by lifting a rock in the shallows! He was so excited and brought it up to the house to show me and then promptly returned it to the dam so it could grow big enough for a meal. You know Jonas- he is such a foodie!

Kate brought her boys out for a visit today and we have a lovely afternoon together. We made hamburgers for lunch. I made a double batch of rissoles and there is some in the freezer so that we can do it again when you come home- they are BEEF!!!! Of course Campbell wanted all of the extras without the bread- avocado, beetroot, potato salad and coleslaw. We enjoyed the shade of the garden and then the boys had a water fight, followed by a swim. It was the hottest day we have had here so far and we even put the air conditioning on for a little while. 

My Hummus was much better this time! I think you would have loved it. I halved the garlic so it had a little less kick. 

We made some pretty crazy, huge burgers on the barbecue! Really yummy, but a bit too big to manage! I gave up on the bread and just enjoyed the best bits.

We hope you have had an amazing day. Did you read the notes we wrote? Jonas was pretty particular about writing you notes for your first week and I am sure you would enjoy his cute drawings and messages. There are some from all of us- all rather silly in the hope that we make you smile each day and share them with your friends. Campbell's will probably make you laugh more than mine ;)

Much love,

Mum xxx

Barrier Reef trip- day 1.

Don't let the title deceive you- this is not MY Barrier Reef trip. This is all about the experience we have while my beloved middle child is having his reef experience. This is documenting every exciting thing that he misses out on while he is away from us ;) Oh yeah there will be SO much excitement going on around here- make sure you follow along so you don't miss the fun! The truth is, this is my distraction while he is away, because he only left this morning and I feel like I have lost a limb. It's just that it is such a long way for such a long time and we love him so dearly. Our beautiful middle child is totally the glue for our family. He is adored by both older and younger brothers. He is so easy going and, well, just easy. He is just a lovely boy who is kind and thoughtful and clever and creative. So that bit was just for him to read when he gets home so he really does understand how much we are feeling the void tonight and here is our day.....

Dear Drew,

I was so excited for you this morning and also a bit worried about how badly I am going to miss you- also a bit worried about how much Joe will miss you! You are hands down his very best friend EVER and he will be lonely without you. The best bit is that you get to be nobody else but Drew for the next 18 days (OMG really!! 18 days sounds like a few too many days without you). You are not big brother or little brother and the truth is you take on so much responsibility in both of those roles that we are so happy for you to have a bit of a break. You are so thoughtful and helpful and we are so proud of you for that, but now is your time to really be you with your friends. I hope you get to realise how much people like you and your beautiful nature. I hope you get to forge amazing and strong friendships with people who get you. I hope that you make memories that shape your future in the most positive way.

Meanwhile we had lunch with the family today and it felt a bit strange without you. It would have been nice for you to see your cousin Jacob and meet his gorgeous girlfriend, but there will be other opportunities for that. We wandered down to the dam this afternoon with Beth, who dropped in for a lovely visit. We met up with Mick and Gina too and watching the dogs play (bark at each other for a while). A storm passed over and upset Charlie, but we didn't end up getting any rain.

I hope you got to eat one or two of my biscuits today and maybe some potato salad too. I also hope that you and Tom talked away the hours on the bus and that you had some time to read one of the new books I picked for you.

Much love gorgeous boy,
Mum xxxx

PS I will write again tomorrow xx

Transformations.

We have made some pretty big changes to our lives this year. We have slowed down the pace and we are finally catching our breath. I actually have more time to blog now but I have been finding so much other stuff to fill my time instead. This is what has been filling our days lately...

Watching the seasons change. As soon as Spring arrived this tree was buzzing! We could hear it buzzing from many metres away!

Growing massive radishes like this one. This one provided much amusement amongst my silly boys ;)

Noticing the trees transform with the arrival of the warmer weather.

Harvesting peas and eating most of them right there in the garden.

Enjoying long afternoons soaking up the sunshine and playing amongst the trees.

Making candles after sourcing all sorts of gorgeous vintage vessels.

Just a whole lot of growing, baking and creating. 

And a whole lot less busy! 

Cheers to that :)

Thank you Nanna

Thank you Nanna for the handmade clothes. I loved the matching outfits I shared with my cousin- it made us feel like the big kids in our own little club.

Thank you for the home cooking & the recipes you shared. I so admire the love & care you put into everything you made for us and I try to emulate that. 

Thank you for the old glomesh purse filled with shiny coins that you stashed away in the kitchen cupboard so we had holiday spending money. 

Thank you for our school holidays filled with swimming, Lego, trips to the shops, good food, walks to the park & games of tennis on the driveway. There was never time to be bored. 

Thank you for your pride in my achievements & joy in my successes.

Thank you for your stories and sharing your history. What a revelation the day you pulled out your old ration cards & marvelled at my unusual interest in them. I treasure them now. 

Thank you for coming down to Sydney for my 16th birthday party and the homemade sausage rolls & banana cake you brought along. I didn't appreciate it at the time as much as I do now- so extra special thank you for that. 

Thank you for being an example of elegance and style. You always had lippy and a smart outfit for any outing. 

Thank you for loving my husband and always commenting on the wonderful job he does to looking after us. Without you he would never have considered a career in teaching. 

Thank you for all that you do for my boys. I know you are always thinking of them & what they might like. They always appreciate the bingo spoils you stash aside for them. 

Thank you for being the capable, loving & strong presence you have always been in my life. I am grateful beyond words & cannot adequately express my love. You are an amazing role model. 

1,1,1 coconut cake

We have been making this deliciously easy cake quite a bit lately. When I tried to find a link to share with friends there wasn't one exactly right, so this is my own. 

Simple ingredients that are staples in our pantry, no additives, no packet mix, and quick! 

1,1,1,1 cake. 

1 cup coconut

1 cup SR flour

1 cup coconut cream

1 cup sugar 

That's it!! 

I halved the sugar quantity & we thought it was sweet enough once you add icing. It looks prettier with pink icing, but lemon icing is yummy. It also looks lovely baked in a round tin & put on a pretty cake plate for your next tea party. 

This one was made with gluten free flour & is not quite as moist as it usually is, but still tastes lovely. 

I have found similar recipes using plain milk but the coconut cream is so much nicer. You can add a bit of left over coconut cream to the icing too. 

Weekend project- a treehouse!

There has been much discussion about the perfect treehouse location at our new house- finally one was decided upon. So we had a fantastic weekend project to get into action.

Here is a pictorial timeline of the treehouse progress:

Site supervisor with his apprentice.

Of course I can use a drill!!! Few tips from the hubby and I am a pro ;)

Coming together.

A rug for the floor of course. Recycled plastic and great for outdoor use. You can get your own here.

Hmmm downstairs potential- he is considering his options...

Outdoor solar lights and an upcycled light fitting. Views over the veggie patch- who could ask for more?

This garden was completely over-grown when we moved in. Eric has worked hard and discovered beautiful winding paths and the perfect tree!

An old pulley system has been rigged up for important deliveries- supplies, letters, secret codes, cake...

The downstairs area is in the process of being fitted out for a shop.... although still a very practical 'jail' when necessary 

With off street parking options this property is going to attract lots of interest on completion. 

This was the best fun! There is still so much more scope for the imagination- who knows what it will become next weekend.