The Spice of Life

A weekend away

On Friday afternoon at 2.00 pm we jumped in the car and headed to Halls Gap. We'd been looking forward to this 'mini holiday' for a while. A mini holiday is what we like to call it. It's only a few days away but it's still enough time to relax, explore and spend time together.

We'd been to Halls Gap for a night way back in 2006. It was not long after that trip that bush fires raged through the region. They had more bush fires around the southern entrance to the Grampians this year during Black Saturday. It was very evident but still very beautiful. It was amazing to see the vegiation had started to regenerate.

 

Sites like this were common; a burnt log or tree stump surrounded by new growth.

We spent the weekend, going for walks, wondering the town and visiting a Wildlife Park. And because it was AFL grandfinal weekend, we took some time out to sit in front of the TV. 

 

 

   

It was cold, it was wet, it was raining and it was glorous. All that rain meant the waterfalls were raging and they looked amazing - such a sight.

 

From garden to plate

It seems the meals I enjoy the most are ones made from fresh home grown produce. The winter crop of veggies that I planted a few months back are now ready to eat and it has been a joy to go out to the garden and pick a basket full of fresh food.

 

This basket of yumminess was used to make Chicken Noodle Soup. It is my girl's favourite soup and a recipe that my dad taught me to cook. It's also about the only time I can get my girls to eat leeks, spring onions and celery.

I don't think I've ever shared a recipe on here before but I thought I'd share this one.

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 500g chicken diced (breast or thigh fillets)
• 2 leeks sliced
• 2 spring onions sliced
• 2 - 3 sticks of celery sliced
• 1 - 2 carrots peeled and diced
• a hand full of spinach or sliverbeet trimmed and shredded
• fresh or dried parsley and thyme
• 2 liters of chicken stock
• 1 packet of dried noodles (2 minute noodles work well)

Bring chicken stock to a slow boil, add chicken and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Add all your veggies and herbs and simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes till tender. Break your noodles up into small pieces and add to soup. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes until noodles are soft. If it needs more liquid add some water or some more stock.

Bath time girls

I need to vent. I'm feeling cranky and disgusted and disturbed.

Over the last few months I have noticed a few site referals from Google Images. Curious about what images people might be googling, I've followed a few of the links only to find that the search term was 'bath time girls'. I'm totally disgusted.

Some sick prick has clicked on this photo from this post about Jaime's birthday party from last year and hoped to get  an eyefull of girls in the bath. Instead anyone that clicks on the image, gets taken to a blog post about a young girl's birthday party, her fabulous cake and my insecurities about my house! I don't think I have posted a naked picture on this blog and I certainly don't feel as though I have disclosed too much about our location or address to make me feel uncomfortable. BUT the thought that there are people (and I am going to assume they are men) hoping to hit the jackpot by clicking on a photo of my baby girls leaves me disturbed.

Now I know that having a personal blog comes with certain risks; I'm willing to accept that. And I now that clicking on this particular image is not going to provide a pervert with the gratification that he was hopeing for.

It is however, a wake up call to anyone that shares personal photos on their blog.

Miss Birthday Girl, Gappy and Fang

Miss Charlee opening one of her presents!!

 

It's all about the paper!

 

Having a chat on the phone. Since Greg has been working away, we spend a lot of time on the phone to him. Charlee will put her hand up to her ear when we say "where is Daddy"?. At a year she knows all about phones!

 

Charlee's super cute birthday cupcakes.

 

My other two cuties, Gappy and Fang!! Jaime has been missing her top tooth since before November. We are waiting ever so patiently impatiently for it grow back. Ash lost her first top tooth two weeks ago on a Sunday. On the Monday Jaime head butted Ash and made her other not so loose tooth very loose. Jaime then lost (I think it was more forced out)one of her teeth that night at bed time. Tuesday night, Ash's now very wobbley tooth came out. The tooth fairy was very very busy those three days.

Look who turned one today

 

Miss Charlee Ava is now 1. It has been a bitter sweet day today. I'm not ready for my last little baby to grow up.

We are going to have some family over on the weekend to share cake and help celebrate, so today was a very quiet affair.

More than anything I am amazed how quickly this last year has gone! We have truly treasured each and every moment we have shared with miss Charlee. It has been so beautiful seeing Charlee bond with her sisters and watching them develop their own special relationships. Having two big sisters around means we are never short of excitement when Charlee reaches a new milestone or learns something new. Having the age gap between our two big girls and Charlee has changed the dynamic of raising a new baby. There is so much more to share and so much more witness.

For the last month or so we have been watching her walk her away around the furniture, getting more confident and bold with everything she is trying to do. We now find ourselves holding our breath as we watch her let go and think about taking those first steps independently. Any day now and she will be off and once that happens, nothing in our house will be safe!!

Charlee is trying so hard to communicate and loves to say words beginning with B. They all sound pretty much the same but each 'B' has a different meaning:

• Bear (her favourite soft toy)

• Banana (her favourite food)

• Bath (her favourite thing to do)

• Button (something she is quite facinated with)

She is a big baby and is now over 12kgs. Exactly how much over I'm not sure. I need to get her weighed and measured. She is wearing size 1 to 2 clothing and wears a size 4 shoe. Charlee has a healthy appatite. There isn't much she wont eat - brussel sprouts and sausages are the only things that come to mind.

Charlee loves to play peek-a-boo and round and round the garden. She is ticklish everywhere and loves to have her hair brushed. She loves to clap her hands when she is excited or happy and keeps us laughing with her funny faces and weird noises.

Happy Birthday Miss Charlee!

A catch up

Now that I have the last two posts out of the way, it's time for a catch up.

• My sis came down from Brissy and stayed for a week. It was great to catch up and laugh and tell jokes and relax and just enjoy being with her again.
• My birthday was nice. Vivi cooked me breakfast before we all went to the nursery to get some plants for me front garden.
• Easter was filled with chocolate, family and more chocolate. Easter bunny left bunny dust prints on the back patio and the the girls where pretty excited until Jaime sniffed the dust and said 'hey this is baby powder!"
• Greg came home at the end of April for a week and it was so nice to see him. He is now back in the NT and we're half way through the next three week stint.
• I had a great two weeks off work during the school holidays, but I'm now back, with a huge pile of assessments to mark and two large external classes to organise!
• Greg bought me a Cuttlebug for my birthday/mother's day present. YAYY!! I then spent hours on the net sourcing some nestabilities and some embossing folders.

Here are some photo's I took on Easter morning

 

 

Some published pages, my sis and my birthday

I wanted to share some pages I've had published recently.

 

This one was created over a year ago and was picked up for publication in issue 63 or Scrapbook Creations. I liked it a year ago, now I'm not so sure.

 

This is one of my entries for last years colour comp for Scrapbook Creations. You can see it in issue 64.

Tomorrow my sis get's here. I'm looking forward to the visit. We don't see each other that much - maybe once or twice a year, so her visits are always so very special. The kids have a large list of things they and their Aunty 'Wivi' are going to do and Viv has a large list of things I 'must' cook for her. It should be good.

On Saturday it is my birthday. I have nothing planned and don't expect we'll be doing much. I turn 29 - just one year off the big 30 (it doesn't sound bad when I say that). I used to (way back when I was a teenager) freak out at the thought of being in my 30's; now I'm looking forward to it. When I was younger, right up until a few years ago, I used to get super excited about my birthday, well birthdays in general. I still get excited about the kids birthdays but mine just don't seem so special anymore. I don't get that feeling of expectation and suspension at what I might get, or what we might be doing.

I hope you all have a happy Easter - what ever it might mean to you and yours. In our house it is a day spent worshiping the wonder that is chocolate. There can never be too much chocolate in the world.

Adelaide, Alice Springs and a dare or two

Life is spinning by so very quickly. I work a few days, do some house work, create a few things and all of a sudden two weeks have sped on by!

We spent last weekend in Adelaide for an engagement party and some retail therapy. It was a nice break and it was great to catch up with friends! We also did the obligatory visit to the Zoo for the kids this time we went to the Mueseum as well.

We got back Monday afternoon and Greg flew out to Alice Springs on Wednesday morning for the first stint working in the NT again. We are back to three weeks on, one week off. It all comes down to that work life balance doesn't it? Trying to the find the balance between work, money and family so that it all works the way you want it to.

Squeeze into this hectic week, two days of work for me and some scrapping deadlines and I am just catching my breath. Bring on the weekend!!!

Being the first Friday of the month it is time for new challenges at How Dare You and One Little Aussie Word. 

Before I go on, I want to say goodbye to Sanderjin and Sarah from Aussie Dares. Both of these girls have left me breathless with their creations and I'll miss seeing them on the dares site.

So the theme for this month at Aussie Dares is LIFE. Our prompt from Rebecca was 'life, death and everything in between', so I chose to create a page on the birth Charlee. I have created quite a few pages of Charlee since she was born but none that recorded those important first statistics that we like to remember. The soft pattern and pastel colours of Basic Grey’s Porcelain range suited perfectly.

 
'NOW' is this months word at One Little Aussie Word.

This page is reflection on how much and how quickly Ash has grown. It doesn't seem like that long ago that she was sitting in that swing waiting to be pushed - in fact it wasn't long after that photo was taken that she gave up waiting and learnt to swing herself! This page is right up there with my all time favourites. I have been inspired lately by Renee and her incorporation of circular shapes in her work. I have created a few in recent weeks and am liking the effect.

At peace...

Dad was laid to rest on Monday, in Alice Springs. He is now at peace with our mum.

It has been a totally exhausting two weeks - very emotional. In going through his belongings, Viv and I were able to think and remember and talk and laugh. It was good.

I want to thank every one for their thoughts and kinds words of sympathy. It has meant a lot to me.

Rest in peace dear Dad

Today we are mourning the loss of my father. His death was not expected and we are all in a great deal of shock.

This is a very personal journey that we are going through right now yet I am choosing to document it publicly. I want to be able to record my thoughts and feelings about Dad and about our journey that we have just begun.

We have had so many ups and downs with our Dad but I choose to remember him for the loving father and grandfather that he was. He was a man with a wicked sense of humour and he knew how to make fun of himself. He was a man that would be there to help with out a hesitation and he gave his family so much of his time and attention. He will be missed so very much.

My big girls will no longer have their special Poppy Days and little Charlee will not grow up to know him. This makes me very sad.