Let's Try That Again

I just had to share this with you all.

Tonight's sunset taken from the front of the house. Beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful, how about this little fellow? He lives in our garage and, if I am not paying attention, gives me one heck of a fright! He is about 5 inches long, much bigger than any other Gecko I have seen before. I Googled Geckos and found out he is a Barking Gecko.

As I mentioned in my previous post, we have moved house, again! For the last time before the kids leave home I hope. I don't think we have lived in a house longer than 4 years since we got married. These aren't the best photos ever but it gives you an idea. I really love living in Byford and it helps that were are at the end of a cul-de-sac too, makes it more peaceful. We live almost at the top of the Darling Scarp which is a range running along the coast past Perth.

View from the front looking towards the coast.

From the top of the driveway looking down at the back of the house.

Some of our neighbours!!!

The front door (to the left of the photo).

From the driveway looking at the front of the house.

Once again, not the best photo, one of my favorite rooms though - the library - sounds pretty highbrow for the Mells huh?! Originally it was a formal lounge but with 4 kids who uses a formal lounge? So the library it became. Mainly because I have always wanted one, something a little grander than this, more like the old restored building at the WA Museum, now that would be a library and a half! If you have never been there it is 3 stories high (I think) with shelves from floor to ceiling all the way round which can be seen from the bottom floor as it is all open up to the third floor roof. There are spiral staircases in the corners and sliding ladders attached the shelves. I think I could even fill the shelves if I gave it a try!

The shelves we have, though not so grand, I love. They are deep and they all match! Yay! No more mismatched white melamine, no more saggy shelves. We were able to buy them all at the same time from the same supplier, thanks to our insurer who paid us out on a claim we made on our previous house when we have a huge downpouring of rain about a year ago which flooded our back room.

Oops, where did this image come from! Oh well, I can't be bothered moving it so I shall just have to tell you about it. It is a little post it note holder I put together for a friend as part of a gift box I gave her for her birthday. Isn't it funny how things work. I have had this on my desk for about two weeks and didn't seem to be getting any closer to finishing it, it just wasn't working. I needed something pink to compliment the rest of the gifts and thought I would include this. So I sat down while DH was checking his email to quickly finish it. I was furiously pulling things out, inking, glueing and viola! I was happy. It didn't look a thing like how it had started out. I even managed to include some new lace that I had found just that day.

Change of scene once again, literally. A few years ago we decided that the week before Christmas we would take a family holiday to have some peace before the busyness of the season and close off the school year. It had been 4 years since we had been down to Albany and I really wanted to go again. I was fortunate enough to get into a house that I had wanted to stay in 4 years previous. It is called Park Farm Retreat. Here we are the first day giving Enoch, the resident Emu, some oats. They really are quite large, solid birds and I had to laugh when Mum went for her morning walk and was followed by Enoch, she walked (ok, ran!) just a bit faster that was normal for her, sorry Mum but it was just so funny! My Mum has been away with us a couple of times and I think we all enjoyed being together.

He can be so cute sometimes, my boy can. There was a little wooden bridge on the property which you had to cross to go into the paddock. No trolls under there but since Noah had been doing the Three Billies Goat Gruff at school, just the week before, we did have to make sure.

After a morning out in town we came home to a relaxing afternoon playing in the paddock. It was lovely to see the boys playing and happy with each other.

Even Jess got in on the act with some kite flying.

Enoch, looking very majestic.

One of our neighbours in the field, handsome fellow isn't he?

Park Farm Retreat. A gorgeous old farm house, wrap around veranday, polished wooden floors, tin roof, just lovely.

More neighbours. I expected them to be quite noisey but we hardly ever heard them.

More kite flying. A few weeks before we went away I took the kids, my Mum and my niece to the Fremantle Kite Festival at South Beach. Josh begged and begged to get one but I was a bit put off by the price - $25. I know what he is like with delicate things so I feared it wouldn't last long. I am glad now that I did get one as we had so much fun getting it to fly.

The view from my Mum's room.

The room Mum stayed in, very elegant and glamorous.

I this has to have been one of the longest posts I have ever done. Time to get the boys ready for bed. The girls are off with their Dad at our church's youth night. I have been very slack today while I have been putting this together. The boys are both watching tv. Still, it is a Friday and we can all sleep in tomorrow.

Have a great weekend and I hope I get to posting again soon.

Take care,

Kylie