Family Holiday 2011

Hmmm, yep is really has been a year since the last time I did anything on this poor old blog, so much for New Year's 'resolutions'! Oh well, doesn't mean I can't dro in now and then and upload some of what is happening around here.

It has becoming a family tradition to escape the pre-Christmas mania and go to Albany (in the South of Western Australia) for the week before Christmas. It is usually the first full week of the Summer school holidays too. We chose to be closer to the sea last this time. A lovely quiet bay called Goode Beach. It is a sheltered crescent shape. We went to the beach everyday and had a wonderful time. The girls and I had our opp-shopping /general shopping day while the boys went to Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges. They came back drenched as it decided to rain. We came back with sore feet but lots of 'bargains'!

The first day we were there the kids took down the boogie boards, sand castle toys and water guns. Noah is so funny at the beach he spends the entire time at the water's edge avoiding the waves.

On another day we explored one end of the beach and I took the opportunity to take some shots of my boys while they would stay still long enough for me to do it.

Boys will be boys!

Amy, who is usually the prissy one, allowed Jess to make her into a sand sculpture - a mermaid.

She doesn't look best pleased does she, whether that is because she is half buried in the sand or because this was about the 5th photo I am not sure. The sand at this beach was really cool, white and very fine like icing sugar and it squeaked when you walked on it!

I got to opportunity to take some lovely shots of Jess this holiday. Unlike Amy she doesn't mind her photo taken. She won't thank me for putting these photos up but oh well, I am her Mum so she will have to get over it (cruel, I know).

One of my all time favorite photos of Jess.

Several years ago (before the boys were born) we took a photo at the beach of just our footprints in the sand. Two little sets and two larger. I tried on this beach but I couldn't get all of our feet in the frame. So we tried a different way. Problem is I can't figure out who is who! (Apart from Noah and me!)

I have been doing a fair bit of arty stuff lately, my mojo seems to like me right now. There are a fair few pictures so I have decided to save them for a separate post. Coming soon ...

Take care,

Ky

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

Where to start?

     Do you ever feel like so much has happened but when you look back you wonder what?

     It has been 5 months since my last venture into the blogging world and I am sure I must have done something over those months but just what is hard to put my finger on. The kids finished another year at school and stated a new one, we went on holiday to Albany (in Western Australian's Great Southern region), we have had birthdays and anniversaries, Christmas and New Years, settled into a new house and weathered all sorts of personal and outside dramas but when I look back on those months it seems I could have done a whole lot more. I definitely feel that life has taken hold and is running away. My oldest child is in year 11 (my baby!!!) and youngest in year 1 (my baby!!!), my oldest also has her learners permit - eek! Thank goodness she has a Dad that can handle teaching her to drive, he taught me and since Jess is my clone he should be ok. I say should be, the first lesson she almost took out someone's letter box!

     10 year old Josh decided he wanted to see how long his hair would grow over the Summer holidays (6 weeks). "As long as it is cut before we go back to school ." I said. Here are the before and after shots. He has hair like his Dad's in that it grows staright out. It is lovely and soft though not wire like his Dad has. I think I could charge for people to run their hands over his hair once it is freshly cut, it is so soft and has a lovely texture, very theraputic.

  

  

Noah on his first day in Year 1

Hmmm, seem to be having some problems uploading some more photos so I will end this post and start a new one.

See ya in a mo!

Kylie

It's Been How Long?

After far too busy a year I have finally made time to post a quick update, hopefully more to come soon.

In July the family and I planned a trip to Port Douglas in Queensland for my brother-in-law's wedding. Since we were flying almost right past we decided that I would stop by Adelaide to visit my Mum's family with the four children and DH would join us a few days later. Mum was also going to go with the children and I for a quick catch up. All seemed to go to plan until we got on the plane. Did I mention that I hadn't flown for 19 years, I get very travel sick and have constant vertigo? Well, all that combined with an hour on the tarmac due to a fuel discrepency added up to a very sick me. We took so long to get off the plane at Adelaide and down to collect our luggage that the carousel had stopped going round and our bags were the last on there looking very lonely. So the long and the short of it is that I ended up staying in Adelaide with my youngest son while my DH took the other three children up to the wedding without me. A friend recommended a fabulous herbal remedy which helped me make it home and I decided never to travel by plane again. We did have a lovely time while we were in Adelaide though. Below are some photos taken at the Adelaide Zoo, current home for two wonderful Pandas, Funi and WangWang.

Of course the zoo has other animals, like this majestic giraffe ... 

... and who can resist the cute Meerkats.

This Sealion was so funny. It wasn't until we looked closer that we noticed she was sleeping with her tongue hanging out! What was in that fish?

After the older children had left, Noah and I had a great time with my Auntie, Uncle and Mum. More photos at a later date.

Have a great long weekend if you live in West Oz.

Kylie

Are you a Winner?

Well, it is over for another year. I don't know about all of you but I certainly didn't get to go through the whole list. Those I did see though were so varied. Some were not me at all but others I will visit again often and that is what it was all about wasn't it - finding like minded bloggers and exploring the blogging world.

I appreciate all the wonderful comments that were left - I have read each and every one. I wish I could send you all something, even just an email, but I just don't have that kind of time. I do hope you will come back for a visit soon though.

Now, down to business!

Because there were so many comments (over 400!) I have decided to add another item to the giveaway. I haven't decided what it is yet so it will be a suprise on your doorstep or in your letterbox.

The winners are

Saskia from Belgium

Dottie from Pennellville in the US

Christina from Texas (I think) US

Laurie from Colorado US

Congrats to you all!  I have sent you an email so if you don't get it please contact me on the email in the sidebar. If you can email me before Sunday I will be able to send your prizes off on Monday. If I don't hear from you before then I will choose a new recipient on Tuesday.

Have a great night (or day!),
Ky

Hebrews 11:1

OWOH - The Prizes

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!

Thanks to everyone who left a comment.

Winners will be posted and emailed tommorrow.

Well, this crept up on me that is for sure. I had to quickly scramble to find a couple of suitable prizes. Thankfully I had a few completed projects to choose from.

I am really looking forward to this years event, I think it will definitely live up to the theme of a Magic Carpet Ride. So when you have finished here take a look at Lisa's blog for a full list of those involved (including Lisa herself). I know it will be worth the trip.

There are three prizes to go to three different people, it doesn't matter where in the world you are all you have to do is leave a message on this post (and only this one) and you will be in the draw on the 15th of February 2010 to win one. Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you so leave an email addy if needed. I will be using my magic Genie lamp (aka - my four children) to help me with choosing the winners and I will let you know if you are a winner by personal email and on a post here.

Prize One - Collaged glass tile pendant with ball chain necklace. The prize won't be the same as this as this is a one off for a Christmas gift but it will be just as nice.

Prize Two - A choice of one of the following sets of earrings. The pearls are freshwater and the crystals are from a repurposed chandelier.

Prize Three - Inspiration Notebook. This tiny little notebook has 25 blank white pages for a quick sketch on the run. Just the right size to slip into you handbag or craft tote.

(approx 10cm x 8cm)

So, TIA for all the lovely things you are going to say (teehee!) and please leave a link to your blog if you have joined in the One World One Heart event as well.

To all the Aussies out there have a great Australia Day tomorrow,

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!!!

Ky

Romans 12:1 KJV