saturday

Finally, I have a chance to post some photos from our holiday.  All up we drove 2,500 kilometres. 

Checking in

I am sitting outside Phill and Annie's place in Nhill with only the far off bleating of sheep in the background. I wish I could upload some of our photos. The farm, the gold mines, many gorgeous country towns passed through. Not long and we are home and it will be back into the swing of things. School, work... University. I've been able to take some time to reflect on a few things and I look forward to a post where I can get my thoughts down on where I think I am right now and where I want to be headed... And I have a yummy soup recipe to share as well as a great passage of parenting advice from 1980 I believe sums the great task up nicely!

holidays

I'm ready! :)

time to heal, desire time

Tonight has become a night for reflection.  And as we are busying ourselves getting ready for dinner with friends The Unforgettable Fire is playing in the background.  The first song, A Sort of Homecoming is beautiful.
It is my favourite U2 album and this is my favourite U2 song.

Saturday

Nicholas: Darth Vadar put his hand on my shoulder!





plans...

...with pictures.  I am feeling quite lazy so i am going to include a lot of pictures in this post!  So I have plans, to get things back on track.  Over the past couple of weeks I have been listening to thought provoking and inspiring messages and doing daily readings that have helped me see things a bit more clearly.  I've gained perspective.  have I said all this before?  I am sure I have a million times.  We are about to take some time off for a bit of a family road trip.  Which we have needed.  When we get back I need to get a significant program I've been working on at work out of the way and write a couple of reports.  this will take me to mid September which is when I plan to take TWO MONTHS off work!  The juggle has got to me seriously over the past two years and I can see that it hasn't been a positive influence on my family either.  So I plan to get things on an even keel, starting now.  With good eating and rest - a mental and physical pick me up to get things going.

I'm also going to start to focus more on things I enjoy.   Number 1, my husband and kids.  Priority #1.  The people that live under my roof.

Then I've got lots of sewing to catch up on.  I met Jennifer at Sew it Together and she is an amazing spokesperson for Oliver + S patterns!  Let's face it, I have the book, I have the patterns.  Must. Start. Sewing!





And that is not including the other WIPs tucked away around here!!

Then my reading.  I've almost finished this

and am ready to start this.

Not to mention introducing David to my three most favourite Audrey Hepburn movies:
 

Isn't he lucky??!!

Monday

Nicholas spent the morning at the Dinosaur Museum.  He would have been in his element!  Last night he was allowed to stay up past his bedtime and watch a documentary on tv about dinosaurs.   He went to the museum with his cousintoday for their holiday program and saw one of his friends there as well.

I was at work and David and Audrey came for lunch.  And teddy came too!
 

Audrey felt very grown up.  She said to me "We are the girls.  We do girl things.  Da and Nicholas are the boys and they do boy things."  It was a nice day.  :)

Sunday

 Today marked the beginning of school holidays for us. This time we have a bit planned. Nicholas won a family pass to the zoo, and as it was about to expire we used it today. I was a bit apprehensive as the kids have still been sick, but with a perfect Canberra winter day, crisp but with plenty of sunshine off we went.

I love the lion rolling over behind Nicholas, who was much more interested in his wizz fizz!

Audrey and the meercat!

Weekend

Yesterday was the last day of school for the term.  Nicholas had 'crazy hair day' and was also star of the day in his class. 

Today I have two kids home with the flu.  :( Stuffy, snotty noses.  Coughs and generally miserable.  And a mum who is tired from being up and down two evenings straight and days at work in between. I am going to confine them both to bed for most of the day (and have a nap myself) so that they can get on top of this asap 'cause we have lots of fun planned for the school holidays!

I'll also get the Heather bailey book bags finished this weekend - a couple of nights ago, inspired by Kristine at Townmouse I made a hot water bottle cover based on this pattern.  Everything Kristine stitches is so neat.  Mine is a bit rough around the edges, but I love it.  I used scraps of my favourite French General fabric.

I'm overdue a book post and some news about work.  Soon... too tired to think now.  :)