E I E I Oh my stars I love this place

We arrived up here late yesterday afternoon after a very long drive from the south coast. I am instantly on holidays when I get here. Hot summery weather, swims in the pool, fresh country air, fabulous company, happy children and a relaxed Mama.

Don't you just love a spot of poolside reading post swim?

I can't quite believe that we are here, at the end of the year. There is something so nice about being back here - we were here on the first day of the year and now here we are at the very last. What a year it's been for our little family. When I think about it all in my head it goes a little something like this...

: Maternity leave
: Backyard fix up
: Trip to Fiji
: A certain TV series goes to air
: Back to work
: A very sick little baby
: A very stressed out Mama
: Seeds planted about change
: A huge life change
: Moving on
: Moving in
: Settling down

As far as years go, I am pretty certain that we won't have another one like this for a while. It's been filled with the both the best days of my life, and some of the worst. I am grateful beyond words for the opportunities that have been given to us this year from our family, and from especially from Rob. I am so glad that he humoured me and let me call that real estate agent back in July. I am grateful for the family dinners and lunches hosted in our beautiful new house, for the time spent with good friends. I am grateful that everyone in my life who I love are healthy. And well. And in my life. I am amazed by my girls - what they are learning, what they are growing up to be. I am in love with my husband. I am inspired by what he does with his work and what he is planning to do in the future. I am very much looking forward to spending some more time together as a couple in the new year, and not so much side my side in the trenches as tends to happen when you are raising a babe in the first year of their lives.

I am nervous and excited about the year ahead. I know it will bring more adjustment and settling in and creating our life. Our country life. I can't wait for the visitors, the trips, the quiet time, the autumn and the winter. For new friends. For trips to Bali. For WEDDINGS! I don't really go for resolutions usually...more like hopes, wishes, dreams for the year ahead - daydreams and or scenes that I make up in my mind and play out. So, these are my snapshot scenes for 2011...

: A healthier me. I envisage a fit, strong Beth running through the streets of our quiet village through rain, hail or even snow and loving how it makes me feel. I have fabulous running gear on and an Ipod (Note to self: purchase fabulous running gear and Ipod).

: A certain wedding in March. Walking down in front of my little sister (looking fabulous of course) and watching her marry the man she loves. There is something so very special about seeing your sibling commit to the person they love. Saying this is it. I do. I just about can't wait for this. The lead up. The event. The ever after...!

: Waking up on holidays with Rob with no children. Sitting by a pool, reading. Drinking cocktails at lunch, because I can. Going to bed and knowing I won't be woken up by anyone small. Note I am looking extra fabulous on this holiday due to preparation of above 2 points.

: Making a proper friend. Who is female. In real life. And who lives nearby. Who thinks I am fabulous and gets me and doesn't panic when I say something like "Oh for fucks sake can the children just go away already?" If she also had a snow lodge that would be great because I have never been to the snow and would quite fancy a little weekend away in a snow lodge. Also it would give me a chance to run in the snow (see point 1 above).

Most of all I hope that each and every day when I open up my laptop that there is the occasional comment in there for me. Honestly, they make my day. I love knowing that someone out there is reading what I have to say, seeing my photos and encouraging me (except for you Mr Anonymous) it has made the whole move to somewhere where I know no one all the easier. So thank you. I look forward to sharing it all with you along the way.

Now. Where is my drink?! Cheers!

Happy holidays indeed

We wound up the first week of our Christmas holidays yesterday - our beachy, family week, and what a week it was! We ate. Oh my stars we ate. Each night one of the couples were in charge of dinner - gourmet lamb burgers, seafood delights, bbq's, pasta platters or an American BBQ extravaganza! The drinking wasn't far behind the obscener consumption of food. 11am? Time for a Prosecco certainly! Lunch time prawns? Well that calls for some ice cold chilled pinot grigio does it not?! 5pm? Hendricks & tonic water please! You get the general idea.

The kids had the best. time. ever. Honestly. Each and every time I felt exhausted, or over the small living space, or dirty floors, or doors that had no privacy whatsoever (honestly why is it so hard to have closed doors and not open louvres?) I just had to look at the kids and see the fun that they were having and it was all OK again. They swam together, ate together, laughed together, watched movies together and very rarely fought together. They were kind to each other. Encouraging to each other. It was so nice to see and something that I will always remember. The effect of having all these older kids around Daisy has had the most remarkable change in her. She has grown up SO much. The pull ups she was still wearing to bed? Gone. The pool and swimming that she was wary of? No more! The vocabulary? Through the roof. The general behaviour? Just better. Somehow. The adults didn't do too badly either - my poor little sis that hasn't started having kids was well and truly overwhelmed by all that noise - but we still managed to not have any dramas, no arguments (that I was aware of anyway) and speaking for myself, I can say it was some of the loveliest time I have had with all my family in a long time.

I'm not sure when or if we will ever do it again. But I sure am glad that we gave it a try.

De. Compress.

Taking the kids away from each other for a little while is essential for some rest for those under 4 and for the adults over 30 who need to get some {semi} peace and quiet.

Yesterday we ducked up here for some fresh air. A view. And to clear the heads for a few hours at least. I felt like such a family stopping off at a look out, making the kids get out, and then taking photos. My parenting has come full circle and I can now officially call myself a daggy mother.

Christmas crafting

There are 8 very excited small people around here that we need to keep busy. All. The. Time. Grandma is coming into her element with {literally} a very large bag of tricks. This morning we had the unveiling of the journal for the recording of the Christmas memories. For the little ones that can't write yet, they have to draw pictures. Each day they have written/drawn down a little something that they thought was the memory of the day. They are taking it all very seriously - making sure they all do it at the same time, and when finished returned to the ends of their beds. Hilarious. And delightful.

Holiday heaven

Oh we are having a good old time down here. The kids are NON STOP. Honestly, they just don't stop  from 6am until 7pm, and it's fabulous and exhausting for all of us. The nights have been less than ideal (I'm looking at you Harper Lucy) but generally we are having a great time, making memories that we (and the kids) will have forever.

The few precious memories that the adults get to ourselves without any interruptions are generally between 7.30 or 8pm and say about 10pm (again Harper, looking at you) and we have taken ourselves to the spot in the house and the furthermost from the children because did you know that if a child calls out and there's no one to hear then they didn't even call at all...or something?!

It's magic to be by the sea, having a few drinks, a few laughs and a natter with my family.

Have yourself...

A merry little Christmas! From all of us here, to you. Have a wonderful day with friends or family. I am feeling blessed. Grateful. Lucky. And very, very happy.

Happy Holidays

We are here. In. Day one. Children in bed sleeping {for the minute}. Wine drank. Dinner eaten. Food in the cupboard. Fruit in the bowl and booze {plenty of it} on ice and in the cupboard.

It's going to be a week. Who knows just how crazy. How exciting. How fabulous.

But somehow I think it's going to be quite a lot of fun.

Christmas cows

Because we are heading down the mountain to the coast on the morrow I got to give Rob his Christmas present today. Mostly because we weren't going to be around to pick it up from the gallery and also because we couldn't take it on holidays with us. But yay! A present a wee bit early!

What do you think? I love it for many reasons. I have been wanting to get some yellow into the room for some time and this does just that. Ever since we have moved here, each and every time we get in the car the first person to spot a cow says "Cow!" And on any given trip that happens at least 5 times. And it's from a local gallery about 5 minutes away. AND it's from a local artist who lives about 10 minutes away. And it's art. And I love art. A proper painty painting that smells of oil paint.

He liked it too.

Now every time we walk into the lounge room we hear "COW!"