Happy New Year

My family headed out today to celebrate the last day of the year.

Our destination was Old Parliament House Gardens to enjoy peace and serenity, 

blossom and green, a picnic lunch on the lawn.

There we found some favourite flowers

including the above Ringlet Rose which Ess has claimed her favourite this year.

This pretty little Violet

(they will forever remind me of my newest niece now)

We enjoyed a picnic lunch under the trees

 and watched the girls play a few games together

while we tried to keep our baby from rummaging through the picnic basket and esky too dangerously.

My finds include this gorgeous bell flower which I'd love to know more about, perhaps to even grow it in my garden.  Do tell me if you can identify it!

And this delicate single petal rose 'Dainty Bess'.  It is held fondly in the bosom of my memories as my mother grew it in our family home, perhaps it's still there, I must ask her.

I recall it as a favourite of hers.

I couldn't quite understand why as a child.

I saw many more beautiful flowers.

I saw so very many of these decorating our home.

Yet Mum loved it's delicate beauty...

and now, of course, I see exactly what she means.

It's curious that my Ess has already found beauty in a similar rose, 

Ringlet Rose.

As a friend of mine said to me earlier this evening:

"Hope 2012 is full of good things and peaceful hearts, 

lots of love and belly laughs"

Happy New Year.

The Days of Christmas

Agapanthus just bursting into bud in my back garden

How have you been enjoying your 12 days of Christmas?

We have enjoyed:

~ Preparing and tossing out reindeer food for them to forage while we slept.

~ Setting out crocs with carrots also for the reindeer.

It was lovely to watch Ess count the appropriate number of carrots in each pair of shoes

- sorted according to age.

Four in each for my big Ess, two in each for my middle Eee,

and one and a little bit for my baby Jae.

~ Eating delicious meals

~ Watching (and waiting for) glorious sunsets

~ Lazing a little in the garden

Most of our time has been spent at home, together as a family, 

enjoying our visitor (my Dad) and

working on our new house some more.

We have spent much time in the garden

lopping, pruning, removing weed trees (privet and cotoneaster), 

improving soil with gypsum and cow manure,

mulching and planning planting to come very soon.

The most exciting part!

We've also been enjoying rediscovering hidden plants such as this hydrangea which was hidden behind the barbeque, growing towards our neighbour.

The agapanthus are just about to come into bloom to welcome in the new year.

While they are certainly not my favourite bloom and I probably wouldn't have planted them myself, 

I will definitely enjoy the beauty they bestow.

I am baffled to hear about many who have already taken down their Christmas trees.

Certainly Christmas is a time for us to relax a little, be less organised after the rush of preparation, 

to enjoy all there is to enjoy in the wonder and magic of the festive season.

All our Christmas decorations are still adorning our family home, 

we are still enjoying reading Christmas stories occasionally, 

hearing and singing some Christmas music,

and relaxing with family.

Ess is Eight!

As has become tradition for our Ess' birthday, we found a beach to explore.  This one is on the South Coast of NSW.  I really do miss having easy and convenient access to the beach as we did in South Australia.  Indeed I miss South Australian beaches and seaside towns - they are just less developed, less commercial and more rustic.  Nevertheless the girls had fun playing in sand and water.  It was a lovely time.  (I shouldn't be so critical should I after my first trip down this way.  Forgive my pining heart for the home that was :))

First of course, we had to bake, decorate and eat cake.

For as long as I can remember Ess has wanted to have this octopus for her eighth birthday.

Apparently she has "wanted the octopus for ages but it only looked good as an eight".

Indeed it does, I'm sure you'll agree.

I used to bake and decorate for my girl - now Ess is very much involved in the whole process.  I think she really baked the chocolate cake quite independently, now that I think back on it.  She made the icing, coloured it to her liking, and is really keen to learn how to spread it.  It's a tricky job but she'll get there as Mum learns to let go more and let her just try!

This is Broulee Beach.

South Coast, New South Wales.

A nice spot for some beach fun...

and creating a new beach fan in our little baby.

Our New Place: Becoming home

Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest.
~Henry Van Dyke

Sunset viewed from our lounge room window

It has been a whirlwind: these past three months.

Yet we finally made it.

Some old roses discovered under the canopy
 of the weeping cherry.

We have finished the contract,

we have purchased a house, 

we have moved into it,

we are making it home.

Two of my cherubs pruning their natural cubby
 - a weeping cherry.

There are still many, many boxes to unpack, 

things to sort out and decide whether we really need and want.

After having lived in quite meagre situations this year, 

we have a renewed perspective.

A full rainbow viewed to the east - over our backyard.

Yet there are many things we will treasure and hold on to, 

many things we will use once again when we settle.

I am particularly missing knowing where all my craft things are,

so I can easily access my scissors, my fabric, my patterns...

It became a double bow!

As we sort and store, and rejoice in the discovery of things

 we have done without for most of this year, 

we make our home.

Sharing the unpacking days with the children

means little is achieved at once, 

but we make our home together.

Another sunset viewed from our front porch.

So enjoy these picture of the surrounds of our new place,

and if you are ever nearby, do pop in to say Hi!