Two of my best gifts this year were a bushwalking guide book and a new, wee camera. 

So I have been testing them out – the beauty out there is simply stunning and we have enjoyed the two wonderful walks we have been on so far. 

Just check out these amazing photos – most from my new point and click, a few from my Honey’s digital SLR (I did say to him I was a bit disappointed he took better photos than me (we took the same scenes a few times)…so I will just say it is the difference in the cameras – or it could be he is better than me…???!).

 

 

 

 

 

And our absolute favourite moment – watching a pod of dolphins surfing!  Weren’t we just blessed?!

 

(PS – all of these photos are as the cameras took them (except for some straightening of horizons where needed.  I didn’t need to do anything at all to those colours!).

 

 

 

 

 

I remember lastyear that I wrote we got a Christmas miracle in the form of visiting wild birds.   This year it is Christmas Cannas:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This plant is from my Aunty’s garden and she planted from her mum’s (my grandmother), so these two blooms are so very special to me – a Christmas miracle sent from heaven.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

And since it is within the 12 days of Christmas, I am not late with either greeting :-).

We do hope you enjoyed your celebrations as we did.  Our Christmas Day was full of joy and relaxation – and you can’t ask for more than that!

This year’s Christmas Tree:

 

Isn’t it lovely?!  It needed a bit of re-inforcing to hold its shape, but that is to be expected.

I made new Christmas stockings this year – using a hand crocheted lace tablecloth from my Grandmother’s house – they turned out just as I pictured them :-)

 

Oh, and you might notice an impending hearth upgrade…yep, a few more courses - just so the stockings can be hung at a good height – these things are important you know?!!

This year, we decided to focus on desserts ;-)!! 

They were superbly yum!!  (Made by the eldest, she is a fantastic cook!).  And of course, we would have saved you some…but…

In recompense, I leave you with a Christmas photo of our beautiful Pepper:

Wishing you all the best, from our family to yours!  XX

All I want for Christmas is….

To not pick up any more pavers!!!

Still, can’t complain about the price ;-) – more freebies - for paving up to and around the clothes line…one day…

And we picked them up just in time…Michael has a pretty big cut on his finger now courtesy of the electric sander, so he is out of action for a few days.  

I am very happy that I have always insisted on a full house clean before we put up the Christmas decorations. 

It might have taken a tad longer this year but it sure worked for me with everyone helping and doing such a good job!

Some rooms are still a work in progress of course…but there is red and green and sparkle out in the clean ones already J.

Very happy to have the Santas out and looking forward to choosing our tree soon.

You know I like to try my hand at growing our veges from seed - quite unsuccessfully so far...

So, I reckon one of my challenges is that I don't have a green house to protect them and keep them warm as they start of - so my Honey has built me one!!  :-)

I was expecting a rough knock-together, but I should have known better!  This one is gorgeous, don't you think?

So I have already put it to good use by re-potting the heirloom tomatoes I started last month. 

This year's seed-raising experiment has been to start them off in soil blocks.  I am certainly finding it is easier to keep them moist so hopefully that is a good thing.  They don't seem to have grown any quicker but I do think next year will be the year I get going great guns!!!

So we missed a few weeks of feeling well enough to do much, so there is some catch-up to be done.  It is starting now-ish thankfully J.

We celebrated a belated BOO! in early November.  The kids are keen on Halloween because of the treats, dress-up time and decorating/crafting opportunity – all good things to enjoy.  Since our kids are the only ones on our street we confine our trick or treating to our own front door LOL!  It is still great fun and we were very happy to take advantage of a pupil-free day to do some fun Halloween decorating.

  

You will find almost everything via this post – so much I loved (bat template link, skull print out, jar labels) so I downloaded and enjoyed J.  The kids were very happy to have responsibility for the ink distressing of the labels and bat cutting out.

Some people noted the scariest thing of all in our display – the C – e – l – e- r – y.  My kids knew immediately what it meant though – it gives me the creeps – YUCK, YUCK, YUCK, YUCK, YUCK! 

Each year we love to carve a pumpkin and we have gotten in the habit of trying to carve a famous “Jack”.  It is so much fun – I hope you recognise this year’s inspiration!

 

Ooh, and friendly spider tablecloth inspired by this one J.

Our other yearly tradition is to eat our “Jack” and I was keen to roast the pumpkin seeds and see how yummy they were.  Verdict – yummy seeds J.   This was our very first year of a “proper Halloween pumpkin”, so it was a bit of an unknown how Jack himself would taste.  Verdict – roasted Jack Skellington – yummy too!