Photo Favourites!!

Saturday is such a great day isn't it? It's one whole day filled to the brim with wonder and promise. "What are we going to today?"  And rather than get all serious on a Saturday, I thought I would put up a few of my latest photos that I consider my favourite.  Actually I probably should call them my favourite favourites because the in the former group there are way too many and if I used them all I more than likely would bore you to tears.

So here we go. In no particular order.

 

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Family Bush Walk...

  

I still get such a kick out of my kids wanting to hold my hand while we walk. (OK so the boys not so much). It warms my heart.

 

And they all belong to me.  LOVING this photo!!

 

So big so fast!

 

We are presently totally obsessed with puzzles around here and large ones at that.  This puzzle is 500 pieces. It took this sweet girl five days with minimal help from me and her brothers. 

She has the patience of a saint!!

 

We have been reading a book called 'A Salmon for Simon' lately.  Its Sophie's favourite.  I nearly know it off by heart.

 

"He sat on a dock and fished. He sat on a rock and fished. But Simon still didn't catch a Salmon, he didn't even see a Salmon"

I thought this photo could of been straight out of the book except we were fishing for Carp, but the point being - We didn't catch a thing!!!

 

 

Gorgeous Sophie and 'Pippa'!  Friends. 

 She is currently working on us at getting our own dog.

How this could be comfy, I don't know?

 

About to try his hand at fishing......I love his smile!

 

A pause in the shade to take in the Flora.

 

exquisite really!

 

We are so blessed to live in a country that is so beautiful and that one doesn't have to venture too far to experience it.  I am thankful that my children have opportunities to fish, to climb trees and to hold my hand and be together.  I am thankful that my children are happy and healthy!  Couldn't really ask for more than that, could I.

 

"Life moves pretty fast.

If you don't stop

to look around once in a while

you could miss it."

-Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller

 

Now go have a blessed Sunday!!

8 go Bush!

For the past four years its been a yearly excursion our trip to the bush...one that takes a great deal of prep, list-making, baking, cooking, shopping, and packing.  Every January we pack up the car (or in our case two) and head off into the back and beyond to a place called Clements Clearing.  It is truly isolated - no cell phone coverage (unless you hike up the hill, stand in a particular spot and hold out your phone until you get a bar or two), no power, no running water and a long drop for a toilet.

 

 

Not sure why, but it seems as though we are always the ones with the messiest campsite.

 

Its summer time here but here it still gets F_R_E_E_Z_I_N_G over night.  We are talking thermal underwear, woollen hats, winter pjs, thick socks and that's just to sleep in.  This year we had the added challenge of taking along our newest addition to our family, seven week old Jesse!   Finding winter clothes for him proved to be a bit of a mission in the middle of summer but we got there in the end thanks to my find of woollen jerseys in the local op-shop.  Once asleep though he just got to snuggle in bed next to me!

There is three families that make this annual trip now. Jamie's brother and his family and Jamie's Mum and a brother and a sister. That's 16 in all. So we take up a bit of space.

 

 

 

There is not much to do here but that is the beauty of the place.  Just peace (well until we turned up) and tranquility.  A place to connect with each other, a place where the kids can de-tox from all technology and get their fill of nature and all its glory.

It looks a little boring at first, very bland and dull but if you look closely the bush holds a rainbow of delicate colours.

 

 

Thanks Uncle Mike for hitching up this awesome swing in the trees. It provided tons of entertainment

 

Camping with babies presents itself with a number of challenges, bathing being one of them.

But camping with little people cannot possibly happen without the 'having-a-bath-in-a-bucket' photo!

He doesn't look very impressed by it does he?

 

We are very blessed to be a family of 'game players'.  The bush provides numerous hiding spots and great opportunities for games like 'hide-and-seek'  and family games of 'capture the flag'. I really don't know what the people camping near us thought with 15 people (Grandma included) commando crawling, stalking, sneaking, hiding, pretend shooting, yahoo-ing and running through the bush - all after the elusive 'flag'. 

 I am thinking they either thought we were all nuts or they desperately wanted to join in.  I'll go with the latter.

 

Summer Fun!

 

Thomas's hiding spot, camo gear is a must!

Check out the grin on this wee girl!  Its the anticipation of roasted Marshmallow I think!

 

 

One of our newest traditions is having dessert camping style! 

Beautifully cooked Apple Pie served with Dairy Whipped Cream!

DIVINE!!!

 

Jamie took us all on a bush walk, he told me that it was ten/twenty mins on a 'yah-wide' track.  Well, I just have to say that it was hardly a track!  Over and under giant fallen logs we went.

Jesse and I did very well I thought!

 

Just to be clear this was not the track but the road to get to the track!

 

Now does this look like a track to you!

 

 In saying all that the walk itself was heaps of fun and very energising.  It was so nice to be out in the clean fresh air!  I loved it.  I did however palm Jesse off to Jamie to wear on the way out.

This is what we walked to, an old forgotten log splitter huts from years ago - 35 years at least!

Since it was a bit of a hike in we were wondering if Jesse was the youngest person ever to have visited the old hut?  Maybe.

 

 

To mark the occasion of our holiday and a new addition to the Budd family, we took this photo!

We have a Budd children photo from the time when there was only three of them!

I love this photo!

Standing Row: Casey 11, Tahlia 10, Jayden 9,
Sitting/Crouching Row: Amber 12, Jesse 7wks, Thomas 7. Sophie 3, Kaysha 15 and Kaitlyn 5
 

 

Holidays are all about fun, rest, family and memory-making.  They are all about getting out there and doing it and being together!

Bring on next year!

 



Bring it on!

I have been looking forward to this weekend for a L-O-N-G time.  The beginning weekend of December, the offical beginning of summer and my dear husbands birthday.  This year the challenge was issued...family against family (all in love of course) for....

Yeah I know what you are thinking... Black Fern Lodge,.....'Waimiha'  (pronounced Y-me-ha) where the heck is that?

Well it is actually in the middle of nowhere so you can be forgiven for never hearing of it.

Its an old wool shed that has been converted into a lodge that is big enough to sleep our two families. No cell phone coverage here!  Bliss!

Saturday saw us ALL (adults included) glue-ing, tying, cutting, sawing and constructing our rafts, using bamboo, ice blocks sticks, plastic bottles, bark, pieces of timber, string, fern and I even saw some Dandelions stuck on a raft.

 

 

 

I just love how everyone came up with their own design....created all by themselves.

Nearly race time.... First a pre-race meeting.

Off we go!

On your marks...get set....GO!

Miss Tahlia waiting to see who actually won!

This is one of my favorite. Kaitlyn rescuing her raft.  (Note the jandals in the hand) So cute!

  Any guess to who actually won???  Yep me darling husband won, of course he did!  BUT we all had fun, ALL got wet and all have GREAT memories.

Is that not what families are great at.... I love mine!  The whole lot of them.....Budds1 and Budds2

I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he is rich - Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford, "Identity Crisis, M*A*S*H

(more Waimiha Photos to come)

Spaghetti and Meatball!!!!!!!!!!

Who can not say that Spaghetti and Meatballs is actually fun to eat?  It is so much more fun when you have kids that use the spaghetti as a moustache or even snot coming out of their nose.  Come on I am sure you have been at least tempted to do that.

This is one of our family favorite's!

Every single person, I am sure, just loves to see how fast they can suck up the tomato sauce covered pasta.  It is a good sign when you suck it up and all the sauce gets flicked around your face.  

 If you have never done this, then you are truly missing out.

Word to the wise. Spaghetti and Meatballs or anything else that actually requires you to twirl it around your fork in order for you to eat with decorum, is not something I would eat when you

 1. have posh guests

 2. you are trying to impress someone.   You will fail!

Pure Joy!

Dellisimo!!!!!