the sunset series..where tradition began

twelve months ago, this is right where our birthday sunset tradition began.

this day last year we came down to watch the sun set on what would have been my cousins 40th birthday.  It was a way to acknowledge the specialness of the day, of him.

there was magic in the air that night, and when we got home Eddie said he wanted to do this with his kids when he grew up to be a dad.  So from that moment, we decided that watching the sun go down on birthdays was to be our new family tradition.

and so it has been ever since.

we'd just finished watching a movie and it was time for the boys to go to bed, but instead we grabbed our jumpers and ran out the door.  I was going to wander down to the beach on my own, because Olive was asleep already and everyone else was tired too.  But we left Nick and Harvey at home, and the three of us just ran.

we ran straight down the hill, laughing so much at how funny we must look in such a hurry, barefoot, the little guy in his jammies and my flappy down hill running style.

it was late and the light was fading, but we could see the sky's golden glow as we ran up the path and over the dunes.

the air was humid and thick, the waves rolling in loud and fast.

we'd made it, and the sight was magical!

these nights will become treasured memories for us all, they fill us up, every single time x

the big blanket..

I started this blanket back in January last year, slow summer days on the hook when it was too hot or too wet to be outside.

It soon became one of those projects that sat in the 'works-in-progress' basket for months on end because I kept starting on something new.

Every now and then I'd pick it up and crochet a row or two, I'd get distracted or run out of yarn and back in the basket it would go.  It's the first thing I've ever made that I wasn't in a mad rush to see completed.  I'm terribly impatient when I make.  I get an idea, I see the end result in my mind and I want it done now!

I'm not sure why this blanket was different, but it was lovely to have it sitting there, waiting for my attention whenever I was ready, giving me comfort when I needed it, distracting my mind with each new stitch.  Working on this was almost like a meditation.  

At one point I thought it was just not going to work out, but I couldn't bring myself to undo it.  We had a connection this blanket and I.

Eleven months later I finished off the last row, and I love it so very much.  It drapes invitingly over the end of Olive's (spare) cot in our room, and I stop to admire it every single day.  

It's not perfect.  Hiding ends is tricky with chunky, loosely worked yarn like this, and I think if I were to lie it flat it might be a little misshapen, but I have a feeling this big chunky cotton blanket is going to be loved by us for years to come regardless.

the sunset series..welcoming 2016

New Yeats Eve 2015.

We spent a balmy evening wandering rockpools, swimming, sitting and sipping champagne as the sun went down for the final time in 2015.

It's moments like this that ground me, that stop me dead in my tracks and force me to soak in all the wonderful.  This life we live down here on the coast is more than I ever dreamed I could have, what a blessing, how lucky we are.  I'm sure my kids get sick of hearing me say it, but I don't want them to ever take this for granted.

I don't know what 2016 holds for us.  I don't have my 'one word' and I don't have any resolutions. I feel a little unprepared for a new year to begin, and so I'm easing in slowly.  Perhaps I'll just strive to keep my heart and my mind open.  To live each new day one at a time, soaking in the moments and being grateful.

Thanks to you all for joining me here in this blogging space, albeit with less than regular posts these days.

Happy New Year to you all, may yours be all kinds of wonderful x

portraits..the final four

52/52..

the way her 'dancer' skirts sit under that belly

51/52..

dumped by a wave, fully clothed, within a minute of stepping onto the beach

50/52..

'Jammy Faced Mary' stories before bed are her favourite

49/52..

sometimes she sits like a kinder kid, and suddenly I want to swaddle her like a newborn

My final four portraits for 2015.

It's the loveliest thing, to look back on treasured moments I want to remember.  One from every week of her little life this year. Snippets of the everyday, of milestones, of the mundane, of challenging times and heart melting moments.  All captured to remember always.  

Special thanks to Jodi at Practicing Simplicity for hosting, it's been a joy x

chance encounters..

As the end of another year draws near, I can't help but look back and reflect on the last 12 months and where we are headed in the year to come.

It's been year of battles, and not many won is how it feels.  A big year of learning, of frustrations and a lot of 'one step forward two steps back'.  It also feels like the challenges will serve their purpose, like changes are around the corner, but just what changes I'm not too sure.

I look back and it seems I've been completely caught up in us, our work, the day to day, and now all of a sudden its christmas time, the end of the school year and summer holidays. 

In a blink! Another year down in the whirlwind of life.  

Last night I felt so overcome by negativity and angst. Unsettled by things that are out of my direct control, like I'd been dumped by an ocean wave and wrung out. Early to bed followed by the first uninterrupted night of sleep in forever, and things felt a bit better. Isn't it amazing how much better we cope with a decent night of sleep!

This morning I sent my excited boys off to school for the last time this year.  I cleaned and tidied, then put Olive and my nephew into the twin stroller for a walk.  As soon as we left I could feel positive energy beginning to flow.  Taking my time time to walk and look around, watching the sea mist blow through the air.  Stopping to talk to people, popping my head into the dry cleaners to share a friendly tip we'd been talking about the last time I was there. We stopped to say hello to Santa selling the Big Issue, who then reached into his sack to pull out a present each for my two happy toddlers. 

We ran some errands, stopped off to buy our Big Issue Santa a morning tea treat and headed home. I walked, apologising to people we passed for our oversized stroller taking up the footpath, some would smile and say hello, others didn't.  A little further on we came to a lady who stopped, made a big arm gesture to allow us to go first and said, smiling "make way for these children, our grand future".  I smiled and thanked her, we stopped and chatted about this time of year, about children, about all the unrest in the world and even about God (!?).  She did most of the talking, but it was lovely to listen to her and to hear her thoughts, albeit a little 'out there'.  

It was an encounter I felt I needed to have today.  Sometimes people are sent to cross our paths for a reason.  We introduced one another as we were saying goodbye, and as I turned to leave she said "I wish for you all that is in my heart..there is a lot in there, and it is all good."

A sudden chance encounter, and I feel just a little bit lighter, a little bit less wrung out.

portraits..

48/52..

I spy the faintest sprinkle of freckles appearing across her nose

47/52..

that sweet, sweet neck is for kissing

46/52..

all the gentle sweetness, it far outweighs the two year old horrid

45/52..

we're in the process of learning the concept of sharing

44/52..

a wreath of dried weeds, and all she sees is a crown

43/52..

the little girl emerging..looking a little bit too grown up for my liking

42/52..

counting grazes, there are many..

41/52..

so in love with the ocean

40/52..

"a Kristoff tree!!"

she means crystal, but she's still Frozen obsessed

39/52..

presents and parties and cake! 

She has never been to a real birthday party before, but she talks about it everyday

a huge 10 weeks of portrait catch up! I can't believe there's only four to go, and I can't believe I've managed a picture every single week so far. Hugely proud of myself, and so loving to look back on memorable moments captured each week of her little life this year.

you can join in with more lovely portraits over at practicing simplicity..

noticing..

pretty piles awaiting my attention..

a neat stack of unfinished blankets

a very slow going work in progress

beautiful merino

wooden hooks

does anyone know why all my pictures and text are publishing in the centre when I have written them all to be on the left? blogger mysteries..

the sunset series..

The last of our birthday sunsets for the year.  This one seemed to need a whole lot more effort by us all just to leave the house, and there's an obvious mood about these pictures I think.  Dog poo scattered like land mines along the walking track and a shoreline covered in washed up seaweed just adding to the tone of the evening really.

I'm glad we did it though.  Even as we headed home I felt like it was meant to be that way, an honest refection of everything right now.  A bit messy. It can't be magical all of the time, but a chance to wander by the ocean, feel the damp sea mist on your skin and sand under your feet.  Time to breathe. You just have to make those moments happen and enjoy them for what they are.

We're all a bit worn out, a bit snippy and short tempered.  With six weeks left of term and coming to the end of our busiest time of year, frankly, we all just need a break.

It's been a big week of milestones and special family time, too.  Moments to treasure for sure.  I can sense the emotion of it all building in us, in me, and I'm waiting to be able to just let it all go.

We celebrated our little guy turning nine this week.  He had the BEST day, followed by more celebrations throughout the weekend. Those are the greatest birthdays, the ones that seem to go for days.

Nine.  In my mind, time has stood still since the day Olive was born and he was just six.  I feel like he's still six, but he's not and its like I've missed three whole years of his little life.

He'll always be my baby, I know, but nine has just come out of nowhere and to think that he'll be double figures next is mind blowing.

He's almost finished grade three and it has to have been the best year of school for him so far.  The support and encouragement of the most incredible teacher has been extraordinary.  Some people are just born to do what they do, aren't they, we'll be sad not to have him as a teacher next year, but he will have left the most positive and lasting impression on Eddie, one he'll draw on as he grows and always remember.

This little guy of ours, maybe not our baby but still little.  He makes me smile and fills my heart with happy contentment when he creeps up and hugs me from behind, still, he's always done that.  He sits at the dining table and his feet dangle high off the ground, and he has to climb the front gate to be able to open it.

He's affectionate and loving and considerate.  He's still feisty and has a short fuse, but as he grows he's learning to mange it.  He doesn't like it when his temper gets the better of him, but he's trying hard.  Outbursts are few and far between and over pretty quickly these days.

He writes us love letters and tells us how wonderful we are.  He draws constantly, its like a meditation for him and he's really very good.

He loves dinosaurs and lego and batman and spiderman.

We took him to aerodrome on the weekend and he saw a much bigger boy bouncing and climbing walls with effortless skill.  I could see the look in our Eddie's eyes.  Awe.  This guy looked like he could be a real life Peter Parker the way he scaled those walls.  Then I watched on as our little guy, ever so tentatively, tried it himself.  He was too shy and worried people might see him so stopped. Always so worried about what other people might think.  I'm not sure where that insecurity crept in, but I wish he could just believe in himself a little bit more, see what we see, and give it a go.  He would be a natural at those spiderman moves.

Our Eddie.  You're awesome baby boy.  We love you to bits!


thanks to Nick for the pics as always, which for some reason will not align properly in this post..?