Its over....(sniff!)

Hmmm..I think she is thinking what I'm thinking.....

its over...I'm back home....

have been back for nearly 3 days....

going through the post vacation blues.

My lovely friend Michelle asked me when she can expect some sunny vacation pictures to appear on my blog! Well ..I have to say I am still in denial that my vacation is over.

I look back over the last 3 weeks and we really had such a fantastic time.

We caught up with our crazy family and friends




We ate all the food that we have not been able to get here in the States

My youngest son learned to swim

He lost his first tooth on Christmas day

My older son learned to surf.

I got tan....I even wore a bikini!

My daughter got to spend precious time with the cousins she calls her sisters

Even Paloma had an many exciting adventures that will be the subject of a future post.

...and I took over 1500 photos..(yikes...am seriously putting off going through them because it seems a little overwhelming at this point.) You will see them featured on the blog over the next few weeks.





It's sad that it has come to an end. We traveled over 19,000 miles and took 8 different flights...and here we are...back where we started.

....and this is what we have come back to. Record snowfalls for December..from one extreme to the other!





Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In the Arms of the Angel

In the arms of the Angel
Fly away from here



From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness you fear



You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie



Your in the arms of the angel...
May you find some comfort here.



(lyrics Sarah McLachlan)

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BDkcJ-62uuY&feature=related

Friends

Have you ever had friends that you can say you have known for a lifetime???
Throughout my life people have come and gone. That seems to be a natural part of things. I've met new people , lost track of others. The departure of some people have left me grief stricken....some others I have been quite glad to see the back of. And yet with all the ups and downs, the changes in life there are some people that I cannot imagine life without.
Last night we met up with these friends...people we really have known for a lifetime. They have been part of my life since elementary school days or before. And they never seem to change....Isn't it wonderful in an ever changing world...that some things remain the same!

Meet Paloma

I'd like you to meet Paloma.
She will be joining us on vacation this Christmas.
She is a little like a phoenix...emerging from a pile of fabric scraps I have been using to make toys for the Toy Society Christmas Drop.
She is just so sweet ...... we just couldn't leave her behind so she was packed into our suitcases for the long journey to Australia.
Over the next few weeks you will see pictures of Paloma in all sorts of different places...leaving her mark on Australia...(hopefully in a good way!)

Going...going......

We are headed out today for our long anticipated trip back to Australia. The children are full of excitement and nervous energy..(they have obviously forgotten what 15 hours on an airplane feels like!)
Packing is inevitably the worst part for me. I always overpack ...trying to prepare for every contingency. And as a result our bags weigh a ton. This time is no better....because not only do we have to pack all our clothes I have a bag full of Christmas presents too!
My ever patient husband packs his bag in about 30 seconds throwing in a few t-shirts, shorts and some underwear - DONE! I on the other hand hav spent days assembling all the childrens clothing, checking and rechecking to make sure we have everything. In the end there is always something I have forgotten....but as long its not my husband or the children it should be OK.

I Heart Bokeh

I love bokeh...



....but heart bokeh is better . HLT

Mother Nature's Jewelry Box

The pictures in my blog have definitely shown a preoccupation with snow this week.



Up close it is so beautiful and delicate. It reminds me of jewelry...



As if Mother Nature was getting all dressed in her finest to welcome winter.

Blue is the New Black

First Snow

The first snowfall of the year is always exciting. This afternoon we got our first taste of the snow. While the kids were diving into their snow gear I was grabbing my camera and heading out the door.
And of course with the first snowfall comes the obligatory snowball fight. This snowball was aimed at me and I am a little surprised to see just how much Jack's aim has improved since last winter!

Bubbles

So what do you think happens when you send an 8 year old in to wash his hands after finishing a craft project????



Bubbles


Lots and lots of bubbles.

Thankful

I have been tagged by the crafty and creative Shalet at Peculiar Momma to reveal some weird and wonderful tidbits about myself. But because I have already bored you with random facts about myself before I thought I'd do something a little different! Being mindful of Thanksgiving I decided to list 7 random things that make me happy and that I am thankful for. Now you may gasp when see that I have not listed my ever patient husband and the fruit of his loin..( my 3 wonderful children)...but I am assuming that they are a given. It goes unsaid that I am forever grateful and thankful for having them in my life. That being said I assembled a bit of a Thankful mosaic.
For those that are struggling with some of the images...here is the list
1 - My most favorite fruit in the world- passionfruit. Even the name is yummy. I haven't eaten it for nearly 5 years as we can't find where to buy it here in the U.S.
2 - Vegemite. Being an Aussie girl through and through I just can't live without spreading this on my toast in the morning...( and yes...it IS black!)
3 - Margaritas...when God created alcohol he had mothers in mind!
4 - Needs no description. Life would not be worth living without it!
5 - My new glasses. Although it reminds me I am getting older at least I can see now ...so overall they are a good thing!
6 - I dream of going back to Europe with my hubby again one day. We spent a blissful 6 months vacationing there together back in 1995.....mmmmm..one day!
7 - I'm LOVING my Canon Rebel Xsi. I think my family are over my constant snapping their every movement though.
8 - (Yes...I know I said 7 but I couldn't do an uneven number of pics in my mosaic, so...) This is where I will be on Christmas day this year..lying on the beach in Noosa... must say...I AM LOVING THAT!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Sugar Coated

It was so frosty outside this morning it looked like everything was covered in powdered sugar

Sunday S t i l l -ness

I have been quite remiss the last few days...neglecting my blogging in an effort to get on top of preparations for the holidays. I did get a few things squared away...I ordered my christmas cards, started my Christmas shopping, did some baking, put some finishing touches to some handmade knitted gifts and submitted a painting to an art competition. Also this week my daughter was performing in the Missoula Childrens' Theater production of Hansel and Gretel so there were a lot of trips to and from rehearsals and then performances. By Sunday I was starting to feel a little like a whirling dervish.

So I had to stop....and just enjoy the peace and s t i l l -ness of Sunday.

The Friday Blanket

I finally finished our Friday Blanket. Friday is a special day in our family. Its officially the night we set aside to spend together. We play board games, watch movies.



After one such Friday when all 5 of us were sitting on the sofa watching a movie it was decided that we needed a blanket that would cover all of us...so out came the knitting needles.



The verdict....just perfect for keeping little feet warm!

Glass

My Dad had a passion for glass. But not just any glass. He loved crystal...Viennese, Irish, Scottish. I have never really appreciated the beauty of this glass until I looked at it through the lens of my camera. The way it reflects and refracts the light is captivating.



I was playing around with photographing a piece of this pink Viennese glass and I thought the bokeh it produced was wonderful

Thinking about Christmas

I need to get organized and start thinking about getting my Christmas cards written.



I leave it to the absolute last minute EVERY year.



So maybe this will be the year that I will be super efficient and get it done early...maybe!

When Max met the Bishop

He was on his best behavior...and even wore a tie. I had to take a picture. Who knows when I will see him wearing a tie again!

Blog Award

The lovely Kyla at Kreative Life gave me this "Marie Antoinette Award". How exciting!!!! I don't feel much like Marie Antoinette most days....no enormous wealth, no real extravagences or excesses to speak of, certainly no great beauty or political influence. And I must say... I am hoping for a much less violent fate than hers at the hands of Madame Guillotine.

The award is called the "Real Person Award". This made me curious. It seems almost incongruous that such an award would have Marie Antoinette as its patron. A woman who historically has been attributed to almost single handedly bringing about the end of the French monarchy.

But as with most people there are a lot of other less glamorous details about her that are not nearly as widely known or well documented. She was in fact an avid reader and was interested in music, science and philosophy. She was devoted to her children and had a enjoyed close friendships with an inner circle of women (Société Particulière de la Reine) who gave her support and companionship. Doesn't sound a lot different from me after all!

So in celebration of this award I am passing it on to some other bloggers whose blogs I enjoy.....

Michelle
Dana
Elaine
Shawna
Blazey
Mom23boys
Elk

To all of you I say..."Let them eat cake!"

A bit of Bling!

The gray old weather has caused me to crave a little bit of sunshine....so until mother nature gets her act together and the sun comes back out I am going to have to be satisified with some man made bling

Private Joke

Lately I have been doing a number of custom orders and this one really had me intrigued. My customer wanted to surprise her best friend for her upcoming 40th birthday. She asked me to make matching t-shirt transfers with the ladies names on the front and a message on the back. She gave me her specifications but I had to double check the message part to make sure I had got it right. "Casual People Don't Spit!" Apparently it is a private joke between her and her best friend...wish I was in on it!

Mmmmmm....

A post at Shutter Sisters about food inspired moments provoked this cupcake shot....Mmmmmmm!

Missing Summer Already

The rain just won't quit.
Its not even December yet and I am missing summer already!

The Lake....


Swimming...



Boating....



Playing around....



Goofing off...



Having fun...



Making smores...



I am usually a rain peson but now we are heading into our second straight week of non stop rain I'm looking forward to seeing the sun again