Beach

Look mummy a love heart xx

We enjoyed a trip to the beach on the weekend as a family and had a big bike ride then a well deserved dip in the ocean...

Charlotte noticed this "love heart" on the sand - she honestly finds love hearts in everything! As we walked down to the dairy to get milk for the calves this morning, she pointed out a love heart rock... No camera on hand for that one though. Just so lovely and refreshing that she sees symbols of love all over the place. It reminds me to open my eyes to it..

Visitors

We had special friends and family visit all week -  long overdue catch ups and spreading the birthday love..Today Miss J and her two gorgeous little ones drove out to visit the farm. We played, we drew, we fed the calves, played tennis, had numerous cuppas - and enjoyed the butterflies and green hills outside.. oh and the golden perfectly risen scones that Mr Right made yesterday and the hugest fluffiest sponge cake that nanny made...Ahhhhh...

So as a special treat for Miss J who just ADORES white - some pics to enjoy with your cuppa - thanks for coming out to visit xx

Country Living Images

Happy birthday sweet cheeks

A birthday post for my gorgeous little sister, whom i love so dearly and am proud to call her so....

Some things that i love and admire and cant live without...... about her....

Her smile, she calls me sweet cheeks, her Donald duck sneeze, her big loud laugh, her generosity, her big warm heart, her love for her family, her compassion, her crazy hair twirling habit, her super organisation skills, her can do and will do attitude, she NEVER gives up EVER, her love for crosswords, her ever listening ear, her divine style, her practical advice, her strength of character, her hate of horror movies, her love of photography, her new found love of the garden, her determination, I cut her finger when we were little fighting over scissors and she forgave me, her problem solving skills, her ability to share everything, her love of children, the way she has nicknames and shortened phrases for EVERYTHING, her sometimes snippy tongue and the ability to tell it how it is, the way we talk almost every day and sometimes multiple times a day, endlessly really, just look at our phone bills, she is a city mouse, her ability to look after her skin and always wash her makeup off before bed,  her insane driving ability, the way she will always find the shortcut, her inability to sit at traffic lights, her devotion to alternative medicine, her love for music, her love for and accumulation of art, her persistence in finding her Mr Right and her success!, the ability she has to light up my girls little faces with just the mention of her name or smell of the same product she uses in her hair, her great sense of humour, that she is willing to crawl under a house if called for, that she has the most sensitive sense of smell, her knowledge about health, her willingness to be the first point of call for the entire family about any health complaint, I JUST LOVE HER - that's it. Oh and Happy birthday my love.

Birthday Girl

I enjoyed my birthday last week and was lucky enough to be surrounded by friends and family that made it ever so special...Another year down and looking forward to all that the year ahead brings. January is always a time of reflection for me with a new year and birthday soon after...

This little baby is now mine - the little subtle hint left on my new years post on this blog was read by my gorgeous husband and he took the hint and made it my reality! He surprised me with a present that will bring me so much joy - now to learn how to use it - stay tuned.... Hopefully this means i will thrill you all with my new photography skills! I cant wait to point this camera at all the greatness that this year holds.

Another subscription to my all time favourite mag from my lovely siblings - third year running i think and oh the joy it brings when it arrives in the post office box, my heart jumps and i tear home, flick the kettle on and cant wait to devour every page!

A book from my granny nanny & pops and aunty, uncle and little cousins..This mans creations make my heart singggggg... I did get a quote from him to landscape my new big country garden however he charges a little (ok ALOT) out of our price range just for a sketch without the plants or work - so instead i will study this book and hopefully come up with something that resembles his work...Stay tuned.

I also got a gorgoues tea holder, Jamie Olivers new cook book and new pjs from mother dearest - which means i will have to deliver some delicious samples of his work... I love the way he cooks - rustic, simple flavours - (that line was for you my sweet xxx).

I feel blessed - thats all


Melissa xxx

Water

My post was to be about our recent river camping trip with my much loved little sister, her partner Jon and his daughter, miss Indi and how i rediscovered my love for the humble, sometimes plump, rounded river pebble. I was to call this post - i heart pebbles... I do, however i just couldn't post about my slightly unhealthy obsession with the pebble as my thoughts have been consumed with the tragedy that grips our fellow Australians in QLD and NSW right now. I have cried, sighed and felt completely helpless as i have watched jaw dropped at the footage being aired on the news.

To think i have just wallowed in the river water for pleasure and relief from the heat and now the very same substance is robbing people of their lives, those of their children and of all their homes and possessions. A natural disaster of such magnitude highlights how vulnerable we are, how quickly all we love and work for can be swept away and how as Australians we will look after our mates and quickly band together to help each other through.

My thoughts and prayers are with all of those that are in need of them tonight and in the coming days....

Cuddle your babies and take a deep sigh tonight and be thankful for what you have....

PS - Among other more obvious things ,I am also thankful I have a big bulging bucket of pebbles that i have borrowed from mother nature that have brought my soul such sunshine....I will post about these and my intentions for them on a brighter day.....

Melissa xx

new year - new love

This pic has been saved on the laptop for sooo long - waiting for 2011

A new year - and so many new loves to love and do (or try to)

•  Exercise more because i love how it makes me feel
• smile more - ditto
• build our new house and have something like the kitchen above and something like the big thick folder of pictures that i have been collecting
• have a new veggie patch and chooki coup at the new house
• settle my little baby into her first year of school
• nurture and build my big girls flourishing self esteem and confidence
• Expand my new little business
• live and love more in the moment
• spend more time with my family doing things we love- fishing, camping and exploring together
• do my photo albums and videos
• craft more & sew more with the girls
• eat organically - back to basics - hunt and gather
• have more picnics
• say "yes" more
• improve my photography - a new camera may help - hint hint - lovely hubby if your reading this xx
• try to become more resourceful and less involved in consumerism
• breathe really deeply and appreciate the loveliness that surrounds me every day
• Read more

Wow - what a list...It seems as though 2011 has been coming for some time. It will be an exciting year for us - building , moving, continuing to become immersed in the community that surrounds us.....I am really going to suck this year dry for all it has to offer - love and live in the moment and enjoy the abundance that we have been blessed with. I downloaded the "love the moment" calender from the beafunmum.com blog today and will start right now - today's task is - get down to your child's level and smile for no reason....

Happy new year to all - happy goal setting

Melissa xxx