Before...

...I didn't do things like lock my keys in the car, flood the work kitchen, forget to do important things, and get the timing completely wrong for important events...

Since becoming pregnant with James and then this one, I do...

Take yesterday as a prime example...

This post should have been titled "Isabel's Christening" as that was the focus of the weekend.

Our friends Josh & Chan live in Bendigo and their precious little 5 month old daughter was being christened yesterday.

Apparently I RSVP'd 3 times to the christening from the time we heard about it until last weekend (adding to the proof that I have a bad case of placenta brain!). And we had no other plans for the weekend... Just the 2.5hr trip to the church - planning on arriving just before the ceremony so James could lose some cabin fever from the trip over.

So we arrive at the church where a few people were milling about the back door - looking like they're about to enter. We parked the car, did a quick nappy change - and thought we had about 5 minutes before the 2:30pm start. Then I turned around and the numbers at the back door had doubled...

YEP - IT HAD JUST FINISHED!!!!! A 1:30 christening NOT a 2:30 christening!!!!!

I saw Chan coming out of the church and went straight to her, "Did we just miss the christening?" Chan..."Yes, it was 1:30 but we were hoping that you were okay!"

Embarrassing - annoying - STUPID!!!!! Something I never thought I would do... Can you believe we travelled 3 hours to be an hour late for a christening when we were just twiddling our thumbs at home that morning waiting for the time to come so we could leave!

But wait - there's more!!!!!

Whilst I was berating myself for making such a stupid mistake - and missing a pretty important event! - Matt started unpacking the chairs and drinks from the car, while James set off exploring the bush surrounds of the Church. It is a beautiful church, built of old stone (sorry Dad - don't know what type!) and located in the middle of nowhere about half an hour from Bendigo.

Then I heard him scream!! Poor little mite had tried to keep up with the big kids running down the 30 or so stone steps leading up to the church and had landed on his snozzer! He cried and cried and cried... And trust me, that means something for this little boy who doesn't usually react if he falls over or scrapes some skin.

Exhibit A...

James introducing himself to the lady of the day...

And going in for a big kiss! Mwah...

Isabel checking out the scenery...

Gown shot...

Josh flapping a fly!

Matt supervising at the scene of the nose crime...

Yummy cake time...

We ended up going back in to Bendigo for an early barbie tea at Josh & Chan's where we got to have some bonus cuddles with Isabel and spend some good time with Josh & Chan... James loved patting and cuddling Isabel and couldn't resist giving her lots of kisses accompanied by a big 'mwah' sound...

We headed off home at 8pm and Matt drove all the way in one go without falling asleep! I was awake the whole time as well which is extremely unusual for me ;)

And, as it should be on a Sunday afternoon, both boys are currently tucked up in bed having a well deserved afternoon sleep...

Honestly, we were framed!!!!!

From this on Monday...

To this on Wednesday! Pretty cool hey!



Looking from the front door threshold down the hallway - lounge on the right in the first gap and then the family/meals at the end...


First room on the right - our bedroom - WIR on right, ensuite on left (it bends around the corner a bit there)...


First room past the garage on the left - the study - or 5th bedroom for all you visitors!

Opposite the study is the lounge...

Next on left is the laundry...

And then looking through the door, then rear wall of the walk in pantry to the walk in linen...

Open plan kitchen (where black pipe is coming up from slab), meals on left and family area...

And then there's another 3 bedrooms and the bathroom at the back but it started raining again so me and my Irish workboots (thongs) bailed and got back into the car...

Next is the roof... And here it is waiting patiently!!!!

Our annual trip to Canberra ;)

We have had such a busy year that Friday was almost a year to the day since we'd done our last 'roady' to Canberra!

But as a little bonus, we had an unexpected visit from family from the West - Geoff & Leanne! Leanne is Matt's Mum's sister and they live in Esperance. We WILL get there one day so I can see the other side of this vast country!

James splashing Leanne

A little boy ready for bed with Leanne & Geoff.

And then we set off in the late afternoon for the 4 hour drive to Canberra. We arrived late Friday night and put a sleeping boy straight into bed and settled in for chit chat and coffees with Em & Pat.

Saturday morning started at the usual crack of dawn, despite the late night for James (bugger!) but after exploring the house with squeals of delight at the 'pish' (fish) and roaring at a dancing Elmo standing on the bookshelf, the pitter patter of Finn's feet came echoing down the hallway... What ensued was a little bit of sizing up followed by running, running and more running, taking turns chasing and being chased! Immediately they hit it off and spent the rest of the weekend playing together as well as any 1 year olds could, including taking turns with toys!!!

We went for a play in the park early Saturday morning...

Em, Finn & James scoping the place out...

2 cute bums!!!!

What's next...?

Saturday lunchtime we swung by my cousin Dean & Betty's place... James had a ball playing with Hayden who is a year older than him. Hayden and James went a bit quiet after lunch and when Matt found them the first thing he did was call the rest of us up to see what they were up too... Refer to the pics below!

Oops!!!!

Think we'll hold off on moving our little monkey into a bed for that bit longer!!!

Then back to the Campbell residence for some more play and fun, including an afternoon tea at another park where the boys continued to run wild and have a ball!!!!

Sunday morning was pretty funny. The boys took turns swinging and driving around the backyard... I've got some great video that I will promise to edit and post sometime on the weekend.

Cuddles with Aunty Em just before we left to come home...

And a stop on the way home to play around on the Holbrook Submarine! Still odd to see the sub in the middle of a landlocked town no matter how many times you see it!!!!

Frame delivered - ready to assemble...

Looks like a giant meccano set! There's codes on all of the pieces where I guess they join them all up... I reckon this part of the job would be FUN!!!!!!

Hard to believe those 4 piles of steel are gonna hold our house up forever!!!!

Sunday night dip & barbie...

Waking up this morning, we had no plans for our day... All we knew was this hideous heat wave was continuing... although we can't really complain, it was only 36 degrees today ;)

After speaking to our mates Kel & Nath, we decided to take a dip in the Kiewa River after the kiddies woke up this afternoon, and have a easy barbie dinner while we were there.

What a great idea!

Matt, Nath, James and Lyla had a ball splashing around in the river!

Kel & Nath brought their dogs Spud & Frodo down as well so that was a highlight of the day for James!

James splashed everyone he could - including me when I braved the cool waters for a cool down dip just before we set off home at 7pm to put 2 exhausted toddlers into their beds for the night.

What a way to finish the weekend...

Slab anyone?

EXCITING!!!!

And given the 35 degree heat wave we're currently experiencing we're under instruction from our builder to keep driving by the block this weekend and sprinkle water on the slab to avoid any cracking...

Gotta say it again... EXCITING!!!!!!

Nearly slabbed...

It's been a slow couple of weeks since the initial flurry of activity on the block. But yesterday and today saw the area prepared for the hard grey stuff...

Looking southwest from the back corner of the block...


And looking northwest...

Baby is due in 13 weeks... Think he/she will beat the house ;)

Oops... Hello Neighbour...

We've been in this house for just over 2 years and have endured a relationship with the lady living over the back fence with her son... Doesn't sound like a recipe for disaster and, to be honest, it hasn't been...

However, over the time we've been here, we've found countless numbers of banana peels, avocados and apple cores in a neat line extending from boundary to boundary 1-2m from the fence.

Matt, deciding to approach the situation head on, had a conversation with the son about 12 months ago and asked him if there were kids or somebody who might be throwing the above mentioned items over the fence. The man responded that it was most likely his mother, who has dementia, and doesn't realise there's people living over here now... He was going to have a "chat". We're compassionate and understand the poor man must be living under a bit of strain so we were happy to put the odd delivery in our bin to help the fella out...

Fast forward 6 months and a new challenge arose... We started to get the odd cigarette butt landing in the same lineup as the fruit medley... Like we had been with the fruit, we popped these in the bin for a while... We thought the old lady must have picked up a new habit and was hiding the evidence from her son... Then we got sick of it and started 'returning to sender' anything that appeared... 1. in an effort to stop it, and 2. to let the man realise just how much was coming over the fence!!!!

Last month, on about 4 occasions, I would have thrown back 30-40 cigarette butts, remembering they were there when a certain toddler almost tasted them...

And then tonight I CRACKED IT!!!!!! I was weeding the garden and noticed at least 50 of the damned things littering a 3 metre squared area in the back corner of our yard. What ensued was handfuls of them flying back over the fence with as much effort as this right arm could muster. When I was down to about 1 or 2 to go, with James watching intently (and throwing a few stones at the fence in support!) Matt strolled across the lawn and poked his head over the fence to the neighbour!!!!! "G'day mate, we've just been getting a heap of cigarette butts thrown over the fence and we've got a little fella who keeps picking them up"... Sheepish response from neighbour "No worries, I'll have another talk to her..."

(Here I am bobbing down out of sight having had no idea the man was there copping my flying cigarette missiles!!!)

Matt and I legged it inside where I let a nervous/embarrased guffaw go and Matt laughed as told me what he'd seen as he walked out into the backyard...

Wonder if we'll get anymore... And I think I'll check if he's there in future before I start sending things back!!

Just saw this pic and had to share it...

He he he...

Libby & Shannon's Wedding

Here's some pics of a very happy Libby & Shannon Gilson...
Again, I was pretty poor on the camera! And yep, Matt was there but didn't rate a mention in the photos! Surprise - another event where Matt and I forget to take a pic together!!!!

Her dress was absolutely stunning! So classic and elegant!



Libby (bride), Jane (in middle), Jo (right) and I all went to uni together and have stayed beautiful friends since those ridiculously fun times!!!! It's great to catch up at these sort of occasions with all of us living in various places around Victoria/NSW. Nothing ever changes, just our surnames!!!!

When the cats are away... the kitten goes to play!

Matt and I braved the unknown over the weekend and had a weekend sans James! We had Libby & Shannon's wedding in Melbourne Saturday night (I'll post a couple of pics from that later) and Nan & Pa Tinkler offered to take James for a weekend away!

Boy did the kid enjoy!

Nan & Pa brought a tired, but very happy, boy home on Sunday afternoon with these gorgeous pics from an action packed weekend.

Milk at the breakfast bar

Learning about the Global Financial Crisis with Pa...

Contemplating the impact of the GFC and inflation on retail spending...

Playing in the dog's water... (I'm told this wasn't the only occasion!)

Maestro Tinklers Senior and Junior

Riding on the 'retired' 4wheel motor bike. The real one was a little too scary for him... Clancy on the back...

And Saturday night, Nan & Pa took James in to the 'Halloween' celebrations in Jerilderie. Miniature train rides for everyone!

Chuga chuga toot toot!

Up the back with Pa.

"How does this thing work...?"

With Nan on the train and Pa in the background holding the shed up.

"All aboard... Ready to go..."

Mowing the lawns! "I thought this was a holiday - they're making me work!"

"I love to swing"

Hello Cedric!

And then he found the hose... Don't think he was encouraged by his grandparents AT ALL!!!!!!

Wet!

What a great experience for James! and Matt and I enjoyed our break too! Although we were waiting like kids at Christmas for him to arrive home on Sunday afternoon!