Louis and Dylan!

My beautiful boys! They are great little boys and look after their little brother Ethan so well! They are best friends and love playing together all of the time! I'm so proud that they are so generous and giving to each other and others...

Louis - 3 1/2


Dylan - A big boy on the potty - no more day nappies!
Brushing their teeth!

My growing boy Ethan!

Here is a selection of gorgeous photo's of my growing baby Ethan. Time is going too fast that's for sure! He is now crawling around and getting into everything!

Sitting up!

Standing up!

Ethan LOVES the toy room!

Bathtime

Ethan loves his food and has a VERY healthy appetite!! I think I will need 2 trolleys to shop with by the time they're all teenagers!

Love my brekky!

Yum - Toast!

Dinner out!

We had dinner at our great friends Bean and Lucas' house! We were also catching up with our old friend Hayley who was visiting in the middle of a move from Queensland to Western Australia!!
The kids were so well behaved and played well together and it was great to have a glass of wine and some yummo pizza from Bean's homemade pizza oven!!!
It was one of those times you will remember forever - there really is nothing more important than your friends and family!!

Friends for over 20 years!

Bean having cuddles with Ethan - he did so well to stay up so late!

Michael and I

Trip to the Farm

We had a fantastic trip up to Bonnie Doon to visit the boys Oma and Opa! They had just returned from their overseas trip with exciting stories and beautiful pictures! Was very nice to have them home safe and sound though!

Louis fell asleep on his Opa after the big drive! It was very late at night!

Ethan in his new clog slippers!

The boys loved a big walk outside - it was a beautiful winter's day!

Dylan and Louis would have stayed out there all day I'm sure!

Oma, me and Ethan

Me snuggling with Ethan!

The boys love going for rides on the 4 wheeler with their Dad!

Michael chilling out

My 28th Birthday!

We celebrated my birthday at the Eating House. There's nothing better than spending time with family, eating good food and drinking good wine!

Louis loved his ice cream!

Michael and Dylan

Nanna and Ethan

Pa

Day at the Museum!

An adventure awaited us as we jumped in the car and headed for the city! The boys are very aware now when they're in for a fun day - they definitely sense excitement in the air and look forward to a break from their everyday routine.

As we talked about our trip to the Museum, Louis said he was looking forward to seeing the dinosaur skeletons and he definitely wasn't disappointed! Even Dylan was pointing up at the large Pteranodon suspended from the roof. I'm certainly glad they're not around anymore that's for sure!!

Mum, Louis & Dylan in front of a big, scary dinosaur

The beauty of the museum for kids is definitely the range of sensory elements - they can touch sharp dinosaur teeth, view video through the binoculars and press buttons to light up the inner workings of a beetle!

But the best part of all is the Children's Museum. What a fantastic idea! The kids ran free unsure of what to get their hands onto first! Start a dinosaur excavation in the sand pit or go for the dinosaur toys and tails? Big floor puzzles or hula hoops outside?

Dad, Louis & Dylan playing with dinosaurs

Louis digging for dinosaurs

The large giraffe and animal sculptures also proved to be favourites and once Dylan found the animal puzzles and books it was hard to prise him away.

Dylan didn't want to leave... Dad & Louis getting hands on

The funniest part was that Michael and I had just as much fun as the kids!

Ethan had fun viewing it all from the pram. I didn't have a photo from today but thought I'd add one because he's so gorgeous!! He made us aware of his presence this evening however by refusing to go to bed therefore having an extra hour of playtime with Mum and Dad all on his own!

It's so important to engage with our kids as often as possible. It's easy to get in the habit of going through the motions and feeling drained by all the "have to's" on our to-do list! Making the effort to head out on a family adventure is just what everyone needs sometimes to reconnect and enjoy each others company! It doesn't have to even be a big event - a walk to the park with a basket to collect interesting things along the way or off to the pools for a swim - there are a million different ways...it's not important what you do just as long as you do it! There is fun, adventure and excitement to be found in even the smallest things - especially through the eyes of a child....

Special Mail

Louis was very excited to receive a special card in the mail today from his Oma and Opa who are currently travelling around Europe!

We had to get the globe out and have a look at where they are at the moment and of course where we are in Australia.

In this day and age of emails and mobile phones you forget how exciting it can be for kids to receive mail! So, with that in mind we will endeavour to start writing some letters soon to family and friends, first starting with our World Vision sponsor child Naishiye from Tanzania.

A Family Reunion

We've had an amazing day reconnecting with family that I haven't seen for over 10 years! It's amazing how comfortable the occassion was - everyone talking and catching up - I think even when you don't spend a lot of time with extended family there is a bond that will remain regardless.
Louis excitedly ran up to me saying that the 2 little twin toddlers were his "cousins" and that he made little Chloe laugh! He has quickly learnt the value of his immediate and extended family. He has a great sense of belonging and love from those around him which, for a 3 year old I think is fantastic!

Louis loved the magical garden filled with snails and bumblebees and gnomes...

Dylan had fun exploring the fantastic garden! With chickens and dirt and water...a 2yo's paradise!

Ethan loved getting cuddles from everyone and was happy to be passed around!!

Ethan with my Aunty Nella

The boys did a fantastic job of coping for the 6 hours in total that we spent in the car...what a trip!

It was quite beautiful to see my Nanna with all of her family - children, grandchildren and great grandchildren all around her...she coped very well considering sadly, she doesn't know who any of us are anymore...I know she would have been very happy to see us all together after so long!

What an amazing woman to have created and raised this family...

Honestly, if you don't have your health, family and friends what have you really got? Time is precious - everyone needs to take a step back from the busyness of life and take the time to appreciate and be grateful for those around you...You do not want to have regrets about the state of a relationship with someone you love...take the time to resolve issues and move forward together...and most importantly make the effort to accept people for who they really are - it is only then that you can really appreciate them.