out for a ride

i love our primary activity days sessions for our kids, they are so fun and i love the ideas they have been coming up with. at the beginning of the year, they did some brainstorming about some ideas they'd like to work with for some fun and someone suggested they'd like to just go for a bike ride. so today, that's what they did. all the kids met at one of the local parks and learned some street safety when riding, basic bike maintenance and then did some laps. 

i have never regretted buying the outlander and today was a good reminder of why, with madeline in the front, alex behind me and joseph in the back back seat behind alex, i managed to get both the kids bikes in the back, one on top of the other and then squash alex's try bike in there too. it was rough, but i managed it. so proud. 

they had the best time with each other and (hopefully) learned a lot

and this guy loved it the most. he went speeding about the place on his little bike and was so fast. i tried to get him to come back to the car multiple times when it was time to go, but ended up having to carry him and the bike, while he screamed at me, back to the car. what a hard life. clearly he loves his bike though, so at least we are winning there.

fun in the country

i've said it before and i'll say it again, in the country you make your own fun. the kids spent the day at uncle mat and aunty jenny's house today, playing on the home made slip and slide all together with the dogs looking on and occasionally getting in on the action. mat has lived in the same house for as long as i have known him (since i was 4) and he and jen have built themselves a house alongside his childhood home. i can't picture him ever living anywhere other than the country.

the kids all loved getting soaked and sliding around in the bubbles and generally having the time of their lives. honestly, growing up in the country is the best and sometimes i am a little sad that my kids will never have that, but we just need to make sure there are plenty of trips to nannas and aunty jennys to get their country time in.

maddie cracked me up so hard though, when she had had enough of the smaller kids, she climbed up on the top of the monkey bars and sat up there like a dancer, to listen to her ipod. chill out time, girl after my own heart.

 

australia day in clackline

guess who hasn't returned the train yet? this guy. australia day in clackline was a hit with grandad doing runs for the kids again. being a goodlet grandad is legit the best thing ever. i'm jealous of my own kids lol.

i love that my parents get right in on the action and love having the kids about... but i love that my dad will tell us when it's time to go home cause he's had enough. i swear his patience is thinning out the older he gets.

my mum busted out these adorable lamingtons with gumleaf decorations

and a pavlova - of course, cause it wouldn't be australia day without one. how unaustralian would we be if there was no pavlova at our australia day party?

and my contribution, banoffee pie!

and when uncle isaac appeared with his quad bike, these two were loving it. i'm glad to see the next generation of goodlet girls like petrol as much as i did. ❤

 

step up concert 2020: lights, camera, action!

today we went to our first step up concert with a difference, for the first time the dancers got to watch their concert at the same time as everyone else! due to the threats looming of lockdown and restrictions, our studio owners came up with an idea that would alleviate the risk of anything going wrong and our end of year concert being cancelled at the last minute. the entire concert was filmed piece by piece and joined together, and the dancers got to watch it all - on the big screen at ace cinemas in midland. they honestly thought it was the coolest thing ever and to be honest, so did we!

this little champion took home the mckinney family perpetual ballet excellence award and i am so damn proud of her. she always puts in 110% for dance and it's paid off - and look at that smile! all the perpetual trophy winners were notified a few hours before and asked to arrive early to walk the red carpet and have their photo taken with miss kylie and miss jacqui. i didn't tell her and when they greeted her with her trophy she was blown away. it was the best.

the show went well and these two loved it, pointing out their best shots and the dances they liked the best. i really, really loved that they got to see it at the same time as us, it was just so fun for them.

and madison got a class trophy too so of course then we had to have more photos on the red carpet. i love their friendship, it's the best thing ever. lucky madison has a cool mum too, so i scored as well.

well, this concert done differently, was certainly a hit! oh and we won the raffle too. a beauty pack. score! what a night.

this girl is definitely going places... i guess we just have to sit back and watch!

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(edied to add:) the best bit? we booked our seats at the first concert screening of two, and a few days before concert screening two? lockdown. thank goodness we got in when we did, as the second one never went ahead. what a blessing that we got our turn. now we just wait on the dvd so madeline and madison can watch it on repeat. send help.

matching pjs

oh dear. i have become that mum. that mum that bought her kids matching pjs - and i'm not even sad about it cause they love them so much. they've worn them multiple days in a row and keep playing games in them and it's adorable.

see? pretty much the cutest thing ever. let's hope they fit for a while!

 

fun with the cousins

just what we all needed, a day to chill out with the cousins in glen forrest, cause it was freaking hot today! i loooove their backyard, since jared redid the pool fence, it's as though they have an infinity pool and it has the most glorious view of the bush. i could sit out here for hours.

alex loves getting in the water with maddie and emma holding him and it's so cute watching him splash about in the water

maddie had all her mermaid fantasies come true, lounging on emmas blow up tail in the water

and alex loved emmas big ass rubber duck

it was a great afternoon and they all loved it

especially this unexpected water baby who ended up going back in the pool after they'd already had a swim in their bathers - in his undies! i'm at my cousins, it doesn't matter. apparently he's obsessed with the water and stayed in there for hours with aunty donna watching from the kitchen window as she cooked. an afternoon well spent, brings a week of content. ❤

 

oli's haircut

this is one of the saddest things that has ever happened to me. doug's mum, for as long as i have known her, had had super long and thick hair. she loved her hair and was so proud of it. she would always have it neatly tied back and twisted into a knot and tied in place with a scrunchie or a scarf or a clip of some type, but she would never, ever cut it. but with the radiation and alllll of the chemo, her hair has been thinning and thinning and now is finally falling out. we knew the radiation would make it happen, but what saddens me the most is that she was so calm about it. 

we finally had to make the call and cut it all short at the back as it was basically a rat's tail that was left. so today, i got the scissors and carefully cut it short as she sat calmly on the couch. i was devastated, but she remained calm. it's honestly as though she has accepted whatever has and may yet happen. it's so sad to see for all of us as we never want to say goodbye, but as she grows weaker, we know it is a possibility. 

 

step up finale

kaz and i have just spent the entire afternoon listening to the same song over and over (let's love by david guetta and sia) while the maddie's learned the finale song for their filmed concert that they'll be watching at the cinema in a few weeks. they nailed it pretty quickly and we got it filmed no trouble at all, ready to send of, only we then realised the lighting was terrible and it needed to be done outside, back to square one.

the filing was a las minute addition to their concert that was completely filmed in our dance studio in ellenbrook due to the fact that the owners didn't want the concert to be affected, or cancelled by covid restrictions or possible lockdown. it was a fabulous idea, but they still wanted the opportunity for the classes to combine like they actually would for the finale in regular times, so they came up with the idea of all the students learning a set routine and then cutting and pasting them all together. we've done our bit and i can't wait to see the end result!

 

introducing mr. and mrs. lagden-shepherd

it's been a hot minute since i've taken any photos - and here we are with family portraits and a wedding in less than two weeks. yesterday i had the absolute privilege of taking photos at the wedding of jack and kayla lagden-shepherd. my friend kelly knows them well and when asked to photograph their wedding, asked me to come and help as a second shooter, and i was only too happy to.

it was very warm and sunny, but it was the most beautiful day and we worked so well together. we've really managed to get some beautiful shots and i am loving them more and more as i go through them.

the wedding was held at brookleigh estate on great northern highway in the swan valley and oh was it beautiful. so many gorgeous buildings, tree lined drives and the most stunning courtyard for the reception, plus the sweetest lake side ceremony. it's actually the first time i have ever been into the estate, which is incredible, considering how close we live!

the most special moment of the day for me, was watching the bride, her mother and the bridesmaids quickly stop and have a prayer before walking down the aisle. what a beautiful thing to enter into a marriage, knowing god will guide your path. it was so meaningful to me.

kayla and jack were just so much fun! they giggled along with us and our directions as they snuck kisses and enjoyed every moment of newlywed bliss. i just loved them.

kayla and her ladies 

and the newly pronounced husband and wife... they really just couldn't get enough of each other

and were so happy to go along with all our suggestions for photos.

my favourite parts of the buildings were absolutely these gorgeous entrance doors, i had them over there quick smart for a shot and i am so glad i did. look at that!!

and i still can't stop giggling at this shot. i called out to a bunch of the guests for a shot and it's honestly like a shot from vogue. what a cracker.

we had the best day together and i felt so lucky to be included in such a fun day. i will second shoot for you any time kelly mandin. congratulations to jack and kayla! ❤

 

country kids

this is life in the country. my dad is part of the local lions club and often drives their "train" (a ride on lawn mower towing rainbow carriages made from old barrels) at public events. with that, comes the perks of sometimes being able to bring it home for your grandkids and their friends. hahaha.

and that's what we did today... started our day hanging out at aunty jenny's house - then moved the party to my parents house where the train rides went on all afternoon and the kids thought all their birthdays and christmases had come at once.

i mean seriously, look at these happy little faces!

joseph was even more stoked after grandad let him sit on the mower and pretend he was the driver

he and his "best friend" jacob had the best time!

it's the country life for me!

such a cute little setup too!

my kids were even more stoked when they got it all to themselves the next day when the rest of the squad had gone home and it was just the kendalls...

hanging with the grandies

it was the best! i love that maddie has nannas hat on here too, it looks so cute on her.

and to top off our visit, i made a birthday cake for my nephew declan who will be visiting tomorrow with his parents. hopefully he loves it!