10 year engageversary

ten years ago today, doug got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife... to spend his life and what comes next - by his side. 

who would have known on our first date (which i just so happen to have photos from, conveniently because we were going to our stake ysa ball) that we'd end up here all these years later.

i mean seriously, these photos are 12 years old! haha.

marriage is hard, but loving doug makes it a little easier ♥

a day with the milnes...

maddie testing out one of the life sized ponies at costco

it is always far too long between visits with the milnes. i hate that we live so far away from each other, but i honestly feel as though the old saying "true friendship can survive years without speaking but seem like you saw each other yesterday." well that's us. the girls are getting along like a house on fire and we are having the greatest time. what a pity we don't have longer here.

maddie clinging to uncle james in the wind

we started our day taking the kids down to a park on the foreshore in scarborough... which was amazing, but right as we were on our way, a strong wind came up and it got very cold. the girls made it about 5 minutes in, before they came back and said they wanted to go. oh well. was a good thought. we did however check out a few shops along the strip, including a hidden gem called "earthly gifts by the sea" (if you are ever in qld, go check it out - 79 landsborough ave, scarborough) they had the cutest jewellery and really different homewares. well worth a look!

 

then... we all headed over to costco! this was a new and exciting adventure for us, as perth is yet to get one! that's a picture of our lunch in the above shot - a slice of pizza the size of a dinner plate and as cheap as anything. and actually good! costco memberships are currently $65 for a year in australia, and well worth the price - some of the items on sale are so cheap it's ridiculous.

take these dickies shirts... which joseph of course had to have a roll around in. in regular street stores they are between $45 and $60 each. but here at costco? $14.99!! i kid you not. doug was so thrilled. (as was i, what a nice saving for us, with some new shirts for him.) score!

we loaded the three girls into the trolley together and they were so happy. they laughed and sang and played together... and it made me wish again that we didn't live 4380km from each other. (yes i just looked on apple maps, and fyi, this route requires tolls.) they were instant besties on saturday afternoon when we arrived... i think every dress up costume they had was hauled out, and they ran giggling back and forward through the house. it was music to my ears, how sweet it is to have friends so close that they are like family.

our happy girls

the three of them were so excited, we were in the toy section and i pulled out these three horses, that were all but real pony size, and the perfect size for them to ride on... madeline was so excited that she kept turning to me and grinning so i could take her picture. i now fell like i can report back too, what do they sell at costco? real life sized kids ponies! that's what. 

unfortunately the time came for us to say goodbye, and of course the girls were unimpressed that we were taking their friends away - for who knows how long this time. damn this large world. if only we had a way to keep every one we loved close.

we miss you milnes! :(

grandies

madeline with grandma and poppy ♥

after doug went home, madeline and i stayed in queensland for an extra week so that dougs parents could spend some more time with madeline. after all, the last time they saw her was a week after she was born! i don't know how on earth oli is going to cope now that i've taken her back to perth - every morning she was up and stealing her out of her cot the second she made a noise and feeding her anything she looked at! haha i think i am going to have to detox the poor kid now. ;) oli went back to work the last week that i was there - and kept calling each day to tell me that she was missing her, so i guess they'll just have to hurry up and move to perth! :)

i have been very blessed with a wonderful family - and now extended family - and only wish that everyone i loved could all live within a reasonable distance of me. maybe one day... ♥

madeline with poppy steve

mingas with attitude

words cannot express how much this crazy girl means to me... she's the closest thing i have ever had to a sister and i love spending time with her. on our trip to qld, it was like not a day had passed since i last saw her, and we had a fabulous time together.

xxx

queensland mates!

waiting to meet chelsea and ammon

the problem with travel being so accessible these days is the tragedy that after travelling around the place, some of my dearest friends are so far away. i did however enjoy every minute of being with some of them during our very quick visit to queensland.

chelsea and i

the last time i saw chelsea and ammon was over two years ago at their wedding in brisbane when i was a bridesmaid (woo- so much fun!) three kids (between us) later we finally got to catch up for lunch, and... she hasn't changed a bit. while we left the babies with the boys for a few minutes as we ordered lunch, it was so easy to feel as though not a day had passed.

i read once that "the best friends are those whom you can see once in a blue moon and feel as though not a day has passed" and chels is indeed once of those. we had a great afternoon together and i know that no more how long it is until the next one, that things will never change.

(chelsea and ammon's) baby aubrey and i - such a cutie!

craig and katie with madeline

i got to see craig also after doug left for wa... craig and i met back in 2003 when i first moved to queensland, we only knew each other for a short amount of time - and then all of a sudden a few years later - he appears in our ward... on his mission! what a champ. he and i get along like a house on fire and i miss him like crazy - so the brief afternoon we got to spend with him was fabulous, especially since we finally got to meet the girl that was crazy enough to marry him - the lovely katie! what a gem she is! can't wait for our next trip to get to know her better, :)

state of origin

mother of the year strikes again... i woke miss madeline up on state of origin game one night - just so we could say she watched it. as you can see, she was more than happy to have a cuddle with daddy while queensland kicked new south wales to the kerb.

of course a good night of sport is just not complete without pizza and beer (ginger of course!)



madeline beth meets beth

last week madeline beth finally got to meet beth. i knew that if we dared to go back to perth without seeing her our lives would not be worth living - so off we went to meet her halfway at sizzler in carindale. 

as mentioned in previous posts, beth introduced doug and i all those years ago, and it's all because of her that we're here today... 

for that reason miss madeline was aptly named madeline beth ♥

doug and baby rohnan

we had a lovely lunch together, getting to know to know the two!! (wowsers!) babies beth had had since we saw her last, nimera and baby rohnan. i am a sucker for an adorable, cuddly little baby, so i snatched rohnan out of his pram the minute he woke up and proceeded to cuddle him for as long as possible. such a sweet, darling boy! beth really knows how to make good looking kids!

me and darling baby r - so snuggly

reunited

it has been a very long time since i last saw this girl. since october 2009 to be exact. and i have missed her like crazy. i can't even explain how much. my gorgeous sister in law (one of 4 - this one is my husbands sister) niques. we have been reunited and have started our craziness all over again, it's like it never ended. i read somewhere once that the best friends we have in life are those that we can go years without seeing (or sometimes even speaking to), then pick things up exactly where we left off. we are one of those. i have barely stopped laughing since i got here.

it's also really special because it's the first time she has met miss madeline and i can report that i am pretty sure that she's in love. they are having an absolute blast together and she is loving her first niece. i have a feeling that i'm not going to want to leave when our time here is up.

♥

mothers day

mothers day this year was very special for two reasons... 1. it was my first one ever! and 2. we got to spend it with doug's mum in qld for the first time in years. i know they are stoked to have us here with them and spend time with their precious grandbaby. i can barely get a cuddle in for myself! :) we gave oli a framed picture from our kai shoot (as seen above). my favourite one, i can't wait to have one framed for our wall when we get home.

me and little miss on mothers day at the in-laws. she looks so grown up here, how frightening. not too long now and she'll be one! i haven't gotten my present yet - doug says it's waiting back in perth for me - apparently it was either too big or too heavy to bring? something like that... sound exciting! i shall keep you all posted though.

my first mothers day was lovely, lots of cuddles from maddie and a beautiful family dinner. nothing too fancy, but time with family - and let's be honest, what could possibly be better than that?