christmas in clackline

there is nothing more wonderful than being home for christmas. in  your childhood home with your parents and your siblings... and your own kids too. due to our boxing day adventure before dougs aunt headed back to melbourne, our family christmas was delayed until today.

as usual, mum had not left one thing undone and had it all decorated perfectly, with bush items... that's my favourite thing about mum, she uses every single thing around her and makes it all look perfect, time and time again.

i love to see this nativity set out each year. i remember mum buying it at garden city in booragoon when i was very small (possibly even before we moved to clackline) and it's always been in a black tin with yellow flowers on it. i hope one day it lives in my home so i can show my children and their children something so special to me.

these two kids felt like the luckiest kids on the planet when they opened nanna and grandads gift - a giiiiiant box of free play lego. they are obsessed with lego and i know there will be so many hours of fun (and mess for me) ahead of them.

and alex looooved his bluey lunch box. nothing in the world makes him happier than bluey.

after a feast brought by every member of the family, which was incredible!

we had dessert, including a pecan pie that i made. i remember years ago, every time isaac would come to family dinner at mums he would bring a pecan pie, so i made it in the hopes that he would be excited. it worked. 

his partner kat made this delicious dessert in the coolest rectangular round edged tart tin and when i asked where she got the tin from, she gave it to me saying she was never going to use it again. i was so thrilled! i can't wait to put it to good use with pies. 

and my favourite pic from the day, madeline with her cousin emma... her absolute favourite person to hang out with. i am so glad they are so close. ❤

clackline post quarantine

we fiiiiiinally got to go and visit my family home in clackline over the weekend after zoned borders were listed a few weeks back. it was so nice to be home in the country, i love it out here!

we went over to one of the neighbouring towns - york to go to their rummage sale at the local salvation army, where we did great - i found some awesome stuff and walked away with 28 items for just $14. most of the time i am convinced that that the old guy who charges you gets sick of counting. on the way back we stopped off at the clackline lion to say hello.

seeing dad in his shed is the best bit. somehow (like every other dad in the world) he just magically knows where everything is and it's so funny. he's restoring an old ute in there bit by bit and it's absolutely his pride and joy. i can't wait to see it finished one day.

i love hearing their girls clucking away throughout the day. they've always had chickens as long as i can remember and it used to be my job to go and feed them, clean and fill their water and collect the eggs. can't say i minded actually, other than having to clean their water tub out, that was pretty rank.

my brother jareds first car, a hr holden sedan, is still parked undercover by the chook pen, waiting for the day that someone takes it to restore or it rusts away to nothing...

i love all the little details at mum and dads. like the water tower with a little house at the bottom. i am dying for the day mum sets it up as a cubby for the kids.

the farm house, which will always feel like home to me

so, funny story, i apparently left alex's bag in perth. we went to change his clothes when he got wet and discovered it wasn't there, meaning no nappies either, so maddie and i had to make another trip - off to northam to find him some clothes and supplies. he is wearing one of the jumpers i found in thi pic and i just love it!

everything at nannas is fancy. even bath rime. she ran little alex a bath then added some rose petals in. i swear the poor kid had no idea what was going on hahah.

i just love it out here. it's the most beautiful and peaceful place to run away to every now and then.

maddie's first sleepover

maddie came home from her first sleepover at my parents a few hours ago... she was so excited to go and helped me pack her bag, then excitedly waited by the door most of the day for them to arrive. the minute they knocked, she rushed to meet them and tried to get straight into the car. she was so disappointed when they wanted to come in and visit a while... "can we go yet, can we go yet?"

during the day she was there she had a lovely time, but when it came to bed - she kept waking up and whining for me. poor love. first time away from home. so when the second night came and she didn't want to go to bed again and got a bit teary, mum and dad packed her back into the car and drove her back to perth. of course she was fast asleep by the time they got here and we popped her straight back into bed... but at least she's done it once now.

i know she did have a wonderful time though and kept telling me all about everything they had done, so hopefully we'll have a little more luck next time around. ♥

the countdown is on!

i cannot believe this is happening. in less than 2 days we are off to samoa to see mum and dad. i am so, so excited (not about packing... blergggggh) and can't believe that the time has passed so quickly since we booked. tick tock, tick tock...

this is really happening... mum i'll see you soon!

back from europe!

mummy and daddy came home from europe on monday after almost 6 weeks away... and of course mum bought me a little giftie, rosary beads from the church of the madeleine in paris, france. needless to say I was stoked, considering i do collect rosary beads (yes i am a closet catholic sigh...) and i am obsessed with the madeline books, so they had a special double meaning. i am so happy to have them home - missed the pair of them bucketloads! :)