reunion day - borders are open

after weeks and weeks of the intrastate borders being closed while our state works on keeping the risk of covid-19 at bay - they have finally opened it up between perth and the wheatbelt... which means mum and dad finally got to come and visit! 

mum called it reunion day haha and brought me my favourite flowers and my favourite cake, then hung out with us for the afternoon and well into the evening before heading home. it was so nice to see them in real life and just have them here. mum cooked dinner with the older kids, dad played duplo by the hour with alex - nothing special or out of the ordinary, but it was special to me.

we are so lucky to be in western australia through all of this. our cases are so low now and dropping by the day and being the most isolated capital city in the world certainly has its advantages in times like this, when we have an awesome premier who has been firm on his decisions and is not risking the health of anyone. i feel so safe here and it is amazing.

we love babs! ❤️

if you don't know that my mum is amazing and my favourite person in the world, then you don't know me at all. she is seriously the best. she can cook, sew, do pretty much anything art wise (whereas i don't seem to have an artistic bone in my body) and seems to know everything. i believe that's a mum thing, but i'm still waiting for that to happen over here...

the thing i love the most though, is her endless patience with my kids. some days i feel like i absolutely want to strangle them, but she just keeps her cool and watches them play and plays with them for hours, never getting frustrated. what a winner.

for example, this cake. she decorated it with the kids and they all loved it. they could put anything they wanted, anywhere they wanted, she just laughed along with them and to be honest, it looked (and tasted!) amazing!

cutting the cake with nanna. my two favourite girls! ♥

happy birthday mum. we love you so much!

my new old cupboard

a few years ago i was driving home and went past a beat up old cupboard on the side of the road not far from our old house. i quickly called a friend with a ute and begged him to come and help me collect it so i could take it home and put it in the garage. he thankfully did and it remained there until a few weeks ago when we moved and my parents took it home to begin the restoration process.

i have put the pictures of  it looking lovely up first, but it was so so so beat up. the tin side which is now chalk board was almost completely off, dad had to reattach it before mum could paint it for me... there were paint stains all over the door inside and out, more than half the shelving was missing, the door was terribly hard to close once it was open because it's so heavy that it buckled the cupboard as it opened... and the paint job was cracked, peeling and looking like crap.

but yet again my dad undertook a job he really didn't want to do, all because i asked. he reinforced the cupboard to make it stronger, he painted the inside, replaced the shelving, painted it, fixed the hinges, fixed the door and then delivered it back to me. what a legend. i am completely in love with it and can't wait to fill it up, with my kitchen things... i have attached some pics below so you can see just how bad it was and some of the process... i love my dad! he truly is the best. thank you! xxx

a trip to clackline

there have been massive amounts of bushfires north of perth this past week. it's been awful, with so many homes threatened and people having to leave with a risk of never coming home. my poor husband has been out helping with the problem that come afterwards, that the wooden power lines need to be replaced. not that we have anything to complain about, our home is safe and we are well, but when he comes home late, covered in ash, i am certainly sympathetic.

i felt like a night off from climbing (often whiny) children was in order, so last night i took the kids to my parents house in clackline, where they played with nanna and grandad and i sat back and enjoyed the surrounds. (...would you believe they even have wireless internet now?! this is new)

it's the first time we have been to visit since they came home from their mission a month ago and to be totally honest, it's like they never even left. there are little bit of mum everywhere, and it's so nice to come home to.

i wish i had have taken my actual camera with me and not just my iphone, but i couldn't resist taking some snaps as i walked around with joseph hanging on my side. there is just so much to see!

dad made this little chair and as it's perfect madeline size, she has decided it must be her designated chair.

a gorgeous wire bird cage my mum made years ago... if you look carefully, there is a twisted wire dragonfly on the side closest to the camera.

their newest bird bath

outdoor sinks, some of which actually work i believe.

a little man made from terracotta pots that sits under their trough filled with fish and water plants.

a fountain in the car port, pumped through an old water pump. so cool.

the people who were renting the house whilst mum and dad were away left this gorgeous mat for my parents... so suits my dad!

and... my newest disovery, filing that away, for next time i need some vintage items. so cute, right?

i could spend days looking at everything and probably still not see it all, i love mums collections... she can find anything a home - and she has certainly passed that trait on to me! 

they're home/ my birthday

i got the best birthday gift this year... my parents got home last night!!! it is so nice to have them home and safe and all the grandchildren are loving it too. my eldest brother and his children came to our ward today and we all sat together as one huge family... then home for birthday lunch.

i got a selfie stick from a friend who knows i appreciate ridiculous gifts and doug and i were cracking up giving it a try when everyone left. classic. i don't know how keen i would be on using it in public... (how embarassing right...?) but it was a crack up here at home. selfieeeee!

my beautiful best friend jen also gave me this amazing hand made clutch. she actually made it for her handmade store to sell online earlier this year and over the months that have passed i have continued to hint that if it didn't sell that she should give it to me for my birthday. i like it so much that i even told doug to buy it for me! then at dinner the other night, lo and behold i unwrapped my gift and there it was. as subtle as a brick eh. hahaha.  

doug bought me a new purse (mimco! squeee) that's a beautiful deep green with cutout stars all over the top layer of the leather, and a new dinner set. both very happily received, my husband knows me far too well!  

it was a perfect birthday. especially having my little ones to cuddle. i can't get over what a sweet baby joseph is, especially when he asleep snuggled up to doug like this. 

♥

parent updates!

these beautiful people are away having the most amazing time of their lives - and being that it's my dad's birthday today i thought it might be nice to give you an update on what they have been up to. 

they have settled in well to life in the islands as you can see from the picture above and are working hard at church college... dad teaching workshop (ie. being a mechanic and showing other people how to do mechanic like stuff) and my mama is teaching cooking and sewing.

they have been touring the island and exploring to their hearts content and even went on a weekend trip to american samoa on a little plane a few recently. i know they're working hard whilst  having a good time - but isn't that important too?

it's almost been 6 months, which means a third of the way through - which means there's only just over a year until we get to have them home. i am waiting patiently, cause i know that heavenly father needs them where they are - but it doesn't stop me missing them. 

so... without further ado - happy birthday daddy and be safe... we'll see you when we see you!

pressies from saaa!

we got a package from samoa today! mum and dad went shopping and got us some little gifts, packaged them up and sent them via friends to australia - which were then posted to us! what fun!

we got a little mini blue lavalava for madeline, that mum had made herself and sewn into a wrap around, so all i had to do was add elastic for the waist, a book about iesu (jesus) that i am sure oli (doug's samoan mother) will love to read to her granddaughter at christmas time when they visit, a paua shell necklace with matching earrings, mother of pearl starfish earrings, a teacup ring and a hand printed scarf from mum's friend marita for me and a purple lavalava for doug. 

it was so lovely to receive such a sweet gift and know that they are thinking of us while we are missing them so much. can't wait to visit next year!

pirates

arrrrrr me hearties! mum and dad are off to michelle's pirates of the caribbean party for her 30th birthday. mum never, ever misses an opportunity to dress up and i was pretty damn impressed with the results. especially after i made dad change his gumboots (ewww - gumboots are only acceptable when they are high fashion printed ones!!) for my gorgeous sportscraft ones. bet he wishes we weren't the same shoe size! haha.

we did get an invite but weren't able to go; i was bummed. :( i bet it'll be an awesome night! i was especially impressed with mums wrapping skills - she got her a mini treasure chest with gold coins ($1 & $2 coins) such a funky idea!!