*M* - my life

{some stuff...}

i havent blogged for a while because my computer crashed. luckily i didnt lose everything, but it was a big pain and expense that i didnt really need!

been busy working, looking after the kids and thinking! 

work has been great and i am so appreciative for the amount of work i have been getting. 

the kids have been fantastic!  i feel like over the past 6 months or so i have relaxed a bit with them.  not to say that i let them get away with stuff, in that respect i'm still on top of them... but i feel like i am enjoying them more, listening more carefully, appreciating the time i spend with them and that i am missing them when they are at their dad's, even if it only for a night or two.

thinking.... been thinking more about how life takes you on different paths.  you meet people you would never expect to meet, enjoy experiences you never thought you would. when you are in your early twenties and think you know everything, you have your life planned out in your head.... you dont think about deviating from that path, well at least i didnt.  but sometimes those deviations are good, even for the best... although at times it doesnt feel like it and you wonder why your life is taking the path it is, you have to believe that everything happens for a reason and that reason is a good one.  even if it doesnt feel like it at the time.

life is good.  we only get one chance to do all the things we want, we dream.... to be happy.

{loving this...}

i was fiddling around with photoshop yesterday, wanting to get some pics printed from rottnest and lancelin (i went there the weekend before rotto just for the weekend... great 4wd fun - but thats another story...)  anyway, i came across an action that i have had sitting on my computer for ages - dont know where i got it from and i've never looked at it.  for some reason i thought i'd give it a go! 

i'm in love!

i just *love* the vintage feel it gives to pics... here are a few before and afters to give you an idea! i took the city out of the background of the first one to make it look older and not so modern.  i really love the last one, i think i might put it in a frame somewhere!

rotto

lancelin

thanks for looking!          

{they're back!}

... and it is just sooooo good to have those noisy little rugrats home again! :)

(please excuse revolting double-chin shot of me and ella!!!)

 

{rottnest in winter...}

...really is so beautiful!  it had been years since i had been over there and i had forgotten how wonderful it is!  winter is a great time to go, even though the island was pretty much booked out, it was quiet and relaxing!  i took my camera and had heaps of fun capturing the different bays and beaches... i took over 300 shots and most of them are just that... bays and beaches!  i was pretty happy with the results though, all of these are pretty much sooc, very little or no photoshop, so they're not too bad, if i say so myself! :)  i had fun playing around with different light, apertures and angles.  i like the lighthouse one with the trees and almost full moon, i did get a couple of looks lying on the ground taking that shot from the rocks above 'the basin'.

the weather was pretty good, except for one day where we got pretty wet walking when the rain came down.  other than that the days were spent bike riding (went around the island one day, a very hilly 22 km trip) walking on the beach, having hot chocolate at dome, lunch over-looking thompsons bay, drinking wine and baileys and eating!

the difference one day can make...

        

 

the little quokkas are so cute... and just so you know i am not feeding it - you're not allowed to do that, i'm just showing it a rock so it will get closer to me!

i love these pictures!  this was a lovely evening watching the sunset with a bottle of wine...

what a wonderful way to spend a few days!  i'd love to take the kids over there for a few days, i know they would love it!

   

{ella's day...}

ella chose to go to the movies to see 'kung fu panda' for her day - much to the boys' disappointment!  its funny how they sat so glued to a movie they didnt want to see!  isaac said it was better than he thought it would be!  i have to say it was nice to stop and sit for a while... even though the cinema was over-crowded and ella sat on my knee in the front row for the entire movie, with the boys in the row behind us.

here are a couple of pics...

... even though i really dont like pictures of myself i've decided not to always be behind the camera so the kids can see me in their lives as they get older!   

anyway, i think they enjoyed having the choice of what they did during the holidays while they were with me...  they felt special knowing it was 'their day'.

so today they are off to their dad's for a week and i am off to rottnest for a few days!  yay - i am looking forward to a restful time there... i feel like i need it, and earnt it!  :)

{isaac's day...}

so for his day, isaac chose to go to the slot cars in maddington.  he went there last year for his birthday party and had such a great time!  anything to do with cars is right up his alley!

i gave the kids a 30 minute session and they had so much fun!  i spent the whole time putting cars back on their tracks because they loved going around the tight bends fast and then crashing into another car that may be off its track!  real boy stuff!

tried again at a different mcdonald's to get the kids an ice-cream cone with a flake in it... no luck!   

{riley's day....}

well, its school holidays again - as much as i love working, it is a nice feeling to know that i wont be called in for two weeks!  i decided the kids could choose one activity each they would like to do in the holidays.  they needed to consider a) the cost and b) that all of us would be able to do what they had chosen.... so after ella asked if we could go to england, they came up with their suggestions!  the kids are only with me for the first week, and spend the second week with their dad, which they are really looking forward to!  it will be weird not having them around here for a whole week!

so, riley picked going surfing at the beach - he just loves doing this, so i wasnt surprised when he said it!  since it is winter, this was one that we needed to be picky about which day we went...  tuesday looked to be the best day weather-wise, so we packed up a picnic lunch and headed down to leighton beach... riley checked out the conditions first before we were allowed to unpack the car!  even though i was all rugged up with beanie and a scarf, the boys enjoyed boogie boarding and surfing!  ella stayed cuddling me under some towels!  after they got out of the water, all three of the kids had a blast sliding down the sand dunes on their boogie boards... i love the looks on their faces... its no too often riley's solemn little face shows pure joy!

   

i really love these last two photos - especially the look on riley's face in the last one!  afterwards we went through mcdonald's drive thru for an ice-cream cone with a flake... did you know they dont put the flakes in anymore?  such a shame!

   

{i know its blurry....}

... but i *heart* this photo!!!!  i took it on sunday while isaac was playing auskick (did get some good action shots of him too!!)... i just love that look on her face.

absolute. pure. joy.

love you baby girl!

{my cross-country super stars!!!}

the boys were so excited about their inter-house cross-country event at school on friday.  isaac in particular - he was certain he was going to come a place, either 1st, 2nd or 3rd.... just wasnt sure which!  last year he came 4th (after losing one shoe) so he was sure he could do better!  he is quite fast and does have a good running style! riley had never done a cc race before, as he is new to that school, and wasnt sure how he would go....

the results???

riley came in 5th in the year 4 boys race.  pretty good considering the first two boys absolutely blitzed it and left the rest of them behind!   he was pretty pleased with himself i think!

and the little shining star isaac came 1st in the year 2 boys event!  he was thrilled, especially since his little buddy lachie came in 2nd... they were so happy for each other!  you can see in the second pic that they were a bit in front, the kids going in the other direction still had to go into the bush and do that part of the track, isaac and lachie were out and ready to come up the home straight! 

so proud of my boys - not only of their achieivements, but in their sportsmanship towards others on a miserable, cold, wet winter's day!   

{in a good place...}

i feel like i am in such a good place right now.  as much as my life is different than i ever expected (and i am trying to fight off a cold!) i feel happy and content with the path my life is taking.  i dont know why.  maybe with the news of jane mcgrath yesterday, and a fight of another person i know of, makes me realise once again that everyday is a blessing.  i didnt work today, the first day in a couple of weeks, the sun was shining so i went for a walk.  it was while i was walking that i realised the contentment i felt. 

i am in a good place.

is it because i could feel the warm sunshine on my face and it is the middle of winter?  is it because my house was clean?  is it because i knew i have fresh sheets to sleep in tonight?  is it because i just enjoyed a beautiful weekend?  is it because my kids were back home this afternoon after a couple of days with their dad? 

whatever the reason....  it feels good to be in a good place!

(this pic was taken yesterday at city beach - you wouldn't know it is the middle of winter would you?)