A snapshot of June

The cold snap arrived and my stress levels rise a notch as we work a bit harder with Boo's health regime.
We have all had a fair share of icky colds and chesty coughs.
I spent two days in bed and am so grateful to have become unwell on a weekend. I was able to sleep on and off, read and rest while the Mr held the fort. I watched episode after episode of Twin Peaks. Have you seen it? I can't say I'm loving it but of course I've been sucked in now and have to find out who killed Laura Palmer.
There's been making of muesli bars and comfort food like pumpkin risotto and chicken soup-I used Lisa's recipe here.  It was absolutely delicious and how clever she was to slow cook it on the fire place. I just used my regular old slow cooker and it turned out GREAT! It has pumpkin in it too and I threw in a handful of quinoa for good measure. You should definitely make it.
Saturday morning soccer has been followed by visits to the Artisan Bakery for baked treats and hot chocolates. Our boys headed to Melbourne for a night to watch their team. Grammy and Grandy sent us some bagpipes they bought while in Scotland. We spent a happy but chilly weekend with friends in Tumut.

Tonight we have plans to don our beanies and polarfleece, light the fire and toast some marshmallows.
Happy Winter! Stay warm!

A snapshot of May

May was a big month.

• There were all the usual goings on... work, school, preschool, the to and fro of kids sport, music, activities.

• The Mr went away on a ten day fishing trip-the longest he has been away from us. I tell ya' I was daunted but surprisingly we moved along like a well oiled machine. Early nights were a key factor.

• We waved goodbye to Grammy and Grandy as they headed off on their UK holiday.
• The first lemon!

• Fundraising was BIG on the agenda forMay. Gah to be honest..It puts me out of my comfort zone at times. I'm sure we've all dodged a fundraiser in the street before. It's a tricky thing asking people for money or their time. But until there is a cure for cf..well, we'll just keep on keeping on. One day. If not for our child, then someone elses. All this fundraising..it helps. It really does. The advancements in treatment and outcome for cf and a range of illness/disease/conditions is truly amazing. Everytime you throw a buck into a charity, please know that it absolutely counts.

As many of you know, our big girl lives and breathes every day with cystic fibrosis. Living with a chronic illness is a roller coaster..for Bella and for us. It is part of our every day life. We try not to let it consume us..but there are times when it does. The rollercoaster. 

May is the month for our national awareness campaign and while we have always been involved in fundraising for cf..our big girl said 'mum, this year I want to do something' and thus 65km for cystic fibrosis was created. Throughout the month of May, she rode her bike a total of 65km to raise much needed funds and awareness for cf. We are incredibly proud of her positive attitude, maturity and commitment to keeping as healthy as possible. Kids with cf have a lot to take on. They need to manage treatments, medications, health and hospital admissions and they live with the knowledge of a shortened life expectancy. As parents, we try not to dwell on this and take each day as it comes but it is always there-in the back of our minds, in the bottom of our hearts.

Every weekend during May our girl rode her bike around our local lake. Sometimes with her dad and me running along behind, on Mother's Day, she and I rode 15km together and sang songs along the way, sometimes she rode with friends. But every weekend she headed out to the lake to clock up her 65km with enthusiam. 
I helped her to set up an everyday hero page where she shared her story and watched in amazement as funds rolled in.

This one little girl managed to raise $4752.39!!!

A HUGE thank you to each and every one of you who took a moment to read Bella's story, who shared her everyday hero page, offered encouragement, joined her for a lap or two or donated to her fundraiser. We are totally gobsmacked by your support. THANK YOU!!!

Milk glass

Hello!
Some lovely new milk glass to show and tell. Just the nudge I needed to get me blogging.
I am pretty darn excited about these pieces. They all found their way to me over the past few weeks.

Firstly, the sweetest little pear dish. So different than anything else I have in my collection. This was gifted by the lovely and generous Kylie. I especially love the back as well. Such a pretty little piece.

This goblet was picked up at my local oppy for $2.00 and these pretty bowls were also thrifted, $2.00 for both.

And lastly, a special little vase that came all way from England. My inlaws have just returned from a one month holiday in the UK. They found this in a second hand store and were not even certain it was milk glass. Thank goodness they decided to snag it. I am absolutely thrilled to have this well travelled piece in my collection. 

Garden Journal

Snapshots from our garden. Just because.

1. String of pearls
2. Little Gem, always lovely..even as she becomes brown and tired
3. The first nasturtiam. And just like that Miss Five picked that first little bud even before she opened.
I was watching her out the laundry window and I called out 'noooo' but it was too late. And she handed it to me saying 'I picked it for you Mummy'.
4. Autumn
5. The last of the roses

Gifted

My sister in law gave this piece of milkglass to me for my birthday a couple of months back. I love it. She was on holidays at the time and was checking various little old wares stores in the hope of finding me a piece. Eventually she found this little treasure at some local markets. I love it's pretty scalloped edge but even more so, I love the thought that went into finding it. Definately a piece I'll treasure.

Treasure hunting

And just like that, the set was completed!

The other day, my friend Yvette came to visit and we went for a little drive in the country. We visited the lovely town of Lockhart and the AMAZING second hand store, Ginge and Fluffs. Yes. Ginge and Fluffs. I'm thinking cats but the mind boggles! Next time I'll be sure to ask ;) It was there at Ginge and Fluffs that I picked up the last bowl in my pyrex set.

PS Thank you for your lovely offer Mel. I would surely have taken you up on it had I not been lucky enough to find this one.

A snapshot of March

I know April is almost over but March you were beautiFULL!

•  A special birthday breakfast with the ones I love.
•  A night out with some beautiful girlfriends.
• I went to hear Microwave Jenny sing their sweet tunes-their last gig before they headed overseas. Love em.
• Finally, the citrus trees I have been longing for. A lemon, a lime and an orange.
• A birthday celebration for our big girl too. A pool party. Boys and girls. Donut eating competitions. Truth or dare. Hamburgers. An icecream bar. One very happy girl.
• The kiddos played their last game of softball for the season. 
• A FABULOUS day at Talbingo Dam. The kiddos had a ball riding the biscuit. Boo did a super job water skiing. Riley took them skurfing. So blessed to have extended family loving our kids like we do. Our children do not have any cousins of similar ages to grow alongside, to play with. But they are blessed to have patient and caring big cousins. Big cousins that take them shopping and out for lunch. That give drum lessons and take them water skiing. That listen to their stories and wrestle and indulge in their antics despite them being sometimes annoying. I digress.
•  The littlest love ate an apple with the skin on for the very first time. This was kind of a big deal.
• And I cannot forget a special visit with Bonnie. We puppy sat the sweetest little daschound for most of March. We all fell in love with her, including the Mr who has dug his heels in firmly with a big fat no, when we've all pleaded for a dog. I can at least see a glimmer of hope now and we'll keep trying to twist his arm.