Day 365 +1

New Years Eve.

This afternoon we head down to Tuross Heads on the nsw south coast for the weekend, thankfully my employer is allowing us all to leave at 3pm and monday is a public holiday.  it's only a 4 hour drive via the inland route so we should be there for dinner.

this is a Chevy silverado Ute (as we call them here) and it's an anomally on our roads as we really don't have cars or Utes that big.  As a guide for those who know my US ski trip pics this is the size of the Suburban we hired but in Ute format.

2 things struck me:

1. you can buy them in Australia

2. what is with those tiny itty bitty wheels in the massive wheel arches?  I laughed for the entire time we were behind it as it just looked ridiculous, particularly with the flares on the wheel arches hehe

Day 365

hmm ok, so somewhere along the way I have made an error with the days as there's 3 days left and today is coming up as day 365......... oh well, a couple of bonus days for 2010 and it's not even a leap year ;)

the sun is out and it's finally feeling like summer after all those wet and overcast days the last 2 months.

I've still got a few plants to bring over from mum and dad's and will get there eventually, though the other night we brought this one home, it's my sago palm that I've (and mum) have nutured since it was a tiny little plant in a 5 inch pot.  It's now in a 50-60cm pot and doing so well.

It's needed repotting for a while but I haven't been able to do that, so when we brought it home I popped some left over potting mix I had on the top  of the pot to cover up more of the stem and some roots that had started to show through.

My fascination with patterns and light continues and I love this shot, you can see the tiny felty hairs on the back of the fronds and the layered patterns and light, just nice :)

Day 364

So after 12 loads of washing yesterday and we still have more to go we needed a break.  I'm back to work today and Brendan has the time off (boo)

got a call from my sister to say the rest of her christmas present for me had arrived so I headed over to pick it up.

Ta Da......... yes another Project Life album, one of the 2 new designs :)

As a refresher, Becky Higgins is the amazing woman who developed the kit and her website is here Becky Higgins website

the extra white box is blank Journalling cards.  You get all the coloured ones in the kit, but Jussie thought I'd like some extras.  Might use them for something else..... thinking cap on!

Nutmeg claiming yet another box , too cute

I'm not sure how i will focus this year....

a few options are

Option 1:

The last 6 months of being just the 2 of us, then the baby and us from july

Option 2:

Pregnancy and baby

Option 3:

All about me before (as many friends have told me) i lose my own identity and become mum (not sure what's so wrong about that, it's something I've always wanted and it's here in a few short months time).....

I'm leaning towards option 1 as it will create a nice record for brendan and I to have of just us.  I won't do a picture a day, but will do 5-7 photos a week, so some will be from the same day

she certainly likes the box.....

Day 363

The flea bombing seems to have worked for the house, no more itchy legs near either lounge, but both cats still have adult fleas crawling all over them.

Rang 2 vets both said persist if we could otherwise go in to get some Capstar, a tablet which kills the adult fleas instantly.

While i trotted off to get this brendan continued on our 4th load of washing.  Nutmeg had slept in various spots in my cupboard so I was advised to hot wash all clothes *sigh* .  Very thankful we bought a new washing machine all those months ago as the old one was only 4kg, this one is up to 10kg.

Day 362

Fleas.  minstrel is too dark to see them on him, but i noticed them on nutmeg today, lots of them!

we decided to do as the vet told us (over the phone) and reapply their flea treatments and flea bomb the house in the hope that would control them.

while the flea bombs were going off we had to be out of the house for 2 hours, then come back and air it out for 1 hour before any of us (cats included) could re enter.

so here we are having late lunch at a nearby housing development in the car as it started sprinkling!

Day 361

Boxing day

Flew back to sydney today and arrived around 1pm at the airport, picked the car up and headed out to the cattery to pick up Nutmeg and Minstrel, drop them home, then over to mum and dad's for christmas 'linner/lunner' with them and lisa and jussie for christmas.

Unfortunately Lisa wasn't well so although the main thing was postponed, we still went over for a meal as soon as we'd dropped the cats off as we were starving!

More ham consumed, YUM! then off home to relax.  We 'unwrapped' nutmeg's present, a crinkly tunnel with 2 port holes in the top and dangly fluffy balls hanging inside.  she went beserk immediately and loves it!

Day 360

Santa Day, Christmas day has arrived!

Brendan's brother Greg and his girls are coming over for lunch, shane's relo's are over for brunch, then back again after lunch.

So much fun watching the kids open their presents, Jess scored very nicely for herself!

Learning how to play Angry Birds from the 8 year old....

Having an afternoon nap

Band Hero starring the "harpers"

mmmm glazed ham done on the BBQ

Day 359

Christmas Eve

went for a coffee/tea at a nearby cafe with family, lovely little cafe, didn't grab a pic though, was just nice relaxing with everyone.

After Josie went to bed the evening was spent helping Santa put together some presents.....

There's a hole there and a post here on the stairs.....

complicated little thing to put together, though I'm sure will provide hours of entertainment and creativity dreaming up games

Day 358

Due to a fat fingered moment on the computer when booking our flights, we flew up to the Gold Coast this morning in stead of tomorrow morning.  We're spending christmas up here with brendan's family, staying with his sister and family.

We took Josie (niece) shopping with Shane (her dad) and had fun taking pics of her throughout the shopping centre, she liked being silly for me in front of the camera then looking at the result.

Day 357

Packing tonight for our trip to QLD tomorrow for christmas.  Also had our 12 week scan today, yes for anyone who reads this (all 2 of you) I'm pregnant and due in July 2011.  We get the results next week, so stay tuned!

some new chrissy decorations brendan was given by a colleague.

Day 356

A birthday in my department at work today which means more cake!  We have a buddy system so someone is nominated for each person to make or buy a cake for their buddy.

Day 355

We finally put up our christmas tree tonight, I nearly didn't given how close it is to christmas now.....

Nutmeg inspecting it after the decorations were on, she wasn't that patient, she pounced into the tree as soon as we'd put it up, sans deco's.  funny cat!

Day 354

Day of rest for me today, the most I did was put these lights up.  Brendan put together the new coffee table though.

Nice!

Day 353

A big few days!

Tonight is Bon Jovi, so excited!!!

I went with a friend from work and her hubby.  He really doesn't like Bon Jovi, so it must have been painful having Nat and I jumping around like school girls lol

Day 352

Company christmas party tonight and we were on a harbour cruise.  I don't think Sydney comes into it's own until you see it from the water and i forget this until I am on a ferry or cruise like tonight.

We really do live in a gorgeous city!

Day 350

after a hot morning, a massive storm came in this afternoon as I was on my way to help a colleague with some training.

I missed the worst of it but some areas were hit very hard by hail

Day 349

The first fine day in ages so we took Minstrel for a "walk" outside.  he did move on his own this time, but only when brendan walked away to the back door and minstrel started to follow....... lol

here are his adventures on the grass and in the potato patch and lastly sussing out the wider terrain over the back fence......

Day 348

Team christmas lunch today and we had a Kris Kringle.

If I hadn't known already who'd bought for me I would have guessed it was one of 3 people anyway as it's such a Japanese gift :)

for those that don't know it's a good luck and good fortune cat and it's arm that waves is solar powered!

Day 347

after a gorgeous day in the sun, I realised I was getting burnt, so moved into the shade and brendan got me a cardigan to cover my shoulders.  too little too late!

Day 346

After a lovely slow morning of looking around fyshwick markets for me (with Kristy) and brendan going mountain biking with Nick we arrived in Jindabyne to find it an absolute hive of activity.............

not sure I've ever seen the carpark so desolate in over 20 years of visiting in summer and winter!

Day 345

On our way to Canberra tonight then heading to Jindabyne tomorrow to help celebrate a 40th wedding anniversary on sunday.

Day 344

It's the bubbles of nothing that make it really something....

have no idea if that is from a coke ad or a different brand or product, but I remember it distinctly from my teenage years and the image motivated me to try to capture one bubble sitting in the middle of the sea of diet coke.

Unfortunately it burst just as I turned the camera on to take the photo!

Day 343

As much as she loves boxes she loves balloons, this one was already mostly deflated when she discovered it, didn't stop her playing with it until it popped, then trying to lick the rubber!

Another gorgeous sunset

Day 342

My potatoes have started to flower, only one plant has a little bunch of them but i guess that means in a few week once they die off we'll be harvesting potatoes :)

Can't wait!

Day 341

Nutmeg: hey Minstrel, wanna go outside and play?

Minstrel: I'm too old for that Nutmeg, let's keep hassling them for dinner

Day 340

wow, only 25 days left to go!

one of nutmeg's victims.  she's been particularly active in the garage lately and very accurate!

She doesn't eat the lizards, or their tails that fall off, just plays with them until they die.  We attempt to stop her and succeed mostly, missed this one.

she's too quick for me to get a photo of the hundreds of flies she captures in her paws and promptly scoffs

Day 339

mmm yummy I might try some of this grass in this pot plant........

Day 338

Minstrel disappeared at one point ie wasn't lying on his ottoman, so i went to investigate where he'd got to.........

Nutmeg's love, nay obsession,  with boxes seems to be rubbing off.  

Day 337

A gorgeous sunset to watch as we cook dinner on the BBQ

Love this time of year, it's not too hot but it's great outdoor weather

Day 336

mmm fresh fruit salad is what I really feel like today, so I picked up some fruit and made this :)

mmmm