Tales of an Ordinary Life

I have not shared many of my images that I have been taking for my 365 day project for a while so I thought today was as good as any. I have surprised myself that I have not given up, and at times it has been hard to keep going. But as time has gone on my focus has changed too. When I started out I was doing this to solely improve my photography but now I am really enjoying documenting our lives over the year. As I look over what I have taken over the past 4 months I can point to activities or incidences in our lives. As this has become the overriding theme I am tending to use my phone camera when I am out and about to take these snapshots of our lives. So it is now not about the result but about the journey.

Well Christmas has now come and gone and it is time to think of putting away the decorations but I can't quite come at doing that yet (seeing as it took forever to put up only 2 1/2 weeks ago). I trust you all had a lovely Christmas - we did. My husband had to work all through the holidays - that is one of the annoying things about being a nurse they do not close hospitals at the end of business. We had a very wet Christmas period and many families in Queensland have been flooded. It is still raining as I write this 4 days later. The kids wrote amazing and generous letters to Santa, to make sure he and his reindeer were well fed. Christmas dinner was a BBQ in the evening after Anthony got home from work. It was the first time I had a BBQ for a Christmas meal and it was really lovely and easy too I feel a bit sad it is all over as I really enjoy the celebration that Christmas is. I wish it could be like some festivals that other cultures have that go for many days.

Yesterday we took the kids into the Museum in the city and whilst we were there a summer storm built up - I was fascinated and watched it developed for about 15 minutes and boy was it spectacular. It rained so hard you could hardly see in front of you. Aside from the damage I love storms.

We have finally put up our Christmas tree. My husband would be more than happy if we skipped Christmas altogether but we have 3 little darlings who get oh so very excited about christmas. so where does that leave me some years I am very excited others I am very ambivalent. This year I have not quite decided how I feel yet. Christmas in Australia is very different to the Northern Hemisphere it is hot and it is the time of the year where everything winds down. Days are long, can be very sticky and baking (even though it should be) becomes not a priority. So what is good about Christmas in Australia, for me it is mainly about family and a time of reflection on the birth of Jesus and how this time changed history. Anyway the kids had so much fun putting up the tree and we are happy.

Every first weekend in December for the past 10 years a group of us has gone away together to catch up and to reflect on the past year. It is a weekend that all of us hold sacred. It started off with us just all saying in one house to now having more kids than adults that there is no way we could fit into one hose let alone two. So now most of us are now camping. So with this previous weekend being the first weekend in December we headed down to a lovely farm 2 hours south of Brisbane. It rained and rained but we still caught up, the kids still played, everyone still crowded into the sauna and we still had the thrill of riding on the back of the ute. It is nice to have this history and that my kids are growing up with this yearly tradition.

Girraween National Park would have to be one of my most favourite places in the world (I know that is a very bold statement but I have been to many places in the world and this place still tops the list for me) It is a dramatic landscape that is characterised by huge rocky granite outcrops. I first went there when I was going out with my husband and I was a very young 18 year old but I fell in love with the place and we have endeavoured to go back there at least twice a year since. Now we have children we are showing them the beauty and magic of this place. Some of our highlights of the trip we have gone on is the kids being able to walk comfortably 5 kms, a kangaroo and her joey eating the grass at the campsite next to ours, the kids making up unbelievable games and stories in the bush and rocks next to our campsite and finally the beautiful wildflowers that were flowering along all the walks we took. Also sorry I have not written for a while - life just got a little bit in the way.

Lately I have had a few sewing projects on the go and I have managed to complete them. Overall I am happy with the end result I am not happy with the hidden mistakes that I know are there. I have really enjoyed picking up the long dormant sewing skills and creating something lovely out of just a piece of fabric. My first finished project (for a better word) was an everyday tote that I got out of a lovely book called "Weekend Sewing' by Heather Ross This was surprisingly easy the result looks great. Next was a gypsy skirt for Isabella in her Favourite colour of the moment - purple! I loved making this and am so happy with how it falls and of course twirls. And finally a shoulder bag that was created out of necessity. I am going on a plane with only carry on Luggage so it means I can't take my hand bag so I needed a bag for when I got there so out of my head came this design. Don't you just love the gorgeous fabric I found to line it - thank you Funky Fabrics.

It is already 8 days into November and I have not posted anything - so much for my goal to to do at least 3 posts a week.I have been working on a number of creative endeavours Sewing and photography. I will post the sewing ones next week. I wanted to share a mosaic I had been playing with of the same photo but with different effects. I do not have a very sophisticated editing software but I do like different effects I was able to do - I particularly like the one of Bella with redish hair. Any way I won't be posting 3 times this week as I am heading down to Victoria to visit my family for my Aunts birthday. I am so excited especially seeing as the kids are staying home.

Now the days are getting longer we find we are spending longer and longer time in the back yard. Since getting the new animals the kids are busting to go outside as soon as they get home no more asking to watch Tv. They have been tremendous in helping to care for the animals and keeping Xena the dog in check when she tries to round up the chickens. Often we are not wandering upstairs till 6.30pm and then it is help what's for dinner and quick hop in the bath for the kids. Yesterday we had this massive storm come over and it was so spectacular to watch it roll in over the ridge. Unfortunately I got soaked on my way to pick up the kids from school.

These are a collection of photo's taken for my 365 day challenge over the past few weeks - some are great and others are not. I must admit I am starting to see what my passion is for and that is nature photography be it landscapes or a gorgeous flower. I don't what it is but the composition of these types of photo's come so much more naturally to me. But when you look what is around you it is hard to not get inspired.

I am slowly settling into my 365 day photo challenge. Some days it is difficult to get to take a photo due to life. so I have decided to take a photo from my back step that over looks the neighbourhood. It will be interesting to see the changes in the environment over the year. At the moment all the beautiful Jacaranda's are out in flower. Anyway enjoy....