School Photos 2022

 

                                      Katy Year 7                                                  Ella Year 9

Happy Birthday Ella

15 today! Wow and no photo to prove it! It was the first day of Term 2 though which always make a birthday morning more complicated. Anyway Ella's pressies included black puffy, rock climbing shoes, grey trackies and some nice body care stuff.

Plus she treated herself to her third piercing (!) and a few weeks later breakfast out with friends.

Running Partners

While Ella was busy at throwing training, Katy joined Indi and I on a run. We did a lap around central basin of Lake Burley Griffin with Katy on her bike and Indi and I trying to keep up. It was a glorious day and lots of people and dogs were out having fun. Indi got to test the new water bottle Katy had bought her. It was a hit!

More Long Weekends, More Gardening!

The gardening slashing continued for a second long weekend. The acacia at the front had become too big, crowding the surrounding trees and plants. Sometime ago, I gave it a haircut in attempt to help those plants around it. Not sure it did much but recently I'd noticed that the very tips of the acacia were looking rather sad and dry. I suspect it was either coming to the end of its life or it hasn't liked the recent wet weather. Either way it gave me a reason to remove it! So another few trips to the green waste. I also took out another hydrangea making way for a third waratah.

The front garden looks very different without it - and especially now (as I write this post a month later) it looks sparse as the leaves have fallen from all the deciduous trees. I've taken more photos of the front for posterity sake as our neighbours house will be going soon...

Getting Creative

Ella loves to sew and create. When she decides to do something she puts in all her energy and time into it. School holidays are a perfect time to do this especially when we are both at work. Ella's recent creation include -

a plethora of crocheted animals

a full circle skirt made from a sheet! It took several attempts at getting the waistband right!

Another Year, Another Birthday

My birthday started off with a super nice morning run with my favourite pooch.

Next were a handmade presents from the girls - a crocheted whale from Ella and a frog made from clay and painted by Katy!

We ventured to blochaus for an afternoon bouldering session. Gareth, Jessica and Lewys joined us. The day finished with a relaxing dinner of burgers at Capital Brewing.

Andy was stuck for presents. Luckily he didn't purchase the robotic vacuum cleaner he thought might be a good idea and instead we agreed to buy a combined birthday present this year - a gravel bike!

We, actually mostly Andy, began researching online eventually narrowing down the ideal criteria. I chimed in about colour! However it became very obvious that the sort of gravel bike we were after were in short supply worldwide!! 

On a whim, I called into a local bike shop on the way home from work later in the week to have a chat and check their stock. As it so happened their partner shop in Gunghalin potentially had our 'ideal' bike (type and size) in a box waiting to be built. A quick call confirmed this and we arranged to visit for a test ride a few days later.

And so at the end of the week, we rode the bike and decided to buy it despite the bright red colour! A few modifications were necessary and we took our new gravel bike home a few days later. 

 

Andy got to christen it with a tour around the arboretum while my first ride was several weeks later - a work commute. It's nice to ride - much lighter and quicker than my mountain bike and I'm slowly getting used to the colour!

 

Easter Long Weekend

Easter long weekend allowed us time for gardening. First on the list was a clean up of the veggie patch; removal of the dying summer plants and then re stake the raspberry canes. This was followed by a trim of the crepe myrtles (one in the back and one in the front).

Meanwhile Andy had other ideas - borrowing Rob's super dooper tree extender saw - he cut down so much of the pistachio tree that we couldn't see the lawn or the deck!! 

So then next on my list was to help cut up the branches. One bonus is now we have boxes and boxes of kindling. Luckily for the long weekend!!