A BEAUTIFUL BIRTHDAY

I am a very lucky lady. Not only do I have the most awesome bunch of kids and fabulous hubby... I also have the best bunch of friends. Including this wonderful lady... who not only spoilt me rotten for my birthday but also braved opening up her home to this gigantic family... she fed, cared for and loved each one of us for four whole days. 

Freshly roasted and expertly made coffee, freshly baked bread, neverending baking, and general bliss were the order of the weekend and as you can imagine.. I didnt want to come home! Ever.

Birthday flowers

Honing my soccer skills

My divine Birthday dinner... freshly caught snapper and venison

Coffee on the deck

We even got to sneak out for a birthday brunch... just the two of us!

The family Rolston

Thank you Dee for an exceptional birthday.

We love you.

xx

A MONTH OF MOMENTS

 ... by way of keeping my sanity, anything not completely and utterly necessary has fallen by the wayside this month.

Including this space.

So here is a collection of moments... captured as I was able.

We have these terribly steep stairs at home and this baby is determined to reach the top. I spend all day trying desperately to keep him off them. Not because I want to wrap him in cotton wool and prevent him from exploring and experimenting... just because those little stocking-ed feet are so slippery and that would be a hard fall.
I have enjoyed moments of beauty this month as the tulips have bloomed and the weather has warmed our bodies and and our hearts. Picnics on beaches and hilltops with precious friends... Birthday parties and weekends with a houseful of children. I finally secured a world map I had been drooling over for ages and the hubby and I managed a date night {with a chaperone naturally}
While its been a hard month... a time of relearning my limits and humbling my heart... it has also been glorious to feel the sun's warmth on my cheeks and enjoy time with my family.

We have school holidays here at the moment and the lack of routine is delightful.. sleepy lie-ins and lazy days are bliss. I am also gleefully anticipating a weekend away for my birthday with one of our favourite families.

I am truly blessed. 

Here's to  a beautiful October 

xx

friday night fabulousness

We had the most fabulous Friday night. A last minute nighttime adventure to our neighbouring city. 
Complete with fish and chips on the beach in the dark and the requisite game of lava on the ground. 
Perfect. Fun. and best of all - cheap as chips!
Literally. 
All boxes ticked.

(complete with McDonalds ice-cream on the trip home)

Awesome way to end the school holidays.

We will all be very sad to return to the normal routine come Monday.

~a blissful holiday~

We were so blessed to escape over the school holidays to a bach in the Coromandel for nearly 2 WHOLE weeks!! 

That is pretty much the first time we have been away for that long in about 5 years... it was well overdue.

We totally reconnected as a family... enjoying yummy food... getting up early to watch beautiful sunrises from the other side of the peninsula and enjoying incredible sunsets from our balcony... fun adventures... long walks... delicious coffee... hours of reading books and watching movies... laughter by the gallon and simply time to just be.

It was Bliss.

 

view from our balcony... ahh yes please!!

xxx

Stills - An Instagram Collection

         

           1. Beautiful Sunday picnic at the beach

           2. A 'Selfie' by Mollie

           3. Milky Kisses

           4. The Boys

           5. Best 'Thank You' card EVER!! - by the beautiful Dee and her tribe of five

           6. Mmmmm... divine Bay Espresso Coffee 

           7. Tomato Kasandi.  Oh baby... this is the best relish in the world! (Recipe to follow)

Joining in with Em from the BeetleShack

xx

~family fun in the (last of the summer) sun~

A few weekends ago we were fortunate enough to have a family friend and wonderful photographer follow us around on a Saturday afternoon and capture some memories... 

Best family photo session EVER

love this lot

xx