Relax.

I’ve made it. Its time for holidays. I have a month off and I am delighted.

In the meantime, I’ve been busy the last two weeks. I moved house, worked and spent a weekend in Armidale with the fam. I also have been doing a lot of thinking career wise and will fill you in about that in another post. Too heavy to articulate right now.

Here are some pics from the weekend.

We left Sydney Friday about 1pm.

The drive was spectacular. It was lovely to spend some time with ol husbo. We haven’t spent much time together lately.. Opposite schedules and all but nothing like a 6hr car ride to get reacquainted.

Dolly Parton was on high rotation on the iPod which brings back find memories of home. Growing up we had a bit of a kooky cleaner who cleaned our house every Thursday from the time we were in primary school until university! She used to turn up about 7.30am yelling at the top of her lungs ‘Girls get out of bed and clean your room. Get off my floors! Where’s your mother?’ before blasting Dolly full noise around the house and singing very loudly off key. She sported short bike pants and bought tomatoes or paw-paws from her garden for Mum. Poor ol Sue having to put up with us!

We spent a lot of the drive talking about our tree change fantasy…. one day!

The weekend was attended by my family and our neighbors from home. My best friend came too. We spent Friday night in the pub. Saturday morning we went for a run/walk then met out for breakfast at a cafe The Goldfish Bowl. Highly recommend it. We wondered around town looking at homewares… I didn’t buy a thing (who am I?) then went to Petersons winery for an afternoon bottle. I’ve also been to Petersons in the Hunter but the Armidale vineyard is just spectacular. My BFF is now planning her wedding there. We just need the cake, and the groom.

The weather in Armidale was spectacular the whole weekend.

We sat down to a Christmas dinner Saturday night thst we had made at varying times through the day. Mum made a pudding. I made Yorkshire puddings. We ‘basted’ a ham, roasted veggies , steamed greens, threw in an extra roast lamb for good measure and set the table. Of course everything was smothered in gravy. Yum. We exchanged secret Santa presents and drank some French champers. We enjoyed every minute of our night together and have vowed to make it an annual event. Possibly in Clovelly next…. Look out!

The next day I was fortunate to spend some QT over a backyard breaky with three of my niecies. They are beautiful little girls. They are so cheeky and make me laugh.

Look at these fabulous cowgirl boots. My brothers lives and works on a horse stud/farm. His kids are such country kids. When I visit their house I never know what they are going to pull out to show me… Kittens, puppies, ducks, chickens, hamsters, goats! They even have a horse called Lisa (the name cracks me up!) My brother (and his lovely wife)is bringing these children up in such a beautiful way. I’m so proud of him. The girls are so well mannered and polite and just so different to most of the city kids I meet around Sydney. (or maybe I’m just biased) They are just delightful to be around and I wish I could spend more time with them.

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Check out the pony’s on this lot!

Littlest niece. Littlest darling. No pony’s yet!

I found you…. (playing hide n seek.)

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Jonquils…. I think?

Can you see the black and white border collie hiding in the trees, watching the chooks? Sal has a busy work day. She rounds the chooks up from the moment she is let out until she comes inside at night. Her Aunty Macey (our dog at home) is a bit cookoo I think because she had no one to play with or round up. I would do anything to have my own border collie (chocolate colored) but its a bit mean when you live in a unit. Maybe when we buy our mansion at Double Bay or make a tree change.

Let me introduce you to Spook, Michelle and I can’t remember the third… Sorry chookie.

After breaky it was a sad good bye to the fam but we had to face the drive home. I’d missed out on City to Surf to come (the training went out the door as soon as I realized the weekend clashed) but it was well worth it. The girls smashed the run.. Then smashed the beers after for me! After 6hrs I was glad to see the bridge when we reached it but sad after such a lovely weekend together. Love that lot! Xx