Merry Christmas!!

Visitors!

Our beautiful niece and cousin, Eve, and mum, Marnie, came to
visit a couple of weeks ago.  The rendez-vous was Dreamworld
a great time was had by the kids in the water (a very hot day)
and out.  Rosy tea anyone?

Nothing to see here!

The next morning the kids made us pancakes for breakfast before we headed for a coffee at our favourite, Retro...

 And then to a covered playground.  Hot and perfect one day, hot and wet the next!  We have semi-dry options, at least.

And then, Sunday, Nanna and Grumps swung by (get it?! groan!) for a visit, to play with the two cousins together, before Eve and Marnie flew home.  What a great weekend!

Mtb racing

Great to be back racing again.  Misty Mountain was the first race since the 8hrLunacy 2 1/2 half years ago.  Been a long haul sorting out some large muscle, back and core strength issues that presented as a very painful lower back when riding any sort of hill or distance.  A bit of intensive physio and core strength via clinical pilates and I am back on the trail.

The Epic was a great race - 3 and a half hours of dust but the single track at the end was great fun... there were a heck of a lot of people though - 1500 riders all sharing the fun.

Misty Mountain bike-camping weekend

Weekend before last we headed to northern NSW to camp around a bike race Dan was in - the Misty Mountain Marathon.  What a fantastic weekend.
The campsite was picturesque, flat and well appointed with fresh cut logs for the nearby fire.  It also featured a just-right hill behind that Nicky went up and down and up and down and up and down (you get the idea) on both his bike and running. 

Well rugged up for the very cold nights - the advantage of the mummy's-down-vest-come-sleeping-bag is that it can be worn to breakfast

Daddy had a great race.  Nicky was keen to join in, too - pictured below taking in the race briefing.  He was a bit devastated not to be able to continue with the big boys post starting gun.

Lamington adventure

 

Finally!  Our first family bush camping adventure - full day's walk into the bush with all on our backs, our own clearing in the forest to camp, a little fella and a small amount of port.   Fantastic.  Hard work (for most of us). Peaceful.  Here's a selection of photos in no particular order:

How cute (and warm) is this?!

Family fun in Victoria

Wednesday before last Nicky and I headed down to brisk Vic to catch up with family on the peninsula and meet one of its newer additions.  Left is our gorgeous niece, Eve, enjoying a cuddle from Mummy.  The Roary Racing team is cousins Nicholas, Blake, Eve and lil' baby Logan.  Thanks to Marnie for the inspired wardrobe.  I'll save you from some of the grown ups photos but, in words, it was just lovely for Nicky and me to see Pa, Deb, Bianca, Stu and Marnie, too.  Picking up Dan from the airport on the way north, we then spent the weekend with Grandma and caught up with Wilma, Jean, Scott, Lou, Rod, Shelley, Ben plus kids x lots!  Below are a couple of shots from our ride on the Bendigo Talking Tram - a very relaxing and informative way to stay warm!

 

Sunday morning coffee

Many followers of our story may be almost as familiar as we are with our local coffee shop, our 'other lounge room'.  Here we are gathered, one recent Sunday, enjoying a Bris-Vegas winter morning.  Jez & Dan have just returned from an early bike ride (5.30am pick-up and a 10 min wait in the car for the sun to rise enough to see the track!).  Aunty Boof has wrestled Walter's new battery into place, in her dark carport with nought but a lighter to assist, to make it.  Sarah and I? Well, getting our respective "angels" there well enough earned us our dues.

Fun Out of the Box

 Great fun had this weekend at the kid-centric Out of the Box festival, at Soutbank.  The Sticky Maze (walls of sticky tape that young and older kids attach ripped paper to) was the scene of much frivolity with Tash a.k.a. Aunty Boof and later, in a box, with Benji.  Also enjoyed was drawing on Chalk the Walk and "running around and around and around with Benji and drinking and getting water on us (drinking fountain fun)".

Exciting stuff, this outdoor gear

Happy 3rd birthday Little Fella

 First up, there were more train pieces to incorporate.  Thanks, Daddy, but I'm alright with this

And, when it warmed up a bit, there was a surprise hanging from the tree out back.
Enjoyed by lots of party goers, big and small

Nanna and Grumps came with a DIY activity (which turned into a very excellent yellow wagon)



Mummy and Nicky sharing a cuddle and Dan the Dozer

"Mummy, I love having my friends to play," he says the next morning.  "I love my friends".

Friends to share presents with, cute friends, friends who share their Dora handbags...

ddjhf

....Mummy, Daddy, Nicky...and cake.  Perfect!

This one takes the cake




A work of art (what a Mummy!)

Hiding out for "Happy Birthday"! (I can't get this one around the right way...you get the idea)

 




Picking off the best bits, the best part

   



Is the the REAL Fireman Sam?  Benji's not so sure

Cutting the cake is serious business but...

....what fun to be had inside.