Quiet time...

Apart from the constant hum of air conditioners running non stop during our 'record breaking heat wave' it has been pretty quiet around here.

We lay pretty low during the week of 40 degrees plus weather, keeping one eye on the CFA incident web site watching for news of fires. I was concerned for Big Sister when word spread around that her town had been ordered to evacuate. That turned out to be false but there was a big grass fire close to her that the CFA got under control quickly. We watched the skies at night, the lightning show was spectacular and responsible for many fires. Little Sister lives with the threat of fires also. Seems no-one is truly safe from them. I worry about work too with grass fires a real danger. There was no 'cool of the night' to get relief from the days scorching temperatures. I went to work or from one air conditioned place to the next, ever grateful for constant power to run them. I am not reliant on trains thankfully as they were out of action in the heat.

Charter work was thin on the ground for Chris as it was too hot for outings & the potential to be caught out in a grass fire was huge. I am sad to see the Grampians on fire again. They have had fires, floods and now fires again. We love that area and know that they can recover from these events but it is heart breaking to see.

I have enjoyed watching the tennis of the Australian Open and am astounded that they kept on playing during those scorching days. I didn't venture out for any running until the temperature was back in the 20's. On Saturday I made up for it by running in the morning with the running group and again in the afternoon with Running Buddy. That afternoon run was golden. It felt fantastic and again made me grateful to be able to do it.

I'll leave you with a 29 year old photo

We celebrated 29 years of marriage this week and next to the photo that is the header of this blog this is one of my all time favourites. I think we both look pretty good. Chris is so handsome in his tux and nary a grey hair in sight. This was taken after we were married, at my graduation later that same year, 1985. As we head off into our 30th year of marriage I am grateful to be able to celebrate such milestones.

Nothing is perfect around here but I have much to be grateful for.

Pandora...

New additions for my bracelet...

Thanks for my present

The year in review...

A great bonus of keeping the blog is the ability to look back quite easily at the happenings over the year. With the addition of pictures my journal is a colourful history of our life. Not that it is riveting reading for anyone else but me, but today I had fun reviewing the year.

Here are some highlights...

January saw us holidaying in Port Fairy and then later celebrating our 25th wedding anniversay

February was when Erin commenced secondary school and Chris quietly celebrated  turning 50

In March Bacchus Marsh was flooded with what was the beginning of much rain, so much so I stopped counting the mls

In April our family got together for a picnic

In May I got glasses

June saw Erin become a teenager

In July we met up with Chris' cousins whilst on their trip to Australia from Manchester, UK

In August we saw both Hayley and Erin perform in Oliver!
We also got to vote in a new Prime Minister

September saw Collingwood play in the Grandfinal and win it in a replay match (20 years between flags)
I held my first big study day, then went on Long Service Leave to get over it.

October saw us celebrate both my birthday and Yvonne's 40th. in NSW. Erin got to go on her first plane trip and we had a lovely holiday in Terrigal.

November saw Callum get his motorcycle licence and a new motorbike.
Hayley started her new career in  the Dentistry field.

In December we saw the Hoodoo Gurus live, celebrated Christmas with family and took a breather at the end of the year.

In reflection I have also read quite a few books, seen a few movies and it looks like I've done loads of scrapping, cooking, shopping and TV watching. I've also dabbled with yoga with surprising results.

These are the highlights, we've had a few lowlights too but it all balances out in the end. I believe you need to have a positive attitude even if things aren't going well.

So here's to the new year and the beginning of a new decade...

Have a good one!

An excellent night...

The final of our celebrations for our anniversary was a night out with the kids at the local pub bistro.
We had fun & some yummy food that I didn't have to cook...bonus.

The kids were very entertaining at the end taking some classic photos with the ol' point & shoot camera.

A silver milestone...

Today is our silver wedding anniversary. Today is the actual day.

Didn't we look young? Well we were young...21 & 24 and about to embark on a lifetime together.

25 years seems like a very long time but it does seem to have passed by very quickly. Thanks Babe for the ride.

I was surprised at work with some lovely flowers {credit to Hayley for the subtle shoving in the right direction}
And an addition to my Pandora bracelet has filled it nicely since last year.

Anniversaries...

A quarter of a century ago Boy racer & I said 'I will.'

Will see you through richer & poorer, sickness & in health, through good & bad.





In this stone church in Moonee Ponds we made vows to see each other through the thick & the thin.

We rode down to see it today as our anniversary draws near. It hasn't changed much, the doors are the only change I could see.

We on the other hand have changed...a bit, matured & stuck by each other through the ups & downs.

Through changes of home, employment, the addition of children, travel...tears & joy. We've both added a few kilos, grey hairs.
Then we paused at Queen's Park where our wedding pics were taken.

This particular anniversary has stirred a lot of thought in me. We are lucky to have reached this milestone, some don't make it through no fault of their own & others of their own making. We don't have any magic formula, no sage words for those starting out in wedded life.

Maybe we are just tenacious.