Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!

Well it's officially 2017.  On the last day of 2016, I reflected on the year that was. Did I have amazing highlights? YES!  Did I have devastating lows?  Yes. 😭 Did I accomplish my non-resolutions that I set in February?  Sure, it's a work in progress.  Did I focus on what's important to me?  Yep.  Did I make good decisions?  Sure.  Did I make mistakes?  Yep.  Did I apologise for the mistakes I made?  Nope.  Did I care what anyone thought about the decisions I made?  Nope.  Did I beat myself up over "Could have, should have, would have"?  Nope.  Each moment is about the experience it gives you and is what shapes your life.  This year was about living unapologetically and so will 2017. What I love about the new year is the clean calendar pages, the new notebooks, new confidence, new chances and fresh starts.

And now I'll do what's best for me…
- John Green

***

Thank you to everyone who sent Christmas cards.  We love seeing your family photos!  We stopped doing Christmas cards some time ago, opting to send out a virtual card (you are reading it now) so enjoy our Christmas 2016.

Official Santa Photo 2016
QVB, Sydney

Christmas in the City

Closest we get to licking snowflakes

Santa Train
(MissE's last year probably!)

Tis the Silly Season = Christmas Parties!

My Christmas party was at Madame Tussauds this year.  While pretty much everyone else went red carpet glamour, I went costume (the original theme), channeling a '90's classic: Clueless.

AS IF!

Psycho

Spiderman

MrH's Christmas party was amazing this year.  It was at the Australian National Maritime Museum.  It's always good but this year was a stand out, we boogied until midnight!

I'm on a boat!

Rhonda Burchmore

Groove Factory 

The best cover band ever: Furnace and the Fundamentals

It's not a boat party until fake Cher sings If I Could Turn Back Time

Christmas

Gingerbread is not my friend, but chocolate is!

'Twas a Night Before Christmas...
A boy and his pup watch Christmas movies

We had a quiet Christmas this year.  We stuffed ourselves silly and introduced the kids to Christmas classics: Home Alone.

Elf on the Shelf

Holly, our Elf of the Shelf, returned for Christmas 2016.  She was up to no good a lot of the times!  Here were her antics this year:

Left to right, each row

Dec 1: I’m back, bi… oh wait… playas!  As usual Holly brings with her advent calendars.

Dec 2: Holly makes her ‘wish’ list.

Dec 3: We’re… we’re going streaking!  We’re going up to the qquad and to the gymnasium.  Bring your RED hat…

Dec 4: Were you raised in a barn? Close the door… and FLUSH next time!

Dec 5: Was it something we did?  Where are you going?

Dec 6: I’ve got a stowaway to Singapore!

           “Elfie” at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.

Dec 7: Holly meets the Fullerton bear.

Dec 8: Dang girl, your breath!  Holly visits Straits Kitchen and eat like the locals, including durian ice cream.

Dec 9: You can't leave Singapore without visiting Raffles (luckily it was across the road from my hotel)
           One last ‘Sling before leaving Sing (Long Bar Raffles Singapore)
           Some of us spent the day at work, then there’s Holly… (Fairmont Singapore pool)
Dec 10: Oh, hi!  Another helper elf! (at Changi Airport)
             There’s no place like home… where the coffee is hot and flat whites exist. The darn elf does it again!  She’s in business while I’m in cattle-class!

Dec 11: Rested from her holiday, Holly is up to her tricks again.  It’s December not Mo-vember

Dec 12: Holly got into the wrapping paper.  We kinda need the backpacks still.

Dec 13: Weee….

Dec 14: The ole stocking switcheroo

Dec 15: Holly the Snowman, was a jolly happy soul.

Dec 17: Hey fishy, fishy!

Dec 18: Today’s the day!  ROGUE ONE… Holly brought some early presents for the movies

Dec 19: Quality control.  Do not leave these for Santa, they are horrible.  Santa PAWS might like these?

Dec 20: It’s not rocket science… it’s a gingerbread house.

Dec 21: Holly “decorates” the kitchen.  Holly wuz here.  Elves rule, kids drool

Dec 22: I’m just saying nobody has ever seen me and Spiderman in the same room together…

Dec 23: TP Party
Dec 24: Nativity Set & Farewell

So that's it for 2016… and here's to 2017!

We have some news...

Christmas came early for us!  We welcomed Lacote Mousse (Chocolat) last weekend to our family. She just goes by Mousse (like the dessert), Mousse-y, or Puppy.

We've been keeping a secret for the last few weeks.  We met with Lacote Labradors in November and put our names down to add to our family after meeting the breeder and seeing his dogs (18 Labradors!).  Then we have been quietly preparing our house to welcome a puppy into it (Sabi moved in at 3 so we didn't need to puppy proof) while we waited for our pick-up day.

We brought Mousse home at 8 weeks and she's from a very good Labrador line.  Her father is Canadian and NZ CH: Eagertrieve Downtown Brown "Dylan" and mother is Lacote Susie Q, from a champion line herself.

Settling in

She is a typical puppy - eats/ drinks, pees/ poops and sleeps, repeat.  She loves shoes and socks already.  And hasn't met a blanket she doesn't like to nap on!  She has a penchant for toes. 😋

At 9 weeks

We love having a furry friend in the house again... and the kids are helping with toilet-training, feeding and lots of play time.

Straight Outta Pre-school

We had a very special event this month: Eden’s Pre-school (daycare) Graduation!

I made up the "Straight Outta" image and
had it screened onto a plain tee

He’s recently completed his Kindy orientation and is getting excited to start at big school with Eloise.  It will be very strange to no longer be at daycare; he’s been there since he was 16 months!   We’ve had such a lovely experience with the carers and he’s made some wonderful friends.  Eden will miss them dearly come end of January.  (He might not be the only shedding a few tears!)

His class did a dance for us and then were called one by one to receive their certificates.   Each child was asked what they wanted to be when they grow-up; Eden said police officer!

Onto your new adventures at Kindergarten!

While he still has a few weeks’ left there, we decided it was a great time to give the teachers their Christmas presents.  And because they were plants and I definitely do not have a green thumb; it was in my best interest too.  The plants were accompanied with a personalised bucket of M&M’s.

The 'Ember Months

Back Down Under, we made it just in time for Eamon (MrH's younger brother) and Rochelle’s wedding.

Then it was straight back into routine and our adventure quickly became a distant memory.  Here are the highlights from October to December, saving a few things for separate posts coming after Christmas. 

The fun centre piece I made for Halloween

Although we already celebrated Halloween twice, we couldn’t let it just pass.  We donned our Wreck It Ralph costumes one last time (I traded Taffyta for Sargent Calhoun) for the Lithgow Halloween Festival.

Lithgow is approximately 2.5 hours away
and has the strangest weather.  It was gorgeous out
then suddenly we came to a halt because it hailed!

King Kong

The next day, MrH and I were surprised with a lunch date, just the 2 of us!

Bilpin is famous for their mountain apples

My favourite cider

Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens - it's warratah season!

The last Friday of October is also Teachers' Day in Australia.  I like to combine these with Halloween goodies.  This year, the teachers got these adorable pencil cases I picked up in America.

MissE took part in her school production of The Wizard of Oz as a crow over 4 nights (November)

Me: So what are you in the play?

MissE: a crow... thank goodness I'm not a corn.

Me: What?

MissE: A corn.  They just stand there.

MrH ran Tough Mudder again.  Well, based on the photo we aren't sure he actually ran it since he was too clean.  Ha!

And we finished November by celebrating Thanksgiving at TGI Fridays.  I am so grateful that they have this available now.  It never felt the same, cooking and eating on the Saturday!  I did try to get the Thursday off... as an American and all, but it didn't quite get the 'okay' I was hoping for.

Suddenly it was December!  MissE received her Orange belt in taekwondo AND was awarded with another trophy this year: Outstanding Student Junior (Contact) Sparring.  She is doing so well and we look forward to her starting to compete next year.

Not many to go to black!

Outstanding Student Junior Sparring

She also finished Year 2 - fastest year yet!

There's a lot of happy in this photo!

Until next time... there's more to come to finish 2016: my 4 day trip to Singapore and Christmas, of course! 

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

A short note: we spent most of our time at home with family - yay!  I do have photos but I am also aware that they may not like to have their photos posted here so I have respected that and have left this post to mostly the sites we saw in the Bay Area.

Did you know that Halloween is my favourite?  September and October is a great time to visit the US.  The stores are full of fun Halloween decor and costumes, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are available and the pumpkin patches!

Halloween Headquarters
We had some fun in here:

All this little girl wanted was a hug,

Aratas Pumpkin Farm

This was our first time at Aratas.  It was recommended because of the maze.  The maze was a lot harder than it looked!  It took us over an hour to complete!

We got the golden pumpkins too!

Muir Woods and San Francisco Sites
We didn't have much time for our usual San Francisco day trips, especially because there was a large conference in San Francisco so it was difficult to get in there.  So on our last full day, we went straight past the city to Muir Woods.

Shh!  Forest voice only!

Walking among the giants

Tree and Tree

We did stop for the "sites" on the way home

The Painted Ladies

And that's it for our 2016 visit!  See you in 2018...