family photo...

Yesterday, we got together with my side of the family for our yearly family photo. It is something we started last year for my mum for her Christmas present, and I think it will probably become a regular event. We went to my sister Joanna's home in Glenorie as they have such beautiful scenery and gardens. It was a bit of a challenge with Lachlan. Last year he was a placid 8 month old, but this time round, he is a very energetic 20 month old! He kept running off between shots, and thankfully didn't fall over in the mud until after all the photo's were taken- a blessing indeed. Here are my two faves:

(I love this one as it looks like William and Lachlan are having a chat!)

me and my boy...

This is currently my fave photo. I am rarely in photo's these days as I am usually the one taking pics for my blog. John took this one a few weeks ago and I love it. Lachlan was actually sitting still long enough to take the photo, which is a rarity in itself. He is usually such a busy little man, always on the go.

on the weekend...

We were invited to attend a friend's daughter's first birthday party last weekend. It was held at the beautiful Fagan Park in Galston. We had a great time, especially Mr. Lachlan, who loved stuffing his face with all the yummy food and playing at the park...

In the past, Lachlan has avoided these types of park entertainment, but loved rocking to and fro on this yellow pelican.

Here is John being a big kid on the flying fox.

After seeing how it works, Lachlan wanted a go on the flying fox too. He's showing how it's really done- one handed!



And we couldn't go past getting a shot of the 'mo-bro's', growing their moustaches for 'Movember' (I can't wait for the end of November so John can get rid of his!).

love playing outside...

Lachlan absolutely loves playing outside in our yard. He could play out there all day if he had the chance. Yesterday he discovered what happens when you mix water with dirt... MUD!!! And he loved it. I just let him go for it- he was having such a great time with the texture and sensation of it as he squeezed it, threw it (thankfully not at me!) and splashed around. I had to get a photo or two...

'how does your garden grow?'...

We have been working on a new project since July this year- cultivating a veggie garden! We have always wanted to grow some of our own vegetables, but for various reasons, had never gotten around to doing it. So mid July, we decided to give it a try and got stuck in.Here is John digging out a suitable spot in the yard for our garden. (I promise that amidst snapping the camera, I did help him!)

Here is what the garden looked like when we first planted the seedlings and barricaded it off so our dog Ushki could not get in (mind you, she is a Great Dane and the sides are not very high- needless to say, she has been known to get in from time to time... grrrr!). In the garden we planted Carrots and Onions, and in seed trays, we planted Chinese Cabbage, Lettuce and Cauliflower.

First signs of life!!! Here are the seed trays with signs of hope that we are on the right track!

Last week, we couldn't help ourselves and plucked a carrot to see what it was doing underneath all that soil. Although it was fairly tiny, we were thrilled! John and I got about 1cm each to taste. There is nothing like home-grown food- it was delicious!

This is what our garden looks like today- lots of lovely foliage and promise of good food to come. We have transplanted the seed tray veggies into the garden too and they are coming along nicely. The carrots will be the first to harvest and should be ready by the end of this month. We have really enjoyed our first experience and have learnt so much too. But we still have lots to learn. We are now keen to get a few more gardens going and are looking forward to planting some spring/summer fruits and veggies. We'll keep you posted!

first motor show...

The Sydney Motor Show arrived in town the weekend of 18-19th October. With his keen interest in cars, not to mention his job in Highway Patrol, John eagerly went along. This year he had a new buddy to take along, our son Lachlan. With them both fitted with "Holden" t-shirts, they headed off to the city for a boys day out.

As you can see, Lachlan is totally loving the environment and all the dazzling colours, posing with a Lamborghini. (Unfortunately Lachlan fell asleep before the Holden pavilion, so no pics with our car team)

"Please Daddy, can I take this one home with me?"
This photo was to tempt me- my fave car, the Chrysler 300C... so nice!!!

guess what...

Well, many of you may have already heard the rumours, so I will confirm them here- I'm having a baby! We are so excited about welcoming another child into our family, and for Lachlan to be an 'older brother'. I am 12 weeks and am due around the 4th May 2009. My excitement however, has been curtailed by constant morning sickness and nausea, not to mention the fatigue! How do women keep going back for more?!! I remind myself that I too have experienced this before, and so I am very thankful for amnesia that allows me to go back and do it all over again. So right now, my focus is on survival, and getting through each day as it comes. Hopefully I will start feeling better by week 16 (around the time I began feeling better with Lachlan). I am very grateful to have John around, and he really has been a huge help. So there you have it, Smith baby number 2 is on the way!

my boys...

Isn't this the sweetest? Last Friday (our anniversary) we all enjoyed afternoon siesta's. When I woke up from mine, I found my 2 gorgeous fellas asleep on the couch. My heart melted! I love them both so much and feel so blessed to have them in my life... love you guys!

anniversary...

Last Friday was our 5 year Wedding Anniversary. We can hardly believe it has been that long. We wanted to do something special for it, but with a mortgage and a child, that wish was very limited. As Lachlan and I weren't well, we started the day off with a visit to the Doctor, followed by an appointment with our bank- yes, very romantic! Thankfully, John's mum came to the rescue and travelled from Mittagong to babysit Lachlan that night so we could go out. We enjoyed a delicious meal at "The Outback" restaurant and hired a DVD on the way home. To others, that may not seem that great, but it was to us! So until we become millionaires and can jet-set off on romantic getaways, we'll take what we can get!

my husband, the genius...

I didn't get around to doing the vacuuming today, so I asked John to help out and do this for me when he got home from work. He really hates doing it as he has to hunch over and gets a sore back, so he put off doing it until this evening. As I was getting Lachlan ready for bed, this is what I saw as I came into the lounge room...

John was chuffed with his genius idea of vacuuming whilst sitting on a swivel chair. I have seen it all now. For the rest of the evening, I have been listening to him plan how he could design it to be more ergonomic and efficient, and even wants to patent his new idea! So, in the interest of my husbands dreams, please don't steal his fabulous new invention- after all, he is the real genius...

look what I can do mum...

My Lachlan is such a treasure! He is now 15 months old and is developing a keen interest in exploration. He is fairly confident walking around, and is therefore interested in sooo many new and wonderful things to touch, taste and try. Here's what I caught him doing a few weeks ago...



This is Lachlan up on top of his activity table. I almost wanted to say to him, "Well done! You did it!". I had to stop myself from encouraging him to be a climber. I know he already has it in his blood- I was very keen on the old 'climb up anything' routine as a child... but what child doesn't love to explore?


Our new favourite activity is going outside, enjoying the sunshine and playing with our dog Ushki. Today I discovered a new interest of Lachlan's...


Not only does Lachlan enjoy climbing 'up' things, he also likes to climb 'in' things. Yes, here he is inside the BBQ shelf. He climbs inside, stays for about 5 seconds, climbs out, walks around (stretching his legs??) then climbs back in for another 5 seconds. I love just watching him do his thing... whatever that is!

john's birthday...

So yesterday was John's 31st Birthday. The poor guy had to go to work, so I decided to surprise him when he got home with his favourite dessert, Pavlova. John's mum, Sue, usually makes them, and she is a great cook, so I was under a bit of pressure! (Not only that, but I had never made one before myself... what was I thinking?!) So I was quite chuffed with myself when I saw the finished product...

Thankfully it tasted really good too, and I was given the seal of approval from John.

Here is a shot of my 'little helper'. Lachlan was happy enough sorting through my cupboards and draws while I was busy making the Pavlova. His latest thing is to open the oven door and fiddle with the dials, so when the Pav went into the oven, we were out of there!

the new 'header'...

So what do you think of my new 'header'? Pretty cool hey? Last week Nichole and I went to Sals home to pick her brain about blogging. This is one of the fabulous things she taught us, and I must say, I am very pleased with myself to have remembered how to do it! So a HUGE thank you to Sal- my blog is forever changed thanks to your kindness!!!

my new project...

I have been a little preoccupied lately working on a new project, hence the delay in blogging updates. I began making these bibs when I discovered Lachie was a real drooler and needed a bib constantly. I didn't like it when I had him all dressed up for church, only to cover his cute outfit with a bib that didn't match. So I found a pack of white bibs and have been adding little collars ever since. I have the traditional shirt collar for boys and the peter-pan collar for girls. This gorgeous little girl is Lachie's friend Georgia who modelled them for me. I would normally use a picture of Lachlan, but he isn't a patient model- I don't have any nice pics of him to use! So my site is all up and running at www.lachienmum.etsy.com ...now I just wait and see how they go!

my little pony...

Meet the family... John, Lachlan and our dog (or rather, pony) Ushki. John had just finished work and as tradition, took Lachlan outside so they could both say hello to Ushki. A few minutes later, I heard John holler for me to grab the camera for a rare photo opportunity... Ushki is not like most Great Danes who are known for being placid and docile. I am sure she suffers from ADHD. So to see her willingly stand with Lachlan on her back, was a rare sight indeed! Thank you Ushki!

when the sun comes out...

We have had a lot of rain lately, and one week it rained everyday. Not that we mind the rain, it just gets a little boring being couped up inside. So when the grey clouds parted and we saw the beautiful sunshine, we made the most of it!

We have a little park around the corner from our home. We walked there first and enjoyed swinging in the breeze! Lachlan loves the swing and giggled every time he flew toward me. He teaches me to savour the small things...

The weather was still really fresh, so we had to rug up, beanies and all!

After our play at the park, we went to see 'the pony'. He lives on an empty block not far from our home and is quite a novelty in our neighbourhood. This was Lachlan's first time meeting him and they both seemed very interested in one another. (I think Lachlan won the staring competition!)

my first go...

Hi! This is a lot harder than I thought... computers are not my forte, so bear with me! I have been wanting to do something like this for a while now, and have simply been procrastinating, thinking that I had too much else to do (who doesn't these days?). Then this afternoon, I finally decided that I would start and see how I go. I find that my life seems to be full of good intentions, but unless I act on them, that's all they will ever be. As a brief introduction, I am married to a great guy, John (yes, i know "John Smith", ha ha!) and we have been married for 4 1/2 years. We have a gorgeous little boy, Lachlan, who is a treasure and a joy to our lives. He turned one this month. I fill my days with cleaning, cooking, cuddling and convincing, and try to have fun with it all. I will elaborate more in the coming blogs, when I have more of an idea what I am doing! Wish me luck...

first birthday...

Here we are on Friday 11th April, Lachlan's birthday. This was taken before Lachlan's little friends arrived for his morning tea party. He had a great time playing, crawling around and eating a lot of new and exciting food!

The following day, we went to Rouse Hill Regional Park to celebrate with family and close friends. John went up to the site early to secure it for us and everyone started turning up around 11am. Lachlan had so much fun playing on the equipment (so did

all the adults!) and again eating lots of food. As we were singing 'Happy Birthday', he took a swipe at his birthday cake and ended up with a handful of yummy icing! As you can see from the photo here, he enjoyed the taste!

Lachlan was very spoilt, receiving lots of new clothes and toys. He approved of all his presents, and mum and dad were especially grateful!

smarty pants...

This is a photo of John and I taken when John graduated from Uni. He studied Policing and attained his Bachelor of Policing through the University of Western Sydney at the end of 2004. I was so proud of him for committing himself and working hard to get the degree. I claim that a portion of it should be in my name, considering I was chief proof-reader and grammatical scrutineer. Ahhh, those good old uni days...NOT!!!