Mother's group fun!

Melia and I went to our mother's group this week where it was held at a "play cafe" (basically a place where parents can have coffee etc and lots of toys/jumping castles/ball pits, etc for the kids to play on)

I think Melia was a bit overwhelmed by all the activity around her and was a bit "considered" in her approach. While her little buddies crawled head first into the ball pit, Melia preferred to watch from the sidelines. And, after plenty of coaxing, she finally agreed to ride the plastic horse long enough to get a picture.

Til next time...

Update for October

I know this is late...but what can you do? Here are some pics from Oct and the start of November. Melia is growing, has 2 bottom teeth and has learned how to "cluck" at the horses! She sits up well and continues to love her books, toys and the great outdoors.

The alpacas have been shorn and the horses are over the horse flu...so hopefully everthing is back to "normal" for a while.

Happy First Father's Day Dad!

Her first trip to the zoo (great backdrop!)

Life in quarantine..(very welcoming for visitors)

The scary swing

Computer games with daddy

Fanks for the top Auntie Tita!


The papparazzi follow me everywhere!

Reading is fun and reading is tasty too...

Tummy time...

Playing the "piano"

Balloons from heaven (?)...they just appeared out of nowhere one day...

Sitting on daddy's lap is the best!

That's all for now.

Spring has sprung

Spring has finally sprung. Auntie Tita just missed the warm weather. A few pics of Auntie Tita's visit below - we really miss her, as well as a few pictures of spring on the farm. Aunt Claire also made a visit - please come back soon. Enjoy!

"Decapitating" the magnolia blossoms must be some form of ikebana....

Showing Auntie Tita the sights, here's Auntie Tita on the rocks... (this could be a new drink!)

Thanks goodness for warm bunny suits (thanks Katrine & Alistar) when there's a power failure...(which Melia actually made into a fun time for me and Auntie Tita)

Making sure her niece is properly dressed (thanks for the euro shoes Dave & Lis)

We knew we could make a country girl out of her!

A recent picture of "Farmer" Bloch who was recenty "shorn" and looking all the better for it!

Aunt Claire visits the farm and brought us some lovely flowers.

OK enough for now, we're all wiped out.

The Scene of the Crime

Ok, so one day a few weeks back, Melia and I came back to the farm in the car and normally Laurella will come running up to the fence, especially now since Donnie is away (I think she expects the horse trailer to be in tow), but on this particular day...there was no Laurella greeting. Needless to say, given the antics we know she is capable of, I got suspicious. I put Melia down for a nap, and took a walk outside to investigate. You wouldn't have needed to be Colombo to solve this crime...I think the pictures speak for themselves. I was laughing so hard, I had to run back for the camera. As I was cleaning up the mess, I was thinking to myself, I sure hope she enjoyed herself. And, I give her some serious dexterity points for opening the latch! I will be padlocking those stable doors, and moving my stash of empty feedbags elsewhere!! Come to think of it, I better hide the car keys as well. And of course she would pick a rare rainy day to do this!

What are you looking at? There's nothing to see here...

Leave no bag unturned...there may just be some leftovers in there!

Who, me?

"Winter" Playtime

This girl just loves to play! She plays in the morning, she plays in the afternoon and she plays at night. She even plays while she is going off to sleep. We put her in her crib and she chats and chats and squeals until she finally goes to sleep....only to wake up a while later chatting and squealing again!

She just loves the hula hut and the little toys that came with it - here she is showing off how she can use both hands now!

It has been pretty cold lately and we bundle her up! Dave and Lis, thanks for the green "snowsuit" it comes in very handy when she feeds the animals with us! (I thought I had a picture of this, but I can't find it...I think I need to organize my files a bit better!!??)

Melia and Hugh also love watching the rugby on tv together - she actually watches it!

That's all for now...we are all blogged out! (Next entry will have pics from Auntie Tita's visit!)

Autumn Update (eventhough it is already winter!)

Ok, yes we win the award for slowest updates, and I am still playing catch up trying to get current with this thing. Here are some shots from autumn down unda' - beautiful leaves at the farm, a WIN for Hugh and our prized alpaca Momma's Boy at the State and local Hawkesbury show and Melia in her element as a regular farm girl. Hugh is also now a qualified midwife, having helped Primrose give birth to Momma's boy's little sister - we are still thinking of a name.

Momma's Boy gets 1st prize at the state and local competitions! (This is a big deal for first time, small time farmers like us!)

Momma's Boy on show...

Melia can't contain her excitement at the alpaca show..... The little elf


Happy little farm girl

Future horsewoman??? (this picture may be too small to see it, but Melia is smiling at Donnie)

Beautiful fall sunrise

Melia at our "mother's group" (Melia is at the bottom center - blue dress and white cardigan)

Someone has decided that she really likes to suck her thumb

Primrose's new baby - just born..

That's it for now, will do our "winter update" soon!

Hawaii No Ka Oi

We had a great time in April. Celin and Melia spent the whole month over in Hawaii with Tutu and Grampy, and Hugh took a break from his farm duties came over for 10 days to join the fun. Melia enjoyed the relaxed hawaiian lifestyle and slept and ate her way to doubling her weight. She also learned how to use her voice and hasn't kept quiet since! We enjoyed lots of walks and lots of playtime and especially lots of spoiling by Tutu, Grampy and Auntie Tita. Pictures below of our visit, and of Melia's baptism which was the highlight of our trip.

Our little angel on Easter Sunday

With Auntie Tita at the sewing shop - hahahha!

Ready for Baptism Melia's baptism was a very special day. Auntie Tita was on hand as Godmother, and although Uncle Dave couldn't be there in person as Godfather, Tutu was his proxy on the day. The ceremony was very special as Melia was baptised "Melia Shannon" in memory of our lovely, amazing, special and irreplaceable Shannon. I know there will always be a special angel watching over Melia. Father Grogee gave Melia a wonderful welcome and it meant a lot to us that the Bradys and Sawyers joined us to celebrate. Auntie Tita made the most amazing lasagne and chocolate cake and Sabrina did a great job as "official" fotographer.

Proud Tutu

Melia, Tutu and Uncle Dan

Melia with her Auntie Maryann

The young sawyers

Melia also went to her first outdoor concert (thanks for the warm outfit Auntie Tita!), where Tutu got to hear her favorite Danny Couch in person...

And right before we came back to Australia, Melia was serenaded with a Hawaiian Lullubye by a fellow Hawazzie, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Lounging local style with daddy Mahalo and Aloha Tutu and Grampy!!