And Now It's Our Anniversary!

We have been married 9 years! I know lots of people have been married lots longer but I think it's pretty impressive. Didn't do anything especially romantic but we did spend the day together which was nice.

A quick update:

Christmas was wonderful. Offspring #1 LOVED it! He is amazed by Santa's extreme cleverness, especially how he knew exactly the toys that #1 "weally weally wanted". #2 wasn't quite as impressed and found all the people and noise a bit hard to cope with. They have both been sooooo very good while we have been away. They are completely out of their normal routines, away from home and all the little comforts and being dragged all over the country side to see people they don't know very well or, in #2's case, just can't remember. Poor #1 had a not-so-mini-meltdown tonight after a very long day and some late nights.

The shopping has slowed but not stopped completely. I have grand shopping plans for Saturday and will aim to squeeze in one more good 'shop' before we head back but am rapidly running out of time.

I am just loving this holiday. We have been catching up with friends (generally involving lots of champagne), relaxing and just enjoying our time together.

BIG NEWS FOR FELLOW FOODIES!!! I bought my covection microwave oven today. 44 litres of gorgeous-ness! WOOOHOOOOO!!! I am so darn excited that I nearly can't wait to get back to Red Dirt Central just so I can open it and play with it. Now that's excited!

I had planned to post some Christmas pics but... since I forgot my card reader and I'm using Mum's computer, well you get the idea. Instead I'll have bazillions of pics to post when I get home.

Thankyou for the birthday wishes. I did try to respond to them but Blogger was being painful.

In The Big City

WooHoo!! It is so excellently excellent to be home for a few weeks. We had a good trip down, the kids were great and coped well with the drive. Arrived Tuesday and since then I have shopped (spent $600 yesterday! oh dear) had my hair done (I am just about totally in love with myself LOL) caught up with friends, and just loved being here. I'm at Mum and Dad's for my birthday lunch at the moment - lots of yummy 'party' food and some lovely presents. I asked for lots of cooking stuff and recieved a new loaf tin, a friand tin, a couple of cook books I was after that I will share recipes from when I return home, a very daggy old CD that I really wanted (I'm too embarrassed to share it with you!).

Anyway, must run and drink some more champagne with Mum before we go out for dinner with the in-laws.

I'll check in next week with some photos of the kids and our holiday.

See You In A Month

We're off tomorrow morning for a month long holiday to the Big City! We're going to take three days to drive down, just taking it easy and try to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. We've planned a week or so with each set of parents, a few days down south with a couple of sets of friends, and throughout there will be lots catching up with friends and family and shopping (WOOHOOO!!! that bit is very exciting) and then three days to drive back up. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone, doing some shopping and, of course, Christmas.

Offspring #1 is so excited he is just about bouncing. It's wonderful that he is so excited about seeing Nanny and Pop, Grandma and Grandpa and his friends but it seems that the excitement is taking up space in his head usually reserved for skills like listening, minding his manners and, my personal favourite, following instructions.

The washing is all done and sorted, now I just need to cart it all out to the caravan. The presents, along with several bags of baby clothes now outgrown by #2 and headed for a friends baby, have been stowed in various under-storage areas. The food for the trip has been sorted and needs only to be 'esky-ed' tomorrow morning and I just need to check the first-aid kit and make sure we have baby panadol and bonjella for a teething wee person who is unhappily chewing on anything she can find.

I will try to check in once a week or so and share news and pics of our holiday but will be back for real mid-January.

For now, the House of Red Dirt wishes you and yours a very happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. See you in 2007.

And The Heavens Opened

We just had our first rain for the season! Considering how long it is since we have seen rain it was pretty exciting. We got 10ml of rain the temperature dropped by about 10 degrees, then it got humid and steamy. Aaahhh, the wet season in Red Dirt Central. You've gotta love it.

Before the thunderstorm we had the grey skies roll in and this beauty in the sky. If you look carefully you can see the second rainbow too.

OUCH!!

I was cleaning the bathroom this morning and decided that the shower needed a good scrub. So I crouched down in the shower to scrub gunge from the corner. I forgot that the shower cleaning stuff makes the floor waaaaayyyy slippery. I scrubbed a bit too hard and my feet shot our from under me and I made a very inelegant dive onto the shower floor landing on one knee, one wrist and one elbow. Nice look!