2012 is here!

Ringing in the New Year with family, friends and fireworks at Lake Nagambie.

We can't wait to skype Canadian family later in the morning and tease them about still being in the past. Har, har!

Just a few highlights from 2011:

• Gran and Gramps visited us for over a month in February and we spent two weeks at Burleigh Heads Beach on the Gold Coast, and a couple of nights at Docklands in Melbourne.
• Son A was the first person to catch a fish (an English perch) in the lake on our farm - on his first attempt at casting in! And it was a whopper! The fish was gently released back into the lake.
• M performed in the Victorian State Schools Spectacular at Hisense Arena which was broadcast on TV, and with the Victorian State Schools Choir she got to perform at the National Gallery of Victoria, and for the Queen at Government House when she visited Melbourne recently. She even got to chat with Prince Phillip.

Wishing you all a healthy and magical 2012, full of wonderful possibilities.

Back to blogging!

It's only been, oh... about a YEAR since I last blogged. Determined to do better than one post a year.

It's been sooooooo goooooood to be on leave from work - which is why I have time to contemplate blogging. It's been a very busy year with work, compounded by a long commute.

After the fun of family gathering over Christmas, the past few days have been full of swimming, picking apricots and plums from our trees, and visiting with friends camped out in their caravan at a farm (our annual Easter camping site) 10 minutes down the highway on the Goulburn River. And yesterday we went to see Mission Impossible 4 on Imax at the Melbourne Museum. AWESOME!

A checking out some minerals and fossils before the movie started.

Gotta dash. We're heading to Nagambie with friends for New Year's Eve fireworks. Shebang!

Happy Australia Day!

Bathing, boating, batting, barbecue and best friends.

That's what our annual Australia Day celebrations involve.

This year we gathered at Waranga Basin, Rushworth.

The boys were given a ride in a special boat by it's owner who was set up with his family and friends beside us at the water's edge.

The other boys managed to play for hours in the "sand" when they weren't in the water.

Of course, on the drive to the Basin and back home, derigeur was the small Australian flag flapping madly out the car window. Flags proudly sprout up from boats and out truck windows everywhere on this day.