Life Lately

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Boy have these last few weeks dragged. Derek works in the state school system so the last stretch before the school holidays really seems to take its toll. On both of us. I feel like the weeks are blending together and disappearing before I can even catch my breath. I am really struggling to find the perfect balance between all the hats I am wearing and wearing them all well. And this PhD gig? Rough. Seriously rough. I don't even know what life looks like outside of study. Between teaching and studying, it feels like I live and breathe University. I can't remember what it feels like to have no pressing deadline looming in the horizon, to have a night off and not be quietly stewing on how many late nights I will have to pull to compensate for that down time. It's been a long semester. One more week until the students and staff breathe a unanimous sigh of relief to have one whole week without seeing one another. And boy am I hanging out for that week.

These things aside, there has been a lot of celebrating happening lately. Birthday celebrations, new job celebrations, family members returning home from Darwin celebrations, impending birth of new baby celebrations. It's been nice, really nice. I'm a firm believer in taking the time to celebrate the good things, to be genuinely thankful for the good amongst the crummy (and of course, celebrate with cake whenever possible). These stills represent some of those moments that I really am thankful for: friends, family, new opportunities and new life.

{1} // A birthday, a building apprenticeship and a homecoming all warranted a big family dinner and lots of cake
{2} // Another birthday dinner with a cake made of donuts before a basketball grand final that left Team Bazinga smiling ear-to-ear
{3} // A celebration of life, documenting a pregnancy that is nearly over. Just a teeny snippet from a beautiful afternoon photographing Jessie and her baby bump last week
{4} Fresh blooms brought home to me from my love.

What are you thankful for?

ARE YOU OK?

Due the mountain of media policy essays I had to mark yesterday, this post is fashionably late... because that's how I roll.

Yesterday in Australia was "R U OK?" Day. R U OK? Day is our national day of action on the second Thursday of September that is dedicated to reminding people to regularly check in with family and friends. The R U OK? Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to encouraging all people to regularly and meaningfully ask 'are you ok?' to support those struggling with life. You can read more about them here (and for source credit).

I like it. I like it a lot. 

One of my work colleagues posted a link to this blog post that had me alternating between laughing and meaningfully considering what it must be like for a sufferer of Depression. I really encourage you to take 5 minutes and have a read. If nothing else, look at the pictures, they are a real hoot. I have never suffered from a mental illness but I acknowledge that there are many people that are sufferers, and some I am sure, are doing so silently. If you are struggling, I pray that you can find the strength to ask for help and find your piece of corn.

Find a piece of corn? Now you have to read the article after that cliff hanger.

Take some time to ask those around you, genuinely, are you OK?

PS: There is some colourful language in the blog post so be warned!

Spring has sprung

This week has gone crazy fast. Amidst maiden voyages into the world of lecturing at university, deadlines left right and centre, Father's Day and an engagement of dear friends it's no wonder I'm a little dizzy.

The first week of Spring has been sensational, no complaints here. We kick started the celebrations a day early by spending some time building our first garden bed and planting a hedge behind our newly constructed picket fence on Saturday. At a sweet 23 degrees, it was perfect. Covered in mulch and dirt splattered knees, Derek's best friend Russell turned up with his newly betrothed love - hooray! He harnessed his inner Romeo and proposed to his lovely girlfriend Ashleigh earlier that afternoon. With a wedding date in January in mind, there's no mucking around! I'm actually lucky enough to be photographing their wedding day which I am so excited about.

(bling bling!)

Sunday marked Father's Day for those of us in Australia and New Zealand. It's days like these I feel a bit down about being a sea away from my lovely Dad but I am blessed enough to be able to talk him nevertheless. My church likes to do things a little bit different on Mother's and Father's Day, we put on a cafe style service, play acoustic music, serve food, coffees and create a little ambience. I love helping out on these services and doing my part to make someone's day a wee bit more special. I spent the morning taking coffee orders, delivering said coffees and in between, using my camera to document the morning.

We had a quick family Father's Day lunch with my father-in-law before him and my mother-in-law headed up North to Darwin to...drive back South again! This time, bringing my sis-in-law and her husband. We are thrilled Ro & Shell are relocating back home, boy have we missed them. Rob was beyond thrilled with his dad's day pressie (be sure to check out his facial expressions below!). We are looking forward to him cashing in that Bunnings voucher for something all us kids can use for our various house rennos, we are a thoughtful bunch!

How was your Father's Day weekend? Are you enjoying the warmer days that Spring promises?

Bring. it. on!

seasons

It's been a while.

It's been a while since I was here, and even longer since I was really here.

Winter is a funny season, I love the opportunity to live in ugg boots, leggings and baggy jumpers. I love the warmth of a heated house, the rainy days inside (and boy, it is so much easier to work from home when it is cold, wet and generally uninviting outside). But, winter seems to bring with it a complete lack of motivation, and generally an annual case of the blues. My nights are usually productive. As someone whose mind works best before lunch and again at dusk, I normally utilise those times to get all manner of things done. Lately? I've been on a one way train to struggletown. I feel weighted with fatigue and lacking that sense of vision that normally propels me through those moments of intense...procrastination.

But now, at last the trees are changing, my hayfever is back with a vengeance, and the days are ever so slowly getting longer. The frosts have dissipated and we have been plagued with the August winds which all mean only one thing - Spring is coming. A new season, a new opportunity to seize the day and make some changes. A chance to clean, cleanse and rid ourselves of all the things that remind us of those cold, wintry blue days. Certainly a chance to rejoice.

In light of this change of seasons, I'm making some changes. All for the greater good and you know what? I'm excited. 

1 & 2// This morning was glorious. The morning sun beamed into our bedroom, and both Elliot and I enjoyed sitting in the warmth for a moment or two.

3 & 4 // The very sad, dead looking tree outside our living room has begun to blossom at last, a true sign the seasons are changing.

5// that glorious sunshine.

6// after the lemon tree bandit stole our first lemon tree, this little guy is giving it a good go. Here's hoping he doesn't go missing like his predecessor.

Has anyone else had a case of the Winter blues?

Farewell to faithful Google Reader.

So it seems that Google Reader will be disappearing from our computer screens as of June 30. To be honest? I'm still feeling a little bit vague on the matter, but nevertheless, I finally headed over to Bloglovin' this morning to make sure all my blogs on my blog roll would be transferred. If you want to keep in touch, you can follow me through bloglovin' here.

Happy weekend, friends.

An escape to the Yarra Valley

June 18 marked two years since Derek and and I said "I do" and began this new, wonderful adventure in our lives. On Friday night, we packed the car and headed for the hills for a two day break in Healesville, a little town located in the middle of the Yarra Valley wine country. We rented a little mud brick cottage in the middle of a vineyard with a beautiful open fire. It was cozy, quirky and the perfect location for a retreat. After heading into the town centre for a beautiful dinner at Healsville Harvest, Friday night was spent in front of the fire, exchanging anniversary gifts and reminiscing about our wedding day. Saturday morning we woke up to a fresh -4.8 degrees Celsius and the thickest frost I had ever seen. The vineyard was blanketed in crystalised water that twinkled in the faintest winter sunshine. While I trampled over frozen blades of grass to take some photos, Derek attempted to thaw the frozen sheet of water that covered the car windscreen. 

After a recommendation from a dear friend, we drove a few kilometres down the road to the local Blueberry Farm where we enjoyed home-made Blueberry pancakes with locally grown produce. The cafe was small, intimate and had a beautiful living room feel to the space. The store was run by a husband and wife duo that also lived on the site and ran the blueberry farm that was situated merely metres from the cafe entrance. And the pancakes? Incredible. We left with jars of homemade jam and a bottle of Blueberry wine.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the town centre, wandering into quirky shops, dining and some exploration of the wider Healesville area. We headed to a winery only half an hour away for lunch where we sat outside on a deck that overlooked hundreds of rows of vines and enjoyed a glass or two of locally produced wine. We were incredibly blessed with the weather, Saturday and Sunday were both perfect winter days. Whilst the air was cold and brisk, the sky was a crystal blue and the air was still. We made a pitstop to the Yarra Valley Chocolatarie + Ice Creamery  and did not leave emptied handed. I still have an Earl Grey chocolate to savour that somehow made it through the drive back home yesterday.

By mid afternoon we were done. The air was cold and we had a roaring fire back at our cottage with our names on it. We spent a quiet night in front of the fire (a novelty we don't have in our own abode) and watching a game of footy my husband was dying to see. We ordered pizza, ate cheese and drank some more wine (as you absolutely must whilst in the Yarra Valley), and at the end of it all, sang 'Yellow and Black' in commemoration of our Richmond boys excellent win. 

We dawdled home on Sunday, with a few pitstops on the way, a market, some shopping and basking in a whole lot of sunshine. 

A most excellent celebration.