my home town

the weekend just gone saw us head out on a drive just under 2 hours away to the place where i grew up ~Toowoomba~ i just love driving up the range and feeling the immediate drop in temperature and knowing that as soon as you step out of the car the bracing wind will invigorate you and wash away all of the muggy Brisbane heat.

we spent the night catching up with some very good friends, three of whom have recently had babies (two featured in my wordless wednesday). i have know sammy since 1987 and even though she is the younger sister of my best friend and wasn't in my year, we are still tight and have many good memories especially as her mother took us all in every weekend so that we were safe to have teenage fun... sammy is camera shy but i snapped a few of the gorgeous Alyssa.

lili having a snuggle with alyssa

this baby is the happiest bundle of goodness you have ever come across! my girls simply adored her. this baby also has the nicest grandma ever... Kaye was so very good to me throughout my teenage years and has never stopped loving me and supporting my choices in life. she has been there for all of my milestones and has become a surrogate grandma to my girls. we don't see enough of 'mama Kaye' but the girls speak of her often and have a special place in their hearts for her.

click on the pic to get a closer look at the love that is going on here.. except for the dog, ebony had had enough of my girls by the end of our visit :) mama showers all of her girls with love just like she did to me!

29 years! yes that is how long i have known the next person (i am 37) kylie has been part of my life since grade 3 and in all that time we have not had a fight and whenever we see each other we pick up where we left off. she is so much fun to be around, we end up laughing so much we snort :) she is happily married now with two fabulous children and lives just around the corner from our motel , so guess who drove my sorry ass home? yes you guessed it her lovely husband :) i just love kylie and miss her every time i leave her, sort of like a pain in my heart.

here is kylie having a snuggle with baby adelaide.

and here are my girls with kylies sweet children, India and Hugo. our children always play so well together it is like it is in their genes to get along.

by chance another friend who i have known for over 20 years was having a photo shoot with the dinner host and father of adelaide, on sunday morning so i was able to meet her new baby and catch up with her daughter who just happens to be my goddaughter. kylie and i dont keep in contact as much anymore but it is always nice to see her.

my gorgeous goddaughter Abigail, grade 7 now and oh so pretty!

and here is baby Jed, what a handsome little fella, i am so glad i got to meet him.

then after a visit to the cemetery to place flowers on the graves of my mother Joyce, niece Tegan and grandmother Jane, we met up with earth angel Miranda. miranda is a dear friend and a big support to me. she loves me and my girls (godmother to claudia) and mick too. we can do no wrong in her eyes and she never questions my parenting, just makes me feel like a great mum. she bought us morning tea and promised to visit us for Easter... Good Friday mass then champagne and wine all round!!! cant wait to have her stay and the girls just love her to bits. my little mirr, what would i be without her????????? she was the first person i met the first day of grade 10, 1987 when i went to a new school. how lucky was i that god was smiling on me that day!

here she is in her element, hugging my girls. of course they all wanted to sit near her and i am pretty sure she didnt get much of her chocolate milkshake!!!

for some strange reason i dont have any photos of the hosts of the dinner party, Darren and Sarena. now i have known Darren for over 17 years (must ask him how long he thinks it is) and his gorgeous wife for about 14 (maybe more) my mind is going on me with my age... when they found out that we were coming up they organised a BBQ at their house even though they were both working that day. they are new parents to adelaide and are doing a fabulous job with their 3 month old. they have been through so much to get this far and need to step back and congratulate themselves on what they have achieved. squidgy is so smoochable! she fell asleep in my arms so i got to have THE longest hug! darren has a day time job but also does freelance photography and is fantastic. i will dedicate a post about him just as soon as he sends me more photos not only of my kids but of all our friends. i highly recommend you visit his photographic blog ckmetrophotos his photos really are wonderful and at very reasonable rates. i just love being in the company of these two, they are so comfortable with whatever is going on around them and so much fun to be around. darren makes me laugh so hard and sarena is as cool as a cucumber, very easy going!

the worst part about the weekend is going home! i get so home sick for them after being with them. i do love my life and friends here in brisbane but i get nostalic for the good old days.

thanks everyone (for those of you who read this) for making our visit so great.

mmmwwwaahhhh rosey