Port Stephens

we just got home from our little family getaway.

we camped at stockton beach (which is 32km's long) in port stephens.

i LOVE camping and so do the boys.

we went with some family friends.

the weather was perfect and i got to tick a bunch of things off my bucket list.

we went camel riding on the beach.

if you ask zayden he will tell you it was a cow.

we swam in the middle of autumn and the weather was perfect and the water was so clear.

we went for walks and explored old ship wrecks.

we ate way too much crap.

we played games until midnight 

(which my body is regretting now lol.)

we fed wild kangaroos.

i now have a new favourite animal.

i'm pretty sure i was carrying on more like a tourist than the actual tourists that were there.

the kids rolled down sand dunes.

we went to a skate park.

the kids played all day and then crashed at night.

we went to carls jnr.

michelle and i got way more into kid charades then the kids did.

jevan and kyle had a beautiful bonding saturday with each other,

body surfing, digging tunnels in the sand to one another, beautiful sunset walks where kyle taught jevan about the ship wrecks.

michelle would agree with me it was quite a magical day for them.

this was one of my most favourite holidays to date.

A Daughter's First Love

my dad is very special to me.

i am no good with emotion.

everyone who knows me knows that.

i don't do the soppy stuff, i don't like to hug to much.

you'll probably get either a hello or goodbye kiss from me,

if i'm in a super good day you'll get both.

but when life changing news comes at you,

you really start to think what matters most in life.

my dad was diagnosed with brain tumours 2 weeks ago.

he has had it for many many years going unnoticed.

most people don't know my dad the way i do.

he is a big marshmallow inside.

he is the most generous person i've ever known.

he will always be the first one to help out,

he is the greatest example of serving others to me.
he has taught me how to forgive and move on.

he 110% loves his role as a grampy,

he loves my boys and they love him.

my dad was there to comfort me throughout my childhood through to my adolescent years.

my dad would reprove me when necessary but with love.

he taught me to ride a bike, to drive, to look after myself.

he taught me to be adventurous.

he taught me to give things a go,

if they didn't work out to try again and not give up.

he taught me to love life.

i cannot imagine a life without my dad apart of it.

my dad wrote me a letter when i was first born and this is my favourite snippet,

"You left the pre-existence and chose to live with us. In this family we never, never, never give up on each other when things get tough, smile, press on, carry on and love. Be positive and have charity."

my dad didn't just write these words for me to hopefully follow,

he lived these words and showed me how to follow.
my dad is not perfect like each one of us,
but he was the perfect dad for me and has always tried to do right by me.

i'm so glad i chose him to be my dad. 

Luna Park

yesterday the boys got to go on a big adventure,

one they have been dreaming about for a long time.

and because of their grampy and grammy their dream was fulfilled.

they got to go to luna park and not only get fairy floss BUT go on the rides.

they had a blast.

i think the one who enjoyed it the most was zayden.

he LOVES ride on things.

he's use to hearing "no say sorry i don't have $2."

he was running off one ride to the next.

their most favourite ride of all was

the BIG ferris wheel.

and i HATE ferris wheels.

my boys make me come out of my comfort zone,

sometimes i hate it !
this was the day also that i realised makai is over the babyish rides.
he wanted so desperately to go on the big boy rides,
it almost killed me to realise he isn't little anymore.

i am so grateful for parents who love my boys almost 

(my mum would disagree and say just as much) as me.

Makai Turns Six

i know i say this every year with every one of my boys

but i'll say it again,

makai has grown up way too quickly.

when did he turn into a full size boy?

this year has proven challenging for makai

but there is one talent that jevan and i have noticed that makai possess.

makai has determination.

he will try and try and try at something until he feels he has achieved that.

he doesn't give up when something is too hard and challenging for him,

he keeps on at it until he accomplishes it.

he probably gets it from his dad.

this boy is so caring and fits the older brother role perfectly.

makai loves routine and he loves adventure.

he is very competitive 

- another thing we discovered about him this year.

and that drives him to be the best he can be.

he eats the same thing every day 

- which is awesome for me.

so naturally for his birthday he requested french toast for breakfast,

pizza for lunch and hamburgers for dinner.
(he LOVES his carbs.)
his school treat was marshmallow pops,

his birthday adventure was spent at playtime,

and he was in his element.

we finished it off with ben and jerry's ice-cream and a happy birthday song.

his birthday wish this year is that he will hopefully start to lose his teeth !
happy birthday to my beautiful kaikai,

who will always be a baby to me.