Good Friday Easter Picnic

 We had our annual Good Friday Easter Picnic again, and this year the weather was just perfect. It was held in the usual spot at Lennox Gardens and we had a lovely time. We have to keep inviting people with young kids as our kids are too big- they are the ones hiding the Easter eggs for the Easter Egg hunt!

Bindi and Amy

Charlie is in charge of the cooking these days. Same menu- bacon and egg rolls, hot cross buns and fruit platter. 

Hiding the Easter Eggs

Lachlan- now a big kid hiding the eggs!

Finding the eggs

Charlie and Mia- the grown up little kids!

Some of the little kids we needed to invite!

Was lovely to have Lachlan and Abby join us this year.

Amy beheading Bindi's Lamb Cake!

Stake Relief Society High Tea

 Each year for the last 3 years we have been putting on a High Tea at our church to celebrate the birthday of the Relief Society - the women's organisation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This year it was the 182nd Birthday. Our theme was Love and Kindness. It was a busy week leading up to it but to see the end result, to hear the chatting and laughter going on was worth it. We had some great helpers and it was a lovely day.

We got people to bring a donation of women's sanitary items, the back seat of the Hilux was full to the brim with donations. They have been taken to local community pantries and charities who have been very grateful.

Catching Up Photos

 I have been very slack at my blog so  it is time to catch up with some random photos.

I was given a lovely tree fern by a friend last year, after it survived a summer and winter I decided it was worth protecting it a little more so we had a shade cloth put it to shelter the area and hoping to make it a bit of a fernery. We were very happy with the result.

We had dinner over at Bindi's on St Patricks Day- the table was so just lovely and we had a fun time and yummy food as usual.

It has also been the Canberra Balloon Festival recently so the Tuesday Girls ventured out early on a Tuesday morning and we walked around the central basin at 6:30am. Couldn't believe how busy it is around the lake at that time of the morning. The wind direction that morning meant the balloons were not taking off from their usual spot, they did have some tethered balloons outside the National Library and we also go to see some of the other balloons in the distance. It was a lovely morning for a walk around the lake.

Jindabyne March 2024

Amy and I headed down to Jindabyne a couple of weeks ago for an overnight stay. We drove down Friday afternoon, stopping for lunch in Cooma, visiting the Charles Davis Photography Gallery in an old church building. It is such a lovely space, he photographs wildlife.

We then stopped of at Shut the Gate at Berridale where we purchased some goodies for our dinner which we enjoyed on the balcony at the Jindy Inn where we were staying in Jindabyne and enjoyed a grazing plate dinner overlooking Lake Jindabyne.

The next morning we drove up to Lake Crackenback Resort where they had a local produce market on. We purchased some more goodies!

Then we headed to the Wild Brumby where we met Mia and Bindi for lunch to celebrate Bindi's birthday. It has been a while since we went there with them- back in 2016 and we have been talking about going there again for ages. They have Austrian food and serve an Austrian soft drink called Almdudler which Bindi and Mia were craving. We had a lovely time then headed back to Canberra. A quick get away but fun!

 

Finishing Off 2023

 A few photos to finish of 2023. Wouldn't be complete without a dog photo, here is Hugo who stole the dog trimming scissors the other day and was running around the house with them in his mouth!

A

 I went to Charlie's Year 12 Graduation with Bindi

I have been enjoying the view from my bedroom window, here I have some rain chains. I did buy one for a friend so will have to hand it over at some point!

Took a couple of the older ladies from our church up to the Sydney Temple just before Christmas, the flowers in the garden are just beautiful.

Finally I finished my planter box at woodwork class and recently got some flowers to plant in it, very pleased with myself.

Amy's Birthday

 

Amy turned 30 this year, she decided she would like to return to the Glenview Alpaca Farm which we visited 3 years ago for her birthday then. We had a lovely time revisiting all the animals and our host Joy was just so welcoming. We stayed the night in the cabin on the property,  got to feed the animals and brush the goats and had an Alpaca Tour as well. We enjoyed a lovely birthday dinner at the Ewe and Me Restaurant in Yass. 

The goats are hanging out for a feed

Then we had to give them a brush

Now it is time to feed the alpacas

More goat brushing the next morning

On the way home we stopped off at the Murrumbateman Chocolate Company and enjoyed a delicious iced chocolate and a yummy Turkish Delight Chocolate

Christmas 2023

 

As usual we stayed in Canberra for Christmas, cannot go anywhere with all our birds and dogs! We spent the afternoon with some Canberra friends which was just lovely. Boxing Day we had Lachlan and Abby over for toasted sandwiches and left overs. Kelly ( my niece) and her partner Nate also joined us along with Francine who was visiting Kelly.

 Amy and I made a ham to take over and one for the following day. 

In the lead up to Christmas we decorated little gingerbread houses with Bindi and Mia, I also had a friend and her daughter over and we did some as well. That has been lots of fun.

This year I made Christmas Puddings and Christmas Cakes to give as presents.