Category: Happiness

Dear Hubs

/ Renae / Leave a comment

I’ve not been overly inspired to blog lately, as I mentioned, but as I was walking with Chanbe in the pram the other day, I started thinking about all the wonderful things that are going on in my life. They are not overly newsworthy, but I am definitely really enjoying life. I then started thinking about Hubs and all the wonderful things he does for me and Chanbe, and started compiling a list in my head. It went something like this:

Dear Hubs,
these are just a few things that I love about you.

1. I love how you seem to have every type of lead and adapter for every type of gizmo and gadget thinkable. And if not, you can often make one out of something else you have.

2. I love how even though you don’t like watching the footy, you have been tuning our media PC into the local tv channels so I can watch Friday Night Footy.

3. I love how you watch Friday Night Footy with me.

4. I love how, after I’ve gotten up to Chance for the third time in the night, when I come back to bed, you give me cuddles and tell me how I’m an amazing Mum and that Chanbe is really lucky to have me as his Mum.

5. I love how even though you have an interrupted night’s sleep as well, you always give me sleep-ins on the weekends and sometimes during the week when you can.

6. I love how after you have given me a sleep-in, you often bring me breakfast in bed consisting of poached eggs and toast – more recently your home-made sourdough. And a cup of tea.

7. I love how you “made” me watch Firefly and didn’t say “I told you so” when I thought it was one of the best tv shows ever made.

8. I love how even though you think I look pretty when I get all dressed up, you like me best in my jeans and a t-shirt.

9. I like how we don’t have that much in common, so we can both experience new things, and I love that you challenge me to try new things.

10. I love that you don’t take things at face value, and that you constantly ask “why”?

11. I love how you play with our son; how you love and adore him; how you play WWF wrestling with him and let him win.

12. I love how you take such good care of me in so many ways.

A classic cliche

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I know all kids go through the stage where they take things out of a box, one at a time, but it’s different when it’s your kid going through that particular stage. We are having SO much fun.

A fitting farewell

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Hubs and Chanbe and I have been back in MB since last Friday after being in Brizzie for the week. Nanny’s funeral was on Thursday and it was just lovely. We celebrated a life well lived and told stories and shared some tears as well as some laughs. I said a few words and mentioned that I was waiting to be overwhelmed by sadness and emotion but it hadn’t happened yet, because I know she had an amazing life and she lived long enough to see her sons grow up into men and have children of their own. She was also around to see her 2 grand-grandchildren, and I reckon that just completed her. Life won’t be the same without her, but we have the most amazing memories to cherish for a long time.

Grandpa moved to a nursing home yesterday, so we’re hoping he settles in well there.

This is the last video of Nanny and Chance that I filmed, on the 19th of June.

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers. They have been very much appreciated.

Friday fun

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Chance and Grumpy in their Friday shirts 
(we’re still trying to teach Chance not to pull hair! Hee hee!)
Chance loved being on Grumpy’s shoulders!
The thing I love about this photo, is that it’s taken in our backyard – you wouldn’t think the house is less than 4km from the CBD!!

Snow bunnies

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While Michael and Lea and family were visiting, we took a trip up to Falls Creek for a day in the snow. We had bought up big at ALDI’s snow sale, so we were prepared for anything… or so we thought. Dad even gave Chanbe his silk balaclava to wear!

Unbeknownst to us bottom-of-the-mountain folk, it was snowing up the top! We arrived, snow chains at the ready, around lunch time and got straight into the white stuff.

Or perhaps to put it more accurately, it got straight in to us. It was snowing pretty hard up the top and it was pretty darn cold and windy! Not that Chance cared much!

It got a bit much for me after a while so Chance and I headed indoors to thaw out and have a bite to eat while the rest of the gang played in the snow. After this, we headed around to “Windy Corner” for some tabogganing. The name didn’t lie.

Thankfully, Hubs took Chance for a while on the ergo, as I was having a hard time juggling a 10kg baby (not literally – but what a sight that would be!) and all those darn layers!

I had a couple of runs on the taboggan, but I kinda sucked at it, so Hubs took Chance for a go. Fun!

We decided to hunker down at the hut for a rest and another thaw-out so I carried Chance there in the windy snow. It was haaaaaaard work. That 50m seemed like an eternity! But we made it and were followed not long after by the rest of our group.

So again, Chance and I were happy to hang out there while everyone else went for round 2 on the taboggan slope. We then headed back down to the car and after another bite to eat, hit the road. We had to use snow chains on the way down as it was very icy indeed. We all got home safe and sound and that hot shower I had was one of the best ever. Hubs has been up the mountain twice since then for a bit of snowboarding action, and is up there again today. He’s got to make good use of his season pass that he got for his birthday!! As to when I’ll be back up there? Well, the jury’s still out on that one…

Where to start

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This is the problem with not blogging “live” for a while – too much to catch up on!! For those of you who were in on the secret, the surprise weekend birthday party for Hubs was just brilliant. Maybe I’ll start with that, and work my way backwards. A few months ago, Hubs’ sister and I started planning for her and 6 of Hubs’ friends to fly down to Melbourne, drive to Mt Beauty, and turn up on our doorstep as a surprise to Hubs, and spend the weekend here. I cannot tell you how many times I accidentally nearly blew the surprise. Sleep deprivation does not help with keeping surprises a secret, but I managed to keep my mouth shut and even convinced Hubs to go snowboarding on Friday (didn’t take much) so I could prepare for the arrivals.

The first carload of people rocked up at 5pm and Hubs came home a bit after 6 and got a great surprise! The beers and rum began to flow freely, and by 11:30pm I was beat, so left Hubs and 3 of his mates (2 others had retired earlier) to catch up. I knew Hubs’ sister and other friend were due to arrive after 3am and I could hear Hubs and Uncle Ben – the last men standing – chatting and drinking into the wee hours. I thought they would come to bed, and have Lsl wake Hubs up to surprise him, but Ben had other plans. They were still up when Lsl and Hubs’ mate arrived at 3:30am and he got another great surprise!! I popped out to say hi and set up extra beds, and retired again around 4:30am. Hubs didn’t crawl into bed until 6, and guess who woke up, ready to play with Mama at 6:15am!!! WOO HOO!!!! Thankfully after a little brekky and play, Chanbe and I rejoined Hubs for another hour of sleep around 8.

So Saturday was spent with a walk into town, a visit to the local Tavern, and a push home in the stroller. (I had driven Chance home earlier.) Oh, and Hubs’ last birthday cake for this year.

I had had the Tetris cake idea in my head (and in my iPhone reminders) for months, and I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

We spent Sunday at a few wineries and the Bright Brewery, and had dinner at home. At this point, I might share some photos instead of more words.

Hubs at the first winery

The whole gang at the third winery
Too cute at the brewery
It really was such a great weekend, and quite sad to bid everyone farewell on Monday morning. I would like to take this opportunity to say THANKS FOR COMING – you really made Hubs’ 30th birthday something special x x x

And…. we’re back!

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We have internet connected!! I’m really rather impressed that it happened so quickly in the end! And, I had only scheduled posts up until Sunday so I just scraped in!

The move went really well, due in no small part to the help from my parents. They looked after Chance while we got stuck into the packing, moving, and cleaning the old place. Then once we were in our new place, they cooked, cleaned and babysat while we settled in. They left this morning and I’ve already noticed all the extra things they had been doing (washing, doing the dishes, cooking) that I now have to get used to doing again! It was so great having them around and I’m already looking forward to Mum coming back down in 10 days to stay with Chance and I while Hubs is in Shep for 2 weeks of orientation. But that’s a story for another day.

We also had help from our friends Kyra and Stephan and little Frederick. Thanks guys!! Can’t wait to have you back here for a holiday sometime. 

We love the new place. The extra space is fantastic, and Mt Beauty is such a cute little town. We had our friends Mick (Hubs’ med friend) and Lea (Chance’s Godmother) and their 2 kids stay with us over for a few days. We went up to the snow on Sunday – photos to come – and generally just hung around and had a great catch up. It was so wonderful having them around, and having a really full house. This is what we have missed so much – having friends and family stay with us. We can’t wait for the next lot of visitors to come!

Hubs went snowboarding yesterday and is going again tomorrow so he’s already putting his season pass to good use. I’ll leave the update there for now, and share more with you in the next few days.

Happy 30th Birthday Hubs continued

/ Renae / 1 Comment

After Hubs’ exam on Friday, all the med students in his year based at Wang (15) headed back to one of the students’ houses to be greeted with this:

It was officially time to party! We had a nice afternoon with yummy treats, cold beers, and of course, tasty tasty caaaaaake!

(More info on the cake to come)
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Huhhhhhhbssssss,
Happy Birthday to youuuuuuu!

(Oh okay. Here’s a sneaky peek!)
And of course, being Friday, Hubs and Chance had their best Friday shirts on!
And so continues Hubs’ birthday month!

Introducing…

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Jett Alexander
My dear cousin Amy and her wonderful Hubs Andrew had a beautiful baby boy on the 16th of June. Everyone is doing well and I got to have some lovely new baby cuddles. Congratulations guys, and I look forward to the day that Jett and Chance get to play together! I’m sure they’ll be great friends.