Busy busy times!

Saturday 6th October was our third wedding anniversary, so we conned Grandma into spending some quality time with her grandson and we headed out to a fancy restaurant for lunch. It was delicious and lovely to sit quietly and admire the view as we had seats overlooking the water. We worked off lunch by a walk on the beach and then called into a local nursery for coffee and desert. A romantic afternoon and the longest I've been away from Bradley. Grandma coped very well, Bradley had a 2 and half hour afternoon nap, very strange he doesn't do that for me!

The following day was a quiet day with some photography work and a tasty lunch out at Noosa. But we did throw my camera in for a few snaps.

Bradley having lunch



On the 8th Oct Bradley become the proud owner of one front tooth, it has now been followed by it's neighbour. We have yet to get a good shot of them but they're getting bigger everyday so we'll try.

Unfortunately we have discovered we have some new neighbours. Yes, it's getting hotter which means it's snake season! Two red bellied black snakes are living in the creek just yards from our house. The book describes them as deadly venomous, charming! Neil didn't worry about that as he headed straight for them with his camera.

A red bellied!




A few days later Dad made the mistake of throwing a dead mouse he'd caught in the trap down there, Mrs red belly was more than happy to except a free meal and wasn't going to be put off by us throwing rocks, she wanted that mouse! I don't think Dad will be leaving snake food near the house again!


Bradley has had his first swimming lesson at a heated swimming pool nearby with his friends from mothers group. He seemed to like the heated shaded pool more than the cold one at home!

The following Friday we had our first incident of me rushing the Bradman to the doctors, he had a temperature of 102 and was pretty grumpy. He had just thrown up his calpol too. The Dr said it was a throat infection and a bit of an ear infection, he was extremely clingy all day demanding you walked around cuddling him!

We were planning to have our friends Amy,Marc and Ryan round for a barbie but they said they were happy to risk the contamination and grumpy baby zone. We had a yummy bbq and a good gossip until babies and parents were struggling to keep there eyes open about 9.30pm! The joys of parenthood!!


Our market stall plans were sprung into action, as I rang up a market in Caloundra(big place on the Sunshine Coast about 35 mins drive away) to see about getting a stall. They said we could start straight away as casuals, so I told Neil we would be starting in 10 days. A shocked Neil pointed out to me that he's read that it takes months to get enough stock for a stall. So Neil sent hard to work.So most of the weekend was printing, matting and framing, we did sneak out a drive and browse round some local shops in a village north of us called Pomona where Neil has been working alot lately.

Sunday, printing, matting and framing and greeting card making as we now have a line of home made cards of 18 different designs! But again to keep us all sane we went out for a few hours for bits and pieces for the stall. Mainly the gazebo it's self aswell as boxes, table and screening to hang the pictures from. We then called into Mooloolaba for coffee and Neil did a unusual thing nowadays and took some photos down on the beach. You wouldn't believe how little photography he's doing at the moment. Bradley and I played in the sand, which he seemed to enjoy feeling it on his toes and his fingers, the job is to stop him eating it!

Bradley and Daddy in the cafe



Bradley on the beach




Neil's photo effort for the day




Tuesday 16th was my Dad's birthday, we were very brave and took Bradley out for his first night out. He was an angel and sat in his high chair eating raisin toast watching other children all night.

Bradley in his party clothes








Trying to get Daddy's camera



At the RSL



Birthday boy and daughter








The Saturday before the stall opened, Neil spent 15 hours working, what a day off! We had a practice setting up in the garden and the neighbours came over to give there opinion. It was a very hectic day and 11pm by the time we packed the car ready. It was a 5.15am start on Sunday, My Mum and me headed down first so Neil could watch the rugby, the three boys showed up just as the market opened when Mum and I had managed to set the stall up. We didn't need to panic for long about not selling anything as within 5 mins we sold the most expensive picture on the stall! It was a good day and we sold a few more images aswell. The stall needs tinkered with to get it to it's best and Neil has been busy again this week making more mounted prints and replacing the ones that sold.

The first week of Neil Paskin Photography market stall.





Fingers crossed for another good week this week.

Our house is proving stressful and is like a roller coaster will report when have some firm news, if it actually goes ahead!

Neil has got a new macro lens and here's a couple of beastie shots!





Last but least, believe it or not it has been a year since we moved out to Oz!

Catch up!

As it's now October we've got some catching up to do from the rest of September.

Firstly, a few weekends ago was Coolum kite festival which unfortunately bought some dodgy weather with it. We had planned to spend Saturday there but just as we were about to get in the car, a storm set in. Torrential rain, lighting, kites and a baby didn't seem like a fun afternoon so we retreated back indoors. When we thought the storm had passed, we thought a walk along the beach would be nice but we were wrong the storm was coming for a second go. As we were on the beach. me and Bradley ran back to the car and Neil got his camera out!

The approaching storm.



Then into the nearest cafe for coffee! Neil couldn't resist a shot on the way home.

Mount Ninderry during a storm.



Sunday was pretty miserable too but in the afternoon we took our chances with the rain at the kite festival. We got a few showers but just huddled together under a brolly.

The festival was good lots of food and drink stalls, kites of all shapes and sizes and the roulettes( a flying display team).

The boys and the kites.






The Roulettes!




Bradley sampling Mummy's dutch pancakes.



I think it's cool sitting on the table!



95% of the time I have my tongue out!



One of the many kites




Last weekend was again was dedicated to doing work e.g printing, framing etc but we did sneak out to Coolum to see our friend Amy's art expedition and go for lunch.

Sunday was more work work work, but Neil took some time to photograph Bradley.

The poser!





Bradley (touchwood) is now sleeping through the night which is a complete joy. Ten hours straight through for about the last 2 weeks so let's hope it lasts!

He is s starting to get very active and is at his happiest when he is trying to stand up or trying to climb. His favourite pastime is pulling himself up on the side of the bath which doesn't make life very easy for his Dad who is in charge of bathtime!

Mum and Dads swimming pool is snow finished and as we are having very hot weather for spring it's already been great having it although it's still a tad cold.

The finished pool.



Mummy and baby swimmimg



Daddy and baby swimmimg



Keep posted but in a few weeks we might have some interesting news on our own house. Fingers crossed!

Just a shorty!

Not much to report this week so just a few shots,(especially for Neil's Mom to get her Bradley fix for the week!)

We are busy getting set up for the business, doing a lot of ordering and making! So hopefully soon we should be ready to do a some selling!!

We haven't been well this week, Neil getting a cold first and me second and then my Mum next! Neil didn't feel up to bathing Bradley On wednesday so thought I would see if he fancied a bath with his Mum!

Bradley and Mummy enjoying a splash!



We also went out to Mudjimba after work to pick up some more framing supplies, go for coffee and a walk on the beach. Neil declaring he was too ill to take his camera! That was a mistake because when we walked along the beach we discovered that the two spells of recent heavy rain and high winds had blown over a foot of sand of the beach to leave the most amazing and huge rock formations along the shore. It was quite incredible that one week it was just sand and the next like a lunar landscape. Of course it was my fault for not insisting he took it! But photos from there soon!

Saturday, after a bit of shopping we took Bradley to The Big Pineapple as he is getting old enough to notice the animals, a bit!
It was a lovely afternoon and Bradley seemed to really enjoy it, kicking his legs and smiling at the animals.







After we shared a macadamia ice cream sundae which Bradley was dying to get his hands into! Daddy let him try some ice cream and he nibbled a wafer!

Neil's birthday and more

Rain, rain, rain! On Thursday the rain started and we didn’t think it was ever going to stop. It rained all day and night for 2 days, over 20 inches fell over the two days so needless to say there was a lot of flooding. The creek at the bottom of our garden which doesn’t normally flow turned into a lake! But we were lucky really as lots of people had to be rescued or were cut off. A lot of roads were flooded and impassable. Noosa was one of the worse areas affected with a lot of houses flooded.

Our new lake in the back garden.



It was Neil’s birthday on Friday. I surprised him with a weekend away in the Bunya Mountains. I had booked the afternoon off for Neil but as it turned out I didn’t need too as he ended up having the day off as he couldn’t get to the job for the floods. Bunya Mountains is a national park 3 and half hours directly inland. You have to drive through a lot of dry Aussie bush to get there. It is a very lush green mountainous area littered with Bunya pines. It just has one road with holiday cottages on with one shop and restaurant and there are wallabies everywhere!

Bunya mountain countryside with Bunya pines.



One of the local wallabies




Our holiday cottage



Neil's birthday cake(I couldn't fit 38 candles on it!!!)




We relaxed in our cottage in front of a log fire (it’s 8 degrees colder on the mountain), went for walks, had a yummy lunch in the restaurant and generally explored the area. It was a great fun, we had a lovely weekend.

This is the most beautiful fig we’ve seen.



The Bunya Mountains has a lot of trees therefore we have a lot of us and various tree photos! So here you go!!!








The excitement of all those trees proved a bit much for Brads!



A scenic lookout at more trees!




Another beautiful view with some cool trees!


I had to give an old tree a helping hand!



Back at the house Bradley had a great time playing with his toys.



Enjoying the real fire and boy did we need it!



Bradley's first time in a big bath!




Other news, we had a lunar eclipse where the moon turned red last week. Of course Neil was outside to capture the moment!



Bradley is now a meat eater like is Dad and no longer a vegetarian like is Mum,Oh dear and the little man loves it! He can't get enough of beef and pumpkin mush!

Our friends came over this weekend, for Neil to take a portrait of their baby Ryan. It went well and Bradley got to play with his friend.

Bradders and Ryan.






That was all the excitement of last weekend, as a lot of time is taken up by getting setup for the business. There is a lot to do, Neil doesn't have enough hours in the day! We now own framing equipment as well as the printer so we will be producing the whole finished product ourselves. We have ordered some supplies this week to get started. There may be a lack of adventurous weekends for a while!