Thanksgiving

Since gradually packing things away over the past few months and getting things more organised it's been awesome to entertain friends and family a lot more. One of my favourite things ever is to have people over for meals. I love feeding people and just enjoying good food and good company. Our house is the ideal size to entertain and we love our big yard so the kids can just run around. 

For a couple of years now I have really wanted to celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving. I just love the concept and it seemed to have all the ingredients of Christmas but without the expectation of gifts. Just the things I mentioned above - good food and good company...and a feeling of thankfulness (obviously). I began writing a list of people I wanted to invite and when it reached 50 Peter gently pointed out it may be a little tricky! I would have loved to invite so many people and get to know a lot of families from church but we chose 4 or 5 families in the end and it was great to allocate them a dish and share all the yummy food. I cooked a Turkey for the first time ever and made a pretty yummy stuffing too. I cooked a Roast Pork as well...just so we could stretch it out a bit more. I was really happy with the Turkey and all our friends made yummy dishes to serve alongside. The candied yams was a real talking point for us Aussies and it was kinda nice to have something so different. I'm glad we didn't do a pumpkin pie as I've never been fond of them...We were thrilled with the Cheesecake the Grangers bought and the kids were super impressed with the Jelly too...and a few adults too I might add. 

It was a hot summer day so the kids had a ball running through the sprinkler and playing on the trampoline. Funny to think that my American friends were all cosied up with heaters and fireplaces. Something on my bucket list is to experience a Thanksgiving and/or Christmas in the USA...at least a white Christmas would be pretty magical. 

Henry was loving it. He would stay basically right on top of the sprinkler until we'd move him along!

We all had a great night and have already said we'll do it again next year. One of my friends may or may not have even put it in the Calendar already ;-) 

Decadence!

DECADENCE: "a luxurious self-indulgence".

Pete and I went for a drive to visit our friend's Kyle and Alicia who just moved away :-(
They now live in Littlehampton (in the Adelaide Hills) so we decided to have lunch in Hahndorf. We all shared a plethora of German Kransky's, sticky pork ribs and yummy soup. If that wasn't enough we ventured into a gorgeous little Chocolate Cafe (Chocolate No.5) to have dessert.
I think we could have just had dessert for lunch!!!

Pete's Belgian Waffles

My Choc Sponge & Raspberry Chocolate Mousse cake!

Alicia's Iced Chocolate: The choc on the edges
formed hard like Ice magic!

I came home and just dozed on my bed. Still trying to decide if it was all worth it...

Visitors

Just as school went back I had a lovely visit from my friends Collette and Jess. It totally sucked that I was at work during the day but it was just so nice to come home to the 2 of them for a few days! You can see Collette's blog for more pics of their stay here
We set our camera on self timer and got it to take multiple shots. I love that I'm the only one in PJ's at this point :-)





These girls are so awesome, and it meant so much that they'd just hop on a plane for a quick visit! Love you girls so so much.

Jess is looking so good. Isn't she the cutest!

Pete was trying to compare bellies with Jess. I reckon his was just as big, though surprisingly nowhere near as cute!!!

Back to School

The students start back at Pulteney on Tues. I've been back at work since last Wed.
I have lots to blog about but have been run off my feet getting organised for school, and had an awesome time with Collette and Jess from last Wed - Sat when they stayed with us. It sucked that I had to go to work during the day, but was so nice coming home, entering the door to see Collette layed out on the couch. She greeted me with an enthusiastic "Hi Honey!" LOL. Love that girl ;-)
Will fill you in about their stay and some other stuff later.

Thank you

to all the lovely people who told me to keep going with the blog. Thanks for reading, but more importantly, being interested enough about us and our lives. If you didn't notice, most of you are my dear friends from Tassie, and I hate to say it but I'm feeling very far away from you at the moment. Miss you all so very much.
xxx

Super Mario Bros

This summer has consisted of LOTS of watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. LOVE IT!! Pete got me the box set of the entire show for Christmas and I'm up to season 6. Dunno if I'll get through it all b4 I go back to work. However, my latest love is Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo Wii. I used to play Super Mario back in the old days of the original Nintendo. It was the only computer/video game that ever really interested me. As a general rule I dislike video games and find them more destructive than constructive, though I find myself having the best time with this game. Plus, I have been playing with my great friend Alicia and in the new version you can play at the same time, teaming up to defeat the evil flying ducks, plodding mushrooms and the very scary animated dinosaur! HA HA. I love that it is non violent and cute.
Anyway, raving about it much! Most of you I'm sure have played the Wii before and would know that the control console isn't the most comfortable thing to use. Alicia, Soraya (another Mario fan) and I got really sore thumbs after our marathon gaming session. The next day Alicia and Soraya had a great solution for the sore thumbs. See below

It's kinda hard to see, but we're wearing thimbles! Whilst it was an ingenious idea, I have enough trouble trying not to press the wrong button as it is, and an extra fat thumb made it even harder :-)

I must say I've had a pretty boring holiday this year, but am simply enjoying the time to veg out. Just wish Pete was on holidays too :-(

Tassie Photos

Pete and I got back to Adelaide on the 1st Jan, and were greeted by Collette, Dale, Jess and a mystery guest;) We had the 4 of them stay til Saturday. It was great catching up with them and hearing about the goss from YSA convention.
I'll blog about them more later.
For now here are the photos I have been wanting to post from our trip.

The train being turned around

Simeon handing out gifts (family tradition)

Kristy (Sim's girlfriend) and Nana checking out their gifts

Me and my dear friend Lis catching up

Mixed Berry Pancake from Morty's food court in Launie

Yo Yo's 30th/Halloween Party

I'm yet another person to blog about their Halloween escapades. I raided the costume department at school and scored some good costumes for Yolanda Hatchard's 30th B'day. It was fun to dress up. Pete and I went as the Wicked Witch of the East and the Scarecrow...I even had ruby slippers!
We had a great time except for the fact that I was dizzy the whole time, and when I got home later I promptly threw up. Yuck. Needless to say I went to bed and slept very late the next day...Its been a big week.

Me as the Wicked Witch of the East

Pete as Scarecrow "if i only had a brain"

Dustin & Carmella as Pirates, Me & Pete and Yo Yo & Matt as the Indian Chief and his squaw
Camilla, Neil & Elissa
Alex and Aaron. I reckon Aaron has the best out of all the other Joker costumes I've seen this Halloween!!