Fall

It's been a lovely long fall here this year.  I'm remembering two years ago when our fall lasted about three days in  early October before we had weeks and feet of snow.  We haven't even had a hard freeze or any real snow yet. Lucky for us as we spent a month on holiday instead of getting ready for winter.

FFM helped out this weekend, cleaning out one of the flowerbeds.

 Travis is finishing up the hardscape around the new deck, cutting the final stones to fit.  FFM is a safe distance away wearing his safety glasses.  Later he added ear protectors, too.

There's time for play, too.  Super F flies around keeping our neighborhood safe.

However our weather is not to last.  We've had a few shots of cold already, but 45 degree drop in daytime temps and that hard freeze are right around the corner.

On the Mend

You know you've been really sick when you:
1) Get your husband to take sick time to come home and take care of you/your kid.
2) Go to the doctor and your cold/flu/sinus infection is bad enough they actually prescribe stuff for you.
3) Same husband voluntarily cleans the house.  And I didn't even ask him to...
4) I've driven so little it's been nearly three weeks since I put gas in my car.
5) Your family does the wave at the dinner table because you've made it through a whole day all the way to dinner.

Finally seem to be on the mend.  I don't think I've slept this much and still been this tired since I was a student.

Pikkuveli

I finished the Pikkuveli sweater for FFM and am quite pleased with it.  The pattern was lovely to knit, and while I knit the intarsia pattern on one sleeve a little tight I think it will be OK once he's wearing it and is a blue and green blur.  It's a bit big on him still, I had a choice of knitting it in a size 4 or 6 so went with the 6, but I know he'll grow into it soon!  This is by far the best written pattern I have ever had the pleasure to knit.  If you are on Ravelry the author has several other patterns, kids and adults alike.  FFM picked out the buttons, I'm ever impressed with his color knowledge.

Ten

It's been a blink.  It's been long enough now that when we go back and look at our wedding photos the kids are all grown up, we've lost a few of our beloveds, and gosh darn it, we're just not as young as we were!

Happy tenth my sweet, I couldn't be happier.

Brisbane

After working his tail off in Canada for a week and Melbourne for five weeks Travis took a week of vacation.  We flew to Brisbane to visit our dear friends the Hodsons.  Their oldest child, Cooper, is exactly the same age as FFM and they played together when we were Brisbane residents.  It did not take the two of them very long to connect again and together with 2.5 yr old Scarlet and 14 month old Harper the kids managed to keep four adults on our toes.

Cooper and FFM catching some wind on the City Cat enroute to Southbank.  

If you recall the City Cat is public transport up and down the Brisbane River, like a bus or train, just on water.  Southbank is the neighborhood we lived in while we were there.

The Hodson and Moore clans (you can just see Harper's pram in the corner) enjoying the evening at Southbank.

After a couple of days enjoying the city life (shopping, dining, Southbank, shopping...) we headed north for some beach time.  On our way we stopped to spend a day at the Australia Zoo.  This is the zoo created by Steve Irwin of Crocodile Hunter fame, and is my favorite zoo.

Scarlet and FFM banging the bongos at the new Africa exhibit.

Sara, Cooper, FFM, and Harper petting and posing with a kangaroo.  Harper's in the pram again.

Look!  A Mama and her joey!  The boys even spotted the joey sneaking into the pouch for a snack.  And look, there's cutie Harper, out of the pram at last.

After the trams, FFM will continue on to tell you that this was his next favorite part of his trip to Australia.  Petting the koala.  After that comes the baby kangaroo/joey.  And then he remembers the waves at the beach...but that's another post.

See, they may be thousands of miles and a giant ocean apart, but they're still buddies.  It felt like we'd never been gone, some friends are just great like that :-)  Thank you Sara and David!