Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts

Wednesday, 12 December 2012

2012

I don't remember Gabriel growing so fast, but at the beginning of the year he was a baby, and now he's a boy.
Ronin is a month old and yet it seems like just yesterday that I was whinging about him being overdue.Some of his clothing he could only wear once, because while wondersuits were in the wash he outgrew them. Others he never fit at all (4.4kg anyone?)

I'm horrified by how fast this year is coming to a close.
So while it doesn't even seem like a year has passed since I reviewed last year - here is 2012


We took over the local park and the swimming pool in our complex for some intense athletic competitions. It was so amazing that we even attracted the attention of a local (highly eccentric) artist.

Also I turned 27.


 Family photos at Carrs Park - and the beginnings of Ronin. Thankfully I don't get morning sickness to any debilitating degree.


Still warm enough to take Gabe to the pool, and he's still too young to be scared of things that he ought to be wary of. Like jumping into the big pool when he can't swim.





Getting colder. Life and work goes on. 




My sister got engaged on her birthday to her very nice boyfriend. Gabe LOVES visiting his Oma and Papa and pestering all the guinea pigs and the ducks (RIP duckies)




Gabe hates getting his hair cut. We have to wrestle him to get any kind of cutting implement near his head. As a result of this, his hair cuts aren't so great. Visiting Lambs Valley and Grandma and Grandma is great though. 




Mum taught me how to crochet this winter, so I made things. Gabe and I escape whenever it's not super cold or wet because our house is boring. We are sick for this entire month.




The Brother in Law gets married and is supremely happy. It is a great excuse to visit with family who we rarely get to see. 




Gabriel goes for his first horse ride, bare back and unassisted - like the true grandson of his horse-lord Grandpa. This month is awesome, because it is full of family. We spend our last weekend at Blue Bonnet as it is SOLD :( but it is fantastic to spend that time with family. 
 
My sister gets married and is stunningly beautiful. 
Family travels from around the country and from New Zealand to be there and enjoy the occasion (and the great food)
 
Kyle turns 26 and we don't have to pay so much for insurance on the car.
 
 


Gabe turns 2. In the week leading up to his birthday he proves just how awesome his is by letting me potty train him. 
 
Kyle applies for film school.
I start study to be a medical transcriptionist.
 
 
After impatiently waiting for him to arrive, Ronin is born on the 9th. He looks like his brother's brother, but definitely has my nose.
I think he's pretty cool. 




Another wedding, the first that I get to go to NOT pregnant. 
Christmas is soon and I am wholly unprepared, but life goes on. 

There are four of us now and I still feel like I'm just playing at being a grown up.

Next year Kyle will be studying film, and to make sure that we have enough currency to survive we will be running several businesses out of our house. 
I'm nervous and a bit stressed about it, but excited too. 

We'll just have to see what 2013 brings. 

See you then x
 
 


















Wednesday, 22 August 2012

photos of photos

People tend to keep photos digitally these days, but I like having them printed out.
Sometimes when I remember I will sit down and write on the back of them about where and when they were taken.

Today I was looking back on some photos and decided I would write on the front of them.


The swag was like a body bag - and kind of freaked me out I have to admit, and the bottom of the creek out the back of the in-laws place is super slimy and also kind of freaked me out.

Friday, 20 July 2012

The Art Journal - Page 3

THIS IS WHY... continued.

These pages face each other and so I thought it would be good for them to share a theme.


My husband is not an overly sentimental fellow. (understatement)

One day though, I know that I will be glad that I have bothered to write/create/spew these books, because it will help him, and our children, and their children (if they last that long) to know me, and perhaps even him, better.
It certainly isn't my primary motivation, but with one little kiddie-winkle running wild on this world and another one kicking my internal organs (even as I type this), it seems like a nice thought that one day they'd be able to look at these - my creative spewings - and get to know me at 27.



This page has... a wonderful drawing from Ky and Gabe during church, a photo of the boys in Raro, a rubbing or a lino cut plate, and more paper off cuts. (Art journaling is a great way to get rid of scrap paper!)

I also sewed some things on with wool.


Use photos in your pages!These boys are my favourite people, who are yours? Make a page about them! Art journaling is a lot looser than scrap booking and there really are no rules.

Some tips:
  • Try sewing things on. If the paper/card is thick, stab the holes first with an awl. 
  • Make your own paper - with stamps, leaf rubbings, drawings, hand prints...
  • Alphabet stickers are awesome. I know I was all like 'love your handwriting' and you should, but variety is good too. 
 In other news... my camera is no good at taking photos of flat things - like pages of art journals. The edges are ALWAYS blurry.

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

a rant

Time really does go by much faster than I ever remember as a kid. 

Days must seem incredibly long to Gabriel.

Day length seems variable, based on what I have to do/want to do, and whether or not it is raining.
I have been art journaling and putting together what I hope will be a useful little course for people to download (once I get some decent not blurry photos!!) in the coming months.

Restrain your excitement.

After finishing watching all of Stargate SG1 and then Stargate Atlantis, Ky and I turned to The Walking Dead. I LOVE zombie movies, so I figured that it was only a natural progression for me to appreciate this tv series as well. I have to admit though that after passing the midway point of the second series I am disenchanted, and depressed by the characters having their moral strength chipped away by the obviously heinous circumstances.
It's not that I can't appreciate the realism of the psychology of the whole thing, but I like seeing people succeed, rise above circumstance, maintain their courage in the face of adversity, pull together through trials... you know, all those good things.

This is probably why I love B-grade action movies so much... as a general rule they are resolved in an incredibly redemptive way. Perhaps not realistic, but I don't necessarily watch television for reality.

That's why I can't sit through Battlestar, because the characters are so real, their issues so real, and all together its all just very annoying.
I want to escape for goodness sake!

Anyway, after all this blathering about television, here are some of my other thoughts for the week - it is Wednesday after all, and while I am running out of lungs to cough up, sickness can't keep me from updating my blog... or complaining about tv.



 I miss my daily jogging path around Raro.

 Disappointment tastes bad.

Look at how little my baby looks! This was taken a year ago... 

Tuesday, 3 July 2012

Wednesday Words - July begins

Thursday 28.06

  

Friday 29.06


Saturday 30.06


 Sunday 01.07

  

Monday 02.07


Tuesday 03.07


Wednesday 04.07





Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Wednesday Words - from Thursday

Just pretend that its Wednesday.
I'll be better next week, and get my camera cable to work so I have more relevant photos. (and more of them)

Promise.


Thursday 21.06.12

Friday 22.06.12


Saturday 23.06.12


Sunday 24.06.12


Monday 25.06.12

It's wonderful when strangers are kind without provocation.

Tuesday 26.06.12

Dear Sydney, pick a season.

Wednesday 27.06.12

It's sad when TV series end.
Thank goodness for DVDs.


Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Wednesday Words



Thursday 14.06.12


Friday 15.06.12


Saturday 16.06.12

Sunday 17.06.12


Monday 18.06.12


Tuesday 19.06.12


Wednesday 20.06.12
Today I am a tad fed up but my words for today are these:

"To whom it may concern, 
When you say you're going to sort something out...
Sort.
It.
Out."










Thursday, 29 March 2012

the whanau

This is my family.

Last month we gathered together at Carrs Park and the wonderful Clarissa of Art of Joy Photography took photos of us and here we are!











After all the photos we were all starving so we headed over to Paul's Burgers and filled our faces with award winning burgers and super delicious shakes. YUM.

Saturday, 17 December 2011

2011

A few days ago I went through all the photos I have on my computer and thought deep thoughts about the meaning of life and how motherhood has shifted my perspective on things... you know... pretentious intellectual stuff.

It's not the end of the year yet, but I'm unlikely to think about this later, so here it is. I am already planning to "seize the day" for the whole of 2012 (much like I did this time last year) but (as always) I am convinced next year will be different.

We shall see.

This reviewing the year exercise has illustrated a few things to me.
Those things being:
  • I take a lot of photos of Gabriel. 
  • I take many photos of Kyle. 
  • I take very few photos of me. (the key words there being 'I take' which means the photos I have are myspace beauties from arms length)
  • It takes me longer to lose weight than I think it does... 
  • Much like a small nomadic tribe, we have traveled a fair bit this year. 
  • We have lived out of suitcases for an annoying length of time. 
  • I never want to move again. 
So here it is. 2011


 We lived in Sydney.
I turned ... older. 


Stayed with Uncle Hugh and Aunty Dorothy



Art Galleries and Games Workshop


Gabriel learned how to crawl



Packed the house up.


Moved to Rarotonga (via New Zealand). 
Visited Aitutaki.
Went to the beach lots. 


Gabe learned how to walk. (ie. the beginning of the end)


Ended our contract in Raro, headed back to Sydney


Kyle's birthday. 
Gabriel's first (proper) hair cut.


Gabe survived one whole year of us being his parents. 


Moved to our own place.
Close to pools, parks, cemeteries and shops (ie. perfect)


Our first Christmas in our own place. 
Gabriel's new best friend is Peter Weatherall.



Bring on the new year (after Christmas naturally.)... just maybe skip the part where its my birthday again.