However, being a so-called ‘good’ mother? That’s not me. I largely leave them to fend for themselves when other mum’s I know do not. They make their own lunches for school (poor old Bronte has been doing so since Prep!), they get themselves up in the mornings, get their own breakfasts and get themselves to school. The boys ride their bikes the 2 or 3 kms there and back, Bronte has to walk a couple of blocks, catch the bus to the train station, then walk again to get to school. Some mornings I will drop her off at the station – lucky if it is twice a month and I have been known to take her all the way to school (5 or 6 times in two years). The other morning, she woke me and asked me to take her to the station because it was raining a little. I said no, it’s not raining much. How mean is that?

On weekends, they all make their own breakfast and lunch. It is a rare treat for me to make lunch for them. The things I do for them? I do their laundry. I make their dinner. I drive them places. Make their appointments. Take them to their appointments. I watch their sporting attempts. I buy presents for their friends for birthdays. I buy their clothes. I talk to them. I laugh with them. I sing to them. I slip them money. I also easily get frustrated by them. I get angry and snappy at them. I say ‘go away’ too many times. I swear at them. I try to guilt them into being nice to eachother (doesn’t work!).

Yet, yesterday, despite all I have listed above (and there’s lots more!), they gave me gorgeous Mothers’ Day gifts and beautiful, handmade cards. Zac made me eggs on toast with a heart shape included for breakfast.

I look at these cards and think ‘who are these people being nice to me? and why? I don’t deserve it.’ and yet, they think I do – one day of the year at least!

There is a tradition in our house – the kids handmake cards (on the computer). Then the ‘best’ on the day must be declared. The criteria for ‘best’ is the amount of work and presentation. Funniness is also a good thing to include. Bronte generally gets declared ‘the Best’ and this celebration was no exception. She spent three hours on her creation, putting all of my funny faces on her loved One Direction boys. How cute!

Samuel wins best for his gorgeous words and Zachary wins best for being funny AND not signing it off FROM Zachary – this year (finally!) he wrote Love Zachary!

It’s days like Mothers’ Day that I realise that I must be doing something right sometimes but then I do know that a lot of it is luck and circumstance. I’ll take what I can though at this stage!

Hope you all had a lovely Mothers’ Day xx

It will be so totally amazing, I just know it. I am thrilled to say that my sister-in-law from over at Time Worn Style will be travelling with me and we are extending the trip out to three weeks!

Don’t worry, the menfolk and kids will cope very well without us – just hope that Finn the dog doesn’t miss me too much!

Can’t wait to share some images and tales about our trip here after I get back. Meanwhile, here are some I prepared earlier!!

I entered this, one of my favourite images of Samuel, into a competition and I received a bronze award! I was very happy!

For the long weekend in March, we went to visit an Uncle of Stan’s in Inverloch. Bronte and I sneaked out for a little photoshoot…

This one is of Stan, lying on the floor at his Uncle’s, watching TV

My happy, oldest child

My cheeky second born!

There are three more chances at winning (or going further); most popular image as voted via online, most popular image on opening night as voted by attendees on the night and overall winner as voted by the four judges – also awarded on the night.

I would love you to vote for my image online here – you can actually win too!

Opening night for the exhibition is on Friday the 13th of April here in Melbourne. Sad that I can’t make it as I will be away in Thailand shooting a WEDDING (I know – poor me!!) but I will be back just in time to see the exhibition before it closes.

So, without further ado, here is my image (it is a favourite and happens to feature on my home page!)

I have never, ever baked bread in all of my 48 years of living. In fact, I don’t even think I have baked scones! I have baked damper though. So, I went to the website she told me about and got the recipe and how-to’s.

Someone’s Mum’s Wonderful English Muffin Bread Recipe

5 1/2 cups warm water
3 packages yeast
2 Tablespoons salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
11 cups plain flour

Mix altogether, let rise in bowl until double in bulk, then spoon into (4) well greased loaf pans. Let rise in pans until dough reaches the top of the pan, and bake in 180C degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. (Just keep an eye on it. You’re looking for golden brown.) 10 minutes before done, brush with melted butter.

Makes 4 loaves.

Bread will be moist at first. Allow to COOL COMPLETELY before cutting. Makes terrific toast.

I actually HALVED the recipe and made two loaves. I mean, what if it didn’t work out?

So, 1 1/2 packets of yeast, 2 3/4 cups of warm water, 1 tblspn salt, 1 1/2 tblspns sugar & 5 1/2 cups of plain flour.

1. Mix it only enough to combine. I just used a wooden spoon. I then put a tea towel over the top and put it over on another bench because it wasn’t doing ANY rising while I was watching it! Finally, it had just about doubled in size (I find that pretty amazing actually!)

2. Here it is in my two well greased loaf pans. Just a little more rising to do (this photo was taken HALF way through the second rising.) I had to keep peeking because I was certain this would be a failure!

3. Straight out of the oven after I had brushed melted butter on the top! At this stage I am pretty pumped at how awesome these look but still very wary because quite often I can’t get things out of the tins without them crumbling or breaking and me swearing up a storm!

4. These lovelies just slipped out. Hallelujah! Don’t they look delish?

5. Cooled to room temperature and first cuts. Looks great. Feel quite heavy. Looks great. Oh did I say that already?

6. Popped the slices into the toaster for quite a while. Slipped a little real butter on the slices and then good old Vegemite. Bronte had hers just slathered with butter.

I really liked the taste. Bronte LOVED it and had four slices. Oops!

I thoroughly recommend this recipe. I think it would be fabulous in Winter with a big bowl of hearty soup! Yum!

All photos taken with my iPhone using the hipstamatic app.

However, it is time to start thinking about work and scheduling more photo shoots, so if you have been thinking about getting your photos taken – please contact me via the contact form and I will get back to you quick smart.

Prices will be changing on the 1st of April so let that be an incentive to all!

Here are some more of my favourite images taken with my phone while we were away. Do you have a favourite? Love the sunflower images and the surfboard one – that was taken at Moffat Beach, QLD.

Anyway, we had a lovely day catching a ferry from Circular Quay (Sydney), over to Watson’s Bay. Haven’t been to Watson’s Bay before and it is just gorgeous.

This is Doyle’s on the Beach

Check out our gorgeous niece, Evie. Love her to bits!

Here are Bronte and Evie hanging on the beach.

This image shows Watson’s Bay but looking back towards the city. Beautiful!

It is famous for a couple of things – Doyles Fish and Chips and The Gap. The Gap is a wonderful yet notorious lookout area where apparently over 50 people per year end their lives.

Our afternoon at Watson’s Bay was spent with the children swimming, the dad’s barbecuing delicious souvlaki on the grill, us eating to our fill and then a rescue Helicopter appeared just up the hill a little. People gathered over at The Gap lookout area and I snapped a few photos of the chopper team in action. The policeman said that there was an alleged ‘missing person’ and I can tell you that the Helicopter Rescue services scoured the cliff faces, the rocks and the water for oh what seemed like an hour but must have been a lot less.

and finally, the Rescue Helicopter searching The Gap.

We have just arrived home from a nice holiday up on the Sunshine Coast, QLD. We left here on Boxing Day, 2011 and arrived there on the 27th. A big drive with the 5 of us plus our dog Finn. Lots of photos to come and more commentary but these first batch of images are from my phone.

Thinking about 2012 and what I want to achieve photographically has been fun. I want to experiment more and produce more artistic images. Fine Art images. Do more photo essays and such. I have joined in on a January Challenge which is a themed Photo a Day. Please go to my challenges blog to check them out!

I have entitled this series “30 Minutes of Foot Traffic”, I hope you enjoy! All of these images were taken while out the front of a big grocery shop called Coles. They were taken in Queensland which would explain the many varied pieces of footwear I suppose!

My two boys are still at school – they don’t finish until the end of next week and at their school, they have already started next years curriculum which I think is a wonderful idea! So my eldest is doing Year 12, although he has already completed 4 subject of VCE (results come out in 4 days!) and my middle guy is doing Year 11. It is very hard to believe that they are all so old now….both boys learning to drive (whole different set of stories there!) and lots of other things on the go – like work.

Anyway, today my daughter and I took Finn down to Sandringham dog beach. Hardly anyone there so she was happy to muck around for the camera. She can be oh so funny and sweet at times.

I am slowly getting back into the swing of things camera-wise. I had to cancel 4 shoots this month due to being so sick and even now I had to go to the Chemist today and get some different ointment for the very aggravating itch and weird feelings I get on my forehead and down my nose. It drives me insane! I am still getting eyeaches and get tired easily. Can’t wait to feel on top of the world again!

Here are some images from today….The first two, well I love. I couldn’t decide whether I liked it best in black and white or colour so I am showing both!

This one was her idea, sandy pout and all. Funny kid!

Today we attended a memorial service for a most beautiful young man. His name is Colm Glackin and he is the son of our very good friend Gerry. Colm was 26 years old,  a 3rd year medical student whose specialty was neurosurgery. He died on the 17th of November while riding his bicycle to work in Manchester, UK.

Gerry and Colm’s step mum, Viv, moved to Melbourne about 7 years ago. We met Viv, Gerry and their 3 young children when they started at our primary school. Colm stayed in the UK to study. A lovely family, we have been lucky enough to share many good times with them from camping to partying!

Today, the Church was full. The words were beautiful. The love and sadness – palpable.

I probably only met Colm 2 or 3 times however, late last year I was lucky enough to take their family photos. Here are my very favourite ones of him.

Rest In Peace beautiful Colm.

May the love we all have for your family help them in the difficult times ahead.

to get the shingles

especially in your eye!

As per my previous post – yes, I have had the shingles. It has been over two weeks now and while the rash is almost cleared (except for one whopper scab right near my eye), the stabbing eye pain is almost constant. Alternating, ibruprofen, paracetamol and panadeine seems to be helping but I am getting oh so tired of the constant pill popping. And sleeping.

I have barely been out, the sunlight hurts my eyes and it is just totally all tiresome. I have hardly had a chance to play with my new camera and have had to cancel/postpone three photo sessions. Lucky the clients have been understanding (and they probably aren’t keen to see my scabby old face!)

I popped down to one of my favourite places for quiet time late yesterday afternoon. It is the top carpark that overlooks the world famous Brighton Beach and our lovely city. I took some photos with the 5D and the lensbaby – just to itch the soul (or soothe it)

and this boy here? He soothes me whenever I need. He is constantly by my side. He loves me….scabs and headaches and all.

one of my favourite Fleetwood Mac songs and my lovely daughter reminded me of it today when she was singing it doing our little fully rained on mini-shoot.

I have been really ill this past week. So ill in fact, I went to the doctor! The doctor sent me off to casualty at our local hospital as it turned out I have shingles and not only are they down my nose but they are in my right eye and the right side of my forehead. If you don’t know what shingles are – google it. It is painful – oh so painful. And energy sucking. They started last Thursday and today, Saturday, 8 days later is the first day I have only had two sleeps during the day and also the first day I can actually open my eye properly. I became not only unwell but miserable. It felt like there was no end – especially when the swelling moved across to my left eye. I admit it, I cried. More than once.

My lovely friends all rallied around which has been beautiful. Lovely meals for my family were baked and delivered. Friends took me to the hospital, to the Dr appointments and called around to make sure things were going along ok. My children were great once I made out a list of jobs and so was my husband. It is a joy to see (literally). I have much to be thankful for.

Before I got ill, I wanted to enter into a photo competition where the image had to contain an umbrella. I had a few ideas but the illness really threw that all out of the window. Yesterday, I sms’d some friends and asked around for a clear umbrella. Two were unearthed for me and quickly. I still could barely see yesterday but I was hoping to shoot something today as the competition closes Monday and the prize is a fabulous Canon 5D MkII!

Today the rain has not stopped. It has been constant and torrential. I have been tired and felt ill and nearly didn’t do the shoot. My daughter encouraged me and went along with the idea of shooting ‘in the rain’

Below are some of what we created together. I am very pleased but haven’t chosen the final one to submit yet. Although I am leaning towards the first and last! Hope you enjoy!

1. My husband. He came 7th in his class in Australia!

2. My son’s friend, Tim. Love this photo of him. I he came 2nd in his class and beat his dad by 1 point!

3. Tim’s Dad, Geoff. 3rd in Australia

4. Geoff’s bike – a CZ Classic

5. My son Zed riding. He came 2nd in Open Junior.

My husband and two of my three children and I went on a road trip to South Australia where my 16 year old son and my husband rode in the Australian MotoTrials. My husband came 7th in Australia in his class and my son came 2nd in Juniors! We are very proud!

Our trip to South Australia gave me plenty of opportunities to take photos both with the ‘big’ camera and the phone. Here is a sample…

1. Dirt road on the way to the big Australian Titles!

2. The view over Eden Valley, part of the Barossa Valley. In the distance you can see the vineyards and the person in the photo is my obliging daughter. Lens used: Lensbaby 3G

3. Eden Valley Lookout – there is a big cross erected there and the view is amazing. Lens used: Lensbaby 3G

4. Three of my loves. Fourth one was left at home to study!

5. Norm from ‘Norm’s Coolie Dogs’ , Tanunda, South Australia – a true Aussie bloke

6. One of Norm’s many Coolie Dogs

All images below are taken with my iPhone4 using the Hipstamatic App.

7. Canola Field – taken out of the car window travelling at about 100km per hour!

8. We visited Penola where Australia’s First Saint, Mary MacKillop worked and taught. I love Zed’s very respectful t-shirt! I also love all of the lines and shadows in this and the serious family I have!

9. Deer Head – for my sister in law, Alicia over at Time Worn Style

10. We all love to look in Op Shops, Vintage Stores and I loved this old world Globe

11. I call this image and the whole series that I took “God’s Country” It is such a powerful scene.

12. Part of Eden Valley. Way in the distance, you can see Bronte. She had the Big Camera taking photos of the Alpaca’s who are part of the sheep herd.

13. More sheep at Eden Valley. I could not get enough of the beautiful late afternoon light

14. The long and winding road….that leads me to your door…. (sing along with me now!)

15. Camping and pancake making just outside of Robe, South Australia.

Hands – they tell a lot about people I think.

Mine? They are so large, chunky and are bigger than my husbands! He has fine hands but workman’s hands. Calloused.

My eldest son has beautiful long fingers ‘piano playing hands’ Sadly he doesn’t play the piano even though he had lessons as a young boy.

My second son has hands that are a complete combination of mine and his dads – large and sturdy, workmans hands.

My daughters hands are inbetween the two boys.

My ‘hand’ photo shows my mother in law. She has fine hands that now have some arthritis – still working pretty well for nearly 90 years old. Her hands have looked after five children. They have worked and they have smacked! They have baked cakes and they have soothed.

Head on over to I Heart Faces for some wonderful hand images!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have lunch with some friends at a lovely new cafe/restaurant in Brighton, Melbourne called Olie & Ari for a belated birthday lunch. Yes, I know my birthday was back in July but we have all been busy.

One of my friends gave me a gorgeous bunch of flowers from a local florist. She does the most amazing arrangements and presents the flowers beautifully. The roses in my images aren’t even from the bouquet – they were tied on the front kind of like a bow. The yellow Pom Pom flower was part of the bouquet though and they are my new favourite flower!

I looked at this gorgeous arrangement this morning and decided to take their photo. Of course, not just a straight out photo – that would be boring for me – I popped on the Lensbaby and snapped away….

and finally, the Pom Pom flower!!!!

How blessed am I to have such lovely friends – I had two gorgeous birthday luncheons!