2013 in Gratitude

It's good to look back on a year just as it is ending.

2013 was a fabulous year for me.
To sum it up:

• We celebrated the New Year in Australia with family.
• The Cowboy and his son moved into the castle with me and the Princess.
• I finished my degree and graduated.
• The Cowboy changed jobs.
• The Princess turned 10.
• I got my first teaching job and became financially independent.
• We left the castle and moved to the new house (with insulation).
• I no longer have to go back for checkups related to my accident.
• The Cowboy and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary.
• We celebrated Christmas with both our families at the new house.

source

I have so much to be grateful for.

Thanks for visiting.
Rachaelxo

Christmas 2013

Traditional cookies.  Princess's new decoration. Chalkboard.  Snow globe card (Andi). 

Has been and gone.

I have loved every moment of it. The shopping, baking, cleaning, wrapping, decorating, cooking and the sharing with family and friends.

The tree.  New spinning top decoration (Amah).  New handmade decoration (Princess's teacher).

Front door.  Cross-stitch verse (Mum).  Piano top.

We kept our old traditions and created some new ones.

We had some firsts as well.  For the first time on Christmas Eve the Princess was too excited to go to sleep, I think it was about 1.30am. This was the first Christmas morning she woke super early, 5.30am is when she opened her stocking.  This is the first Christmas she didn't 'believe'.  It made me a little sad that another part of her childhood has slipped away.  But in saying that, the magic of Christmas was still the same.

Inside garden ornament ;-)  Tree at night.

We had Christmas's before and after the actual day.  One at my Mums the week before with my gorgeous sister in law and nephews. One on Boxing Day with the Wasband's grandmother and Aunty who are very much family.

The Cowboy and I hosted Christmas Day for our families at the new house.  Both our parents stayed on Christmas Eve which was fun, the usual pre Christmas Day cooking prep, wrapping baking into gift baskets and boxes, last minute gift wrapping, finding a present I had stashed and lost!  And finally, putting all the parcels under the tree, all ready to be opened in the morning.  I love it!

Table decoration.  Gift wrapping theme this year.

I was a lucky girl, lots of gifts including cookbooks, sleepwear, napkin rings, the cutest little heart ornament made by the Princess, a shawl and necklace, vintage china, homemade gifts (will show in another post) and the most amazing chopping board handcrafted by the Cowboys son and much to beautiful to chop on.

Chopping board (Cowboy's son).

The Princess's gifts are too vast to list! She will be busy reading, crafting and playing for years to come!

Princess opening gifts (Leif).

We had a mid afternoon meal.  Everyone contributed.  We had our traditional roast turkey with  my granny's stuffing recipe, lamb cooked on the new barbecue, lots of salads and two pavlovas.  Delish.

Gingerbread house (Cowboy's neices).  Pavlova (me and Cowboy's sister).

The day was filled with love and laughter, families enjoying being together and new memories created.  All the reasons why I adore Christmas.

Thanks for visiting
Rachaelxo

Christmas Crafting

It's been a few years since I have made one of these.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy making them.   This one was a Christmas gift for my sister in law.

Orders taken ;-)

Thanks for visiting
Rachaelxo

Summer livin'...

good food going on here!

Thanks for visiting.
Rachaelxo

Graduation

My year six students graduated from Primary School school today.  The graduation ceremony was beautiful with heartfelt speeches from the senior school teachers (myself included) and the pure singing voices of our students was heart string pulling. 

Each student received a certificate and a gift bag.  Students who won special awards received certificates, cups and prizes. Many parents attended and as their child received their certificate or award they would come up and adorn their child with a Ula (lolly lei).  The child's teacher and our principal were also adorned with leis.

I am so honoured to have received leis from the parents of my students as it is a mark of appreciation among other things.

My leis will end up being long gone (eaten!) but the gesture will always remain as will the memories of my students.

Thanks for visiting.

Rachael xo

Hydrangeas

I love hydrangeas almost as much as I love roses.  Almost.  When we came to this new, insulated home the hydrangea bush was just a pile of sticks up against the house. Overnight it seems to have grown lush green leaves and big blouse-y flowers.  They remind me of vintage floral hats.

Seeing them motivated me to clear the school crap off the dining table.  The university crap has been replaced by school crap.  I polished the table and centered my freshly cut hydrangeas on it.

Domestic bliss - briefly :-)

Thanks for visiting.

Rachael xo

Beans

The Princess sometimes comes to my school in the weekends or during school holidays to 'help'.  The last time she 'helped' involved making a large 'her' with my maths counting beans.

Followed by a message for me,

She's very good at maths!

Thanks for visiting.
Rachael xo