Camping at Logue Brook Dam

I think I've just had the longest and best week of holidays ever! It was so relaxing and everything a holiday should be.
We left for Logue Brook Dam on Monday the 22nd Dec. at around 6:30am; even though it's only just over an hours drive we had to leave early - something you're guaranteed will happen if you're married to a van der Schaaf no matter where you need to go ;-) But that's ok because by the time we found a spot to set up camp it was already 10:30 or so.
Anyway, at first it was just going to be Ali and Rita Kleyn and their four kids: Casey, Levi, Brooklyn and Toby, Ed and Evette and their two kids Tegan and Corey, Ed's apprentice Brent and us going, but Ali spread the word to his siblings Tish, Quint, Matt and Chantelle and invited them along too! So they all took their friends and in the end we had about 25 or so people there! The more the merrier hey!
So here are some pics of what we got up to...

Breakfast at the bakery in Pinjarra - that's our rig in the middle :).
Ali's ute and the boat are to the left and Ed and Evette are to the rightOlivia enjoying her apricot danish

Ali's dog Charlie came along too

A view of our campsite from the water - that's our camper to the right

Evette feeding Corey, Tegan, Rod and Marcel

Cornelia(Bertha's sister visiting from South Africa) , Marcel and Chantelle

Tish, Fred, Willem, Brent and Matt

Olivia's bath time

This was so cute...Olivia just couldn't resist helping Toby wash himself :-)
And when it was Olivia's bath time, he returned the favour!
I'm sure they don't want to see the video footage we got when they're older ;-)Olivia, Tegan and Brooklyn keeping themselves occupied

Rod and Olivia having fun on the giant shoe

Rod

Going for a ride on the boat

Tish getting some air!

Taking the boats out for a sunset ski

What's camping without a fire?! Here's Matt, Brooklyn, Quint, Kyle,
Ed, Rod, Brent, Chris and Casey enjoying the fire

Quint and Bertha

Quint, Cornelia and PeteQuint and the hubbly bubbly

Rita and Glenn

Willem (guy visiting from South Africa), Matt and Tish with Mr Hubbly Bubbly

Ed explaining something to Brent (Ed's apprentice) and Ali

We left the dam on Wednesday so Rod made the most of it and went for an early morning ski with Marcel and Pete. Olivia and I came along for the ride and to take some pics of course

Rod going for one last run

Marcel

Pete

Camping here we come...

A few weeks ago we sold our old camper trailer...


...and bought this one!



Lots more room for our growing family :-) plus it has a fridge, cooktop and oven in it and it comes with a fully enclosed annex! Never mind the '70s style interior decorating... Glenn and Leonie and family stayed in it at our house last weekend so they've trialed it for us and it worked well for them and they have 3 kids. Can't wait to try it out for ourselves next week! Yay, bring on camping and summer!

This was a few weeks ago, but we've finally put Olivia in a big bed and she loves it! It's Rod's old bed which was in the study, so that means we have a bit more room in there now, seeing as the cot is also dismantled. She fell out the second night so we've rolled up a blanket and put that in the fitted sheet...gives her something to snuggle up to as well.

Time to strip the cot sheets off...

...and help Dad put in the big bed...

Trying it out with Dad

aaww, so peaceful.
We could fit about 10 of her in there!

Pregnant Pose

Yay! 25 weeks today...we're getting there :) Saw the doctor again this morning and all is good. Didn't expect otherwise - this baby is full of beans, loves moving around and I love watching and feeling it. I think that's got to be one of the best things about being pregnant, it's such an awesome feeling! I also had a haircut and some streaks done the other week, so that's what the other photo is of :)

Graduation 2008

Last night I went to the Year 12 Graduation as my 'little' brother Marcel was graduating. I can't believe he's all grown up and stuff...well, he thinks he is anyway ;-) He already has his licence, a car, a girlfriend and a job lined up for next year! Wow, where has time gone?!

The man himself :-)

with Charlene, me and Ingrid

Marcel and his girl Eleisha

Albany...

Here are some pics from our weekend in Albany. Rod's youngest sister Roseanne did her Profession of Faith and seeing as we hadn't been down for a while, we thought we'd head down to witness this special occasion and catch up with family and friends at the same time. Fritz also planned on putting up a shed on their block so Rod helped him with that on Saturday morning while Olivia and I went shopping with Mum vdS and Kathryn. Saturday night most of the family got together for a BBQ at Glenn and Leonie's, which Olivia thought was great of course as she could play with Lauren and Hannah. On Monday us three went out for breakfast and while Rod played a round of golf with one of his friends, Olivia and I went for a walk along the beach (bbrrr!) and then did some op shopping.


Rod and a couple of Fritz's mates giving him a hand putting up his shed

Samuel (from Fritz & Viv) and Zachary (from Glenn & Leonie)- they're about 7 months apart in age, but almost the same size - Samuel is such a solid boy and such a cutie!

Lauren pushing Olivia and Hannah on the swings

Glenn dong the BBqing, Dad vdS, Fritz and Rod - guess who's doing the talking ;-)

Missy Moo and her baby...such a little mum!




latest thing - walking around with her hands in her pocket

On it's way...

Yay! We've finally signed up to get broadband! :-)

Dress ups

A few weeks ago, Annette, Renee and Tin popped in one afternoon and who knows who suggested it, but they all decided they had to try on my wedding dress - nice poses girls! When they had left, Olivia decided it was her turn to dress up, so she got the bag from her porta cot, put the handle over her head and said, "Come Mum, take photo of me". Don't you just love their imagination!

Our backyard

Here you go Marian :-) finally some photos of our backyard! I love the garden in spring - all the plants are in flower, the grass is still green from winter rains - everything just looks fresh and colourful.









Rod hopes to get rid of this old shed and build a new and bigger one with two sections - one for garden stuff and the other as a dust proof store room, which will free up some space in the office.



The area where Olivia is standing is where we hope to do our extensions - that's her bedroom window/wall which will get knocked out.