Things I'm loving

 The Autumn sun :: my favourite time of year and the best place to be is right here at Barwon Valley, a 2 minute drive from my house. We are having plenty of beautiful sunny days lately and the sun brings out the vivid autumn colors to perfection. I'll bring the girls here or a crochet project, a devotion book or just a notebook and pen and drink in the beauty.

The great outdoors :: We went camping in the Otways National Park last weekend. I expected bush and gumtrees and koalas and cold air. There were all of those things but I didn't expect the green hills and young cows, bunny's tail weeds, amazing views and even the sunshine we found too.

 

 The easy company of family friends :: No pretending, quality company, happy children, good laughs, life-long relationships.

Beautiful snippets of Autumn :: In Forrest on our way home from camping adventures, our own little piece of Autumn in the front yard, and my favourite tree next door to our home that I can't stop taking photos of.

Easter in the 'Forrest'

I've come home from two nights camping in the bush with my little family feeling all spiritually ignited. Just being away with the barest of necessities and focussing each day on His sacrifice whilst exploring and playing and eating was enough to fill me to the brim with gratitude and amazement afresh.

I love the coming home part of holidays, the feeling of relief at the thought of my own bed and our own space and belongings. We chat about our favourite parts of our time away and laugh again at the quirky, silly bits. The girls will have their first bathe in a few days and everything will be washed and put away and we'll appreciate our home again.

Forrest was beautiful.  I didn't make it all the way to the picturesque Lake Elizabeth but little Harper made it and her Dad and sister did the walk plus some twice.

My favourite little cottage (below) with its little red gate and blue hydrangeas down the side no longer boasted the blackberry bush bulging with fruit as it was on my last visit, but we found berries nonetheless on another bush walk. They were sweet and so delicious!  The ray of sunlight in the picture proves we did have fine weather  but it was chilly and wet sometimes too.  We snuggled in our little caravan at nights and were very cosy indeed.

While the two fitter ones hiked the morning away, little miss and I went on our own adventure, wandering along the quiet country road to the Brewery for tea. We stopped to talk to alpacas and a little pony and we collected leaves and tiptoed into someones sprawling backyard for a quick photo under a beautiful maple tree who's branches spread out to create the perfect canopy under which to lie and dream away the day. (bottom)

We ate too much chocolate, mostly in the mornings. (detox this week- maybe..) We played board games and went to a country market where I bought fresh tomatoes and figs, bread and goats cheese dip for nibbling on around the fire pot with my parents who popped down for an afternoon.

Blake is back at work tomorrow. School holidays will officially begin. Life moves forward again after a brief and delicious pause.

I still have some of my big Green & Black's organic chocolate egg left so maybe the detox will begin next week.....

xoxo