Swimming Lessons

In Australia there is a huge emphasis on water safety. Being such a hot country we love our beaches and our backyard pools. As a result, swimming lessons for children start from when they're 6 months old! Emma has had 4 lessons now, and she LOVES it. She isn't a great fan of her face going under but she has learned to take a big breath as we do our countdown which is wonderful. This morning was special because Daddy took time off to come and take some pictures. In fact, he took 230 pictures. That's why I've posted a lot :) Thank you Lyle!!

We start with kicking

and blowing bubbles
then we swim out towards a toy with our 'big arms'
yay!

then it's 'monkey monkey' the children learn to hold on to the side of the pool and move along the edge

Then its lots of different forms of jumping in the water. Off the side of the pool, off the step and off this floating mat which they either love or hate.

she's so brave

(the little boy in the background hates it...)

practicing our big arms

more kicking practice

then we end with some big jumps

Big breath as she comes up from under the water!

(she pulls some super funny faces)

then it's over to the side to climb out!

All done!

Cute pics

If Emma was an adult she would hate this picture of herself. I took it first thing in the morning the other day. She's so sweet to let me put the camera in her face just after waking! Emma discovered where I keep the nappies... :) (I believe they're also called diapers!)

Vegemite Sandwich

Fearfully and Wonderfully made

Emma and I both have a freckle on our palm. Mine on my left hand hers on her right (mine's only small, you might not see it too easily). She recently discovered hers and has been trying to take it off her hand like a piece of dirt. It's super cute to watch her try. It did get me thinking though of the fact that we truly are fearfully and wonderfully made. Over the years I couldn't help but wonder what my children would look like. Emma has quickly become her own little person and it's joyful to see who she is and what she looks like.

Australia Day 2010

Oz day 2010. We had a few mates rock up for a barbie on a scorcher of a summers arvie and we had a ripper of a day.

some green and gold 'decor'

The Lucky Country

We ate some bonzer snags, lamb and roo steaks
the blokes and sheilas having a chinwag before chowing down

The blokes yes, my old man IS wearing and Aussie shirt

Oliver, Mitch, Lyle, Kyosti (I think Mitch is the only real Aussie here)

Danny was forced to wear Lyle's springbok shirt onaccounta he came late 'cos he was at work, but it was ok because Danny can be a bit of a bogan sometimes.

We had a few ankle biters around, here's Jacob with his tat on his hand

here's my little ankle biter with her tat :)

and this one's Ella's - it's phonetic as we Aussie's actually call our country "Strayia"

The fourth ankle biter, Jacob having a dip

the blokes were mucking around in the pool

the sheila's showing off their tats

Emma, Me, Kate and Ella showing off our tats

Now....here's a lesson learned. When you weigh...a lot.... it's not a good idea to play aeroplane with your 11 month old ankle biter while sitting on a plastic chair..... (everyone was ok)

TRANSLATION:

mates: friends

rock up: arrive

barbie: Barbeque

scorcher: Very hot

arvie: afternoon

ripper: excellent

The Lucky Country: Australia

bonzer: excellent

snag: Sausage

roo: Kangaroo

chinwag: to have a pleasant conversation with someone

bogan: one who takes little notice of their appearance

ankle biter: small child

tat: tattoo

mucking around: playing around with no real intent or purpose

Eating an icecream...Emma style

These were taken on boxing day. Needless to say Emma found it to be possibly the happiest moment in her 10 months of life thus far!

Joy

sweet hey? We were in the Drakensberg with Jaco and Jacquie (I'll post lots more when we're back in Oz next week) and Lyle was running with Emma the morning we left. She LOVED it. I love my little family so much!

Uncle Dean is a photographer. YAY!

Emma is 10 months old today. These photos were taken last week by uncle Dean (Lyle's brother). She has changed SO much in the last two weeks, all of a sudden I feel like she's well and truly on her way to being a toddler rather than my little baby. We are so delighted by her, what an amazing, undeserved blessing from the Lord!

I love, love, love this photo of my two favourite people!

I think she's practicing her model faces again - "someone walked in the room and you're scared"

Bubble Time

So we made it safely to South Africa - Emma slept for about 4 of the 24 hour trip and grew two teeth...BUT she was amazing, so we are so thankful for the Lords graces!!
Grandma and Grandpa have been glowing since we arrived :) Today we pulled out some bubbles that Granny G bought for Emma, they were quite a hit!

Lyle's new camera flash!

For an early anniversary/Christmas present Lyle received a new camera flash and here are some first attempts with it!

Emma's first pair of shoes, half the time she frowns at them the other half is spent trying to eat them. But I think she likes them.

flying!

cuddles...she was a little over the photo shoot by now

Why we don't let Emma feed herself

Usually when Emma eats she isn't allowed to touch the spoon, her bowl or her mouth . . .but of course finger foods are different! I gave her a teething rusk the other day and this is the result . . . I love that she even has some in her eyelash!

Chasing Ducks!

Ella and Emma

We have some dear friends from church whose little girl, Ella, was born on the same day as Emma! They also have an older son, Jacob. On Sunday they came over for lunch and as well as some great fellowship we had such a laugh at our kids! I had to choose only a few of the pictures we took, but oh my word, this is so cute! I love that Emma totally got tackled, its so funny, serves her right for not sharing. I hope that Ella didn't cry because of Emma, she had only just woken up and I think was hungry, so she probably wasn't up for a photo shoot!

In photos 1&2 I think Emma is trying to eat Ella and in the last two pics Ella does the best dummy spit ever!

Youth group and pumpkins!

Friday night (October 30th) we had the youth kids over to do some pumpkin carving. I was so impressed as being Aussies none of them had done it before! The pumpkins looked great and we had a really fun night. We ended up with two winning teams because we couldn't decide! (I don't have these in order at all sorry!)

Lyle judging

The carvers displaying their skills!
Jordan and Jonathan, they won on precision


Bek and Hannah - they won for creativity

the leftovers, yuck!

Jake and Tim, I think Jake's enjoying himself a little too much!!

Jordan digging in

Brendan got so into it that he actually broke one of the knives!