Saturday, July 20, 2013

Reflections on our desert dwelling....

SO, this post is going to be a bit random, I know, you weren't expecting such a twist from my straight shooting self....anyhoo

As we approach the 6 month mark of our Outback Adventure...there is a myriad of events and random bits and bobs that we have done and seen since being here.  A lot of the time I forget to take photos or even to blog about certain events, but the following collage of pics is a round up of our last few months here as we settle in and enjoy our new life.

Big Bird...random suprise in a back alley on one of our bike rides...What The Hey ???


We haven't had the time to venture out nearly as much as we would have liked, but as I was completing the boring weekend jobs like washing the sheets, cleaning our rooms & making the school sandwiches for the week to freeze while my daughter made carrot and cinnamon muffins for  snacks...I realised we have acheived something which is better than exploration....just!  I noticed that we were enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon together just BEING.  The kids have been co-operative for the most part (and I will not LIE here and say I have not had to threaten to pull the playstation out of the wall a few times to simmer down some sibling rivalry) and while 'Just shoot him in the legs' is not the vernacular I envisaged enjoying hearing as I held my newborn babes in arms for the first time....at least they are HAPPY, they are CO-OPERATING & for the most part they are ENJOYING each others company.  What a win!


Backyard camping...we were too wussy to go for the real thing, with temps as low as 1 degrees in the morning at the moment, so next best thing....roasting marshmallows in our fire pit...yummm!


Another sign of settling in and enjoying life is my shy older babe has decided to try a couple of new sports this summer, this small disclosure has made my heart sing! My kids love school, we all love work and we both have family friendly hours.  We are organising some family camping trips with new friends which we are really looking forward to.  I am enjoying daily life instead of feeling suffocated by it and loving the moments when I am plodding along happily with the sunshine on my face and then realise I am not bogged down in thought ....and I especially love it when the strange, bizarre central Australian sense of humour peeks its nose into our daily business and gives us a good chuckle. 

Beanie festival...at about $90 a pop they were out of my league but wow, some talent!
 
 
Finke Desert Race, dust dust and more dust but lots of fun watching these crazy endurance riders...next year will set up camp, and eat more dust lol
 

In the last few months we have done more together than in the years preceeding our move.  Things are just easier here.  The facilities are good, the distances (or lack of them lol) make it easier to get out and about, and the powers that be make things accessible by keeping the costs to events low and ensuring they are family friendly. We have had the opportunity to check out some unique events such as the Beanie festival (a strange but fitting tribute to the wonderful arthouse scene here), the Finke Desert race, the Camel Cup and some of the many wonderful inclusive initiatives in Alice.  We have plenty more on the horizon and looking forward to them all!

   
Birdy Bunting...this was just beautiful, saw this on my way to work one morning and their happy song made my heart sing for the day :)


The wolves are still baying a the door (or should I be colloquial and insert Dingoes here?) and we throw scraps out every now and then to distract them...while we make some life changing decisions....but we are realising that we have more options now, and this leads to freedom and happiness.  The path we are heading down may not be the one we started on but it has proven to be a journey worth taking so far.  I am not sure where it is going, but the scenery is great and there is nothing better than a happy family.

I guess the best things in life really are free.
x

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