Last year - July to December

OK, where was I in my dodgy 'the year in captions' recap?! ...

JULY

My biggest turned seven.

My littlest decided she needed piggytails.

AUGUST

TT takes a ferry.

Backyard soccer was played.

SEPTEMBER

Thea turned 3. Here she is doing one of her favourite things: collecting rocks.

We took the kids camping, which was all fun and games until someone - not mentioning any names - cried all night because he hated being constricted in his sleeping bag!

In the Snowy Mountains.

After Ewan's ear surgery. When we got him home Ewan had day sleeps for a few days so the pair of them slept in middle of the day. Was weirdly quiet in the house!

OCTOBER

We had to bury Ellie in the backyard after the poor old cat's kidneys packed in (she was nearly 14).

Ewan and Shaun made a hideout in the garden, which Ewan painted enthusiastically.

NOVEMBER

TT in fireman dress-up gear - on the day she actually DID alert me to a fire that had started in our garden (long story). She was my hero that day!

Took kids to a wildlife park. This guy enjoyed it; his sister was petrified by the koalas (screaming) but loved the snakes. Very, very strange!

DECEMBER

TT helps hang the Christmas decorations.

Backyard cricket in session.

Mince pies are made - one of MANY delicious batches!

Thea flies her new kite on Christmas Day.

Cousins/besties having a Christmas Day cuddle.

You know, I've only just realised something: I've been sitting here doing this for a couple of hours (exciting Saturday nights in these parts!) and I think that my doing this now is some kind of subconscious reaction to the bushfires.

I'm so heartbroken for the members of my family who have lost everything they own, but especially heartbroken for their loss of the precious, irreplacable things like photos and drawings and school reports.

So, in that sobering light, maybe keeping my blog up to date with pictures isn't such a bad idea?