mel & ruffy

the crowd

snap

mel & me

mum

brupa's shed

brupa's steam engine

mum and finn

mill valley ranch

There certainly is a lot for a boy to do out at Tynong Nth, Mill Valley Ranch being one of them. Mum and I took Nate for a walk over to the ranch yesterday where he spent hours running around exploring all the cars, trains and animals there. Tynong Nth put on a spectacular day of warmth for us too.

making friends

happy grandparents

nana, uncle matty, nate and pop

"look!" meer cats

verity, uncle benny, nate and a touch of autumn

neigh roar squawk

Nate has become interested in animals recently and particularly those he can mimic the noises of, so we thought a trip to the zoo was in order and the whole family came along (well most of them anyway). As it was Matt and Ben's birthday they both decided to take the day off from work and study, Ben's girlfriend Verity also joined us, as did Ron & Fiona and Mum & Dad. It was great to have everyone there and we had a great day wandering around and quite funny to see seven adults walking through the zoo for the benefit of just one little boy.

up up and away

After just a week home in London Nate and I checked into the airport again for a long haul flight, this time to Australia, and for the first time by myself with Nate in tow.

The trip was a complete surprise to everyone but a small handful of friends in London who were sworn to secrecy and to Auntie Sheena and Uncle Brian who helped me execute the surprise by organising to meet up with Woz's parents on the day I flew in. Ron and Fiona then helped me surprise Mum, Mum surprise Dad, and so on.

This photo was taken at our gate at Heathrow just minutes before I finally confiscated the apple in Nate's hand which had dropped to the ground and returned to his mouth too many times for me to handle. As I'd kept him up all morning to make sure he had a nap on the flight he was suitably tired and so he then threw a tantrum which lasted for at least half an hour before we boarded the plane and continued well after take-off. Not exactly the start to the 24 hour journey I had hoped.

We had three legs, London to Dubai, then to Singapore, then to Melbourne, with each flight being about six and a half hours long. All manageable flights but not one after the other. As it turned out it was okay and we got through it ... just. All though I have to say that long haul flights are very much like childbirth, hell when you're going through it but when it's all said and done you are very quickly planning your next trip.

richmond on a warm saturday afternoon

dear sponsor,

One of the days we were there the children in the home all spent an afternoon writing letters to their sponsors and drawing for them. I took Nate around with me and visited some of the homes where, along with the house mother, we got each sponsored child to complete a letter. They loved doing it and were so proud of their drawings, each wanting to show me along the way ... well, at least when they weren't distracted by Nate.

the playground

the littlest ones

One of my the places I just couldn't tear myself away from at the children's home was the babies nursery where I would just sit with the babies and hold them. The babies were aged from just days old to two years.

On my first day I fed a 2 month old baby who had been orphaned just hours after being born to her mother. The police had brought her to the children's home after she was found abandoned and on her first day of life she was passed to the women who work in the baby centre. As much as the women are caring, the newborn was to become just one of thirty and one of hundreds who live in the home. Unless she is adopted she will never know the love of just one woman, the devotion that only a mother can give to a child that she can call her own.

I had a revelation of just how fortunate Nate was to be born into a family who loves him. To have two parents who are dedicated to him, to ensuring that his every need is met, physically, socially and emotionally. Already at just two years he knows he's loved, valued and that he belongs.

the giraffe reserve