Anzac celebration

Display of flax poppies for this years Anzac Day

Growing up in a military family I have learnt the value of days such as Anzac day. These man that fought for our freedom were Fathers, sons, brothers and often so young. This is the one day to really think about how much these people gave up for us to be able to live the way we do now. Every year I have gone to the dawn services and stood with thousands of others and remembered the soldiers who did not make it back, it is something I cannot wait to take our little one to, to tell them stories of their Grandfathers and Great grandfathers. This day of course would not be complete without Anzac biscuits. These are so easy to make and taste amazing

This is the recipe I used this year and they turned out perfectly, I even had some mixture left over so turned it into a slice topped with peanut butter and banana. Why not whip up a batch yourself? Enjoy

Four Favourites

Cheerful flowers from my wonderful co workers

This week has been very emotionally hard. Monday started off with my darling old rabbit dying as I held him. It is never easy to lose a pet but it think being filled with extra hormones made it much harder. Wednesday bought some better news as our growth scan revealed we didn't have anything to worry about with our growing baby, they are doing very well! Our midwife had been concerned that the baby wasn't growing and didn't have much fluid around them but increasing my water intake has solved that issue. Knowing our baby is just fine bought some comfort to the week but starting any week in such a devastating way makes for one very long week! Here's hoping next week is much calmer.

Art for the almost finished nursery

Paw prints from my sweet Rabbit

Greenery in the lounge

Four Favourites

Some of my favourite prints up on the wall

This is my first Four Favourites in a long time! The weeks are going by faster and faster as we approach our babies due date. I feel like we have so much left to do before this little one gets here. I have been trying to remember to enjoy all the little moments of peace and limited responsibility while we can! We have been in our new house for about a month now and we are just getting it to a place where it really feels like home, pictures on the walls , house plants and finally getting the gardens sorted. We have big renovation plans for this place but of course we are starting with the little ones room. So excited to share the finished product with you all soon! Hope you all had a great week x

Autumn roses

Sunlight through a rain shower

Gothic buildings and a gloomy day

8

What I've learnt: A year of marriage

This week marks our one year wedding anniversary. In the last year I have learnt a lot, even though Brendan and I have been together for 9 years and  I don't felt like being married changed much in daily life for us, it did take some getting used to being called a wife!

1. New identity: The morning we woke up after the wedding I felt different, more grown up, although I was 23. Being a wife bought a new feeling of responsibility. I suddenly felt like i needed to know how to cook better, how to keep the house spotlessly clean and always be perfectly presented. Of course once real life sunk in again none of this happened. There was this instant pride that I was a wife, that i married this amazing guy and that did change part of me.
2. No marriage is perfect: There are days where everything he does will annoy me or we will get into an argument over something as simply as what's for dinner. Just because you got married doesn't mean every problem you had before will magically be fixed. It's the love that you have for each other that makes all of these little moments ok. Arguments and off days are ok, they are normal, no couple will get on 100% all of the time. If you can move past those days and not have them change how you feel about your other half then you will be fine. If we are having a really bad day, I look at my wedding rings and remember how lucky I am to have found an amazing husband
3. Not to keep score: I had this in my vows because I think it is so important.  It's all too easy to keep score of who does what and I found as I get further along in my pregnancy I've been really bad at it. I'll find myself asking him how many times he's done the dishes or put on a load of washing. Really he does a lot around home but it's remembering to appreciate that and not keep a tally of housework. It is also really important to apply this to money. We have started renovations on our first house and it has been a steep learning curve in how to think about our separate incomes as both of our money. Money can easily start fights and in reality it is such a trivial thing to fight about, so it is important early on in any relationship or marriage to agree on how as a couple you will manage your income
4. It really is the little things: I love a new diamond as much as the next girl but truthfully it is the little things in our marriage that make me happiest. Coming home to dishes done and dinner cooked after a long day, him picking up my favourite chocolate while he is at the supermarket or the fact that he had a florist re make my bridal bouquet for our first wedding anniversary. To know that he had put a lot of thought and effort into that meant more to me than any expensive store bought gift. As the mundane parts of life start to filter back into your newly wed bliss, remember that just one small gesture a day can mean so much to your other half. 

It has been a rollercoaster year since we got married with a pregnancy, impending parenthood and buying our first home. With every new challenge and experience we face together, I know that I picked the right man to stand by my side. He is beyond supportive and caring, He is such a beautiful person inside and out and I am beyond blessed to have him in my life.

What are your tips to a happy marriage?

A little bump in the road

I've been gone for some time and I thought it was about time I shared the reason why. Brendan and I are expecting our first baby in 2 short months. When i first saw those two little pink lines I very wrongly thought this was going to be easy. The first four months were spent with horrible nausea and after that ridiculously low blood pressure and an iron level of 6 (the low end of normal is 20)
Having my body go through such visual changes has not been easy for me either, although I am now starting to love this little bump I cannot wait to to get back into my normal clothes!

Now that I've got a handle on everything that is going on and all the issues that this pregnancy has thrown at me are under control, I feel like I can go back to writing.  I've really missed sharing my life with you all.
Here's a wee sneak peak at our maternity photos done by the wonderful Florence, who also did our wedding photos, She is so talented!