Fire in Myer

The news of the week is Hobart's Myer shopping center that caught fire a couple days ago. It burned for several hours and the estimated damage is $50M. Myer is kinda like Dillards for those of you who have never been.



PS - I love you Christal! See you when I get home...

Playing in the park

like father like son - arn't they just too cute together! Jackson is telling Brad something important about the latest football game.
Yeahhh!!!! Ready to go down the slide
LOVING the slide
NOT loving the grass
Becoming O.K with the grass

More family pics

Cuddling up to Matt. ( See the previous post for more detail)
Mahind not able to escape Jackies kisses
Samin, Jackie, Basim & Matt.

Family

Over the past 8 months Jackson has been cared for by Mahind and her family 5 days a week - during this time words can not express how deeply grateful I am to her for her kindness, love & constant support - she has become more to me than just the lovely lady who cares for my son - she has become part of our family. we love her and all her family and I know they love us - especially Jackie! Mahind, Bezhad, Samin, Matt & her youngest Basim all became Australian Citizens on the 17th of September. I was so happy to be with them and show my support.
Samin and Jackie have a special relationship and whenever Samin is around Jackie smiles so big!
Giving some lovin' to Mahind
Congratulating each other after the ceremony.Matt (middle of photo) is the second eldest, and is always the first to tell me whenever Jackie has done something new or funny - and I love that he is so loving toward Jackie - always looking out for him.

Basim looking at the camera has to be the most photogenic young man - I know he just adores Jackie and whenever he leaves for school Jackie sits by the window and waves bye bye - Basim knows all Jackie's favorite toys and happily plays with him endlessly. Bezhad always likes to see Jackie before he leaves for work - and jackie pretty much always gives "bo bo" a cheeky smile. He is a very proud father and husband - and always has a story to tell about Iran which I love to hear.

o.k so this is my all time favorite photo - so far this week. i love my family.
Joy and Brad enjoying a long overdue catch up.
Out and about in the pram at Richmond.
Again at Richmond - don't you just love his beanie! Thanks Granny!
My precious bundle in his traditional Australian outfit - it is a top and pants despite it looking slightly like a dress. this picture was almost two months ago.

Loving bath time
Turning slightly purple at the top of Mt Wellington

Hugs for Granny - he learn't so many new things while Granny was with us - including how to stick out his toungue - thanks Granny.
I love this photo - my family doing what they do best - make me smile.

When Joy visit we walked up to wine glass bay - one of the nicest views about.
On the same trip we stopped a few times at the essentials must do's - The Elephant pancake house in the middle of nowhere - great pancakes.
....... and Brad and my favorite beach - spiky beach, there was no one about again this day and we all enjoyed the fresh air looking out along the coast, while Jackson got up close with some sand. Jackson started to crawl the day joy arrived, back in the middle of August at almost 9 months. He is now all over everything - pulling himself up and falling down. He is way cute to watch.

today

So I thought I'd start from today - and work my way back with some great pictures. Today I went to my friend Anthea's and Jackie and Kalen played a bit before a walk to have a coffee, then I went to another friends, Kylie and her baby girl Brodie, so we on a walk/run around a lake - about 5 k's. o.k - so we stopped at the top of the hills to gasp. Jackson discovered he LOVES vegemite sandwiches - a true Aussie boy.
too cute

life is good.

Kisses for mum

So they say no news is good news.

For our family the same is true - so your minds can rest at ease as to why no pictures or stories. We are still alive - just a little worse for wear. Jackson had his first major fall - with a now greenish bruise on his forhead as remaining evidence of torture by coffee table. I have been in the fog known as depression - which is now lifting thanks to "happy pills" yes I fell victim to the strain of my life and with thanks to friends (brad included) realised it was more than just tiredness. So I'm totally o.k with this, but perhaps it explains to you all why I havn't been my usually bubbly self for a few months. Now that I am sort of back to bubbly self - I am so excited about the upcomming months I almost can't contain myself! o.k so slightly exagerated. But really I am pretty impressed with my life now - and you should see Jackson - he is more and more like Brad every day (with a bit of my Harding attitude on the side).

Brad is doing a marvellous job for his employer, and is in the ACT negotiating with the government almost every week. We miss him terribly when he is away, but know the experiance is valuable - and will no doubt lead to bigger and better things (including a bigger and better pay packet) as I am convinced he does not recieve enough renumeration for all the time he is away from us. With my employeer I recieve an away from home and family allowance however brad only gets reimbursed for moneys spent while away - the difference is huge.

Jackie has taken to pointing and talking at everything - and I mean everything - even the fridge and microwave get their time as Jackson points at them and so begins a leangthy (albeit one sided) conversation. Last night he joined us in pork and stir fry veges - and the day before had his first toasted cheese sandwhich. His favorite food would have to be eggs - he will eat them even if his belly is busting out of his shirt. A close second is anything Mahind cooks him.

He is still a delight to watch, as he reads his books (more pointing and talking) and plays in a wonderful world of make believe that we grown ups can only stare in wonderment at. I occasionaly join in - and get lost with him as we run (crawl) as fast as we can away from the giant (daddy) and then burst into fits of laughter.

more pictures on the way