A perfect Autumn lunch.

On Saturday we spent a beautiful Autumn day at Ulverstone with Simon's family. We were there to say goodbye to his youngest brother Jason who is moving to Scotland where his girlfriend Keisa is studying at university.

Nathan chill-axing

Katie and Piper

Jason and Keisa had been living and working on King Island and although Keisa expressed a desire to attend uni in Australia, it is free in Scotland so that's where she went. Jason brought us down some amazing cheeses for us all to try and take home.

Allister, Josh, Paige and Jakob

Jason, Dion and Simon

Jason, Simon, Tammy and Dion (Penny absent)

After lunch Simon took the kids to the beach for a quick play. He takes such good photos. I wish I could take the credit for them but he is a natural!!

He then took us to his old primary school and the kids loved seeing where he parked his bike and where he played four square on the concrete. There is a big hill leading down to an oval too and the kids had a great time doing rolly pollys and Simon took some great shots of them jumping in the air on top of the hill.

like I was going to jump in the air..........

He also finally talked me into having some pregnant shots which until 39 weeks I had mostly got away without any photos at all.

Tammy also did a post of the day which you can see here. It would have been lovely to have Penny's family here especially with their newest addition Will but it was still a really nice day to have everyone as much as possible having lunch together and enjoying each other's company.

A raspberry treat

Kit, me and Ash at the raspberry farm today.

Today my lovely friends Ashlee and Kit took me out for lunch at the raspberry farm. We always said that when we were released from the Relief Society (RS) presidency, we would go out and celebrate. ;)

I was in RS for 7 yrs, the first 3 as counsellor in stake RS, then straight into first counsellor in our ward and then 3 yrs as President. I was released in January and thought I was going to have a lovely long break but only 1 hr after my release i was called into the Primary Presidency. Talk about not letting the wicked rest!!!

I have loved every woman I have worked with in RS. Felicity Polley and Justine Page in stake. Deeanne Bradbury and Kit Porter when I was first counsellor for a year in ward RS and then my counsellors in Deloraine ward, Kit and Melanie Corona and then when Mel left, Kit and Barbara Young and then when Barb left, Kit and Ashlee Porter. Along the way Ali Christie was and still remains the faithful secretary.

Ashlee's gorgeous daughter Abbey

To say I made some good friends out of these women is an understatement. I can't explain the bond we shared and still do as we grew and learned together, taught each other, laughed and cried as we shared the common goal of bringing each sister closer to the Saviour, each other and themselves.

Kit was my first counsellor throughout my whole time in this calling and we got to a point where something would happen and I would look at Kit and I knew what she was thinking and she would do the same and we would try not to crack each other up. Throughout this time, she became one of my closest friends, despite the 20yr difference in age. Last year was particularly hard for both us as she battled health problems including a broken rib and a few trips to hospital in an ambulance for serious heart problems and at the same time, I lost Charlotte and was also rushed to hospital via ambulance a week later, haemorraghing from complications following her birth. We joked that as such good friends we even timed our personal trials so we were in sinc with each other.

That's what Kit is like, a person who in her own natural way lifts you up, makes you feel better when you don't even know yourself that you feel cruddy and you walk away from your time with her, wanting to be a better person. And the great thing is, she has no idea how awesome she is!!!

Jonty tucking in to the kids platter

Each woman I have served with has impacted my life in ways they will never know, and that's probably why they are so special to me. I love them because they love me, despite my weaknesses, my weird habits (colour-coding my towel cupboard) and the fact that every activity had to have chocolate in there somewhere.

Thankyou for the past 7 yrs.

The Wiggles-live concert and front row seats..........

Yesterday Jonty and I went to the Wiggles with Lisa, Pip and Kell. We had Jonty, Kobe, Cam, Charlotte, Oliver and Matilda. Pip's husband Ben came too.

I have never watched the Wiggles, don't know any of their songs and Jonty had no clue what I was on about when I told him what we were doing. Lisa kept cracking up at me, asking me if I knew this song or that song and I had to admit that other than 'Hot Potato', I really didn't know any.

As soon as the Wiggles came out, all the kids just sat there open-mouthed, in awe. It was so funny to see them all so entranced with the Wiggles.

Because Lisa had lined up last year for us to get the tickets, we had the BEST seats in the whole theatre - front row right in the middle. We could see practically everything, all their expressions and interactions with each other. They looked like they were having as much of a blast as the audience which is why they are probably so successful.

Dorothy the dinosaur was a big hit. I didn't know that she liked to eat roses but Pip had brought some for the kids to hand to her. Sam came around and collected them.

Dorothy was even clever enough to do the splits!

Jeff was funny doing his usual 'fall asleep' routine and all the kids had to tell him to 'wake up Jeff'.

I actually surprised myself at how much fun it was and was a bit disappointed when it was over.

I took Simon as a surprise, to see the Top Gear live show in Melbourne last week and I gotta admit it had nothing on the Wiggles. :)

They also did Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with all the lights off and the kids loved it. I definitely knew that song. ;)

At one stage Murray came up to Jonty to say hello but he hid behind me, too shy to say hi back. Lisa got a great pic of it below. You can also see from her pic, how close we were to the stage!!

You can see her awesome Wiggles post here.

I'm so glad I took Jonty now.