Family time

So, what have we been doing in this week between Christmas and our beach holiday? We've been swimming at the Shephards' a few times, I even went in once. On the whole, I'd much rather have a cool shower than a swim. In a pool you get all salty or chloriney, your fingers turn into prunes and when it's over,  you have to take off your sodden swimmers and struggle to pull dry clothes over damp skin. As for the ocean, it is full of creatures and who-knows-what-else, as well as being quite violent with intent to push your face in the sand! Still, sometimes, the kids really like it if I go swimming with them, so I do it.

I didn't do it on this day, though.

On New Year's Eve we watched the fireworks on TV and then played with sparklers. Joss took a celebratory selfie. Don't be fooled by the beanie and dressing gown - it is hot here, even at night. Today will be over 40 and tomorrow is supposed to be 42 - that's 107.6 degrees fahrenheit!

The quiet was nice, but we were more than ready for some visitors, especially Joss and Toby's  most suited-by-age cousins! Mal, Marlee, Alannah and Jordy have just spent a couple of days with us and we have had a wonderful time. Sleep wasn't a big feature - what a waste that would have been! We all played Andrew's new game, Apples and Apples, and after the grown-ups had retired, the older kids kept playing. The hilarity was heart warming.

Mal took this photo of the kids in the dying light of yesterday.

 I always end up wishing we lived closer to family, but I wouldn't change the lifestyle choices we have made. Living in the country is so good for families. We have so much more time because everything is so close, it's more relaxed than city living and the housing is much more affordable. Anyway, we may have been the first to move away, but almost everyone else has moved away since, so the rest of the family isn't in one place either. We'll just continue to look forward to and make the most of all the visits, and not forgetting the online connection.

Tomorrow, we head to Bermagui, which is on the south coast and is going to be 29 degrees, not 42!