Egypt...

I'm so tired right now and all I really want to do is going to bed...so this is going to be a really boring post...I may have to add more to the post later to actually describe our experience in Egypt a little better...you know you're living on the edge when to enter your hotel driveway (which is like a mile away from the actual hotel)...your car is checked for bombs...hmm...
I just added a whole heap of photos here....sorry for the overload...I'm tired and can't make those intense kinds of decisions as to what photos to upload at the moment!

These are of the Citadel...I really loved the Citadel...it was a beautiful building...and for Cairo...extremely so...the airport (which IS NOT a new airport) still looked like it was in a construction zone...but I realised that most of Cairo looks a bit like this. It totally blew me away as to just HOW many people live there...it had to have been the hugest city I've ever been to, the population of Australia (20million) living in one city. It was sad in alot of ways. I'm sure at some time it would have been a beautiful city. The Husband loved it...he thought it reminded him of the Philipines in alot ways...he loved the chaos and the way they drive...like ANYWHERE...oh and mostly there are no traffic lights...whoever is in front...even if its by an inch...they pretty much have right of way!

We went to Khan al kalili bizarre...which is basically a touristy market where you go to get ripped off...when we went here, we were on a time limit because we had a driver coming back to pick us up at a certain time...so my plan was to go in and buy what we wanted as quickly as possible and leave...The Hsband had a very different plan...he LOVES to haggle and bargain even if it is over $1...the problem was he was finding the locals...well...the most ruthless and annoying bargainers he'd EVER come across...he was out to extract revenge...he was on a mission...so needless to say we bought one thing at these markets!


The other window photo was of a guy in Coptic Cairo. Coptic Cairo is the old part of Cairo - the Christian part...I didn't get to see as much of this part of Cairo as I would have liked...maybe next time...
Ok so I'm guessing you actually really want to see pictures of the desert and the pyramids...oh we have plenty of those...we spent 2 hot blistering hours out there in the desert....with a VERY stubborn Camel!


I've grown up riding horses...so I know how to ride one and I'm not scared of them...but this thing...this thing SCARED me! The Husband and I shared a camel ride and for some reason I let The Husband on the front to actually guide the thing...(like when he's probably ridden a horse maybe all of 3 times in his life) and having to trust that my husband isn't going to send us straight down the side of a sandhill was a little past my trust level! Oh and a camel saddle is so NOT comfortable! Mike wanted to trot or gallop off into the desert with the camel - I did not... we had a 'guide' with us riding a horse...he was supposed to take us to the 2nd pyramid and let us off and we'd walk back while I took photos etc...haaa yeah right...the guide pretty much held us hostage on the camel until we paid the tip HE wanted...and wanted it before we got back to the 'owner' so he didnt' take it off him...now this wasn't surprising at all to me (just ask 'lonely planet') but what was surprising to me was that my husband gave in so quickly...I think he'd had enough and lets face it...we were haggling over mere $2-3!!


ok so don't laugh at him for his fashion sense...we took one medium size bag between us - which meant 2 pairs of pants each ...the shoes on our feet, and a couple of shirts...The Husband and I both like to travel as light as possible...less baggage to wait for at the baggage claim belt!

The Sphinx is sooo much smaller than you imagine it's going to be.



Because of our stubborn camel and its inability to listen to instructions when given...like STOP! I found it difficult to get some of the photos that I knew would be good - I just had to try and do it from the camel and I didn't want to change lenses to get good close ups since it was slightly windy and I didn't want to get sand in my camera or worse drop my camera while our beloved camel was busy taking us for a ride!







So that's the pyramids of Giza...we didn't have enough time to go down to Luxor to the Valley of the Kings - we'll save that for another trip. We did however get to the Egyptian Museum...it was AMAZING!! I loved it! We got to see the mummies - which my husband was completely fascinated with - Hatshepsut and Ramses I, II etc- I had to come home and watch the Prince of Egypt just to make it complete :). We saw the coffin of Tutenkamen - since the actual tomb of king tut is in the valley of the kings (with his mummy) we didn't see this but the actual famous head piece and coffin is in the museum. Absolutely fascinating!

Chicago - the windy city...

I mentioned before that it was between 4-6 degrees (c) while we were in Chicago...the wind definitely made it colder...and the day that I did most of my sight seeing and photography was the day that I was also walking around in flurries of snow...nothing much but definitely enough to make me contemplate praying for some big blizzard so I could get lots of snow pictures...but then I thought of my kids back home and how if there was a blizzard our flight home would be delayed...and...um...yeah...anyway I LOVE the Autumn foliage in Chicago - it reminded me of The Avenues in Salt Lake... it was sooo beautiful!

The husband worked while we were in Chicago - so I went sight seeing by myself...after having CROWDS of people to battle with in Paris, Cairo, Rome & New York...Chicago was HEAVEN!!! It was so freezing that no sane person was really out & about...I loved it! I had Navy Pier practically to myself!

I was wishing The husband and the kids were here for these mirrors...ooohh the photos I could have gotten with them :) instead I had to settle for photos of myself which since I also had to TAKE the photos were quite limiting! haa



...Chicago Bay Lighthouse...

So I walked down Michigan Avenue...it's a really picturesque street...although you wouldn't know that because I FORGOT to take a photo of it!...but got a photo of the sign :) I was too busy looking for the Pottery Barn that was no longer there...hmmm...I settled for Crate & Barrel!

And these are three of my favourites from Chicago....



Millenium Park



Untitled Sculpture by Anish Kapoor (I think he's British) in Millenium Park- I have to admit this was pretty cool...The Husband would have loved seeing this...I now wish I'd taken a photo from the underneath too.

And this was my favourite city skyline shot...I didn't go up Sears Tower - figured I'd leave that for next time.

So there's Chicago for you - Love, Love, Loved it! Definitely want to go back.

Halloween in Chicago...

We got to do the halloween thing in Chicago too...we arrived the day of the big 'Halloween bash' put on by my friends' neighbour...since I only arrived that afternoon I took the first costume that was offered...being a 60's outfit...now if I'd had a week...well...I would have totally redesigned this and gone as a split personality and had half the outfit as 60's and half as a goth...with makeup split included...but I was happy just to have an outfit to go in so I wouldn't be only one not dressed up....or was i????...someone DID ask my friend if I was IN costume or if that was how I dressed up all the time!!! We had a pretty good laugh over that one...don't get me wrong...I love the 60's - but only for special occasions!

...no comment...

I soooo want one of these....

The husband wants one of these...not the decorations...just the basement!

and this is my friend...she's a bit scary...we had fun putting her makeup on...

Our other friend that has now moved to Chicago...had her boys carve these...they were pretty cool...the squirrels thought so too...

...Halloween at home...

I guess a new post is long overdue...but to be completely honest...I've been enjoying my 'space & privacy' and even actually considered not blogging about my private life anymore and just maintaining my photography website...I know, how rude of me!!
...then I came home...

and was bombarded with friends asking me about our holiday and a husband that is pestering me to get my photos up online so his work mates can see them that I started to remember why I first started blogging...so I've given in...for the moment!! ha
I haven't finished processing all the photos (I'm still catching up on some clients photos that I took just before I left) so they may come over the next few weeks but I figured I'd start with Halloween and work backwards...
All I can say is that I LOVED being in the States for a bit of Halloween - just like I love Christmas there too. It was fun...but we arrived home on the 31st in time to take our own kids trick or treating as you can see from the picture above...Layne decided to become a Ninja witch and copy Jakes moves...hmmm

oh and we went shopping looking at all the Halloween stuff...We bought some halloween things for the kids, including a halloween carving set...and some Halloween lollies - they were pretty excited. I found these unreal cookie cutters at Crate & Barrel on Michigan Avenue...marked down for $2! For those who know me exceptionally well...I love collecting stuff like this...especially cookie cutters...and then decorating them....since I was completely jetlagged I made these the morning after Halloween at about 6am. I was sick of laying in bed wide awake!

We came home to 35 degree (c) temperatures and left chicago with 4 degree (c) temperatures that included flurries of snow.

Cooking with MaMa...

So instead of having an actual birthday party for Jake this year we did something I had been wanting to do for awhile but hadn't actually got around to organising it....we got the cousins together and had a 'Cooking with MaMa' (Mike's mum) party.


We had a little chef party and made our own pizza's...and had spotty chocolate milk.


Now I had to add this one of Hyrum...so you know he was actually there...in the above party photos he's...well...Jake's toys - especially his star wars spaceship - just proved much more temptation than pizza! But he showed his face every now and then...


...and this is what mummy had been waiting for allllll day!
A chance to use the kitchen blowtorch...we made an icecream volcano cake for Jake...icecream in the middle, rice crispy treat next and then meringue on the outside...jake was insistant on the lava...actually running down the sides like it's supposed to - the picture only showed a little bit of sprinkled lava on the top...he said it wasn't like a real volcano...and so we did our best to accommodate his requests!!! You can't half tell he's an architects grandson....details, details, details!!!

I was going through some old pictures from back in March...organising and all that...and came across this...it gave me a good laugh...I realise that some of you might find this rather hideous...and yes I agree...I can definitely appreciate that perspective...but I also find this quite hilarious...simply because it shows my kids at their best!! They love to make people laugh!

father's day & more...

One afternoon a few weeks ago I took the kids out for some photos after school...I have to say I think we had one of the funnest afternoons in ages...the kids enjoyed it and they were really getting into it...I mean who wouldn't when your mother actually 'encourages' you to go hitch hikin'!

So these were some photos we took for Mike's mums birthday...I have to say this was my favourite part...I was trying hard not to laugh so that the pictures wouldn't be blurry when a car actually drove by with some old guy crackin' up laughing at my kids!...not helping!



And these were for daddy for father's day...yes we have father's day in September...NOT June!


the ebay sign was especially for Mike since he's always telling the kids if they're naughty that he'll sell them on ebay...which the kids find quite hilarious...and then they sit there and have a discussion on how much they think Daddy will get for them!

and this...

well this was just random...but Jake was in such a funny mood that afternoon that he started to do this hilarious little dance...this was definitely one of those moments that I wish I had my video camera on me!

homework...

Not sure if anyone has experienced this problem, but it's a daily occurance for me...my husband works 'asian' hours - Hong Kong/Singapore are 3 hours behind us...which means he starts work when they start and finishes when they finish...so he gets home after dinner...which leaves the afternoon/evening routine to me....this has never been a problem, it's always worked well for our family but now that Jake gets homework, it's a become a juggling act! He usually needs a play and relax after school - but he also gets tired quickly...so I generally get dinner around the 5:30pm mark....which is also the best time for him to do homework too...I've found if I leave it too late he's tired and if I make him do it as soon as he gets home he will rebel! So I've found I have to juggle cooking dinner and monitoring/helping him with his homework tasks...he still takes awhile and generally we'll be there for about an hour. Now this isn't so bad...but add to the equation a little SISTER and it's a whole new ball game!

...Jake is easily distracted...

...it often takes alot of concentration for him to complete all his homework...

...this is one of my favourite parts...the tongue doesn't stop...

Now everything looks like its going just fine...but what you're not seeing is this....

this is Layne looking innocent and watching from the other side of the table...

.....closer...

...and closer...hoping we won't notice until she's practically hovering over Jake and telling him what he to do...

...and this is her telling me what she thinks when I tell her to stop hovering over Jake and leave him alone so he can do his homework! (I was giving her a peace sign, trying to make her laugh because she was sulking...)

Give her something to do??? ...oh we've been there...if she doesn't have the same work to do as Jake, she whinges...and she wants to give her homework to his school teacher (and I mean walk into the class room in the morning and give it to her - no way out of that one!)...and then if I give her something different...Jake wants to do what she's doing because her homework is more fun and his homework is boring!...a word he never knew until he went to school!

....and last but not least this gave me a good laugh - Layne wanted to be silly for the photo and right at the last minute jake flashed his pencil in front of the lens to try to ruin the picture...and look what we get...Layne hovering...to the point of biting his pencil!

Ok so maybe Layne isn't the only distraction...and maybe homework really is boring...because mummy was bored enough to get her camera out and start taking pictures...and still expected Jake to finish his homework with the distraction!

Unexpected...

I've been spending time with family the last few weeks, with an unexpected visit to Melbourne for 2 weeks. It's been a sad and emotionally draining time for me with the loss of a much loved family member and have of course not felt like blogging.

Melbourne is and has always been a favourite for me - their old buildings amaze me and I love the scenery...but I don't like the COLD! I managed to take a few photos while down there and have come to the conclusion that although my heart wasn't in it....even if it was I don't think I could be a photographer in melbourne...I shiver and my teeth chatter too much in the cold and no VR lense is going to help with that kinda blur!!! I tried extra coats but it didn't really help.

My husband and the kids drove down about a week after I left to be with me... so I got some shots of them with their cousins...

Layne & Rylie are only a month apart...and Indianna and Jake...well they may be 5 yrs apart in age but I don't think there is an age on MISCHIEF!!


Please don't ask...I don't have an answer for this...she just came out like it...

Indi's tongue never stops wagging and those eyes are always bright with mischief...she provided us with a few good laughs!

I love these cherry blossom trees - and Melbourne is full of them...

We drove back last Sunday and got caught in a snow storm...yes...in...australia....my husband was a little beside himself with excitement, because growing up in Europe he was used to this kinda thing...but he acted like it was a miracle in Australia...ok so it doesn't happen often and NEVER in Sydney BUT it does happen...but it was the first time our kids had seen snow, they were SOOOO excited. We stopped to let them play in it for a little while but daddy wouldn't let them play for long as he was concerned about how bad it would get and how much of it we had to get through - none of us wanted to be stuck on a closed road in a snow storm....

so we kept going...it probably took us about 2 hours to get through to the other side of it which was about an hour south of sydney...and then it was completely the opposite - no cloud and all sunshine...two extremes!