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Lucinda turns 11

ta da
Let’s face it our family enjoys celebrating birthdays!

The birthday cake request this year was for a Watermelon Cake! To be clear… I love a decorating challenge, but even with a fancy Italian oven I cannot bake a cake! This one called for layers of pink velvet cake with choc chips with insane volumes of butter icing and fondant. Paul, our dear friend, agreed to bake the cake…

Paul not only baked the cake, he stayed up until 3.30am making the icing!
Paul not only baked the cake, he stayed up until 3.30am making the icing!

All that was left to do was a little painting of watermelon pattern
All that was left to do was a little painting of watermelon pattern

... and a lot of eating!
… and a lot of eating!

Along with pretty baked apple rose pastries
Along with pretty baked apple rose pastries

and the whipped cream cinnamon doughnuts (for the class at school)
and the whipped cream cinnamon doughnuts (for the grade at school)

... then there's breakfast... with MORE watermelon cake.
… then there’s breakfast… with MORE watermelon cake.

LOVE that Ivy took over the kitchen and with her sous chef Daisy, made pancakes for breakfast
Love that Ivy took over the kitchen and with her sous chef Daisy, made pancakes for breakfast

Party girls
Party girls

In addition to an Escape Room experience where 5 girls screamed a lot and one big sister solved the puzzles… the sisters; Lucinda, Audrey and Paige went to the opera!

All dressed up to see The Rabbits starring Kate Miller Heidke
All dressed up to see The Rabbits starring Kate Miller Heidke

And the girls got to meet their star, Kate Miller Heidke at stage door. Nice matching outfits Lucinda + Kate.
And the girls got to meet their star, Kate Miller Heidke at stage door. Nice matching outfits Lucinda + Kate.

Happy birthday Lucinda xxx

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Finding Nemo

Found our little clown fish... too sweet.
Found him.
Ethan about to dive... onto our apparently drowning instructor.
Ethan about to dive… onto our apparently drowning instructor.
A blue spotted stingray we lay down in the sand with.
A blue spotted stingray we lay down in the sand with.
also found large reef shark basking on the sandy bottom
also found a large reef shark basking on the sandy bottom
While Ethan and Fi scuba dived the girls and Nick snorkelled.
While Ethan and Fi scuba dived the girls and Nick snorkelled.

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Audrey and Lucinda holding on tight to a starfish and the life buoy - it was a choppy 20 knots.
Audrey and Lucinda holding on tight to a starfish and the life buoy – it was a choppy 20 knots.
Bazza the barracuda
Bazza the barracuda
Ethan totally relaxed in the water
Ethan totally relaxed in the water
Fi (holding it together) and Ethan.
Fi (with octopus hair) and Ethan.

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We went out to Upolo Reef on the Great Barrier Reef with Ocean Freedom. Highly recommend them.
http://www.oceanfreedom.com.au/

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Queensland we love you

So we recently had another holiday back to Queensland. This one was specifically to take the kids out snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef (more posts on that following). Thanks to our generous friends Deb and Rob we got to stay again in their beautiful home beside the equally beautiful Forrest Beach. How lucky are we?!!!

Forrest Beach
Forrest Beach

Nick's supporting the palm tree in Cairns
Nick’s supporting the palm tree in Cairns
Trebonne Post Office - Can't help making a detour to this post office each time we come up.
Trebonne Post Office – Can’t help making a detour to this post office each time we come up.

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Lucinda with an old friend of hers :)
Lucinda with an old friend of hers 🙂
Gould Island driftwood
Gould Island driftwood
We located a great guide/boat bloke, John. Hinchinbrook Island in the background.
We located a great guide/boat bloke, John. How mindblowing beautiful is this ?!!!
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Ethan and Ella are building a skateboard ramp

They've designed, researched, measured, calculated, built models, purchased the timber, cut and screwed.... soon it'll be ready to use :)
They’ve designed, researched, measured, calculated, built models, purchased the timber, cut and assembled…. soon it’ll be ready to use 🙂

This is a work in progress… but so far it’s looking great.

straight ramp, top and a curved ramp all in one.
straight ramp, top and a curved ramp all in one.

And in case you’re left in any doubt about Ethan’s ‘cool’ quotient… I’m posting this recent Ethan selfie.

yes, I am on a plane. no, it's not my personal jet... yet.
yes, I am on a plane. no, it’s not my personal jet… yet.

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Lucinda turns 10

Lucinda planned her birthday just how she wanted it - starting with a cheesecake from Babka's (and a surprise visit from Aunty Karen)
Lucinda planned exactly the celebration she wanted – starting with a cheesecake from Babka’s (and a surprise visit from Aunty Karen)

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Her many beautiful, thoughtful presents included a bike - with a basket naturally.
Her many beautiful, thoughtful presents included a bike – with a basket naturally.
so gorgeous... she could be a poster girl for our postcode :)
so gorgeous… she could be a poster girl for our postcode 🙂