Andrew | The Lattimore Acre

Herb Garden

I’ve run out of room in the vegetable garden. It is full…… over full really. We will get to building another garden bed but I just could wait for that to happen before I got some herbs planted. I just cringe every time I buy a bunch of herbs at the supermarket. Not only do I think they are ridiculously expensive but they are never as fresh as I would hope.

Ben and I were watching Play School on ABC 4 Kids a couple of weeks ago and I saw the solution. The wonderful Alex helped me out (have a bit of a crush….. hilarious!!). I also thought it would be a bit of fun to get Ben involved as well. As it happened it ended up to be a whole family affair with Andrew and Ben helping me out.

So we began to make our Colander Face Pot Plants (click on link for instructions or it is pretty easy to follow from our pictures.

Ben’s is a scarey face in case you didn’t know that!

I had grown basil and thyme from heirloom seeds. We purchased rosemary and mint to plant as well. I realise that they will soon out grow their colander pots but by then I will have another garden (please xo).

We added them to the corners of our garden. Ben had the job of watering them. It started like this……

But ended like this…….

Some serious FUN!

Linking with Paisley Jade – Things I am Loving and

A Flight with a Difference!

For Andrew’s birthday I gave him a Tiger Moth Joy Ride voucher. While on our holiday he took his flight. He did a Surfers Paradise Aerobatic Flight. This included a thirty minute flight over Surfers and before landing a couple of loop the loops and barrel rolls.

Andrew loved it. He is always up for a bit of adventure (I am a bit of a chicken!). Here are some very poor photos of the loop the loops. I was day dreaming and didn’t hear the plane come back and missed my opportunity to change lenses. This is the best I could do….. but you get the picture.

His pilot was Norm Horner. He was fabulous and delivered Andrew back to Ben and I in one piece…..thank you. Andrew highly recommends the flight. My Mum booked in for a flight ….. GO MUM! You can find more info on the flights here. Andrew also took some short videos while flying. He will share them soon.

Birthday Surprises

It was Andrew’s birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday!!! Ben made him something special for his desk at work. It’s an oldie but a goodie. He made (with a little help from me) a paddle pop stick pen holder. I can remember making one when I was a kid!! I am sure we all made something like this…. didn’t we? Ben drew a family portrait on it. I just love that he is bigger than all of us and that I am so skinny…… his a genius!!

I just love it!!

Making Memories

I have fond memories of my Dad when I was little. One of my favorites was standing on his feet and walking with him. Every time I see Ben and Andrew playing this game I am taken back to my childhood. I hope Ben will one day reflect with happiness xo

12 Years xo

It’s a bit of a soppy one today……

This week Andrew and I celebrate our 12 year wedding anniversary….

We met when we lived in a small country town in southeast Queensland. Andrew and I went to the same high school. Andrew was a couple of years older and at school he was a bit of a practical joker. I have to say, if anyone had have told me I would have married Andrew, I would have thought they were crazy. He rolled his eyes back in his head for his year twelve photo…..OH DEAR!!

Andrew’s family built a house on the block of land next to ours when Andrew was away at University – we became neighbours. Our families became good friends – even building a path between the two houses. When Andrew came home for holidays, I used to think he was ‘kinda nice’ and we became great friends. We dated for a while when I was in senior high school but we went our separate ways after a short time, although we remained close friends. He always had my heart really. A couple of years later (I recall it like it was yesterday), Andrew began to have eyes for another girl. My heart sank as I realised how foolish I had been those years earlier. So, in February of 1994, we began dating again and have been together ever since.

In 1996 Andrew proposed…. down on one knee with his grandmother’s ring. Of course I said ‘yes’! In July 1999 we married in a fairy-tale wedding. What I remember the most, was the happiness of our special day. I remember saying my vows and both Andrew and I shedding a little happy tear.

I am so blessed to have Andrew as my husband. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t all been peaches and cream. I am a little fiery at times and Andrew is so laid back. So I am sure that there have been many times he would’ve liked to throw a bucket of water on me and I would’ve liked to light a fire under him!! But, I am thankful that every night one of us always kisses the other goodnight.

These days, I still think he is pretty wonderful. It is now not only the two of us. We have our beautiful boy, Ben. Watching Andrew be a Dad just makes my heart melt. I am sure I have fallen in love with him all over again.

So Honey, I am so glad I married the boy next door…… Happy Anniversary…….. I love you xo

Linking up with The Anderson Crew and Paisley Jade

Cooking with Jamie – The Finale!

$Picnik collage Jamie\'s Ministry of Food Ipswich week 10$

This week was our final week at the Ministry of Food – roast chicken, good gravy, easy chicken stock, and roast potatoes, parsnips & carrots. We cooked roast vegetables, watched how to make good gravy, talked stock while smelling the wonderful chicken roasting in the oven. It all tasted super delicious and I already have a chicken in the fridge to roast this week.

We can’t thank the wonderful staff at the Ministry of Food enough (especially Louise) for their contagious enthusiasm in the kitchen. I used to look at cooking as a chore but it’s amazing what a handful of new tasty recipes will do to spark some excitement. More importantly Louise has helped our little family with a ‘Wholefood’ approach to eating.

‘Wholefood – food that is eaten as close as possible to its natural state, without unnecessary processing and refining…’ Jude Blereau

Wholefood to us is eating good fresh food (like we grew up on) and avoiding where possible highly processed and artificial foods. We have big plans for our garden this spring!!

So thank you Louise, Danella and all the wonderful volunteers. We will miss our cooking classes on Saturday afternoons. Andrew and I have had a fabulous time. We have enjoyed ourselves immensely and are truly thankful for the direction you have taken our family xo