Over Christmas, I spent a lot of time at my momma’s new house in the mountains.
It’s so peaceful, and pretty. The frangipani trees are huge, the air is fresh and cooling, and the view is ridiculous. You can see all the way down to the coast and it never gets old. I spent a lot of time with my family, which isn’t something that happens often. We are spread far and wide, always busy, time goes too fast and there’s that whole business of keeping ourselves to ourselves that’s been a theme in the family, for better or worse, for the whole time I’ve been growing up. I guess that sort of happens when everyone lives so far apart, we get together sporadically when we can, but we are ok with that. We’re all pretty headstrong, independent people, but the dynamics swing back to old rhythms pretty quickly when we are together again.
The pictures I took are lies, all lies. We look relaxed, happy and quiet. In all honesty, we were sort of frazzled, awfully happy and not the least bit quiet at all. Everyone says it is true of their own families that they’re crazy, and loud and nobody understands their humour but them… and that’s the way it goes with us too. It is ridiculously loud. There are seventeen conversations, all with different people, all going on at once. It is uproariously hilarious. Fun gets poked, drinks get drunk, jokes get made, and babies are kissed. Mostly by me.
This is my Aunty Mim. “You better put me on your blog while I’m here, or I’ll punch you,” she says.
Lulz.
It’s nice for my kiddies to see their family and get to know them. For all our space and apartness and stubborn strong-headedness, we do being there for each other pretty well. Plus my kids are really cute and who wouldn’t want to blow bubbles for them fourteen hours a day, or dance Gangnam Style repeatedly, and have tea parties and watch cartoons?
I am not biased in the slightest.
It is wild and crazy and I left every day with a headache, but it made me feel good. It’s holidays, it’s relaxed, its a sneaky glass of wine at lunch, it’s several pairs of hands to hold the baby and someone always knows where the toddler is. It’s people telling stories of when you were little, getting to know the people you love’s people they love, and laughing until you squeak and go several shades of beetroot.
It’s also really, really quiet now.
carmen@musingnmayhem says
January 23, 2013 at 8:54 amBeautiful. Sounds a little something like ours! 🙂
Michelle Lisle says
January 23, 2013 at 9:06 amIt sounds like you and I grew up with similar families…..mine is loud, crazy, all talking at once, laughing our butts off, making fun at each other (in good humour of course) and general madness…..and we too have our apartness but are always there for each other….it’s strange growing up in these loud crazy families and unless you live it not many understand it…They drive me mental at times but i wouldn’t change them for anything….oh and I love that massive frangipani at your mums house, just beautiful…xo
Leah says
January 23, 2013 at 9:07 amThis is so lovely. I love a loud family!
Aunty Mim says
January 23, 2013 at 9:20 amLove you, now I feel sad……you were such a great help to us while we were there and nothing was a bother to you (well no that you let on, anyway). You are a beautiful little soul xxx
Christie Connelly says
January 23, 2013 at 9:35 amOh-Em-Gee Pepper is gigantic! Love the way she is looking at her Dad. Cute x
Christie Connelly says
January 23, 2013 at 9:40 amPs. Poppy favours an Axl Rose style dance so her and Abby would look a sight on the dance floor!
Katie Rainbird says
January 23, 2013 at 11:13 amChristmas 2012 saw ALL of us together for the first time in donkey’s. You describe the family dynamic well. Wish it was Christmas once a month! x
Shari Wakefield says
January 23, 2013 at 12:40 pmBeautiful – we spent our holidays with my family in Kiama. My parent’s rented this great house which meant that my parents, my sister, her husband and my niece, me and my husband and my brother could all stay together and have the greatest time. We look forward to doing something similar next year when my sister and I add two new additions to our clan. Shari from http://www.goodfoodweek.blogspot.com
Maxabella says
January 23, 2013 at 3:11 pmIt does look blissful and serene, but loud and crazy is way better anyway. x
sarah says
January 23, 2013 at 6:12 pmI added home-made arancello to my family’s special brand of crazy over Christmas. It was good fun. Your pictures are gorgeous, looks like a loverly time. 🙂
Veggie Mama says
January 23, 2013 at 8:26 pmWhat?!! I need this!
Mother Down Under says
January 23, 2013 at 8:11 pmCan Abby please teacher Toddler C to Gangnam?
Veggie Mama says
January 23, 2013 at 8:26 pmHaha it’s a date.
Lisa @ Greek Vegetarian says
January 23, 2013 at 8:45 pmLoud, laughing family. Sounds like a Greek family! Christmas is our loudest day ever. 31 of us in a small suburban house – the whole street can hear us! Your family’s house in the mountains looks gorgeous. Is it in Queensland?
Missus Sabbatical says
January 23, 2013 at 10:20 pmlast night I wrote something similar – it is that time of year for family catch ups. we are just finishing 2 weeks with my parents and first time Crazy has seen them and her cousins in a year, it has been lovely, manic, stressful, wonderful, fabulous and painful all at once but it is family and it is the way it is….. and I know it will be so quiet when we go home. xx (ps – so so cute x)
Kate says
January 24, 2013 at 1:32 amOh my goodness… these photos are perfection. And can I say that I just love her shirt in the first photo? x
Kate says
January 24, 2013 at 5:55 amThat goes a little something like ours..
Stacey, I started following you a couple of months back. You inspire me, as do Kara rosenlund and little shop of handmade and roger federer- I’m addicted to the tennis! I have a ten month old beauty who has changed the way I see things, how I love, but has also made me accept all the roller coaster emotions you have when you become a mama. We have family interstate and I’m going to start a blog. It has to be done. Thanks for your gorgeous work! Love the afternoon tea blend blog.. Can’t wait to try some. Might have to raid the meatsafe to use one of the nice cup and saucers.
Enjoy your day. Glad aunt Mim got her mug in the shots.,
Veggie Mama says
February 4, 2013 at 11:23 amI’m so sorry – disqus ate my reply to you last week! Stupid disqus. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you so much for your kind words. Children to terribly crazy-wonderful things to us and it’s nice to know there are others out there who feel the same way! I very much look forward to reading your blog… do let me know when you get it started!
Lisa mckenzie says
January 24, 2013 at 1:20 pmLove this Stacey I love your Mumma’s new house it is beautiful and location location,love and the family pics,beautiful,thankyou for sharing you can tell you all love each other a LOT!!
Kelley @ magnetoboldtoo says
January 24, 2013 at 4:12 pmfamily time is wonderful.
In small doses.
Heh.
Glad you had a wonderful family time. x
SarahMac says
February 2, 2013 at 9:07 amI love my family too, but they are EXASPERATING sometimes and we are all spread out and divorced and gah. But we do try and mostly it’s good. So glad you had a lovely time. I’ve been reading lots of your posts today! Catching up. Love your blog. PS your mum’s place is in a great spot! What a view. Give me the mountains over the beach any day! Un-Australian I know…
Veggie Mama says
February 4, 2013 at 11:24 amNope, I totally agree! Mountains, trees, forests… I’m so much better at them than sand! And so pleased you like the blog, I get a kick out of it 🙂