the green green grass of home

After the past 4 months I feel I have a bit more insight into the horrors of the Somme and Paschendale, well as least the down sides of being stuck in a muddy trench for 4 months.

However we have finally pulled through this period and again have a LAWN!! It is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo soooooooo good to have grass again. Boys can play, no mud, looks great. I love you ready lawn.

So - again some time sequence shots - taken over the course of the hour it took to lay (day and a half to prepare of course...)

Before:

Tiger was as always very good at helping
Tiger overseeing Pappy

Ta-Dah!

And some more cute shots. Boys have being trying to be nice to Tiger - because, in Arf's words "Tiger, nads chop off"

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! While trying to scare people they actually ended up getting phone numbers from passing hotties

We have also been ripping into the gib inside - Tony Tony came over and showed Dougal and Pappy how the pros do it

We had some spare pink batts so Dougal and Murray made Stu Clark this for his stag do. He got a LOT of hugs that day

Whick is why he must have been so tired the following day - this shot around noon...

Four - oh yeah!

Observe the artist at work. He takes his inspiration from nature. Nevermind that his shirt is inside out.

Ta da! This piece is called Baby Tomatoes on the Vine.
No, it's not for sale!


Here he is on his brand new bike, already a downhill racer and expert at leaning into the corners.

Also a master of disguise (Batman? Spiderman?)

Yes, believe it or not, our beautiful Frankstar is FOUR. He definitely is. He had a wonderful day and a spectacularrrr party at the weekend. Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes, cards (which he has stuck on his 'gallery' wall), calls and gifts. He is so loved!

Monster cakes on his actual b/day. He earmarked each one for a particular person.

A call from Uncle Hamish.

He is suddenly drawing constantly. This is a portrait of Arthur.

ME!

Yummo. Frank wanted a bird party and mentioned bald eagles rather a few times so Dougal whipped this beauty of a cake up. Carrot cake...

Frank's party was at Staglands, an awesome animal park with the ugliest pig you have EVER seen. It is a gorgeous setting, the staff are lovely and the kids ran riot! Apologies about the photos - we didn't get many good ones because we were too busy having fun, there were so many of us, and everyone moved so pretty much the whole lot were blurry. Oh well!

Testing out those wings.

Like this, Daddy Bird.

Isla, Frank, Lucas and Edie.

Catching up with Edie.

Frank and Lucas (one of Frank's best buddies at kindy)

Anyone seen Arf? Of course... He got through at least three of those before he could be distracted, thanks G'marg.

Lucas, Frank and Elliot (big kindy kids)

Jack the donkey was too quick for this photographer...

Kai time in the barn.

Finn the yoddler.

Party food, ladies?

Followed by Frank's first game of football - a sell out crowd for the Phoenix. Yeeha!

Yay for Frankie!!!