Canberra Turns 100!

 Each year Canberra hosts an impressive hot air balloon extravaganza, but this year it coincided with the Centennial birthday of this great capital city as well. We got out and enjoyed the weekend celebrations from 6am launches to evening fireworks.

The theme was "In So Many Words" so there were word/letter balloons and stickers and word games and activities and giant words beamed onto buildings and built with natural materials and such. Very creative and interesting and random. Like the giant ants or this lady playing the saw, above. Or the techno-disco crazy hairdo station, below. We made a day of it and had fun getting out in the crowds.

look closely at those funky hairstyles

Corrin Forest

Can't complain about a long drive when you get views like this, right?

Headed out to Corrin Forest over the long weekend and spent the morning on the Alpine Slide there. It was beautiful and quiet and quaint and raucous all at the same time.

The kids had a ball going over and over again - squealing at the speedy runs and dying when they'd get caught behind a slowpoke.

Almost as fun being towed up the hill than speeding down it, right?

Some of us continued on to Gibraltar waterfall. It reminded me of those glorious mountains I miss from home. Hiking in Utah is breathtaking and it made me unexpectedly homesick.

It made me excited to get back and show this little ladybug all our favorite Utah sites and to rediscover the canyons each summer again.

An Evening on the Lake

We spent the evening at Weston Park right on the lake a while back with some good friends with kids coordinating ages. We BBQed and chatted and the boys did some target shooting with Will's slingshot. It made me realize we don't get out and watch the day die often enough. So beautiful and truly therapeutic. Who cares about homework, practicing and showers? There's life to be lived OUTSIDE our house every single day of the week.

These two seemed pretty cool with it.

I love when a park incorporates water, play equipment and creativity. It was so enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing to boot.

Found this girl pondering the cosmos over here on her lonesome. She's one thoughtful little lady. Meanwhile, these guys were slingshotting into the sunset - couldn't have been a better activity for foolhardy boys.

Not a bad way to end the day.