Travelling Tuesday: Life These Days

I thought this Tuesday might be a good opportunity to look at the everyday with some fresh eyes again. Life isn’t always an exotic destination or a picture perfect sunset on snow-covered mountains. It doesn’t even always exactly seem beautiful, but, then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I’m sharing a few shots this TT, with glimpses of the every day magic that is outside my door. A lot of it is probably outside yours, too. You might have to do some travelling to see the magic here — but why not try appreciating the magic right where you are?

All these shots were taken in our neighbourhood here in Gordon’s Bay.

So Happy Tuesday! Enjoy the magic! {And look for it!}

A neighbour’s dog says hi.
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We bought a car seat on Gum Tree but it wasn’t the one we thought it was, so HH took pictures to put it on Gum Tree again before we decided to keep it anyway.

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Some of our everyday magic is happening in the kitchen these days, where I am baking like I’m getting paid. {Seriously, on top of the usual daily cooking, I must’ve baked ten things in the past five days, including two cakes.}

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More neighbourhood creatures hoping for appreciation…

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Or hoping to be left alone:

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By the way, did you see what was happening with that seagull? Who’s pinching whom?

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And, of course, a personal favourite from life these days for last. I want this wagtail’s portrait on a wall somewhere!

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Sometimes we just need to take the time to look for beauty in order to find it, every day.

xCC

Travelling Tuesday: New Zealand, Leaving Doubtful Behind

You may have noticed an especially lovely photo yesterday, and if you held your mouse over the cursor you might’ve noticed the very appropriate title, Leaving Doubtful Behind. The funny thing is, that photo was named long before I wrote the post about the Israelites entering the Promised Land. HH took it on a trip to New Zealand a couple of years before we met.

Doubtful is the name of the sound you see in the picture (also below). I marvelled that we’d chosen it for yesterday’s post, not even realising the significance of the name it had already been given, in relationship to the post it was accompanying. Although it was unintentional happenstance, it’s worth taking a moment to consider that receiving the blessings and promises of God often requires Leaving Doubtful Behind.

But it’s Travelling Tuesday, so let’s get on to the photos! After yesterday’s post, I decided that since you haven’t seen them before, some more photos from Hero Hubs’ trip to New Zealand might be nice candy for your peepers this Tuesday. This was nearly seven years and a few cameras ago, but they are still some stunning shots. Enjoy!

Here’s the shot of Leaving Doubtful Behind:

Leaving Doubtful Behind

This is a rocky beach called Punakaiki on the northwest side of the south island. Stwange huh?

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Here’s a wee mushroom on a trail near Pearl Harbour.

Mushroom near Pearl Harbour

View of Lake Wanaka:

Lake Wanaka view

Clouds over a town called Akaroa

Clouds over Akaroa

Fox Glacier

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Are you blown away yet by how stunning NZ is? This is Lake Matheson:Lake Matheson 5

Here’s a vintage steam train called the Kingston Flyer, based on the southern shores of Lake Wakatipu. Isn’t that fun to say? Wakatipu! Wakatipu to you!Kingston Flyer 1

A kayak in the Abel Tasman National Park.

The fastest kayak in the Abel Tasman

And, as always, saving my favourites for last, these three photos were all taken on Hall Arm, an arm of the Doubtful Sound. {But we’re leaving doubtful behind, aren’t we?}

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Glorious, hey? I feel like Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, after his dad finished describing the awesome mailroom where he could go and work, with mail from all over the world and shiny bins: “Oooh! Can we go there?”
Thanks for sharing photos, Hero Hubs!! Happy Tuesday, everyone!

xCC

Travelling Tuesday: Back in Gordon’s Bay

Happy Tuesday, lads and lassies! As I’ve already mentioned {other than struggling to sleep a wee bit} I am really enjoying being back in our own place. After being away for six weeks, you start to look at home through fresh lenses. And that’s not just because we were blessed with a wonderful new camera over the holidays. But it helps!

This Tuesday is a slice of our journey and return … Hero Hubs snapping away and learning the ropes of our new camera kit, me and the Bear along for the adventure.

The Bear managed to get one of these pay phones off the wall at the airport and promptly began to say, “Hello? Hay-yo? Hay-yo? Gee pa?” Heartwarming moment. (more…)

Travelling Tuesday: Twas Christmas ‘Round Here

Blame the pregger brain. Blame the backaches and lack of sleep. Blame my distractingly adorable baby niece or our ridiculously long to-do list. It’s 9:15 on Tuesday evening and this is the first time the fact that it’s Travelling Tuesday has occurred to me.

We’re still friends right?

The great news is, we were blessed with a fantabulous new camera, and I am over the moon to have some beautiful shots for you from the holidays. Whoo-hoo! There’s so much to share this might take a few days…but let’s get started anyway!

My Mom’s Tree was the most magical it has ever been. I can’t believe I haven’t spent more time staring at it.

The cousins got back together, and it was like no time had passed at all. Neither the Bear nor his parents endorse smoking crayons.

The Bear practiced a few tunes and had them ready for Emmi Claire’s arrival.

WE MADE COOKIES! But I opened the can of premade icing can we bought at Target (pictured below) that had several nozzles and was supposed to make icing cookies a breeze and it fizzed and popped and then the icing wouldn’t come out. My Mom saved the day and whipped up some icing from scratch, which I decided to divide and colour, and we ended up having more colours and prettier cookies in the end!

All’s well that ends well, hey?

We were pleased with the finished product, and for the next several days instead of asking for “break” (meaning breakfast) each morning, the Bear signed and repeatedly asked for cook-ee, cook-eee…

The Bear got a puppy!

And my cutie-pie niece seemed to just keep getting cuter and cuter!

See what I mean?

My brother arrived and his dog became the resident reindeer.

A happy Christmas morning finally came…

And the cousins had a few new toys to … share.

And a few more after a visit to Gpa’s house, where it was also discovered that Emmi Claire loves butterbeans.

Even the iPhoto calendars are getting cuter!

And though there are lots more photos I’m looking forward to sharing, we’ll have to call it a Tuesday right here…because after all of the delightful holiday togetherness…

I feel a bit like this!

Happy Tuesday, Happy Holidays…Happy Trails for the year ahead! The best, dear friends, is yet to come.

xCC

Travelling Tuesday: The Wedding in the Carolinas

Happy Tuesday, Rudolphs and Clarices! (That was Rudolph’s girlfriend’s name, right?) Maybe I should’ve said Santas and Misses Clauses? Buddy the Elf-s and Jovies? I thought you might enjoy a few shots from the wedding we enjoyed this past weekend. Besides being gorgeous, they will also provide a few photos of the Bump that I have been carefully avoiding displaying in this space because I just. feel. so. big.

So. At a beautiful country club in Mooresville, some wedding magic took place. I am especially glad Ginny Corbett was there to capture it, along with her delightful assistant Brittani.  Please check Ginny Corbett Photography out here…she has SKILLS!

I donated the coat hanger for that magic. Yeah.

Look! The bride is getting ready. And this is not a lot of photo magic…she really looked this gorgeous in person.

And … warning, Bump shot … we had a conversation about my big bridesmaid bump. I LOVE this photo.

Seriously. The Wedding Cup overfloweth with loveliness. My dear Amiee was stunning.

Let’s have a laugh while the bride rocks the dock and almost makes her sisters fall off.

Okay. Everybody be serious and we could make a J Crew catalog. Or maybe White House Black Market.

Capture the love. Check.

Capture the scenery. Check.

Are you sure it’s love? Check.

As you can see, it was an absolutely beautiful event and I was so, so glad to be there. {And glad Ginny was there to capture it, but I said that already.}

May I leave you with a last shot that is my absolute favourite? Forgive me if it gives you a toothache…it’s just so schweet!

The five hour drive in the sleet and snow was totally worth it for a Travelling Tuesday like this! Congratulations, Sami & Amiee!!

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P.S. Extra thanks to Ginny for letting me share her beautiful photos today. I’m telling you people…skills!

Travelling Tuesday: Back in the USA

Happy Tuesday, compadres! Were you afraid I wasn’t gonna make it? It could have been so! I am juggling a bit here and there, between caretaking and Christmas cards and cooking and catching up. And lots of other things that aren’t worth mentioning because they don’t start with C and will just ruin the flow.

But hooray for sitting still for a few moments to give you a brief rundown of our time Stateside so far. Aside from the delightful pictures you’ve already seen of my adorable niecey-poo with the Bear in the fall leaves, and of course the announcement of the wee one on the way’s gender.

Would you care for a rundown of these present travels this Travelling Tuesday?

Sweet!

Here are my brother and the Bear, very pleased that they remembered to call each other and discuss outfit choices for Thanksgiving.

The Bear and the E-Claire, bonding at the kiddies’ counter:Did I tell you it snowed in Atlanta while we were there??

Well…it’s not real snow, it is scheduled foamy bubble snow that kids get to play in every hour on the hour at Atlantic Station. Very fun. {Do you love the Bear’s South African toboggan (I cannot drop this ultra-Southern word for a winter cap from my vocab. It is just too fun to say. Join me by putting lots of emphasis on the toe.)}

The Bear warmed up to the “snow”…

We decorated G-pa’s Christmas tree… (or pee-pa, as the Bear says these days)

(In case you’re wondering, the colours of the alma mater of my Mom, Dad, brother, sister and lots of other family members including yours truly, are purple and gold. My Dad’s tree is mostly purple, as a result. Go Pirates!) And news flash in case you haven’t noticed: I. am. so. pregnant.

We picked out a tree for GC, too! {That’s short for Grandma Claire, (my Mom) for you newbies.}

The Bear delighted in exploring the aisles of Lowes {more toe-boggan love}

and in operating some heavy machinery {kids, don’t try this at home}

while Hero Hubs braved the c-c-cold to have the tree netted.

Isn’t he great?

After this, we drove to McDonalds to bring the folks working in the outdoor garden area some hot chocolate because it was so. so. so. cold.

Someone told me today that the temperatures are thirty degrees below average for this time of year. We feel it.

Other than mentioning some driving in the snow, trips to Charlotte, Kinston, Morehead City and of course Greenville, lots of catching up, getting a bridesmaid dress and getting it altered, {I LOVE it!} decorating GC’s tree (pics to come!) and … counting with candy canes…

we’ve just been hanging around and taking it easy since we got here. 😉

xCC

Keen to link up this Travelling Tuesday, while we are all a little sad that Chatting at the Sky’s Tuesday link-ups have come to an end?