Devastating fires

Photos - Simon Bourke, Fiona Hamilton, Mark Smith, Andrew Brownbill (x2)

It is just so devastating. 108 people confirmed dead. Men, women and children. Many trying to flee their homes at the last minute and finding themselves stuck in paddocks, in cars, in houses. The worst fires this state has ever seen, if not this country.

They have been sending MFB crews out to help in some areas. I am so glad that Kylie hasn't been called back to go to the fires and that we are all safe. I feel so sad for all those families that have been affected.

A world on fire.....

Victoria is burning. Yesterday was the hottest day on record in Melbourne with 47 degrees and hot strong winds fanning the state. Walking outside was like walking into a hair dryer. It was predicted to be a day of extreme fire danger and this prediction proved to be true with fires across the entire state that are well up there with the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983.
Entire towns have been destroyed in massive fires all around the state. So far news reports have confirmed 36 people dead across the state and many many more houses and property burnt to the ground. It is scary to see the images of the fires on TV and on the net.

We have been down in Waratah Bay camping for the last ten days and yesterday went to Kylie's sister's wedding. What a hot day for it! We could start to smell the smoke during the wedding ceremony and then could see the smoke from fires nearby in the hills. The fire caused evacuation of nearby Yarram and lots of people at the wedding were concerned about their own properties and the houses and lives of friends and family.

It seems every year some ridiculous people see fit to light the state on fire on days like this one - I just don't understand how some peoples heads work and why you could want to cause this sort of loss and devastation to people.

The day we left Melbourne to drive down here our own suburb had fires in the Paddocks behind our house. We had packed up the car to go camping and as Ky, Spence and I drove off I looked behind us and could see the flames from the fires just a kilometre or two from our house. But you know, I thought to myself, everything that I care most about in this world is here with me. I don't care about the house and our possessions as long as Ky and Spence are with me, it's all ok.

But we were lucky. In comparison to the fires of yesterday and those that continue to burn today, ours were nothing. I feel for all those people who have been involved in the fires and really think the CFA volunteers are amazing.

I've attached some pics - these are from the herald sun website and were taken by Chris Sheffield and Jake Valance.

Beetroot

We went surfing today, it was awesome. We were so excited to get a morning by ourselves (Kylie's cousin was looking after Spence) that we forgot to take sunscreen....bad mistake for two redheads with white freckly skin......
We now have heads like little beetroots....I give it a day before my whole face peels off.
As well as our beetroot heads here is a pic of Spence and Ky in the pool a couple of days ago.

Firsts

It's been a week of firsts for the little man. When we got to Caloundra, Kylie's cousin picked us up and the baby car seat was forward facing. First time he's been in a forward facing car seat. His first little teeth are poking through. He has had his first Weetbix and his first cow's milk. He played for the first time close up with some cute puppies and LOVED them!! All good.

He's taken to waking up at 5am and not going back to sleep at all, so that's one not so good thing. Means our days start really early!

I've been running in the mornings - bloody sweaty business in this heat and humidity. Sweat is kind of a foreign concept to me as I don't really sweat much at all usually - even if I've been to the gym or something.

Teeth!

We're up in Caloundra on holiday at the moment. It's hot and muggy. The little boy has been pretty good, though had a very grizzly day Jan 21st. It appears that some little teeth have poked their little heads up through his gum - explaining his grizzliness. We're still waiting for them to come right up but you can definately see and feel the little white bits. About time!
Spence has been loving swimming everyday. We've been to the beach and swimming in the pool here.

The Pute has packed it in....

My desktop computer has called it a day and I've had it carted off to hospital today. The silly thing has been dodgy since the day we got it, but it's one of those intermittent issues that goes away then comes back and build up till it stops working. I've had the warranty fix it guys out here three times now, this time, it's gone to hospital. Hopefully they can fix it all up and send it back better than ever!

Thankfully I just copied some work files I was working on to a USB just before it died! I can't access all the rest of my work stuff which is a bummer, but thankfully am about to go away for a couple of weeks anyway.
Also means i can't make the cool vid i wanted to to show you the little Spence who is crawling around like a champion! I didn't realise that they get such red, bruised looking knees....poor thing!

Crawling!

Gosh i wish i was a better blogger! I wish i had more time to blog about all the awesome things that are going on in the development of our little Spencer!
Yesterday he started crawling! Really crawling! He's been getting onto all fours for the last few weeks, managing to push himself in circles and backwards for the last week but yesterday he really crawled, like many 'steps' in a row and today he's off and about like a flash! Heaven help us all!
Ky and I spent alot of today rearranging our house to make it safer....we'll see about that!
He's just alot of fun right now....although his sleeping is still a bit funny, but I guess well just have to live with that.
I managed to capture him crawling on my mobile phone video and sent it to Ky at work yesterday - she said it brought tears to her eyes....ahhhhhhhhh.
Anyway, gotta go, he's demolishing the venetian blinds right now!

Merry Christmas Elf Video

Finally.....!

It passed. The ART Bill 2008 passed the third reading tonight, with amendments, 20-18. Frightfully close, but a win nonetheless.
I went into parliament house to watch it with a committed bunch of women and their families - probably 35-40 of us in total. The gallery was packed and there was an almighty cheer and clapping when the result was read out. It really was a great thing to see and brought tears to my eyes. Thank goodness, politics is exhausting...

No teeth

Not a tooth in sight! All that palava and nothing! Spence is pretty much back to normal, which is great. He's sleeping till about 5 - 6am which we can handle and he's back to his happy and smiley self.

We've just bought a house! That's some pretty exciting news. It's a 3 bedroom house in a dodgier part of Melbourne that we'd like to live - but that's ok, because it's an investment property! Just hoping the finance comes through - and in the current financial climate you just don't know...fingers crossed!

The ART Bill is up for debate again this week - hopefully we will have an end to the long running saga....I am glad it will finally be over this week, I just hope that the outcome is favourable. What a ridiculous situation we'd be left in now if these laws don't pass, given the passing of federal laws recognizing our family, given that in 4 other states/territories our families are recognized and given that in most other state law we are recognized.....but it seems politics and law don't have to be logical.....fingers crossed on this one too.