Running Mummy

I acheived a personal goal last week. I have been trying to get back into running all year. I did my 5k (3mile) back in May which I really loved. So at that time I entered myself into a 12km (7.5 mile) run which was on last week. I hadn't lost as much post-baby weight as I had hoped, and I wasn't very fast, but I ran it, and I ran the whole way. I loved it too. Everyone thought I was crazy because it was pouring rain - see photo. It wasn't cold as it's Spring here now, but I was sopping. My shoes at the end were squelching as I walked back to the car! I had asked Jim to bring the boys down to the finish line to see Mummy, but when I finished it was so wet, I figured he wouldn't have bothered, so I just went straight back to the car. When I rang him, he told me he was there standing in the rain - what a dedicated husband! Sorry about that..........I need a running buddy though. There isn't a running club in my small town and none of my old friends from around here are into running. I missed Kristen and Shelley very much - I was thinking lots of you girls on Sunday. There was people at the starting line standing around together chatting and laughing and I was thinking of Steamboat and all the other runs we used to do together. I used to run with my sister when we lived in the same town many years ago, but it's a bit hard now that we are 1.5hr away from each other.
So it's the beginning of many more, I'm doing a run along the beach in the New Year. It's a 10km from one town to the next, along the beach the whole way - I'm excited. Running is the best.

A Photo Diary

Hi all,

I just haven't been able to prioritise any time to blog at the moment and I feel overwhelmed at the emails I need to reply too, the blogs I need to write about and Christmas and Christmas cards looming. I love more than anything that I have maintained friendships all over the world and I am determined to keep in touch with those friends. Hence, the blog has gone by the wayside this year. Well, it means there is always room for improvement!
So please find photos following and short comments on what we have been up to over the past couple of months. Thinking of you all and hope everyone is looking forward to Christmas and/or enjoying the Holiday Season.
Mum and Angus having a cuddle.
Tom looking through the fence to the neighbours house. Joseph his best friend used to live there until they moved to the USA. He misses him lots and this day was wishing, I think, that he still lived there so he could go over for a play.

That is a lion at Angus' feet. There is an fantastic outdoors zoo that we took the kids to in October. It's called the Werribee Zoo and it's amazing and very respectful of the animals normal habitats and environments. This is a huge enclosure with rocks, dirt mounds, grasses and even an old 4wd landrover in the enclosure (just like Africa I suppose?). Anyway, between us and them is just a thick plate glass window from the ground to ceiling of our 'lookout'. So there was about 5 cm (1inch) between Angus and this HUGE lion. It was so fantastic and they looked so cuddly. It was great. Why the lions chose to hang out there rather than anywhere else in their enclosure was unclear, but it gave us a great experience so not complaining.
At the Hippo's enclosure there were real hippos but there was also this 'playground' for the kids to play on. So much fun.



These are photos from Melbourne Cup. It's the biggest race day in Australia (horse racing) sort of like Kentucky Derby or Royal Ascot. We had a completely child free day with much champagne and decadence. It was so cool, I felt like a little part of the pre-mummy Naomi was back. I suppose it's always there, sometimes it just gets lost in snot, breakfast cereal, dribble, sand, mud etc. etc. etc. We had a great day with my friends Andy (adding a photo soon), and above Anne, Shannon and of course my wonderful man Jimmy.
Today is our Anniversary - 8 years. That spins me out.