News & Updates from Vicki Avcin ~ AusCrafts · Page 90

Well hubby and I have just had the most fabulous two weeks with hubbys cousin visiting from Canada. Thanks to the internet hubby/Pete found out he had family in Canada about 2 years ago.

They corresponded through Facebook for the last couple of years until they met on 14th November for the first time.

It was a dream come true for both of them and of course there was a lot of talking about the family, but also time to show them a little bit of Australia too.

A road trip to Bowen(900 klm north) to meet more family and all the areas around where we live. I had promised Vera a ?koala experience? which meant a visit to Snakes DownUnder which is a wildlife reserve about 45mins north of us.

While there Vera and her friend that came with her got to feed and pat the kangaroos, see some of our native wildlife such as lizards and crocodiles and 2 talks on our snakes.

One talk on non venomous and the other venomous. After the talk on the non venomous snakes everyone got to handle a black headed python. Vera was up for it but I have a morbid fear of the things whether they are non venomous or not.

She had it draped around her without a second thought. Of course they were all urging me to have a go?.not on your nelly.

A couple of little boys, asian tourists aged about 3 and 4 did it like little troopers and when the wildlife lady said that the snake was used to being handled and had never bitten anyone, my courage picked up a little bit. A little more ?encouragement? from hubby and the Canadians I thought I wasn?t going to be upstaged by a 3 and 4 yr old and I agreed.

Well the snake really was quite nice. He let them drop him around my shoulders and hold his body near the head. Didn?t really feel like what I thought it would but was a bit scary feeling the body muscles moving as these pythons constrict their prey.

I guess he wasn?t hungry that day as I survived and felt quite proud of myself for doing it??a once in a lifetime experience.

So I?ve done it now?..conquered my fear for about 2 mins??.never need to do it again now! I also held a baby croc and Vera got her Koala experience by kissing the koala on the nose.

She said she loved everything here but this had to be the ultimate experience. 2016 Calendar now available for these Desktop Bases. cup654520_543

Well I wrote about our gorgeous new grandson the other week and finally we got to meet him. We travelled down to Brisbane finally and spent a day and a half with him before having to come home. He is gorgeous.

Very alert for a 6 week old and is looking at everything when he?s awake. That beautiful little face just looking at us as much to say ?I don?t know you, who are you??. Guess he loves us because he wasn?t crying and would just gaze at us and hold a finger. But those cuddles were definitely worth waiting for.

Just a shame we didn?t have longer with him. His dad is a Broncos fan (that?s a rugby league team here) and Dad is going to make sure he?s brought up a Broncos fan too.

So cute with all the little onesies and t-shirts in Broncos logos. He?s even got towels, blankets and beanies, all Broncos!

Unfortunately he?ll probably not get to wear a lot of things as he was 9lb 9oz when he was born and a lot of things given to him were 0000 or 000 so he?s ?outgrown? them right from the start.

I?m sure Dad will make sure that bigger sizes are always in the cupboard though. It was a bonus too to see Zoe and Zac, who adore their little brother.

My how they?ve grown since we saw them last!

Zoe is nearly as tall as I am, although that wouldn?t be hard! It was a lovely weekend meeting little Axl and seeing family again.

We also caught up with another son and the family, so awesome time down there. Hopefully hubby and I will get time with little Axl again soon The photos are our very first cuddles of baby Axl Noah. The cards I?m promoting are Christmas designs.

First is an Extenda card and check out all my Australian Christmas designs.

Well quite a few months ago I posted that we were going to be grandparents again! Finally we welcome Axl Noah to the family.

Little Axl was born on 15th September 2015 in Brisbane at 10.48 pm.

He weighed in at a very healthy 9lb 9oz or 4.35 kg and was 55 cm long. Mother Jess had a natural labour with only gas and Dad Brad was with her through her relatively short labour, well for a first bub anyway. Zoe and Zac were so excited leading up to the birth and so pleased they were going to be a ?big? sister and and a big brother.

The looks on their faces in the photo I think says that they are so happy and full of love to their new little brother. Dad is already ?coaching?

Axl about the footy with making sure that leading up to the Grand final he was curled up save in Dads arms while watching the semi finals and the Grand Final with Brads ?team? being in the Grand Final.

I?m sure there is many hours next year when the football starts again that the little fellow will be close by Dad throughout the Friday Night football and the weekend football games. Unfortunately we haven?t been able to get down and see the new addition as yet.

Real life is cruel sometimes and circumstances haven?t allowed us to get down, but we will at the first opportunity we have to get away for a couple of days.

Meanwhile Jess is taking photos daily and we get to see a LOT of pictures of the little man?s days and some of the things he?s doing.

Although he does sleep a lot but that little face sleeping or awake is so worth looking at.

We are so looking forward to meeting him before too much longer. They grow so quick and we really don?t want to miss the ?baby? part of his life. The designs I?m promoting are super quick and easy to make.

Hope you like them.

We were sitting relaxing in front of the TV on Saturday night when we heard a noise at the back door.

Hubby and I looked at each other and thought it was probably just something fallen down so didn?t bother getting up.

We then heard another noise so hubby got up this time and went to have a look. He says ?We?ve got a koala?.

My reply ?yeah right?. He says again ?No we really do have a koala?. So I got up and there was a little cutie climbing up the spade that was leaning against the back wall under the kitchen window.

He/she had one claw in the fly screen and couldn?t get a grip with the other paw against the glass.

He/she perched itself on the breather pipe and sat there looking at us as if to say ?you are weird looking koalas?. It was a very healthy looking young koala probably around 18months/2yrs of age. Koalas have a lot of issues health wise with Chlamydia and cystitis being a big problem in the koala population.

But this little one was bright eyed and had a clean dry bottom which was great news. In the 8 years we?ve lived in this house we have only seen 2 other koalas in the vicinity, one next door about 7 years ago and about 6 months ago one was crossing the road about 2 houses down from us.

So this little visitor was a pleasant surprise. It even made the 6pm local news. I had posted in the local Koala Care Facebook page and from that was contacted by our local news service, asking if I had more pictures and wanting a story.

So the next night the News did the story about our ?furry felon? they called it?..trying to break in the back door. Koalas diet consist solely of eucalyptus leaves.

There are many different varieties of gum trees and each koala will tend to pick out the variety they prefer and stick to that one predominately.

They are protected in Australia and to see one is quite exciting.

A lot of their habitats are being wiped out by ?the urban sprawl?. There are now dedicated habitats where clearing is illegal to try and boost numbers. We have relatives coming out from Canada in November and they are hoping that it will make another appearance while they are here visiting. Photos are of our little friend.

Sadly we haven?t seen it since it climbed down and waddled off into the night?..but we keep looking in the trees and hoping it will make another appearance. The designs I have promoted are new designs that are super quick and easy to make up and look stunning when made up, embellished how you want.

My grandson Riley recently celebrated his 6th birthday and we gave him a building pack. Something like Mecano but it was a different brand. He is ?his fathers son? as he always loves building and tinkering with cars and trucks with his Dad.

We brought this dozer for him to make up with all the pieces and his own spanner and screwdriver. I wonder if he was truly like his Dad as he used to love pulling cars or electronic things apart to ?fix? them, which he always did but there was always parts or bolts or screws left over.

Strange thing is even with the ?left overs? things still worked afterwards. Well Riley managed to put it all together under supervision from Dad and has had a ton of fun with it out in the yard.

I think he looks more like a professor or a scientist with his glasses than a mechanic. Not often I want time to fly but Riley and his sister Chloe will be coming up to stay for a week for the first time ever during the school holidays in June.

I can?t wait! Poppy has some projects that Riley can help him out with. And I?m told that he will love driving round the back paddock in the old Patrol that we have. Chloe and I will do more ?girly? things.

Of course there will be fishing and movies too while they are here.

Just hope the weather isn?t too cold or wet for anything ?outdoors?, but they say we will have below average chance of rain this winter so hopefully we?ll be OK. The photo is of Riley building his dozer and the finished project. The cards I?m promoting are new and part of the series of Circle card Mini Kits.