Shots taken here and there...

Trying to look nasty... but still too cute!

At Sandgate...

At Coochie... Walking on the red rocks by the beach left Liam looking like he had 'Oompa-Loompa' feet!

Never seen a mailbox like this one before!

Arjan en Mirjam

For the past two weekends we have had the pleasure of catching up with our Dutch friends Arjan and Mirjam. We have known Arjan since YWAM in 2002, and have caught up with him and Mirjam on several overseas visits since. We took the opportunity of doing some more 'touristy' things during their stay, such as viewing Brisbane from Mt Cootha, riding citycats and visiting Southbank, enjoying Sandgate, and visiting Coochiemudlo Island. We also enjoyed some great food: YumCha in the Valley, a great Indian meal at Rangla-Punjab, and of course Cold Rock ice creams!

Look what we've done... house befores and afters.

When we moved into our new house 10 months ago, it was dated, tired and desperately in need of redecorating. Here's some of the changes we've made during the time we've lived here...

Living room before and after. The room was covered in some OLD carpet, the walls were pink and maroon, the light fittings left much to be desired and there was an old built-in unit that needed removing. We put in ceiling fans, polished the floors, removed the built-in and painted.

Living room - other direction... looking at 'playroom' side. There's the maroon wall, which is now a pale green colour.

Kitchen/dining. The wood panelling and teracotta-tiled floor sucked up all the light and made the room feel dark most of the time. It's amazing how much bigger and lighter the room feels with smooth, light-coloured walls (and a kitchen that isn't hideously blue).

Kitchen/dining. The wall configuration was also quite different before, and it blocked out the natural light coming in from above the staircase. The new wall opening allows that light in now. The kitchen was also poorly designed with the hotplate smack-bang in the middle of the main bench-space, to name just one of its flaws.

Liam's bedroom. The walls had been painted blue with a sponge effect, and the old daggy carpet was ancient. New paint, new carpet, ceiling fan (just out of shot) makes all the difference.