Happy Birthday Zachary!

Zach woke up bright and early on his first birthday. Somehow he knew it would be a great day full of exciting adventures.



He started off the day in Fremantle, Western Australia, where he caught a ferry with Mum and Dad to Rottnest Island, which lies 10 miles off the coast near Perth.



There he got to swim in the Inidan Ocean for the first time. Although it took a little coaxing to get him in the water, he soon learned to enjoy the sand and waves.

He also got to meet the quokkas, furry little friendly creatures that populate the island. Zach is getting a lot of experience petting marsupials. At this point he could probably point to a kangaroo in a book but wouldn't have a clue what a cat was!

After dinner (he ate yummy beef curry!) he got to open his presents. He has new books, a bucket to make sand castles, a beach cricket set, and...

A quokka!

A real quokka wanted to join in the festivities. Zach wasn't too sure what to think!

And then the chocolate cake arrived. Oh boy!

Oh yeah!

Mm, mm, mm. Oh my!

Oh mess!

Here's what the birthday boy had to say about his day.

(Notice the background conversation Brett is having about cricket; he's turning into a real Aussie bloke!)

Retrospective

As the anniversary of Zach's birth approached, we took a photographic trip down memory lane and picked our favorite photos of the babe from each month of his life. Enjoy!



Sweet Baby Zach, January 2008 (Seattle, WA)



Opening his eyes to the world, February 2008 (Seattle, WA)



Our little angel, March 2008 (Dillon, MT)



Handsome little man, April 2008 (Seattle, WA)

Stopping to smell the flowers, May 2008 (Seattle, WA)

Quack says Zach, June 2008 (Seattle, WA)

Growing up fast, July 2008 (Shepparton, VIC)

Our little Cutie, August 2008 (Yarrawonga, VIC)

Father's Day Down Under, September 2008 (Melbourne, VIC)

Beach time with Mom, October 2008 (Sunshine Coast, QLD)

Beautiful Brown Eyes, November 2008 (Tasmania, Australia)

Christmas Down Under, December 2008 (Shepparton, VIC)

What an amazing year for all of us! Can't wait to see what the next twelve months bring us!

The Many Faces of Zach

Say Cheese!

Thinking....

Awe, Mom, do you have to take one more picture of me?

Really, I'm getting tired of this...

Okay, maybe I'm just plain tired.

Dad's Lil' Mate

Zach has become Dad's best mate during the day while Mum is at work.

When their not taking walks on the golf course they get a chance to watch a little Cricket while having beer and bics (cookies).

When they go out to run errands during the day Zach loves to be high in his backpack so he can observe the world.

But luckily for Dad, Zach can be a good bloke and entertain himself; even best mates need a little time on their own.

Mum's Lil' Gardener

Maybe it's the hole in the ozone layer, but we have never had a more productive garden than our little plot that we put in here. Even with Zach's insatiable appetite for tomatoes we simply can't keep up with them right now. These are the tomatoes we picked before dinner tonight. There will be just as many tomorrow night.

Zach has become good at supervising Mum as she tends to the plants.

He usually sits in his stroller and talks non-stop while Mum waters and weeds the garden.

He also has discovered that fresh green beans are tasty!

Yum!

Strong Mountain Man

We spent the first weekend of 2009 in the mountains enjoying the cool breezes and breath-taking views of Mt. Buffalo National Park. An intrepid crew (Dawn, Alan, Morgan, Lauren, and Alan's folks joined us) gathered for hiking through the woods (a.k.a., bush walking).

The wildflowers were magnificent!

The vistas majestic.

We all enjoyed getting a little altitude.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing... The boulders were enormous! We were lucky to have Brett along to clear the big rocks from the trail!

After his Atlas-esque acheivement, Brett had to show off his new t-shirt! Carting Zach around all day has earned him his new title, Mr. Strong.

Summertime Living

With the New Year officially here, summer is in full swing Down Under. Ninety degree days are predicted for the rest of the week, so we'll be looking for ways to stay cool. The up side to hot weather is beautiful mornings for breakfast on the patio.

Plus, the garden loves the heat. Tonight we enjoyed a summer feast of green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and dill sauce on salmon, all fresh picked from the garden this evening (except the salmon).

Zach loves the fresh produce. Especially the tomatoes (pronounced to-mah-toes). Notice the tomato seed on his lower lip; he's saving that for later.

The swiss chard (or silverbeet as it is known here) is fun to play with but not as much fun to eat according to the babe.