inhale

www.facebook.com/TiffFirthPhotography
Mothers hold their child's hand for a moment and their heart for a lifetime.

cheek smash

We've all heard of Cake Smash photography with babies and cakes. Well this is my take on a cheek smash.

My heart just melts every time I see this photo. 

baby bump

www.facebook.com/TiffFirthPhotography

Paige came out in the lovely morning light with her husband Dion, for a baby bump shoot. As it turned out this was the day before their baby boy arrived. So very glad that I could get these shots done for this very special family, who are near and very dear to me.

australia day 2015

love those crazy kids so much

summer search party

Summer Search Party are fresh back from Sydney from their recording sesh at Electric Sun Studio.

'Standing on the Edge' (filmed at Sleaford) is their debut single which they've followed up with "New Year' (filmed at Monument Beach).

Support the local band by purchasing their album "EP" from iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/summer-search-party-ep/id956374725

Bones Morris making magic on the Bass

Hawkes keeping the beat

Dylan Smith cranks out the sweet sound.

More of the boys here.

tumby daze 2015

and our summer holiday in Tumby Bay is done.

:'(

recap...

noah and the kids

The kids met Noah the day after he was born.

It's funny how history is repeating itself. Paige was 12 when Annie and I got to know her, and now Annie is 12. Paige is the amazing big sister for Annie and Sean, and it looks like my kids are going to be the amazing big sister and brother for Noah.

Good times to come.

for sale

For sale. (in Tumby Bay until Friday)
2x Hot Pink Blown moulded plastic kayaks with paddles. No leaks. 2 years old. Children outgrown. suits 5 to 12 year olds. Both fit in back of Hilux canopy. Retails at $270 each. For sale at $150 EACH.

wow. that didn't take long. 20 minutes and both sold. yehaar.

noah

This little man arrived last night. Paige and Dion are parents to a very content little boy. I do detect some hint of red in his hair :)

waiting...

So yesterday was pretty special for me. And very special for Paige and Dion. Paige is a significant member of our family. She's my other kid. And my kids older sister.

Backstory.... Paige came and lived with us as a boarder back when she was doing Year 11 and 12 so she could do the subjects needed to get into Nursing at Uni. She's now an RN and a registered Midwife. She was with us just after Sean was born and she just fitted us as a family like a hand in a glove. She still does.

So when her husband Dion asked to take my camera to get a photo of Paige and I yesterday, I jumped at it.  When he showed me what he had captured, I cried. Just silent tears, but so very emotional tears.

Dion is the most wonderful husband and I'm sure he'll be the most awesome Dad for their baby, who will be here when its ready.

for sale - 2006 Hilux SR5

For Sale. Located in Tumby Bay until end January then Cummins
2006 Toyota Hilux SR5. Turbo Diesel. Manual. Canopy. Roobar, Towball. Spotlights. Tinted Windows. UHF. 265,000kms. Has had fuel injectors replaced, new gearbox and air conditioner compressor. Single owner. Full service history available.
Has been an awesomely reliable vehicle. Turn the key and she just goes.
$19995.00


SOLD PENDING PAYMENT
Ring Tiff 0428 762 931

10 year anniversary of the Wangary Fires.

www.facebook.com/TiffFirthPhotography
This was an emotionally tough gig photographing this little man. The Murnane Family lost Trent (Wig) 10 years ago this weekend, fighting the Wangary fires as a volunteer firefighter. I knew Wig as a good mate, always ready for a laugh and he had a hugely generous heart. This little man is his nephew and his middle name is Trent to remember his uncle by.
You can read the Murnane's story of their son and how they remember him by in the SA Weekend pullout of the Saturday Advertiser. Made the front page of The Advertiser too.
Direct link to the article....
http://adelaideadvertiser.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

tumby bay 2015 day 6

Wednesday was hot. But no where near as hot as home and not as hot as Coffins.  The kids went on the bus to Family Mission ...

and I went to The Ritz with friends for a morning coffee..... (ice coffee for me)

A long leisurely morning was just lovely as The Ritz was lovely and cool. I picked the kids up from Mission rather than them sweat it out on the bus, and we headed to the Library to select some books. A quick lunch and out at the beach for Surf&Survive.

With a beach like this on the front door step, why would anyone head to Coffins has me stuffed. 

While the Eastern Horizon was blue skies and puffy clouds, the western sky was much different as the promised storm front started to assert itself in the sky during Surf&Survive. The lightning became quite threatening and the swim lessons were cancelled for the rest of the day.

Then the storm really hit. The wind caused two stobie poles to fall onto the road near the Tumby Silos, so the power was out for a number of hours. Fortunately there was a crew in Tumby who were literally on the job in seconds after it happened as they happened to be right there when the poles came down.  Power was lost in many areas on Lower Eyre Peninsula due to so many lightning hits. In some areas it was out for up to two days. And it was humid. So with no way to move the air around it got very sticky quickly.

With all the rain that belted down, it just invited a little bit of fun in the puddles.

And this was the swollen skies just before golden hour. It was amazing to see in Summer. It was very Darwin like weather.

A friend and I were going to head out kyaking while the water was like glass, but the lightning returned so we ended up sitting on a deck sipping wine with this as our view.

It was a lovely spontaneous evening spent in great company.

tumby bay 2015 day 5

Tuesday found the kids off to Family Mission and me having a morning siesta. :-)

The kids had a fast lunch and we were off to Surf&Survive. Kym was convinced to pick up Paige's golden retriever pup with Annie's help so Sean and I could walk him while Annie's lesson was on.

The kids have been steadily working on Kym to convince him about having a pup, and slowly he's softening up. For him to even sit for a quick pic with the pup is just about amazing.....


Sean wanted to stay and use his board after swim, so I stayed with him while Annie and Kym heading back to the apartment to cook a chocolate cake.

Late arvo on the lawns of a home at the Marina lead to a late tea.

tumby bay 2015 day 4

The kids started Family Mission this morning. After taking them in and sorting out registration, I headed with a couple of lovely ladies for a coffee at The Ritz.  They had a coffee, I had my ice coffee of course lol.....

With the Modra Apartments closing down after this summer season and reinventing itself as a totally new Retirement Village, complete with new apartments, I confirmed our next years holiday accommodation at a different location. Unfortunately I can only book one year ahead at a time, so I can't have the reassurance that we our Tumby Holiday from year to year. But I am thankful that I have 2016 in the bag.

By the time the kids were dropped back from the bus, we had time for lunch and a change into togs for the start of Surf&Survive Vac Swim. But.......I stuffed up.  I misread Sean's start time on the roster so we arrived too late for him to join his group. Annie's class was in the following timeslot so she was fine. Fortunately there was another class of his level later that arvo so he was able to join in that one and do a catchup. He's back to his original timeslot tomorrow. I now have the correct times written in very large numbers and stuck to the fridge.  ;-)

While Sean was in his later class, Annie and I walked Diesel on the beach. He's still getting used to the moment of the waves which were a bit more energetic than yesterday. When we arrived back on the lawns where the Surf&Survive is staged from, Diesel was the object of much affection by quite a few kids and adults. He handled it well.

Kym was out fishing at daybreak this morning and came home with plenty of fish for the smoker box and to feed the family. He so does enjoy the hunter/gather role when he's fishing. And its rather nice for me to step back from the kitchen and let him go for it.


We've started our third Harry Potter movie as part of our Movie Marathon. We've watched the movies many times, but not with all of us watching it together.

tumby bay 2015 day 3

Caught up with a friend who I normally only see once a year when she's here in Tumby. Good to touch base with Soph again.

Kym and Annie headed off shooting today while Sean and I went round to Paige's to walk her golden retriever puppy 'Diesel'.  We walked down the beach via the yacht club to watch the yachts come in. Today was the last of the Nationals comps.  It's been a huge week for both Tumby and Lincoln clubs hosting Australia's yachting fraternity. 

Diesel hasn't been in the water before and the sea was lapping gently this morning. With only a little coaxing he was in, and soon up to his belly.  

When Sean and I got back to the apartment, he had some quiet time as he's had a number of late nights and was getting a bit of attitude due to being overtired. And with Mission and Surf&Survive starting tomorrow he needs to be in a better frame of mind.

Later in the arvo Paige came with us down the beach to get Diesel in the water so she could watch him for herself.  I had the Canon out mucking around, Sean had the GoPro and we both used the iPhone to record as well. (I haven't got round to post production on the RAW files from the canon yet) so this one from the iphone will have to do. He sure is her golden hair boy.

 And a quick shot of our colourful summer footwear.  I've brought nothing but thongs to wear while we are away. Gotta love summer at the beach.

tumby bay 2015 day 2

Well today was a much more pleasant a day. It was fairly overcast most of the day which took out the sting of the sun. 

The kids rose late and went fishing with Kym until the change arrived and the breeze kicked up a bit. I wandered down the shops to pick up a few things that I hadn't brought over. I took my time and meandered a fair bit, stopping to chat to quite a few. (I feel just like a local over here). By the time I got back to the apartment, they were back too.

We lounged around to watch a Harry Potter movie before heading down the beach for an icecream and a bit of clowning around.

We spent a bit of time with Paige so I could paint her toenails and she could teach me about ebooks on the ipad. Annie brought over only one book as I thought the local library would be open today. It's not, and not open until Tuesday. Paige has lent her a couple of Jodi Picoult books and we downloaded one ebook to get Annie through until then.

All in all, we had a generally nothing day, chillaxing as much as we can, as from Monday we get busy with Family Mission in the mornings and Surf & Survive in the afternoons.

tumby bay 2015 day 1

It was a stinker hot day at home. According to BOM is was 43.9 degrees.  When we came over the hill it was a sedate 37.

Once I had the eski unpacked we high tailed it to the beach. The bags and boxes that still needed to be sorted out could wait.

The kids and I picked up Paige with her little Golden Retriever on our way there. All I wanted to do was sit under the shade of the jetty, with the deck chairs in the water and the waves lapping around our legs.


And it was perfect.

Paige is 8 months pregnant and really feeling the heat, so sitting under the jetty was just heaven on a stick for her.  Love that girl to bits.

The boys met us there later and we had a leisurely fish and chips tea under the jetty on the picnic rug. It was the perfect way to start our Tumby time away.