Aunty lifelovetravelfood

It's love time on lifelovetravelfood.

Can I just say that being an Aunty is one of the best things ever. You get all the fun, none of the work and no mess. Well... That last bit isn't quite true, I've had some less than pleasant things on me thanks to some leaky nappies but nothing that completely grossed me out.

I am now the proud Aunty Dan of three awesome, adorable niblings. Niblings is the collective term for my siblings children. Siblings + nieces and nephews = niblings. Stolen from my friend G, I cannot take credit for this cute term! 

Fat lil foot. Owned by R
Photo from R's mummy, L

I refuse to be that annoying Aunty who pulls their cheeks and tells them how adorable they are but while they're little and can't escape me, I totally am that person. I'm not sure when the cut off for this type of behaviour needs to stop - maybe when they're old enough to wriggle free and wipe away my kisses with a disgusted look on their face... At least I don't wear lipstick so I won't leave any evidence.

Little E
How can this not make you go 'awww!!'
Photo credit - hithergreenhavoc via instagram

One was awesome. Two was even better but three?! Three is the best!! I am so in love with the fact that I'm so close to my newest nibling, E. I visit him every week and adore seeing the changes in him. I cannot wait to meet chubby Cabbage Patch Doll, R, in September. She's my current phone wallpaper with the biggest cheeks I think I've ever seen! I can't wait to see them in person! And before you think I'm playing favourites, don't worry, there's a fortnightly rota going so each nibling gets a turn as my phone wallpaper. I think it's K's turn next! And speaking of my little bear, I can't WAIT for regular play dates with him. It always looks like so much fun from the other side of the computer via skype! 

K collecting shells with Aunty J

I promise I won't be an Aunty bore and go on about their cuteness, how my niblings are better than yours, their hilarious stories or any of that other stuff so I'll finish up by saying... To their parents - J and L, L and G - you guys have the most awesome, cute, amazing kids ever - thanks for having them!!

R and K cute hand prints they gave to
their Daddy for his birthday
(insert 'awww' here) - Photo from L

How cute are E's booties? Made by
his talented Nanna. Photo from J

One final foot pic, this time it's E's
Photo by his Mummy, J

Homeward bound. For real this time!

We're coming home.  No really, we are! I have said this so many times to friends and family over the last four years, that it is now met with a roll of the eyes, a few "yeah rights" and "I'll believe that when I see it."

But now it's true. No really, we are moving home and this time I ACTUALLY mean it.

Four years ago we put our Canberra lives in storage, took unpaid leave, put our house up for rent, bought two backpacks and moved to London. The first three months we traveled to some amazing countries. Then we spent about a month doing nothing but sleep late, watch Come Dine With Me marathons on TV, play Wii Sports (why exercise outside when you can play tennis in your living room!?) and apply for endless jobs. In the beginning, things looked a little dire but come December time, we were both employed and our fun really began. 

First month in London at the
Monster Munch pub. Heathrow injection
anyone?!
June 2010 - London

Tourist pic - it had to be done
June 2010, London

Fastforward to right now and I can't believe we're almost at the end of our incredible overseas adventure. I have loved everything about it and we've been through so much! My first experience of a backpackers (where I have since learned that this particular place in Cardiff was NOT the norm and used bandaids and clumps of hair under the bed were not to be expected at all backpackers - ugh, makes me shudder at the thought!) my first sharehouse (nine people in one house!) living with my cousin, ticking country after country off my list, an engagement, my first nephew, my wedding, a proper white Christmas, a niece and another nephew... All in four years.

THAT hostel. Doesn't look so bad here...
Cardiff, June 2010

Party fun times - Amsterdam on
our Top Deck tour
August 2010

Just a couple of places we've been.
Tunisia; Cyprus; Sicily; Finland; Dubai;
The Dead Sea, Petra, Amman - Jordan
AMAZING!!

Sometimes I wonder why we're going home. I love it here! The travel, the culture, the food. So much to love! But at the end of the day, I'm an Aussie, sunshine loving girl through and through so home it is. 

There is a bit of sunshine
in London sometimes...

When we told our families we were on our way back, no one believed us. Not until we'd bought two one way tickets home, signed on the dotted line and sent many boxes of all our amazing travel trinkets and wonders back. Oh, and posted it on Facebook. That totally means things are legit.

Bye boxes! See you in Aus...

But before we go, there has to be travel. Of course there does! Stay tuned for what might be the last ever travel bit of my blog (what will I write about then?!?) as we have one final adventure before our new Aussie lives on the west coast begin. But before that, there has to be some a love blog and some more healthy stuff! Next blog post coming soon! 

Thanks for reading, all my readers make me so happy!