NZ is not a small country but a large village.............Peter Jackson

(OK WARNING.....................HUGE blog entry + very photo heavy............you have been warned!)
this is how I feel.(referring to peter j's quote) I have done a lot of travelling since mid April + caught up with lots of friends + family. It was good, there was lots of laughing, crying, OMG's + talking.............yes lots of talking!! I spent one weekend in Akld with some amazing friends from school........that weekend was the best + I did a lot healing about my mum while I was with these girls (they probably don't even know it)..........but I guess these wonderful woman were part of me during my high school + teacher college years + we did a lot of growing during these years. So they knew my mum.........I felt like was going home when I caught up with them.

And it took me about a week to recover from that HUGH weekend.............not that I went on a bender but I had some crazy roomies who partied hard!!.........................

So then a few weeks later we travelled to Taupo to the Autumn Retreat. What a fantastic weekend.

I had a great time catching up with some wonderful woman again. I had a great roomie Trina (who I sat with also) + 2 other wonderful gals Rachel T + Kate M.

So yeah no point me repeating what you have already read around other blogs!!

Great weekend, fab location, lovely rooms, very well run retreat + I can't rave enough about Kim's Archers classes I LOVED the one class I did of hers + I even made history for the first time..........I completed all 3 LO's we did in her class!!! Yet to scan these fantastic babies!!

Ok so yeah no photos so far.............thats cause I didn't take my camera to Akld............too big to take dancing + then when we went to Taupo I gave the camera to Kev to get some shots of the kids while they had a wee holiday in Taupo too!!.............but nah he took none!

Lucky I have super cool friends who take the most delicious photos of me!!...........+ can't wait to show me!!..............LOL............yeah like the Rotoura photos ...........eh Rachel!!!

Oh yeah I needed another week to recover from that weekend too.............more due to the air con in these places............dried every wet cell in my body out!!

So then on the 15th of May my baby girl turned 7. How dare she!...........she never asked me if she could grow up this fast. Talk about excited!!

She scored herself a very nice electric guitar!! (this what she wanted) Check this girl out!!

and OK showing off here ................as I thought I was the best birthday present buyer ever. I found her at a local vintage shop this most gorgeous lamp for her room............1. she has wanted a lamp forever so she can read in bed + 2. OMG ...........wait for it.............it's base had a mother horse + her foal!!! Now for a little girl that LOVES horses as much as mine she died + went to a horsie heaven!!

This photo needs to be shared so you get the idea!!

We ran out of time on her birthday to do the candles + cake.......we got super busy!!.........so bad?..............no not really she is clever + knew that her birthday would go on longer!!

Our road was closed that day due to a car rally. This happens to us about twice a year.

We had planned to have her party this day too but her friend got in her first + got her invites out .............but it was OK we had the next weekend + YES wow her birthday would extend for another week!! And speaking of invites I made Ruby's again...........I thought I would go simple + even use the help of a crafters workshop small template............LOL...........hmmm yeah right.
But hey I loved them, Ruby loved them + her friends loved them too.

And look I even used ChatterBox pp that I have had since Taidhg was a baby!! Love using up older supplies............like it almost gives you the right to buy some new ones!!

On the 17th Finn + Ruby made their first communion. That has being a busy time with having to go to lessons after church for 12 weeks. As well as the stress to find a white outfit for Ruby!!.........we did it!! I was super proud of them + wished that mum could of being there.

And on the 19th we went to Wgtn. On the 20th it was year since my mum had passed.
yeah wow a whole year!! So we spent the day with my family + took my mum's ashes up to the local cemetery + had her ashes buried with her parents. It was special + it was nice to be with my dad + my mum's sisters + brother.

We stayed on + spent some time with dad. And I had promised the kids a ride on the train. OK they have done it before but hey a train ride is a train ride when you don't get to have one in the Naki. So trains here we come + headed into town (unfortunately Finn was sick + couldn't come). I planned to walk the kids up Lambton quay + back to the station.

Waiting.

It was strange to stand with my kids + share this part of my life............that seemed so huge back then. Catching the train into town to go to T.Coll or go out with the girls.

I loved seeing how excited they were + lots of questions. When you do something like this everyday its boring + more than anything the waiting for the train + the ride was like a time waster for me.............but this time was different. I loved the conversations + how exciting to see a station named the same as our babysitter Ava!!

I didn't realise how much I have taken it for granted that my kids haven't really been to the city!! We have been to Wgtn so many times with them but we never seem to leave the Hutt Valley.
So to see their wee faces look up in awe at the cranes in the sky made me realise!!............bad mama bad mama!! We don't get cranes in Stratford!!

We found a yummy cafe + I'm so thankful for kids that like the cafe cultural like their ma + pa!!

Then we walked Lambton Quay............this did make me giggle as Taidhg was a nitemare walking amongst the suits + of course why should he stick to the left when there is a huge sidewalk to follow!! Would love to be 4 again somedays.............I think making my own rules up sounds like fun + tough to the adults that don't it!!

The only shops we went into were shoes shops + music. Um ok shoes shops were quickly ruled out as Mr T decided that it would be a fantatis idea to try on a pair if red heels!!

But how they loved the music shop.

It was the first time since Mum got sick that I really enjoyed Wgtn again. Also helped seeing these gorgeous girls. We laughed + talked so much that the guy behind the bar asked Kev if he was OK with us 4!!

Taidhg wanted to take some photos of us with Poppa before we left to come home.

its a beauty!!

Home again + then the party + was even over it before it has started!!

OK here is the cake it was meant to look like a rabbit but somehow its ears make it look like a cat. Shocking photo too.............forget that winter nights aren't the best!

so yeah here I am..............planning on going no where + just chilling. Anyway its freezing who wants to go out in this weather!! kev drove around the mountain today to go windsurfing around the coast ...............total madness I tell ya!!.............and he struck sleet on one of the top roads..................infact it snowed in Stratford while we were away in Wgtn!!

Thanks goodness for woodburners + warm hubbies!!

oh I did complete a LO today...........will share soon.

nite

rach

ps a HIGH 5 to you if you stuck around this long!

autumn..........you gotta love it!

this is why I love this season so much...........

1. you get to see one of your kids live a dream

2. they play the part right + wear their recent purchase from a local op shop! (tassled waistcoat)
btw I have unleashed a beast in Ruby when it comes to op shopping now!!

3. having our own pumpkin patch + there is still more..........



4. nothing but blue sky's


5. playing + having a picnic in the park on Sunday arvo.




6. celebrating Kev's birthday on the last day of March.

8. and lastly cooler days + nights to be creative. And these were for the lastest Ezine for SBO .
I was kindly asked by Andrea to create some LO's using the new range of BG Marrakech.

I had some fun!!

and just a reminder a new dare will be up on the dare site tomorrow night. It's a goodie + we would love you join in + play. :)

Also congrats to Rachel + Kate for making the creative team for the Autumn Retreat.

OK I need to link you gals up!!

take care

Rach

always late to the party!

go check this out..............
http://scrapbookoutletnz.co.nz/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2720+ go have some fun!!

super busy here cooking up a storm of food for kev to take to dad's this weekend + the kindy gala.........I'm over cooking now!! Lucky for home made hamburgers tonight!!........+ a glass of wine + Project Runway!!!
and roll on the school hols.........I'm so super excited for them this time round as I'm doing something super special with some pretty awesome gals!!...........and as well we are all super tired + struggling with the dark mornings!!

and I've also been knitting, knitting + then some more.
teaching myself to cast on + knitting some tea cloths.............just gotta to learn how to cast off now!!

rach

socks are in order.........

for a day like today.

yep its cold + I so don't like it!! I have to wear more clothing!!

where is our warm march?

and already a snotty nose has appeared in our house + had 2 days of lying on the sofa!

I've been busy.

I have even pulled out my sewing machine.

And as I sat down to sew I realised it must be almost 18mths since I had used it on a LO. I think I did a over kill with sewing on the LO's back then!!

But this time I was sewing with material to make scrafs. Well it was meant to be 1 but the orders are coming in from 3 small people who thought mummy looked "cool" in her new scarf!!

And now we are adding felt!

I sew ......(hehehe......ok dumb pun but thats so me) enjoyed watching 'dancing with the stars' last night hand sewing some felt to the bottom of Ruby's scarf.

Ruby wanted a horse added to her scarf but I just couldn't get my head around a horse made out of felt that would probably turn out looking like a donkey!!

But I knew my girl loved her furry friends + remembered seeing some super cute bunnies on the Velvet Red blog class painted but Elise (oh yeah I did mention I was doing that?.........very cool btw).

So we had a go at drawing our own + made up some patterns to use on the felt.

Ruby is so awesome at drawing animals...............her horses beat mine hands down anyday!!

Still got some stitching to finish off. I love how these bunnies turned out + I think I will use them on something else.

rach

7, 8 + 9!

ok its only taken me a week to recover from scrapcamp!!

lots of laughs + late nights of talking + early starts!! All part of it though!

Thanks Lianne + Yo for inviting me to teach at camp. I really enjoyed teaching + had awesome students.

Meet some crazy naughty fun gals............my kind of ppl plz!! Infact we had a aweswome table + I loved them all. Thanks girls for all the laughs + making my weekend fun!

here's the LO's I did for the classes.

and finally here are the 7, 8 + 9 everyday shots for Vicky's challenge. I really enjoyed this challenge + it got me thinking about another challenge I'd like to do for myself. I do remember reading some where on Nic Howards blog ages ago, as in last year ages ago. A friend of hers was doing a challenge where you went around your home town + took pics. And then as I travelled through Hamilton I saw these cool stone features + it resparked this idea that I must do this for me + the kids. And even make them join in the challenge too as I have a spare camera.

so here's my last few everyday shots from last week.

Friday the 27th - Day 7

Driving to Rotorua we look up + see this. Not a great shot but thats what you get when you take a pic through the windscreen.

+ both Finn + Ruby say "hey thats like in the Cars movie". For those that know NZ well (not mentioning any names for the geo challenged ppl in NZ) but this pic was taken soon after we drove past the Whakamaru Hydro Village, slightly south of Mangakino.

5 mins later.............crazies in the car! And 5 mins before that they all looked like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths!!

Day 8 - 28th Feb.

11 years of happiness to the best dude ever!!

while mummy sleeps on a camp bed the family lives it up at the Novotal.

Looks like there was lots of fun to be had while mummy was across the lake.

photos taken by kev

Day 9 - 1st of March

last day of camp + getting ready to say goodbye to new friends.

julia the queen of LO's that weekend..........that gal was a power machine.

rach who just knows how to work the felt. she does a mean felt flower. I just loved that make + take.

me........when did my hair get that big!!

kate who just knew what to always say.........too funny!

Barb the local who had great taste in music + loved a good laugh too!

and then we travelled onto Auckland to see my sil who broke her back the week before.

thats what happens when the little ppl play with big 18 handed horses!!
she will be ok + is at home resting up.
great to see ya Steph.
then we spent the night catching up with friends in Puke who just happened to have a guitar in their hand when we arrived. They just wanted cheat entertainment!!
Thanks guys!!



so here I am a whole week later still recovering!! But I must admit our kids are such great travellers............but Finn must always travel in the back!! That way he can't annoy anyone!!
We do really love him but he's just the nit picker in everyway!!

And finally if you haven't checked out the lastest dare go + check it out.
its all about colour + we have a special guest dter this time round. I'll let you go there + discover who it is.



here's my take on the dare. darn scanner chopped a bit off top + bottom!

hope you are all having a great weekend. Long one for those that live in the Naki.

I'm off to try my hand at scarf making using the sewing machine!! if they turn out great I will share!!

rach

day 4, 5 + 6.

ok just got a tad busy at my place but still remembering to take some pics each day.

day 4.

this was spent in New Plymouth with my very funny new friend.

Love making new friends.

Love ppl that can make me laugh + laugh.

Love connecting with someone + realising that you both think along the same lines.

so we shopped at spotlight - me buttons + her backing for curtains.

we looked in at the Plastic Box shop............yes how I LOVE little boxes to squirrel away things in.

I purchased some rather super cute girly cubbie holes for Ruby's room.

we drunk coffee + treated ourselves to a lovely lunch.

we laughed + laughed.

day 5

housework was calling, kindy run + swimming lessons.

kev is doing a gig in March ..........love listening to him

I wear my mum aprons while I cook + I love to hear Ruby say 'oh mummy I remember Poppins wearing that apron'. I worry they will forget but this small reminder makes me realise they don't.

nothing could be more sweeter than a chocolate coated boy in the bath at the end of the day!

day 6

a normal day of kindy + school + NO after school activities today. YAY!

Preparing + packing for our weekend away.

today's everyday shots were taken from the same spot...............by my washing line after dinner tonite.

yesterday I spied a lovely wild flower growing in the long grass by the fence line. This weed reminds me of Kev, Brave Heart + our days in Scotland. Looked so pretty against the long grass.

one of my views I look out to while I hang out the washing

quite often I have a wee friend that follows me to the washing line. Twiggy.

I will have to play catchup when I get back from my long weekend away.
looking forward to catching up with friends + teaching my classes.
will share those when I get back too.

be good while I'm gone!

rach

ps just have to share that Kev cracks me up.............when we get that notification that someone has added him to facebook. I ask 'who is that?' 'I don't know' he replies 'never heard of them'............he is hopless!!

ok just sneaking in..........day 3.

hmmm where did Monday go!

ick I hit that alarm clock hard at 6.25..........snooze is bad ...........especially when you hit it twice + then you suddenly realise help is that 7.00 I'm seeing through my half shut eyes!!

yep sure is!!

ok looks like the kids will miss the bus (kids get picked up at gate 8.05)..............lucky for kindy run!

F + R are dropped at school.

then it's mr T's turn.

he wants me to stay for 9am mat time.............I think he likes it cause I know all the songs + actions.

yes I do all the songs + actions.

my boy is smiling + I can go home + perform household duties!!

ok what household duties was I talking about??

oh yeah those nasty pots I didn't wash up the night before.

does reading the paper count as a household duty??

so kindy is over.

just me + the boy are home till the school bus pulls in at 3.40pm

I get some time in the scraproom.

so this is where I remember to take some pics.

my late lunch.............peanut butter + banana on toast!! YUM!

feeding + watering the kids after school.

the homework.

swimming was late today................7.30pm.

Finn was in the big pool + Taidhg had a new instructor.

Taidhg refused to go into the pool + wouldn't tell me why.

On the way home I heard a wee voice from the very depths of the car (Taidhg has moved his car seat to the back back) 'I didn't like that lady'.

lucky we aren't doing Monday night swimming lessons again.

home + bed.

and sleep for me now.................hmmm i didn't sneak in on day 3!

the weekend is going something like this....

I have joined in on this idea............check it out. I really enjoy reading Vicky's blog + love the photos she takes of everyday life.............so join in lots of fun + so simple!

Saturday started with rain + a funeral of friends mum who died suddenly during the week.

it was harder than I thought.

my discarded shoes after the funeral.

now I just have to share these are most fav shoes in all the world + *sigh* they so beautifully coloured.........purple!!!

Finished this book!! Different for me but really enjoyed it.

even though it rained for part of yesterday it was so hot + someone who is pushing the boundaries everyway thought this was a good way to cool off!! ..........I love this boys sense of humour!

20 minutes later................

jam tarts made with nana from her cook book.

big brother burning rubber on sisters bike!!

and this my LO for the lastest dare...................new beginnings.

I went with some older photos of Ruby when she just learnt to walk at 10mths.

I used the Jan kit from Kennerroad kits + I was inspired how Lisa Garay used the clouds + buttons on one of her LO's.

and here was my version of Lianne's dare - 'what you learnt last year'.

mine was learning to let things go........don't sweat the small things in life...............don't make mountains out of mole hills.

and how happy was I when I discovered my fav TV show had begun...........well the week before (no one told me...........lol)...........Project Runway!!

rach