Welcome Home..............

by Dave Dobbyn thats what Kev sang to his friend on Saturday as we farewelled him.

So powerful + appropriate for Dave as his Aussie army mates brought him home on Friday.

A wonderful service for a great guy..........lots of laughs + tears on Saturday as many wonderful tributes were made to Dave.


We will miss you dearly Dave............a little bit of us goes with you.


I was so super proud of Kev to sing this song...........huge courage + a lot of love.

today we are bunking school to do this...........

school was meant to finish at 12.30 but they cancelled the meeting + so its meant to be normal hours............but we made plans............and we are still going to do our plans + go to the beach this arvo!! The weather is crazy perfect + it won't be long until we will be lighting fires + adding the layers of extra clothes!!.............so making the most of it!!

off to splash in the waves!!

Today was a day to celebrate

12yrs ago I said YES to this fab guy!!



we got married down the road from our house in these gardens Te Popo. It was a fantastic summers day. Kev sung + played the guitar to me as I walked to him. (isn't he magic!!) My parents both gave me away.

I wore a pink wedding dress! Same shade + I had small flowers like this dress sewn on my empire line.
We had the best band!! As well as having such amazing talent they made their own instruments plz!! Such clever clever ppl. Kev had a wee jammin session with them too!!

It was a magical wedding. And I'm so glad I got to marry such a amazing man!!

So today we celebrated with my favourite breakfast ( i got to choose as I was making them).....pancakes!!

and then we all hung out for the day at home. Kev did have to milk so we couldn't go far. And then we wined + dined ourselves with the kids.........yes we took our beloved kids to dinner with us!! Infact they make the day even more special !!........did I just say that!!........lol

But hey I haven't shared my exciting news.............on WEdnesday night we went to the More FM winery tour .........which was awesome.........but afterwards we went into town + hung out at a small bar + some of the band members from the concert arrived + then Che Fu rocked in!! They had a big jammin session with only about 40 of us!! Ok with out sounding too corny it was really cool!! He just ad libbed + was singing about the ppl in the bar etc..........it was very cool. Well worth getting home at 2.30am!!.............btw I didn't suffer as I was the driver + lets just say Kev is still recovering!!

But on a sad note we received some very sad news when we got home from dinner that one of Kev's school mates passed away suddenly in Aussie. RIP Dave...........in our thoughts + prayers.

Right looks like I've done another midnightner!!............not good being Monday tomorrow + a busy week!! Lots to do + lots planned..........might even find some time to create!!

Lately..........

we had a trip away..........it was wonderful to reconnect with great people.
of course a stop at the beach was needed..........it was so hot!!


and then some of us have felt like this of late...........not fun!

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Our lights have being on into the small hours ..................wish I could say it was one hell of a party..........but more like 4 nights of hell!!

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I have spent lots of time in my lovely big bath .




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and today is a new week!



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a little break away.

so we popped up to a beach just nth of our place for 3 nights away. Stayed in a great bach. This beach is very popular. It has a camp site for tenters + caravans + avenues of baches.......its like a mini seaside town filled with adults + kids..........and I mean kids ............everywhere..........on bikes..........at the playground..........the river or the beach. And you know what its fantastic for the kids............they just come + go all day long + you know they are safe. And of course there were plenty of kids from school for our kids to hook up with!! And my kids loved the shop esp..........when do my country kids get to walk to the dairy + buy their ice creams!!??.........never!!.........and bike around till its dark!!

just to give you an idea what its like. This is not even quarter of the camp. We had a 3 storey place + looked over everyones bach!! And yeah shocker photo!!.....lol

So we spent a lot of time at the river rather than the beach. Kayaked, boggie boarded, made sand castles, buried each other, swam + the best bit .............. we fished!! I have a new addiction!! I loved it!! Mr T the fluke first time fishing ever caught a fish in 10 mins.

But wait there is more.............the stringrays go up + down the river!! One swam right past me on the rivers edge. Scarey to think about that dude that got stabbed at Kev's local windsurfing spot in Waitara last Monday. So anyway I was sitting on the edge of river enjoying myself + then something BIG snagged my line.............it pulled + pulled + I tried to windup + then snap...........it broke my line + took my bait + sinker.................it was a stingray!!



my boy in pink!! love it how he doesn't care!!

so today is the last day of the hols!! I can't say I feel sad this year that my kids are going to back to school. The summer so far has being crap + we have hardly being to the beach. I can't remember a summer so bad!

we have done lots of things, had friends over, got a few swims in at the local pool + stayed a few nights at the beach...........but my kids are ready for school + a routine. Poor old Taidhg has asked since new year when does school start again (thats only cause he got a week + a bit in bf the hols).

So we are ready. Uniforms all shiney + bright, new books brought + omg I must say how expensive they were $173 if you please + I even had recycled somethings from last year + got specials!! And books are covered!

I'm secretly excited as I'm going to get a bit of me time back.

the only thing I'm not looking forward to is the early starts..........I have being very spoilt these hols with lie ins each day + getting to read books late into the night..........I mean late as in 1 or 2am sessions!!..........should i mention a coffee made for me + brought to my bed each morn.......what a man eh!!

while the sun shines.........

we play on the waterslide + then lay on the hot concrete.

Remembering doing this as a kid?

we swim at our local country pool.

Flipper magic!! Ruby loves these flippers + apparently they make your swimming smoother!!Ruby brought them herself from the school gala for 50cents!! She's got the thrift thing going on like her mama!!

We practise rollerskating + we are getting better!!

and *sigh* I LOVE her skates..........I remember the freedom they gave me when I was a kid. I would spent hours practising........esp since i lived on a hill in the Hutt Valley + had to work out the safe way down without breaking anything!! Trees were handy to grab onto!!

I didn't have beautiful skates like Ruby's...........mine were tie on. But they serviced me well + I skated in them so much I wore the stoppers down!

The other night we went to NP to see "Where the wild thing are".

It was me that was busting to see it as i have always loved that book since I trained as a kindy teacher. And of course when I teaching I was always buying books for those future babies!!

So I didn't love it...........but then I didn't hate it! And damn it I cried at the end!!

The kids were funny...........I thought Ruby would like it but she wriggled + complained that she was hungry + tired all the way through it (and we just had dinner).

Finn wiggled his loose tooth the whole way through it + showed no emotion....... I mean nothing......lol..........and lets not forget he decided to stick his hand in the drink holder just before the end + got it stuck!! Ruby suggested that we would have to replace his arm for a stick like Douglas off the movie!!

Taidhg took me by surprise + watched the whole movie totally enthralled by it......on the edge of his seat kind of stuff. I thought he would of being the pain in the butt but no + then he totally surprised me by bursting into tears at the end. He was heartbroken that Max left Carol behind. Thats when I started to cry + Ruby was crying too!!

Kev just shook his head.

Next movie on the list is "The Fantastic Mr Fox". Hopefully no tears in that one!!??

And yes the sorting + decluttering still goes on...........one bag of broken + crappy toys thrown out!!

over + out till after the weekend.......getting glammed up for a wedding + running away + staying in a penthouse suite!! (and yes NO kids)

So Kev asked.........

whats your new years resolution?

I replied - I don't do resolutions!!

1. I never stick to them

2. I make unreachable ones

3. I just let myself down again

4. most are about my weight (boring)!!

but hey I do GOALS.

so you ask yourself whats the difference?

resolutions to me is something that you are trying resolve or fix.

goals are aims that you would like to reach.......and the word seems more user friendly!

so my GOALS for 2010 are (in no particular order)

keep my fitness up

try windsurfing
complete decorating our house

complete blanket I started last winter for our bed

good choices

write letters again



get re-inspired in the kitchen

make a journal

organise myself better

get creative again

well I have started one today.............................organise myself better

I sorted out 9 bags of clothes today + made a new space in the craftroom.

so did you make goals or a resolution or maybe nothing??

all photos sourced from weheartit

I do I do.........

this amazing talented woman sang out on Sunday night to us.........that is Gin Wigmore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps85tH5cK_E

with another great kiwi singer Dave Dobbyn. Loved this concert.........just as good or maybe even better than Fleetwood Mac the week before.

Now gotta get my tickets for the wine tour!

so where did xmas go? it was a great day in the sun + fun to be with kev's family. I took hardly any pics........typical me!

but this one says it all + what a clever santa getting her the perfect gift!!

and now this mama wants some too!! And btw thats not kev in the background thats my fil........its scarey they look so much alike!!

I hope you all had a lovely xmas + heres to (insert clink clink of glasses) new year + great things to come!!

home alone!

this guy........yes my baby turned 5 on the 5th of this mth.

and he went to school on Monday.


so I am home alone!!..........a mum of no preschoolers!!
so how do I feel?

a little sad that baby is a school boy + how quickly he has grown + changed + ready to learn more. I miss him hanging out with me in the morning before kindy + in the arvo.

But I DONT MISS driving into town for kindy.

He did this on Tuesday............and written all over his face was "I'm a big now riding the bus to school"

so he will get a week + a half before the summer hols........just a taste of whats to come!

And to my surprise my week has being rather busy.

Today I helped Ruby's class make these. I first saw them on here but had to adapt them to what we had here locally. fun!

mine

and Ruby's

and did you see the lastest ezine out at SBO ? a great read + some awesome inspo.
I was lucky again to have Andrea ask me..............here's my creations using the BG nook + pantry range with a bit of Cosmo nutmeg thrown in there.........I found they worked well together.

this is my fav LO out of the 4.

I wasn't so keen on this one but I have grown to like it..........working in such straight lines + that boxed look isn't really me.

my version from Trina's sketch.

and 42 pumpkins

hopefully I'll be back a sooner than later but i have had some health issues to deal with but things are looking good now + I feel normal again!!

and i have got lots of xmas decorating to do..............I so love love love this time of year!!
and hey I have signed up to do this too........can't wait!!

the time is flying by!!!

and look at that its over a mth since i last blogged!!

I've being crazy busy here + there is still more of it to come.

we had a wonderful break at labour weekend + stayed in a fantastic beach house in Oakura (which is 15km sth of New Plymouth).........and Kev had a great weekend windsurfing + paddle boarding + he even won a $800 custom made wetsuit!!

And then it was heads down + getting ready for our first halloween party!! I spent hrs on the invites.......infact I spent far too much time on the invites .............next time I will start early + not pour my heart + soul into them.

It was the best party. 17 kids came + they all had a blast. We played bob the apples.

eat jelly of the plate .......no hands!!

toasted marshmellows (which i got NO photos as I was getting the eats ready!) + to end the night we had a big lolly scramble. I also took NO photos of Finn, Ruby + Taidhg dressed up!! I plan to get them to have another dress up session + pose. Finn went as Micheal Jackson, Ruby a Zombie ballerina + Taidhg started off as Ben 10 but he wanted his face painted like a lion.......so he became a Lioning Ben 10!! And i was the only adult that dressed up + I went a Desperate Housewife!! For our first halloween party it was a hit + we will be doing it again next year!!

We finally planted out vegetable garden last week.............you always plant later than labour weekend in Stratty as there is always a late frost...........and do you know what........we had a small sneaky frost hit us + it killed our baby toms, cumbers + courgettes.......bummer!! But the corn + carrots are apparently already poking through the soil. Got to plant out the beans + peas yet.

not alot of scrapping has being happening but got some things to share in a few weeks using the lovely nook + pantry BG!! But I did make this cute little card for a friends BD last week.

its seems to be the season for BD's atm around here..........kids have got 5 parties happening + my baby turns 5 on the 5th of Dec.............eeck where did that time go!!

and and and I just had to share this photo............I just love it!!............come fly with me!

OK gotta run my most fav movie is on..................Dan in Real Life..............its soooooooooo funny + I just LOVE the music + I wish we had a house by the lake like that!!.............well i guess a tent by the sea is good enough atm eh!!..............lol