I know I said..............

I wouldn't be back for awhile but I seem to have some extra engery this morning.........maybe it was the lovely cards I got for mothers day this morning!!!

Thanks for the get well wishes...........its a slow process but we will get there in the end but to add to the mix I also have something wrong with my liver............having test soon..........fingers crossed its nothing major!!!

With a overactive thyroid it makes you very very tired ...............so I have very little engery for anything + thats just 1 of the many symptoms I have. So when the kids go to school I seem to spend alot of time on the sofa..............I'm so over it but thats how low my engery is!! But then there are times I have to get moving + yesterday was one of those days as it was Saturday morning sport. And now that I have 3 kids playing sport we are split 3 ways. With rugby we have to travel + hockey is at the turf sametime + in Stratford each week. It looks I'm doing the home games. And yesterday I got to watch Taidhg play rugby............it was his second game. I just love watching the little kids.............running the wrong way + playing in the wrong team are just some of the entertaining moments in the game. Taidhg scored 2 tries..............and hey lets not forget the 2 drop kicks he did in the game...............the result of playing with a big brother at home in the backyard!!!

Don't they just love playing with their mouthguards all the time!!

And notice we shaved all Taidhgs hair off.................bloody nits.............but fingers crossed we are over them...........we had a lady come to our house + denit us all!!...........well not Kev!! I didn't know that ppl even did that as a job!!!

And Ruby has decided to be the goalie this season for her hockey team.

and so today its Mothers Day. I have never been big on celebrating this day with brought gifts.........instead I love the handmade cards I get every year from kids. Growing up Mothers Day was not big in our house either but my mum did like a phone call to wish her a happy mothers day. Its not that we believe in it but why do we have to have a public day to remind us about our mums + say all those nice things that should be said in our everyday.

Two years ago I spent my last mothers day with my mum as she was dying + tomorrow is her second ann.

So instead of feeling sad I'm planning on taking Ruby out for arvo tea tomorrow + celebrating her - my mum + Rubys Poppins. Rubys misses her alot + I think its important to remember to celebrate what a wonderful person she was. And thank her quietly.

So to all mums that read my blog today I wish you all a wonderful mothers day with your family.

ps I do believe that as a mother on mothers day we shouldn't do anything!! ;)

apparently I'm being taking to Iron Man 2 this arvo!!

down + out!

so many things have happened since my last post!! And I can't be bothered filling it in!!
I'm still here + very busy but my health has not been good for nearly 2mths........we found out I have a over active thyriod. So hopefully when I start to feel good I will be back on here!!

Relax!!

oh yes thats what I'm gonna be doing for the next 2 weeks!!.........yay for school holidays!!

What a busy term at school esp this last week............tryathlons, a birthday, a visit to hospital + Easter visitors.

But my what fantastic weather we have had.............its like a mini summer.........love it!! Still in shorts + T's!!.........and visits to the beach...........autumn is my fav season by far. And i see our Chestnut tree is shedding its harvest already!!..........missed the blackberries this year.

On Wednesday Finn + Ruby entered the weetbix tryathlon for the first time. It was stinky hot day...........+ should i add in there it was Kev's birthday!!
Ruby was in a team event + she ran. Finn was on his own + did the bike + run.
For some reason my kids weren't keen on swimming in the sea..........I didn't get that considering they swim at the beach all the time!!???



Afterwards we headed to the beach to relieve ourselves from the heat.






Then we ended up here!





At the hospital with a cut foot!..........the outcome was good..........just a nasty cut + no stitches needed! But the kids enjoyed the visit to the hospital...........checking out the xray room + having rides in a wheelchair!!

Right I'm off to enjoy my Easter + I hope you have a good one too!!

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!!