Saturday, April 30, 2011

Welcome Princess Cleopatra

We have a new addition to our family.

Princess Cleopatra

Sarah's new kitten - Cleo
Sarah has an abiding love of animals in all shapes and sizes and along with a dog, she has always wanted a cat.

I could never see how this could possibly work out and put every barrier in her way.  Over the past few weeks I have realised that all of these are just in my head.  Everything will work out.  We will sort out the 'Dog/Cat' issues; the furniture issues; the chore issues etc, etc.

We have become a family of pets.  We now have goldfish, tropical fish, two dogs and a Himalayan Persian/Domestic kitten aptly named Cleopatra.  Cleo is stunning, she is so adorable and cute and has wormed her way into our hearts in just a few hours.

Remind me of this post in a few weeks, when I am tearing out my hair, but for now. We are happy.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Happy Easter from our Family to Yours


Our Family Photo taken on Easter Sunday after attending Church together.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Happy Easter


Happy Easter to one and all.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe Easter, and that the Easter Bunny brings lots of yummy Chocolate Eggs.


Thursday, April 21, 2011

2nd post today

Welcome Home Matthew!

A tired and dirty camper
 Matthew returned from school camp today - it was a full on total adventure camp - based at Emu Gully  This was an amazing experience from the sound of it, with lots of great team building exercises and fun.

Matthew said they did tunnel crawling, log bridge crossings, rope courses, night walks, carrying stretchers, mud-pool crossings and finally ATV driving - all in all a full on 3 days.  The camp is run on an army style course and has ex-soldiers who serve as co-ordinators and guides.  The did a lot of team building talks and Matthew was given quite a bit of great feedback as a great leader. From his team-mates.  He is hoarse from all the shouting, bruised from the climbing, sore muscles from all the exercise and just plain tired.  But, he seems to have had the most amazing experiences.

Give me some Coke!
As you can see from the photo above, a week on water only was soon broken by a couple of large glasses of coke.  He is back on the computer and happily looking forward to his 5 day Easter break.

There's a Bear in There!

Sarah and Jimmy sharing a cuddle
Sarah was very lonely last night. She hates sleeping alone in her room at the best of times, but last night was particularly bad.  When I went to wake her this morning, I found her big teddy sharing her bed.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Celebrating

48 years ago today - April 20th, 1963 - two very special people vowed to love and honour each other.

Celebrating your 48th Wedding anniversary
Today Sarah and I had the chance to join Mum and Dad for lunch and share their celebration of their 48th wedding anniversary.  Not only have they been married for 48 years, but they got engaged on Good Friday and their First date was on Easter Saturday a few years previous.

If I could hold up a couple, that tell me what marriage is about, it would be my Mum and Dad.  They have had their good times and also their bad. They have weathered sadness and loss and celebrated successes and through it all they have had one amazing lesson to share.

THEY ARE FRIENDS.  THEY CAN LAUGH TOGETHER AT NOTHING AND EVERYTHING. THEY SHARE THE GOOD AND THE BAD.

So if you want to know how to live with someone happily, for 48 years, then follow this advice. Marry your best friend, share your lives together and most of all laugh often, laugh long and laugh together.

Thank you Mum and Dad for your love.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Matthew School Camp

I dropped Matthew off for Camp today (and I forgot to take my camera :(  what an idiot). I will however take it when I pick him up.

He is attending a camp at a place called Emu Gully - it is an army style camp where they will do such exciting activities as the 'Rats of Tobruk', the 'tunnels of Vietnam, a mudpool crossing, dune buggy driving etc, etc.

It is wet, muddy and to add to it all our weather is rainy - he is so excited!

Rather Matthew than ME!  I have given him as many old clothes as he has (although most of his old clothes he has outgrown) and I expect to have a case full of wet, muddy clothes on Thursday. Oh well - as long as he has fun.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Indulging in rest

This past week has seen all three children sick with a 'mystery' virus - in other words the doctor's don't have a clue what is wrong with them. I have also had a touch of it, but kept going.

Ivan suggested/hinted/insisted that yesterday I take a day off, so I had a day in bed. What an indulgence. I slept, read, watched TV and rested. It was lovely. I am still feeling a little under the weather this morning, but able to get up and begin the day with a bit more energy.  Thank you love.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

More wallpaper photos

If I never see another piece of wallpaper again it will be too soon.


Look at this big piece Mom

The girls tackled the family room walls, while I did the kitchen. The wallpaper comes off easy, except in the parts that they seemed to have used Super-Glue!!!
End result - now it just needs painting

Behind the bar

Clean walls
The house feels so much brighter and bigger now that the walls are white- of course we will need to repaint, but I am going to chose a nice light airy colour. Can't wait!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Life update

Wow - look at our teenage girl!

Looking good!

These last couple of weeks have been rather hectic. I have been sorting out clothes that Sarah has grown out of, and unpacking the clothes that Elizabeth bought and wore in the USA. Sarah is loving the fact that she finally fits into Elizabeth's beautiful clothes.

She looks like a beautiful fun teenager in these clothes, but in reality is so much more comfortable in her trackpants and T-shirts.

My clean fish tank


And my new fish
After a couple of years of having guppies - which bred live babies - ate them - we rescued them - they bred more - they ate more etc. etc. Finally we are down to one female guppy and I refuse to have more (even though they are so pretty).  So yesterday, I bought neon tetras, black tetras, and tiger tetras - very pretty.
Hopefully, they do as well as the guppies.

I have also spent the week stripping more wallpaper, attending doctor's appointments for children etc. etc.

Life is fun and goes on.


Thursday, April 7, 2011

I'm Back

It was the computer, not the operator that went on a 'go-slow'.  Matthew downloaded a huge file and exceeded our monthly quota - so my internet went on a 'go-slow'.  It was so frustrating that I just switched it off.  Anyway, it re-set last night, so am back in the world of blogging etc.

It is so interesting, when you sit in front of a screen waiting for something that had been instantaneous and now you have to wait moments for; our world sits at our fingertips now and waiting is now impossible. When I think of how slow life used to be, and how we now take it for granted that we can acccess anything at the tap of a keyboard  - I am blown away.

I love living today.  I love my computer. I love the internet. I love technology.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Computer slow down

No posts for a few days - sorry - computer is on strike!

Will be back on Thursday

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Work, work, work


Thirsty work
 We have followed all the instructions for our new table, washing it down well to get out the extra red sap out of the wood, and now it needs oiling to protect it. Yesterday, I decided to tackle the oiling. I couldn't believe how happily the wood soaked up the oil.  It will take a few days for the shine to wear off, but it looks great, now just 8 chairs to do.
Before & After

Filling in the gaps.