pics from Melbourne

Well here's some pics from Melbourne. (Approved pics only! ~L~)





This is the fog I hit - from the top of Cambewarra Mountain to the other side of Lake George! I was driving along the whole way thinking "If they dare tell me Canberra airport is fogged in there is going to be BIG trouble" but it cleared just as I was coming into Canberra PHEW!








SJ in the wonderful town of Mornington - the best fish and chips, gorgeous water views, cute beach huts AND an amazing scrapbooking shop! What a great place to visit!

Excuse the colour of the pink clouds in the background GRRRRRR to my camera!







Just a couple of mad people!













































TODAYS QUOTE:
You can't deny laughter; when it comes, it plops down in your favourite chair and stays as long as it wants
~ Stephen King

A great time was had by all!

Well I'm back home (how did that happen so quickly!). Had an amazing time in Melbourne with SJ, Matt, Keira, Jamie and Miranda.

I arrived in Melbourne all ready to do the zoom zoom song, arms ready to go, and no SJ! Turns out I was in terminal 3 baggage area 1 - she was in terminal 1 baggage area 3! ~L~ But we found each other after a couple of SMS messages and I was welcomed to beautiful sunny Melbourne (NOT!!). We went back to SJ and Matt's to find that not only did I have my own bedroom but also my own scrapping desk! How cool was that!

They made me feel so welcome and so at home. It was great spending time with them. We spent Sunday scrapping and actually got quite a fair bit achieved (yeah okay and maybe a little bit of talking!) Oh - and I was allowed to touch and play with Sandra's stash - not just look. How priviledged was I!

Monday we went for a short (hehe) drive to Mornington for some of the best fish and chips I have ever had and then on to an amazing scrapbooking shop. (Thanks Matt for giving up your day off to drive us, and for putting up with us too!) and I saw some of the huts on the beach at mornington - they looked so cute!

Tuesday was just mad! And it was all Matt's fault ~ long story just never ask this man to pack your lunch for you!~ well not really his fault, he actually made the silly mistake of leaving the two of us at home together, so we went shopping! The toy shop we went to was mind-blowing. Pressed as many buttons as I could and played with lots of toys! Bought home goodies for the kids which they just loved. Then we went to the LSS and I think we touched just about every item in the store. Got home in just enough time to wolf down some sandwiches before picking the kids up from school. These sandwiches happened to be: chicken, cheese, mustard and.........sour cream! Sounds weird but tasted great, Then after picking up the kids we came home and found left over strawberry icing in the fridge so we sat down with a packet of cinnamon crunch biscuits and ate them with the icing! Talk about sugar high! But then Keira took it one step further and added icing to her banana! After that everything sort of went a bit mad! I don't think I have laughed so much in ages. The really scary thing is that we have the same warped sense of humour! VERY SCARY. Poor Matt came home and thought he'd walked into the loony bin! Even scarier all this happened before we had a glass of wine!

All in all it was a great time. SJ and Matt were just wonderful and I loved the time I had with them. Got heaps of scrapbooking done we got through about 4L of wine, laughed till we couldn't laugh any more, shopped, chatted. What more could you ask for!

Will post some piccies later when I get a chance to go through them. I actually forgot to even get my camera out until about Monday, having too much fun!

What a great few days!

Well the last few days have been good ones. It started on Monday when I found out I had won 2 of the challenges at the FTC cybercrop on the weekend. I couldn't believe it I really didn't think I had a chance in any of the categories so I was blown away but the biggest news was that Tasha won in the kids section! She was sooooo excited, she was literally standing beside me bouncing up and down!

Also on Moday we went to the library to hear Bruce whatley talk about his latest book Danny DaVinci and the Great horse of Milan. It was fascinating to hear about how the book was written and the different things you need to do to get a book finished. He also read his book to us and then had the chance to ask questions about this book and some of his other books. He really was a great speaker and had the kids enthralled. Tasha even came home and wrote a story of her own!

Then yesterday the kids went to adventure day camp at Waterslea (Koloona) and had a ball. I was a bit worried about how they would go but they loved it! Tasha went canoeing (and didn't tip her canoe over) and Kyle went billy carting and abseiling! I thought he might balk but he didn't! He said ti was okay but he slipped at the end and has a great big graze on his elbow and wrist so thought maybe he wouldn't do it again!

They had so much fun they can't wait to go again. On Thursday Tasha is doing billy carting and rafting and Kyle gets to try archery!

Have been trying to sort out stuff to take to Melbourne - Been printing photos and working out pages etc. Only three days to go!

TODAYS QUOTE:
The quote today comes from one of my favourite authors Douglas Adams:

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be

What a day!

Tony, the kids and I went out to Vincentia today cause the kids wanted to go to the pool for a swim but the Bay and Basin Leisure Centre wasn't open! So we went to Moona Moona creek for a while and then we decided to go around the Blenheim Beach. It was lovely, the water was so calm and peaceful. It was a bit hazy but a nice day nonetheless.

There were quite a few families there and Tony popped into Vincentia to get drinks for us and just after he left I heard Tasha yell out (in her not so subtle voice) "Mum what's that - is it a shark?" Well you have never seen so many people move so quickly - I think everyone on the beach heard her and there were parents jumping up everywhere.

I looked out and just past the kids there was a fin moving through the water but before I could say anything another fin appeared and they suddenly started jumping and frolicing. It was a couple of dolphins. Then as they disappeared a pod of about 10 of them came past the beach and jumped and played for about 10 minutes. It was just beautiful.

I grabbed my camera to take some pics but didnt get many good ones. I kept missing them!

And I was too far away - you can just see the specks in the water

Kyle and Tasha are the two at the left of the group of people there

As I said the pics are'nt the best but then neither is my little camera that I just throw in my bag

Cyber Crop

Don't forget the Froggy Todd cybercrop is on this weekend!

I am loving the challenges this weekend. I have completed my B & W and two of the other challenges I have the photos ready to go as I had planned on scrapping these anyway!

This time in a week I will be on my way to Melbourne - boy that has come up quickly!


QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." Mary Anne Radmacher

Easter came late this year!

We went up to mum's yesterday for our easter lunch. We had decided not to join them for their party Easter Friday as we had spent Christmas with my family so we left it clear for tony's family but ended up just spending the time at home anyway- everyone was too busy! Oh well.

Had a ball yesterday - lots of prawns ,oysters and smoked salmon for lunch and a fun easter egg hunt afterwards!

Here is Tasha blowing the horn for the hunt!

And the kids all happy and full of chocolate

Out with a bang!

The kids got a great shock over the weekend. They were sitting down together playing the organ when there was a bang and smoke started pouring out of it! BUT instead of calling out or moving they both sat there frozen watching the smoke! Good thing I was nearby - called for Tony and ran and grabbed the fire extinguisher. Kids okay but the organ is no good! We burnt out the power box thingy (yes that is the proper term ~L~) so it is now goodbye to the old organ.

Only 10 days till I go to Melbourne - how do you pack clothes for 5 days and scrapping stuff for five days as well!?! I normally take three bags to go scrapping for a day AND because I'm flying there is a weight limit. Have to work on small projects! - If truth be told there will probably be more chatting, giggling and imbibing of wine done than scrapping.


TODAYS QUOTE
You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair. - chinese proverb

ooooops

Forgot to add my quote for today so lets see..............

life is uncertain...eat dessert first! ~L~

no let's try this one -


"happiness isn't doing what you like, it's liking what you do."



ps - 15 days!!

pics that I promised

Firstly here is pics of a tin I made for Michelle at work - (Yeah I know when I am leaving I'm not supposed to give the gifts) just to say thanks for her support.

I loved how this turned out and it wasnt easy to give away! I covered an old corinthians tin using BG papers (Yeah I know been hanging around Gail too long!) and then cut the M and the used chipboard flowers and tag covered in paper and DM'ed for embellishments.

The stamp on the tag is a Stampin up one the says "simply said from the heart - Thank you"

And here is the pics of kyles war wounds

I'm Free, I'm Free

Well what a couple of days of highs and lows!

Today is my first day of freedom (or my last day of working!) and it is a great feeling.

Was a bit flat today - no cake no flowers - no nothing! Got a "Hope you enjoy whatever it is you do now" on the way out by our manager. Felt real good. But my boss took me out for a drink at the pub on the way home so that was nice! Said lots of nice things - made me sad but I am also sooo very relieved to be going. feels like a weight is lifted!

Yesterday was a bit of a shocker - bit of advice if a guy ever tells you "I'm just going to stick this needle into your breast but it won't hurt!" don't believe him!!!!!! Also yesterday got a phone call from the school to say that Kyle was in time out for fighting - TWICE!!! Got some great pics of his black eye and a bite he has on his inner thigh. Will post them later


MY QUOTE FOR TODAY:
What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but, scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable. Joseph Addison

What makes us happy?

What do we need to be truly happy?

We think that life will be better once we get married or have a baby. But then we can't wait for the kids to grow up and maybe we'll be happy when they do. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. Will we be happy when they are out of that stage?. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.If not now ... when?
Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza ..."For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin.But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time ... and remember that time waits for no one ...So stop waiting until you finish school ... until you go back to school ... until you lose ten pounds ... until you gain ten pounds ... until you have kids ... until your kids leave the house ... until you start work ... until you retire ... until you get married ... until you get divorced ... until Friday night ... until Sunday morning ... until you get a new car or home ... until your car or home is paid off ... until spring, until summer ... until fall ... until winter ... until you are off welfare ... until the first or fifteenth ... until your song comes on ... until you've had a drink ... until you've sobered up ... until you die ... until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy ...

I found this when I was surfing the web tonight and it is all so true. We need to stop looking at the litte things and be glad for the good things in our life.

Sometimes I tend to focus on the details and forget to step back and look at the big picture.

I once read that you can be as happy as you make up your mind to be and that is so true.

So stop and look at the good things in your life - make a list (even if it's just in your head) of the special things - I know sometimes the hubby or kids can drive you mad but they can also provide you with some of the happiest times as well - don't forget those special friends who are there for you even when you just need someone to be silly with!


My happy thought for today -
Only 20 days till I go to Melbourne!



QUOTE FOR TODAY:

Happiness is a journey ... not a destination!!