Wayward Angel

2011-08-02T14:20:00.000+10:00

Start of 2011 Quiz :-)

It's been so long since I blogged & going over my old pages thought "Gosh I forgot about that!" So this is just for my own prosperity.

1. What did you do between Jan 2010 & June 2011 that you’d never done before?

 
Went to Ellel in Sydney & Started leading Prayer Ministry. Went to a John Mellor healing conference & had my first kid in double digits! Imported a Harley Davidson.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?    

Spent a lot of this year asking God "WHAT NOW" especially with regard to work direction. We closed our business so lots of changes.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?  

No, sniff, sniff, although there are a few new babies on the way at church.

4. Did anyone close to you die? 

No, thank God

5. What countries did you visit?  

None :-( Just NSW lol

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

More peace that it's okay to just go with the flow while I wait for God to really show us a change in plans.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

June 30, 2010 - Last day of our business
January, 2011 - Alec cut his hand open.
May 31, 2011 - Wake up call to "Seek first the Kingdom" and not chase money, my place is at home.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?  

Putting more trust in God when things don't look certain.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Getting angry and paniced when finances were low. Pray before panic.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Same as 2009 just had a nasty sinus infection around September. Alec put his hand through the glass door.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A harley so we could sell it. & the front loader washing machine, laptop.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

All the kids, they are each growing more and more and just really great kids. They have their bad days, but so do we. & Mark showing lots of trust in God & his developing relationship with his Dad.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 
 
Juliar Gillard - CARBON TAX

14. Where did most of your money go?

Fuel & Food

15. What did you get really excited about?

Our new kitty, Max

16. What song will always remind you of 2010/11?

I ask for the Nations.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier, although there was nothing “sad” before that.
Thinner or fatter? Fatter, Sigh, not too much, but enough
Richer or poorer? God is just so good. no work for 12months yet we are richer!! There is cash in the bank & more debt paid off.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
  
More trusting. Praying.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?  

Worrying & tv.

20. How did you spend Christmas?   
 
At home.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?  
 
Yep, Two new loves in that time, Chance the dog & Max the kitty.

22. What was your favorite TV program?  
  
The Block & Renovators.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? 

I don't want to hate anyone, but just so peeved at the Greens & Labour party.

24. What was the best book you read?  
  
The bible.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? 
  
Worship!!!

26. What did you want and get?
    
TV & Xbox.

27. What did you want and not get? 
   
A job, but God had better plans.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? 
  
Ohhhh that's hard..... Just enjoyed all the Nicholas Sparks adaptations.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 
 
Sniff 35. I went to vinnies.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
    
I was going to say having a little more money, but looking back, all our needs were met, and I feel right now very blessed. More money wouldn’t have changed that.
Exactly the same, but looking at that it's been part of my current journey, trusting God for all our needs & not worrying.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
 
Jeans.

32. What kept you sane?   
 
My Husband.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
 
Mark Clifford. He’s still a celebrity in my house!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
    
Carbon Tax & pretty much anything that came out of Julia Gillard's & Bob Brown's mouth.

35. Who did you miss?  

Tracey Smith. Need to chat more to her, wish we lived closer. KYB group closed

36. Who was the best new person you met? 
   
WARWICK BAPTIST CHURCH & grew closer to Diane :-D

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
    
God ALWAYS provides. (still learning!!)

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.   

“you said, ask and you will recive, what ever your needs".

2009 Quiz :-)

2010-01-05T17:06:00.002+10:00

I saw this Quiz on Katie's blog and really liked it, thought I'd do it too. Would love to see the answers on other peoples too :-)

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
 
Wow a few things.
1. Bought a new house.
2. Had a caesarean
3. Had a premature baby
4. Joined a bible study group
5. Had my sisters stay at my house

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?    
Don’t really make new year’s resolutions, but often God speaks to me a lot at the start of the year about where I’m headed. Last year it was the house, this year it is budgeting again & being a bit more on track with schooling and marketing the business.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?  

I did, is that close enough to me?

4. Did anyone close to you die? 

Yep, our dog L Thankfully no humans.

5. What countries did you visit?  

Does NSW count?

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

Being on track and on time with School work stuff & more ADS clients.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Feburary 9th We settled on our house
Feburary 14th we moved our furniture out here and Mark and I spent our first night in the house.
Feburary 17th the rest of the family came out to the new house.
March 5th After an ambulance ride around the Darling Downs, I had a caesarean and Noah arrived 5wks early.
October 29th First Rodeo with the kids and we lost Mitchell

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?  

Listening to God on the house and having things fall into place and living in a town where a lot of my neighbours are Christian & really encouraging.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I don’t think you ever fail, if you can learn from it and move on. I’m pretty sure I did a lot of learning though.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Just had a nasty sinus infection around September.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Just encase you haven’t been reading…. A HOUSE!!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

All the kids, they are each growing more and more and just really great kids. They have their bad days, but so do we.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 
 
My own. Allowed myself to get really worked up over something so stupid and swore at the kids & broke Mitchells Lego ship. :(

14. Where did most of your money go?

Feeding the tribe lol & fixing the house. Oh and Fuel.

15. What did you get really excited about?

Appart from the house, getting out of hospital with Noah and having all the kids come home!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?

I would have to say the whole Casting Crowns Altar & The Door CD.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier, although there was nothing “sad” before that.
Thinner or fatter? Thinner, which is not hard considering I was pregnant this time last year.
Richer or poorer? Cash in the Bank Poorer, but Asset wise, richer. And the Super Fund still went down, can’t wait to make that one self managed.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
  
More time with the kids, especially more hands on schooling.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?  

Computer & Pioneer Woman.

20. How did you spend Christmas?   
 
At Maroochydore, spent the morning lazing around & the afternoon swimming in the river and chatting with a nice local couple.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?  
 
Yep, his name is Noah.

22. What was your favorite TV program?  
  
Foyle’s War.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? 

That is such a primary school question!! NO!!

24. What was the best book you read?  
  
Ohh boy a LOT. I swear each new Janette Oke book I read had me thinking that was the best book I had read. The last one I read at the beach house had me crying for the last two chapters.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? 
  
Weren’t really “discoverys” but we finally bought a heap of new CDS. Casting Crowns, Third Day & Mercy Me.

26. What did you want and get?
    
The house. My fourth boy.

27. What did you want and not get? 
   
Another water tank & Rain from June – October.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? 
  
Star Trek.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 
 
I was 33 and went and had dinner for the first time at the Tannymorel Bowls Club.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
    
I was going to say having a little more money, but looking back, all our needs were met, and I feel right now very blessed. More money wouldn’t have changed that.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
 
Jeans.

32. What kept you sane?   
 
God & bible study with the ladies over the road & bible study and chats with Ali. Visits from family :-)

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
 
Mark Clifford. He’s a celebrity in my house!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
    
Emissions Trading. & pretty much anything that came out of Anna Bligh’s mouth.

35. Who did you miss?  

I guess everyone at Pine Rivers Girls Brigade.

36. Who was the best new person you met? 
   
Oh Gosh too many to mention!! Pretty much all our new neighbours :-) And a couple of Angels while I was in hospital at Toowoomba.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
    
God ALWAYS provides. (although I learn it time after time)

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.   

“Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control
Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle”
Casting Crowns.

2009-11-09T12:54:00.004+10:00

This is a photo heavy post, but hey a picture tells a 1000 words :-) And since it's been soooooo long between posts rather than write a few thousand word essay about what's been going on and have you all comatose by the end, lots of photos it is.

click on photos to see larger.

d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
Cowps fell over and pushed his front tooth all the way back into the socket. We were given a few scenarios from the dentist and took the "wait and see" approach. So thankful that his tooth came back down into the right position and no discolouring. Thank you Jesus!! :-D
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
The kids found this frog & he's been a constant companion over the months. He lives in a big lilly under the kitchen window & is always so calm and collected with the kids. They've even rigged up a swing for the poor guy. I've never seen such a tollerant frog before!
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
We're now 2nd generation chook owners ;-) We finally had a chicken hatch after two chooks had been broody. We've now got 3 broody hens all sitting together stealing any egg that's laid to go under them. This time we are taking the "set and forget" attitude with the chickens and letting them do their thing. Hopefully we'll have more bubby chicks soon :-D
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
Finally catching up on all the "extra" school work that got a little neglected first half of the year. Kids have really enjoyed doing some science experiments together. Planing for next year's subjects is in full swing :-D Now just to get Mark up to speed on the whole system.
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
We're just so blessed with our neighbours out here. This is Roger, he's also restoring an old home and is just such a wonderful guy. He's calls the kids his Grand kids and has become a part of the family. We often have him over for dinner and the kids are always baking him stuff. He bought the kids a kite and flys it with them and has built the boys a big pick up truck. We also have a beautiful group of laides that I bible study with. Just so amazed that in such a tiny town, there are so many Christians. Just confirms even more that this was God's place for us. I finally made it to church on Sunday & this Sunday we'll try another home church. Just got to find a place that both Mark & I feel at home with.

Ron, another neighbour has also made us a table and chairs for our kitchen. Will have to take photos of the kitchen progress. Ron's 82 and is just so active and has been a real encouragment to Mark. Today he's having a back opperation, so prayers for his healing and recovery would be a real blessing.

d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
Here's a typical view of the scenery of these parts. A trip to the shops isn't so bad with views like this, and NO TRAFFIC!! We laugh that if we pass more than one car on our road, it must be peak hour.
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
I think apart from Mt Isa, Warwick hosts one of Australia's largest rodeos and campdraft competitions. We had a great time this year going with my sister Kym and her family. We're already planing next years. Also will be fun to go to the smaller local ones too. On the Saturday we lost Mitch at the rodeo. He lost sight of us and actually ran out of the rodeo thinking we were headed for the car. Thankfully God was looking out for him and we got him back safe and sound.
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
The kids are all just growing up so fast!! Noah is just doted on something fierce by his big sisters. I can see some of those girly dress up photos making their way out at someone's 21st.

House has been moving along. Mark has just continued to amaze me at his skill and drive in renovating. So far he's put in new doors, kitchen (half way there), new wall for a boys room, plumbing, new windows & is on the way to a new shed. Just so thankful for all the work he does.

Right now......... For Today.....

2009-06-25T12:43:00.002+10:00

Right Now.......

8

888

Such typical scenes from our home. Bubby snuggled in our bed, kids picking up in the lounge before they can watch a movie. Through the doorway Hannah doing dishes, Alec on the couch thinking that he looks like he's helping, my left over morning tea & computer on the table & streamers left hanging up from Sunday nights little family award night hosted by the kiddos.

For Today....

Outside my window... Roger working on his house across the street.

I am thinking... Enjoy the rest before "work" this afternoon & better get meat out of the freezer or it will never defrost.

I am thankful for... God, A freezer full of cow & having a wood heater.

From the kitchen... Morning tea - Banana cake, chocolate cake & hot milo. Lunch - toasted sandwiches. Dinner - steak & gravy

I am wearing... Jeans & a purple jumper that's too small and with a green shirt hanging out the bottom & sheepskin slippers. It's a nice look.

I am creating... plans for a renovation.

I am going... to the chook pen.

I am reading... Janette Oke

I am hoping... for some good materials from JJ to do our kitchen and bathroom & that I will finally finish the birth story.

I am hearing... The kids watching Marley & Me, Noah's waking up & Alec is nagging about blankets.

Around the house... Laundry, sweeping, ADS work & keeping the fire going.

One of my favourite things... Rugged up on the couch with a hot milo, fruit toast & a good book.

A few plans for the rest of the week... It's tax time so.... work, gardening, visiting the local museum.

Chicks & Bubbies

2009-04-03T14:52:00.006+10:00

This post is LONG overdue!! Noah and I came home on the Monday 16th of March and the rest of the kiddos came home on the Friday with my parents. Mum and Dad stayed till the following Tuesday and we got a fair bit done in the yard. Thanks Mum and Dad :-) When are you coming back??? hehe

Little man was due this week, amazing to think I've had an extra 5 weeks with this little guy. But with My Birthday last Friday & Hannah's this Tuesday I'm so glad we don't have 3 birthdays over 1 week!! 8

8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8

Look at him he's just so serious!!

And last weekend we welcomed these to our home. Studly Rocky with one of his girls. This lucky boy has 5 ladies to keep him company. They're not laying yet & he's not crowing yet, so our neighbours are still our friends for the time being. (Although my neighbour today swears she heard crowing from our place yesterday....I'm in denial)888

88
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8

And someone please help me!! This is the best I can do for capturing 6 kids right now. Where's Pioneer Woman when you need her.
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8

I'm sorry Cowp's that's not your best angle, and excuse me for keeping you up Noah, that's payback for how Mummy feels about your insisting boob is a good thing at all hours.

& Here's Part 1 of Noah's birth story.

NOAH - PART 1

As your sister likes to tell you little man, you might be number 6, but you are full of firsts. Your entry into the world was certainly different from all the bigger kids.

We’d only just moved to our new home, I think we’d only lived here for about 3 weeks and we’d just started to feel settled. Your brothers and sisters had just started at Brigade, we were catching up on our school missed while moving and I was planing on renovating the bathroom and Dad was having an ongoing drama about getting our roof water collected.

Things were feeling good, we were all loving being out here and I had decided that I would give up my place at the Birth Centre in Brisbane and go to the Warwick hospital. On Monday 2nd of March I went into the Warwick hospital to organise my last lot of appointments with them and “book in”. The lady at admissions called and faxed the Birth Centre to have a referral sent over. I was told that I couldn't even make an appointment until those forms arrived. She then looked at me and said “You’re quite along aren’t you” and when I said 35wks she said “Stuff protocol, I’ll make you that appointment” She got me in to see the doctor that Wednesday 4th at 2:45pm.
Well Wednesday arrives, I was all set for my appointment at 3:45pm, I was getting ready to walk out the door. I double checked my letter to see where in the hospital I had to go & realised that my appointment was 2:45 and that was.. RIGHT NOW!! I rang the hospital to tell them my stuff up and that it takes me 25min to get there. They said it was okay and just to get there when I could. Finally at 4pm I get to see the doctor. We go over my history and he calls the RBH again to get my records as they still hadn’t arrived. The appointment was all good and I said “see you next week”, fully expecting about 4 or 5 more appointments at the hospital. When I hoped into the car, there was a message from the RBH saying that they had sent over my file to Warwick hospital.

All was good; I drove home via McDonald's, got my self a banana bread and Vanilla Latte and came home to cook dinner. That night we had some rain, Dad was so relived that his tanks were getting some water and the whole family sat out on the veranda watching the rain and having supper, it was a nice relaxed night before we all headed to bed. As Mummy and Daddy lay in bed we talked about your arrival, that any time in the next 6 weeks you would be here and as usual near the end of every pregnancy I said “I don’t want to do labour again”. I told your Dad that I knew it would only be about 3hrs of labour and in the big scheme of things that was such a short time, but the uncertainty of when and the waiting was so frustrating. I told your Dad, it would be like me telling him that sometime in the next 6 wks he had to run for 3hrs continuously. He wasn’t to know when he had to do the run but that at any stage he would need to do it. He agreed that that would be horrible and said “Knowing you, you’d wake me at 1:30am to do it”.

We went to sleep, I was ready for you to arrive, your bed was made up, your clothes folded and sorted, I bought nappies & maternity pads and the house looked like a baby was coming, but going on history, I was preparing myself for it being a long 6 weeks.

At 2am that night I woke up quite suddenly. I had a pulse throbbing really fast and hard and it felt like the veins in my neck were going to burst. My hands were swollen and I had tingling in my right hand and arm. I got out of bed pretty quickly and got to the toilet. Once I got on the toilet I had really strong pains in my tummy and couldn’t sit up on the toilet and was having to lean back. I couldn’t really move and my first thought was “I’m not having a baby on the toilet” I yelled out “MARK!!!” and your Dad came in and I told him what was going on and I needed his help to get up. Just as I started to get up, I got a really strong cramp in my leg. So your poor Dad was trying to get a cramp out of my leg before I could get up.

Once I got up I started pacing the kitchen trying to work out what was going on. I felt a bit panicked and thought, “either I’m going into labour or I’m getting sick” I also was having continual pain in my belly and back. After about 5 min of things not really getting better I said to your Dad, “I think I’d better pack a bag and call the ambulance”. We both agreed that it was better to go and get things checked out, than hang around and perhaps have things get worse. So I got a bag ready and made the call. As I was packing my bags I had said to your Dad “God had placed it on my heart this last week I might be delivering this baby without you and I’m okay with that”.

The lady on the phone was lovely and said the ambulance would be roughly half an hour as it had to come from Warwick. Due to the distance they would send a first response unit from Killarney to be with me till the ambulance arrived. After talking to her for a while things seamed to calm down and I thought perhaps I didn’t need the ambulance after all. After I said that to her I told her I thought my waters had broken. She asked me to check the amount of fluid and then I realised that it wasn’t my waters it was blood. So I went off to deal with that I gave the phone to Dad and I thought “I’m glad I’ve called an ambulance”. When I hopped back on the phone your Dad asked me “Have you felt Noah move?” It was then that I realised before I went to sleep you were moving a fair bit, but since I woke up I hadn’t felt you at all. I lay down hoping you would move, prodded you and poked you but you didn’t move. By then the ambulance arrived. The ambulance men came in and asked a few questions and said “We’re taking you in to Warwick hospital” as they were loading me into the ambulance the first responders arrived. At 3am I said goodbye to your Dad and left 5 little kiddies in their beds.

I have a good excuse for the delay in posts

2009-03-15T19:30:00.004+10:00

And it looks like this.....8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8

Introducing Noah Benjamin Clifford.

Born March 5th 2009. Just a little bit early ;-) 5 weeks in fact. In the last post I said that we wanted to do the bathroom before April, before bubby arrived, my body had different ideas, I had a placental abruption which resulted in a ceasarian delivery at 35 weeks.

I'll put up the birth story later (will be a loooonnnngggg post, just don't want to forget God's hand in his delivery), we're still in hospital and hope to be home soon. We're both doing really well recovery wise and are desperate to go home.

And I need a new photo, he doesn't have tubes anymore :-)

Again!!

2009-03-04T01:23:00.006+10:00

It's late, Mark's away in Brissy doing inspections (we had enough for 2 days, Thank You Lord!!), I always put off sleep when he's not here.

I just did a layout using Willro&co's new "Quality Time" kit.

Journaling Reads: Your perfect will and timing Lord won in the end. You told us to buy a house after Nov. 08, and the enemy put in a good effort to stop it. He used bleeding during my pregnancy, Cowper’s TEC, Holly’s eczema and Mark’s back. We are so thankful that we turned to you Lord and you got us back on track, and brought us here to Mt. Colliery.Your Timing,Your House for Us, Your Abundant Blessing, Your Victory!

Our neighbours over the back are such a wonderful couple. The kids are building a "club house" up the backyard and they often call out to Dawn to come and see what they have done. She is so good at encouraging them and looking out for them. I'm so grateful for having them as neighbours.

We have a gate between our blocks. I hope one day that she feels as free to use that gate as she once did when the house was owned by the original owners Mr & Mrs Roach.

Dawn has also had great stories to tell about the history of our house.

Mt Colliery from around 1930 to 1964 had a coal mine. Mick Roach who owned our house was the mine manager & his Dad was the one who discovered coal up in the mountain. Mick & his wife lived here well into their old age. Dawn actually drove with Mrs Roach in the ambulance as she was taken to hospital for the last time. Apparently Mrs Roach had a beautiful garden just bursting with flowers (some of her rose bushes live on) and fish ponds etc. Mr Roach then lived here for some time on his own, until he had a stroke in his 90's. Dawn would come down and do his ironing and keep an eye out for him. The house was then bought by Dawn's nephew and he and his partner lived here for a couple of years, then it was sold to the people we bought it from. In the 3 1/2 years they had it they were lucky if they stayed here 4 times and only for the day. Crazy stuff. She never got the water connected up and often would complain to Dawn that they can't stay because there is no water. However she did get the floors polished.

It's nearly a month since we've owned the place. In that time, Mark has got all the water tanks connected, installed a pump, got the hot water system working, all the water in the house working (shower, vanity, sink, toilet), gotten a lot of the yard under control, done a lot of roof plumbing, fixed the fencing and cleared out sheds. Nearly all the water work done in the first couple of days before we moved in. I'm so proud of the work he has done around the house and his "can do attitude". This is where I often find him.

Doing this:

& this:

And he still keeps up his day job.

It's sad that the house was left "abandoned" like that, the woman would often go back to Brissy and leave all the doors open and didn't really care. I'm thankful that our neighbours did and would come and close up to protect the house from the weather. I'm also really glad that a couple had a full life here, that they lived here till they were just to old to stay and they were known as a "wonderful people". We want to bring the old girl back to her glory as being a loved family home. However I don't really share the love of vinyl that Mr & Mrs Roach did. Up to 6 layers thick in some places!! It brings Mark and I great amusement each time we find some more.

In a few weeks time we want to fix up a carport & start work on the bathroom. Praying that we can get the floor done & a new bath/shower in before the end of March or before bubs makes an entrance. Right now we have a small shower cubical and carpet in the bathroom, you can imagine my frustration each night trying to stop that carpet from getting a soaking (I couldn't care less about the carpet getting wrecked, it's the timber floor underneath). The sooner it's gone the better (and yep there is remnants of vinyl under it too!!).

How things change....

2009-03-03T10:45:00.002+10:00

I decided that I would let my place at the Birth Centre go as I thought "what a waste" if I go early and deliver at Warwick, someone else who's never experienced the Birth Centre might have totally missed their chance because I had a place that I may not be able to use. Also going to and from Brissy for appointments has lost it's appeal lol.

Anyway I was up at the hospital yesterday organising transfer of files and getting appointments sorted and the girl there was super lovely :-) We got talking about kids and life in general & then she came out with the comment "You were obviously born to be a mother". That comment really played on my mind and showed me just how far on the journey God has taken me this past two and a half years.

Once upon a time a comment like that would have offended me, I would have run a mile from being labeled "just a Mum" but now I love that title, it's really who God has called me to be and I love it. I was laying in bed last night thinking right now my two greatest rolls in life are to be a wife to Mark and a Mum to our kids and seeking God on how to do that.

When I finally surrendered my life to God and said "take this broken person" HE completely gave my life a new outlook and a contented one.

I just said to Mark the other day "Living out here I feel more like a 'mum' than I ever have before". The innocent comment that the hospital admin lady made touched me in such a profound way & I am just so happy to be "born to be a mother".

DISCLAIMER - being "born to be a mother" does not mean that I have a super clean house, i never have days where I think "TIME OUT!", that the smell of home baked goodies constantly fills the air. What it DOES mean is that with all the ups and downs of motherhood, I am above all, happy that this is my role and I trust that the Lord will provide the tools to be, Mum.

The move so far.....

2009-02-28T10:43:00.005+10:00

I promised I wouldn't blog again until we were at the house & so many days I've wanted to, but net access is a bit of a juggle at the moment. Come mid March we should have a new modem that we are waiting on and communications and office networks should be back to the "old ways".

Life so far has been great!! Whilst we knew the first month would be a bit of a struggle financially as we recovered from all the house buying and moving bills, God has so graciously provided for ALL our needs and we've just been so surprised where extra money has turned up or we've gotten something way cheaper than expected or for free.

Blessings over the last 2 weeks have been:

- Getting our tank filled for $230, not $900 as originally thought

- Getting our hot water system fixed for $120 and not needing a whole new system

- Getting the shower fixed for free thanks to my Dad having the part we needed

- Getting our fencing fixed as there was spare fencing rolled up at the house

- Mark not ever giving up and thinking "outside the square" for solutions on things

- The solicitor over charging us and giving us a refund cheque

- The truck hire company overcharging us and giving us a refund

- Wonderful neighbours and chats over the fence

- The kids going beserk in the backyard building a cubby/clubhouse

Now all the things that "had to be done" are done and all at a cost of $340 not $1000's. Praise the Lord!! And we can go to our original plan of just sitting for a while, not rushing to do things and working out the priority of what we can and can't live with. So far the kids & I are content, Mark's struggling with not having a shed, but he's got a plan lol.

I took the kids to Girls & Boys Brigade Thursday night and it got "I LOVE IT!!!" all around. In fact on the way home from Brigade three voices called from the back seat "WE'RE NEVER LIVING IN THE CITY AGAIN!! EVER!!!". I think the kids like it ;-)

So some before and after pics of progress so far.

BEFORE: Lounge and Dining

After : Looking from the other end at the front door. This is our entry, dining & school area.

8
*

And the lounge part of the room

Before: Front room girls half

AFTER: Girls half looking from the doorway

BEFORE: Boys half of front room

AFTER: Boys half

BEFORE: Sleep out (this is divided into 3 rooms)

AFTER: Mark's office part of the sleepout

888

I'll try to blog some more this week with more pics around the place, (especially of some of the big efforts Mark's been putting in) but there's a start :-)

This week off our mountain is a paragliding competetion, we had one land behind our house yesterday, so hope to get some cool photos of those. Was just chatting to our back neighbours and they said on the last day of the comp the sky is full of them. Lets hope the wind is blowing in our direction :-)

Last Days..

2009-02-13T06:05:00.002+10:00

We have some BIG days ahead of us.

My Mum has been here working solid for the last two weeks and I'm still looking at the amount of packing that has to be done today, we'll get there. Nothing like the last minuet work under pressure to pull it all together.

This afternoon the kids go to my sisters house. Last night was the last time that they got tucked into bed at this house. It's crazy I'm crying as I type this, I told Mark last night I got a bit emotional doing it. Hannah had a cry. He had a gentle laugh at how crazy emotional us women are and said I carry the emotions of the whole house. Boy it sure feels like it. I kind of feel like I'm the energizer bunny, I just go and go and go and then whammo I hit that emotional release and it comes flooding.

I know God has a plan for us and I know how much joy and security I feel when we're out at the house, and really all I'm leaving is a "shell", all the important things that are here are moving with me. Yet it's sad to leave the place where so many things have happened.

- Our two youngest boys were born here.
- Mark and I faced one of the biggest tests our marriage will ever face here, and we got through it.
- It was in this house that I poured out my filth to God and asked Him to save this broken person. He Did.
- Mark rededicated his life to God here.
- We started our home school journey here.
- The whole family has come to God here.

You know on the outside we just look like every other person in the neighbourhood, just getting on with life. Nothing great. But the things that "really matter" the HEART of our existence, Jesus, really met all of us here.

Yet I am so thankful that these things have nothing to do with the house we live in, that it's not the walls that contain the experiences, but our hearts. I am so thankful that God is with me leading me and carrying me no matter where I am. That my precious family is with me, no matter where I am. My memories are with me no matter where I am. The Internet allows me access to all my friends, no matter where I am.

So today I pack up the last of our things. So many good things are going to come of this move, I know it, I know the enemy doesn't want me to feel that right now, he wants me to stay where I am, in the safety of familiarity, but we're stepping out in faith, we're following the calling of our Lord & we will certainly share the journey. And I promise to keep it real.

And in keeping it real, I'm blogging because I am procrastinating big time about packing up my office. So I shall promise that this is the last blog post from from Brisbane.

Prayers for our safety getting our stuff to the new place and for everyone helping us, that they stay injury free and protection over their backs would be greatly appreciated. And for a stressful job to remain positive.

God Bless, and see you soon.

ARE YOU FOR REAL?...............

2009-02-12T15:27:00.002+10:00

Hmmmmmmm Am I for real?

Most days we post the "nice" stuff, not often the "real" side of everyday life. I know I go through the blogs thinking "If only I had it together like them". But I really can't find anyone who has the perfect life, but I think everyone else does. Crazy Stuff.

Miss Lusi, has challenged us to take up the "GET REAL" challenge on her blog. Lusi this idea rocks and I'm jumping on. Thank you for the reminder to humble ourselves and share the real us not the sugar coated us.

So for today here's my GET REAL post.

REALLY - I yelled at the kids this morning and had a major "JUST GET OUT OF MY WAY!!" moment because I was stressing about the next two days.

REALLY - I spent the last 3 weeks stressing about money and the lack of work on the horizon

REALLY - I am embarassed too often about the state of my house and cringe at the thought of someone just "dropping in" Yet I hate the fact that no one just "drops in"

REALLY - I am the worlds biggest procrastinator

REALLY - I should have done my tax (see above)

REALLY - I can be a major computer addict neglecting the family around me

REALLY - I have eaten way too much takeaway this last week

REALLY - I just wish Holly's ezcema would dissapear so it wasn't something we had to "deal with"

REALLY - I don't get 2 & 4 year old boys and "pushing the boundaries" time and time again.

REALLY - I am insanely jealous of the amount of toys other kids have. Yet I still think our kids have too much!

REALLY - My new house is 100yrs old and she looks like it.

So there you go that's me today.

BUT, you know what, I love my life regardless.

I am so thankful for.

1. A God who sent his one and only Son to die for me, and you and you and you and you
2. A husband that loves me and we work together well
3. Five kids who are not perfect, but are mine and I am so grateful God chose me to be thier Mum.
4. A family that is working so hard to help us move and clean this house. I love you Mum & Dad, John & Sam, Penny & Darin, Kym & Michael & our friends who will help on Sat.
5. That even though our work has its ups and downs and we don't have a six figure wage, we have time for our family, and that time is worth billions.
6. That no matter where life takes me as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus, it will be okay.

1 More Sleep!!!

2009-02-08T07:35:00.003+10:00

Then we'll be home owners. YEAH!!!!

We're going to have a sleep over at the house tomorrow night :-) Should be fun!

Well my last official weekend as a Brisbaneite was shared with some beautiful Scrap of Faith girls.

We headed over to Wriggle It at Kingston so all the kids could have a big play and the Mamma's could have a nice sit and chat.

I was a slack girl & didn't take my camera. Pics are courtesy of Chrissy & Leanne :-)
8

8
8
8
8

It was just so lovely to sit and chat with these girls, hopefully the move won't reduce our chance to catch up.

I then went over to see my sister & BIL and their two big kids Erin & Tara. Poor Erin has spent the last week in hospital with a "massive" blood clot. From her hip to her thigh. Thankfully she has had a massive clot when she was young as it will affect pregnancy. Not something you want to find out while pregnant :-(

And I have to say thanks for Nat for letting me drag her around town yesterday. It was great to have that extra time with you Hon.

& today it's a kids birthday party with Mark's side of the family.

So our last official weekend in Bris and it was spent with Family and Friends. Nice!!!

It's now the run into the home straight. We move next Saturday, so I had better pull my finger out and get all the things packed that need my attention. I'm soooooo not looking forward to this office lol. At least it will be finished by next week :-)

We are getting closer to this........

2009-02-04T20:03:00.003+10:00

888

8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
So my wonderful Mum has been at my house doing a lot of this.....
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
And Mark and I look like this.........
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
And I realise I've been sprung...............
8

8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
It's the real reason why we're moving. They wouldn't think to look for me out here.....
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9

Guess.........

2009-01-30T11:19:00.006+10:00

where I went yesterday?

Yep out to the house :-) The only water at the house is an 800ltr tank, ummmmm not quiet enough lol. There is a big 23000ltr tank in place just waiting to get hooked up properly. So we asked the current owners if we could go before settlement and try to get some rain water into that tank. Yesterday we made the trip out there to work out the ins and outs of what was there and what Mark needed to do to get the job done. Mark and John are back there today hooking it up. Just praying that God delivers some nice rain over the next two weeks so we don't have to buy in water.

8
So while Mark did his thing the kids and I took a walk around "town". We met two of the locals, one guy who was born there then moved to Brisbane for a while & of all places worked here in Narangba lol and has been back "home" for the last 16 years. His mother and aunty and uncle etc still all live there. He told us that in his mother's life time she's seen snow twice in the town and he has seen it once. Me thinks winter mights be chilley!!

8
Then we met our neighbour to the left of us (well he's across the street, but our only neighbour to the left). We hadn't even been talking a minuet and discover that he is a Christian. His comment to us was "We need more of them, Praise The Lord!". So nice to know that we have a brother in Christ as a neighbour :-)

The kids and I also had a picnic on our little patio (we didn't have access to the house, just outside) and watched the mountain in front of us change colour as the afternoon progressed. I can see many a cups of tea out the front. We went around the yard a bit better and discovered two mature fruit trees, yeah!! It was the first time Hannah and Mitchell had been out there and the two of them spent a good hour at least exploring the yard.

Mark & I will often come up to each other and affectionately say "You happy?". It's not that we're worried that we're not, but it's just a little thing we do. Yesterday just hanging out there I kept thinking "yeah I'm happy" so I beat him to it, walked up to him and put my arm around him gave him a big smile and said "I'm happy". He got it :-) Life just feels so content out there and we both left feeling that we'd really made the right choice. Or should I say so thankful that God lead us to this place.

So a little tour around our town :-)

The street that runs beside our house (there is a vacant block between us and the street)

The main road into town. Our house is just there on the right (red roof)

The other street that you turn off from the main road. At the end of the road is the T intersection, across the street is the hall, that's our street and that's the mountain we look at from our front veranda.

The "street" behind our house.

It was so cool. We walked the town, the kids could run ahead, I didn't have to worry about cars etc and the freedom we all felt was priceless.

Holly said that as she was running down the street she was laughing and thinking "I feel free!!"

I can't wait for move day!!!

And I got an award. Thanks Karen :-)

Here are the steps:

9
1. Say one nice thing to the man in your life:
Mark I love you so much. I am so thankful that God blessed me with you as my husband. You are my best friend, my rock and constant source of joy. I truly delight in you :-) And I am just so excited about the journey we are about to start together.

2. List at least 6 ways you measure success in your life:

- One day hearing the words "well done good and faithful servant"

- Walking with God

- Finding joy in the simple things

- Having a balanced life where family comes first

- Going where God leads me in all areas, friends, work, play

- Waking up with joy in my heart

3. Assign 5 other blogs this award:

A sad farewell.....

2009-01-28T20:16:00.006+10:00

to a dear family member.

With a very heavy heart I said goodbye to a dear and loyal family member today. We parted with our dear old Ford Explorer. She was a good girl. I kind of felt like I'd gotten rid of a loyal dog that didn't deserve to be given away, but change of circumstances meant we had to.

The dear old Explorer has been our car for the last 5 years & she's been a good car & she was a keeper, but we had the dilemma of bubba #6 coming soon. An 8 person family and a 7 seater car don't really go together :-( We had looked at lots of options, trying to keep the Explorer and nothing was really coming together. What ever option we looked at involved an after market seat in the back of a car with no room for 3 booster seats. We have tiny kids and whilst Holly is 9 this year she still needs a booster of some kind. So we still had no idea about our future family transport & D day was looming. With the move approaching we didn't want to constantly make two car trips to Brissy and back.

Then on Friday we were sitting in traffic having the common "in the car discussion" of late, when we stopped at lights behind a Land Cruiser. I said to Mark "Hey I think you can get an 8 seater Crusier". That got us thinking and we decided that our option may be to trade the Explorer, we'd still have our 4WD that we didn't want to part with, but we might just have the 8 seater we longed for.

So after some looking around and some praying we decided to make some serious enquiries. The conditions we had were, we didn't want to have to outlay and money to swap over & we didn't want it to cost us any more than what we currently paid on the Explorer. So we found a car, it met our criteria and today we did the deal!

Don't get me wrong I am flat out excited to have a newer car & one that will fit the whole family & secretly I think I've fallen in love with her, but I cried as we drove up the highway to do the trade. I liked the Explorer she was a good girl & I just hope she finds a nice home. Mark reminded me that "it's just a machine" and I get that, but it's got me thinking about all the things happening right now. How hard will it be to say goodbye to our home of the last 4 1/2 years when I cried like a baby when I faced saying goodbye to our car. Mark put it well when he said "But we're leaving something that's not ours, for something that is" but it's walking away from 1 life to another. Driving into the new driveway in a car that's "different" just makes it really feel like we are stepping into a BIG new chapter of our lives. I guess it's like the cars, I'm HUGELY excited about what's to come, but it's hard to say goodbye to the familiar.

So Explorer, thanks for being a good car, for being ever reliable, and for being part of our family.

And to you Miss Cruiser, you have some big shoes to fill honey.

I'll leave you with today's journey in pictures.

The Explorer's last "hurrah"

Ohhhhh Marky look at you looking all cute in.......... what's that.... your new car!!!

8
8

Please don't follow me.....

2009-01-27T23:40:00.004+10:00

to the new place!!!!!

I heard a rumor that toads don't really like living where we are going to because of the cold temperatures in winter, it kills them off. I sure hope that's the case.

I grew up in Far North Queensland right in the middle of Cane Country and I've had my fair share of these guys. As a kid we would go on holidays to this old beach house and it had a gap on the outside wall that these guys could fit through..... lets just say you didn't want to cross the floor at night to get to the toilet...... I still have memories of waking in the night to see about 6 of them on the floor, busting to wee & not game to get off the bed. YUCK!!!

So for a little while I was spoilt, there weren't too many cane toads in Brissy and each year they get more and more. Now we have about 3 or 4 a night in our yard.

Last night I started having flash backs to my childhood. I just cling to the faint hope that perhaps, just perhaps I might be moving to a cane toad free area. I can only dream.......
88
88

8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
I really don't want to see you or your friends for a long time mate.

I've been dreaming of...........

2009-01-20T20:56:00.006+10:00

this place constantly.

Seriously now every night for about 3 weeks.

And I dreamt about this place about 3 months ago too.

Last year in Jan/Feb we got a rent increase where we were living and we considered moving. For a while now we had thought of buying a place in the country, but within driving distance to Brissy so we could still run our business. But Jan/Feb last year we weren't yet in a position to buy and thought about making the move and renting for a while. The rent would be lots cheaper and we could save more. So we prayed over it and we got the message loud and clear to wait. Wait until after November 2008. So we started waiting & then I feel pregnant & I questioned God about His whole planing etc.

So we waited and waited, we stalked realestate.com.au & domain.com.au and we saw houses come and go and we thought "will we be able to do this in November?" Then God placed Dave Ramsey in our path and we got some serious budgeting in our lives and we started working on correcting all the bad financial choices we had made.

Then came October and as the "financial crisis" loomed the Government announced the increase of the first home owners grant & the economic stimulus package. Both those things to happen "at the end of November" when God had told us to wait!! Then November came and things started to go wrong. I started bleeding with the pregnancy, Cowper's bone marrow stopped working, Holly's eczema went into overdrive and Mark started suffering from a bad back. I had planed to spend November doing tax returns etc to get our financials sorted to apply for a loan, I now spent it in hospital. By the start of December we were "so over it" and went on our holiday, we were also saying "do we really want to move with this going on?" "Should we wait till after the baby's born?". On holidays my bleeding continued & Holly's eczema worsened and I had a bit of a "woe is me" moment. We took it to the Lord in prayer and asked for what was going on. The only answer that came to us was that the enemy was attacking us to keep us from what God had called us to do. So we resolved that when we got home from holidays we would ring a loan broker and an estate agent and find out what we could realistically do house wise.

So we drive in the driveway, open our letterbox and are welcomed with a letter from our landlord putting the rent up $40 a week. Mark and I just looked at each other and said "Do you think God is telling us something?" So we made the calls.

Last year in the lead up to this 2 things happened. 1. We were given 4 jobs to do in the areas we were thinking about buying in and did a road trip thinking we would "Scope out the land". From what we had thought about and what we saw were two different things. Towns that were one the top of our list were now on the bottom & towns on the bottom were now at the top. 2. I had a really vivid dream about a house we would buy, the house itself was too bizarre to exist (think two, 3 storey homes, 100 years old, joined together about 3 old bathrooms). But it stuck in my mind and I couldn't shake it, there were things about it that really stood out for me. Mark often asked, have you found the house in your dream yet? But the main point we took away from that, was we weren't looking for something new, we were looking for something old & that we could do up over time. Don't look for fancy, but something most people would turn from. And from our trip we knew the area to look in.

There was one house that kind of fit the bill, it was old and it was in the price range, but it wasn't something we thought "yuck" about. I had seen houses online that were more expensive and I would think "there is no way I could live with that bathroom or kitchen" or they had no bathroom, because someone ripped it out and gave up. But this one house keep catching my eye. Mark said "ring the agent, and if it's still on the market we'll take a look".

So off we go, we took Holly, Alec & Cowper with us and we went and "had a look". There were things at this house that were in my dream. A veranda that needed a wall put up to become a bedroom, a cricket pitch that you could see from the veranda, the same age, same kitchen cupboards, overgrown yard (it was when we went), water & hills to the north, the same front fence. This house just had too many similarities.

So we went home and prayed on in and the next day put in an offer. The whole time we were just asking God for His will to prevail, if this was His plan for us, open the doors, if this wasn't to shut them firmly. The counter offer that came back was lower than our upper limit, so we accepted it. On December 31 Mark and I signed a contract & after more than a month of bleeding it stopped. I have not had one niggle, spot or anything since then. His plan to use my pregnancy to derail God's plans didn't work. Since then Mark's back has been improving, and the day we got the phone call saying "it looks like you'll go unconditional on Monday" Holly's eczema has started to improve like you wouldn't believe. Oh and Cowps blood results "close to normal".

It hasn't been a completely smooth ride, I've had moments where the "not knowing" and "waiting on others" has gotten the better of me and I've gotten snappy and had a good cry. But all along I have had a husband who has been so calm and confident in God's hand in all this and has quietly waited on Him and encouraged me to take my fears to God. Every time I got fearful or afraid Mark said "let pray" and immediately after our prayer we would have an answer from a 3rd party putting our minds at rest.

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to finally "buy a house" and ALL of it is from God's blessings alone. He chose the time, His time frame gave us the Govt grants etc to help our deposit, and he gave us the dream to lead us to the right house. All things belong to God alone and we are just stewards of our earthly possessions. I am so thankful that we are steward of this house & I pray that we can do God's blessings justice.

The other thing that blows me away is 12 years ago Mark's parents were pressuring us to buy and we just felt uncomfortable to get a loan. We also didn't want to have repayments more than what we paid in rent & just couldn't conceive how we would ever achieve that. For so many years we've been afraid to borrow money and home loans have been a big fear in our life. This year God put in place the tools and education for us to get serious about our money and for the first time in 10 years actually budget. Rents are through the roof and what we pay now in rent would have paid for a mortgage easily all those years ago. Now we've waited, gone in with a 20% deposit (which we never thought we would ever achieve) and the weekly repayments are less than the cheapest rent we've ever paid. This is ALL because of God and his wisdom. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

So for since we signed the contract this house has been in my dreams every night. It's constantly on my mind. Even though we signed the contract on the 31st of December, the sellers didn't get it back to the agent until the 8th of Jan, so the ball didn't start rolling until then. Today we got the news we've waited for "Finance Unconditional" there's no turning back.

So now it really starts. No more "is this really going to happen?" it's happening. All things going to plan (settle on the right date etc) we should be moving mid Feb.

In February we will start the life that God has called us for our family. We have waited 12 months for this move and I am excited beyond belief to see what God has in store for us living in the country.

I just have to keep thinking of the view that will soon be mine for paking motivation. That bit I'm not looking forward to. Hmmmm packing up a family of 7 (plus stuff for bubs) and a business, and cleaning the house that 5 little kids have lived in has kind of lost its gloss. I'm sure we'll get there, but the next month is sure going to be busy. Just another reason I'm so thankful we got the school year started early and a whole term fully planed out. I can't wait to be home schooling the kids here.

And he're the "new" girl in colour.

We've got a lot of plans for this place. I can't wait to share the journey with you guys.

Somebody in this house.....

2009-01-15T18:14:00.004+10:00

just turned 6!!!

Today is Mr Mitchell's birthday :-) And he's been anticipating it for weeks and weeks. It's pretty hard to watch your two little brothers have their birthdays in the weeks leading up to yours.

We have a few birthday traditions in our house.

1. Treasure hunt for your pressies

2. Open your stash on Dad & Mum's bed
3. play with pressies while Mum makes breakfast of choice (usually pancakes are ordered)

4. No chores for birthday person

5. Cake eating

6. Dinner of choice
9

Mitchell's day looked a bit like this.

Some things in life...

2009-01-13T22:47:00.005+10:00

are just too hard to give up.

Like your favourite pair of shoes.

8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8

These were Cowper's shoes this past winter and he loved his shoes, but alas come spring they just didn't fit anymore. He was devestated that I said "no" to the shoes :-( I've never seen a kid so distraught over a pair of shoes. We managed to get a pair of sandles on him and he carried the shoes with him in the car. After that day the shoes "dissapeared".

Well today many months later he found the shoes. He so sweetly bought me the shoes and wanted them back on. They didn't fit, he took it pretty well, but I think after all this time they are still a favourite.

I think Mr Cowps' mind shoes mean adventure. Shoes mean going in the car, going somewhere. Good things happen when you put on shoes. This morning while the big kids and I were doing school, Cowps was off doing Cowpie stuff & I mentioned to the big kids that we'd go to the park in the afternoon. Cowps was in ear shot, two seconds later he presents himself with a pair of shoes ready to go and sweetly says "park". He doesn't get "not now mate".

It's pretty hard being 2.

And on a brighter note for Cowps, the latest lots of blood tests were great :-) We're almost near normal levels. 1 more test in a month and I'll think they'll be done with us :-)

And so it begins.....

2009-01-12T18:40:00.005+10:00

Another school year :-)

Today was our first day back at school for 2009. I know we're two weeks early, but the kids were excited to start (they saw their new supplies and were begging to use them, Mum was keen too) and with a bub due in April we thought strike while the irons hot and get the term underway.

I've just spent the last week lesson planing, book covering and after 3 yrs of home schooling have finally set up a functioning school shelf and have gotten ourselves well and truly organised for the year.

So here's what our 2009 school journey looks like so far (click on images to enlarge) :

The stack of books I just covered in contact......48 in total......... I actually enjoy it........ I'm a bit sick that way........ Hannah was eyeing off the job........ I'm getting nervous of the potential competition........ There are a few things in life I'm anal about they are, 1. How you hang out clothes & 2. how you cover books. .............. Hands off my books Hannah!!!

The book shelf. We have two of these shelves in our lounge, either side of the couch. One is right next to the hall and easily accessible, the other one is tucked away in a corner. This one used to hold, nick nacks etc and a few books. The stuff that it held was really more for looking at then getting access to, meanwhile the one in the corner pretty much sat empty. On the weekend I had a brain wave that I could put all the school stuff on the easily accessible one, and all the "look at stuff" on the hard to get to shelf. The kids stuff is colour co-ordinated, Holly is purple, Hannah pink & Mitch blue.

This is our work chart. I print off two of these each week. One goes on the wall for everyone to see and then the 2nd one I cut up so the kids can each have just their day with them at their desk. It helps them and me keep track of what's still to go. Last year Hannah had a habit of convenietnly forgetting to do half of her English. Also this way it makes it a little easier if someone else needs to supervise for the day, what needs to be done is already worked out.

Today was an interesting day, we started late as I was still getting a few things together & I had to leave at 12:45 for Cowper's follow up appointment at the hospital. Mitch did really well and had all his work done before I left, Holly had nearly all hers done & well Hannah, she'd only managed her math through lots of tears and just having a general "woe is me day". She even tried cheating on her speed drill by doing a few of them before she went into Mark to get timed. Just wasn't her day lol. So when I got home at 3:30pm she still had reading, phonics, grammar & social science to go. But her attitude was better. I could have shrugged it off and said "Oh well I did have to go out, let's just forget it" but I didn't want to reward her poor form in the morning. This was the end result, she did her school work late in the afternoon outside on a rug while I got the washing done. It's amazing how well she can get her work done out there. And that's the beauty of home schooling.. flexibility :-)

And just because they looked cute........

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2009-01-02T11:13:00.018+10:00

WOW 2009 already!! I'm sure 2008 went by at twice the pace, would be wonderful if 2008 slowed a little.

How many of you have plans this year? Any big changes or just things that you have always had on your plate, but always seem to be making the same resolutions year after year. That would be me. I always want a little bit more routine in my day and some more time to spend with friends. What ever your hopes and dreams are for 2009 I pray that it is a year full of many blessings for you.

Well we had a mixed bag of a holiday. It was wonderful to get away and have the whole family chill out, but the start of it was plagued by Alec swallowing a screw and my body being a bit weird with this pregancy. I had spotting the whole time we were away and by mid holiday had a bit of a meltdown with it all. I sent out a prayer SOS and Mark prayed over me, after that I got it together. After praying I read Matthew chapter 6 and had God's reasurance that I should not worry about today and what "might" happen tomorrow, and should anything happen tomorrow I have His strength to get through it.

*
So holidays were spent doing lots of this:
*
*

*
*

* ******************************************************************************

*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*

*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*

*
*
*

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
And just to prove that I was on holidays, courtesy of Hannah:

*
*

*
*
*

*
*

Then we went to John and Sam's place:
*
*

*
*

*
*
*

We checked on our cowsies:

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*
Gave Wilson a swimming lesson:

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

Collected lots of these:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

And hooned around on this:

I'm just so thankful that even though we had a few hicups at the end of the year we are so very blessed to have our family and above all a God who loves us more than anything else. I am just so excited about what God has planed for 2009 and I can't wait to walk the path He has laid out for us. My life verse is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. May your 2009 be full of prosper, hope and a future full of joy. And remember what ever road you travell good or bad, God will be there to carry you through.

Going for the world's record of longest time between posts ;-)

2008-12-14T20:28:00.011+10:00

I think I could almost claim that title!! Man I'm a shocker at this blog thing.

This has been a fairly big year for us, one of great blessings and also some struggles, but through all things the Lord has so graciously seen us through.

I’m not going to try and remember in order the things that happened this year but I will try to list as many as I can remember. Hmm woman with 5 children and a bad case of baby brain (yes it is a real condition no matter what you’ve heard, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it), we’ll see how much I can actually remember.

One of the highlights this year was the news that we are expecting another precious bundle to add to our wonderful bunch of little treasures. And yes 2 ultrasounds have confirmed that God has indeed given us another one of the male variety. I am seriously getting out numbered here! So around April 2009 we will welcome little Noah Benjamin into our family. He already is a much loved addition and he has 5 very anxious brothers and sisters waiting to kiss and cuddle him.

The end of this year saw some worries with our little man Cowper. Over the period of a couple of weeks he kept passing out. Finally with an ambulance ride up to Caboolture hospital we were admitted and Cowps and I stayed 5 nights on the Children’s ward. As far as hospital stays go, we had it pretty good, a private room and a fully stocked play room at our beck and call (and 5 nights of no cooking for Mum). Dad held the fort at home and had 4 willing helpers. After heart checks etc it looks like the cause of the black outs was a condition where his bone marrow stoped making red blood cells, hence a very reduced ability to carry oxygen around his body. They say there is no apparent cause for the condition, about 0.5% of kids get it and it lasts for 1-2 months. After much praying for God to restore his little body after only 5 nights the tests showed that new cells were forming at a high rate and we could go home, Praise the Lord. He had a haemoglobin level of 65 (normal level is 130) and if we dropped to 50 he would require blood transfusions and a bone marrow biopsy. At present he’s on weekly blood tests and in January he has an EEG just to make sure the blackouts weren’t seizures, but all in all he’s happy and on the road to recovery.
&

One of the big plans of 2007 was the Scrap of Faith retreat in November that I organised. The weekend was amazing. It was just so wonderful to finally meet in the flesh ladies who have become such a big part of my life. The fellowship that was shared was truly a great blessing to everyone who attended and I can’t wait to organise the next one for early 2010. I’m already plotting and planing ways to try and top this one.

%
We’ve also gotten through a year of home schooling 3 kids. Holly grade 3, Hannah grade 2 & Mitchell in prep. Holly sat the National testing this year and I was just so happy for her that she did really well, above national average in all testing areas. I kind of felt like the test was not only about what she knew but also a test about our curriculum choices. Nice to know that so far we are on the right track. Next year will be full on, the work load for Mitchell increases and it’s Hannah’s turn for the test. I’ve just put in our order for 2009’s books and resources. I kind always get excited when the new books arrived, for a split second I think I might actually get organised for the new year and I’m one of those sickos that LOVE covering school books.

We’re also planing a move in early next year. Ever since Mark and I married we have longed to live in the country but never been brave enough to make the move. This year we really felt that call to make the move. After much praying about it we felt God tell us to wait until the summer of 08/09. Boy was that wait hard, but as always God’s timing is perfect! By waiting we’ve been able to take advantage of the first homeowners grant increase, the end of year cash bonus for having kids & the interest rates falling. So we’re on the look out for an old queenslander in the country. So far near Warwick is looking promising. I’m dreaming about vege gardens, chickens and wide open spaces. The girls are dreaming about ponies, the boys (big and little) dirt bikes. I’m praying that the right house comes along and that God’s timing has us moving just after bubs is born. But what is it they say… “How do you make God laugh? Tell him your plans.”

We also bought some cows. Marks brother and sister have been looking after them at their farm in Gympie and our little family of 4 cows grew to 5 and we’re hoping another calf is on the way. Hmmmm I can’t wait to get my teeth into some organic beef next year. And speaking of Gympie we’ve really enjoyed the trips that we’ve had up there this last year. Hannah is really in her element amongst the farm animals and has a real sense of spunk about her. Holly just LOVES the horses. The boys really come alive too and love the animals, playing in the creek and just being farm kids.

And drum roll……. After 12 years of wearing the same pair of glasses, Mark finally got a new pair of specs!! I can’t believe the difference a new set of glasses makes! If Mark knew the effect a new pair of specs would have on me I’m sure he would have had updated them long ago!!

And Alec & Mitch, what can I say about about those boys, except that they are super cute and your typical boys. Which means, getting into everything and learning things the hard way. But this stage will pass and we love them to bits. (We just have 2 more boys to go through this stage, hmmmm “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me”)

*
We also had fun in the storms that hit Brisbane in November. The wind was blowing the water so hard it came in between the roof tiles and I had water coming through the light fittings in the kitchen and lounge. The timber surround around one of our aircons blew in with a ton of hail & we lost the shed. All this while Mark was out hunting. He drove back late that night after the storm and he said it was so eerie to drive through Brisbane with so many homes in darkness and trees everywhere. We were very blessed to have only lost the shed and be without power for 12 hrs.

So for 2008 that’s pretty much us :-) On Tuesday we head up to my Parent's beach house at Maroochydore for 12 days. The perfect way to finish the year, chilling out together with no work or school pressures. We always go the two weeks before Christmas. The beach is soooo quiet as everyone is too busy rushing around before Christmas. Then we come back home just after Christmas when all the builders and accountants are closed so we get a bit of a rest at home to do some cleaning and sorting. Perfect way to finish the year :-)

Procrastination & Creating

2008-03-27T09:29:00.006+10:00

It's cold, it's wet, I'm procrastinating lol. I have only set myself of 1 job today, the kids are doing thier school, then were having the rest of the day off. I'm taking my laptop sitting with the kids and watching movies for the rest of the day while I digi scrap. Sounds like a cool plan. Somewhere in there will be a "little bit" of housework, but otherwise we are chillin' baby.

Holly bought home a game from Girls Brigade that I used to do as a kid. You write down a boys name, fold it over and pass it on to the next person and so on. You have a story where no one knows what came before or comes after. She played it with Mark and I and listening to her giggles as she read out the stories were priceless.

Here's what we came up with.

Josh and Penelopy were kissing. He said "I love you" she said "You're freaking me out!!" and then he fell off the bridge.

Dan & Ashley were walking the dog. He said "Stop" she said "I love you too!" and then she stopped him.

Cedric & Susan were playing he said "You're a freak!!" she said "Why" and then she fell off a cliff.

I don't know what Holly & Mark were thinking with the falling off cliffs and bridges!!

Holly and I had another turn: Dan and Francis were laughing, he said "I have a sore toe" Francis said "Keep still" then his toe fell off.

A pretty cool game to play with young ones that can write.

Look at what we got!!! A new car!! Well new for us. We are making it our mission this year to get out of debt, so far so good. Part of the plan is to sell the Fairlaine and get a cheap 7 seater. Well God provided the cheap 7 seater. We flew to Sydney to get it and drove it home. Do you think we can keep the kids out of it!! They have the choice of the Explorer or this one & they want "The Beast". We put bigger wider tyers on her and she's even more beastie! Or as Mark would say "Those tyers make her look horn!".

Last year we did some "Crown Financial Ministries" work and just knew that God's desire for us and money is to be debt free (apart from getting a home) back then we said "Right the Failaine has to go!" and then did nothing about it. With the change in the financial climate, we started reassesing and all those lessons were learnt last year and decisions made that we did nothing about came back to us. I was feeling so bad for not having been faithful to something we knew God had directed us to do. So I grabed Mark told him again what the plan was and realised why we hadn't put the Fairlaine on the market. We didn't trust God that we could find a reliable 7 seater in our price range. So I said "What could hurt to look" so we looked and as long as we were willing to leave QLD and go to NSW there were plenty in our price range. I put up a prayer request for us to find one under $5000. & This is what we found. We sent a guy to check it out for us and his report came back really positive so we talked the yard down to $4850 and did the deal. That was Thursday, on Monday we were on a plane to pick her up. A great friend Tracey who I have met through Scrap of Faith and has been such an encouragment and wise counsel for us lived just down the road from the car yard, so we were able to meet her and while Mark worked on the car (oil change etc before the big drive) Tracey and I got to do what we do best, Talk!!

We finally got on the road and needed to make it to Coffs Harbour for our accomodation & then trouble started. The car started overheating and we weren't even out of Sydney!! We pulled over and while Mark had the bonnet up I stood there with my hands on the car and praying for the over heating to be fixed and for God to show Mark where the issue was. Well straight away the car cooled and we got on with it and it didn't overheat again!! Finally we are on the highway to Newcastle and Mark realises he didn't check tyre pressure so pulls off to find a servo. The car starts stalling!! Everytime Mark hits the break it stalls!! While I had been praying I had an overwheming sensation that there was a problem in the right of the car. I had no idea why I would feel that, kind of was a bit "nervous" about that feeling and said nothing. Now that the car was stalling all the time, I looked over at Mark and said "Could there be a problem in the right side of the car that's causing this" He said "Why?" I said "Just yes or no" He said "Yeah their could be" I then told him what happened while I was praying. We finally find a servo and Mark is looking in the area I said. Another guy arrives and keeps telling Mark to look in all these other places. Mark was politely taking the advice but ignoring it. He found the problem in the throttle cable that wasn't holding a valve open properly which was in the area I told him to look. Correction WHERE GOD TOLD HIM TO LOOK!! The car has driven perfectly since then!!! Now to sell the Fairlaine!! Any body want a great sedan? The only reason we are selling it is because we want out of debt and a 5 seater car and 7 person family isn't really practical. Mark loves the car and is sad to sell, but he knows it's what we need to do.

Now that we have two 4 wheel drives, I'm praying that our dream of a the farm will be come a reality soon!

Besides The Beast I have more great news. Scrap of Faith is growing we have cool blog happening http://www.scrapoffaith.blogspot.com/ and we have increased our design team. We welcome the beautiful and talanted ladies, Katie Toland & Beverley Warwick!! So looking forward to all the things we have planed especially the retreat in November!! Keep watching the blog as we will be updating the competition details to win a free retreat package.

& I've taken up digi with a passion!! I love it! I still like traditional, but just don't have the time or space for the mess. It takes me about 2 hrs to do a traditional on a good day, 1/2 hr for a digi, and I can do it in bed!! I was going to enter a digi comp at Designer Digital, prize was guest DT for a month and free access to all the designs. I thought "Yes" perfect for the budget, but then I prayed and felt I had to wait for what God wanted not persue something that I wanted. So I let it go. A couple of days later Rowena Field from Willro&co designs asks if I would be on the creative team for her!!! "OH YES!!!" Ro & her whole Creative Team are Christians and together we are spreading the word through our work. An extension of what I'm doing with Scrap of Faith. I just love it!! So I join Gayle Smith, Terrie, Dawn & Ali Winchester creating for Ro. I think she's gonna wished she never asked, I have so many ideas for boy kits hehe.

You can find Ro's kits here:

Mark's in boy heaven! He finally went hunting over the Easter weekend and the three of them are already planing the next one. I miss him like crazy when he's gone, but I know that he is God's son more than he is my husband so God has it all in his care. I love seeing him when he gets back, all "tough manly" looking and I love the time out that the kids and I take together. Mitch and I did have a melt down at one point, but hey one freak out over 4 days alone with 5 kids was pretty cool I thought. We even went to Target!! I can't tell whether I am brave or insane, or perhaps living with God's strenght!!

So I'll leave you all with some recent digi creations. I'm having fun :D

Did I mention Blogger is driving me nuts

2008-02-24T08:02:00.003+10:00

Okay this is the 2nd half of the post below. Why blogger won't keep any changes is driving me nuts. Error on page, error on page, error on page. ggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Okay so read the post below first (and please excuse bloggers crazy placement, double grrrrrrrr) and then come back to........

here. :-)

The idea behind this tag game is different from other tag games. Rather than look inwardly, we look outside ourselves and bless, praise and pray for 3 blog friends. By participating in this endeavour we not only make the recipient of the blessing feel valued and appreciated, but we are having some fun too. We're going to see how far the bloggin' blessings can travel around the world and how many people can be blessed! Be sure to go to the blog of those you are blessing and leave a comment on their blog to be sure they check yours!

So my first blessing goes to Nat. She's been such a dear and wonderful friend to me since SoF started. I'm just amazed at how many beauitiful people have come into my world since starting it. But Nat has been there right from the start with encouragement, friendship, support and help. We don't catch up often enough, but the time between visits dissapears. She has such a heart for God and her family and is just a great girl :-)

My second one is for Ro. Ro is another gal who uses scrapping as a ministry. She's part of a team that organises GREAT retreats and scrappind days in NSW (There's one in May/June) and she has such a talent for photoshop and is designing the most beautiful digi kits and spreading God's word through them :-) She's also been such a support on the SoF DT and is a great friend too. I can't wait to meet this girl in November :-)!!

And last is Ali. Another great gal I've met through SoF. Ali always amazes me in what parts of her life she see's God in. Rough days, great days, her heart is always with God and seeking him in ALL she does. Her Christian walk has really inspired me and although some days I'm not sure what to say when she posts, I'm always deeply touched by her life and is another girl I can't wait to meet in November :-)

And I want to bless everyone who is popped by or is part of my life right now. If you read this, you're blessed. There are so many special people in my life that to just bless three is a hard ask. A big blessing to all the SoF girls and especially the SoF HQ team for their constant support and friendship :-)

Have a very blessed sunday everyone!!!!

She actually Scraps!!! Digi that is

2008-02-23T22:20:00.008+10:00

Well I have finally done some scrapping!!

After a drought I have finally done 4 in 2 days. I'm really enjoying the digi stuff, they have come together really quickly and just love the NO MESS. Or should that be no little fingers in the supplies lol. I won't totally give up "traditional" but enjoying this for now :-)

Just want to add, blogger is driving me nuts with photo placement. grrrrrrrrrrrr. Why it can't place a line of photos down the side is beyond me! So all over the place it is...

Also I have been tagged, by the beautiful Karen :) I would love to tag her back because she really is a very special person in my life. I'm sure everyone who has met Karen knows how encouraging she is and I know a few of us girls look up to her as our "Christian Mum".

So now for me to Tag some beautiful girls and keep it going :) Nothing Like blessing some beautiful girls :-)

Exciting stuff

2008-02-20T11:37:00.004+10:00

Things are changing a little over at Scrap of Faith.

We are currently busy creating a new blog so we can do regular updates and have all our exciting projects and articles in one cool place :D We also want to have more challanges, prizes and oppourtunities to make quick posts without having to overhaul the website.

Part of the changes is expanding the Design Team/Ministry Team. If you think this if for you then check out the details here.

On the home front life is full swing again with, school, work, Girls Brigade and now Boys Brigade. The kids are loving it :-D Lucky me has two camps to go to in March and April ;-)

Cowps has decided that working is the way to go and has been getting around the house with the cutest little waddle. He has to be our funniest walker yet. Here's the cute little guy on his first birthday :-) He's determind to be different from the others at this age. At one they were only just cutting their first tooth. Cowps is cutting Molars!!! And he's a shy boy, only cuddles from Mummy, Daddy and Grandad are allowed when we have visitors.

On the scrapping front nothing has been happening :-( I've become a little addicted to sewing nappies in my spare time and a little to addicted to this computer. So I've decided to give digi another shot. I am just LOVING Ro's creations. Check them out on her blog, those poppets just have to be the cutest. And I'm loving this pack by Krystal Hartley. I have to hang around at boys brigade tonight, so might just take the laptop for some fun :-D

LIke Mother like daughter :-)

2008-02-06T15:37:00.000+10:00

Everyone is always saying how alike Holly & I are. Well the two of us took the "personality test" I did mine and then she came along and said "Can I have a go?" We did it together, all the responses were her's occasionally she asked to explain a bit more what they were asking. We'll it's true Mother like daughter" We got the same result :-) I must say, I'm happy with that ;-)

You Have A Type B+ Personality

You're a pro at going with the flowYou love to kick back and take in everything life has to offerA total joy to be around, people crave your stability.
While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity.Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's doneYou're passionate - just selective about your passions

http://www.blogthings.com/doyouhaveatypeapersonalityquiz/"Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Loving Spring :-D

2007-09-15T22:22:00.000+10:00

Well Spring is here & I've got to say it's surely welcome!!

We live on a 1/4 acre and it's a lot of yard to mow. Mark had been borrowing a ride on last summer and I don't know what was worse spending all morning pushing a push mower around, or driving to collect a ride on, do the yard & take it back? So the other week we were sitting on the patio looking at a yard that about to explode with growth after a weeks rain and Mark said, we need a ride on. I thought about it and I said "I know you want one, but it's not a necessity so go for it if you can get what you want for under $1000" For those of you who knows ride ons, I pretty much gave him an impossible task. Mark has high standards when it comes to mechanical things and he wasn't going to buy junk. He looked at me and said "I'll never find a good one for that money!" I responded with "Well let's pray for one, God can do it". So I did, I prayed for a mower. The next week, I get a phone call from Mark on his way back from inspections and he says "I'm just popping into the mower place, just for a look". Half an hour later he rings back and says "Can you transfer $720 for me?" I quized him about the mower and he assured me it was a good one, needed some work, but the motor was great he knew the problem was in the deck. So he paid the money and waited for the guy to deliver it the following Tuesday.

That day Mark was out on inspections and the guy dropped it round. The kids and I felt bad that he didn't get it on Father's Day and it wasn't much of a surprise because he chooses his own presents. So we got to scheming. I cleared out the shed to make room for it & put it away. Mark had asked that I just get it put on the patio. All day Mark would ring and ask if it had arrived and I said "No". So just before I hid it, I got all the kids on it and took a photo. I then loaded it onto the computer as a screen saver. So Mark gets home and has to cross the patio to get in the back door. No mower. The kids and I are chatting to him and they even say, "Sorry it didn't come today Dad" I then tell him I took some nice photos of the kids today & bring up the wallpaper on the computer & there is the big photo of 5 silly kids sitting on a mower. He just beamed!!! and said "I was hoping you were teasing me on the phone, but when I got home and saw it wasn't on the patio I thought, nup, it really didn't come!" So we surprised him after all :-D That night he started working on it & again it rained all week & by the first sunny day he had it fixed. It only cost him $5 in parts too! He's now got a renewed passion for working on a project, we're now praying that God brings us a cheap ski boat to fix up :-D Mark and the boys can tinker & we can all get healthy doing a sport we all love :-D

The September Newsletter of Scrap of Faith is out!! Read it here :-D

I saw this on Becky's blog & thought I'd see where I've been & am going too :-D

20 years ago I . . .
1. I was 11 and living a carefree childhood in Cardwell, North Queensland.
2. I lived at home with my family.
3. My parents owned a Newsagents & general store & our house was on top.

10 years ago I . . .
1. I was 21!.
2. Mark and I had been together for 1 year.
3. We had our own place at Joyner.

5 years ago I . . .
1. I had 2 little girls.
2. Mark bought a motorbike
3. We had our own business doing QS reports for a couple of years

3 years ago I . . .
1. I had 3 kids & was pregnant with our 4th.
2. We had just moved to the house we are in now.
3. I started on a slippery slope of letting the enemy in and God out.

1 year ago I . . .
1. I had 4 kids and was pregnant with the 5th!!! (when will it end LOL).
2. Was well on the path back to God.
3. Started Scrap of Faith.

So far this year I . . .
1. Have had God be a real part of our life as a family.
2. Started a Newsletter for Scrap of Faith
3. Started writing articles about Christianity for women :-D

Yesterday I . . .
1. Did some work.
2. Did some scrapping.
3. Had my SIL and her kids over.

Today I . . .
1. Slept in
2. Went grocery shopping
3. Made banana muffins.

Tomorrow I. . .
1. will have family day & rest day.
2. Go to the park to have a picnic & spot eels & turtles.
3. Visit my Grandma.

In the next year I shall . . .
1. Keep saving for a house.
2. Hopefully have some builders as clients.
3. Keep growing in the Lord :-D

It's late & DH is lying here beside me with his head under a pillow trying to sleep LOL.

So I will finish with 5 things I'm grateful for.

1. The Lord always providing no matter how trivial
2. Happy healthy family
3. A DH who can fix things
4. A DH who's my Prince & I'm his Princess :-D
5. Spring :-D

A face lift or a faith lift????

2007-08-28T11:09:00.000+10:00

Scrap of Faith has had a face lift!! I came up with a new logo for the newsletter header and the feedback about it was good & Nattie suggested just having it as the header for everything. I like it :D
So we've had a face lift how about you come visit and get a Faith Lift :D

AND it's our Birthday!!! YEHAHH!!! Perferct pressie for our first birthday, nice new happy colours!!

In November we are having a charity crop day to raise money for Mercy Ministries. They help young women who are struggling find hope and a future. The next two weeks I'll be busy securing sponsors for this event.

So far though the entry is $20 and you get a calico bag full of goodies and LOTS of giveaways on the day. Check out the info HERE

Plus we finally got the August Newsletter out. Grab a cuppa & have a read

Not much going on in the Clifford house except school, work & Scrap of Faith. July to October is a bit full on with those things for us. Makes the Summer Holidays all the more blisfull! Oh the "highlight" if you call it that would be getting my wisdom teeth out!! My confession is "It has been 14 years since I have seen a dentist!" I had LOTS of opperations in my mouth as a 10 year old then braces from 11 to 13. By 17 I was SO over dentitsts. Well my top wisdom teeth came through and they were so far back and awkward I couldn't brush them properly and they were starting to hurt. Silly old me would rather face the pain then go visit a dentist. Finally I gave in and Mark & I prayed before I went in and I prayed whilst getting the needles. & I can't belive I'm saying this, but, It was actually great! Troy the dentist is really easy going and puts you at ease & I actually walked out of there laughing. If you live in Brisbane & want a good dentist, visit TROY here. If you want a wonder cure for getting over the fear of needles, check out God :D

Well that's it for now, just a quick one :-) Stay safe & happy.

Things I'm thankful for right now:
1. God
2. The newsletter is out
3. The beautiful SoF DT who work hard every month
4. The rain we had
5. My husband
6. Friends with great sponsorship advice.
7. Getting my teeth out
8. Life :-)
9. All our provisions are met
10. SCRAP OF FAITH IS ONE!!

I'm still alive!!! Really I am!!

2007-08-15T22:34:00.000+10:00

Well time flies when you're having fun & given how time has flown since my last post I must be having a lot of it ;-)

But before go on, go and click play on my new song. I just love this song and brings both Mark & I to tears. It's called "Letters From War" by Mark Schultz. Love this one!!

Okay six months WOW!! what's been happening? I think I'll go dot point so this update doesn't go in the "to hard basket".

* I have a crawling, happy go lucky baby!!! Cowps is just such a little piece of heaven on earth!! He has been just a wonderful bubby and such a little charmer, ever so smiley & ever so snugly. He's terribly cute when you put him to bed, before he even reaches the mattress he assumes the sleep position, legs tucked under, head to the side, thumb in the mouth. Eyes are closed as soon as you lay him down. Just to cute my little darling.

* The weather has been so great and we have been going down to the park near the sales centre at North Lakes of a weekend for lunch and to go eel and turtle spotting! The kids think it's just great and all of us will hang around for ages just peering into the water for a chance to see one LOL. or trying to find them when they swim under the deck. Even Alec gets in on the action!!

* I cut my hair! Oh yeah I cut my hair!! Now for those who really know me this is a BIG DEAL! Mark loves long hair & I mean really loves long hair and after me taking 19 years to grow it long, I was happy to keep it long. I love long hair too. Mark would often joke that the only way I would ever get a divorce would be to cut off my hair. Well the hair got cut off and we're still married!! So why is it gone you ask? Well I don't like making private things public, but I am all for giving God the Glory. I wont give details, but our marriage really got taken through the fire and if we didn't love God and fix our eyes on him then we wouldn't be here today. Things happened in the past that I'm not proud of and through Christ's redeeming blood I became renewed and to show God & Mark my true heart, I wanted an outward showing that the old me is gone and only the new me is moving forward. Nothing of the old girl left so even the hair that was on my head when the old me was around was cut off. Mark was shocked to say the least, but he understood and to show he was serious about the two of us both moving forward together in Christ he shaved his hair off too!! We burnt the old hair and offered up our life to Christ to mould and use us for his service. I love my husband, he is my best mate, my true love and I am just so proud to be called Mrs Clifford and that we are in life together.

* Scrap of Faith has changed!! We now do a newsletter every month, and just did our first one & the next one is out soon!! Check it out here. We're also organising a Charity crop & a retreat!!! All details are in the newsletter! But we're moving in new directions and really excited!! I love Scrap of Faith :-) And we're 1!!! Can you believe that!! Yep we're 1 year old this month!

* I have two girls who can read!! Yeah So awesome to walk the school journey with them and see these milestones reached! I'm just so proud of my girls. They have big hearts and try so hard. Holly tells me that when she is older she wants to do "Kingdom work" for God. Hannah has started making her own song and dance routines and all of them are about her love for God. Tonight at dinner Holly, Hannah & Mitchell were saying that the kids are going to form a band and their first album is going to be called "Angel". At the moment they are all going to play guitar LOL. Alec doesn't know it, but they have allocated him the drums. Hmm Looks like that leaves Cowps to be on Keyboard LOL

* Work has just been flat out!! I prefer to be busy than have nothing to do, but this has been crazy!!! Some weeks I have no idea what direction is up or down?? But we're getting there and we're thankful for the work that is coming in and trying to make hay while the sun shines and store up for the quiet summer months. I pray this year we can really take the two weeks off, be on top of the work and not have a care in the world. We've been telling the kids that we want to save up for a full camping set up so we have the freedom to go away whenever without breaking the bank.

Well I need to go to bed LOL. I have an early start in the morning so I can try to get out for a coffee with the lovely Chris Millar and Co. It has been forever since I have caught up with my pals IRL so it's a much looked forward to morning.

Catch up soon. & I'll try not to make it 6 months this time.

Blown Away!!!!

2007-01-26T08:50:00.000+10:00

Well for once in my life I was left speachless!!!!

I arrived at Nat's place yesterday for us to head out with the kids for a day of adventure. As I'm chatting away (not like me LOL) she says "This is for you, just a little something the SoF girls put together" Well I was just like I said "Speachless!!" Here was this awesome gift box full of little & big goodies for me and Cowp's and all these beautiful gift tags!! I have never felt so blessed in all my life to have such a thoughtful thing done for me!! When you have baby number 5 people are so over it, but the SoF girls have prayed over me, blessed me & surprised me like Cowp's was my first!!! So totally beautiful to feel spoilt!!! Praise God for such wonderful Girl friends even though we are seperated by 1000's of miles!!

The basket was full of such awesome little goodies; A book I wanted, is a hardback with 3 editions in it: The power of a praying woman, The Power of a Praying Wife & The Power of a Praying Parent, can't wait to read it :) A gift voucher to a beauty salon, Massage here I come!!! Lots of clothes and bubby stuff & scrapping goodies!!! And of course the beautiful tags that I will be making a special home for!!!

Also I was spoilt with more meals from my Sister & Kylie G one of the beautiful girls from my close circle of Brissy friends :) That took us to 3 weeks of not having to Grocery Shop!!! How wonderful is our Lord in providing this huge support network for us :)

Yesterday Nat & I took the kids on the train into the museum & art gallery. We all had a fantastic day & it is great that the cultural centre is free!!! I can see so many more trips into the city in our future. The kids love it, such an adventure for them!!

Love this Man!!!

Just got to love how he and the kids read stories together!!!

We went up the beach the other day to visit Karen & Steve again & to see Mark's family. Aunty Marg gave the kids an awesome bubble blowing kit. One of the "blowers" is awesome with each swish I swear we get 100 bubbles out of it!!! So we have been having a lot of fun running around the yard with it. Even the dog loves it. I have never seen a dog go so crazy about chasing bubbles. He totally wears himself out!!! So now when I don't want to take the dog for a walk, just swish some bubbles about LOL.

And now the final days of holidays.... Next week it's all systems go with school & work back on deck!! So this week I have been busy planing the lessons & covering books. Okay I will confess I love covering school books, freak I know!!! Just finished it this morning & now hanging out for the next shipment of books that I will be ordering mid term!!

Things I am thankful for:

An Awesome God &

1. Such beautiful friends

2. Innocence of Children

3. Slow cookers

4. Airconditioning

5. Family

Have a beautiful long weekend everyone :D

What's going on!!!???

2007-01-15T15:04:00.000+10:00

Another post in just a week!!! What is happening here??? LOL Just thought I'd keep shocking you all ;-)

Well today the wonderful Chris Millar and her two beautiful girls came around for a play & more importantly to take some photos of the Mr Cowper :) That Chris is an absolute legend with the camera and baby photos. The two of us had fun mucking around with a few props and Mr Cowper was a very delightful model. A huge thanks to Chris for capturing some truly beautiful photos :)

So sit back and relax and enjoy a small sample of the photos. Oh boy do I have some scrapping material LOL.

We also had a wonderful visit from Karen & her family last week :) Was so nice to finally met her DH Steve & daughter Chloe :) They are spending some time at the Sunshine Coast this week so we are going to have a short break and spend the night at the Beach house and visit with them again before they head back to Rocky & some rellies from the Coast.

The weekend just gone was a mix of busy & quiet. On Saturday we had my Parents, Grandparents, Uncle Col & Aunty Kay with my cousin Cara & my sister Kym with her DH Michael & their kids, Grace & Connor. So Saturday was fairly full :) Sunday I took the little Man to his first Church service & the rest of the day was just hanging with the family.

We are still a very blessed little family here. Another round of meals were dropped off on the weekend so we are still sorted till Thursday!!! The last grocery shop I did besides Milk & Bread was before Cowper was born!! Man has that grocery shop gone the distance!! A big big thank you to everyone who has provided for us.

And Finally today is Mitchell's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MITCH!!!

Will post some piccies of that later on, still need to get the cake shots!!

Forgot to end my last post with the 5 things I'm Thankful for:

1. The wonderful way our Heavenly Father provides for our every need

2. The generosity of family & friends

3. A healthy little baby

4. Our life

3. A clean house

WoW Time Flies!!!!

2007-01-08T21:30:00.000+10:00

I can't believe my last post was so long ago, that we had just found out that the little bundle we were expecting was a boy.

Well This Saturday 6th Jan at 6:36am after 3hrs of Labour little Cowper Mark Clifford entered the world! I'll share the birth story at the end of the post so those who get a bit EWWW about these things don't have to go there LOL. We are all doing great and just so blessed to have another little one in our life. I just forget each time how much I love that newborn smell and how utterly devoted and in love you and this little person can be with each other right from the first second. Oh and Cowper it's pronounced Cooper, it's a family name and is Old English.

So besides makin' babies what else have we been up to?

- Got through 1 year of Home schooling with great results. The kids and I are loving the work we do together. Both girls got really good reports from the work we submitted and are really excited that this year they are Grade 1 & 2.

- Both Holly & Hannah were awarded all their badges for Girls Brigade and the two of them are just flourishing so much for us having Pine Rivers Uniting Church in our lives. The friendships they have made from Sunday School and Girls brigade have been so good for them & the enthusiasm for God has just blossomed. Mitchell just loves the creche there too.

- Scrap of Faith has just grown into the most beautiful little community of Christian Scrappers. It is just so inspiring to see so many people supporting each other, praying for each other & seeing how God is working in their lives all the time. Also the friends that it has bought into my life are just the most wonderful gifts from our Lord.

- Our business has been going well. At times I would get frustrated that it took me away from being a Mum, but this year because of home schooling we really got our lives structured and Mark has really blossomed by taking on more of the workload I now look at ADS as a blessing not a burden as it allows us to support our family financially and both be at home for our children.

- My Dad retired and he and Mum just today arrived home from a 7 week holiday in the UK. First time overseas for the two of them!!! My Sister & her family are living in the UK till July and are having a great time there so was great for Mum and Dad to see them and tour around. I can't wait to hear all the stories. So much better in person than via emails

- Mum also had a Melanoma scare just 2 weeks before they were due to leave!! She had the op within the week of leaving. A Few worried days there but in a fairly simple op all of the melanoma was removed and they were able to go on the trip as planed. So no more Melanoma but one hell of a talking point on her leg!!

- And we all had chicken pox. Well everyone except Mark. We were a little worried about the pregnancy risk, but with so many wonderful people praying for me and bub we got only a really mild case and the whole thing was over and done with in a week!! So healthy bub & healthy family in time for our holidays!

- We had a fantastic summer holiday at the end of the year. We had a week at Maroochydore and then a few days at Mark's Brother's place at Gympie. They have just moved out to 120acres and the kids just love the wide open spaces. We took Mum & Dad's dachshund with us and he was the best "Farm Dog" out of them all. While at the beach the weather was perfect and was wonderful to have the time together as just us without a care in the world.

So that brings us to Cowper's Arrival so those who don't like birth stories best to tune out now.

COWPER'S BIRTH

Well being number 5 you would think that all fear and doubt would be gone by this one, but no it still hangs around. On Thursday the 4th of Jan (his actual due date) I started to get contractions early in the morning. I did the wander the house, and get active to see if it would grow stronger. In the end I went back to bed, burst out crying and said to Mark that I had no idea why but I was really scared about going into labour this time. Mark asked me if he wanted to pray and he prayed for us. I had also put a post on SoF letting the girls there know my fears and asking for prayers and encouragement. I was given heaps!!!

By the afternoon because it had been on and off all day I called my midwife who suggested that I get the kids taken care of now and not wait till I was fully in labour as I may not give myself time. I rang Kym my sister not thinking that anything would happen, but she too suggested that the kids go to her place and it didn't matter for how long, but that Mark and I could probably do with a little rest before the baby came. So on Thursday night the kids went to my sisters and Mark and I went out for a Mexican Dinner. Jo my midwife rang that night to see how things were and I had had a little more, but it fizzled too.

So come Friday morning and nothing happening over night Mark suggested that it be a good day for a baby as kids were taken care of, we had both had a great nights sleep and EVE was in 24hr down time LOL. So we pottered around together all day and just enjoyed being the two of us sharing the last few days of pre baby together. Come Friday night I had had the whole day with not so much as a niggle so I had decided that if no action come Sat lunch I would rescue the my sister from the kids.

So Friday night after some movie watching we finally go to bed around 11:00pm and just as we're falling asleep the rowdy neighbours crank up a party and their electric guitar playing!!! I finally managed to get to sleep only to wake again at around 2:30am (party still going) I tossed and turned for a while and around 3:30am started getting contractions again. At 4:00am I thought I might try to get it going again, but after Thursdays effort wasn't hoping for much. At 4:15 my waters broke & that is a first for me!! So I woke Mark & rang Jo & she told me to stop talking and come in. So Mark and I made the journey to the hospital without having to worry about dropping kids off etc, just had to get the two of us there. When we arrived at the Birth Centre at 5:00am Jo had the room all set up and ready to go for us and I got straight in the shower.

A little while later Jo came in and said that the Team Leader from Birth Suite had been informed that I had arrived & because it was my 5th birth they were worried about the higher risk of hemorrhage and wanted to put a bung in my hand to allow quick access for fluids just in case. I was really hesitant about it. I felt very covered in prayer and at full peace that God was looking after Cowper and I and no harm would come to us. Jo then explained it all to Mark and he came to me and said he would like it if I had it put in. In the end I said I would have it put in. My only reason for not wanting it was worrying about the "interfering" would slow my labour and make me uncomfortable. But I thought Birth Centre midwife's don't usually push for something unless they feel it warranted.

So finally around 6am I finally start to feel the change from transition to pushing & the doctor to put in the drip access still hadn't arrived. So as per usual with the other boys I couldn't get my head into a space of wanting to push so I tried a few things and ended up collapsing on the bean bag and just resting. I also asked Jo to double check that yes I was fully dilated and all was good. She reassured me it was & it was just up to me to when I feel ready. Well as I'm laying there trying to talk myself into getting the desire to try the doctor comes in to do my needle. I had already gotten up as I was wanting to try getting onto the birth stool again to see if that would help with the pushing desire. So now I'm stuck in a doorway between the bathroom and the birth stool and a doctor is trying to shove a needle in my arm while I'm trying to not go with contractions and hold still for her. First she grabs my right hand and I said "No, in my left please" so she changes hands, gives me a little local then sticks the big needle in. She then takes it out and Jo is gripping onto my hand like nobodies business and I asked "Is it in there?" and she said "No Darl she went right through the vein" I then look over and see the doctor coming at me again with another needle and Jo suggesting she try the big vein in the side of my arm, so I have 2 options stand there and let her have another go or jump on the birth stool and push this kid out. I decided on the second one. I just said "I'm sorry no" jumped on the stool and started pushing. (nothing like a botched needle to get you motivated!!)

So as I started to push I could feel him crowning and Jo urging me to slow down and Mark also urging me to slow it down. The only thing I could think that would stop me going so fast was to put my hands on his head. So for the whole crowning and his head coming out he was in my hands. I then kept them on him for the whole remainder of the delivery feeling his shoulders emerge etc and Jo quickly got him as he came right out and passed him straight up to me. That was the most awesome experience having your baby in your hands the whole way out!!! So at 6:36am little Cowper Mark Clifford arrived into the world safe and sound.

It was then that day as Mark and I were hanging out at the Birth Centre with the little Man that Mark revealed to me that since I came into him crying on the Thursday morning he had been scared out of his wits that something was going to go wrong with this delivery. Hence the wanting me to have the bung put in. But if he hadn't told me that I would never have known, the Thursday & Friday & all through the delivery he was strong and supportive and was there for me 200%. All this from a guy who is honest in saying that being at a Birth is the last place on earth he wants to be the whole thing really grosses him out and even after 5 he can't get used to it. Things we do for love :)

Given all was well with Mum & bub and that I was just desperate to be back with all my kids, Mark and I left the hospital the same day at 6:00pm and headed for home.

So my battle scar from the whole event was a silly swollen hand from the doctor trying to stick me. I now have bruised knuckles like I tried to punch someone LOL. So little Cowper has just been a little darling and this time I'm trying really hard to just be a mummy to a new born and not stress about other things. Will have plenty of time to do that in weeks to come. I have also been really blessed with my sister, Chris & Jac bringing us meals that we haven't had to want for anything this week. I think I can honestly say that from days before to days after baby number 5 has been the dream entry into the world. Praise be to God!! All our prayers answered by our Heavenly Father!!

My little Artist

2006-08-19T10:18:00.000+10:00

My little boy Mitchell has all of a sudden decided that he is into drawing and colouring in. Last month he would pick up a piece of paper and just do one massive scribble, now he is colouring in neatly, cutting out shapes & drawing. This is the first drawing he has done and come and shown me. It's Cowper in Mummy's tummy. I love the drawing for heaps of reasons. He has finally made a big developmental step on the way to schooling and it shows that he is thinking about a new little brother that is going to come into the world. Both bubs and I are smiling so Mitch must be pretty happy about the whole thing :)

Alec boy is just happy & cheeky :) I have been dying to capture the cheeky grin that he flashes all the time.

And I decided to take two on the tin I did for Scrap of Faith. I will run another close at the end of the month for people who like take two :)

What else is going on? The girls and I had our first appointment up at the hospital yesterday. Would have to be the first time ever I've in and out of the RBH clinic within 1/2 hr!!! From now on all my appointments will be up at the birth center with the lovely Marg & Jo :) I just love having my own midwife :) Mark and I worked out that Marg has delivered over 30000 babies!!!!!! and 2 of those were Mitchell & Alec. It would be great if she is on call when Cowper arrives!! Marg is a pretty amazing woman, she got the Birth Centre up and running and although she still runs the birth centre and cares for 4 women a month I think she thinks she's semi retired!!! LOL she is wonder woman!!

Okay 5 things I am thankful for :) (Make it 6 LOL)

1. Never changing will always be at the top of the list - God :)
2. An understanding Husband
3. Scrapbooking
4. Crown Financial Ministries
5. Scrap of Faith
6. Sleep ins

It's a........ !!!!!!!!!

2006-08-16T10:42:00.000+10:00

Babies Babies everywhere!!!

My beautiful friend Jacqui has just given birth to a precious little angel Emily Deborah. Mum and bub are both too beautiful and doing really well. Also the much anticipated Scrapping Bubbies of Evana & Trina made their late entrance into the world. Congratulations gilrs on Joel & Daniel!!! None of theses babies were under 9lb 6oz, wow you girls breed em well!!!!

We had our 19wk scan with some more of my beautiful friends. Penny did the scan & Chris was there as fantastic support & offical photographer. I now have some great "Scan" photos and Penny has some brilliant "me at work" photos. So we are adding to the Male population!!! It's funny as soon as you find out the sex that name that you just couldn't think of all of a sudden just fits!!! So we have to wait til January to meet our little Cowper (pronounced Cooper).

I finally got to met and have copy with the gorgeous Nat Mardon!! She is a super sweet girl, such a beautiful soul and full of such passion. I keep thinking she is the 6ft version of me LOL. The kids had a great afternoon playing in the fantastic Playground of the Everton Park Hotel while Nat & I could sit and chat and drool over eachothers scrap books. I just love Nat's style. It is so fresh and funky and I really wish I could capture some of that in my own work. So Scrap of Faith is so lucky to have Nat on the DT!!!

Mark & I have been doing a finaincial course through our church and have been having some really big "wake up" moments that can only benifit and strengthen our family. So lots of seeking God's counsel and planning happening here :)

Okay I'm going to Join Nat & Lusi in listing 5 things I am grateful for:

1) My faith
2) My family
3) The new friends that Scrap of Faith has bought me
4) My Friday Cropper Girls
5) Healthy babies & Healthy Mummies

What a week!!!

2006-08-05T18:49:00.000+10:00

Well I got my classes done for my Scrap of Faith website!!!

Here's a sneak peak of the tin & LO that you can get aPDF of instructions and an on-line class on how to do these projects!!! And you get to support charity too!!!

A tag & catch up :)

2006-08-03T19:53:00.000+10:00

Okay the beautiful Nat has tagged me :)

1. How old are you? 30
2. How many kids do you have if any? 4 beautiful cute & cuddly ones and one in the tum :) Holly 6, Hannah nearly 5, Mitchell 3 1/2, Alec 1/2
3. Are you married, single, divorced, widow? Married to Mark 7 yrs (together 10)
4. What is your occupation? I am WHAM Quantity Surveyor doing Tax Depreciation reports & Home School mumma :)
5. What are your passions? God & all that goes with my faith, my family, scrapping & Scrap of Faith (all my close friends I met through scrapping :) ).
6. Are you a dreamer or a dream seeker? A mixture of both half my dreams I seek out :)
7. Are you happy with the way you life has turned out? Yep totally. So far life couldn't be more beautiful I have such a beautiful family, God meets all our needs and we have our health. I've done some dumb things but why dwell or regret them all have contributed to being here today.
8. Are you a scrapper and if so how many hours a week do you scrap? YEP :) I go from nothing to 15 depends on the week and what I got to do.
9. What do you want to do before you die? Live a long healthy life with Mark and still have the love of my children.
10. What are is your favorite food? Strawberries, chocolate, salads. And right now I'm craving a warm friand with fresh cream.......
11. What is the food you hate the most? SEAFOOD!!!!!
12. What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? I guess a caravan toilet exploding on me.
13. What is the happiest day of your life thus far? Oh getting married (or the day Mark agreed to go on a date, that was the start of it all :) ) all the kids births. The days I really feel God talking to me and guiding me.
14. Are you a neat freak? Or a dirty house cleaner? OK no neat freak here. I love a clean house, but just can't get into cleaning it LOL. Perhaps my goal before I die should be to have it in the budget to afford a regular house cleaner. I almost need a full time maid to keep up with the kids!!!!

Thanks for that Nat :)

I tag Chris, Roz & Mel M.

So this week I have been really busy with the usual stuff plus trying to get things happening for Scrap of Faith. I think this month will be a biggy then it will be pretty cool sailing after that. I just am so touched by all the people who have shown their support and help :) Mandi for doing the banner, All the girls who leave comments and keep me going & everyone who as emailed me and said hey wow thanks for this how can I help. You all know who you are and you all mean so much :) What wonderful blessings you all are.

Check this out

2006-07-30T21:14:00.000+10:00

Another post before the month is out, what has gotten into me???

Well I want you all to go check out this site that I got inspired to create. It's a work in progress but hopefully the work and the progress will happen quickly and we'll have it looking mighty flash and inspiring really soon.

http://scrapoffaith.typepad.com/

Can't have only 1 for the month!!!!

2006-07-29T17:01:00.000+10:00

Okay there is no way I am going to let July go with only 1 post so I had better get this one in!!!

Okay so what has been going on for July?? well let me think

- Did my entry for Masters, yep left it till the last weekend
- Did an entry for Memories & More Search for A DT comp, left that till the last day!!!
- Started going back to Church
- Had a glorious blessing way for Jacqui's new baby due in August
- Started volounteering at Girls Brigade as a Uniform Shop Lady & floating helper in the classes.
- Finally my morning sickness left!!!
- Got in trouble from the doctor for being too relaxed about this pregnancy!
- Back to School with kidletts!!!
- Oh and got more school texts and work books, very exiting in this house LOL.

So now it's the end of the month. Feeling seriously lacking in Iron, tierd and lazy when I shouldn't be LOL. So far we have been spared winter sickness in our house, only Mark has been affected and that was only mild, so hopefully August wont bring any nasty surprises.

And now I sit and wait hoping that I might be one of the lucky 100 to get a phone call from Scrapbooking Memories!! If not I can finally share what I did. I hate doing stuff and not being able to share it any where!!!!!

So as for sharing here's my last LO I did.

I Just love a cooked breakfast, don't have time for one every day, but around 3 times a week I'll have one.

Shameless Plug

2006-07-03T19:27:00.000+10:00

Well here I am blogging to get in two shameless plugs. 1 for me Yeah!!! and 1 for Ngaire Bartlam's fantastic fundrasing efforts for Breast Cancer.

So first of all my shameless plug. Click here to check out my contribution to the SN newsletter. Both Lib Morris and I got to be Guest DT this month and the two of us had such a great time creating for the newsletter. I am sooooo jealous of anyone who gets to do DT stuff every month. Guess a regular spot is my next 2006 scrap goal. Here's a sneak peek, but really get over to Scrap Needs check out the other awesome work done by the DT and get inspired. And while you're there have a shop, Kell has the freindliest service and fastest turn around on orders I have ever seen and such a beautiful range of product in her shop.

Next get yourself over to Ngaire's blog and check out the amazing fundraising effort she has got going on for Breast Cancer. She has got some awesome talant in Australian Scrapping donating prizes and some wonderful product up for grabs also. Do me a favour and check it out. My wonderful DH and beautiful children are without a Mum and Grandma because of this horrible disease called Breast Cancer, so just for me go and support Ngaire's efforts in trying to raise money to beat this disease.

Oh Pooh Bum!!!!!

2006-06-08T16:17:00.000+10:00

Well my little photo challange is going to have to wait. I can't get that photo up no matter how hard I try!!! So I'm going to have to wait for Mark to post it on a hidden page on our site and link it. So that challange to come.

So this week I have been working really well. I have given myself detention and set up my laptop on the spare desk in Mark's office so he can make sure I don't procrastinate, so so far so good. I actually like being in the same office with Mark so looks like my office will become even more of a cropping room. Just have to tidy it up now.

There are two things in my life that I am ashamed of, my bedroom & my office. They are total disasters, even the kids tell me to clean them up. I read a book about different personalities and what it said about mine was, I am often well groomed when going out and look like a really together person, but if you saw where I got changed you would freak. Well yep that's me to a t "Sparky Sanguine". I just really really really hate house work!! It's not fun!!! Who want's to do stuff that is not fun after a day of work??!! Now if there is anybody out there who cannot understand my loathing of housework then you're just freaky!!! But you can come and do my house any day!!!

Okay while I'm at it I'll divulge my other secrets that I shouldn't really be too proud of.

1. I'm an email addict send/recive, send/recive, send/recive
2. I like to drive FAST!!!!!
3. I procrastinate
4. Will send Alec to Mark to get a his pooey nappies changed. "What he's done a poo again??!!! You're kidding me!!!" hehehehehe.
5. And I think every other scrapper shares this one, I spend more on product than what I actually need!! Although this year I have really been good on that one.

So this leads me to wonder what would you spend $27 Million on if you won last Saturday's million. Here's my wish list.

1. Gift some to family
2. Buy a house
3. Buy a property out west
4. Invest
5. Trust funds for the kids
6. Keep a little aside for a few luxuries, new car, home theatre, ski boat, caravan, clothes, scrapping supplies, and wardrobe systems for all the cupboards in the new house oh and a holiday. If things were invested properly then when all the kids were older we would do a big overseas trip with them. And I forget I would love to be able to afford a house keeper/nanny.

So that's my mega wish list. What's yours?

Oh well I am procrastinating right now. Work is calling so must answer LOL.

Take care all

OKAY STOP NAGGING!!!!!!!!!`

2006-06-01T16:47:00.000+10:00

Oh Boy how many death threats can a girl get for not updating her blog??? So for fear of my life here's an update!!!! But in all seriousness it is flattering for people to email me and say "Can we have an update please". Okay no, sorry I was being polite there, they really go more like "UPDATE YOUR BLOG!!!!!"

Okay so I really really do have a good excuse for not being a good blogger and now my Mum knows I can tell you all, yep I'm pregnant. I have just been sooooooo unmotivated to do anything, things I love doing I just look at and go "Nah, later"... This is so not me & I must admit I'm having a hard time dealing with this!!! So does anyone know how to get Mojo Back & no not the team on the Amazing Race I would like to loose that Mojo, but my Mojo for life??? The only thing I can muster the energy to do is flop in front of the TV at night & I HATE TV!!! I even know the people's names on Big Brother!!!!! What has my life come too?????

So what's been neglected that I normally love due to pregnancy hormones-
1. My hair and clothes, I look like a slob!!!
2. Blogging
3. Scrapping (and now is not the time to be Mojo Less with a DT job this month!!!)
4. Sex!!
5. Exercise (sorry, I used to go running and skiing... REALLY???)
6. Schooling (just doing the bare necessities no extras)
7. Going out.
Things I don't Love but must do that have slumped.
1. Work (not good!!! jobs coming in, but I have to get them out!!!)
2. House work (Who cares LOL)

So Baby I'm telling you know "STOP SAPPING MY MOJO"!! and hey you had better turn out to be one cool kid, from all this Mojo sapping you are doing buddy. The little blighter is even due on New Years Eve!!! So what's a bet this is the first bubby of mine that ever arrives on it's due date. Now I could handle that if it get's the First baby born in 2007 title, then it could be forgiven.

So My first plan of attack is to clean up my office, get it a bit organised so work won't look like such a huge Mission. I think I might ask my Mum if I can palm the kids off to her for a couple of days next week so I can just get my head around work without worrying about them. I'm also thinking I might have to move my work stuff to the spare desk in Mark's office so I don't spend my time procrastinating with temptations, such as the Forum, email & stuff.

So there you have it I have been a slack blogger due to a Mojo Sapping Baby!!

Oh and email me baby names, after naming 4 kids Mark and I are totally at loss on even thinking of names that we remotely like for the 5th.. Can I just be like Michael Jackson and reuse a name, Perhaps Holly the 2nd or Mitchell the 2nd, or hey Blanket is a winner!!!!

So photos to share, I'm going to set a weekly challenge to everyone who reads this blog. I want you to share the following photos and tell us a bit about it. First week I want a photo of you pre 10, Week 2 a photo 10 - 15, Week 3 Senior High school, Week 4 18yrs, Week 5 21yrs, Week 6 your wedding. So I will start with my Pre 10 photo. Sorry about the quality, but old scanned photos aren't the best. It's of me and my sisters at the Lookout in Cardwell where we grew up. I'm the yongest & just gotta love those tight tight shorts and knee high socks, I was sooooooo cool LOL.

Sorry I cannot for the life of me get that photo to upload. I'll try putting it as it's own post. ARRGGHH!! Blogger!!!!!

I've been tagged!!

2006-05-05T12:20:00.000+10:00

Okay Miss Millar has guilted me into being a slack blogger this last week LOL. And as punishment has tagged me so I’ll update my blog. I know I have been a slack blogger this week, sorry everyone who has visited and gone “Dang, same stuff, bugger!!”.

So last Friday the girls school teacher from Groves Mr Healey came for a visit to see how we were doing. Well we passed with flying colours and was so reassuring to know we are headed along the right path. He made some origami fish with the kids and on Monday we gave them scales and eyes to finish them off.

I had a little bit of an embarrassing moment on Wednesday. I was having one of those silly mornings of having wonderful plans but not getting any of them achieved. I had a massive pile of washing on the rug to fold, I still hadn’t vacuumed under the table & the sink still had the breakfast dishes in it and the table was piled high with school work. At 11:30 I still hadn’t made it out of my PJ’s. I thought there was a chance to salvage the day so I went to get changed to tackle the challenge. Thought if I was at least out of my PJ’s then I was off to a good start. Well in the middle of getting changed the phone rang, so I’m sitting in my office in just a T-Shirt and undies chatting on the phone, when my neighbor decides to pop over. Well she’s not one to really knock and just waltzes in the back door right into the disaster zone and the kids tell her I’m in the office. So next thing I have my neighbor come right into my office me sitting there only half dressed and the two of us looking at each other like dear caught in the headlights. The quickest visit she ever made LOL. I told Mark when he got home and he laughed and said she probably thinks our household has gone to hell in a hand basket. I just thought, well that’s what you get for not knocking!!! I also think the back door might need locking during the day LOL.

Okay so I’d better do Miss Millar’s tag.

What’s in my……

Fridge –

Marinades
Breakfast spreads
Butter & Milk both real not fake stuff
Fruit & Veg
Fresh batch of cupcakes

Closet –

Cothes
Shoes
Belts & Handbags
Books
Safe

Handbag –

Wallet
Keys
Phone

Car –

Street Directory
Chamois
Kids shoes
Snatch ‘em
Shovel
Winch

DVD / Video Player –

Into The Woods
Snatch
Arlington Road
Blackhawk Down
All the Pixar Films
Ice Age
Other kids ones.

I’m Tagging…..

Kelley and Kirst.

This weekend we have a big Picnic with the other Groves' home schoolers & Mark's birthday on Sunday. So should be fun weekend :)

Well that’s it for today. Better organize lunch for the masses.

Take care everyone & a big thank you to all those who have left comments. Sorry I don’t reply individually to them all, wish I had more time to do that, but they do mean a lot. Thanks & Hugs.

Lest We Forget

2006-04-25T18:26:00.000+10:00

To all of you that have loved ones serving in our armed forces my thoughts and prayers go out to all of you for their safe return. To our diggers who have served and are serving thank you and God Bless. Don't forget our ANZAC spirit and be proud to be Australian!

I can finally reveal more about my guest DT position. It is with Scrap Needs. The wonderful Kell owner of Scrap Needs has had a fantastic Ideas Center on the site and will now be offering a newsletter. The first one will be out in May. I will be doing some Layouts and BTP projects for the June Newsletter. May's Newsletter will be full of wonderful work from the talented Chris Millar, Roz James, Mishell Lancette & Jen Hall plus another guest DT. So get over to the Scrap Needs website and create an account so you can get your hands on a newsletter (top left corner click on the 'log on'). Also online classes & kits are also coming up and revealed in the Newsletter. DON'T MISS OUT!!!!

We're alive, all is good!!

2006-04-22T20:27:00.000+10:00

We had the night from hell on Thursday and lived to tell the tale. I will not go into the gorey details, but will leave it as 2 adults, 4 kids no one spared from the vomit gremlin, yep that all ads up to one night I choose not to revisit!!! This picture sums up our thoughts on the night LOL.

Sickness in the house does have some advantages, kids laying around chilling out giving Mum lots of scrapping time. Is that bad addicted scrapping lady talk going on there, taking advantage of unwell kids like that? So here is the latest creation.

The title is on a flap of cardstock that lifts up to reveal journaling that says "Mr Mickey you delight us so much when you call out "What you say?" Daddy & I now always say this instead of pardon. You even have the girls saying it too! you continue to delight us with other funny things you say, such as Excabaytor=Excavator, Cucumback=Cucumber, Choke=vomit, Bomince=Taco mince & silly dodo & Kongkong"

So I'm now on a mission to break the world record for folding laundry. Why I let it pile up is beyond me, but this way I put on a DVD and Mark helps, gotta suck those fellas into housework somehow. Oh and I have resupplied the chocolate stash & hey after you hurl all your stomach contents up does that mean you can have double the chocolate allowance because non of Thursday's eating counts? I think so!!

Thanks again for all the lovely comment and stopping by. BIG HUGS!!!

Exciting things

2006-04-20T18:38:00.000+10:00

Okay some wonderful things happening in my life right now.

Firstly one of my goals is on its way I hope. I have been offered a guest DT position!!!! So far it's a little hush hush, but next week I'll be able to share all the details, that's just a little too exciting for me.

The other one is about the movie I'm in, Sweet FA I will have to quote the wise Mick for this one. "I had a suspicious phone call form the AFC asking about what we were spending, our equipment etc. I have since found out they wanted the info because we are being featured in promotional material for the Cannes Film Festival". So cool for the guys doing the movie as they are working so hard and completely funding this themselves to get some recognition in the film industry. Let's hope the end result is a pretty cool movie :) Check out their site here awesomely-awesome .

Schools In!!!

2006-04-19T19:51:00.001+10:00

Well it's back to heads down tails up. After a great Easter break we are back into the routine. Amazing how much cleaner the kitchen stays when we're not all slacking off LOL. The girls are back into the school work full swing and I'm just so amazed at what Hannah knows. She just sits there ever so quietly listening to what I'm doing with Holly and sucking it all in. I'll ask Holly a question and often Hannah will beat her to the answer.

Our Easter weekend was busy busy busy!!! Friday was the Friday Cropper night, Saturday mates came over for lunch and then we headed up to the Coast for Dinner for my Dad's 65th (opppss sorry his 21st, I don't have a Dad whose 65 yet!! LOL). We went out to Trader Dukes for dinner and found out they don't do the kids eat free anymore!! What The??? You get my business then you change the game plan??? We then found out that my Sister and her husband had been skiing with Dad that day and wanted him to put the boat in the next day. SKIING!!!!!! No one said we'd be skiing!!! Oh hell, crap, bugger I didn't bring my togs, let alone wetsuit!!! So mad dash back to Brissie that night to get my stuff and up at 6am to go back first thing in the morning. Kids stayed with Mum and Dad while we did the wetsuit mission.

Came back to a poor little sick Alec who was having a lot of coughing and breathing difficulties. Mark took to the medical centre and the Doctor could not tell what his problem was if it was bronchitis or asthma. He gave him the nebuliser which cleared it up and prescribed him some ventalin. We have had him sleeping in the porta cot in our room so we can keep an eye on him and give him a puff if he has a middle of the night coughing fit. The last couple of nights he's been much better but I kind of like having him there so wont rush him back to his room just yet.

So anyway back to the weekend we took the kids to Ice Age 2 Sunday afternoon and came back to Brissie Sunday night. Monday I spent the day shopping with Caryn at Chermside having a cool girlie afternoon. We spent all afternoon going into shop after shop just not really liking anything. Had in my mind what I wanted but it was either ridiculously priced or just very poorly made. So after a cup of hot chocolate I was about to go home defeated, but I saw a shop called Cotton On while we were sitting there and said let's check it out. Well huge sale later and everything I wanted I walked out with 7 items!! As it was just my birthday Ms Caryn insisted she pick up the tab!! What a girl and the best birthday treat ever!! I am just so loving my new tops and shrugs.

So a little photo share for you all. The girls and I were mucking around in the back yard. I had dragged the camera out for to take pictures of Mr Alec, the girls had stuck him in the dozer and were pushing him around. So serious he was, didn't want to get out, but wouldn't smile either cheeky boy. The girls and I couldn't resist getting in front of the camera being idiots either.

I just love Mr Aleco's expressive eyebrows.

All the chocolate's gone, will we ever get over it LOL.

So now it's back to work and school again. Which really for us is not a drama LOL. I love the "settled" feeling that the house has when we are in the weekly grove, the kids behave so much better and life is good. But I do love the craziness of a jam packed weekend :) Been on Chrissy's blog and I think an O'Rielly's trip is in order for this one, Hot Chocolate on their balcony is too much of a tempation I can't resist :)

Hugs to you all & have a great first week back :)

I've been Hijacked!!!

2006-04-15T11:44:00.000+10:00

AARRRGGHHHH!!!!!!! Why do kids have to be so computer savvy??!!!

Here I am trying to update my blog change the music etc & here is Holly hovering. Do this Mum, play that one, no I don't like that one, put on Delta, How about Dixie Chicks!!??? "WHO'S BLOG IS THIS???!!!!". So the song I have chosen with Holly's approval is "Beautiful".

Okay so this is the last weekend of holidays & the serious work/school routine starts on Monday. I have 3 goals this term, be better organised, be more motivated with the business & get on a scrapping DT. I'm giving acting and singing a bit of a rest. I just got so exhausted from the last play I did & really can't handle that again until the end of the year. So I am really enjoying my scrapping loving the time and space I have to do it so would love the challenge and commitment from a DT team. I also want to teach here and there but Mark is worried about that limiting our freedom to go places, but my point is we don't go now!!

Here is one of my recent creations. I did this for the Scrap Needs cyber crop challenge. The challenge was have 'complete' in the title, do handwritten journaling & incorporate rub-ons in to the journaling. I also did a page in Penny's CJ which I did at the FC crop and gave it straight to her and didn't get a chance to photograph.
So this weekend is up to the Sunshine Coast for Dad's 65th, over to the farm to check out Mark's family & then having a day of Shopping with Caryn then up to her place to tear around in the buggy and the boys hunt toads. Will have to get some photos of that. I should also make Dad a card and share that too. But must run Jade & JJ are here with lunch so better get it while it's hot.

Enjoy tomorrow everyone and go easy on the eggs!!!!

I hate to do this but......

2006-04-13T15:18:00.000+10:00

I really hate censorship and removal of freedoms etc, but I had to activate the moderate comments feature on the blog. I had someone (not a friend just an idiot wandering out there in the world) use my comments page for advertising. I can't remove the comment and I hate that a blog can be abused this way. So I will post all comments good or bad just not the ones where people try to sabotage someone else's space to advertise crap.

Okay Rant OFF!!

For those of you who would like to leave a comment but don't want it to be public domain, you can leave it and at the bottom say "please do not publish" and I won't. By any chance any wired freaks are popping by my blog and are reading this and you start sending me really sick comments with "do not publish" at the bottom thinking it will remain private, think again.

So your comments aren't disappearing into thin air they just go to my email to say "Publish" or "Delete". So comment away YEAHHHH!!!!

It's about time!!

2006-04-11T22:23:00.000+10:00

Well so much for being a regular blogger last week!!! What's going on??!! I was going to post about the ski crew and other things & it never happened.

I ended up having a bit of a busy week last week. Thursday was a busy/slack day got a heap of work done in the morning then dropped the kids off & saw V for Vendetta, loved loved loved it!! I'm always up for a bit of conspiracy and action so this was right up my alley :) We arrived 5 min late for the film and I always hate that going in when it's really dark thinking "I don't want to be standing here for too long" so you get in take a quick look and go for the seats as quick as you can. Well I decided back row of the front section was the best bet. So off I dash get half way along the row and think excellent now sit down before you piss people off..... WHAT THE!!!!!! There are no chairs in the middle of the row & I go down like a sack of taters splat in the middle of the theatre frozen coke and popcorn everywhere, rip a hole in my black shawl. (I know my black shawl sob sob I love that thing sob...) Very unlady like of me in my "holy cow what the hell happened moment" say out loud "OOOHHHH SHIT!!!" So much for my quick and quiet no one notice me entrance. So wet bum, ripped shawl & the movie was still excellent. Why is this movie not in the Gold Class I ask, that would have been great.

So movie finished we head off to do an inspection on the Southside on the way to dinner and shooting with Nigel and Caryn. Once a month Thursday night shoots are fun & for those of you out there who don't know "Yes I have a gun license 3 of them in fact" so I have to go to comps to keep them. Mark is the big "Hunter" in the house so for ease of both adults being responsible etc I got my license so I can if I ever have to open the safe and it not be illegal. Anyway I digress, we had dinner at the Glen Hotel and did the shoot at Belmont, because we were doing movie, work, dinner etc I had on my bling shirt (one in all the photos) well the shoot is at night and you have to walk out into the range 100 yards if you shoot the ram and put him back up at the end of the round (metal one not a live one LOL) so I wonder out put my little ram up and when I got back everyone was saying that the spotlight on the range lit my shirt up like you wouldn't believe and I was this silver V walking around out there. Well at least you guys won't shoot me LOL. Next month I want disco music :)

So how you all going, still hanging in there good, this is going to be a long one LOL.

On the weekend we visited my Grandma in hospital, my Grandma is in her 80's doing pretty well for her age still hardly any greys on her head, but she had a case of pneumonia and they put her on IV antibiotics. Granddad was able to stay home with Mum, Kerry & Greg popping in during the day and taking turns to stay the night with him. Sunday was a massive day had so many things to get done in the morning and we were supposed to be at my sisters for lunch and we just kept getting latter and latter the faster and faster we tried to get out the door. I thought we were just having a casual lunch, but when we arrived my whole family was there!! So was great to have lunch with them all. Then off to a kids birthday party then after that we drove to the Coast to have the night and Monday with the kids while Mark did an afternoon inspection at Marcoola. Took the opportunity to insect bomb the place while we were gone.

So here we are at Tuesday. Spent the morning with Chris Millar & Penny so the kidlettes could have a play date and the afternoon working & then an evening run. I'm a bit happy with my running, well as happy as I can be considering I don't go enough. Mark tries to do the same distance faster I was just wanting to do the same distance with less pain, didn't care if I went slower or faster, I just do each run with the "I will not walk" at all mentality and the last two runs I've got to home and said stuff this I'm not finished and kept running. So today I added about another 1/2 klm to the run so very happy with that!!

Well do I end it here I think so, before I forget again the wonderful Chris Millar made me a fancy card which I will share tomorrow. For those of you who are still awake thanks for making it LOL. For all those who pop buy and say "Hi" thank you and for those who do drop by and don't say "Hi" please do I would love know you stopped by :)

Take care & big hugs to you all :)

I'll leave you with some photos of Mr Aleco's first haircut.

Steady as she goes.

2006-04-06T08:27:00.000+10:00

Okay not much is happening with life, kids are on holidays, work is picking up and other wise things are pretty cruisy. So not too much to say (I know that's a shock for most of you!). I got my photos from Rachel yesterday so I'll share them with you all :) You've already seen the super close up so I won't go there again LOL.

I took yesterday off as it was a Passover Celebration for us, so spent the day doing not too much. I'm pretty lucky as our Passover Sabath always falls either on or after my birthday so I get some time off around then. So today I've got to get work done this morning, Mark and I are dropping the kids off in the afternoon to Sam's because we have to do our shoot tonight, so we might try to get in a movie this afternoon. So better get the work part started!! Have a great day everyone.

I'm 30 !!

2006-04-04T11:53:00.000+10:00

Well yesterday was my 30th Birthday. A big thank you to all of you who sent birthday wishes and hoped I had a day full of spoiling and cake!!. It wasn't a day full of fanfare and excitement, but just a nice casual day with not a lot going on. I took the day off work and just had a relaxing day, had a cuppa and chocolate with my neighbor, did some scrapping, had a nice steak for dinner & the girls had a sleepover at Aunty Sams. I was the only girl in the house last night. Mark and Hannah went out and bought me some flowers & Mark helped cook dinner and did all the tidying up for me and made sure I had a steady supply of tea and chocolate at my scrapping desk.

This was my scrapping achievement for my birthday. That scrapping space of mine must be working as I got the doodling happening and this is the first time I've actually doodled on to the LO itself not on an embellishments that can be done over if I go wrong. I had wanted to use a white gel pen, but the pen & I were having issues so I found a pencil that gave me a similar effect. I also started to alter some shelves.

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with all the Friday Croppers, Penny & Tracey from the group had their Birthday last week, so we all try to make sure we have a night out this time of year to celebrate together. On Friday I'll have a BBQ and it's also Holly's Birthday on Friday so we'll share our party :)

So there you go that's 30 for you LOL. I think I like 30, just old enough that you feel like you've been an adult long enough to be taken seriously, but still young enough to have no excuses to not get out there and enjoy life! But hey if I can be anything like the ski crew when I'm older I have nothing to worry about. I'll do a post later in the week about those guys.

It's Done!!!

2006-04-02T14:58:00.000+10:00

YEAHHH!!! I have a scrapping space!!! Finally it's all together and done! I got everything from IKEA on the Thursday and dumped it all in the room and it looked like a bomb had hit. I had the cropper girls here friday night for our crop so the room got ignored on the Friday and by Saturday afternoon, was getting a bit fed up that nothing else had happened. I got the stubbon cranky streak going and decided it was going to happen, time would not wait for Mark and I would do it on my own. So I got stuck in and put the shelves up on the wall by my self. So today with no more excueses of "I need the shelves up" I got stuck in and gave everything a home :) So it's basically finished, over time I'll alter the containers to give it a bit more of a "me" feel.

The desk on the left is my work desk and the one in the middle and to the right is for cropping

Main cropping desk with those shelves. The embelishement continer on the right (brown drawers) is only half it's potential size, I have another 21 little drawers before I run out of room :) That was a pressie from a mate who cleaned out his garage and thought they might be good for my cropping obsession. Those drawers are just the best :)

Paper storage, hopefully will get some vertical storage containers and move it up out of little peoples reach.

Basket with stamps, punches etc. Little Mr Alec got stuck in here head first trying to get everythign out. Should have been a camera moment but the poor fella was really freaking out.

Ikea Super Shopping challenge

2006-03-31T16:14:00.000+10:00

I'm going to make you all wait LOL.

I had a great day yesterday doing the storage shop & my room looks like a bomb has hit it with bits and pieces everywhere. I'll give you all a pre, during & finished update over the weekend.

Right now got to go save a boy who's up to boy stuff.

Today's the day!!

2006-03-30T07:56:00.000+10:00

Okay I'm just a little excited this morning, have been waiting all week for today. Today I get an early birthday present. Chris & Ky are both helping me get my scrapping space sorted and were having a girlie day of shopping & lunch and playing around with getting my room looking pretty cool. I know I know I've mentioned this a dozen times before, but this is a pretty big deal for me!! (doesn't take much to turn me on LOL!)

Jac, Chris, Ky & Me, another Rachel Greig photo I just had to share.

My scrapping space has been a total up in the air thing for me. I have a spare desk in my office, but I didn't want to feel that I worked and played in the same room, but my computer is here with printer etc and in the end I thought no lets do it. Lets get a good space organised & if I use the Michelle Grant approach to scrapping there's nothing stopping me taking a LO to the Meals table on occasion. So the girls and I are doin it!! I just feel so spoilt to think I would do this. To me a scrapping space was something only "serious" scrappers had, and I don't crop enough to be serious. Well hopefully that will all change now that I wont have to unload and re-pack everything each time I want to do something.

So best get this exciting day started. School work & house clean first then girlie day away!!!

I'm Excited!!!

2006-03-28T22:16:00.000+10:00

Wow is all I can say!!! Chris Millar emailed me to say that Rachel Greig had put up the photos that she took of us on the weekend at her blog. I have been dying to see what she did and was truly amazed at the result. Go here to check out all the gorgeous ladies from the retreat.

I copied mine and changed it to B&W to post here check out the colour original on Rachel's blog. I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas I just can't wait to get my package of photos from her a fantastic 30th birthday present I think :)
Also a big proud moment for me tonight. Holly has been going to Girls Brigade and as a Homeschooler you always worry that they are fitting in when they go to activities like that. Well last week was the first time Holly has missed Girls Brigade, so this week we are standing in line together waiting to pay & she's standing there just beaming that she's at Girls Brigade. Some of the bigger kids walk past her and say hi & she gives her little wave, flashes a big smile and says "hi". I'm doing the big proud mumma thing quietly thinking yeah that's my girl, then her little friends from her class come bounding in the door (they had been playing outside) and one grabs the other and with a big smile points at Holly as if to say "Look she's here!" Holly was looking the other way & I gave her a nudge to look over and she just about burst with happiness that her friends had come in to get her to play. I asked her if she wanted me to wait there till GB started properly & I got "No Mum I've got to get out there with my friends!!" I had to grab her before she ran off and get that kiss!! So I walked out of there just feeling on top of the world that she's got little friends and she's a pretty together kid. Here's a picture of her in her formal GB uniform (I know she's a little thunderbird!!)
Oh and we have a winner!!!!! The winner is Kelley and all the other ladies, Kell, Shell & Jo get a little runner's up prize. They all named my perfume of choice, Christian Dior Poison. Although I tried some Dunhill Desire the other day & that could be knocking Dior off the winners podium! Don't forget to PM me your address, you're all on the Scrap Needs forum so just PM me there :) Good one girls!!!

Scrappin' Again, YEHA!!!

2006-03-27T18:52:00.000+10:00

Well I'm doin' it LOL. It takes me forever to get into a cropping grove after a retreat or a whole month to do a Layout, but I sat down last night to finish a retreat LO and got it all done. I had covered the chipboard at the retreat and chosen the papers, but pulled it out last night and had to think all over again as to what the hell I was originally thinking. I think I got it back okay. There is a little bit of Roz influence with the ribbon and note paper.

Now I'm busy thinking about the next one!!

I've spent all weekend designing a new website for my work & this afternoon Mark has been doing the behind the scenes things with getting it all happening to upload so later tonight the site will be live. So check out www.ads-qs.com.au and tell me what you think. Right now the front page is up and by about 8pm tonight all the links will be working. I would really love feedback as to any ideas for improvement or if I should leave it alone.

Getting a little excited about Thursday, Chris, Ky and I are doing the whole shopping for storage (like I haven't mentioned that a million times) and for those people reading this who aren't scrapers, getting storage for your cropping space is a big deal, almost a dream come true. I don't know of a cropper out there who has had a new house built and hasn't had a cropping room designed in there somewhere. Oh I can dream of my own cropping room, for now I'll just have to share my office.

Check back for Thursday before & after photos :) Thanks for dropping by :)

Passionate Readings, Karaoke & Wetsuits

2006-03-25T18:37:00.000+10:00

Well Friday night was spent reading passionate romance & Karaoke. I went with The Odd Couple cast to a murder mystery play out at Samford where the audience gets to chose "Who dun it". It was a great night of audience participation & I was one of the lucky ones to get up on stage and read the passionate tale of Bliss & Chance from Passage to Savannah.

Afterwards I joined the Samford mob at the Samford Hotel for Friday night Karaoke. Was great to catch up with friends whom I don't get a chance to see as much as I'd like & sing some songs.

Thursday was a great day I got to go skiing which I haven't done in ages. Beautiful weather, but windy gotta hate wind, the water gets choppy and it's a killer on the back especially when it's been two months between skis.

(an older photo, but one of my favourite ski pics)

So a great end to the week with some of my passions indulged skiing, singing, acting & being with good friends.

I was emailed some photos from the weekend to share, these are the 3 super fun ladies that I was lucky to share my weekend with. Chris, Ky & Jac are also part of the Friday Cropper Girls.

This is the beautiful Chris Millar

The gorgeous Kyle (KY)

& radiant Jacqui

I'll stop being slack and put up the only LO I got completed. Hopefully this week I'll finish the others that got started.

For better retreat Stories and photos check out the following blogs Roz James, Chris Millar & Michelle Grant.

Getting Back to Reality

2006-03-22T07:44:00.000+10:00

Okay the retreat is over and life must get back to normal. I can't believe what a lazy day I had yesterday. I schooled the kids then after that any idea of work went out the window. I spent 3 hours trying to get my blog sorted, the kids had their CF lollypops so were off the wall burning energy and we looked at the time and went "Holly cow it's 3pm!!!" we hadn't had lunch!! So finally at 3pm we thought maybe we should do some tidying up or something so when Daddy got home it looked like we were good kids all day LOL.

While at the retreat I was chatting to Mark on the phone & he said to me "You know I just can't get anything done around here! As soon as you think you've got it Alec will wake up and trash the joint! I can't get any work done at all!" Ahhhhh that's one to store away for when ever he asks what did you get done today?

I was going to scrap last night but instead thought I would tackle organising my scrap stash. Ages ago I had been given a set of little storage boxes that interconnect with a clear front on them. There are probably 40 of these little draws all connected together. You can make them 3 wide 14 high or 6 wide seven high any combination you like. So they have been sitting in my office and I keep thinking how am I going to do this. So far I have stuff in a few places and most of it in my tote. So while talking to the lovely Michelle Grant I asked her how on earth does she keep it all organised and get her pages so full? I'm sure she wont mind me sharing her secret. She told me to colour coordinate all her embelishments, so when she get her photo and her paper and thinks right this needs pink she grabs the pink drawer, the pink ribbons, the pink flowers, maybe the metal embellishment drawer & chipboard etc puts it all in a little tray and takes the tray to her table with just what she needs & doesn't get overwhelmed by all this other "Stuff". Well I started sorting last night & I first got down my trays that have the "stuff that I always forget" things in it then I went through my tote. I could not believe the amount of stuff I had!!! And I all the little bits and pieces that were in with other little bits and pieces and just looked so "uugghhh what will I ever do with that?" now look exciting!!! So thank you Michelle I'm on a mission to get organised and hopefully get more out of my embellishments. (photos of oganised scrapping space to come!!!)

It's my 30th coming up in a few weeks and I was going to have a big party, but put that in the two hard basket, my other idea was to get Chris Millar take her to Ikea by storage & get her to help me organise my scrap space or Mark & I get the kids babysat for the night have a night in a motel together & do the bridge climb. Now that I have started to sort my space I'm getting excited about having a space!! I think I'll get the kids looked after do the bridge climb forfeit the hotel room & use that money at Ikea. Chris are you up for some shopping??? I'm going to Lone Star with the FC'ers (Friday Croppers) as 3 of us have a birthday within 5 days of each other so that will be a bit of a "party" & I might do the quiet BBQ with Mark & my friends. This is going to make my poor DH look bad, but 10 years of being together I have never got a birthday present from him. Part of it is my fault I can never decide & then I tell him I just want to go clothes shopping. This year I started seeing my self shying away from having the night out, getting the cropping stuff etc & doing the "Don't worry" kind of thing again, but this year I'm determined to do it! I think I know why I have the whole "just let it slide" birthday thing going on. My Mum is hopeless at birthdays, the amount of times we got presents that night because she completely forgot and had to buy something when we were at school. The times we got nothing at all & I only ever had 1 birthday party. What shits me about this is we were not hard up for cash, it's just something my Mum didn't really get into as a kid so we shouldn't either.

Wow another long one LOL. I can't offer a RAK everyday LOL so I'll just remind you to read Tuesday's post to find the little comp that ends Friday :) Luvs Yas All!!!

Scrapneeds Retreat Weekend

2006-03-21T12:30:00.000+10:00

Well what an absolute fantastic weekend at the Scrapneeds retreat. I'm not sure if retreat is an appropriate name LOL. I'm not sure how much relaxing and scrapping got done?

I have to say what a blast it was meeting some great ladies. I traveled with the wonderful Chris, Ky & Jac whom I scrap with in Brissie who are such fun talented & supportive girlfriends, so lucky to have you guys. We were joined by the beautiful Michelle Grant. If ever you get to meet Michelle in real life it is a true blessing, this girl is fun, generous, talented beyond belief and the biggest sweetheart, can't wait to see her again :)

The Scrapneeds DT is the most awesome DT in Australia. These girls Chris Millar, Roz James, Mishell Lancett & Jen Hall are super talented and super nice. Rozzie is such a sweetheart and I can't believe the page she scrapped of my georgeous girl Holly for me. At Sat night dinner after way too many drinks Chris & I were practicing a drunk acceptance speech for when I was to get the LO. Chris was begging me to put on the tears & I was adamant that the only thing I can't act is crying, I just can't do it. Well I didn't even have to try, I took one look at that LO and started bawling. What's that I hear you saying Ky ? "But you told me you don't get emotional tierd!!! How many girls cried with me? Oh we're a big bunch of Saps. Jen Hall has the eveidence LOL.

I can go on and on about how super sweet Mishell Lancett is, a true Angel is this girl. She knows she has a special place in my heart. Both her & Michelle Grant do, must be the name hey girls LOL.

Jen Hall's work is beautiful, just to hold and feel it in real life is a treasure. The amount of detail and lumpy bumpy is fantastic & she is a scrap demon! I can't believe the amount of LO's she finished. She was also a real gem getting us back home and making sure we were looked after Monday morning before flying home. A super super girl.

Kellie did such a great job of organizing the retreat & has so many amazing ideas about future events and her shop. You really must go over and check out Scrapneeds.

Sorry to have gone on and on about this bunch of girls, but I have been to retreats & Confrences before and walked away feeling really ddisillusioned dissolusioned with the scrapping world. Some places it's like the worst day at highschool, but I have not one bad thing to say about the Scrapneeds girls. Those I can't remember by name I'm so sorry but every lady in that room was a true gem and it was the most welcoming group I have ever cropped with. Oh I mustn't forget Naomi & her mum, two such fun sweet ladies, Kirst a real blast and a sweetheart & Fiona a really fun gal who I can't believe arrived on Sat night, but felt like she'd been there all weekend. I really can't wait to meet up with all these girls again. So glad I joined the forum to keep in touch.

I don't have a heap of photos to share as I did the lazy well I'll get coppies thing, but I'm a littl nervous of the damaging eveidence on other peoples cameras. I think I've got a few cheques to write to Chris LOL.

Coming home to my DH and 4 snugglies was fantastic :) Mark is such a great guy I couldn't ask for a better DH. I tried and tried in vain to get the house cleaned etc before I went and was going overboard with the extras that I didn't get to do the bathrooms and vacuum etc. Well my beautiful DH cleaned the house for me while I was gone on top of looking after the four babies. He also said the sweetest thing ever, while cleaning the bathroom he got some perfume on his fingers and said all day he kept getting a whiff of it. I asked him if that pissed him off & he said "Oh no I loved it!! It was the best thing because it kept reminding me of you and I could smell it as I was trying to go to sleep". I love you Darl & Thanks Christian Dior Poison LOL.

Anyway what a long and sappy post!!!! For those of you who made it to the end I think I need to come up with a RAK for the effort. All those people who can tell me what perfume I wear by Friday I'll put you're name in a draw and raffle off a first & second prize to send you out a little pressie :)

Challenge day 2

2006-02-10T09:30:00.000+10:00

Well nothing like procrastination to start the day LOL.

I thought I'd upload the next two LO's in my favorites challenge.

This one is one I did recently of Mark and I. It had been a long time since I had done a LO about the two of us always doing ones about our kids.

The next one is a calendar I did for my Grandma. I love the colours and especially the photo in this one. I used the same papers as in the one of Mark & I, but they go so well with a bright photo or a B & W one.

Well gotta rush right now, nappy to change and school work to do :)

Bugger!!!!

2006-02-09T19:06:00.000+10:00

Well here I sat finally updating my blog, just about finished and yep I lost it AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!.

Well the most wonderful Chris Millar has inspired me to get blogging again. Thanks Chris :) It's been 6 weeks since I posted anything, can I use rehersals for the play, homeschooling and work as an excuse?

So last year in early December I started rehersals for "The Odd Couple". This has been a great couple of months doing this and it really is a fantastic cast. The play opens next Friday and there are going to be a few late nights getting everything set to go. Our set builder Terry has been ill so that's going to be a mad dash for the finish line getting the set finished. But somehow I don't think the set will be the main attraction anyway. This really is a funny play & I even have a hard time keeping a straight face delivering my lines. So for a great night of laughs, come and check it out if you can!!

The first week of January we had a week up at the beach house in Maroochydore, the kids went swimming & we finally got my dad to let me ski behind his boat. After we got back to Brissy I get a phone call from my Dad saying he's putting the boat in and wants to teach my sister and her girls how to ski, do I want to come up for the day again. HELL YES!!!! That was a great day of skiing, kneeboarding & tubing. I had fun driving the boat also. Just can't wait for the motorbike to sell & buy our own boat.

On the 23rd of January was Holly's first day of Grade 1 and Hannan's first day of Prep. Although it was a bit of a first day with a difference. We are home schooling and enrolled in Groves Distance Ed program. So far we are loving it and so glad we took on the challange. Holly though spent the first day at the dentist getting a general anesthetic and 4 stainless steel crowns on her teeth. She did great & loves her silver teeth.

Okay now for the challange. This was on Chris Millar's site and I thought I'd give it a go. It was created by the very talanted Ali Stafford.

I want you all to post in your blogs 10 of your layouts. It doesn't matter if you've already uploaded them to your blog before - just think of it as giving us all a "refresher". Now - these 10 layouts - they have to be a *certain* 10. I want to see the 10 layouts which are either:(a) your favourite 10 layouts; or(b) the 10 layouts that you're most proud of; or(c) 10 layouts that have some really special significance*** ; or(d) a combination of any of the above!*** I know that *all* our pages are special and signficant - but i'm referring to those layouts that really have that extra "meaning" to you...

So here we go, i'll post 2 a day (gotta keep you comming back for more LOL).

Here's a fairly recent one. I just love the photo and the jouranlling. Mitch is a full on boy, a little cyclone and sooooo loud!! But he has a real soft spot for his mum.

The next one is one of my daughter Hannah, again I love the photos and how tiny she looks in the train seats. She has such an innocent personality and is often the one who silently watches and listens and is just taking so much in.

Well that's it for today, gotta get kiddies to bed & finally put some stuff on eBay I have been meaning to do for ages.

WOW what happened in December?

2005-12-23T13:31:00.000+10:00

Wow finally I've made it back to doing my blog :)

This month has just been sooooo hectic. I think that expression on my face says it all LOL! (Thanks for capturing that moment Holly). We had some big up and down moments at home at the start of December that have sorted themselves out and finally the house finally has a good structure between work, school and play.

Mark and I got to go away for the weekend by our selves which was just bliss, thanks Mum and Dad for taking the 4 off our hands. We had a weekend of lounging around, eating out for all of our meals, going for a run together which we have not done in 7 years, and shopping!!! It was so nice to be able to get back to where we were before we had kids. We also took some time to refocus on our goals for the family and our business.

Work wise has been a mixture of quiet and busy. We had a heap of marketing brochures done up so I have been busy sending out info packs, visiting Estate Agents etc etc as well as trying to get the desk cleared so we can take a guilt free family holiday together in the first week of January. Worst time as everyone else will be on holiday, but the best time to shut shop as no one will be expecting us to be seriously working in that week.

Each weekend we have made a point of taking the kids somewhere together as a family. We've all been to singing lessons together, Over to Settlers Cove at Redcliffe, The CSC Fitness Centre, Looking at Lights, Trip to town, Skiing at the Dam & Lots of Barbecues :).

And finally this month I have had play rehearsals & movie rehearsals. I'll try to get some photos of that to post next month when we are shooting the film.

Did we just have a weekend?

2005-11-28T15:03:00.000+10:00

Wow what a weekend. The drama behind this whirlwind weekend all started in the middle of last week. I had the weekend of all weekends planned. Dance Class, Play on Saturday and rehearsal on Sunday and just to add more to it an audition on Saturday. Well Mark comes to me on Tuesday and says he wants to go hunting this weekend. Hang on you want to WHAT??? I start thinking of all the plans made and possibly now get unmade so he can go hunting. Well as you can imagine there was a bit of protest from my side about all the short notice etc etc. In then end I decided to give up on the protest take a different tact, find some babysitters and do the weekend as planned, I thought this to be the better option than having a sulky husband for the weekend.

So this weekend has been an absolute whirlwind. Dance class and kids at Caboolture, then kids to Mitchelton so I can audition at Kelvin Grove, then back to Mum & Dads at Mitchy then back to Kelvin Grove for the play & then finally home to Narangba on Sunday for a morning of house cleaning and an afternoon of rehearsals.

So how did everything go? The kids and I are alive and still happy LOL, but it all went too fast. Dancing was great, the teacher wants me to join in at the concert next Saturday, but only after 2 lessons I'm passing on that one. The audition, well I'm supposed to find out today so fingers crossed. But big thrill of all thrills. While at the play Saturday night which was called "I Love You You're Perfect Now Change" and the best play I saw all year and just soo funny, I ran into a lady who directs plays on the northside and she asked me if I was interested in acting in a play she is doing called "The Odd Couple" I said yeah sure call me I'll come and audition. Well yesterday she calls and says, no need to audition if you want to do it it's yours. OH MY GOD as an actor that has to be just the BEST!!!!! So great play to watch and I got an acting gig!!! We then went off for coffee afterwards up at Paddington which was lovely.

On Sunday I was up at the crack of dawn (thanks kids, just love that!!) and headed home to clean etc. Chris turned up around 2:30 for rehearsal and ended up using my computer to keep plugging away at working out chords etc for some more songs. He did that till dinner while I was pottering around doing more laundry etc. The kids had a great night mucking around and having dinner with "Curly" Afterwards we did some singing and you know me talking talking and more talking. So now it's Monday I'm buggered, I think I need a weekend LOL.

One of those days.

2005-11-22T14:10:00.000+10:00

Well today has been one of those days. I had promised Cassie that I would get all four Circle Journals to her in the mail so I was up late doing those for her last night. This morning Mark had to go out so I was home alone with the four to do some serious work and try to watch them. So I thought I'll set up the laptop at the dining room table so I can be with them not tucked up in my office. Well today is the day Hannah and Mitchell decided to fight over everything (lots of go sit on your bed time today) I set up old magazines so they could do cutting out and Mitch just freaked out over that.

So finally the afternoon is here, Mark is back, H&M are sleeping, Holly is doing school work and Alec is crawling around happy. So as much as I got some pretty big work things done this morning I have a job to finish this afternoon and all I can do is think about having a nap. No stuff it the job I'm doing now it can wait I'm going to go have a nap before the dragon in me decides it has to come out. As long as I'm awake to head off for my singing lesson all is good.

Another weekend gone.

2005-11-21T04:19:00.000+10:00

Wow what a day. It's amazing how well you can function and keep it together on little sleep. I was so totally not successful in cleaning the house last night. I tidied a little, ignored the laundry and ended up watching a couple of movies while I waited for Mark to come home. Poor thing he went to a very blokey party where all he was fed was steak. No salad, no rolls, just steak. Anyway he got in at midnight and went to bed I was sucked into another movie and finally made it there myself at 2:30am. Got woken by the phone at 6:30am!!!

With Mark gone for the day today the kids and I set about the task of cleaning the house. Sorry who am I kidding, the kiddies don't help LOL. I cleaned and tried to keep peace between Hannah & Mitchell who can be the best of friends and worst of enemies. I also checked out airfares and such for my Scrapping Retreat in March. After lunch I got the two gremlins down for a nap and by this stage Mark had returned with Nigel and Caryn and we had a nice girly chat.

Around 4pm Chris arrived for our duo rehearsal and he stayed for dinner. The girls were especially cute dancing and giggling while we played. Dinner was great & Mark & Chris had lots of fun giving me a ribbing about what do women do on a scrapping retreat. When it came time to go to bed the girls asked if "Curly" (their nickname for him) could come and watch them go to bed. While saying their prayers they said "And thank you God for Curly". It's great to know that they are comfortable around our adult friends. At around 10pm after lots of wine, tea & talking Curly left.

So here I am about to head off to bed. Looks like an "early" night tonight.

Let's get this started!

2005-11-20T01:09:00.000+10:00

Wow, here we go starting a blog. I've never kept a diary, but boy can I talk so blogging shouldn't be hard right?

I'm a mum of 4 darlings all under the age of six, Miss Holly, Miss Hannah, Mr Mitchell & Little Alec Bubba. My husband and I call them our gooses and they are the most amazing bunch of kids, a real blessing to the two of us. My life is pretty hectic, we run our own business, home school our kids & for my outlet I sing, act, water ski, scrapbook & the latest too the list is Latin Dancing.

Today has been a real lazy Saturday for us. Woke up at 8:30am took the kids to swimming lessons and spent the afternoon scrapping and watching movies. Tonight its cleaning and washing YEHA!! No if anyone can tell me a super fast way to get the laundry for 6 people done I'm all ears. Does the pile ever shrink?

Well hungry tummies beckon and life goes on.

Sal :)