Life is a Journey not a Destination

1. I am so looking forward to seeing my Mum on Saturday.
2. Why is it whenever you ask kids to do something the answer is always later.?
3. When you get the urge to exercise try to do it right away before the urge goes away..
4. The internet is a big part of my life.
5. If you need anything from the shops please let me know before I go, not after.
6. Kevin is away this weekend on a trip.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to staying up late and watching the Hawks play in the last championship game, tomorrow my plans include visiting my Mum in hospital and maybe shopping or a movie and Sunday, I want to scrapbook and work on our UK trip plans!

Well, after going through a bit of scrapbook slump the last few weeks I think I’m finally over it. I’ve been watching some video chats over on Renee Pearson’s website this week and have managed to get some layouts done while listening.

The first few I did I had actually made up as kits to do last June for my girls weekend away.

The next one was based on a layout by Gretchen.

The following is for Shimelle’s class. I love how it turned out… so much so I used the same idea twice today. Just look at these two little angels….

The following isn’t actually blurry but I’m too lazy to go and re-photograph it .

Amy was very excited to receive this letter in the mail – acceptance into the academically gifted class. She was in it last year and loved it. One day a week she attends this class and every other week they seem to go an excursion. I went a couple of times last year and they cover some great topics. I’m so happy for her!

Okay, my fellow scrapbookers. Hands up those of us who have a BIG stash of scrapbooking supplies?

Lots of paper? Yep!

More ribbon than you know what do with? Yep!

Hundreds of yummy coloured buttons and flowers? Yep!

Millions of brads you never get around to using? Most definitely!

If you’re like me and do have quite a stash you might be interested in joining me in Shimelle’s new class Something from almost nothing. But don’t delay, class starts tomorrow….

Yesterday the dogs discovered a little sparrow that had somehow gotten into the house and was trapped in the computer room. There is a glass door that opens into the loungeroom and he must have been up again the glass. When Amy opened the door she thought a mouse ran out but it was just a little sparrow. At first I thought it was half dead – either from being trapped or from fright with two big dogs chasing it. But after further examination I put it into a box with some water and budgie seed to try and recover.

It’s foot looked broken but a few hours later seemed okay. We put him in the spare bird cage overnight.

His wing appeared to not be working properly so this morning I took him into our birds vet (they do work for WIRES). They were going to have the vet check him out but it’s looking like he’ll make a full recovering and be released. It was nice getting to play a part in saving his life.

Well I have to say I absolutely LOVED The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman. It’s part cookbook, part her life as the wife of a cowboy and part wonderful photos.

The recipes are delicious looking (well, not so much the meat ones since I’m a vegetarian) and she has step by step illustrations of how to make them all. There are quite a few I can’t wait to try but be warned, they are definitely not low fat!

What I was most surprised about was how much I enjoyed her stories about her life married to a farmer. And I loved the story of how her and her husband met and fell in love.

Then there are the photos – truly inspiring. Wonderful photos of farm life, children, cows, horses, dogs, cowboys! I’m more determined than ever to get our farm… one day.

I’m so grateful to the library for purchasing this book. It’s definitely going to become a part of my permanent library one day.

A couple of days ago I tidied up the small linen cupboard.

Before: Stuffed to the gills and overflowing

After: Donated most of the books from the bottom and some of the linen we no longer use.

The top shelf has stuff for our king size bed.

Second shelf – Christy quilt, cover and spare sheets (Amy had room in her own cupboard to store her own)

Third shelf – Guest linen for our sofa bed

Forth shelf – Two cushions I’m hoping to knit/crochet covers for, and a container with some of my clothes

Bottom shelf/floor – a spare pillow

Can’t say I want to do the big linen cupboard – full of Christmas decoration containers, books, and other assorted junk that has no home!

Today we took Amy and 3 of her friends to Jamberoo Action Park. They had a fabulous day and we were treated to wonderful whether (after a cloudy start to the day).

I’m not sure who had more fun today – the kids or Kevin & Noel!

Amy chose to have chocolate crackles rather than another birthday cake.

It was a super-fun day and everyone had a good time, lots of sunshine and too much water .

Thanks Janet at Friday Fill Ins for getting this up early this week – means I can actually do it on Friday .

1. Why are you making yet another mess for me clean up?
2. I want you to take any great opportunity that comes your way.
3. If I’m going to do something I really don’t want to do then it will be on my terms.
4. Plant the seeds and see what happens.
5. I could use a little time out in the sunshine – with my feet up and good book in my hands.
6. Make chocolate crackles and then choc chip cookies (for tomorrow).
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching on TV the Hawks play (and hopefully win) their first grand final game , tomorrow my plans include taking Amy and some friends to Jamberoo Action Park to celebrate her birthday and Sunday, I want to do nothing much, maybe a bit of scrapbooking!

As is the norm in this home Amy started her birthday by opening her presents in our bed.

I told her she was only getting one present but there were really a few in the box. Mostly books, and she was very excited to get her main present…

Breakfast was her request – Cheesy corn muffins…

Then off to school with a big butter cake to share with her class. She wanted to walk with a friend so I had to drive the cake up to school as it was rather heavy.

After school we had Nan, Pop and Granny (her great Grandmother) over for afternoon tea and another birthday cake. It might look the same – but this one was a rather rich chocolate cake (her request).

Then for tonights dinner she had requested a muffin tin meal – something we haven’t done in a long time. Not the most nutritious meal – but it is a special day.

All this and we haven’t even gotten to the main birthday event yet….