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….

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.

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!

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….

It seems like just yesterday I was holding this little “muffin” in my arms….

We watched as she grew into our lovely Princess…

Then into a school girl with a mind of her own…

Now, she is embarking on her last year of primary school and has entered the “tween” years. Goodness knows where the years have gone. Happy Birthday Amy! Hope the day is everything you hoped it would be.

Then it was Bailey’s turn.

while Rosie watched, hoping he’d leave her some more…

Sorry Rosie, that bowl got licked clean!