Life from Sanson Vegas

2009-08-26T18:01:00.002+12:00

Well another week has gone by, and have come to the conclusion it is nearly Xmas. Xmas I hear you say, well it is nearly there, next week is September and really it is not that far away. So to make you all sick I have started my Xmas shopping list, and I am slowly getting some things, I could honestly say I am half way there, not even started on Jade who was reading my list wondering where her name was - as if I was going to write her name on the list and what we were getting her!!!!

Jade is in the school musical this week, she has one of the major parts - well minor major, so that is cool. They did a matine yesterday afternoon and an evening show last night which I went to and another evening show tonight which Ralf has gone to. She is very proud.

Two weekends of soccer to go, being such a good mother I can honestly say I am over it and looking forward to not having to go anyway.

Ralf has a golf tournament this weekend on Sunday, I have told him he is to win me a car - fingers crossed :-)

Anyway must away for a spa

another great 10d's weekend

2009-08-17T19:06:00.009+12:00

Well us girl's had another great weekend away together. I think we have finally found the right balance of who brings what, and eating out for every meal - how could it have taken so long to come to the thought of eating out every night???

First layout is of Ralf and his brother, Chrissie and I had them put on the 3d's glasses from the movie theatre and act like geeks - they did it so naturally!!
Next one is of Jade (did I really need to state the obvious) just sitting outside on the deck, another day of me annoying her with the camera - my girl is no longer a wee girl, she is growing up so quick!
We Luke is just so cute! We put him into Jade's beanbag for this photo - god he is cute! So cute!!!!
Ralf is such a funny man! I told him I should have a photo of him with a sweat band on! Funny man said yes and let me take the photo!!! Oliva Newton John - or Olivia Newton Ralf :-)
This one speaks for itself.
A nice layout, a bit over due in doing it, the photos are from when Mum had all the kids staying together - i don't know how she did it!!!
We told Jade that as I was Luke's fairy god mother and Mel was hers, then obviously her and Luke would have to be fairy god cousins!!
Jade's birthday party

A day we were babysitting Lucy, the neighbours dog, Ralf and her get on so well together, this photo just cracks me up!

Back to work for another week, nothing exciting happening I think, work work and work. Then this weekend just soccer, Ralf is playing a little poker on Friday night.

Facebook

2009-08-02T19:43:00.007+12:00

I have decided that facebook is interferring with my blog! I happily put a little comment here and there on facebook as it is so quick, same with uploading a photo - nice a quick. BUT.... I do not right big stories like here, and I don't say all of what I am thinking on there as it is not like it is your real friends that are reading it. Well some are, but then there are all the people you have clicked as "friends" when they are no more than someone you know, for whatever reasons.

So, yes I love facebook, but it is not the same as my blog :-)

We had Mel, Jase and Luke come to stay last weekend which was fantastic. I wish oh wish that they lived closer!!! Luke is such a cute wee baby, and I kid you not I do not think I really ever heard him cry - he talks!!!!

But how could he not with his mother being Mel!! Jade just loved him, funny thing happened. We told her that Luke was going to sleep in her room, she thought this was a great idea, until the morning, she moaned she did not get much sleep, as he talked and talked and wiggled too much!!! Funny!!

On the Sunday we were looking after Lucy while the neighbours were away. Funny Ralf has gone from not being a dog person to just loving Lucy. Look at the joy on their faces, Lucy loves him too!! Don't think it will take too much to convince him to get a dog now - well after Oscar has passed we decided.

We have also recevied our bark, spent the week moving it all into the garden, thought we had enough, but no, we will need to get another 4 cubic metres I reckon, starting to look good though.

Last picture ever of Ralf with long hair, he has moaned his hair would no longer fit under his cap for golf, so it had to go. I cut it tonight, but managed to convince him to leave a mullet!!! Funny, will see how long that lasts, did not know I had such great skills with hair cutting, a new career path for me - well for bogan haircutting anyway!!!

Speaking of all things bogan - we have ACDC tickets - yay!!!!

Time for this girl to go, not sure what I am going to go and do, but time to be off the computer.

My Birthday...

2009-07-19T19:01:00.002+12:00

2 sleeps til my birthday, I just love birthdays and go on and on and on and on about it for normally a good week before hand, really annoying everyone!

Well Jade got me a beauty today! i said 2 sleeps till my birthday jade, i can't wait, and her reply was 2 sleeps and 2 years until your 40 mum! Cheeky little mare!!!

Weekend has been a good one. Friday night we had a 40th surprise birthday party to go to at the Bulls Rugby Club, far to much beer later, we got home! So Saturday.. was a right of, not hungover thank god, but just very tired. I went to bed at 7.30pm! Sunday we did housework and then went to town for a shop. Jade had her birthday vouchers to spend, which did not take long to be gone! We went out for lunch at burger fuel which we were told was fantastic, but we beg to differ, so will never go back there again!

Onwards to another week, Jade is back to school, and I think she is going up from Brownies to Guides tomorrow night as well so that will be cool.

No Broadband

2009-07-19T18:50:00.003+12:00

Well I had these three layouts done and ready to upload about 2 weeks ago, but I had used up all 10Gb of my broadband usage. I was so confused as to why this had happened, until I figured out that my rather insane addiction for Facebook games had been the largest usage of this!!! No more facebook games now, just chatting and looking!!!

The day before I went scrapping with Jo we received our warehouse clearance pack from Pink Paislee, what a wicked pack, awesome value and such nice product!!! I used it on all three layouts.

Anyway first one, is Brooke and Daniel (niece and nephew in Australia), what of earth did Chrissie bribe them with to get them to sit on Santa's knee at this age, I wonder whether I could get Jade too, but I doubt it considering she won't do it now!!!
A nice wee town inland and up the coast a bit from Brisbane, I could not tell you the name of it for the life of me, but it was a town of the coolest craft shops, which we speant hours in, the boys I think were very relieved when they found this bench outside one shop - FUNNY!!!

Another layout for my BOM (Book of Me), i quiet t;ike this photo that Kris took of me at our last weekend away together down at Waikane. Of course the layout is in my favourite colour.

10 years ago

2009-07-11T21:43:00.002+12:00

Do you know that about this time 10 years ago I was in Palmerston North hospital, think it was about time that baby got out of my belly!

That is right our wee girl is 10 tomorrow, how scarey, I remember thinking how weird it would be when she was about to go to school, and now she is turning 10. It is so bizzare to think how fast 10 years goes by, and a horrible thought to think that in 10 years more Jade might not be living with us anymore, but off living her own life.

I wonder what she will be doing, will it be at university, or will she have a job, or will she be wanting to go off overseas?

Another week past

2009-06-15T21:28:00.005+12:00

Another week has past.

I have been busy at work, our storeman has been away on holiday for a couple of weeks so I have been covering his job as well as mine, busy but I enjoy doing it for a change, and an excuse to wear jeans to work every day!!!

Saturday was no soccer for us, we had a bye which was great, nice excuse to stay in bed for a sleep in, even Jade was pleased to have a sleep in. Then Kate, Drew and Flynn came around for tea which was cool. The kids mucked around doing kid things and Kate and I were utter idiots, she had lots of costumes that she had not been hiring out to sell on trade me, so we set up 50 auctions, very funny, even dressed up in one of the most beautiful numbers!!! Ralf was not home, he had golf, then out to the neighbours place to watch the rugby and drink beer and bourbon - happy man.

Sunday I planted another 20 plants into the garden which is good, and did the usual recycling and rubbish runs and then it started to rain. Great excuse not to plant anymore!! So boring out there by yourself. Ralf had another day of golf.

So Friday night Ralf the super husband did all the housework while I went out to Jo's house to do some scrapbooking! Lucky me!

First layout I did was of the cutest baby in all of the universe!!!! He is such a cute we boy, even with his parents being Mel and Jase LOL!!! Just jokes!
Then I did a layout on all of the theme park photos we brought in Australia, towards the end of our holiday we clicked how many we had paid for!!!!! Funny, good times though

This week, nothing exciting I can think of is happening, work, work and more work, with some school in there somewhere. The weekend as a form of punishment we get soccer on saturday and on sunday all day for a tournament! I brought a new tent though just for this occassion. It is a dome tent with no floor, so no matter whether it rains or is windy we will at least not freeze and get wet like last year!!!

The hot date

2009-06-07T20:38:00.004+12:00

The date went well. Drew turned up to pick up Jade (driven by Kate and with Flynn Drew's younger brother tow) on time, there was no waiting around, good to see he was nice and prompt :-)

They stood and let me take their photo - neither wanted it, but did as they were told, I am sure in the years to come I will be told in no uncertain terms where to get off when I ask for the same style of photo, but until then I will click away happily. Kate took them to the rat hole (the local pub), organised their meals, got their drinks, and then she left them to it, and went and sat in the other bar (spying on them), I would have prefered that Kate had a camera with a long lens on it - but no, so no photos of them dining together!! Jade told me afterwards that Drew spilt his ice-cream sundae sauce on his shirt, and she caught him licking it off! But then she told me she spilt her's too, but of course could not lick it off her dress!!!

Then off to the school disco together, where there was little dancing, lots of drinking fizzy, and collecting glow in the dark bracelets.

A happy date had by the both of them.

I must be getting old......

2009-06-03T18:33:00.002+12:00

My wee girl has just been asked out on her first date!!!!!!! The school disco! Funny how things do not change over time, the boy in question was too shy to ask, so asked his friend to ask her for him. Kate (Drew's mum) and I are just giggling and texting each other updates as we hear them. Just sooooo cute!!!!

Kate is going to bring Drew over on Friday night to collect Jade to take her, and I will collect them both after the disco to drop Drew back home. CUTE!!!!!!!

2009-05-27T21:54:00.002+12:00

A bit slow at uploading these up. I had partially done these layouts at the pinkalicious day, finished them off last weekend finally.

Jet Rescue, cool ride at sea world, Ralf did not like it though as he said it had no support for his back and we did get thrown a bit.
Superman ride at Movie world, loved it, very very fast!

Still do not have the plants into the ground, every weekend it is raining, but nice in the week days - how rude!!!!!!

Mum is coming to stay this weekend - can't wait, she is staying for a week which will be fantastic, Jade is very excited too!!!

Squished

2009-05-21T21:42:00.001+12:00

Funny Mel and Jase just sent me this photo, so laughing as I had forgotten it!!

Jade's Tea Party

2009-05-21T21:32:00.003+12:00

Well last Monday Jade came home from School to tell me that her best friend Nyah and her had been talking and they had decided that they needed to have a tea party. So plans were made (by them) lists were made (by them) and shopping lists were given (to me), and guidelines and rules were set (by me).

Sunday

2pm - 4pm

Our House

The scene was set

Bradley and Logan were to be invited to be the guests. Invitations were sent out, with instructions to dress up, and remember pinkie finger out when drinking.

They had a blast drinking their "Champagne", little sandwiches, little biscuits, little chocolates and grapes, and don't forget using toothpicks to pick up the food!

Pinkalicious

2009-05-21T21:19:00.003+12:00

A nice fundraiser was held this weekend just been to raise funds for the hospis here in Palmerston North which was fantastci, I am sure that they must have raised alot of money. It was of course a scrapbooking fundraiser, with a door fee, auctions etc. Very well done, and oh my god there were lots of people there.

First layout I did, love scenic route papers.
Next layout, so easy I really did nothing, was of Jade's soccer team last year, alot different in many ways from the team this year.

Really love this layout, brought some new paper and used it within a week - well done Margo!!!

Scrapping / Holiday Shots

2009-04-27T20:48:00.005+12:00

Told you I scrapped. First is Dan, Brooke and Jade at the Auzzie Zoo with their pet snake. Very cool place to go, we did spend the full day there and all had such a great time. On a scrapping note, if you zoom in on the photo check out the new punch Jo brought, which I borrowed, god I love it, think I might steal it when she is not looking!!! Aussie Outback spectacular, going to surfers well worth the visit, it was a whole evening affair, right from the fire alarm evacuation at the start (oh wait i don't think that was planned) through to the hat's - no we did not buy them, good old country singer singing along with the kids dancing - not Jade, way too cool for that, through to the food which was fantastic, all the drink laid on while the meal is going and of course the show. It was just fantastic. On another scrapping note, see the new scallop punch that I brought from stampin up - love it, don't have to steal this one, but better make sure it is not stolen from me :-)

Dreamworld - getting a cuddle with a koala, it was definately the plan before we even left NZ so heavy he was and he even scratched her belly!

2009-04-25T21:47:00.003+12:00

I scrapped with Jo last night, we had not seen each other for so long, the talking over took for a long time!!!! I am floored that I managed to get 3 layouts done!! Will up load them later in the week after I scan them in.

Jade and I shopped for Shiloh today, chew toys, food bowls, a nice bed for the conservatory, and a pooper scooper!

The last of the holiday post

2009-04-25T21:45:00.000+12:00

Friday – Surfers Paradise

Back to Brisbane today, we packed up the apartment and the car and set off back up to Brisbane, but with a few stop offs on the way. First of all we went to Harbour town as Ralf wanted to check out the Adidas outlet store. We were a little disappointed as it was not as cheap as we were expecting. From there we drove further down the road and found the IKEA store which I had been dying to check one out forever. What a massive store, and I do believe that if we lived in Brisbane I would out fit our whole house with all the wonderful storage things that IKEA has to offer, god it was cool. Got back to Brisbane and had lunch and then checked out the local scrapbook store just down the road from Tony and Chrissie’s place – cool, brought some more treats there!!!! Everyone except for the intelligent ones (Jade and I) went off into town to watch a game of Auzzie Rules – oh joy, apparently they all enjoyed it though, Jade and I, well we ate pizza and watched TV, far more exciting!!!

Saturday – Glasshouse Mountains & Montville

A family day out to check out the glasshouse mountains today – I have to say what beautiful scenery, but mountains? You have to be kidding, more like some very random looking hills in the middle of know where. From there we went onto Montville, a very quaint village up the top of the hill, past “bald knob”, so many and I do mean so many lots of little shops with many things to buy, so many things to buy. I loved it. And the boys were so patient while we shopped!!! Amazing!!!!

Sunday – Kallangur

A quiet day, well sort of! We finished packing making sure it was all sorted as we were leaving tomorrow. Then Chrissie, Jade, Dan and I went off to Churnside Mall and went to see Aliens vs. Monsters, which was in 3D, very cool. Then we did a little shopping in this massive mall – it was soo big!!

Monday – Fly home

Well what a long day this was, up and off to the airport by 6.30am, check in, and fly home, all with no hassles at all. Mel, Jase and Luke met us at the airport which was great to sit down with them for about an hour, which was very cool. Mel looks so much more rested now which is very cool, I do so remember those early weeks of figuring the whole baby thing out. Well that was the end of our nice holiday – from there the trip to turned to custard, and that is putting it so nicely! We got back to the truck, the battery was flat, Ralf and I could not push start the truck as it was too heavy, so we got a jump start – Yay. Then driving down the road every time Ralf put the indicator on battery was trying to stop again, the battery was beyond dead! So then it started to get darker, and rain, we pulled into the service station and there was only one battery there that fit the truck, what a great thing that was. We drove and drove and drove and finally got home around 11.15pm! Knackered! Oscar went ballistic, so happy to see us! So what did she leave for us while we were away...... a mouse, not just on the carpet, no that would be too nice, what she did was drop one down the toilet in the ensuite within a couple of days after we left, so it was huge and swollen and stinky!!!!!

Bring on the next holiday – it was the best!!!

Yes...

2009-04-23T21:36:00.001+12:00

Shiloh is going to be Jade's new dog. We are going to visit him Saturday afternoon - yay.

Australia

2009-04-16T21:37:00.001+12:00

A long blog - but jusst dropping on some of our diary.

Thursday – Driving to Auckland

What a long day at work – it just dragged on, I just wanted to be on the way for the holiday to start!!! Finally got away and collected Jade and we were on our way! Did not stop until Huntley for tea, which was quiet late, but as we took the back roads we could not find anywhere with food we all wanted – KFC!!!! Got to Mel and Jase's house around 9.20pm. Luke is so cute!!! What a wee button. Jade was infatuated with him, loved the wee boy!

Friday - Skeggasaourus’s House

Coughed up a storm last night still. Thankfully slept in until about 8.30am, much better sleep after I closed two bedroom doors between Ralf and me, then I could not hear him snoring!!!! Jumped out of bed to see what wee Luke was up too, so very cute, I could get very clucky! Hung out with Mel and Jase and Luke all day. Mel and I went into the mall and did a little shopping, and brought back some lunch. Then we watched the movie Marley and Me – so sad, but a very cool movie.

Saturday – Flying to Brisbane

Woke up early this morning, when we heard that little Luke was up, so thought we had better get up and see what he was doing. Of course Mel was feeding him. Hung out with Mel and Jase for the rest of the morning, waiting not so patiently to go to the airport. Mel and Jase drove out with us to have a feed before seeing us off on the plane. Felt a bit stink about them driving all that way to sit there for 20 minutes before we went through to the other side, but not much we could do about it when we were all overexcited about holidays. Did our duty free shopping – my goodness a bit of booze!!! Flight was on a smaller aircraft than booked on which sucked, so no in-flight small TV’s on each chair and I am sure it was tighter fitting!!! Food was nice though. Finally got there and Tony and Dan were there to meet us, they did not recognise Ralf at all!!!! Funny!!!! Collected the car and got on our way – Yay GPS!!! Very cool to finally see their house. Love it, what a great layout and love the leather couch they have, wonder if it will fit in our bag!!!! Brooke not home, out staying with her boyfriend for the night. Jade and Dan got on famously, bouncing on the trampoline talking non stop – that was before they found out they both had a love of play station games – then they were off. We went out for tea to an all you can eat place, which was great. Ralf ate everything!! Then home so jade could get some sleep. Man it is hot here!!! Very very muggy. A massive cockroach was crawling across the desk in the lounge where we were sleeping, Chrissie killed it with fly spray for me – thank god!!

Sunday – Brisbane City

What is up with waking up so early! Up having a cup of tea with Chrissie at 6.30am!!!!!!! Could not sleep, lucky jade did sleep in allot longer! We were woken by crows! Wow they are loud! Today we went into the city for a look around. We drove down to some place by the river and parked our cars up there. From there we jumped on the city cat boat which took us into the city – what a great way to arrive in the city, very cool wee trip! In the city we looked through the markets, brought a gecko for the wall in the conservatory at home. Down to Southbank where the kids went for a swim, there is a pool right in the middle of town but they have built it too look like a beach which is quiet funny. From there we walked over the bridge into the main part of town and looked at a few of the shops. Back onto the boat to the cars and home. Chrissie and I went for a quick grocery shop for tea – I brought things we did not need J found easy Mac in a nacho cheese flavour, needed that of course, some wagon wheel biscuits and of course some Easter eggs. Then we collected Brooke form work and home for dinner.

Monday – Movie world

What a great place that. We collected Chrissie from her dropping off her car for repair and dropped her off home before heading down to the gold coast. Once again the GPS was fantastic, makes the driving and any little trips so stress free. We arrived at the park just after it opened, and queued up to get in. Not long thankfully. We did the Scooby Doo ride first up which we all loved, I think that was the favourite ride for the day for Ralf and Jade. Onto the log flume which was my favourite – awesome photo. That was the end of the rides that had nice ques. Superman escape we queued for a whole hour!!! Then Ralf did not even get to go on as he had his hat in his hand the chick would not let him on – pissed off!! But jade and I went on, I had the shakes afterwards it was awesome! Ralf had lunch at dirty Harry's bar, while jade and I had hotdogs and donuts – yum! Big long ones called churo’s – I am hooked. Brought a couple of t-shirts. Watched the Scooby doo show which was cool, and then onto watching the street parade which was pretty cool too – but very fast. While watching the parade we stood in the queue to go into the Shrek 4d show – fantastic!!! From there onto the batman motion master – that was wicked too. And there ended the day! Busy and rushed I reckon you could do two days there just not to rush and so you could see all the shows that were on, as we did not see many of them. Yay for gps driving us to the apartment, we were too late to check in with management, but lucky that they had left us the keys, we were all cringing about where I had booked us in as we walked up 3 flights of stairs!!! Great apartment though, just what I thought it would be – Yay for air conditioning. We went for a quick walk up town to get some breakfast stuff and some tea (subway). Then we all had showers and jade was in bed and I think asleep by 8.30pm. Ralf and I were asleep by 9.30pm!!!

Tuesday – SeaWorld and The Great Australian Outback Adventure

Well the weather was not to kind to us here. But in saying that nothing like NZ rain! We walked the length of the park to get to the dolphin display which was fantastic, very similar to Napier’s one but of course bigger and more dolphins, I managed to get some great shots. Just as we left there it decided to rain, but really what I would call drizzle, funny we just kept going and went down to the shark bay and by the time we got out it had stopped. The sharks were cool, there was a mother shark with a wee baby one swimming underneath, but I could not get a good shot as of course you were looking through glass and I could not figure out how to sharpen the picture up. Must ask Kris about that she might know. My favourite would be the polar bear, how cute!!!! A log flume ride was next, fantastic special effects. It went into a mountain where the whole theme was we had been abducted by aliens, wicked! Then off to a roller coaster, back around to watch the water ski wipe-out show which was fantastic, and then onto the Jet Ski rescue ride which was quiet new. Very fast!!! We managed to get a couple of hours break before going out to the Australian Outback Adventure show – fantastic and well worth the money. BUT.... we lined up for ages to get in and just got to the counter when the fire alarm went off so we all had to go outside again and wait for the fire engines to come. Once we got back in it was great, got a lovely cowboy hat to keep, the food and drinks kept flowing all night – great show, jade loved it too!

Wednesday – Dreamworld

Our favourite park! Chrissie, Daniel, Brooke and her boyfriend Ash all came down to come to this park with us. The best thing was hiring this machine called Q4U, meant you could book a ride, go and do other things and when it was your turn to go on you just rocked up and went on straight away without waiting in line – way cooler!!! Well worth the extra money! The first thing we did as you can imagine was go and see SpongeBob and have Jade’s picture taken with him and Patrick – jade was in heaven!!! The Claw, Rollercoaster, wipe-out and then Jade and I went to watch the SpongeBob show while Ralf watched some movie on the moon in the Imax theatre. While this happened Daniel went on the claw again and then wipe-out again, and he threw up everywhere!!!! Funny!! Even had to close the ride down while they cleaned up all the puke. From there we went and did both of the log flume rides which were very cool! Ralf and I got saturated on one of them!!!! Checked out the animals there, jade had her photo taken with a Koala, very cool picture, jade was very happy with this. Had some lunch while we waited for the motorx ride to come free and then Jade and Dan went on that. Off to the tower of terror – wicked!!!! Then through to Tiger Island and on to the nickelodeon store – everything SpongeBob to be brought here!!! Jade brought a new toy and a t-shirt. When she was not looking I brought some more for her birthday. Then onto a SpongeBob fly pants ride, back to do the log flume again and then onto the angry beaver ride and then the last rollercoaster ride before leaving the park for the day. We went into town for tea tonight and a quick look around the shops which was nice, brought the best bargain of the whole trip here – a $5 sweatshirt – I look hip LOL!!!

Thursday – Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

30 minutes further down the coast is where this is situated, nice drive down the beach to get there. Fantastic park, could have spent the whole day there but needed to be on the road by 2pm to miss all the Easter traffic, which we only just did miss. Lots of koala’s here, we must have walked for miles!!! When we arrived we walked right to the other end of the park, missing the didgeridoo man altogether!!! Jade got to hold a crocodile and have her photo taken. Then we saw this amazing bird show, they flew down low right by our head – very freaky. Saw lots of snakes, some dingo’s and the tazi devil, but the wombats were hiding from us!!! We drove back up to Brisbane just as the roads started to get stupid! Thank god, we looked at the roads later and they were blocked up completely 3 lanes across just about all at a stand still!!!! Jade was sick at night, not sure why just threw up once and then was fine, so that was good to get that done.

Friday – Sutton Beach

We went down to Sutton beach today to see the Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race, and they had a big festival on down there at the same time. I think we were all a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people there – certainly more than in Sanson!!! The lions club organised big beach dig Easter egg hunt which jade thought was pretty fantastic. They even had camel rides on the beach – first time for jade, but apparently they have them al the time over here. Australia even exports camels to Arabia – amazing. Too long in the sun for me, I managed to get burnt, not too bad, but panda eyes and a wee burn on one shoulder, I was watching myself and putting on sunscreen but must have missed some of it.

Saturday – Kallangur

We did not much of anything today which was nice after rushing around the place. Ralf, Tony and Dan all went to look at golf shop, but they did not buy anything. Chrissie and I went to look at scrapbook shops, but they were all closed!!!!!! RUDE!!!!! So we did some grocery shopping, and the Chrissie, Jade and I checked out the mall for a bit before going and feeding the horse.

Sunday - Australia Zoo

What a fantastic zoo. Certainly lots to look at which was really great. We watched the croc show, and Terri, Bindi and Robert were there to do the show which apparently is not the norm, so that was very special. We saw lots of kangaroo’s and koalas and lots of other animals. Great day. They had a big Easter hunt on which was cool, when you found them you took them in and got a prize, the kids walked away with so much stuff it was amazing!!!

Monday – Bribry Island – Golf

What a day – what great weather – would almost make us feel at home! It hosed down and I mean torrential rain!!! Flooding everywhere, and a poor wee girl even drowned in a river here today, a very sad ending to a long weekend for some family. Ralf, Dan and Tony went off to Bribie Island to play golf at this resort, teed off at 9.30am and did not get home until 6pm – a very long 18 holes, and they did not even get wet. Chrissie, Jade and I went off to Bribie island following a friend of Chrissie’s to go out for lunch. Well her friend’s car broke down so we ended up ferrying them back and forward, then got to have lunch quickly before having to go back to Kallangur to pick up Brooke to take her to work at 2pm. And it rained the whole time, not sure how Ralf etc did not get wet, but we did!!!! Home to eat cheese and crackers etc, drink some beer, ouzo and jacks, so much that only the boys wanted pizza for tea – funny!!

Tuesday – Dreamworld

Well we got up early to drive down to surfers to sort out our apartment before going to the theme park, and were worried it was going to be a stink day, as it tried to rain the whole way down!!! Chrissie, Brooke, Ash and Dan all drove down as well, so we met them back at the park. Jade did wipe-out again, and then we raced to do a game of alien vs. predator which had only opened today – fantastic!!! Basically it is laser strike but some very cool special effects – loved it. Then we watched Dan do the surfing, which was pretty cool. Off to do the log flume again and then Ralf, Jade, Dan and I went into white water world. Ralf was not feeling so good, so he slept and looked after our bags while we went off to do the big rides – what is up with those stairs to climb!!!!! My goodness!!!!!! We did some more rides through at Dreamworld and brought the last of the SpongeBob stuff, I am sure we nearly brought some of everything!!!!! From there we went to the new apartment, over to the supermarket to buy some supplies and back to relax – we are knackered!!!!!

Wednesday – Surfers Paradise

Love the new apartment block would definitely come back to this one again!!!! Went to a scrapbook shop this morning, only 10 minutes away – Yay! Then out to pacific fair which is a large mall not far from here either. Had a wee shop, jade spent the rest of her money, she now has $4.40 left in her wallet!!! Had some lunch then back to the apartment. Ralf has gone to Jupiter’s casino to win us millions so we can holiday forever!!! Jade and I swam in the pool here and then I did a bit on the net while she played on her new psp game – well one of them she has brought 3 this trip!!! Ralf came home after 8 hours – what a great days work, turned out that the gambling was free and that the parking there cost $190 per 8 hours of parking!!!

Thursday – Surfers Paradise

A nice relaxing day for us today, which was great. We went out for lunch, played in the pool, changed apartments, and then out for dinner at the 4 winds revolving restaurant, which was fantastic. We had a bet as to how many times it would revolve before we left – jade one, not even one rotation!!!! Ralf ate and ate and ate as much seafood as possible!!!!

still a few more nights of holiday to go - yay!!

The dreaded lurgy...

2009-03-29T21:08:00.003+13:00

Well I managed to loose my voice - many of you may be laughing hysterically at this point, but still your evil laugh and have some sympathy for poor Jade. She did not cope so well with me not really wanting to talk to her and have copious conversations with her from Thursday!!

It is nearly back, thank god!

4 sleeps until our holidays - can hardly wait!!!

Meet Shilo - hopefully this is Jade's new dog. I have found him on trade me, his owners are moving to Brisbane in August, so when we get back from our holidays they are bringing him out to meet us and to check out our house, to make sure they are happy with the house and his to take over ownership. He is six months old - look how cute!!!!

It is happening..

2009-03-19T19:17:00.005+13:00

Not finished yet, but will be done by tomorrow - apart from the wood surrounds painting that Ralf and I have to do.

The view from the outside. Each end window is mirror tinted.

Looking down towards where the spa is going. This window end still needs to go in obviously.
Back towards the other deck.

The new dog door.

Just discovered that we have some paint left over from when we built the house, so that is great, will have to start painting tomorrow night.

Conservatory

2009-03-17T22:22:00.002+13:00

The windows are arriving tomorrow morning

The spa pool is draining now.

I wonder whether some windows will get installed tomorrow - that would be cool.

The Finished Deck

2009-03-16T21:27:00.006+13:00

Finally got around to putting up some photos of the finished - deck.
God it rocks!!!!

Sat out on the deck with Ralf, Jade and Dave eating pizza and some beers, man did it get cold 10 degrees, but we had to sit there!!! Then Dave went home and Ralf and I jumped into the spa at 12.30am to warm up.

This life rocks

Too Many Cakes and Pies ....

2009-03-04T21:06:00.003+13:00

My best friend Mel has been eating too many cakes and pies - nah just jokes, but holy check out the size of that tummy - all baby!!! So can't wait to meet the wee man - 2 weeks and 1 day to go until he is going to pop on out. Mel and Jase are going to make just the best parents, such an exciting time!

He had better not be late. I was so stoked to be able to go up to Auckland a couple of weekends ago for her baby shower - so exciting!

Finally onto some scrapping .....

2009-03-04T20:34:00.010+13:00

Well we had a nice weekend away this weekend. The 10d's headed off for a weekend at Waikane, we stayed at a batch we rented and scrapped the weekend away!

So first up is a layout from when we went to the Napier Aquarium last year. Jade loved it, we paid a little extra and went behind the scenes, she got to hold and touch all the animals which was pretty special. Even got to go into the crocodile enclosure (behind a fence) which was pretty wicked.

Next up is a layout I did with no title. Last year we had some portrait photos taken when Ross Street School in Palmerston North did a fundraiser. What great photos, I was very impressed.Well you know how much I dread challenges, Jo came up with this challenge where we had to do a 6x12 layout which is half the normal size. Lucky we were given a sketch, so not too much of a struggle. This one is showing the birds one day in the paddock beside us, one day they just all sat on a post each - funny things.The funny thing is after I had done it once I loved it and did another one!!! I had been wanting to do a layout about the floods back in 2004, so this was the perfect opportunity to have that done.Then a layout of some pictures I took of Jade a few days after we brought the spa. Such cool photos and the saying is so true, she just loves the water. Some how she thinks that the spa is a swimming pool for doing laps in!!!
At Xmas time Jade and I went for a walk up through Mount Bruce which was not far from here. Funny thing though while we were walking Jade kept wanting to know if we had nearly finished, I stupidly said how long it should take and she jsut had to know how much longer!!!

Also at Xmas we had Mel and Jase come down to visit - yay!!! Well I made Mel pose for me, and what else could the title be! She was very fierce, a and strong model, she really owned her look!!!

Only one to go. Jade's Xmas list for last year, if you can't read it, well there was a pet monkey and a million dollars on her list - thank goodness she was not too disappointed to not get everything on her list!!!

Do you like all the posts I am doing tonight - making up for lost time!!!

The Manor Burns Down...

2009-03-04T20:15:00.004+13:00

So last week I get home from work to see loads of smoke all through Sanson, what a panic!!! But our house was fine, it was The Manor that is about a kilometre down the road on fire.

This is the view from our place.

I drove down to have a look thinking that I should not really be doing that, but my goodness it seemed as though all of Sanson and half of Bulls had gone down and everyone was sitting on the side of the road watching it burn.

A couple of years ago a young guy brought the property and has been running a maize maze, which you can go through during the day or on Tuesday night they have the trees of terror and also a night time spooky maize where they have actors dressed as monstors etc and jump out at you with chainsaws etc giving you a fright. A very fun time.

So it was very sad to see this. It has not burnt to the ground, but the top half is well and truely scorched, apparently there was a gas explosion in the roof.

The New Deck ...

2009-03-04T19:48:00.005+13:00

Well almost the new deck. Dave started building it last week, and apparently will be finished by Friday. Very exciting. Looks way bigger than it did when we had just the string sitting out there. Dave is doing such a great job, great builder!!

The concrete cut out in the deck is where Ralf is having is pond, not totally sure how we are doing that yet, but we will no doubt figure that out as we go along.

So what has happened in the last two weeks...

2009-02-15T18:49:00.005+13:00

well all I have to say is what has not happened!!!

Ralf finished building the fence - what a mammoth task it was
Jade went back to school, she is loving it, in the same class with the same teacher who she loves so that is nice, but doing her maths in the next class up - getting those brains from Ralf!!!

Ralf started his new job as a civie - I should have taken a photo of him off to work, so flash in his new clothes - very sexy!!

We got our new spa on Friday!!! Yay, how many spa's do you think I have had!!! Saturday morning 6.30am I was in it! Love it! Ralf discovered the drink holders!!
Jade thinks it is great, but does not take long to do a length!!!
Ralf had his luncheon on Friday to celebrate finishing his 20 years. What a great time we had. 60 people turned up which he was pretty stoked about. We got home around 10pm a little under the weather!!! Good night though.

New Spa

2009-02-15T18:46:00.001+13:00

I know it has been forever...

2009-01-28T21:31:00.010+13:00

but it is hard to get back into it all again. There was of course Xmas which was great. We (me) had three weeks off work this year, which ironically I moaned about, not wanting to take all that leave, but then the three weeks came and went and I did not want to go back again!!!!!

So the first week Mel and Jase came to visit, which was fantastic. It is so long ago that we saw them that I can't remember what we did. All I can remember was eating far to much and Ralf and Jase drinking and drinking!!!

A nice picture of Jade almost climbing into her santa sack to see if there was anything else - nope all out!

Then the second week we did not much at all, just hung out at home. One day Jade and I went for a walk up through the Mt Bruce walking track, nice track, funny though all the sign posts and markers through the track were so old you could read nothing, so it was, "oh there is another sign post telling us what that tree is, must be something fasinating".

Then in the third week Jade was in Dunedin with Gran (get to that later) and Ralf, Gundi, Deb and I went to Rotorua for a couple of nights. Busy time for the boys playing far to much golf for anyone sane. So Deb and I shopped and just cruised around. The first night we had dinner at the top of the gondala which was great, although I hate this photo, I think I was thinking that it was about time I had a photo taken with a wonderful fat neck and twenty chins on display!!!

So back to the story of Jade. She went to Dunedin to hang out with her gran for 3 weeks which went very fast for them by the sounds of it.

First of all they went up to Te Anau and walked into the first hut on the Kepler Track, stayed the night at the hut and then walked out again the next day. 6km each way, my wee girl did really well, and she really enjoyed it.

After that they went to see the Takaha at a reserve where they are kept and you can see them up close which was great.

Then back to Dunedin for one night and then off to Tarras again for the yearly camping trip, I think they were there for almost a week. Nice and hot weather, sounds as though they really had a great time, with many a trip down the river on inner tubes, with gran falling out lots so I am told.

On the way back to Dunedin, they did the normal stopping to pick fruit, apricots and cherries, I even got a box of cherries couriered up to me - yum I ate them all in one day :-)

Back in Dunedin they were busy again. A week of going to art school in the afternoon where miss Jade made some wonderful clay "things" and some pots, masks and general art work. Also a bike ride along the harbour.

And then gran brought a new Vespa, which she took Jade for a quick ride on along to the end of the street.

I wonder what that is on gran's leg - well that is another story!!

So here we are with less than a week left before Jade goes back to school. Ralf is still on leave, he has built another of our fences which looks fantastic, so really we only have about 10 metres of fencing to go before we are finshed with it all. Jade is waiting oh so patiently to see that complete, I think the thought of having a wee puppy is keeping her going!

2009-01-12T19:32:00.000+13:00

Grrrrrr Work Again......

A problem in the house...

2008-12-29T21:50:00.006+13:00

As night draws near to an end, I find myself once again banished to the spare room to catch a decent nights sleep.

You see in this household there appears to be a little problem that rears it's (or his) ugly head as the summer nights get hotter and hotter. It comes in the form of some rather loud noises ommiting from his nose and mouth, which become more obvious in the deep of night, or even worse when it is holiday time and a sleep in would be a nice thing.

So off I go down to my little room in the back of the house, but wait what is that hanging on the door entering into what used to be fondly called our bedroom..... what is that I see swinging on the door.... would it be a door hanger..... I think it is, but what does it say. So I peer closer to see if I can read that fantastic work of art...Oh my god that is just priceless, who would have thought to put that wonderful piece of artwork on the door? Who Would have spent hours coming up with the idea, and then carrying it out, making it look just so fantastic? More to the point who would put it there without the cave monster seeing it?

A genius is what I think!!!

What the......

2008-12-12T17:50:00.003+13:00

I think Ralf has decided I am mad - I mean I am not 21 anymore and I have now got roller blades! Wait for another week and I will have my way cool skaters helmet, flames up the side and all!!!! Ralf is worried I am going to break this old body!

Jade is not worried I am going to embarrass her - YET! I am sure within a year she will be embarrassed by me!!!

What is wrong...

2008-12-06T12:15:00.003+13:00

Hell I just realised that I posted twice within one week!!!! Now it is three times!!!

Yay a Garden

2008-12-06T11:46:00.004+13:00

A while coming I know, but it is here. We have done right down one length of the fence in new garden. We planted, we weed matted, Ralf concreted in garden edging, and he barked, all while on nightshift this week, so pleased it is finally done.

So this is looking down the line back towards the driveway.

Then this is looking back the other way, you can see we are still going around the corner, so will be continuing on with the garden edging, weed matting etc around there.

Then this one is showing you the plants - my mum wants to know what we are planting of course! So off the plant tag Mum this is a Escallonia "field's scarlet" which we had growing at our other house right along the back fence. So quick growing which is good.

And inbetween each of those plants we have these ones. Which are Leptospernum Coppersheen, not as fas a growning plant, but still look quiet nice.

We will have to be good with this one, trimming as we go, so that it does not be come a massive woody edge, but instead some nice shrubs.

Fabulous - one down!

Ralf is at golf today for the whole day, he had better win me another ham :-) Jade is going out soon for a sleepover, and I am just going to do not much at all!

2008-12-03T20:37:00.007+13:00

I love bubbles!! I brought a bubble machine that pumps out squillions of bubbles at a time, it is fantastic. So then I decided to try and take some different photos of them, using the different settings on the camera. I have no idea what I was doing, but I love the way the light is caught on the bubbles, very cool!
Last weekend I went to play with Jo, which was great fun, I managed to do get three layouts done which is very much unheard of by me. This first layout would have to be my all time favourite layout at the moment, helps that the picture is a big favourite with me.

This next layout is very much a well overdue one. Of course it is when What Now came to Ohakea, a very cool weekend was had, Jade who never used to watch What Now very quickly became an avid fan of the program. Halloween! Did I tell you how it escalated from a wee bit of trick or treating with one friend, to two friends coming to stay the night, and the full noise. They all had a blast.

2 weeks and 2 days left before it is Xmas holidays. I am hanging out to have some time off, and do nothing. I always love Xmas time, but hate the last couple of weeks at work, as it seems to drag on, and then of course everyone gets so busy and stressed, so it is a bit of a mixture of loving it and hating it!

I have changed my cellphone ring tone to "Jingle Bell Rock" - fabulous! I am wearing a different pair of Xmas earrings to work every day! The Xmas tree is up, the presents are wrapped, we are just waiting! Roll on Xmas!

Oh yeah and then even more exciting, I brought the plane tickets for our trip to Australia next week, I can't wait!!

Christmas Has Begun.........

2008-11-27T21:02:00.011+13:00

Yes it has.....

I always wait for December before i put up the tree, only because Ralf would get shitty with me for getting too keen. But he brought down the tree for me tonight, so that Jade and I could do the tree this weekend, but while I was cooking tea the tree was suddenly up, so I made Ralf and Jade dress the tree this year, which was quite funny!! Ralf did not understand that you do not stand back and throw it at the tree!!!

Then Jade took off to the bedroom and appeared back dressed as a fairy to dress the tree, she did not think it was a good idea to be put on top of the tree!!

Love this shot, might have to make her pose for it again without the couch and the crap on it in the way of the photo!!!
So I have scrapped as well between last post in now. Did a challenge for sketchbook, which is this one.Then I did a double layout, for our last weekend away with the 10d's. The challenge was to do a layout based on the mastercard "priceless" adverts. Was quiet funny and very easy to do when you started to think about it. When Mel and Jase came down a few months ago, we took our usual photo, love it! They were trying to look normal and well we were unable to contain ourselves from being totally stupid!!! On that note time to go and watch Outrageous Fortune!

I am alive

2008-11-03T21:09:00.009+13:00

Yes I am! I have not been sucked into this horrible black hole. Is there an answer why I have not blogged, well who knows why, other than life itself!

So I have cracked open the diary so that I can recap what has happened since September!

Well the last time I wrote it was coming up to school holidays. Jade spent the first week at Highland Home Christian Camp, which is up Pohongina Valley. She loved it! It was a camp for 9-11 year olds, boy and girls. She did glow worming, caving, mountain biking, tramping, absailing and just lots of good wholesome things for kids.

Second week of the holidays my Mum came to stay with her two international students, one is from Japan and the other from Germany. We took them up to the Hawkes Bay to stay for two nights with Mum's very close friend Margaret and Dick. That was just fantastic. While Mum and Margaret spent the day together on Saturday catching up, I took the kids (yes students too) to Napier and we did the behind the scenes tour at the Aquarium. I have to say this was well worth the money. I am sure we were with the guide for about 3 hours, I think they highlight for Jade was getting to hold a turtle.

We also went for a trip up to the lookout to see the fantastic view and of the ice cream truck just happened to be up there!!!!

Well Mum and the students had barely left when Mel and Jase arrived to visit for the weekend. Well before they arrived I went down for a speed shop at SENZ!!! Fantastic! Well I am not sure to be honest if I would call it fantastic. Yes I got some great bargains, but SENZ was the smallest I think I have ever seen it. Good to catch up with some faces that i have seen on the net etc, but nice all the same.

Mel & Jase staying was very cool. Mel and I shopped and mucked around and shopped some more. We had great fun at Baby City which was very cool, looking at the great nursery stuff that Mel has already scored on Trade Me and what she still needs to get, never thought I would say I would ever get clucky, but by god and I clucky about Mel and Jase's wee baby!! I can't wait!!!

Alright span forward a couple of weeks and I scrapped, I know I can here you saying it now, what you did one layout!!! No your wrong I did 2 layouts!!!!!

So first up is a layout for when Jade's room did a duathalon, was quiet cool I even went to watch. Jade as you can imagine was completely nackered after it all, but she did enjoy it, they had to run, bike then run again.

Then I thought 13 years of marriage I had better do one about Ralf and I, 13 years married, wow that does just seem so insane! Anyway I do love this layout.So Ralf has been doing his resettlement training, working with the builder next door building the house beside ours. He did it for 9 weeks which he really enjoyed for something different. So Ralf has been back at work again for the last couple of weeks, doing real work back on 3 Sqn again. He seems to be enjoying that again.

School Cross Country last week, and our girl got 2nd in her age group, she was so happy! So happy, as was I, it was very cool that she did so well, and who came first but Nyah, which is pretty cool too!!

Right caught up, apart from this weekend just done.

Friday night was halloween and Jade has been so good every time when I have said no to Halloween, I mean it is not a NZ thing, but I thought why not this year. So it all started with Nyah coming to stay the night, then it escalated so that Papara (spelt her name wrong I am sure) also coming for the night. I collected them after work and they came home to make goodie bags, then off the went out trick or treating which they thought was very cool.

After that they came back home where I cooked them eye balls and worms for tea.

This was then followed by jelly cocktails with sour worms and dinasaurs in it. God what a great Mum!! Spooky programs and off to bed and sleep around 11.30pm!!! All three of the lined up along Jade's bed sleeping! Up early in the morning again waiting for pancakes to be cooked!

Then we went down to Chris and Yvonne's for tea and to stay the night. Sunday over to upper hutt to check out Matt and Strodie's new house, which was very cool, sat in the sun having a BBQ getting a little tanned. Amazing roll on summer!!

Anyway guys sorry for the longest post in history!

Fantastic Weekend

2008-09-23T18:55:00.005+12:00

Had the best weekend away with Kris, Lou and Jo. The 10D's always have a fantastic time together. We scrapped, we ate, we talked and we slept. What else could you ask for. Kris took some fantastic photos of us, we did a bit of a photoshoot, which I will show you later.

So look I was away from Friday at 8.30am until Sunday at about 5pm, and I only managed to get 6 pages done LOL!!!!!!! What was I doing procrastinating on it for so long!!!!

First one is a nice one of our girl, first picture I took with the new camera.
The next one is of Jade's soccer team this year. The got through to the finals of the knockout competition for their grade, and then they won!!!!! Fantastic!!!

Jade's portrait photo from a couple of years ago, needed to do something with it as it has been replaced on the wall with a new one. The saying is what Jade and I say to each other, so now I will always win as I have put it in writing!!!

Then Kris came up with this crazy idea of doing a page in 15 minutes. We were allowed to select the photo and paper etc that we were going to use, then it was into it, so below is my 15 minute layout. Did I moan about it.... yes I did!!!!

Well then we move onto the next layout which needs no explaining, well maybe it does. Daffodil day came around and it was a fantastic excuse for us at work to dress up. Yellow of course, then guess what Kate said I should borrow her Big Bird outfit!! I drove to work in it, sat in it all morning, through a meeting with a supplier who dropped into visit, and then it was too warm!

Well on, on, Shortland Street is calling ........

Oscar's New Friend

2008-09-17T19:26:00.001+12:00

The builder next door's dog came to visit Oscar.

I scrapped

2008-09-07T19:55:00.004+12:00

Your not going to believe how long it took me to do this layout..... 3 weeks, I know what is that all about, but I started, then I wanted to use my red stamp pad, but Jo had it, so of course it is her fault, threw me, so I then got to procrastinate on it. Got the stamp pad back, but lost the flow, so fluffed and fluffed some more. Then 3 weeks went on and then just what I needed to finish this layout arrived in the post from the states. My friend Mel had been over there, and I had shopped and sent her a parcel. Can you see what I needed..... the stamp of bubbles. Wait till you see it in person, very cool stamp, going to use it a bit more I think!!! The funniest thing about the layout taking 3 weeks is that we are about to go on our 10d's retreat soon and Kris has come up with the idea of doing a 15 minute challenge, now how am I going to do a layout in 15 minutes if it took me 3 weeks! I can sense a wee tantrum coming!!

Busy weekend had. Soccer, went well 5 nil to us - yay!! Then Jade and I did a little shopping. Sunday was father's day, and we took Oscar cat to the pet company in town for a wee shave!!! Getting too matted, so she had a shave, we were expecting a whole body shave, but no they shaved all of her tummy and a couple of bits on her leg, heaps better!

Busy week ahead for me, we are stocktaking at work - boo!

What Now

2008-08-31T19:18:00.005+12:00

What Now.... What a long day. Up at 6am, so I could make pancakes for the little cherubs, to make sure they were not hungry before we got home!

Jade, Nyah and Tumehe from What Now -yes we stood around for ages after it finished to get this photo and of course his signature.

What a great day, they kept them all entertained from 7am right through till 10am, even when they were not live on tv. Did you see us on TV, yes us, they made me get on tv as well, when they were filming the soccer yesterday, I had to stand there and have a ball thrown at my head!!!!

They threw loads and loads of buckets of gunge out into the crowd, thank god we were not anywhere near!!!!

Then we got back home, and Jade and Nyah wanted to have a stall at the end of the driveway, as on Sunday it is Market Day in Sanson, so lots of people drive past our house. So they got out the paints, painted the pots Jade made at art school in Dunedin at Xmas time, and lots of rocks from the driveway. I set them up on the grass right in front of the pensioner flats. Kept them busy for 3 hours!!! They had lots of people stop to look and chat (people from pensioner flats) and they sold 2 rocks, $2 made! Lots of fun though.

Anyway time to do other things - sleep!

Even Hairier!!!

2008-08-29T19:35:00.004+12:00

Well here he is another week on - and even more hair, it is not going to be a 9 week growth now, as he has to go to base next week to be given his medal's from Tmor, so he will have to shave next Friday morning.

Week 2

Well today we decided that we should all dress in yellow for daffidol day, can you see me.....
Then this afternoon the first part of the "What Now" filming that will be shown on Sunday morning. The kids loved it, if Jade is not on TV I will be very surprised!!!
Long Weekend ahead, we have soccer tomorrow morning as normal, but What Now is coming to film some of Jade's Team's game so that is cool. Then Nyah is coming to stay the night, and then Sunday morning we are up early to go to base for What Now live filming, they are very excited, so that should be cool!!

Hairy.....

2008-08-24T20:51:00.005+12:00

Ralf is on resettlement training for the next 9 weeks, and that means...... no shaving for 9 weeks, how feral will he get.....

week 1

And finally uploaded some pictures of Jade in her new bed, not the new bedding on it, she now has some nice bedding that she selected and goes with her room, looks good! Was funny going to the shop and getting to to pick out what colour sheets she wanted, god knows why she needed to have one that was black.... a bit early for that sort of obsession!!! Then selecting the duvet covers as well, she loved doing that, although was a bit gutted that you could not get a queen size sponge bob cover!!!
A great weekend - we (Jade) played soccer on Saturday in the rain, was not cold, but it was very wet, I think it was worse that the field was very very very wet! Then today we had a family portrait taken, hope they turn out okay, we shall see.

2008-08-18T21:22:00.003+12:00

It is funny how much I have not been on my blog since Ralf has been back.... do you think I might have missed him just a little bit? Well if that is the case, ssshhhh don't tell him.

Well I hate to be the soccer mum saying this, but when is the season going to finish... it has been so long, why is it that this seems to be the sport with the longest season in the world! I mean it started before Easter I think, and does not finish until half way through September. In saying this my girl's team has done so well this year, they are into the finals which is just amazing and there is such a really good chance of them winning that game.

We went out for dinner on Friday night with Gundi and Deb, went to our favourite the lonestar, yum fantastic, tastes so great. I just love their Kahlua and Moro bar cheesecake mmm one of the all time favourite desserts to be had, well in Palmerston North at least.

Sunday I went to see Mamma Mia with Jo, even though I am a massive ABBA fan, this movie is well and truely recommended. Fantastic. Loved it. Laughed and laughed so hard the whole way through, adn then burst into song with all the music (well in my head), fantastic! So much so I am going to buy the DVD when it comes out.

Did some scrapping on Saturday, a slow page, looking good, but just fiddling away with it here and there, might have finished it by the weekend.

Anyway "The Unit" is starting.... catch you later...

The slackest blogger in the world

2008-08-11T20:35:00.005+12:00

God it has been two weeks, time has just flown by. Ralf has been back now for almost a month now. He had a couple of weeks off when he got back, caught up on all the programs I had taped for him, and of course got used to living back at home, and vice versa, Jade and I had to get used to having him home as well. You don't think it would make any difference but it is surprising how strange it is having him home again. I have to consider what he thinks again!!! Which is quiet funny.

He started back at work last week, which was funny. It sounds to me as though he spent the whole time planning his new job and organising his leave, resettlement training etc. So next week he starts working for a builder which is cool, this is for his resettlement traiing, and he will be doing that for the next weeks. Will be quiet good as he will hopefully learn heaps of things, not that he does not already know how to build a fence and a deck etc, but building a house from scratch I am sure he will learn quiet a lot. Even better the house that is being built is right next door, like just over the fence - what a saving on travel!

The he starts back at work in November I think - after a week of golf of course - and then he works until Xmas, then more leave until he starts his new job at the end of February. He is quiet excited about that.

Anyway enough about him ,more all about me! Well alright I will talk about Jade first. Jade now is such a big girl that she is in a big bed, like a queen size bed, man I wish I had a bed that big when I was her age, so much room to move and spread out. And if your Jade of course you would be happy to know that you now had lots of room for your soft toys, they fit all the way accross the bed! So we then had to go and get another bed for the spare room, as some people did not want to come and visit and stay in a single bed, cannot understand why not!!!!

I scrapped again on Sunday, ate lots of lollies and of course sponge fingers - mmmmmm my favourites!

First one is a picture Kris took of Jade and I about 2 months ago I think, quiet a nice picture of us. I forgot to say I scrapped all day on Sunday but achieved not much - maybe I talked to much? This one I think took four hours!!!!

Then this next one is when Jade and I went to Dunedin while Ralf was away in Timor. Larnach's castle, a very cool day we had there.

Anyway that is about all that has been happening in my life. Nothing exciting planned for the next week of so, so do not be surprised if I do not post!

I did some scraping

2008-07-28T21:08:00.006+12:00

What a great weekend! Soccer was cancelled due to the weather, so it meant a double sleep in, what more could I want.

So Saturday we finally got out of bed, and some friends arrived for a coffee.

Off to town for breakfast/lunch and then the home show. i would just like to put it out there, that sometimes when it comes to shopping I do have restraint, and do not always impulse buy!!! At the homeshow we were checking out all the cool spa pools, and man some of them were cool, with LED lights and speakers for the music to come through, very cool. was dissappointed that I could not find a spa with a plasma TV that popped up out of a very nifty little cabinet.

Yes okay I really am dreaming, I have not heard of one of those, but how cool would that really be! I wonder whether you could get one like that, man I would not have haad any restraint in purchasing that, oh well I mean other than Ralf dying in the corner at the outrageous cost!

Seriously though I have convinced him a spa pool would be cool, when I got home tonight, he had it marked out where it would go - GOOD BOY!!!

Anyway onto this scapping that I did all day Sunday at Jo's house. I have to say i got there not long after 9am, and we must have not seen each other for 1 whole week, as we talked and talked and talked, so much that we forgot the coffee's I had brought so we had to re-nuke them!!!!

First one is about Mum and her obsession with keeping dirty old tea bags!!!

The next one is the yearly one I do of Jade with all her likes etc. Not sure where she got this from, but she wants to be a Puppy pre-school teacher - where did she get that idea from!!!

Then onto the birthday ones.

A two paage one!!!! I don't do these!
Anyway busy bidding on trade me - must away!!

He's Home

2008-07-20T19:55:00.003+12:00

Yahoo he is home finally! 3 months done and dusted! Now he has two weeks off at home before going back to work again.

I scrapped. Well it took ages, like a couple of weeks of mucking around to finally complete this one. Nice picture I took of Jade when we were down in Dunedin a couple of months ago.

Hey guess what - it's my birthday tomorrow! How cool and I finally turn 21, it has taken aa while to get to this age, but finally it is there!

Jade's 9th Birthday

2008-07-13T17:33:00.012+12:00

Wow our wee girl has turned nine! Wow! She is getting so big, wont belong and she will be living at a flat in town, how scarey!

So Jade wanted to go to the mountain for her birthday this year, so I hired a campervan from base and we were going to drive to Whakapapa Village on Friday night, stay at the campervan park there, go to the mountain on Saturday, then off to Taupo Saturday afternoon, to the hot pools there and drive home again Sunday. Jade invited her friends Nyah and Bradley to come with her. Everyone was very excited.

So Friday rocked around and the weather turned to custard, gale force winds for Friday and Saturday at the mountain and lots of rain and snow!!!! How rude, the weather was supposed to do as I asked it, I mean how hard can itt be for 2 days!!! So in the morning I picked up the campervan, went from driving my wee suzuki hatchback car, to driving this 6 berth campervan!!! It was large!! I collected Bradley and Nyah from their houses, and then we camp back up to load up the camper with everything we needed for the trip.

So because of the weather the kids decided to forgo the mountain and to go direct to Taupo. So off we went, the kids were in heavan! I made these rather large goodie bags, full of all things mothers do not want to give to their children, their eyes were wide when they saw them. Anyway it kept them extremly happy on the drive up there.

As we drove through the desert road there was lots of snow everywhere, we could not see the mountain as it was covered in cloud, doing the the good storm thing. We decided we would stop in the snow to play on the side of the road on the way back on Sunday.

Once we got to Taupo, the nice people at the camping ground park, directed me while I back (yes I backed) the campervan into its slot! Excellant driving by me I must say!!! The park we stayed at had thermal pools there, so off we went down there, I sat in the 40 degree pool for about 3 hours, while the kids ran up and down the hydroslide that was there, and visiting me in the pool.

Pizza for tea, called them up for a delivery, and the delivery man forgot to bring out the mobil eft-pos, how cool, free pizza, yes free, yippee for me. The kids watched a couple of movies on the laptop before going to sleep around 10.

Saturday we got up early as of course it was Jade's birthday, she was wrapped with all her loot, and spent alot of time reading the "SIMS" manual on how it all works, she was dying to get home and load it up and play!

After pancakes, laidened with canned whipped cream and mayple syrup (yes more stuff mothers don't want their children to have), I walked over to the office in the pouring down rain to see what things the kids could do for the morning. The decission was made by the kids to go to the Volcano centre. So we packed up and off went. I think the highlight of this was the earthquake room, where you sat and it shook as though you were in an earthquake, I think they did it at least a dozen times.

Off to burger king for lunch and then to the other thermal pools at Taupo for the afternoon, more playing in the pool and lots of sliding down the hydroslide again.

Back to the campervan park, where I reversed the camper in all by myself, no guidance at all!! Pizza and Pavalova for tea, oh yeah and lots of biscuits and more lollies mmmmmmm! Movies and bed, or was that movies in bed!!

Sunday morning we got up early, well I woke at 5.30am as it was 7 degrees inside the camper, so I cranked up the heater and went back to bed for another hour. Busy morning ahead as we needed to leave by 8am, so that we were not to late back to Sanson.

On the trip back to Sanson, there were a couple of events. First one was all the flooding, yes I know what is up with that. On the road from Taupo to Turangi the creeks on the side of the road had flooded, there was signs up everywhere, and the water was quiet deep over the road in about 6 different spots, so that was exciting!

Then the snow, well the lack of it! So us stopping on the side of the road for a play was a big non-event, the kids were gutted. Never mind.

All and all the birthday was a great event and was so well enjoyed by everyone, in saying that, Jade has now gone to stay with Ralf's parents for the week and I am going to bed to sleep!!!

Our Girl

2008-07-07T21:18:00.002+12:00

Our girl is growing up....
Jade's outfit - yes selected by herself - to wear to her best friend's "posh" party, for her birthday.

How and Slack Am I

2008-06-30T21:00:00.003+12:00

I have not blogged for ages, almost 2 weeks I think. I caught a horriblee bug, started off as a cold, cough runny nose etc which was evil, but I ended up a pathetic mess on the couch, which lasted a full week off work. I have to celebrate the microwave and the fact that I have not learned to only cook for two people. It was a saving grace for me that I had cooked too much for Jade and I to eat the week before, so that while I was pathetic and unable to eat much at all, Jade at least was feed, and real meals, reheated, but real meals non the less.

Last Saturday afternoon and into the evening Jade and I went to a scrapbooking afternoon which was run as a fundraiser for Jo's son's school. What a fantastic time, it was so well run and an aboslute bargain. Jade went to two classes, first one was making cards, and then the second one was making a door hanger which was really cool. Lou and Kris stayed the night at my place which was pretty cool.

Jade had a soccer tournament last weekend, which was an absolute nightmare. We had to be in town from just after 9, so the minute we left the house it started to rain, and it continuted to rain at varying degrees of hardness all day, until we left at about 3pm! We were drenched in the end. The only saving grace was that it was not windy and not too cold. The kids did really well, they qualified 2nd top for the cup competition, and then went onto play, loosing in the semi finals. not bad, considering the feild had a swimming pool in the middle of the pitch, which made it obviously hard to play.

Two days later the funniest thing happened to me, I got home from work to receive a parcel from "A Friend" and this friend had made a book that she thought I might have needed to see. It was all about what happened when Jade and I left for the soccer tournament and left Kris and Lou behind. I will have to think twice before I let this happen again. The book was deeply disturbing, it appears that Lou and Kris had taken a special liking to "Black Jack", and were also rather obsessed with my containers, and were trying to steal them. I have been constantly checking ther various containers around the house to see what could be missing.

Not long now until Ralf comes home, he has started to do a big countdown, every day there is an e-mail with a new amount of sleeps to go before he comes home. Jade is getting excited as well. Me, well two light bulbs have blown, one in the bedroom and one in the lounge, I have told him that as it is not long until he is home I am leaving the bulbs to be changed by himself, just a wee chore, so that he know he was missed. I am sure I can find some other wee "chores" so he will know he was missed. Mmm what shall I add to the list.... Oh yeah iorning, I have not brought out the iorn the whole time he has been away. I suppose I might have to put sky sport back on for him, and re-connect his cell phone, maybe I had also better get the golf clubs out of the garden, I did find that they were really great at plant supports, but he might not think that is a good idea, so I had better clean them for him..

Anyway better cruise

Yvette Rocks

2008-06-20T19:58:00.002+12:00

hello

yvette was the only nice person in the whole wide world who helped me stop writing those big long links in my blog, so she rocks, rocks, rocks, rocks!! does it not look so much better, now this chick has to remember to do this!!!

Blog Hopping

2008-06-17T11:18:00.003+12:00

Just doing a bit of blog hopping today. Thought you might like to check out some blogs.

So check out this blog, very cool work, and the clever lady has english translations as well. She also has a giveaway running this week http://poekietoe.blogspot.com/2008/06/friday-13th-blog-candy.html

now if some wonderful person could tell me how to leave a nice link, rather than this hideous amount of words of the whole like, that would rock, please either e-mail me or leave a note.

oh and check this blog out http://inkurablestampers.blogspot.com/ now a cool site going on about a challenge, but if you scroll right down she has done this cool purple layout, now i am a bit slow at getting into this fad for birds, but my god she has the cutest chipboard bird on there, you should check it out.

another cool blog i read everyother day is http://oldladyinateenager.blogspot.com/ as in the title she is a teenager, very funny ramblings that she does, but she is right into photography, takes some cool photos at different angles etc, and does some great art.

if your into sketches http://www.pencillines.com/ have some great sketches, they have special guests who do a different sketch i think every other week which is pretty cool, all very talented ladies.

oh and this blog http://chillibits.typepad.com/chilli_bits/ and this http://www.xanga.com/antique_chik very groovy work.

finally buzz and bloom, have you heard of them? well they rock, i found their website a couple of months ago and then could not find the product anywhere, then last weekend our little old scrapbook shop here in palmerston north had some - so i got a couple of bits. check it out http://www.buzzandbloom.typepad.com/

Another Short One

2008-06-09T18:46:00.002+12:00

Well Dave, the builder who owns the next door section said he was going to start on the fence today, to my surprise I got home today and the post, rails and the concreting had all been done!!!! Fantastic, what a speedy builder!

Last night I did some scrapping, just a little, like one page!

Scrapping

2008-06-08T22:08:00.004+12:00

Just a very short post tonight.

I finished a layout I was doing at Jo's house I think a coupe of weeks ago, and then I forgot to upload it onto here. A nice picture of Jade and I, Friends Forever - well at least I hope so!! Still the teen years to get through.

The Church

2008-06-05T20:50:00.007+12:00

Ralf and the guys at 3 Sqn along with some Auzzie guys went into the middle of Timor to where a new church had been built, but they had no furniture, the village is about 10km away but took a long time to drive there as the road was so rough.

They built them church pews(seats), painted their church and built a book case.

This first one is obviously going to go in one of the air force mag's - good will etc

The next one is all of them inside the church, with all the pews they have built. I think Ralf said that they used pallets etc to make the furniture, pretty clever guys.

Quiet cool that in the big chairs, if you look closely they have cut out a kiwi. Not a bad job, Ralf
said he made the cross.
Ralf caught by another camera - posing!!!

I would like to introduce to you.....

2008-06-01T21:05:00.010+12:00

Well I would like to introduce to you the new man in my life, his name is "Black Jack". and he is just amazing, he has made me forget that there was anyone else in my life, I cannot remember the name of that man who used to fill my life..... I think it was Ralf but he has been gone for so long, I just could not be alone a moment longer.
See he is just fantastic, and check out his chest, and not to mention his package, how could I contain myself!
Black Jack has replaced Ralf in all area's of our life, here he is watching tv, it would be golf but I had Sky sport turned off - not needed anymore.
This is Black Jack having tea with us, it would have been KFC, but I could not go out to get some for this time.
And the last but certainly not the least, he is also fantastic in bed, lives up to my every expectation.
What more does a girl need in her life, I would recommend having a man like this!!

Last day in Dunedin

2008-05-31T15:44:00.006+12:00

Well it is the last day in Dunedin and man the weather has turned itself on just for me, to remind me of how cold it can be down here, when I was just thinking that I had become aclimatized to this weather. It is freezing, knowing my luck it will snow!!!

A few months ago I brought a new tent from trademe, which was miraculously here in Dunedin, so Mum went and collected it for me and stored it in her basement until Jade and I came down to inspect it. We put it up yesterday (just before it rained) to check it out and see what things we needed to have made before we could use it properly. So when I get home I have to get a spring for the top of the centre tension poles, and also a tension wire rope and hooks made for holding the tension correctly accross the middle.

So no this tent is not for us to sleep in, we have good Kathmandu tents for that, but this one is for when it is windy or raining, so it is a "mess tent" to play cards, read books, eat or just sit and relax in when the weather is doing its thing. One way of looking at it, is we have brought it as an insurance policy so when we go camping this Xmas at Tarras again it will not rain, it will not flood us out and it will not be so cold that we need hot water bottles to keep us warm. Yes all of these things have happened to us over the last few years. Worse case scenario and it does, we will at least have somewhere to sit etc and will not freeze!

The next picture is of Mum's old tea bag. For as long as I can remember she has been recycling her tea bags and using them as many times as possible, I am not really sure why she does it, but it just seems like it has been forever. I hate it, but it is one of her qwirks, so I have now brought her a wee dish for when she comes to stay at our place, so she will have somewhere to put them!!

Isn't funny the qwirks that everyone has, that others always think are strange!! Lucky I am perfect.

Planes

2008-05-29T21:57:00.005+12:00

I forgot to show you way we travelled down, so i have shown you pictures of what we did down here, and now I am showing you how we travelled. Of course there is Jade on the plane beside me.

But we did have a spare seat in between us, so Jade decided that George should have his own seat, and should of course be buckled in as well, for safety of course. But having him buckled in lead to many a comment being made to us from this wonderful air hostess (male), he was concerned that as George had a big heavy head he would not be safe if the planned had to stop suddenly, he would go flying! Then they brought around our in flight snack, and for George he brought a bag of dried banana chips, how thoughtful, as of course George is a monkey.

This has happened all week now, we have had George travell with us everywhere, and when I had the camera out, several photos had to be taken of George, wherever we were!

Bird Spotter

2008-05-29T21:48:00.003+12:00

Well I never would have called myself a bird spotter before, but my Mum has the most wonderful bird house which she has had made for her. She puts out bone marrow in little red bags, lard in other bags, bread in a container for them, and also a container full of sugar water for the various different birds that she has managed to convince to come and visit her wonderful house. She spends hours out there in her conservatory watching for all the birds to come.

So having a new camera I could not help myself but try and take a cool picture of some birds, I was quiet surprised how well they came out. They moved very quickly so I had to have it at the ready for quiet some time and as per all good digital camera owners, I took alot of photos.

So now I want to have one made for home, it is rather neat being able to watch them come on it, but I think I need a conservatory built as well!!! At home we just have the ducks, magpies and the pukekoes, not that they are not cool to visit as well.

Ralf's New Inflatable Wife

2008-05-27T21:40:00.005+12:00

Well it has been just over a month that Ralf has been gone now, all alone on his tropical island, and it finally dawned on me that he really might be feeling a little lonely and missing me just a wee bit.

So in the most caring of thoughts off I went for a walk to our local De-Vice Shop to purchase his very own inflatable wife. Her name is Janey, she is such a beautiful lady, with a loverly blonde hair colour, and just a fabulous body. I hope he loves her and treats her well.

As only Ralf could he has made her a loverly pair of underwear to ensure she is not embarrassed to be seen out and about with no clothing on, he even made them out of a dirty old rag and some para cord, I am hoping when he comes home he can make me some wonderful new undergarments, he has quiet a talent really! I am not sure why he put the gas mask on her, maybe he is concerned she will not like his body odour?

Wonderful she is now a hood ornament!!

Now this next photo I would like you to introduce to some very random male who has sent me his photo, I am not sure who he is, in fact I do not know him. He said in his e-mail he was my husband, but my husband would not wear such a hideous cowboy hat!! So really I do not know this man!!!

Larnach's Castle and Aquarium

2008-05-27T21:14:00.007+12:00

We went to visit Larnach's Castle today, it is such a beautiful castle. We explored all the floors, looking everywhere to see if we could find the castle's ghost, much to Jade's disgust it was no where to be seen. We knew which rooms she should have been in but she kept very much hidden. It was amazing to see how small their bed's were, certainly would not hold me and my body!!!!

We climbed to the top of the turret and the view was just amazing. You could see all up and down the harbour, I wish we owned a castle!

Jade's friend George had his photo taken everywhere, even here with Alice in Wonderland.

I was amazed we managed to waste about 3 hours up there, just looking around at everything.

After the castle, we went further around the coast to check out the Aquarium, Jade is doing a school project at the moment about Marine Worms, so we went to see if we could find some information for her to help make her project the best in the class. What a great place as we were there to learn something for school, they let us go in for free!!! That rocked! Then they dug out all this information for us, so that was great.

There were no marine worms there at the aquarium, so we stopped further around the bay, as it was low tide and went in search of the worms. The great scientists there had told us where to find them, and had even described them and drew a drawings so we would know what to look for. Yahoo we found them so took a couple of photo's of them which we will get them printed out for Jade tomorrow.

Bulls School Room 3 Duathalon

2008-05-25T17:33:00.004+12:00

Well Mrs White organised a duathalon for Friday, and all the kids wanted to do it, which was fantastic. I am sure I am telling the distances wrong, but anyhooo 3 times around the field running, then 3 times biking around the block and then another 2 times around the field running. They were all very tired. Jade did really well. Here she is in her bike ride.

Followed by her run.Followed by a lolly scramble.

Very tired by the end of it all, then I had to get going to work!!

Ralf's Army

2008-05-21T21:29:00.002+12:00

Jade and I brought some little green Army men, which we thought he could use to help plan his own little war over there in Timor. Jade had much delight when Ralf sent the following photos over to her.

Gosh he must be busy, this would have taken ages!

The Lone Scrapper

2008-05-21T21:25:00.001+12:00

I scrapped all alone last night, in between watching Boston Legal, not quiet the same watching it by yourself, when Ralf and I watch it together we laugh very loudly at all the stupid things Denny Craine and Alan Shore do together, but watching it alone is quiet different.

So this layout came together quiet quickly. One of the photos I took from Jade when I got the new camera, she really had had enough by then, check out the look in her eyes, so politely telling me "enough".

70's Style Ralf

2008-05-17T19:12:00.000+12:00

Well I hope this facial hair is gone before he comes back!!!

Ralf's Trip to Visit Jesus

2008-05-17T18:53:00.004+12:00

Ralf on the beach, you can see the statue of Jesus behind him on the hill. Take note at what he has to wear, considering the heat he is in.

Ralf has named this shot as "Stairway to Heaven"

And here is the big man.

And the wee man, looking a little bit tired out from the walk.

A Devious Fairy is Exposed........

2008-05-17T18:19:00.007+12:00

Well yesterday Jade lost her tooth at childcare. She thought it was great when I picked her up. And then it happened - the first stroke in stopping being my little girl. "Mum the tooth fairy is not real it is really you, I know", mortified I told her that of course the tooth fairy was real, don't be silly.

Any way later that night I saw her put the tooth into her little tooth box where the tooth fairy flutters on in to collect the tooth and drop off pots of gold. I thought to myself, yay she still believes really. So when it came to my turn to go and swap the money over when she was fast asleep (no I was not dressed in a fairy costume, I think that is going a bit far), I could not find the tooth box!!! To ensure that she was right and the tooth fairy did not exist she hid it, as the true tooth fairy would surely find it. Well I hunted everywhere looking for that tooth box, but it was no where to be found.

Off I went down into the office to find a suitable card that a toothfairy would write a note on, and a suitable pretty pen that a tooth fairy might like to write letters with. I composed a note to Jade, telling her I had a busy night ahead collecting many teeth from lots of little children all around the world, and I could not find her tooth, if she could possibly put it out where I could find it, that would make my life alot easier. I left some money there for her anyway, and told her to leave out her tooth tonight, as a sign of good faith.

Well blow me down this morning Jade came in telling me how she had money, and she knew I wrote the note "as sometimes I say the wrong word", I asked her what did she mean "well mum you wrote that my tooth fall out instead of fell out, so I know it is you".

So there is the end of the childhood dream of the tooth fairy.
I thought this was a nice picture of Jade in her new jersey, new socks and new sneakers. She did well today at the shop. I went to get her sneakers only.
Some soccer pictures from today. We won 7 nil. A hard game, the kids had to play hard, but they went well.

Yahoo another goal.

Miss Nyah is staying the night, so will be a late night tonight.

Photos From Ralf

2008-05-11T13:16:00.008+12:00

Ralf has sent over some photos of where he is etc, so I thought you might like to see it all.

The first one is showing you the luxury on the flight over. Nice and close, and very comfortable.

This next one is showing you his bed space. He shares the "room" with 3 other guys, there is a mosquito net over the bed to keep away all the bugs. Nice and cosy, air conditioning, but still not home.

The next one is the view next door to his room, what a great swamp. He said they get woken nice and early by the bigs, goats, chickens and roosters make a nice noise, and of course the bull frogs going at it all night long.

Next up is their swimming pool. A great assest for them to have with it being so hot, they can hardly do laps of the pool, but just enough to cool down.
This one is showing you the bar that has been built beside the pool. Bar is said very loosely as of course they are not allowed any alcohol over there, so it is just soft drinks and chips etc. Very cool looking though!!!
A nice picture of a local family, on their transport!

This next one shows you their hanger where the choppers are from above, if you look closely you can also see the swimming pool as well. the white rectangle buildings to the right are the accomodation.
I thought you might like to see their pets! I cannot remember why he said they had turtles, but they have built a pit for them all!
Last but not least some photos of what appears to be a favourite time filling exercise. Ralf will be loving it as he does like his poker.

Food over there is good, in fact to good, so he has been running every day and going to the gym, also of course used to fill in time. He sent an e-mail last night "I saw a really big rat this morning might have been the same one that sqeaked last night when we where watching TV the guy next to me must have trod on its tail as it squeaked and gave us a fright. I saw the hurricanes rugby game last night so that was cool they won. We are doing a building project for this little village about 10kms away they have a little church but no seats so we the Aussies and us are going to build them some church pews(seats) and paint there church and build a book case and some chairs the kids there are really friendly once you speak to them they have big smiles. I haven't seen any monkeys yet but I am on the look out.

under the weather

2008-05-09T01:37:00.001+12:00

well it is 1.45am , yes quarter to 2 for the elders readers, and yes that is also me, i am not epically sober!!!! one of the project managers from work is leaving tomorrow, so we had drinks after work today and then we went out for tea and then onto a bar, surprised am i that i stayed on but this old tart can still so it - not to the same extinct that i did when i was 8 but still doing it!!!! here i am watching TV and not wanting to go TV, god i am old too many Stella atwah's ha ha laughing at mu bollocks of spelling!!

why am on the net!

A Weekend Away

2008-04-28T19:15:00.006+12:00

Well had a great weekend away scrapping, down at Forest Lakes, which was nice.

Of course I have done some layouts, the first is of my desk at work, strange thing to crop, but I thought I do spend enough hours there!!
Then comes a nice picture of Jade and Oscar, oh how sweet.
This next one is of my grandad, My Mum's dad. Hard to do this layout as I do not really remember him at all. He died when I was about 5 I think, I remember his funeral, and his hobbies room down in the basement of the house, but certainly don't remember the man. I hope I did him justice.
A nice picture of Jade and Ralf, you can't half tell that I have a new camera, I was quiet stoked with the nice picture I managed to getting a nice one of them both.
Now I am not sure how to describe this one. The husband had this nice mask to take away with him, I nagged and nagged and nagged him, to let me take a picture of him in his camoflauge underwear and this mask on, it just made me laugh. Well I obviously nagged enough, because he not only let me take the picture but he also posed for the photo!!! Now don't get stressed when you look at the photo closely, as you know I love photoshop, I played the photo and doctored it, I could not help myself, especially not with what he was wearing!!!!! So be warned, it is not for young eyes!!!

Now onto other news. Ralf left on Friday which was sad, going to miss him while he is away, but at least we have e-mail and phones now which is way cooler that what I guess it would have been years ago. Ralf and Jade were even on the news on Friday night, quiet funny, Jade saw it and was very excited, but the horrible camera people saw fit to cut the wife out of the picture!!! Not that they could really help it as I was standing behind another lady!!!

Jade is down with his parents for this week as well, so she is having fun down there, going to the beach and movies etc. I am just working! Lots!! Trying to get some overtime up so that when school starts back next week I can leave to take Jade to Soccer practice etc on Wednesdays without feeling guilty about it.

I am so slack

2008-04-17T07:14:00.005+12:00

Well I meant to upload this in the weekend but time passed and I forgot! Last Friday I was having the plumber come before I went to work to install a water filter thingy. Well he came later than planned and then ended up taking longer than I thought, which meant going to work was turning into a stupid idea.

The coolest thing about all of this was it was Friday, so I scrapped all day long! And I do mean all day long! How cool was that, an unplanned day of scrapping, by the way did I mention it was all day long!

First page is of our weekend away to Featherston/Martinborough with the girls. We challanged ourselves to have a layout done about this weekend before we met up the next time, well it is next weekend that we are all scrapping again at Forest Lakes so thought I really had better get onto it!

This next one is another one for Rarotonga, 2 years now since we went over there for Mel and Jase's wedding. It was such a great holiday, and here I am 2 years later still scrapping the moments, I had better get on with it, as we are going to Australia next year, and then there will be even more photos to scrap - it never stops!

This next one was a family shot with the new camera. Not the best of me and my chins!!! But a nice overall photo of us, I was experimenting with the tripod and also the time delay on the camera. My friend Kris has a remote with her camera - I want one! First time I printed a photo so large too, so another new for me. Love this layout, think I mgiht get a photoframe for it, and put it on the wall.

Well that is me. This weekend more soccer for us on Saturday morning, then Jade and I are off to High School Musical the stage show. She is very excited about this! Sunday will be exciting things like housework, and spending time with Ralf.

Desserted.......

2008-04-13T17:32:00.003+12:00

Yes it is true, the day is looming closer to when Jade and I are desserted!! Next Friday to be exact. We finally have the day and the time. Ralf spent all day today packing his gear, 4 rather large bags fulls of stuff.

Jade and I added some bits that we thought he might need - an action man to play with, a kids golf set to keep the practising up and of course a water pistol to defend camp with! Ralf seemed quiet please with the additions!

So for the next few days we are trying to jam in all his favourite meals that he will miss out on for the next while. So tonight was KFC - how that got to the top of the list I am unsure.

Jade had her first soccer game on Saturday, they won the game 11 nil, so that was quiet exciting to start the season off with.

Ralf's parents came for the afternoon of Saturday, Chris and Ralf went out to play golf for the afternoon which they both enjoyed.

Family Portraits

2008-04-06T15:27:00.004+12:00

Great fun having the camera, I brought tripod today, so I thought we would take some family portraits before Ralf went away. Little did I know he was being silly behind me!!

This next one is a nice picture of Jade with Ralf, they both were being very patient for me!!
A nice family portrait.

New Camera

2008-04-03T20:18:00.001+13:00

It is here! My nagging and zillions of phone calls worked, my camera was relocated out of Nelson and delivered to me here this morning.

Here is the first photo I took. Lots of practice to be done with this one, so many features, so much it is just fantastic, it takes beautful photos!

Bloody Courier Company!!

2008-04-02T20:25:00.001+13:00

Hell!!!!! Excuse my french but my goodness I am annoyed, my camera is lost!!!! Typical only happens to me! They are trying to trace it, it is lost between auckland, manawatu and blenheim - don't ask why!!!!

New Camera

2008-03-29T16:01:00.002+13:00

Well I have finaally bitten the bullet and brought myself a new camera. I have been researching and looking into it for ages now, even went as far as checking out the consumer report to see what they recommened. Then came the price, I decided I was going to get the best price ever! So many different websites were looked at, even over on ebay in the states to see if it was worth bringing it in.

So I brought a Panasonic DMC-FZ8, a nice little camera, well not so little, it is not a small compact, but not an SLR, I brought what is called a compact ultra zoom, personally i would not have called it compact at all, but it is what I wanted. Lots of zoom in, all the auto settings, but enough that you can play with some of the manual settings to try and get some better shots, so that will be interesting.

So where is it!!!! My camera has not arrived, I am stalking the letter box each day, waiting not so patiently for it to arrive.

Better arrive on Monday or else I might be crying!

2 Weeks

2008-03-24T18:50:00.005+13:00

It has been two weeks since I have blogged - how naughty am I. i was trying to be good and do it at least every week!!

Below is a picture of a white headed heron that was visiting our place about a month ago, he hung around for a couple of weeks, flying in and sitting in the paddocks, or sitting on the fence posts. One of the reasons we love living where we do, wildlife you would not expect visiting.

Ralf brought home a rather large box with some of the new clothes he needed to take with him to Timor, Jade decided she should be in the box, but her head did not fit!!!
Today Jade and I went to town to do some shopping, one of the places we "had" to visit was No 1 Shoe Warehouse, buy two pairs get one pair free. These are the free ones, Jade is very stoked to finally have two dogs to look after. Oscar was not to impressed with them, they gave her a hell of a fright!!

Ralf and I went to Rock2Wellington in the weekend, fantastic! We went to the first night to see Alice Cooper, Lordi and of course KISS. What a great night, finally got to sleep around 2am, thank good Jade did not wake us till 8am. Not that it stopped me having a Nana in the afternoon, I was just to tired to stay awake and watch Shrek 3 with Jade, she did tell me that I did not snore so that was a blessing for her.

Soccer Season is starting again soon, meet and great this weekend, so it will be all on in a couple of weeks.

More from the weekend

2008-03-11T21:04:00.002+13:00

Finished up the journalling on the following 2 layouts. The first one is from work. We decided to have dress up day for leap year, don't ask why but it became a uniform day, any uniform, no restrictions at all.
This next one needs no description - yuck.

Coolest Weekend Ever

2008-03-10T20:56:00.008+13:00

Wow I have just had the best weekend in the world!!! Martinborough, well amend that Featherston was just fantastic.

Jo and I left Palmerston North 9am straight after dropping the kids at school. We drove down to Greytown where we stopped and shopped and had morning tea at a wonderful little cafe. Fantastic, so many cool little shops, I should change the wording in shopping, it was more window shopping, brought a couple of wee things at this art shop we found, but other than that I must admit we were so restrained! Our husbands would be pleased and relieved and proud all at the same time!!!

Then we drove down to Featherston where we had a rented out this cute little cottage for the weekend. Jo and I were greeted by this french chef who worked there, he gave us a few funny looks, Jo and I decided he must have thought we were away for a dirty weekend - ha ha, that gave us many laughs over the weekend!!

Kris and Lou arrived from Wellington to join us about an hour later. We scrapped, talked and laughed so much! Dinner was back in Greytown at a fantastic cafe where we had the hugest pizza ever!! Of course many more hours of scrapping happened that night.

We were woken the next day at 6.30am by a suicide bird, who had flown down the chimney and was scratching its nails on the inside of the chimney trying to get out!! The lack of sleep did nothing for me!!! We wentt to Martinborough for another shop and of course lunch at another wonderful cafe. For tea Kris had made a fantastic Lasagne, wonderful, went well with my Pina Colda!!

We all drove home on Sunday, very tired, but what a great weekend with such fantastic company, we are definately going to do this one again next year. Our challenge is to have done a layout about our weekend before we meet again at the end of April - This is Kris's layout!!! Yes she did it last night and sent it through, what a guilt trip!!! Very cool layout!

Now onto what we did, I do not want to hear any comments back of "is that all", just remember works of art take time (and talking). This first one, I should have scanned with a black colour behind it!! It is on white cardstock, with scalloped edges.

We had a challenge to do for the weekend, Jo brought a sketch, which we all had to do our version of it, and this is mine. I love it! Water slide fun from this school holidays, at my Mum's house in Dunedin, Jade with her cousins Bob and Quinn.

The next one is the first ever year that Jade has sat on Santa's knee for the photo, not sure why she did, but it happened, man she looks tall in this photo.

I took Jade and Nyah to Splash Planet over in Hastings for a day, I think it might have even been the last weekend of the school holidays. I cannot believe we have not been there before, it is only 2 hours away, so a bit slack on our part, will have to try and do it again next year, fantastic day in the sun.

I had also did another 3 layouts, one is of Ralf, but it is a work related one, which is not allowed to go on the net, so will just have to be in his album, the other 2 I had to finish the journalling which I have done tonight, will scan tomorrow and put up tomorrow.

19 hours to go!!

2008-03-06T13:54:00.002+13:00

Wow only 19 hours until I am on the road to Palmerston North to pick up Jo to scrapping in Martinbourgh!!! how cool. I have just finished maaking Mac Cheese for one of our meals, packing clothes tonight, then the truck and i am all ready!!!

Jade had swimming sports today, so Ralf and I went to watch, our girl came first in the freestyle overall for her group, and then first in the breaststroke for the girls in her group, 2nd in the group for the meedly, so she was a very happy girl.

Must go, I am sure there is something to do with tomorrow I need to be thinking about!

Kelly Rotherham

2008-02-28T20:56:00.002+13:00

Well once again I am going to mention Kelly's blog. She is starting up Scrap Evenings and combining it with classes. What a fantastic idea. You can go along just to scrap with a great bunch of ladies, or you can go along and do that as well as a class. Now seriously the class she is running is at an absolute bargain!!!! Kelly scraps in a very cool fun style which I love. She also has prizes etc with sponsorship from Scrapbook Essentials which is also very cool, as Meg (owner of Scrapbook Essentials) always has the latest and greatest funky supplies.

Shame I will be away next Friday or else I would have been there with bells on!!

Anyway scrapping people get over to Kelly's blog to find out more details and book yourself in for a fabtastic night of inhaling glue!!!

Check out her blog for more details http://kellyrotherham.typepad.com/

A Whole Week......

2008-02-27T18:44:00.002+13:00

A whole week has gone by with no post from me!!! Ralf has been away with work for the week, he had a great time and got home again on Monday night which was a nice suprise as he was not supposed to get home until Tuesday night.

We (Jade and I) went to Tawa on Saturday to visit the Kerr's and also the scrapbook shop in Wellington followed by a stop to see Ralf's parent's in Paraparaumu on the way home. So we both got home very tired.

Sunday was the "Op Shop" concert on in town at the Esplanade, a nice free concert put on by the council. Great night with fantastic music. Met up with Jo, Bruce and Taylor there, and so we all sat under our umbrella's (yes it was raining) listening to the music. Jade and Taylor went off to play on the rides and to get "Tattoo's", funny Jade came back with a puppy on her arm, and Taylor had an "I love Mum and Dad" one, god we laughed.

Anyway, must away to tidy the messy scrap room.

Martinborough

2008-02-19T21:26:00.000+13:00

Only two weeks till Martinbourgh!!!

Play Lists

2008-02-18T23:14:00.003+13:00

God the internet is just so cool, since I have had broadband I have scanned and looked through so many cool new sites.

My latest find is how to put a playlist on my blog, so all you lucky people can listen to whatever music I decide rocks while your reading it!!! Now for me that is so cool, but for some of you that might night be so cool, but never mind, it is all about me!!!

I love Scrapbooking

2008-02-18T21:06:00.003+13:00

God I love scrapbooking!!!! And to proove it I did it all weekend!! Saturday morning Jade had her first swimming lesson in a couple of years. Thought it was time we tried to get her breathing properly, not that she does not know how to breath LOL!!!! Just her breathing when swimming!!

Saturday afternoon and evening I went to Jo's house to play, and we scrapbooked through the night, such a laugh. We always have a great time. Even better next time I go scrapbooking with her I can say I am going scrapbooking with Jo "she's a tart" ha ha, god I am funny tonight. Check out her blog (link on the right hand side) if you want to know why I am calling her a tart!

Right on with the good stuff. Below a great picture my Mum took of Jade when they went camping at Tarras this holidays, the title says it all. She looks the same as I did at that age, always in the river at Tarras, so hot!
The next layout is all Jade again!! She was running around Mel and Jase's house on Xmas day with the camera, madly taking photos. These are just some of them, funny looking at life from an 8 year olds point of view, and what she thinks is worthly of taking pictures off. I some how neglected to put in all the pictures she had taken of Mel and my butts!!! I wonder why!!!

Last layout is our family Xmas photo. God we had fun. Best buy ever was the metre long santa hat I brought for everyone. Jase set up the timer on the camera to take this shot, I was trying to get Jade to lie accross the front of us all, but she decided to be shy about it, hence she is half up and down, as I was trying to push her down! Next time I will just have to be more violent about it!!!

Sunday Nyah and Shea came around to play with Jade, well I am telling her they came around to play with me! We did after all scrap book all day!! Julie and Anton turned up to pick them up, and all the girls were saying Nooooooooooo! I hope they had a good time, I certainly had to laugh, I mean I do have a "small stash" of supplies, so I gave them full access to it all, and off they went, into the stamps, stickers, paper and cardstock!

Ralf is away for work from this Thursday through to some day next week, and I do say some day as he does not know when he is coming back - god how useful is that!!! Jade and I are going to go to a free Op Shop concert on Sunday night, so that will be cool, it is on in Palmerston North.

Scrapping

2008-02-11T20:54:00.000+13:00

Miss Jo rung me yesterday, and after talking to her I felt guilty about not doing any scrapping in a while, she had done a layout, so I felt I needed to do some. So I pulled this layout together. It came together very quickly, but I really love it.

Naught Oscar

2008-02-10T21:54:00.000+13:00

Oscar decided she wanted to join in our meal this evening! Such a big table we decided she could hang out as long as she stayed down that end.

Herb Garden

2008-02-10T13:55:00.000+13:00

The herb garden is complete! We went over to Feilding this morning and visited this fantastic nursery called "The Fragrant Garden", and it was just that, the largest display of herb plants in one place I have every seen. So that was great, we brought the remainder of what we needed and were also able to check out the plants we need for the next strip of garden we are doing. She has them very resonably priced and a good size.

We came home, weed matted the garden and then planted all the plants, and then barked it all. I am short by one bag, so will pick that up on the way home tomorrow night.

Herb Garden

2008-02-07T19:56:00.001+13:00

Ralf has just finished building the herb garden. More dirt has to go in tomorrow, then just have to weed mat it all and then plant it out, before barking it all. Looks fantastic, I have the best husband in the world!!!

Naughty Ladies

2008-02-06T14:57:00.000+13:00

God we are naughty. The trip to Martinbourgh has now changed, so instead of leaving at lunch time on the Friday to get down there in time for tea, now we are all taking the whole day off work and driving down in time to be there for lunch!

Fantastic to be going with like minded lasses, who love a good weekend away. It is looking to be a good one. Jo has set a challenge for us, told us what photos we have to bring, started telling us what papers etc, but of course there was no need we will all be bringing everything!!

Then we are all doing a surprise parcel, putting together a parcel ful of bits and pieces from our massive stash, which someone else will end up with. Very cool, as we all have cool things which I am sure we all want! So looking forward to seeing what surprise parcel I get to play with.

Jade and I went on a bike ride today, along the Manawatu river, should have taken the camera so someone could take a picture of us. Used our bike rack that one of the wonderful men from work made me for the first time. Worked out well, but had to stop at the bike shop to get a lock for the bikes so we could still go shopping after our ride.

Anyway, must away thinking I might tidy my scrapbook room.

Martinborough

2008-02-03T18:02:00.000+13:00

Well Jo, Lou, Kris and I are going to have a girls weekend away scrapping. The first weekend in March we are meeting up in Martinborough to stay for a couple of nights. I can hardly wait, it certainly is going to be a good weekend.

Jo has convinced me that we should leave around lunch time, and drive down slowly, shopping and cafe hopping all the way there. Certainly sounds like a plan. Then Lou and Kris will come up from Wellington, and the wonderful weekend will begin.

I am sure this will be the first weekend of many to come!

Splash Planet

2008-02-02T09:47:00.000+13:00

Well yesterday I took Jade and Nyah to splash planet for the day. What a long day, we left home at 7.30am and got home just in time for shortland street. Fantastic weather managed to keep the kids from being burnt all day so that was good, but of course missed a couple of spots on me!

It was funny for me going there, as I have not been since I was about 9 I suppose when we lived in Hastings and it was called Fantasyland. The train, pirate ship were still there, and the mini putt, and the tiny town village was still there, and yes it is still as I remembered it so that was fantastic. Jade and Nyah climbed in the big concrete shoe and pumpkin as I did as a kid too, but I did not have my camera with me then.

Lots of kids and families there, but the park is large enough that there was room for everyone. The kids could not be bothered waiting in line to go on the ride on jeeps etc.

A cool link

2008-01-30T16:51:00.000+13:00

Well I have no idea how people leave a nice pretty link without it showing the whole www. bit etc, so bear with me. Scrapbook.com is the website that process all the Heidi Swapp kits, which I have been known to buy a few, anyway they are having a giveaway at the moment which some of you might be interested in, a basic grey rub on tool and a Valentines Day set of rubons all for free when you spend $40. Anyway here is the link http://store.scrapbook.com/bg-lovekit.html

So if anyway can tell me how to do a pretty link that would be fab!!!

Finally some Scrapbooking

2008-01-28T20:52:00.000+13:00

Finally I have gotten around to show you some scrapbooking I have been doing, I know your going to say not much, and Jo even said not much considering you had no child there for 3 weeks, but what can I say.

This first one I started doing at Jo's house before she went away on holiday. The photo was done using a new technique that Jo learnt at crafting connections. I was a tad nervous I have to say, you put the photo into a bowl of water, and then take it out and sand the photo around the image you want left. As it is drying you dry brush in what ever colour you want to use on top. Came out quiet well. Jo's picture she did had bigger scratch lines which looked cooler as she used sandpaper and I just used an emery board. Next time I will give it ago with sandpaper.

Anyway this photo was taken on Jade's birthday, I do a layout with the same info on it every year, quiet cool, seeing what things she has changed over the year.
This next one is Jade and Nyah. Julie looked after Jade one afternoon when I could not get home from work, and Ralf I think was still at golf. So Julie took them down to athletics. A nice quick simple layout to do.

Well Jade is back home with us now, which is very cool. Air New Zealand did there standard thing and left Jade's bag in Christchurch, so that was funny, they brought it out home later that afternoon when it finaally arrived on another flight.

Jade is going to a holiday program this week in town. She is enjoying it so far, there was crafts this morning, soccer tournament in the afternoon, and then a swim. Tomorrow is arts and crafts again, off to the movies and another swim. So everything she loves.

Friday Jade and I are taking Nyah with us and going over to Hastings to go to Splash Planet, really looking forward to going to that.

Backwards I know

2008-01-26T00:23:00.001+13:00

Now I know I am posting stories and photos backwards but it has just happened that way. So these photos are from earlier today. Mum took them all down to the beach to go cockeling today. The found lots, Mum even took down a cooker so they could cook some up straight away, Linda and Jade ate some but not the others. Jade said they had some sand in them, because there was no fresh water at the beach to rinse them in before cooking them. She really is her Dad's daughter eating that horrible stuff!!!Apparently they found lots of crabs as well.

This next one is of the fantastic slave labour she had working for her putting away the firewood, I am sure they had never had to work so hard before, it would have done them all the world of good. I remember having to do it when we were kids and hating it, but well it never hurt us!

Jade's Last Night in Dunedin

2008-01-26T00:16:00.000+13:00

Well tonight is the last night Jade has in Dunedin, our wee girl is flying home tomorrow. We can hardly wait to see her again, 3 weeks has gone fast but it has been a very quiet house without her constant chatter!!

Jade ruling Bob!
Toasting great cousins.

Eating what looks like burnt marshmellows. They had the fire going on a nice hot summer night just so they could toast them.

Air New Zealand

2008-01-25T19:59:00.000+13:00

Wow! My Aunty Geg text me tonight to tell me she was watching the news and Air New Zealand have dropped their fares, god knows why they have but how fantastic. I have been watching grab a seat religiously for weeks now, wanting to book a flight for Jade and I to Dunedin to visit Mum for a long weekend while Ralf is away.

Well mission accomplished! I have booked the flights and guess what Wellington to Dunedin return for Jade and I was only $312! I could not believe it!

How exciting having a trip to Dunedin to look foward to, it will certainly break up the 3 months of Ralf being away.

Fiskars

2008-01-24T21:02:00.000+13:00

I have just added the Fiskars website blinkie, down there on the right. Click on it to go to a very cool site, tells you all the latest product coming up for release and they put page layout sketches on there as well. So give it a click.

No Camping

2008-01-20T17:46:00.000+13:00

Well there was no camping to be had by the Thomas Family - sob sob sob.

Ralf got home and it was blowing 20kmph winds (yes i checked the net) so it was never really going to happen. But Ralf being the good husband he is humoured me and we packed up the truck with everything and went for a drive, over to the beach, I think it took us about 50 minutes to get there.

Very nice camping ground, which was nice an sheltered, but when we got down to the beach it was sand blasting weather. So Ralf would not have been able to fish, which was what he wanted to do. We drove back home again and went to the Rat Hole with Gundi for tea instead.

A nice drive to check it out, and hopefully next weekend when Jade is home we can go camping for the night.

Me

2008-01-19T15:41:00.000+13:00

Well I have put in so many posts over the last couple of weeks, but all about Jade - how rude! So I thought time for a me post.

I went scrapbooking last weekend with Jo, I got one complete layout done, which is below. This is Ralf when he came home from working in Blenheim for a month. What a big revolting moustache. You can tell his wife does scrapbooking, there was no complaint when I asked him to pose for me.

I also have started the yearly one of Jade, with her height weight etc, but I have not finished it yet, you will have to wait, hopefully I might finish it this weekend.

Still meant to be going camping this afternoon, just waiting for Ralf to get home from golf, then I am guessing we will have a discussion about the wind. It is quiet windy, so we shall see if we go, I am not sure he is totally keen on camping in hte wind. But it could be worse, it could be rain.

I think we should still go, it is only one night, and he can have the whole day tomorrow fishing in the sea, while I read some scrapbooking magazines, and I might even take a wee Mills and Boons with me. Have not read any of those for a long time!

We are not going far just to Kai Iwi Beach, which is just north of Wanganui. I have the camera ready to take, so there might be some more me time on the blog and some photos of us.