It's my BIRTHDAY today.......

Sing -

It's my Birthday TODAY
I'm older than yesterday
All my friends are coming over to play
And they'll all sing Happy Birthday, TO ME.........

I have had a FANTASTIC DAY. Thanks everyone.

Thanks Nicole for Morning Tea and Lorelle for Lunch. And all my others friends and family for my birthday wishes.

Though I think Lorelle thought I was just a bit crazy today as I kept singing (out loud) the above happy birthday song. And Linda maybe right "I'm a 5 year old in a big body".

My two very special girls bought me clothes and jewelery. And Cameron got me chocolate (Cadburys Black Forest & Roast Almond - my favourites) and lots of sewing goodies. Which should arrive Friday. Just in time for Mothers Day.

We are off to Bundy Bowl tonight with the girls. Though I only realised this morning that I wasn't going to be able to play being one arm is tied up in a sling. Oh well the girls will have a great time.

Photos to share

I have my camera back so below are some photos of our camping trip and other events since.

Wall Hanging

I have finally finished my first ever stitching & patchwork wall hanging. I am thinking of entering it in the Sew Whats Crafty Stitchery competition. Got to be in it to win it. Or something like that.

Kirsty's Quilt

I managed to get Kirsty's quilt finished in Brisbane before my operation. I just have to hand stitch the binding on. I hope to have this done in the next few weeks. I still can't believe I made. I can't wait to start Makayla's quilt.

Kirsty

Is there a way we can slow down the growth of our children??? Kirsty is most certainly growing up ever so quickly and growing into a beautiful young girl. Kirsty now has glasses and she looks just as beautiful with them than without. Since my operation she has been the best daughter ever (not that she was bad before) but she is always helping and nothing is too much.

Easter Camp

Our Church Youth Camp at Somerset was such a great weekend. And as you can see from some of the photos it was wet, muddy and a bit more wet. All the bits you want when camping... NOT... I had such a great time cooking that I think I would do it again. Only if you joined me Nicole and Tammy.........

Kirsty's & her friends dressed in their formal Pathfinder uniforms.

A glimpse of Kirsty after her fun in the mud. Her nick name at camp was "The Mud Princess". I hope to get some more photos of her in the actual mud.

Our camp site once all the crew arrived.

These two photos are of the grounds the day we were packing up. Yeah for mud.......

This other photo I just HAD to take. It is the model number of our port-a-loo we had for the weekend. And we checked the other camp site model numbers and they were all different. How ironnic ours was called this.

My Operation

My operation went well except for the pain but thank goodness it has reduced. My plaster cast was removed last week (thankgoodness), as it was extremely itchy. But I had a new splint made in its place. As my wrist can not move for another 4 weeks. So I am not looking forward for 4 weeks when the Hand Therapist starts to manuvre my wrist. Yeah for pain....... Well it appears that my recovery will be between 6 & 12 months. Which means I won't regain the complete use of my hand for 6 - 12 months. And I will be in some pain for this duration. But I hope to start scrapbooking in the next week and I have started doing some sewing. It's amazing what you can do with one hand....

My fingers were quite swollen here. Around a week after the operation they started to go purple and bruised from the swelling.

Kirsty & Makayla making them selves at home in the hospital room at St Andrews Hospital.

Not too gorry. This is the cut the specialist made on my wrist. It is about 2 inches long. I also have a hole in the top of my hand where he cut to put the camera in to look aroung. Gee I wonder if I could have gotten some photos of the inside - to scrapbook of course. LOL

I have started spring cleaning the house... yeah I know how you ask.. well with a lot of help from Cameron & Kirsty. I only have a couple of rooms to do and one of them is my scrapbook room. I am moving all of my sewing into the girls old play room. Kirsty has been showing a huge interest in sewing over the past few years and my Mum & Dad gave Kirsty a sewing machine when I was last in Brisbane. I am picking up a table hopefully this week so Kirsty can start using it. I have just ordered some furniture and sewing goods so that Kirsty & I can start sewing up a storm. I will be posting photos of her work once we get the room organised.

It's my birthday in 2 more sleeps. Just in case you may have forgotten. LOL I'm still trying to work out where we might go. I am open for suggestions on some good family restaurants.

Sorry for such a long post.

To all the Mum's out there have a great Mothers Day on Sunday.

xxxxx

Back from our Holidays

We are back from our 2 weeks away. But unfortunately I left my camera in Brisbane, so no photos until hopefully next week when Lyn brings it home.

We had such a great time cooking for the youth group, well Nicole, Tammy and myself laughed the whole time. And the kids were so appreciative of real home cooked food while camping. Are we booked in for the next camp out girls. LOL......

I managed to finish Kirsty's quilt while I was in Brisbane. I must say I can't believe I made it. When I get my camera back I will post some photos. And the main thing is Kirsty just loves it.

My operation went well. In some pain but hopefully it will ease in the next few days. A friend told me the drugs I am on are one step down from morphine. No wonder I am zonked after I take them. LOL

So I am now house bound or restricted in moving due to the no driving a car for 6 weeks. I guess I am going to know how Danielle coped after having little Zacharry. My recovery period is 12months so until next week I'm not too sure what that really entails. I think just limited use for 12months.

The most important thing is I can still scrapbook and sew. As they didn't plaster upto my knuckles like they were going to. YEAH.......

I hope to post some photos next week. Hope you all had a great Easter.

PS - My birthday is in 2 weeks. hint - hint

Introducing Mr & Mrs Petrak

On the weekend we attended a family wedding - Talei and David. It was a great wedding and the rain held off long enough for the wedding ceremony and photos after. Talei looked absolutely stunning. Oh and David scrubbed up good as well. LOL The reception was changed at the last minute due to the rain and you couldn't have asked for a more perfect location. The hall was painted in the colours of her bridal party. How fantastic is that.......


We went down the evening before the wedding and returned home straight after the wedding. The girls were just a little over being in the car. I think I worked out in 24 hours they had been in the car for 10 hours. No wonder they were happy to be home Saturday night.

Congratulations David and Talei

I actually missed out on going to a Scrapbooking Retreat that I have been going to for a couple of years now just this weekend gone. A little sad I wasn't able to go but I don't think I really would have enjoyed myself knowing I missed out on the wedding. Though I have been told everyone had a fantastic time. I have booked in for next year and I am offically letting you all know that you can not organise any weddings or births etc in April 2010. LOL

Well I have been busy sewing the last few weeks and I have nearly finished this wall hanging. Sort of my first attempt at this sort of thing. I just have to put the borders on it but could wait to post what I have done. I am hoping to finish it in the next couple of weeks. I'll post the finished piece.



I have also been sewing some dolls. I saw this doll in one of my girl friends house and just loved it so a couple of us have made them. Well I was going to make them for all my family and friends for Christmas this year but I don't think it will happen. They are very easy to make just a little time consuming. Now I made 3 dolls with the intent to give 2 of them away. But when I finished them I couldn't decided which one to keep and in the process of deciding who was going to get one I named the dolls. "Tammy, Nicole and Sandra" Well now I can't give them away since I named them. So I am going to hang them up and give them some name tags.



How alike are these two?????? How good looking is the one on the left.... And what an absolute cutie Makayla is. She is so cheeky and adorable I can't get enough of her.

Well I am in the process this week organising with 2 other friends a Church Youth camping trip over Easter. We are doing the cooking and catering for 50 people. Yeah I know "How crazy are we" Well we will find out this weekend. I do hope the rain goes away as I don't like camping in the rain. Not too much fun for us though heaps of fun for the kids. I'm sure "Mud Slides" is the only thing they are thinking of at the moment.

Cameron and Makayla are staying home and I miss out on the excitement of Easter morning. But Cameron has and will be given written instructions on what he has to do. LOL Makayla is telling us the the Easter Bunny is going to bring her lots of big Chocolate Eggs. As one child is going to loose the surprise of Easter another one only just begins. How I love this. I get to be a big kid for just a little while longer.

I am planning on spending a week with my mum and dad after Easter and will be using this time to sew up Kirsty and Makayla's bed spreads. I am making a couple of patchwork quilts for their beds. Not sure if I will get Makayla's done as it has a lot of applique work on it but will hopefully get Kirsty's finished. I will post the finished product when I return home.

My operation is in a couple of weeks and I am now starting to have panic attacks and worry that we (I) are going to be able to cope after. But I need to tell myself that it needs to be done and if I wait too much longer it will be next year. Just not knowing the outcome afterwards is always a worry and how much pain you will be in. Well when the doctors tells you - you will be staying in overnight because you won't be able to cope with the pain - that sort of tells you - doesn't it.

Anyway too much to worry about before then so I hope you all have a safe and happy Easter.

Busy - Busy - Busy

Is everyone in the same boat? I have been so busy the last couple of weeks, I'm not sure when I have time to scratch myself. Though I can't complain I did say yes to all those things I have been doing. In the last 2 weeks I have been on the school committee for the Bush Fire Appeal Fundraiser which I think they raised over $5,000. I am on the committee for the biggest event in Bundaberg - Sew What's Crafty. I am also on a cooking committee for a Church Youth Camp at Easter. Plus my usual work from home which might I just say has been great and very busy. Then there is the usual rewarding job of being a mum and the not so rewarding job of cleaning the house etc, etc. Oh and I shouldn't forget the 5:30am wake ups - Yes you read right I actually get up at 5.30am and go for an hours walk with a friend.



I am so enjoying being busy - keeps me out of trouble.

Thank goodness that cyclone Hamish disappeared into nothing. We certainly listened to the warnings and prepared our house. But I am so amazed at how so many homes were left untouched and so much was just left laying around their yards.



I went on a "Road Trip" with some girlfriends yesterday to Hervey Bay. What a great day we had. And no I didn't go to any Scrapbooking shops. Our trip was to visit a patchworking shop - Dew Drop Inn. What a great shop. I'm not sure which hobby is most expensive. I think Scrapbooking and Patchworking are each rather expensive hobbies to undertake.

Now I can't wait to start our projects. I hope to get some of the projects started and finished before my big operation next month. As I'm not sure what I will be able to do after I come home. Plus I really want to get the girls quilts for their beds started at least if not finished.

Well I am now off to have Morning Tea with some friends. So have a great day everyone. Might see some of you on Sunday at the Neighbourhood Centre for some great StampIn Up fun.

I might even get a chance to post some photos of the family tonight. Stay tuned.

YAHOOOOOOOOO

Yes I am just a bit excited. After 3 months my oven was finally fixed on Tuesday. I must say that 3 months with out an oven has made it challenging especially when it broke down the week before Kirsty's birthday in November. And since then we have had Christmas, Makayla's birthday and other functions which I have had to use my oven. Thank goodness for Lyn (my mother in law)

So I went shopping today to buy a few things and well the lady asked if I was planning on baking. I think it was pretty obvious that I was going to be baking from the trolley load of cooking supplies I bought. YIPPEE YA HOOOOOOOOO.

Well this has been an extremely busy week for me. It seems that every meeting I go to I end up with a job. Cameron has now told me that I am not allowed to go to any more meetings as I don't know how to say NO. Well I think I might have to learn these words very soon.

Kirsty's school is holding a fund raiser on Saturday night for the Bush Fire Victims and the night is a Coffee & Cake evening. So I have put my hand up to do some baking. Thank you for my oven being fixed this week. So I have been madly cooking today plus doing my usual paid work. Which is just great that I can do this from home.

My friend Nicole is having a birthday on Saturday and our church is having a Progressive Dinner. And as it is her birthday it only seems fit that we would have dessert at her house. So we will be making chocolate mud cake and caramel tarts. Nicoles favourites. And I thought that maybe I would make an apple crumble and custard and possibly a bread & butter pudding. We will see how tomorrow goes.

Kirsty has her swimming carnival tomorrow so at some stage I will need to go and see my girl swim. She is pretty good now. She just recently finished swimming but got up to Squad Training. She may go back but I think she just needs a break. Makayla has been swimming for 3 weeks now and well she doesn't like strangers too much and for the first lesson she cried the whole half hour. And that was withme walking up and down in the pool with her. The last couple of weeks have been much better only crying for the first 5 minutes and then enjoying the rest of the lesson. She is a good little swimmer too with her Wahu jacket on but take it off and she still thinks she is a good little swimmer. But unfortunately she only stays up for a few seconds and down she goes.

Well best go and get back to my cooking. Will post some pictures of the girls in the next few days. Makayla is just growing up too fast and well Kirsty she has taken big girl tablets I think. I just want them to stop growing..................

Victoria Bush Fire Appeal

How devastating is the Bush Fires in Victoria. I can't believe there has been so many lives lost. I'm sure you are all aware of Coles and their part in helping the victims of the bush fires.

This Friday 13th February, Coles is donating all of their profits to the Bush Fire Appeal. I don't normally shop at Coles but this Friday I will make a special effort and shop their. As every bit helps.

I know that if we all just dig a bit into our budgets that we would find a little extra change that we could give to this appeal. Or maybe this is the excuss you have been waiting for to go through your cupboards and clean out all of your clothes. As I am sure anything would be appreciated.

Our prayers are with the victims and families.