Life of a rowing Mum...

Here I am at 10 to 6 on a Monday morning...taken the boys to training and blogging....how sad is that. Usually I'm a slacker and don't do the weekday runs, but today is DH''s day off so it's a bit mean to expect someone to get up a 5.25 on their day off eh!!

We had a regatta at Blue Lake on Sat and DH and I walked around the lake at 9am in the morning. It was lovely.

I've been walking to work 3 or 4 times a week lately (it's about 3.5kms) and DH has been doing lots of fitness stuff on the rowing machine etc. I'm so proud of him. This year he has worked very hard and lost 20kgs. It's doubly hard for him coz he works with food. I'm trying to keep up with him but I don't think I could manage 20 kgs.

We spent 45 mins with the vet last Monday and he showed us all the xrays and explained everything. I used to be a physio so it all made sense to me. Poor Mocha. No wonder he is not a bouncy puppy. He basically has stuffed hips, knees and elbows. His shoulders are ok tho! We tried him on a week of anti inflammatories and he was a lot better and now we are doing no meds...just to see the difference.

It's very sad and he will need to be put down at some stage...when will be up to us I guess. Depends on how much pain we can bear seeing him in and if his hips start to dislocate. Once DS and his lovely little family move out we will send Mocha to stay with them every now and then to get Java used to him not being around so much. It's very sad :-{


It's Toby's last day of school EVER today. Quite a milestone!! He has made this awesome canvas for his English teacher. She will probably cry I think.

Anyway, best get ready for work. I have something big on at work at the moment that is not going well (it's beyond my influence now) so it is pretty stressfull.

Have a good week
Caio

Oh Dear...

...news from the 2nd vet consultation is not good. The lovely Mocha has not torn his cruciate ligament (a rare injury for an 11 month old apparantly).....he has pretty major hip, knee, elbow and shoulder problems. $500 worth of x-rays later (DH asked the vet if that price included framing lol) We now have an appt with the orthopaedic vet tomorrow morning :-{ We are guessing we are looking at long term treatment...maybe try homeopathics first and drugs later. Depends on the cost really. Yay...more decisions.

Toby has 5 days of schooling left...that's scary. He won't get enough credits to get into Uni because he has only done well in subjects that are not 'approved' but he doesn't seem worried. He is nearly all the way through a Camp America application so now he needs a job to earn the dosh to go. He is loving coaching the novi boys in rowing so I am thrilled at that. I always thought he would make a good coach.

I've just done the 2nd to last journal in our scrapgroups circle journal round. Can't wait to get mine back. They have certainly stretched me in terms of page size, most have been quite small!!

I wasn't going to post another photo of Taylor...didn't want to seem obsessed but....well...couldn't resist this one.
Abby took it on her phone. Who would have thought, when I had my babies, that I would be taking pictures of my grandchildren on a phone...amazing huh!!!

Caio

The lovely Mocha...

...has ruptured his right cruciate ligament (in his knee) and needs surgery :-(

The good news is...it doesn't seem to be hurting him.

The bad news is....ACC/Medical Insurance won't cover it lol.

We have to make a decision about what type of surgery to go for by Monday afternoon. The options are expensive or very expensive. DH is very cynical about why the vet might be recommending the very expensive one.

Watch this space...meanwhile he is on 'kennelrest' (aka bedrest) That's hard when you are an 11 month old puppy but he is coping remarkably well.

Here is a photo of Taylor learning about blogging.


Caio

Why can't we always....

....have 3 day weekends. I feel so rested and ready for the (4day) week lol.
Had a lovely Saturday...took boys to rowing, made fresh buns, spent the afternoon scrapping with Delys and Dianna and watched a bit of TV in the evening while DH was at work. Sunday was rowing again, back to bed for a big sleep in, went and bought a new printer, took Mum shopping and then out for a drive and coffee. Sun night we went to town for a bite to eat with Elliot and saw some amazing photography as part of the Tga Arts festival. Today we got up and did some cleaning then went for a big long walk and out to the new shops at Bethlehem for lunch. Quite a hike that could become a regular weekend thing I think. Back home for a bit of a read and a yummy dinner of BBQ Kangaroo meat and salads. Now I might do a bit more scrapping. Have also managed to fit in some purchasing from SBO ( MM flocking/foiling kits and some other bits and pieces) and lots of Taylor cuddles and the odd nappy change.

DH is doing another photography course this term...one on B & W photography. Here's a cool one he took of the lovely Mocha.





Hope you have a good week.

Ciao

Jack Me Up #5....

...I decided it was time to do a "Jack me up" layout...especially coz this one was a Jack of my friend Delys Cram.
Here is my version of Delys' layout....



Ahhh...at last...some girly pages from the srapping hands of Sandra LOL :-)


Ciao

Once again...

...a couple more photos of the lovely Taylor...awake this time.



Her full name is now officially Taylor Rose and she is a wee sweetie who yesterday seemed to want to feed hourly. I think Abby is exhausted!



On the scrapping front, I'm working on a circle journal I am in. Did a major scraproom tidy over the weekend and have got heaps of new product so I need to get into it. Boys are well into rowing now (2 early weekday mornings and 7am Sat and Sun) 1st regatta in a couple of weeks.
Finally a wee brag. Very proud of my Toby. His business group won "Best Production" in the Bay of Plenty and 2nd in "Best Overall Business" They were the group the teacher thought would be the slackers but they well and truely have worked damn hard and Toby was a major part in that.

Caio

PS: DH tells me he got his 'white balance' wrong so that's why the photos are a bit blue. He's practising :-}

Another photo....

....of the beautiful Taylor




....just because!!

Taylor is starting to get into a r***ine. I don't believe in saying the word ha ha. Abby is a wonderful mum who is besotted with her and I'm really proud of my big boy who is a devoted Dad. He was saying this morning that breastfeeding wasn't so good because it means he misses out on getting up in the night. He gets up if he wakes but I think he meant that coz he isn't feeding he doesn't always wake and he WANTS TO. Awwww!!


Have been a domestic goddess this morning and made fresh sticky buns for the boys after rowing. Off to take them out of the oven.

TFL.

Caio

Update...

...we have a name...

Introducing TAYLOR



We don't have a middle name yet!!

Taylor came home with her mummy and daddy at 4pm on Sunday and is settling into family life.

These 2 are suddenly realising they are now further down the pecking order

LOL.

Caio

PS:

....don't you think she has 'scrapbooking' hands???

LOL

ANNOUNCEMENT....

....drum roll please....
Introducing...well, she hasn't got a name quite yet.....daughter of Israel and Abby ...

Born on Saturday 29th September 2007 at 3.17pm after approxiamately 5 hours of 'proper' labour and only 7 pushes...

mother and baby (8lbs2oz) are both very well..Father is pretty proud too...


Nana is besotted already.

Will post tomorrow with more pics and (hopefully) a name :-}

Caio


PS: Am I biased or is she pretty beautiful for only 3.5 hours old???

Long time ....

....no see.

It has sure been a while since I last posted. I've had a lovely week away at the beach by myself...just me and my scrapping tote lol. Enjoyed cropping with Delys, lunch with Andrea and The Itchy Nail scrap retreat where I met some great ladies. Where was Dianna...Oh, that's right...Tahiti (lucky thing).

Just been up to the usual but I have some impending, exciting news....
....3 words....

....waters...broke...contractions.....

Will update in the next 12 to 24 hours when I have definite news to share but I'M SO EXCITED.

NANAHOOD, here I come.

:-)

What have I been doing????

Where have I been??? You may well ask. Haven't been anywhere, just scrapping, working, being a mum to teenage boys and all the other things life brings.
So here are some of my recent layouts











Other scrapping related things:
- went a bit crazy when the $$ was high and ordered from America. Love the Bisous PDQ packs I got. Unfortunately I made 2 CHA preorders (American Crafts and Queen & co) and they haven't come off the Visa yet. Notice how much the $$ has dropped!! OOOps. Never mind...it's only money lol. Can't wait till they come tho.
- bought a pack of BG Periphery. Luv, luv, luv it!!


Other non scrapping related news:
- Looking positive for Elliot to row this season. Fingers crossed
- Toby compered the school talent quest for both nights and did VERY WELL
- DH is really getting into his photography and is learning lots at his classes
- only 3 weeks till I have a week off work and a holiday on my own!! Hope the motel I'm staying at has room for my scrapping stuff.
- only 7 weeks till baby is due...very excited nana here :-)

Caio

Learnings since moving into my scraproom....

- I can probably live without ever seeing TV again
- It is good to clean up at the end of a session...only takes 10mins
- I need a small fold out type table that i can set up as a return to give me just a wee bit more space
- I can fit a big table in there with 2 friends scrapping on it as well as me at my desk (...any takers??)
- me, 2 labradors and the gas heater in there makes for a very productive and cosy evening
- it might be crowded if I have the labradors and friends in there at the same time lol!!!

Lookig forward to be able to do the cybercrop (at SBO) on the laptop and scrap in there at the same time tonight.
Hopefully will have pics of layouts to share soon

Ciao :-}

Oh My GOSH.....I'm so excited....

...a lot has been happening around here. I've decided the only constant I can rely on in my life....is change. Last week Tracey moved home to live with her parents again, which is really cool for her and them. She is keeping in touch with us so far so although we miss her (especially Toby) we are coping. Nikki's mother lasted 2 weeks in Perth and got homesick so she has come back, so Nikki has moved back in with her.

Upshot of all this is I NOW HAVE MY SCRAPROOM BACK. And it is all decorated and set up and I LUV, LUV, LUV IT!!!

Can you tell I'm excited....I've already done 3 layouts in it!!

Here is some pics.....






I'm not sure if my family will ever see me again. Now the challenge is to keep it tidy....yeah right.

TFL

Ciao

Edited to add: Oh have you noticed an orange theme happening here???
Edited to add again: Oooops, pics are a bit out of focus. Getting used to my new little Canon PowerShot A550 :-}

Catching up with old friends....

...is such a good thing to do. Last night I had a friend from my 'uni' days over for dinner. She was my bridesmaid (24 years ago) and we have maybe 'seen' each other 4 or 5 times since then. It was really great to just chat about kids, life and all those other things. Thanks Vanessa for putting 'my house' on your itinerary.

Yesterday we closed a chapter in our lives...we had sold our caravan and it went away yesterday. I was really attached to it, I guess partly because we had had a really cool 3 weeks at Ohope in it not long before Olly died and it had been (at Ohope) a very 'healing' place in the few years following. But it had to go and we have plans to do something different (maybe a motorhome) in the longer term future. Gosh, I wonder how I will feel when we eventually sell our house and move....we have been here 21 years.

Starting to get used to having 'that man' (aka DH) around a bit more. Working only 8-9 hour shifts at a time he feels like he is permanently on holiday at the moment lol.

Thanks for dropping by :-}

Grabbing a few.....

...moments to blog while I'm cooking tea for the crew. Update on whats going on in my life:
- scrapcamp last weekend was a blast. I got my scrapping mojo once I got there and power scrapped through 3 layouts on the 1st night (including the challenge) Classes on Saturday were both brilliant. I was a bit dodgy about the modpodge/serviette thing but it looks so cool and is so easy it will definitely be used again. The Creative Planner we made with SJ was awesome and just what I have been wanting. I looved the colours too.
Retro night was fun with some GORGEOUS outfits.
This is me!!!

It looks quite hideous really but it was such fun to wear. Bring back groovy clothes I say.
I got a few more layouts done Sat and Sun and was sad to have to pack up at the end. I really enjoyed the time at my table with my best scrapping buddies Raewyn and Julie, with Sheryl and her sister Raewyn and neice Tracey, and Stella and Elaine. Chatted with quite a few others round the room too...Donna, Trina (nice to meet you in person), the lovely Aussie Chris Miller, Andrea (from SBO), Ilka, Kelly, Michelle TW, Lynda, Kate and Barb and Kates lovely friend Rachel who gave me a cool little felt needle folder, Denise, Sheryl and Carol from Bookem and all the other Bookem ladies and lots of other people (please don't be offended if I haven't named you). It was a special treat also to see Vicky and the beautiful little Arlo on Sunday and to be allowed a cuddle (he's only 2 weeks old!!)

A HUGE THANK YOU to Yolande and Lianne for organising such an awesome event.

I so love this hobby. Not only do I get to shop for and create lovely stuff but I also have this huge network of wonderful friends and aquaintances from all over NZ who I would otherwise never have met.

Otherwise things are just as normal here. DH has started his new job so is home more. The boys are saying "who is that man who keeps hanging around here now?" LOL
Better go and sort some veges out.

Edited to add: A 'quick plug' for Nic Howard's book "That's Life" released on July 4th. She's our own famous Kiwi scrapper and now she has her own book filled with her own unique (Kiwi) style. Go and buy one....NOW!!!!
Laters

Oooops...

...I was going to try and be a better blogger.
So whats happening here...lots and lots....
- Scraproom has had to go on hold...we have had another teenage girl move in. Nikki is 17 and is Abby's sister. Her mum has just moved to Perth and things haven't been too good with her dad so she is going to live with us. As I tell my boys...people are more important than things (like having a scrap room). I have instead comandeered an end of the upstairs lounge so I have been sorting thru stuff today in preparation for scrapcamp next week.
- Total is now 2 adults, 6 teenagers, one 'baby in tummy", 2 labradors and the house is now FULL. Not even any room in the stable lol.
- Toby and Tracey had their school ball last weekend. Toby got Best Dressed Male. Here is a pic of them together. Don't they look sensational!!! All in all a good week for Toby...he also got Best CEO and Best Company at a school business studies 3 day event. He has quite an entrepreneurial (?sp) streak.>

- Went to Whakatane to farewell Tash on Friday. She is moving to Kerikeri. All the best Tash. Hope to keep in (cyber) touch. Caught up with scrapping friends too. Thanks for the hospitality :-}
- Hubby now has only 10 more meals to go till he finishes work and he is on a countdown. He has 400 in this week so it will be a busy one. Lara, in answer to your question, he has been the Hospitality manager (read 'do everything in the kitchen') at Totara Springs Christian Camp for the last 2 years. He's worn out!!!
- Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary...24 years. We've been through some terrific times and some terrible ones too,but I'm looking forward to many many more years together. Love you Steve xx
Here is us:

Wish I had this week off to get organised a bit more but I guess it will all happen eventually. Just have to remember to stop and smell the roses occasionally and besides...being organised and in control of your life is overrated I think....


Ciao

Sunday sunday....da da, da da da da...

Does anyone know the song that's in my head? Maybe it goes Monday, Monday...I don't know. Anyway, I've woken up this morning to rain, and I didn't do any washing yesterday and it was fine!! I hate it when that happens. DH has today and tomorrow off and I was going to suggest a day out but seeing as it is raining we might just do some more painting (nearly finished the scrap room) and hang at home. E has had 2 friends to stay all weekend so far and T has to do more work on sorting his room out. Tr is working all day. Life with teens. I and A get a whole houseload of stuff today for when they move into a flat and I have NO IDEA where we are going to put it all in the meantime. Lucky we have a big house but still. It's great for them (well, sort of, Ab's mum is moving to Perth :-( ) coz it means when they have a flat they have lots of stuff incl washing machine and dryer, lounge and dining room suite and other bits and pieces. Might be a bit squashed here in the meantime lol.

Yesterday I decorated my SCRAP letters to go on my noticeboard in the 'newly decorated' room and started altering some tins for pens etc. The main colour I'm using is burnt orange cos the room has an orange feature wall (the teens tell me feature walls are soooo last year!!!) Hopefully will have some pics soon when I've moved in and got it looking all spic and span....yeah right. Those who know me well will know I don't do spic and span!!!

Big news for us is that DH has resigned from his job and finishes the end of June. He is tired of working 70 or 80 hour weeks (not paid overtime I might add) and has got a job here in Tauranga as a manager at a local pub. Ironic really for those who know where he is working at the moment lol. He loves the work he is doing but just can't sustain those hours long term. OMGosh. That means he will be home more. Hope he enjoys scrapping!!!

Off for another cuppatea and better let the chocolate log (ooops dog) that's scratching at the door in.

Ciao

(Oh and Penny...in answer to your question from a few posts ago....I had 1 emergency and 3 elective caesarians. My anatomy means I only have between a 5 - 15% chance of being able to birth a baby naturally and we were never willing to take that risk. We thank God for modern technology or neither myself nor any of my children would have made it. )

Yay...some scrapping

Have been scrapping and card making this weekend.
Here's one for the QB challenge on SBO. Haven't put it in the gallery yet coz it's too big. I need to get another photo on a lower setting. We had to use a sketch (thanks Trina for that) and a product that Andrea (Thanks Andrea too) sent. I got the cool Journalling cards from Jenny Bowlin.


Here's a layout I did a week or so ago at our Thurs night group.



And here's one I did on Sunday too. Very simple but I love it. You cant see the white pawprints accross the page very well.



Have a good week. I'm trying to be a bettablogger!!

Caio

Feeling blah...

I'm holed up in bed (on a Friday morning....not at work) with a sore throat and splitting headache. I'm trying to avoid it turning into a full blown fluey thing, or even a cold. I've commandeered DH's laptop so I can play while I'm here. I slept all day yesterday. I have scrappy plans for the weekend so I had better be feeling better lol.

I went to SENZ last weekend with my friend Raewyn who I introduced to scrapping about 6 months ago. We shopped till we dropped. I was cool to see Dianna and Jaks from Whakatane and Janine from Wgtn and Ann from Auck. Metup with our friend Julie from Tauranga too and between the 3 of us we bought lots. I stocked up on crate paper - zoom, baby bee and brunch papers, scalloped Bazzill,Scenic Route more chipboard (how much chipboard is too much), and a few other bits and pieces. I lso bought some cute wooden letters in Ravie font, to go on a noticeboard to go into my (nearly finished) scraproom. Might start on decorating them this weekend. I got SCRAP and he nearly couldn't find an S for me lol!!!
Buy of the week for me tho has been from Lime Tart. I have been thinking of buying some of the Cosmo Cricket Halfway Cafe range for ages and was disappointed I didn't see any at SENZ. Go onto the LT site yesterday and Phillipa has a colection kit of it at 40% off. That is about $21Austrailian. Oooops, had to hit the buy button on that one.

Right...note to self: Have to start using stuff now!!!!

Here's the photo of my lovely Labradors that blogger wouldn't let me post the other day. It is from February so Mocha is only small. Must get some more up to date ones of him!



Caio