What a weekend

I know it is late but what a weekend....... The Crusaders winning the super 14. For this we were in two competitions, the first was with our local accountant and the second was through xtra. For the computer one we were sitting down at 7th and then the second last week we were down to 18th (I think). To get in a prize you had to be in the top 15 with first winning a new car and the next 14 winning cellphones. So we decided we had to play it safe but be a little risky at the same time so we backed the Crusaders by 13 points and more thinking most would back them for 12 and under so if there was a big difference we would be up there. What do you know the score 19-12 so our plan bummed out and we ended up 20th. Still not bad considering there was 147,000 people entered in it. Well the second comp was the accountants and we were leading that before the weekend with out any chance of being beaten. We had a phone call yesterday and we had the choice of a nights accommodation in Dunedin with a meal voucher and tickets to the rugby or accommodation in Queenstown. Well we are going to............Queenstown. Yay. Night a way with only Lionel and my self. Not sure what motel we are staying in will find out tomorrow. Yayyyy.

Now the downside to the weekend, Rodney Hide is still in Dancing with the stars, can you believe it????? I have never seen some one dance so badly in all my life lol (Sorry Rodney if your reading this RAFLMAO). Lionel said the best thing to come from Rodney not being voted off was us not having to watch him dance again. RAFLMAO

Well what else is happening....... um not much sorry guys. I have done no scrapping but plan on starting a album for the kids day care as a present when we go. Will show pictures asap.

Till next time.

Take care :)

{more purchases}

Wow another few busy days. Been really cold here with fires going nearly all day everyday. Yesterday we had playgroup and went down to the juniors room to hear a story and sing songs. I've organised a story teller to come in a fornight and tell stories, she wears dress up hats wigs etc. The kids just adore her. We will invite the junior room up to us which should be realy good. Will let you know how I go and hopefully have photos ( you never know, might be lucky enought to get a layout :) ).

Today we had to go into town and DH decided that we should have a look at DVD players. Our VCR hasn't been going for about 18 months and last time they fixed it said that it really wouldn't be worth fixing again. So we thought we should do something about it, and upgrade to a DVD player/recorder. Only thing was when DH went in and had a look and I was talking to the sales man (DH isn't into all these gadgets so doesn't understand all the lingo). He dissapeared and we went away and he decided that we should get a TV as well, cause when we get to the new farm we won't be able to afford one for quite some time. Our TV is about 12 years old and sometimes the sound goes and sometimes the picture goes greenish around the edge so things weren't looking good for her any way. We got just a cheapo one but it will do the job. Unfortunately the TV wouldn't fit in the car so they are dropping it off on Monday but I managed to get the TV unit in and also the DVD, so got it all set up this afternoon. Now all we need is some DVDs. I have some scrapbooking ones but that idea didn't go down well with DH at all {can't figure that one out LOL }. Well I might go and try and encourage him to watch one of my DVDs. Don't count my chances though.

Till next time, take care. :)

I made a purchase :)

Another day in town today. Jake was meant to go on a school trip to Dunedin today but things didn't go according to plan. The bus broke down before it even got to the school, it got there late and everyone got on then they got about 1 k down the road and it broke down again. By the time this happened it was 11.30 so they wouldn't have been able to do everything that was planned so instead they walked back to school and are going to go next week. I know Jake is bitterly dissapointed but to compensate when they go next week they are going to Cadburys chocolate world. (phew, glad I am not going :) )
We dropped the other two at Barnados and I went shopping. I desperately needed a new handbag. Mine wouldn't stay closed and I have had it for 15 years (took some working that out I tell you). I brought my hand-bag. What a choice there was, about 100 handbags and the same in wallets. I deliberated for ages over what one to get. I picked one out that I liked, chocoalte brown leather bag, it is gorgeous, and expensive for me. So here is my little beauty not a very good photo of it actually.

Then I needed a purse (my zip was shot in my last one and money would fall out when ever I took it out of the shabby handbag.) so I had to start all over again. I eventually picked a lime green leather one that will hold all of my cards etc in. It certainly won't be lost in the bottom of my handbag :)

Tomorrow we are off to playgroup again. It is proving to be quite a hit, with us all going down to the little kids rooms and listening to a story and also sing a couple of songs.

Well till next time

Take care :)

I managed to scrap today :)

Well I did finally manage to sit down and do some scrapping. It was actually for a challenge by a scrapping friend. I had to scrap a baby photo of either me or one of the kids. I had forgotten that I was meant to journal on it as well so I go back to the drawing board and do another one LOL (that's what I tell DH, so don't say a word LOL). I adore this photo and I know it will be useful in another 15 years (when he is 21) and I do know that he will hate me for it too LOL.

Today it has been wet wet wet here. Kids have been stuck inside all day until I had to relent other wise I would go mad, so 4.00 out they went and what a mess, but they had a fab time. Tomorrow I hope it is fine other wise the washing machine will be going for a while because I won't be able to keep them in again.

Abby has decided that she might use a big persons toilet and she will run into the toilet pull her nappy off and jump on. It was great the first three or four times (the next 10 times weren't quite as exciting LOL) but nothing, then tonight when Jake was on the loo she went in and thought she might go. Jake said to her "jump on the potty and go" What do you know, she hit the jack pot. A fair bit of excitement then she had to ring Gran and tell her all about it. Lets hope it continues.

I forgot to mention that last week I was in the bathroom putting makeup on and I was doing Mascara with my mouth open. Olly wanted to know why I did that, to which I replied "It helps keep my eyes open." Nothing more was said. But then coming home from town I was having Abby on. Telling her not to go to sleep, keep her eyes open. Olly (who was in the front seat) turned around and said go like this Abby, and he held his mouth wide open. I asked him why, to which he replied (in a totally I told you so voice) "you told me this morning it keeps your eyes open, so if Abby does it she won't go to sleep." It was so funny. Why didn't I think of that RAFLMAO.

On that note I will leave you to it LOL.

Todays thought

"Never regret growing old. It is a privilege denied to many."

Mothers day present reaction

Well what a great reaction I got for Mums mothers day present. The kids had a ball going over it all with her and telling her all about it. The kids then decided that they had to go and make something for gran. They borrowed my stapler along with coloured staples and they stapled flax leaves, leaves, flowers together and made this awesome arangement for her.
On Wednesday we were off to town as usual and Lionel got this phone call from a friend who wanted Lionel to go to a clearing sale so he could bid on a tractor for him (he doesn't like buying at auctions). So he had to ring Lionel on his cell phone as he was away out shifting stock (there is alot to be said for cell phones sometimes.) Lionel said he would, then I got a phone call from another man wanting Lionel to help him load our big mower onto his truck, but of course this had to be postponed till the pm. Then I had a call from Lionels mother who had a flood in her house while she was away for two weeks and she couldn't pull the carpets up to get them out of the house to dry. When lionel got in from doing the stock work he rang her and said to get onto the insurance company. They sent around assessors and people to set up heaters etc to dry the bedrooms out (it was in the en-suite.) So in the end it was a town day with just me. It was quite nice actually and I even had time to go and look at hand bags. Something I am in desperate need of as the one I have got I have had for about 10 years and it has nearly fallen to bits. There is one in particular that I adore so I will go and have another look next week and hopefully buy it. If I do get it I will post a picture to share :).
Today we were going to be shearing, had the sheep in the yards over night and I had even penned up when we decided that there wasn't enought wool on them yet. LOL. So we let them out. We're were wanting to get them shorn before we move but it is a bit silly if we are only doing it to save time down the road (specially since there was only about 2 inches on them). So instead of shearing this morning we did some more packing. The container is getting fairly full now and looks good. Even taken a fair bit of junk to the dump. (boy I don't know were it all comes from really).
In the scrapbooking front I have done none lately. I have a challenge I have to do next (scrapping a baby photo of either me or one of the kids). I have a photo of Olly picked out but just have to do it now and with everything going on I am feeling pretty un-inspired by it all, but soon I will (when my mojo comes back from cardrona ski-field, I think it was there with Sharees on a holiday so hopefully come back ready for action ). Also submitted a heap of layouts to a few mags, up2scrap, for keeps, scrapbook creations, and scrapbook memories. I figure one day I will be accepted and I can't be accepted if I don't submit LOL.
Talking about scrapping magazines, has everyone got their recent copy of up2scrap? Hasn't it come on leaps and bounds since it first came on to the shelf. Great to see so many talented Kiwi scrappers there, Yolande Fenneman, Nic Howard (interesting to compare Nic's first layout and her most recent), the wonderful Evana Willis, Donna, Sharee (two LOL ) , Kelly Rotherham, Trina McClune, Liane Gray, Faye Gregory, Jo Burney and the many other talented ladies that I have indicated. If you haven't got your copy, you better get one, certainly worth a read.
Well that is all for today folks. Take care and keep your chin up.

Thought for the week
"Leave a few get well cards on the bench. That way when visitors call around they think there is a excuse for the mess." (I got this off a friend of mine in America and I love it LOL)

Packing is under way

I forgot to add a photo of the mothers day present I had made for my mother. She hasn't got it yet because she lives two hours away and is coming over this weekend so I wanted to give it to her in person and see her reaction to it. It is hard to believe but the album started off its life as a Sudoko book that I brought and had completed the hard ones in it. The easy ones were left and I was helping Lionel to learn them but I found another use for it instead LOL, so I tore the inside out pulled it to bits, covered it and then added my own inserts and put photos inside. I was going to scrap each page but it was going to be too much. Then I altered Laras handbag pattern to suit the album and here is the end result. I will let you know the reaction I get after I have given it too her. :) I figured if she doesn't like it I will keep it for my self but I don't think that will happen.




Well packing is under way in our house hold. Yesterday our container turned up that we are packing the workshop etc up into. Yesterday afternoon I sorted out our wardrobe in our bedroom and have it packed up into box's in the sleep out. (sewing machine, materials etc etc). Today we went down and have most of the workshop into the container and some of the woolshed. We have to be careful incase some of the stuff is going to be needed. We still have sheep to shear and crutch so can't put shearing machines or press in yet. It finally feels like something is happening, now we just have to wait for the concent to happen sooner rather than later, but talking to Peter he said the lawyer said it should happen with in 3 weeks. So as soon as he gets the OK we will be running around like headless chooks no doubt. (probably won't be a pretty sight IYKWIM? (For those that don't know IYKWIM means If you know what I mean).
Well till next time, take care and don't be scared to leave a comment. I won't bite.
Bron

Happy mothers day everyone

I hope everyone has been spoilt rotten, maybe even breakfast in bed with all the thrills. Nothing like that here although Jake made me this gorgeous card and drew lots of pictures on the front and also made me a paper flower which is gorgeous. He said sorry it doesn't smell then his face lit up and he ran out side and picked some flowers out of the garden and gave them too me. So much more meaning than a bunch of brought roses :). Then he made me a storage container for scrapping (he is always full of inventive ideas). He cut the top off a empty tissue box, cut down each corner so that I could open it flat and he put some things in it for me to scap with :) He said if I go to the table to scrap I can just put some stuff in it and take it to the table as it opens flat. Some things in it were, tooth picks LOL, ribbons, rubons, scissors.

Yesterday we had a lovely day here to start off with then it deteriorated as it went on. We went to a 5th birthday party for a dear friend of mines daughter and had a ball. Managed to take 100 photos which I will put on CD for them, probably as soon as I get the photos off the camera. The kids were out side playing with the frisby most of the time. Their section is quite steep and there is higher retaining walls so our boys thought it was great throwing the frizby over the wall, jumping off to get it and then climbing back over it. We had to leave earlyish so that Lionel could get home and check the bulls. They managed to get out the other day onto the road and started heading towards the main road. That is going to be a good thing when we move. There is very little road frontage so the worse the stock can do is get into the neighbours. Luckily these won't be coming with us as they can be a bit hard on fences gates etc.
Today is very cold and damp, although not cold enough to keep the kids inside LOL. Luckily this time they have got boots on though but it is a struggle to keep them on. This afternoon we are away to another birthday party this time a sixth birthday. She is one of Jakes wee friends at school so it will be good for them to have something together before we go. There is still no word on the OIO consent but the time for it is getting closer. Only five weeks to go ekkk. We have decided to buy a container and get it put down where the woolshed/ workshop is and we can start loading alot of smaller stuff into it. Saves trying to pack it all onto a truck and tie it down and then at the other end we will have another storage shed (can't have too many of them now). We won't get any house stuff into it just things like out door furniture etc, so doing it this way we think will save us about a unit load so bringing the cost of cartage back. (Hopefully LOL). Sharee, might even have enough money left to come to SENZ, but don't count on it yet LOL.
Well I hope you all have a fantastic day and all wrapped up warm inside if your day is like ours.
Till next time. Take care
Bronny :)

One proud mum here :)

Forgive me for working backwards here but I have to. :) Today is Thursday and as usual on Thursdays we have playgroup which is held at the local school in their hall, nothing unuasual in that I know :) but when we were having our playgroup morning tea David (whom I know quite well through the Photographic society), the principal came up and asked me if we were interested in taking all the kids down to room three (the junior room) and the kids can sit with the other kids and listen to a story and posibly hear a song. Me being me said yes with out asking all the other mothers, (but luckily they thought it was a great idea.) David said that Jakes teacher would come and check up when she came out to check on the kids for morning tea. We got talking and she was saying how well Jake was doing at school, his reading has improved ten fold in the last couple of months and he has gone up a grade. This made me so proud, but any way 11.00 bell came and the kids went in side, we gathered up the preschoolers (13 of them) and went down to the class. What do I see but Jake sitting up the front of the class with a book. He read to their whole class and our 13 kids and 7 adults and didn't batter an eyelid. He read each page and then turned it around for everyone to see the pictures. For such a shy boy this is a huge step for him and me LOL. To make it even better I had my camera there :). Luckily. I was just over whelmed. Everyone clapped and cheered (particularly me, Olly and Abby :) ) Then we listened to another book read by the teacher and had a song. Everyone had a ball and they have decided it is going to be a weekly thing for the kids. I know for me the next time won't be as exciting or over whelminly heart warming as this one though.

Last night most of the playgroup ladies went out for a meal, it was like a going away drinks for me even though it is along way off before we go. But we decided that it could be a warm up and actually fit another one in before we go and if it all falls though then we will have another one to welcome me back to the area LOL. Any excuse will do us IYKWIM? Any way it was a great night, great meal, great company. Things were going well till I got home about 1.30 then what do I find? The house all locked up and I couldn't get in. "now what do I do?" Try and climb through a window with the thought of DH belting me with something across the head? Or wake him (here goes my thought of sneaking in and when he wakes tell him I have been home for hours). I knock gentley on the window calling his name. Bugger that wasn't working. I didn't want to wake the kids what do a do. So I decided I had to knock and yell at the same time, not gentley but yell loud. So I did. What a sight, DH stumbling out to the lounge moaning because he was asleep saying are you just home? I could hardley say "Oh no, I have been home for hours." Luckily no kids were woken in the ordeal, just a sleeping husband LOL.
Today we had some more great news. A very dear family friend was diagnosed last year about November with cancer. She had scans and had brain tumors and under went Radium treatment and scans proved that it did nothing for her. Now a friend of mine put me onto these tablets and I found I wasn't as listless on them, DH had no trouble with his gums while on them (before hand he had huge trouble with sore gums and teeth), my back was good as gold in the mornings, basically my whole body improved with even moles falling off. grosss I know :) They were also said to help with Cancer. I ordered some and when you order them you get to give them names of people and they will send them a bottle to try. Our dear friend got some about January and has been on them since. Well today she went back to get her scan results and three of her tumors have dissapeared, one has calcified and one has shrunk to half its size. The dr said he wanted to see her in 4 months but if she was feeling as good as she is now to ring him and tell him and they will push out the appointment. This wonderful lady was originally expected to be dead with in 6 weeks (about February). Now she is expected to see her birthday in August and the prognosis is looking pretty good. It really makes you believe in mirracles doesn't it? So right now I think I will have to go and have a celebratery drink for her. To those of you who are still reading. Well done and thanks for listening to me dribble on. Take care. Love and hugs always :)

Well here is some layouts that I haven't put on here. I am not putting all the layouts I do just some. Phew I can here you say :) The first is of my cousin and her family done with BG papers and my new rubons. I love the rubons :) The second is of my two big boys and it is done in the SEI paper range. I even brought out my sewing machine for it and also used my new MM jersey stamps.

Cold day here today with the fire going all day so haven't really done much exciting at all. Did manage to sort out a counter for my Blogg so I can see how many bored people there are in the world looking at little ol me's blogg. LOL.
Any way till next time please take care.

New farm

What a shock, I am back and it has only been about three days.
Yesterday (Saturday) we went down to have a look at the farm for a couple of hours. Well it was meant to be a couple of hours but we got there at 10.30 and left at 4.00. What a fab time we all had though. The kids had a great hunt around and have picked out trees for tree huts (something we don't have much of here). We took a picnic lunch down, I made bacon and egg pie, mince pie (dh and kids love it cold ewww), chicken nibbles and also some cans of fizz which the kids thought were the best thing since slice bread :) One of the neighbours called in to see us which was brilliant. He lent Lionel a motor bike so he could go down over the back and have a look around after they had all the floods. The neighbour is brilliant, easy to talk to etc. He is the sort of guy that I would imagine if we were having a drink out side and he saw us he would call in for a drink and a chat (something I just love :) ) I just can't wait to get down there now.
On the way home we called in to the school for Jake and Olly to have a run around and a look at their school with out 40 pairs of eyes looking at them. They loved it with Jake wanting to get a set of keys for the pool there and then so we could go swimming. Today he was wanting to go back for another look around and to meet the teacher LOL. Gotta love them dont' you.
Today I also talked to my dear friend in the north Island. We have actually decided we are twins seperated at birth. So many things in common it is scary. We talked for 2 hours 7 minutes. Oh I hate those phones with timers.
The gentleman who has brought here called in today and had lunch with us which was great, then three other friends called in and had a drink with us, so we were fairly busy with people calling in all day. I love days like that :)
Well till next time. Take care. :)

Where has the last month gone?

Wow, I came in here after checking Mardi's blogg and can't believe that it has been over a month since I have written anything. I must hide my head in shame really. Lots and lots have happened since then. We have our farm signed up a guy has this farm signed up and it has passed the DDT level check with flying colours. Now we wait, we wait for this gentleman to get his overseas investment commission consent to say that he is allowed to farm in NZ. All the lawyers tell us it is just a formality but really I will not be happy till it is all signed up we have the money in our bank and are shifting down to the other farm. Then just maybe then I shall relax. To be honnest I probably won't be relaxed cause the thought of unpacking isn't one I relish the thought of. Not just the house but the whole farm EKKKK. We will get there hopefully. tomorrow we are away down to the farm to have another look, take the kids down and they can have another look (they have only been down there once) so this will be good for them. We will have a picnic lunch (which I should be getting ready now) and then plan on going to the school to have a look around. This will be good for Jake as he is shy and will enjoy looking around with out other people watching him. Then next time we take him we will go when school is in or when there is a teacher there. Luckily he is really looking forward to it all, well all the kids are. They keep asking "are we going to live at the new farm today?" Poor little chaps, will be wondering if we are ever going to go. 6 weeks is a long time for them.

This layout I have done for a online competition (New Zealand based web site). It was based on a sketch and generally I am happy with it LOL. It is my DH and my BIL (well they aren't married but they might well as be IYKWIM). It was when we were camping at the lakes in the new year and their competative nature came out. Skimming stones, something so simple yet filled in a fair bit of time and entertained many people. :)



Till next time take care :)