Blog candy.

Check this out over at Carols Paper playce . Its Carols birthday and she has some blog candy to give away. The picture above is a example of what she has on offer, just gorgeous, look at that bling and look at the colour. Now I've managed to take some photos of the section. I've dug around and have photos of when we first arrived here so you can compare. The trees that were in the garden were rotting and hadn't been looked after for ages and they were blocking all our sun out, so they had to come out, and the lawn was full of moss and really wet and with the tractor over the top, well it made a real mess so it got sprayed and worked and well, now its lawn and a new garden. :)

Here is the old out the front photos and unfortunately you can't see the window that was replaced by the sliding door after the alterations. And this is the view from the road. The mail box is in the middle of that flax bush (poor mailman)

And now it is like this, lawn isn't up yet LOL. the hose is in the fish pond which now houses 5 fish, Smudge (Olly's), Foxy Loxy (Jake's) and Bubbles (Abby's), plus two unnamed :) When there is pea straw on over the weed mat it will look 100% better. And you can't see the front deck from here either, it is 11 meters long by 5.6 meters wide (I'm standing on it zooming in)

And here is old out the back photos. The window over Lionels shoulder is the old dining room window that we pulled out and put a sliding door in, for that one day deck (and the one day is now) and the water tank, well it was just a tank full of holes with a old water pump shed beside it that had about a foot of water under it, really safe!!!!!!

And here is the one day deck. On top of the posts we are putting a seat along the front so you can just sit on it and if you want swing your feet out the other side to watch the kids or you can just sit on the deck if your out on "the not there yet" lawn

Well we are really proud of it, must admit, I took a photo before Lionel had trimmed off the decking timber at the other end, sorry.

Layouts to share

As most of you know, last week was scrapcamp in Dunedin (Mosgiel to be precise) and what a hoot it was. I had two fantastic roomies. Lee and Sharon who put up with me for two whole nights. Not that we were in our rooms much, first night was 3 - 31/2 hours and then the last night was about the same. So a very long weekend and very productive weekend. Here is a selection of layouts. The first is of Abby on the fire engine at school camp. She's always wanted to be a fireman and this was just her in her element :) It was also for a challenge to use 6 pieces of paper This was very simple, although time consuming with all that hand stitching around. The title was doen using the slice machine. Don't ya love it :)This was for a challenge to use bling on a layout. :)

And this was to use food on a layout, either word wise or a picture LOL.

Family layout- to use stamps on a layoutThis one was just because. I love this photo of the boys :)This layout kit was kindly donated by Andrea from Scrapbookoutlet and designed by Lara :)And this is for the sketch challenge. There was also a north Island retreat so there was a North vs south sketch challenge kindly being sponsored by fiskars and also fiskars are judging it. This is probably my favourite layout for the weekend. It's based on a sketch but I love the simplicity of it all.

I also did a simple mini album and two cards. So it was a very productive weekend.

We've also been really busy on the home front. We finally have our lawn in. Yep, after two years of having it worked and sprayed it is sown out. And to be honnest, it was the best thing that we could of done (waiting this long). The garden that was there originally with the big trees, well all the roots were gone (because of the spraying) and it was a fine composty type of soil. It has come up awesomley (if there is such a word). I marked out a garden and Lionel has been helping me with it. Then I decided a fish pond would be cool- well I've decided it for a while really, just actually admitted it to Lionel LOL. Then there was that cool water trough over in the paddock that wasn't being used- hint hint. We went over for a look (with the tractor) and brought it back, and it looks brilliant. To top it all off, a big nursery not too far away was having a big sale. We shot over for a look and came back with 50 plants, including a big Japanesse maple, a weeping maple, and a whole heap of natives plus a pom pom tree (Grandads rememberance tree), oh and the water lilly that they kindly dug out of their pond. The weeping maple is just behind the pond. Then on Wednesday after school we went into town and came home with 5 fish. Friends gave us a garden voucher when we moved so we used this for the fish - plus there is five in their family too.

Now there is not only the garden and the lawn but we've nearly finneshed the back deck. I say nearly as there is a seat to put on and the steps and about 4 lengths of decking (This can't go on till the seat is done). Hopefully I'll get some photos reduced and put on here and you can all see.
Well I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and please drive safetly if you are driving.

Come with me.

Follow me for some fun. . . . . Just click here and it will lead you, , , , , where? To scrapbook outlet . Andrea has something planned and it is kicking of on Friday. We don't know what it is yet, but follow the link and join in the fun :)

Thursdays news

Well today the senior kids had swimming competition, against Lawrence. Olly wasn't in it though as he is classified as a junior so he stayed at school (to his disgust). It certainly wasn't very warm, 19 degrees brrrr . There is no way I would of been swimming :)

After finishing about 1.00 we came home and then went and picked Olly and Abby up a bit earlier and went to the Farmarama in Lawrence. It is a farming thing that is held every two years and there is all sorts of different farming things there. I spent a bit of time in the satelite tent, asking questions etc as this dial up is driving me nuts. Only problem is the price and the usuage. Mmmmm, some convincing Lionel I think :).

When we got home the boys decided that they were going to show Abby how to ride her bike over the motorgate as she wont. She is scared she will fall in. Well it was quite humerous. Jake was doing wheelies and riding over some of it on two wheels Olly was riding like a mad man And even Flo joined in.

But Abby would ride flat out up to it and jam the brakes on. There was no way she was going over it on the bike. Jake was saying "Look Abby, even Flo is doing it". To which Abby replied "yea, but shes not riding a bike is she!" I had to laugh at that.

Fingers crossed

Fingers crossed that I am able to upload to blogger. (Now I'm not sure if it is dial up or blogger, but I'm blaming blogger :) ) It hasn't let me for the last two nights and I'm getting frustrated. Is typepad or word press any better?
The weather has warmed up and it is starting to feel like Autumn instead of winter again, (Although I would rather it feel like summer) which is a blessing as I've got a back log of washing. Mud and boys and wet days don't go together very well when you can't get the washing done.

Well this photo is one of the ones I took Two days ago for the challenge (I had a few to upload but I don't want to jinx it OK?) Jake has put up a fence behind the house for his pet lambs and he is now working it to get it sown so there is some "nice feed" apparently LOLAnd this photo is from yesterday. Some of the family relaxing :)And this one sums up today, not a very good photo as it was getting dark when I went out to get the washing and hadn't taken a photo all day. I must remember to take it when we're out on the farm, as I could of had a nice photo of some sparrow hawkes when I was mustering this morning.

Well thats it from me today. And yayyy its uploaded my photos, not all that I had to share, but it covers some :). Till tomorrow (fingers crossed)

Another wet day

The rain hasn't stopped. We've had 60mm of rain (240 points) . It is needed though, so were not complaining (yet). So not much was done today, been up to the yards and weighed lambs that are going to the works on Monday, and will crutch them tomorrow morning, yayyy. Now for some photos to share.

This little machine is to be blamed for our early morning wake up call. It went constantly, not like when you get a flat battery or anything, like when you get a bug in it and it shorts out, and I can't get the little blighter out, so out came the battery at 3am.here is our breakfast cereals. There is only four as Jake decided he was going to have porridge with me

Morning tea, Lionel and his favourite cup :)

Jake with his Flo. When ever Jake or Flo come inside they seek each other out for a cuddle before they go and do what they were going to do.

I went for a walk outside (while it was pouring down), I was hoping to get a photo of Jake and Lionel coming back from being out shifting sheep on their dirty bikes and soaked, but they went and did another job and I wasn't hanging around outside LOL. This is a old bike that we worked out to be 30 odd years old that Jake found in the gully not far from the house. He put it in his garden and I must admit, I love it :)This is a puddle out the front and look at the rain drops. The drain isn't working 100% yet. :)Here is some photos of our school camp (camped at school and went for a bike ride and visited the local firestation). Abby dressed up in Darrens firefighting gear.Swinging off the back of the fire engine. Abby thought if there was a fire then the firemen have to hold onto the back of engine and fly behind by holding on :)

Real life photos.

For those that don't know. Vicky Gibson is doing a challenge for a week. It is entitled "real life". The idea is to take a photo or series of photos for the day and post them on your blog. You don't need to do any writing if you don't want to, just post the photo/s for the day. Well here are mine, they hopefully show what sort of day were having :)

Its raining and cold so we have our fire going and boy its nice :)

Some of the family enjoying being inside Where Lionel been doing most of the day, and watching Rambo movies :)Flo in her playful mood with a hair tie in one of my baskets
Olly playing farms. I asked him if they were his sheep, he said "no, they're my cattle and I've just weaned them. Look at the size of them compared to my tractor Mum!!! Sheep aren't that big". I should of known that shouldn't I. Other days he will have those mega blocks and they will be his cattle and the lego his sheep, some days you just don't know.Abby with her farm and pigs. My big bite box is her top paddock aparently.Wheres Lionel and Jake? Well they're off to check some stock and make sure the river isn't too high, or they will have to shift some lambs. :)

Here are the people that are joining in to date. I'm sure there will be more that decide it might be fun, they are

Vicky Gibson
Rach
Raewyn
Julie Maree
Vicki M
Julie B
Mich

Blog award

Thankyou Amanda for this awesome award. :) In getting this award there are some rules. They are, I have to say one nice thing about the man in my life. Well the man of my life is the love of my life, he is there for me and hey, he is supportive of my awesome hobby-luckily.

Now list six ways i measure my success in my life.

1] Knowing my children are growing up and have their parents there to support them in everything they do

2] My awesome group of friends around here

3] The awesome friends that I still keep in touch with from my past

4] The group of awesome friends that I have met through scrapping (both in person and through messageboards.)

5] Being able to balance my life both work wise, hobby wise and sometimes house wise IYKWIM

6] Seeing my husbands face when I do a layout that I'm proud of.

Now I pass this award on to 4 fellow bloggers. These ladies are awesome and so very talented. So, ladies, I present you with the "This blog measures up" award and they are. Drum roll please......

Vicki, Penny, Jenny, Heidi.

Well this week Jake and Olly are away to school camp, and I've managed to talk Lionel into going teeheeee. I've been lucky this week, I'm guest designer for Andrea at scrapbookoutlet . My parcel of goodies has arrived and I can't wait to get into it. When I've produced some layouts and other things that I have envisiged I will share with you all and also over at SBO. Till then :)

Hot hot hot.

Wow its been hot here. It is still 27 degrees and it is 9.50pm. Well the long weekend is over and our visitors have left. We had friends from Oamaru come and stay. They arrived before lunch on Friday and left after lunch today. It was so great to have them come and stay. I can't get over how the kids have grown in 8 months. Their daughter is 7 and son is 4 nearly 5. They had a ball on the farm and Baxter wants to come back and stay by himself to help Lionel :).

I've done a little bit of scrapping. The first one is for a challenge on scrapbook outlet . The challenge was to do somthing you (or someone else) loves. Have three hearts on it, red somewhere and something layered. So I did a layout on Jake and how much he loves Flo (yep Fur B has had a name change). The next one was to do a layout of "Five things about me that you never knew.

And the next layout from the same site (sorry can't remember the name of it) was to do a layout "Because of you" so I did this one. Because of you 3, I truely know what living means. About how I thought I was living before I had kids then had three and found the true meaning of it.Well all the kids are back at school, and I truely miss them. The house is so quiet and kind of ....empty. But the long weekend has helped ease me back into it :). We have another week at school then the big class (both Jake and Olly) are going on school camp up to Sutton (not far from Middlemarch) and they will go to the Macraes mine, skink enclosure, salt lake, Hyde railway disaster site. Now its just who is going.... Me or Lionel. Hopefully lambs won't be going away or it is me, which will be fantastic but there is alot of biking involved agghhhh, I'm not fit. But imagine the cool photos I could get :).

My Big boy is 9 years old

Well our big boy is 9 years old today. Can't believe it. still remember the day he was born, like yesterday. LOL Scary.

Well we decided yesterday to get him a kitten, as the cat we had dissapeared about 6 months ago, and he was Jakes mate. We rang the Vets and the SPCA yesterday at lunch time. The SPCA had 11 kittens in and they were all fixed up and the vets had 2 tabbys. We decided to go to the SPCA for choice and for ease really. Well we got there at 1.00 today and told Jake what he was getting. But we got inside and all their kittens were gone. They said they had a rush on. So we had Jake all hyped up and couldn't go home with out a kitten. We went to the pet shop down the road and they had one kitten. A white one. All throughout my life I've had white cats so I was thrilled to see her. As a child I had 4 white ones and when Lionel and myself married we got a white cat as well. Usually with white cats they are either deaf or blind and luckily we have only ever had one that was deaf. I'm unsure of this one though, definately not blind so I guess time will tell.

So anyway once Jake spotted the kitten that was it. We weren't leaving without her. They put her in a cat box and we came home (1 hours traveling). Jake took her out of the box and she curled up on his knee and slept all the way home. Was gorgeous.

But before we got the kitten we went to Moana Pool and what a ball we all had. Abby is doing so much more now that it is hard to believe, shes turning into a little fish, and the boys have grown in confidence too. Mum met us down there and we went to lunch at KFT, a real treat for the kids, as we dont' do takeaways. Then the kitten. Here she is, isn't she gorgeous? Jakes decided to call her Furby, (short for fur Ball). That might change though. Here is a photo of all the kids, Jakes giggling as Furby is licking his hand and of course his toungue is so rough. :)
Till next time :)

Wow, two updates in two days. Shock horror :). Well thought I'd update on a few quick layouts I managed to complete today. Must admit, it was nice to sit down with some "me time" and have a wee play. Because I photographed them tonight, they don't look as good here as in real life.

The first layout I did based on "triple the sketch" sketch. "connect four". A very quick one but it got me back into the swing of things.

The second "farm favourites". I've used a transparency and painted behind it to give it a bit of oomph. It is a older photo but one I've had printed off for a while and needed to get it done.The third one "growing up" again looks alot better in real life. There is glitter on there that you can't really see from the photo.

Treasure-everyday moments is about Abby helping me grocery shop before she started school. I just love the fancy pants papers I used on it. :)

Happy New Year to you all.

Wow 2009 already, its hard to believe really isn't it. Christmas was fantastic this year. Kids have said it but I truely believe this year has been the best. I've felt like we got the right presents, sometimes I've felt, ohhh we shouldn't of got that or thats not quite right, but this year its been perfect. Food was great (as usual) even though I never got around to making one of the puddings. Not all my jobs were done before hand that I wanted but it doesn't really matter (I never got the windows washed or Christmas cards sent this year). I think my biggest mistake was with Abby starting school I kept saying, "I've got plenty of time." then all of a sudden it was like "Christmas is tomorrow".

Boxing day the kids went to Central with my parents as they had swimming lessons with Graeme Laing between Christmas and New Year. They were well and truely worth it. After their initial assesment Graeme worked out times for each child as they all had two lessons a day. All the kids were in the afternoon, starting at one and last one was out at 5.00. All of them improved so much, Abby will now put her head under water and breath properly doing the freestyle with the aid of a flutter board out of her depth, where as before hand she had to have a ring and touch the bottom. Olly can now swim a width- instead of floating like a stone and Jake is easily swimming the width breathing properly and has style. We will definately be going again next year. Abby waiting for her turnJake Clowning around

All the crew before lessons started :)

New year was very quiet for us, we didn't even see it in, for like the first time in how many years, even when I was 9 months pregnant I saw it in LOL. But with the kids just getting back from Central, they were wanting to play with their goodies, so it was great watching them. In a few weeks we will head away to the river and camp a few nights. With our farm boundaring it, it certainly makes it easier and if we forget something can just pop home to get it, and feed animals etc.
Well I'm off to sort out my scrap area.

Till next time

Aggggghhhh Snow

Well today our baby girl turned 5 and look what we woke up to. Can you believe it that it is summer and we get 5 or 6 inches of snow.

This photo is taken from the lounge stacking doors.

And this one is of our outdoor furniture that is on the decking, aghhh look at all that snow.Poor Abby wasn't happy as she got a new bike and couldn't ride it LOL. Luckily as I write this (nearly 2 oclock) it has nearly all gone but it is snowing again.Well I've done a bit of scrapping lately. The first is a layout for New Zealand dares we had to inclue a bird on the page. I do love the owl :) Well its been a long day today with my baby girl gone. She has taken to it like a duck to water and bossing the boys around at school LOL. Lionel took them to school today and she told him not to come in because she is a big girl now and Dads and Mums don't go to school and ran in stopping half way down the drive, turned back with a big smile on her face and waving flat out. Now what am I going to do? The house is so empty.... And no, there is no more children coming LOL. Might get to have a clean house and full scrapping albums LOL. Now that isn't a promise I hope you realise :) Till next time