Happy 8th Birthday Eloise

Tuesday was officially Eloise's Birthday but she was with her dad, it is her year for a party so I organised for her to have it at Hungry Jacks....no more parties at my house....too much stress.

She was allowed to invite 8 people from her class, so she chose 4 boys and 4 girls.

I was so slack I even organised a cake from Woolies to be made for the occasion

So apart from immediate brothers and sisters, cousins and close friend only 2 class mates turned up ( I was a bit peeved as only 3 people RSVP) I felt for Eloise but she really didn't mind as she was having  a great time with the people that were there.

Big sister Talia

Little sister Megan

Matthew who has a cold and wasn't feeling the best

 

Baby Joel who just took it all in...

The kids played some games, Eloise opened some presents and then it was time for cake...

I ordered a big cake as there was to be 14 plus kids, there ended up being 8 plus adults....

Blowing out the candles ...

The cake was really yummy.

All in all it was a nice afternoon, Her dad and step mum came and Aunty Jacquie and kids.

I will do another post on the presents she got.

Thursday Thirteen #4

Today I thought I would tell you my favourite 13 flowers

1. African Tulip Tree

2 Frangipani

3. Freesias

4. Gardenia

5. Gerbera

6. Pansies

7. Roses

8. Snowbells

9. Hibiscus

10. Tulips

11. Camellia

12. Wisteria

13. Cosmos

Thursday Thirteen #3

My 13 Favourite Movies - in no particular order

Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups -- porcelain, glass, crystal; some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: 'Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.' While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then, you began eyeing each others cups.
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate--your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life.The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly... and enjoy your hot chocolate.

Happy Birthday Matthew

Today was Matthews birthday and he turned the 4. He is officially no longer a toddler. But in so many ways he still is.

The girls each gave him a set to play with his cars, he is really into "tunnels" at the moment so this was perfect.

Then out came Darian with a brand new bike, Matthew still can't peddle yet but with practice and the pedals hitting his shins he should get it in no time.

In the afternoon we organised a afternoon tea party and Aunty Jacquie and the kids came and Grandma and Grandpa came up from Mandurah.

Aunty Jacquie and the kids gave him a fantastic green mountain thingy with tunnels...happy boy

Grandma and Grandpa gave him a cricket set (which the girls took out side and started to play) and a new quilt cover and forklift.

After some chatting and eating we sang happy birthday and cut the cake. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera out but grandma got some shots and we took video.

So once everyone said goodbye and went home I then drove Talia and Eloise to their dads house where they are staying for the holidays, came home and put a very tired but happy boy to bed.

Project 50 by 50

I was catching up with reading my blog roll and came across a brilliant idea from Pam. I asked her very nicely if I could copy her idea, she said sure so here goes.

50 things I would like to do before I am 50. In no particular order.

1. Go to the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town South Africa.       I really wanted to go when we were over there in August but didn't  have the time or money to go.

2. Go for a horse back trek through the snowy Mountains. You can go for a week, camp out, visit all the places from the movie. Have to wait till the kids grow up.

3. Learn to ride a horse properly. I would love to be able go eventing. But I would need to be a better rider than I am now . Better do this before I  try number 2.

4. Own my own home. Not even own it outright but just be able to have a mortgage and pay it off. being able to paint a wall the colour I want or put up a picture. But the way the property market is going this is getting further and further out of our reach.

5.Go white water rafting. The real deal, down rapids and that.

6.Drive the Great Ocean Road. I kick my self now that when I was living in Victoria I didn't do this.

7. Visit the Cadbury Factory in Tasmania. only problem with this is having to over the water to get there

8. Go to the Mataranka hot springs. Yet again I was so close and didn't go....

9. Motor home tour of New Zealand. Both Darian and I want to do this, might have to do this for our 15 year anniversary.

10. Go to the Great Barrier Reef.  Yes I know I don't like water but part of me still wants to see it.

11. Go to the Daintree.  Hopefully it will be still there by the time I get around to visiting it

12. Learn Karate. I don't want to be a black belt or anything. Just looks like fun.

13. Show Darian all my favourite spots in Australia. This is going  to be hard as I have so many. We might have to become gray nomads.

14. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I remember seeing it from a distance when I was 8, we were passing through Sydney on the way to Port Moresby and thinking that it would be awesome to climb. Need to be a lot fitter.

15. Drive across the Nullabour. Might be able to do this on our gray nomad trek

16. See the Rocky mountains in Spring time. I blame John Denver for this....might have to play the song while I am there

17. Grow my own veggies successfully Every time I grow veggies they either die or we have to move. I can't even grow tomatoes.

18. Helicopter flight over the bungle bungles I was going to do this for my 30th birthday present but didn't get around to it...wish I had of now

19. Visit the Mindil Beach Markets I have been to Darwin a number if times and always miss out on going to the markets

20. Celebrate my 15 year wedding anniversary  New Zealand here we come :)

21. Go visit my online friend in Texas  just to say "surprise"

22. Learn how to cook mashed potatoes properly.This may seem bizarre but it doesn't matter what I do my mash is terrible so one day I hope not to torture my family any more.

23. Have a weekly pamper night in place. Be firm and put aside on night a week that is just for me, to either scrap or have a hot bath....and NOT to be annoyed by husband or kids

24. Have a full body massage. I have had a shoulder massage before and that felt amazing so would love to have a full body one.

25. Build up my pot plant collection. Every time I get a nice collection going I move, usually interstate and I cant take them with me.

26. Keep up to date with scrapping my photos A few years ago I was only 6 months behind, now I am 4 years behind. I would like to keep up to date but need a scrapping space.

27. Learn how to touch type properly. I mean proper touch type, not looking at any keys and not making many mistakes

28. Eat more fish. I am not keen on fish but I am sure there is a type of fish that is not too "fishy" and an easy way to cook it. its supposed to be good for you

29. Learn to let go. This is going to be huge for me as I am such a control freak. I need to let of of the reins....

30. Take my kids roller skating I loved roller skating as a kid and I said I would take them one day.

31. Go for a trail ride with Elosie  Just her  and me.

32. Leave a tip at a restaurant larger than the bill.

33. Pay for someone else's fuel anonymously at the petrol station.

34. See Niagara Falls at night.

35. Have a white Christmas in Canada

36. See Stone Henge

37. Learn to dance

38. Witness a tornado. Not too close though

39. Grow my hair to my waist

40. Drink beer at Oktoberfest in Munich. To also try as many different types of beer possible

41. Drive across America from coast to coast. A good ol' fashioned road trip.

42. Learn how to fix my own computer and not rely on others

43. Ride an elephant

44. Totally de-clutter my house

45. Get fit. Not just loose 10kg or diet but to get generally healthier, so I can climb Sydney harbour bridge :)

46.  Own a green tree frog as a pet. I almost bought 2 the other day but didn't....one day. They are just so cute and remind me of the tropics

47.  Take the kids to see Cirque du Soleil.

48. Play more board games with the kids. The kids love playing board games and I try and play as much as possible but would like to do it more

49. Learn to take better photographs.

50. Have a family dinner night. Especially as the kids get older, to have one night a week that everyone is home and sits down to dinner. This includes boyfriends, girlfriends and friends.

Thursday Thirteen #2

This week I am going to do my 13 most favourite U2 songs in no particular order

1. One

2. Stuck in a Moment

3. I Still haven't found what I am looking for

4. where the streets have no name

5. with or without you

6. All I want is you

7. Stay

8. I've got you under my skin

9. Bad

10. When love comes to town

11. Unforgettable Fire

12. Sweetest thing

13. Even better than the real thing

Basal Cell Carcinoma....

Today I went to the doctor to get my stitches out and to get the test results from the lesions I got cut out last Tuesday.

Well the good news is that I got both sets of stitches out so no going back in 3 days but there is some bad news.

The lesions that they cut out were Basal Cell Carcinoma.

Please check the web site and read up on some of the symptom and different types of lesions you can get.

Please be aware of your skin and not think that you can get cancer just from moles. Mine were just red patches like the picture below on my skin. The only reason I knew to get mine checked that a doctor spotted and cut one out a few years ago and now I know what to look for.

I have had 4 cut out already and I am sure there will be more in the coming years.

At least it wasn’t the really bad type.

So while I was there Joel got his 2 month immunisations as well, and yes I cried too....