Fancy pants!

Loving all the high-tea and fancy dress-ups going on lately...

Simoney told the kids to get "dressed up nice" for their special tea party under the lilac tree

Jill McCloughry twittered: "This is too cute.My brother & sisternlaw & the kiddies r havin a fancy dress dinner togthr @ home:LOVE them!"

& Sophie's girls were in for a treat when they got home from their first day back at school

Inspiration enough to throw on the tablecloth do something 'fancy' around here!

Banners up!

Blogging beginnings in 2006...

2007 Kids smiles make anything look good!

   2008: Now the 5 of us

2009 and the multi-talented Simoney made me a banner (cause I can't figure out how ?? on the computer I now have)

2010 Thanks again to Simoney who whipped this up this when we visited her last week!

And on my wishlist for 2010: Photoshop! oooo would love it, banners, cards, invites... yeah!

I'm excited about 2010...

& laughing at Kathy's jokes!

From the word go I enter 2010 from a whole different place in my life. A lot of last year was spent grieving the loss of  my marriage (and all that entailed) and learning to stand on my own 2 feet. This year, I'm up and away, there's such an excitment in my spirit as I now look forward >>>

Prov 4v25 "Let your eyes look straight ahead: fix your gaze directly before you"

Proverbs 4v18 "The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day"

There's good things ahead!
One being....Yay, I just committed to going on a missions trip to Manila in June! A friend who is filipino is going there for 6 months to set up a school for children from the rubbish dumps and tribal areas. A group of us will be joining with her in the early stages of this.
Something to work towards! I thought perhaps I could get out the paints and try selling paintings again, OR get a homestay student between now and then (which I'm not as keen on)

Life is looking up, the year so far has been a blast! Our trip to NZ was a huge blessing, I'm so thankful to my amazing parents for making it possible for us. Thanks Mum and Dad xox

I'm thank-ful too for a growing group of friends and support over here, and the awesome times that keep coming! Yesterday we celebrated Australia Day on the Woy Woy water front...hours and hours of swimming, kayaking, touch footy, lunch, dinner and fireworks at 9pm. Fun fun fun!

 Gosh and all this playing...yes am I am back to work soon!! 2010 = teaching, and on the days I'm not really truly committing myself to write that book I keep starting and peetering out on!

'I would have lost heart, unless i had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" Psalm 27v13

God is so good!

Zumba with Mammie!!

Diamond Step...

...& the booty roll!

Mammie's so cool!

Choppy's 6th birthday...downunder!!

 Choppy started his birthday with breakfast and pressies at his dad's in Australia and finished it with a birthday dinner with the rest of the whanau in NZ!! Look at the table mum laid for him...

Choppy had been counting down the days forever 20, 19, 18....until the BIG one finally arrived~ Yippee!! My little boy who loooves transformers...and has been thrilled to have a stash of birthday money in his wallet as we've traveled here and there. He's such a giver. It was so lovely on holiday when on his own initiative he wrote a card to Mammie and Pa thanking them for the great time, and put in $20 each in it for them. Happy Birthday my super boy!

Our great big NZ holiday entry!

A great time being had..and still another week to come!

Bright n early the morning after we arrived all us MONKey's headed off to one big bach on Lake Rotoma... 'Hey hey we're the Monkeys'

 My mum there in the dress, nearly 60 years old AND got up on the wakeboard first time!! Way to go Mammie! Dad was cool on his salem ski too. Ha it took me 2 or 3 times but yip I can now wakeboard as well, switch even!

Lake Rotoma...
~ahh crystal clear waters,
~swims to the buoy and back,
~hoons of uncle drivers taking the kids for a spin on the biscuit, (& smashing the adults off)
~wakeboarding,
~a visit from the awesome Penisula fam (5 more kids!)
~Mum's hearty meals imm (feeling even more heavier!)
~thermal hot pools...
~Lots of family fun, catching up, kids and activity!

A fabulous 3 days... before we loaded into cars again and the convoy headed to Mangakino, which we nicknamed 'Monkakino for 6 days with even more fam! My cousins, uncle, aunt, and ALL their kids- what a ball!!

Oh boy were my kids impressed on arrival to see our cousin BJ perfoming stunts off the ramp-he's awesome! 'Tantrums (flips), 360's...WOW!!

Bj and Keith (In the black slinglet-how kiwi!) were just amazing and sooo patient taking us all out in their super cool boats and giving everyone a go wakeboarding until they got it! My just turned 6 year old Choppy popped up first time too!!

Monkakino...

~Fun in the sun, as we picniced here on the lakes edge everyday...

~Watching and in on the boating action, the kids back and forth to the pontoon

~Kayaks, more food, and touch rugby on the grass, cheering from the boat as crazy uncles and cousins jumped from the highest bridge into the lake

~ Grace and Sarah our gorg teenage cuzzies, their funny stories and "This is the song that never ends, it just goes on and on my friend...'

~A fun-as mass family dinner at Keith and Tracy's, the kids had a riot!
~Catching up and laughing with my cousins
~Aunty Nic's 33rd birthday brunch and the dance the kids made up for her,

My grandparents were missing, they've had a lot of sickness in the last year, so after our time in Mangakino Mum, Dad, the kids and I made a trip down to stay with them in Horowhenua.  As always it was lovely to see them xox

In the Horowhenua

~Choppy knowing Nan and Grandy have been unwell was so keen to lend a helping hand

~ Otaki is the home-town of both my families, so on Friday we took a nostalgic trip down memory lane- what a beautiful slice of the world!

~We visited houses my parents and I had grown up in (Yep one lady let us in when she saw us peering over the fence!), drove past schools, the maternity home we were born in and shed a few tears at the graves of loved ones who have passed on.
~Flipped through all the old photo albums

~& Mammie and Pa took us all out to Cobb and Co for dinner last last night

~We prayed for Nan and Grandy and gave them big kisses as we left for Auckand this morning

Andrew J you'll be pleased to know we stopped at 'The Honey Hive' in Taupo on the way home!!  Thanks Mum and Dad (Sampling the honey) for organising this wonderful holiday for us all!! They're so incredibly generous!

HAPPY New Year : )

What a great night!

We enjoyed our 4th New Year's Eve at James Squire Brewhouse in Darling Harbour...

 

Where J ordered Skippy (Kangaroo!)

There was lots of dancing...

& pics on the dock

And of course fireworks

Happy New Year my friends, may your hearts burst with joy at all this year brings!

I'm feeling excited about 2010 with my fabulous 4!

Christmas Catch-up!

It was a good one!

Yes strange waking to an empty house on Christmas morn, but the closeness of God really special. It definately become all about Him, which is a great thing considering it's His birthday!!

I went to a wonderful Christmas Day service at church, and afterwards drove into the city with BP and the kids for a Christmas Lunch cruise. Again it's been great that BP and I can (mostly) lay aside our differences to share such days with our children.

A windy Christmas Day out on the deck!

The kids then came home with me where it was another round of pressies...and they played and played and played until Boxing Day arvo when it was off to another feast at an old neighbours house~Wowza the amount of food she piled on our plates!! And there's been lots more eating, friends and fun ever since! Golly gosh we'll be rolling to NZ next Monday! (Not long now!)

Christmas Eve 09

For the first time in my life I'm about to go to bed on Christmas Eve and will wake on Christmas morning in a house all by myself. The custody arrangement we agreed on means the childrens father and I take turns.

I'm doing alright, only a little teary if I think about it, pottering around the house getting ready, and listening to 'Carols in the Park' on TV.
I made 'Peppermint Bark' after I spied it tonight on Kristys blog. (Lucky Woolworths is just a short walk away)

And yesterday, 'Rockyroad' to take to friends , after seeing some on Sammy and Simoneys pages!!

The kids returned from the Gold Coast today!! Yippee! The week without them has actually flown by. I made sure I had things planned, and had a fun time socialising and Christmas shopping.

Tonight the kids and I had a birthday cake for Jesus, we sung Him 'Happy birthday'and then blew out the candles together. Later we shared communion, remembering and thanking our saviour.

5 year old Choppy drew a picture of Jesus and and then got us to write the things we've we want to thank Him for in the space below...such a sweet thing to do.

Matt 1v23: "Emmanuel, God with us'  I feel Him so close. I'm not alone. Over and over again this year He has proved to me that He is more than enough and ALL I need.

So here from my couch with Guy Sebastion singing "Merry merry Christmas' in the background, I want to wish you all a fantastic day tomorrow!! How awesome it is to celebrate the birth of the one who first loved us.

In the days leading up to Christmas I've been singing this old song with words from Isaiah 9;

 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace is He"

God bless you and your families this Christmas. You are loved by an amazing God!

(And I'm going to put us as the dancing elves here >> when I work out how to download it!) :)

Where the heart is...

On Saturday morning I went with our church street teams to deliver Christmas gifts to a needy community, inviting them to come along to the local park after where we had a BBQ and games for the children.

I talked with single mum's, a few who looked not that much older than my own daughter pushing their babies in prams. They opened up to me, stories of abuse, hardship and men who have treated them badly.
In talking I discovered where my heart is.

'Where the heart is' I'd only just watched a movie by that title the night before, similar young mum's played by Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd. When looking for a picture (below) I read a review of the movie that questioned the use of 2 such beautiful actresses to portray these woman and an 'As if' remark at the number of misfortunes that took place in their lives.

It's only a movie, and a kind of quirky...but many of the young mum's I met today were just as stunning, and their reality much worse.

Here Novalee (Natalie Portman) is encouraging her friend who asks what she's supposed to tell to her children who have been hurt by her boyfriend;

Novalee: "You tell them our lives can change with every breath we take,

and tell them to let go of what's gone, men like him will never win
Tell them to hold on to what they've got: each other, and a mother who would die for them and nearly did
You tell them we're all got meanness in us, but we've got good in us too

and the only thing worth living for is the good, and that's why we've got to make sure to pass it on"

Last day, last night...

The kids have gone...... yesterday was their last day at school, and their last night here until Christmas Eve!! This morning I dropped them off at their dad's and they're heading up to the Gold Coast with him for a week of fun.

Dinner last night with full of cheer :) Miss E and J made a free form croquembouche for dessert~magnificent! Poor Miss E though had to eat her dinner with one hand in a bowl of icy water after burning her finger on the hot toffee. Remember the croquembouche burns on Masterchef??

Opps and I should really teach the boys it's good manners to wear a shirt to dinner!
Gosh I love and will miss them!!

Letting go...

What a relief to be coming into this Christmas season nearly through the thick of it all!

I can see how former spouses could turn into enemies during the divorce process. Court for a start only encourages it. I don't want to be enemies. In the end what I deem as fair is not worth the trauma I'd be putting the children and I through to get it. They're aware when all that's going on.

As parents BP and I have bickered in front of our kids and at times brought them into stuff we shouldn't of. I cringe.
Thank-fully we have reached the place now where we are (mostly!) amicable for them...
We are able to go into each others homes, in fact I ate dinner at his house last Monday when dropping off one of the kids uniforms. We've also taken the children to the movies together, out for dinner, and on Christmas Day we're all going on a 3 hour lunch cruise.

There's still tension and heated words between us. I guess its a case of  letting go of the ugliness in front of the kids, and not fueling the fire by bringing up issues when we're with them.

We both want our kids to have a great relationship with the other parent and are committed to getting them through the messiness of our situation as uncluttered as possible! They're such wonderful kids...often little rascals, but as a school mum commented the other day, happy. Not that it's been without sadness, one child wept at the table last week when I let them know about the divorce, his hopes shattered. We've all grieved.

There's now light at the end of the tunnel though. I know there will still be challenges and bumps along the way as our lives unfold from here...but I keep holding on and are comforted by the promise that God is protecting the kids in a bubble, praying that they come through unscathed.

Warm blogging fuzzies!

I'm such a gush... but it just made my day seeing blogging buddies catching up in real life today in NZ! How cool! BIG SMILES!

Lisa, Gail, Simone, Kristy and Anya!

You guys are in my life every week...as we all share the ups n downs and joys of life! I've grown as a person, and HA a cook from the pearls of wisdom, ideas and inspiration I glean from your lives and families! Well as for the cook bit, I try! Thank-you for being YOU and sharing your journey!

I  love it how we can place value on motherhood and families (No matter how ours currently looks!) through blogging...

And how awesome is it that our friends become yours and we all connect! Our love for God, his house, family-life, helping others, cooking, fun and games the common thread...

Ahhhh so good! xox

Merry Cherries!

Tis the season...the kids and I enjoyed a bowlful of em today!

Cherries are yummy just as they are, but here from Life's a feast
5 others ways to enjoy them:

"1. Make a Black Forest Cake with sour cherries.
2. Add pitted cherries to a summer fruit salad.
3. Serve cherries as part of a cheese platter
4. Toss a handful of halved pitted cherries into a salad of rocket and feta cheese.
5. Add pitted cherries to muffin or cake batter."

10 bowls = $1000 so far!

Thanks blogging buddies and family: Mum & Dad, James & Liv, Simoney, Gail, Anya, Brendan, Jacqueline, Amanda, Lissa, and all your families (!!!)  for participating in 'Bowls of kindness' with us!!

How's the cereal munching going??! We've just eaten cereal (J prefers plain rice) for the 5th night and reached our first $100!  The kids have been so pumped to do it for the children (& hey it makes an easy night cooking for me :)

For those involved there's no rush to finish your bowl by Christmas, (So many functions on now!) I've decided to keep this fundraiser ongoing over the next year. So start and finish when you can, and then take another bowl if you're able! Please consider joining us too if you haven't yet; http://www.bowlsofkindness.blogspot.com/

I know cereal doesn't seem that appetising when your tummies rumbling for dinner, but as mum commented this is so painless for us compared to the huge hunger pains for love, food and shelter in the hearts of the children we're raising money for!

A bad hair year!!

Yep not just a bad day. Stress definately has a way of showing up in your body...

When life went crazy and the dramas were growing by the day.. my hair started falling out big-time. The hairdresser even commented on it when she washed my hair and it clogged up their basin, (Gross!) asking if I was going through a stressful time at the moment. Did anyones hair fall out too when their babies were about 3 months? Mine did everytime, apparently that's normal.

Anyway over the year it's never fully recovered, going from falling-out to drying out...and well hey it couldn't go grey over-night as they've been there a while!

Mum treated me to a conditioning treatment when I was last in NZ and I even tried replacing the super-market shampoo and conditioner for more pricey salon brands. No luck. (My hair's always been wild at the best of times!)

Giving in last week and getting it all snipped off. I do (Because it feels healthier) and don't like it. Oh well at least I can still tie it back into a pony tail  just. Got to get it up on these 40+ degree days!

..and I can't believe I've just written a post about my hair! Anyone else got a hair post?

The week i got blown away!!

Last week I was told...
.."We've underpaid you, the $$ we owe you now in your account " ~"Whoah!!"
.."You didn't need to pay that, we'll send a cheque and refund you"
.. "You will now receive x amount more every month"
And; "Can you come on Thursday and pick up presents we have for your kids?" ~"Sure!!"

All in time for Christmas!! God is so good, I love how He provides for us in the most unexpected ways!

Ha and this was my little dilemma when the girl rang up about the presents >> I was in the drive-through, one car back from ordering my dinner. I answered the phone but then had a sudden "What am I gunna do??" moment when I realised the conversation wasn't finished...I'd moved forward...and it was now time for me to place an order!! Ahhh, I had to, asking my kind caller to please hold a minute while I rolled down the window and ordered; "..one seared chilli chicken wrap please" 
I know real classy!

Leading up to...CHRISTMAS!!!

Some fun we've had over the years in the build up to Christmas!!
You might like to try a few too... 

-Wait for dark and then pile the kids in the car for a drive to see the Christmas lights

-Choose a Christmas tree or set up yours together; playing Christmas music as you decorate

-Each year I’ve put a new pair of summer Pjs under the kids pillows on Christmas Eve.

-Dress up a big soft toy for the season!

-Allow the kids to decorate their own bedroom; provide a little box of decorations, blue-tack, coloured string and let their creative juices to flow ~

-Carols by candle-light... &  the Christmas Spectacular at church, which is just that!!

-A Santa photo with whole family on his knee!
(They're free at our church)

-'Hot Chocolate and Warm fuzzies' Go to a cafe for Hot Chocolate or make one at home with all the trimmings. Go around the table and say what you love about each other  xox

-Dress up as Rock-stars and 'Rock around the Christmas Tree'

-Read the Christmas story from the bible: Luke 2 vs. 1-20. Put a children's bible open at the Christmas story by the tree.

-Fill up the biggest bubble bath EVER! Take photos of the kids with Santa beards.

-Use Christmas shaped cutters to bake cookies. Package and deliver them to the neighbours

-A birthday cake for Jesus!

-Set red jelly on top of green jelly for a wibbly-wobby jelly and dance!!

 

-Record a Christmassy greeting on your answer-phone

-'Made with love' homemade gifts for family and friends

-Pick out a Christmas Decoration that represents the year you've just had!

-Eat happy face ice-creams and discuss how you can make Christmas brighter for those less fortunate than yourselves.

>>>And this year??? We're having a go at Croquembouche!!!!!!!!!!! HELP!! (Watch this space)

Hands and foot reindeer

Just before bed last night my 7 year old tells me he's supposed to make a Christmas decoration for news tomorrow..you know how it is! (Anyone?)
Lucky for him I remembered this 'Hands and foot reindeer' idea:  

We drew around his foot for the reindeers face and his hands for the antlers... and then got out the paints!I originally saw this idea made with felt, a red pom-pom for the nose and google eyes...our ice-block box version just fine! Think I might keep it up my sleeve for teaching next week...

Dinner at Manal's

My friend Margarita (Beside me in the first pic) is just the most amazing little gatherer, there's always a party or outing in the works...and new friends to bring along!

Last night it was dinner at Manal's, a great time. Manal is watching on in the (dorky) photo of me demonstrating how my kids do the 'Whatever major loser' signs to each other behind my back!! A shame you can't see Manal's face~it radiates joy, so beautiful!

After dinner and mingling one girl bought out her guitar and we all sung our hearts out, everyone into it...was awesome. I love moments like these.

Cute business

A few weekends ago Miss E started a pamphlet run around the blocks by our home. So sweet her motivation for doing it is to buy Christmas presents for us all, she's got it all planned out. I said not to worry as Dad and I are likely to give you guys some money to help with your Christmas shopping. But surprisingly (To me, hey I would have taken the money!) she wants to do it herself.

On her bed-side table at the moment is a business book I bought for myself but never finished reading...Miss E however is into it!

Being the good little business woman I realised shes always been ...

at 4 years old she was selling her drawings for $2, she has baked with friends and set up cake stands at the front of our house and made more than a purse full selling homemade cards to our neighbours.
So cute a few years ago Miss E and friends posted this to neighbouring houses:

"At our club we are holding a cake and smoothie stall to raise money for a clubhouse, our homemade recipes are sure to make you come back testers will be available!!!!
So far we have $27. But that is not really enough to buy a cubby house and you may remember our last fundraiser was the bag of bears competition and the results were…..
We only made $1 profit but we had a heap of fun. We hope this goes better.
From Club Leaders"                                                                

This time from the word go she employed 2 of her brothers to bundle the pamphets together and the other to help with delivery.

Ha I smiled this morning when I was dusting her room and found a note our 7 year old had posted under her bed-room door on Saturday morning:

"Dear Miss E                                                      

You should consider giving                               

Lij a raise as he was up early this morning  

doing them. (Folding pamphlets)                    

Lots of love                                                          

Lij"                                                                         

D-day

Tonight=  takeaways for one, chocolate, DVDs...zone out!! Divorced today. I realised driving in that I was dressed in black. It is like a death though, sad. I felt quite emotional walking out of the room after it was all over so quickly.

In the end a decision needed to be made and this is the one that gave me the most peace Trusting.

Forgiveness

"If you choose not to forgive...what are you going to do with the resentment you carry and the grievances you have? What are your plans for them?

Harold Graham says, "You take these grievances and hug them to yourself as if they are your most prized possessions, when really they are the very thing that's taking the life out of you, taking your health, taking your fellowship with God, taking your ability to minister, and taking your ability to love."- D/care daily emails

One of my children was struggling to move past an offense and forgive a brother earlier on this year when , another burst into song:
"Let it go, let it roll right off your shoulders..."  (Sung on 'Meet the Robinson's') We all cracked up!!

Forgiveness frees you to be the person you really are!!

We all stuff-up and hurt others. I know I have.
"It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.”(Matt 7v3) Whoah; that’s straight to the point!

Everyone is on a journey, tripping over our own humanity along the way . I mess up a LOT, say dumb stuff, get my nickers in a knot, and distance myself. Sorry for the pain I've caused.

OH what joy though (& a beaming smile) to be forgiven!! I've found the ultimate forgiveness in the kindness of a Saviour. Completely undeserved. He's taken what could have weighed me down and given LIFE!! And a second (3rd, 4th..100th) chance. I'm so thank-ful. Jesus.

"Freely you have recieved, freely give." Matt 10v8

Boys and Heroes

"Everyone with small boys knows of their deep fascination for superheroes, goodies, baddies, and the epic battles between them.
As they get older these themes might not be so obvious in their play, but be assured that boys are searching for someone or something to inspire and challenge them in what it means to be a hero.
Movies, stories, computer games and TV programmes are a part of boys’ lives and will have a huge impact on their growing ideas about what to value. As parents, listen, watch, read and play with him, and make sure that the stories he absorbs are the right ones." - Weekly Hot Tip

“You can’t do everything, but you must do something"

                                                                   Dad and kids in Burkina Faso

I can do something

Every little bit matters

It could be the difference between life of death to one

Feed a hungry tummy

Speak a comforting word

Support the weak

Pray like it's your child dying

Give generously

Each life valuable

Looking forward to seeing>>> The i heart film.

...missed the premiere last week. Screenings in Australia NZ, USA, Canada, South Africa and Asia.

The most common response I've heard from people who've already seen it the they were; "Speechless"

What's it about??!

"Hillsong United began in suburban Sydney, Australia, as a bunch of teenagers playing music in a local church youth band. Over a decade later they find themselves traveling the world playing to crowds numbering in the tens of thousands representing different nations, different cultures, and different challenges. As United crisscross the globe they are confronted and ultimately overwhelmed by the stories of remarkable individuals facing injustice and the uncomfortable paradox of being united in worship yet divided in circumstance. If their entire focus is directed only to what happens on stage, then maybe they have missed the point altogether.

Filmed over a period of 2 years, The I Heart Revolution: We’re all in this Together follows the worship band, Hillsong United, as they travel across 6 continents 42 nations and 93 cities in a cross-cultural journey of music, animation, interviews and live action documentary as they realise every story of hope, love, loss and sacrifice ultimately points to the one story."

'Someone famous' school mufti day:

Cristiano Ronaldo, Dan Carter and behind that foot (and then off draw on his mo) Martin Luther King!

All that black though, it's supposed to be 39 degrees today, and then 41 on Friday and Saturday...hot in the city!

I went treasure hunting this morning: 4 bags full for $28! I so enjoyed having a rummage through an op-shop, and we have drinking glasses now...I've been puzzled where all ours (Bar 1) have disappeared to?

We're hosting Miss E's connect group (Fuel RDG!) here tonight = giggling girls :)  :) Candles, flowers, just bought some pink bubbly and she wants me bake chocolate brownies. That's what I need to scout out next time: cake forks, pretty ones!

1 4

Today would have been our 14th Wedding Anniversary if BP and I were still together. We've been separated for more than a year and and half now... and in a week and a half divorced.

My minds been a whirl in the last 24 hours pondering it all. Checking my heart to make sure I'm totally at peace.

BP and I have been able to meet for coffee over the months and reach an agreement on the custody of our children and a financal settlement. Yesterday, although a little reluctant, I accepted his invite to have lunch together. I was reluctant because previous 'us' talks have ended up with me crying in my lunch!

I'd love to be able to make it right for the kids, but there's so much water under the bridge and the reasons we broke up in the first place are all still there. It's hard, family means the world to me. Divorce isn't something I'm doing lightly. I grieve at the hurt it brings, and for what could have been.

I've reflected and gone over it all, asking myself if I've used differing weights; one heavy and one light when measuring all that's gone on. I'm so sorry to BP for judging his errors harder than my own, and representing him in the worst light. I will always care about him, we've spent a big chunk of our lives together..so much of it good.

I feel it's time to look straight ahead and move forward. I do so with no hard feelings, and hope in my heart. Thankful for the blessed memories and wonderful times held within the 14 years

"Sweetness Inside!"

It's arrived!!!!!!!!! I looked out the window and saw my mailbox bulging...enough to distract me from my list of errands I've been catching up on today...

..and off to discover a lil brown box from South Korea with "Sweetness Inside!" I ripped straight into it~ravenous. I've been planning on eating all morning but hadn't got around to it. What timing!

Yep I've gobbled down the 'Dr You Bar'..you're right Abigail, sooo yummy!
And opened the Pepero Chocolate sticks-imm-imm I love that they're both not too sweet.
And "Some hot choco for a comfy book to read!" Sounds perfect : )

Whoops and quick a pic before I demolish the lot (in my mucking around home best!) Not sure whats on TV in the background?

Thanks to sweet-hearts Abigail... & Gail for organising this totally sweet treat!

Sculptures by the sea

On Saturday a friend and I piled the kids into cars and went to Bondi to see 'Sculpture by the Sea';

100 sculptures along the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk (Ahh I think I left my camera battery charger in NZ?! Some beautiful photos of the exhibits here though!)

Fortunately Miss E had her phone so we could snap a shot or 2 of 'Coco' the class bear who was hanging out with Choppy again this weekend. Coco's adventures get recorded in his special scrapbook..this weekend he even went for a swim at Bondi ~oopps!

Home: a good place to be!

A snippet I found from my old blog. Theres actually an old, older and oldest blog! I'm slowly transferring some of the good bits, and special memories over here (A re-read for a few of you!)

I could relate to this post; Karen Cheng talking about home:
“Our home doesn't boast of super trendy interiors, expensive furniture and the latest entertainment systems. It's got nice personal touches here and there, but most of it's quite modest and eclectic.
I'm not saying we're poor. I'm just not interested in creating a stylish designer house for my family and keeping up with the latest lifestyle magazines. All that lifestyle stuff just gets in the way of LIFE.
...my aunty… she lives in an old, teeny tiny house in a rougher part of town. Yet every time I step through her front door, I'm struck with the most amazing and astonishing sense of warmth, security, happiness and love. I can't put my finger on how she did it - but I'm inspired - I want my home to have that effect on people too”