Productive....

 

 Ring a Rosie with Nanna, like 50 times over.... Lexi loves a song and wants you to repeat, repeat, repeat!

 Have heaps of fresh peaches from my brothers tree, and concocted this desert! YUM! Bananas, peaches, sugar on top of puff pastry.... yum yum yum...

 Fun times at the beach with cousins Cody and Jemma after school. This is what I love. Just going places.

 Being silly with little miss gorgeous... She is being a little tantrum thrower lately.... phew!!

 Friday coffee at Glo on Tasman Tce. They had the most divine beetroot and chocolate cake... YUMMO! Lexi loved sitting up in the highchair watching all of the comings and goings... Nice coffee too!

 Mum gave us lots and lots of lemons.... One of her friends had them from their tree. I thought I would like to try to make preserved lemons... They are up to the salting part and then tommorow they will be going in jars to preserve!! 

 AND, Mum's neighbour gave Brenton a heap of Blue Swimmers so as we are not going to waste a bit of all these beautiful fresh food that we have been getting given we pickled them....

 Mia's rag quilt that I finished last night for Mia. It is dodgy, very hap-hazard and I know what I will do differently next time, but I tell you what... Mia gave me the tightest, most excited hug and a big thankyou Mum in amazement. Like I said it is not the best example of machine work, but if Mia loves it, that's what it's all about for me! 

And heaps of tomatoes that we have been given too... want to make a yummy relish out of these babies...

I am really enjoying all the foods that we have been given and am determined not to waste a thing!! LOL! Just not used to all these fresh things, I guess I probably didn't appreciate it when I was younger but now I'm making the most of it..... Have also been given Zucchini's and Cucumbers by my cousin too!! Made light work of them too!!

Mia, Lexi and I have had headcolds...  I would say mine is the worst... It's getting to me, and the irony of it is that when I was in Roxby and was sick all I wanted was to be able to call on family to help out!! This week Mum, MIL and SIL that has kids at the same school as Mia are all away!! (How dare they have a life?? Oh, yes the world still turns even though we have moved back!! LOL!!!!) I have been reading stories to the kids in Mia's class of a morning and yesterday my eyes were watering and my nose was dripping but it seems really important to Mia that I stay for a bit so I did, but today, we all stayed home.... Tommorow I will drag myself to take her, as she is just too bored at home and while she coughed for ages in the night last night, she was actually not too bad today after a while of being up and about!! She doesn't like school at all... it feels like a bit of a problem but we will get there... I spoke to the school counsellor as I wanted her to have a chat with Mia to find out if things are really as sad/bad for Mia as Mia is making it sound.... Bless her little heart, I love her so much and I have tears every morning when I leave her (not that she knows that)

I have to remember where I am and start being more social and remember that there are actual shops that I can go to and I don't need to on-line shop anymore!! I was looking on Ebay for some sneakers and realised that I actually have heaps of options here!! LOL!! So, when I get better I will be pestering my friends for coffees, oh and make a few calls about jobs. Turns out I'm not quite as ready as I thought yet... My kids (Mia mainly) needs to settle in a bit more. Unless I could get a 9-3 job, I'll be holding back on that for a bit yet! 

TFR, see you soon!

x

At the Beach.

Last weekend I promised Mia that we would take her to Shelly Beach... She loves fossicking around the beach and we had a great little time.... Lexi cracked it after about an hour and a half so we came back home, but it was just lovely! Next week, a family trip to Coffin Bay... We are enjoying the beaches being nearby!

 Mia with a treasure.

 Lexi loved stomping in little puddles and throwing rocks!! 

 My collection of broken and worn glass.... 

 Sister love.

 Big girl! 

 Cute.

 And me!! Sitting and looking for glass for my glass collection!!

And there you go, that was our little family outing. And many more to come! 

Phew, after a week in the house it is finally starting to feel a little organised. I have mixed feelings but on the whole am happy to be here. Feels like I'm busy busy busy, which is going to take some getting used to, as I led a fairly quiet life in Roxby. This morning I started a new Friday ritual with my MIL and SIL's by having coffee at Del Giornos. Was nice to be there, and we asked the waitress to take a pic of us all!

 Lexi loved her 'coffee' (babycino) but we watched for her, as she likes to throw the cups on the floor when finished!! I also went down the street this morning for a shop up, bought myself some well overdue Levi jeans, some long sleeved tops for Lexi in Target and some little jeans for her too! I was needing to buy her some new sandals but realised when I was down there, that she already has bigger ones here at home.. Just got to find them! I'm such a dill at times.

 My beautiful big girl ready for school on Tues. She isn't loving it, but I'm sure she will. It must be hard for her, she went to childcare, kindy and then school with the same kids, and now has had to leave her friends behind. I have been trying to encourage her and give her positive re-inforcement about how proud I am of her. I also bought her a little present today... High School Musical! She already has number 2, and now she will have the first one. I think she will be pretty happy with that! Brenton has already gone away to Iron Duke for work so she gets to sleep in bed with me at night, it's a special treat for her! And last night from 12:30 we had Lexi in there too who seemed to think that my hip was a good place to lay her head. CRAZY!!! Felt a little sleep wrecked this morning!! It's all fun though! 

The guys just about the unload the truck! I really don't know how they fitted all our gear in. Truly. So happy that they did. I was quietly peaking out that our gear wouldn't fit in. They even bought things like plants and stuff that we were just ready to leave behind. Even though a few of my favourite platters were broken I think I can forgive them. (even though they were the ones that I used all. the. time.) And three of my dinner bowls. Anyway, they were great packing it all in the truck in the 40 odd degree heat when we had no airconditioner. 

I popped these photos of Jasmine and Lexi on the computer (as well as some of Kylie's and Brooke's kids) on Wednesday and promptly burst into tears... I am missing them all so much, although I will admit I have felt so busy, seeing Mum and Dad almost every day and having our housemate here, and also school drop-offs and pick ups, it feels as though the last week has flown by. About this time last week, we were at North Shields driving in, and I was ultra emotional.... I still can't believe that we are here... 

Lexi loves her 'coffee'.

Check the baby blues out on this gorgeous little cherub! Bring on April!

 Icecreams in the backyard, we had our airconditioner on yesterday, it was so muggy, love the split system, actually keeps you cool!

 Have been getting back into making some food. Was craving this after a week of takeaway (yuck) This was very good. Just a basic salad with cooked bits of chicken that I marinated in thyme, garlic and olive oil and then put in the frypan. I would have loved some lemon in there too but didn't have any. And then tonight we had Chinese takeaway!! 

I didn't really take many photos of us packing up. It was so hot and I just felt exhausted. I feel abit bad that I didn't take many.. I should have taken some of Mia's classroom too, but when I picked her up to leave, I ended up crying and didn't even think to take my camera with me. I might get Kylie to take some photos around the school for me in a week or two. 

All in all we are going good. I can't wait to feel abit more organised and set my scrapping area up... I have no urge to scrap but once I start playing with my stash, I'm sure I will feel differently. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get my table set up and start to get organised. I have my sewing machine on it's way back to me after being serviced and new gears so I can get back into finishing Mia's quilt! I can't wait really. I am taking more photos of everyday stuff, I can feel myself feeling normal after the whirlwind of the last few weeks..

Anyway, good on you if you managed to read this. I made my blog private so I can just ramble on and not worry about who is reading what. If you are reading it, it's because I admire you and want to share all this blah blah blah with you... and so I have somewhere to put all of what's going on in my head!!

xoxox

On the countdown til we go. 4 more sleeps. I am sitting on my bed writing this, listening to Lexi on the baby monitor yelling for me.. She is a little unsettled of a night lately, not usually to go to sleep, but last night she was up in the night for cuddles and the night before I heard her little music machine on the side of her cot start playing no less than 5 times during the night. She smells a rat as my Mum would say. 

I'm starting to look forward to it, but so going to miss my besties here. It's not fair that I can't take them with me. Not fair at all. I loved seeing Tatum and Jasmine today, it has been way too long and it is a bit sad that I only have 4 more days to see them in before we go. I'm not liking that at all... not going to cry, not going to cry...  

Anyway, we will just have to phone each other up WAY more than we did while she was in Adelaide over the holidays. That was crazy that we hardly talked.

But I am feeling ready, there is a job opportunity it seems for me back home and is in an area that I used to be in and would love love love to get back into. I am so excited at the prospect of this. Very excited. I booked a hair appointment with my old hairdresser for next week, and she was excited to hear that we are coming back. It felt good. 

We don't have heaps to do. Just waiting til Thursday so we can load the cars with all the little things that are here at the end and will be needed at the start at the other end. 

Going to watch a bit more of True Blood Seas 3 tonight... I love it. I'm unashamed about it too! Brenton can hardly believe that I am into it. We have such different tastes in tele.... 

xxx

 

Well, today is the day that we find out if we are moving back to Port Lincoln. Brenton went there on the weekend for an interview for a Crane Drivers job. It is what he has worked towards for the past 5 and a half years. He came here as a Trades Assistant which really isn't much of a title at all but he decided early on that he would like to be a Crane Driver and has steadily worked toward that goal. I am so proud of him that is for sure. 

So, the interview went really well, he was the front-runner at that stage but the guy had one more person to interview. I am running off of nervous energy at the moment. I have been cleaning and cleaning out flat out in preparation for packing. If I end up packing that is. If we don't move, our house will be clean in ways not thought possible.

I will miss my beautiful friends here, most of whom I have made here. 

It will be so sad to leave Kylie and her family, especially as her bubba is only 6 weeks old....We have a lot of history together and she is a fabulous friend who laughs and me and all my special 'ways'. But I know that they will move back to Lincoln too when they are finished here so that gives me some comfort, even if it is a few years until they do so.

 Tatum, I will miss her so much. There are no words to say what this chick means to me.. I could wax lyrical about how she has changed my life. Helped me to believe in myself, and she has taught me about things I didn't even think about before! Even though it's nothing specific she has done, she has just been TATUM!! And wow, what a chick! I know that we will still see each other from time to time at retreats and maybe occasionally in Lincoln... But whatever happens, she is not a friend that I will let go when and if we move... 

I met another girl Danni through my bestest ever friend Amber who lived here in our first year. They cleaned together out at the mine, and when Amber left, Danni 'adopted' me as a friend on the instructions of Amber! LOL! But truly Danni has been so fabulous to us. She has watched my girls grow up, Mia was only 16 months when she met Danni... She is thoughtful, caring and someone I can truly rely on... she has been there to help me when I am sick and always thinks of us!

I'll miss Terri who I met through Mia and her daughter Georgie at Kindy together... We talked for ages, then finally one day I said sheepishly, 'What's your name?, I'm Ali!'. We had been chatting for months at this stage and her youngest son and Lexi are apart by two weeks in age so they are fab little friends....Terri is a down to earth kinda girl, always willing to help by picking Mia up from school for me, even though she has three kids of her own. She and I have just bonded really well! It will be sad to say goodbye if we do.

I have so many other people I have met here. I am talking like we are already going but just need to let it out IYKWIM!! 




But on the upside, it will be nice to have competition in grocery stores, pay about $400 less in mortgage repayments a week, about  $400 a quarter less each in water and power, it will be easier to get that new tracksuit that one of the girls might need. I am looking forward to scrapping on a weekly basis with my besties Mum and all the other ladies that I used to scrap with. I will definately be getting a job, and I'm looking forward to that too. I have heaps of ideas for our crappy back and front yards to get the house schmick..... 


Brains stirring and whirring,... off to do abit more cleaning!! 
x

p.s. he got the job!!! shit shit shit. lots to do.

Phew! 

Feels like we have been so busy... Holidays, a Wedding, now back at home and trying to tidy and sort from Christmas! Still feeling a little displaced. We have seen some gorgeous sights of South Australian beaches (Wallaroo, Normanville) lately and it's got the 'GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE' juices flowing again... It happens every. single. year. when we get back.... At least it's not too hot... not too many 40's anyway, mostly just under in which case the house stays cool.... And I've been drinking way too much vodka lately... I have had 3 whole days alcohol free now (eeep) and I'm going to go with the flow and not drink and stop feeling so exhausted (and dehydrated... lol)

But last night I scrapped. I struggled and it's plain of course... But it's of Mia when we were at Wallaroo. There had been a carnival there and she was dying to go to it, glad we were there when we were, probably 3 other families there. I am a bit of a claustraphobe I guess.... 

 It felt great to ink, staple, doodle, glue and rummage through my boxes of scrap supplies..... My girl Mia is getting braver... 

A few snaps from holidays!

 Office Beach lovin! 

 I won!! I won!!

 At the helicopter playrground...

 Pavlova torte we had at a friends parents place for desert. It was simply divine!

 Netting for crabs.... 

 Learning to blow bubbles...

Look Mum!! 

x

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!!! 

Phew, feeling abit like a blur has been happening around me! I have so many crafty ideas for this year and also a new word that I will have to remember for the year! 

DISCIPLINE!!! 

Discipline for all sorts of things. Financially, Emotionally, getting OFF the computer and actually doing some crafty things. This year I want to improve ME!! I'm pretty good as I am (LOL) but have so much to work on. I guess we can all say that. We would all want to improve ourselves to a certain degree... I have to get out there and exercise this year, I am a sloth really. Unmotivated. But need to get out there and go walking, just me and my tunes in my ear. I know from a previous time in my life how good it feels.
What I really need is to write myself a schedule and stick to the things I say I'm going to do. Some days I just potter around all day and go WHOOPS, I didn't start a LO like I was going to, or I didn't cut some squares like I was going to... I just flounder around abit I suppose. At least I know my faults, right?? 
This year I want to learn to crochet, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE granny squares like these ones and want to make a rug. I adore the white with bright colours. Dream big right?? I can do it! Lexi was given a rag quilt by my bff/sister girl Amber and I am so inspired by it, I have plans for one for Mia, my nephew Ethan and our bed too!! Once I get the hang of it, I'm sure I'll be pumping them out. Although I am making big cuts in my self healing mat from continuously cutting on the same lines... I think I'll be wrecking it soon. Any tips for that? I want to learn how to use the photoshop that I have on my computer, I'm sure there are some tutorials on youtube for that... I want to keep up with the Project Life so I have a full year of memories for my girls. I want to make 2 nights a week date nights for scrapping, so that I get in and do it. I love to scrap but stuff around too much of Facebook... So there are a few goals! Oh and improve my photography too! I am too gung ho and then think about it later about how I could have taken a better photo!! 

So Christmas was great, had our parents here. It was nice to have them here, swimming in OUR pool, being at OUR house. Mia slept in until 8, but that was ok. We had all had showers and got started on some lunchtime jobs... 

Our tree... Yep laden with gifts. Mind you they were from lots of different relatives and friends...

 Christmas Eve with MIL (above) and my Mum (below) lots of swimming, beer by the pool... It was hot!

  

Prawn cocktail I made for Christmas day Entree... Would have loved to have made a fancier one, but this was yum anyway!

  

Christmas Lunch. Our chicken was a bit undercooked... LOL, I got Brenton a rotisserie for the BBQ for Christmas so him and his Dad got it going but didn't tie the chook up too well, and it was flopping around while it rotisseried... Very funny!!

  

About 6 we went to my mate Kylie's place and had a shared dinner! Very nice, lots of salads so didn't feel too full really! Some champagne, and Vodkas, jelly shots, and a walk home at midnight with Brenton, Mia and Bella. (The parents had taken Lexi home much much earlier) The girls wanted a sleep over and as I was feeling full of Christmas cheer, sucker me said yes! 

These two below, Kylie and Brooke are great chicks, I've know Kylie for a very long time now, and Brooke, I've been getting to know for a few years now. She's a great girl too!! Love em!

  

 Icecream cake that another friend bought to Kylies. (Thanks Jody) It was very very nice. Every layer had a different flavour and crushed chocolate bar. Think it took her a couple of days to put together with the re-freezing time. Yum oh yum!

So that was Christmas... The girls were spoilt and I spoilt myself. I got a canvas from Danielle Quarmby with this photo on it...

I love the canvas and there were tears from our Mums when they saw it! 

I also bought myself Becky Higgins Project Life. I am loving doing it so far, need to get some 6x4 paper for my printer so I can quickly print out the pic (or pics) of the day that I want to pop in. I have already put way too many photos in I think, I'll have it full before the year is out but did go back to the photos of the 22nd... So thought I might start Jan with a photo a day, and record them. Sometimes I have more than one photo so might record one for my 365 project and one for the album. Love the way it looks when the pages are full of photos and journalling. It is the old edition and I was very much wanting the Turquoise or Amber edition when I saw them but got over that when I used my DISCIPLINE from hopping straight online and getting one of those too! 

So Lexi had her 2nd Birthday on the 30th too! Our gorgeous little miracle. Her journey is still very much with me. I am certainly very much back to the old Ali I was before I was pregnant. Happy, crazy, forgetful, blase', all those silly Ali things, but I know I'll never forget. 

 Lexi, a few hours old, I hadn't even really seen her yet, except for a quick kiss when she was born.

Gorgeous girl the day after her operation. Heartbreak right there on that bed. Her chest was open, and she was working hard... 

With one of her new presents. She loves this chair! 

And with her cake... It was dodgy as hell, but she loved it and blew out her candle all by herself. Bless you baby!


She's running, squirms severely when getting her nappy changed, smacks Mia, pulls Mia's hair and pinches her too. Mia is starting to retalliate so that's a taste of years to come I guess. They are really very loving.
Lexi is talking so much more all of a sudden. Little sentences. "Go way Mia" and "Don't Mia" and "Look Mum Look" and she is a total parrot. Can say the hardest words even though she has no idea what she is talking about. She drinks ALOT of milk, which even though it will start a war, she will be getting taken away from her very soon. She hasn't been eating much at all such is her love for milk. I've been very soft on her, but it's time for reality!! (wish me luck, she is VERY strong willed) She loves the pool now, although still clings for dear life, she is getting braver. She wants to be with her big sister!! Both gorgeous girls!


Must go, this has taken me ages... But will be back with some photos of our little family holiday at Wallaroo. It was fabulous to just be the four of us in our little cabin by the beach! They loved the water and sand and collecting cockle shells.... 


xx