This time last week, I was enjoying some well needed 'me' time at Escape 2 Create 2011. I must admit I wasn't as excited as I had been last year, I wasn't bouncing between the excited energy of Tatum and I. We have had so many 'things' on lately. Last year, it was the biggest thing I had to look forward to in along time, and I guess this year I had been feeling very overwhelmed by things at home... It is hectic around here with me trying to get a job in the weeks leading up to the retreat and getting the call on Mon to talk about the job and then sealing the deal on Thursday... We also still have our friend living with us and the lack of space is well and truly getting to me and Brenton in a big way. And then to top it off Lexi had a very very very bad night sleeping on Thursday night which led to me feeling so sleep deprived on Friday, I was close to tears at times just before the retreat. I just do not deal with hardly any sleep very well.

But to be honest, E2C this year was like a big dose of medicine especially just for me. I cannot say enough how the retreat helped to rejuvenate me. Amanda, Sue and Meredith do such a fabulous job of organising the retreat and sourcing so many things for us to enjoy and feel pampered by. The atmosphere as soon as I walked in was soothing, the decorating was fabulous and I just love things with my name on them, so felt very spoilt with the mug and loved hanging my lanyard around my neck... I love the mug so much! The food was so delicious, yum, yum, yum! And some girls felt so at home, they got around in their pj's for some of the weekend. I thought how fab that they can do that, and no-one cares at all!! LOL! It's not for me, but thought it was fab!! Everyone just gets in and starts scrapping and there is a buzz in the air. You can't pay enough money for that feeling!

 Friday afternoon, we had some of this beautiful Champagne.... Thanks Tatum and Lauren for allowing me to partake in such a lovely (and expensive) glass of Veuve Clicquot. Special special special! My shout next time!

 Lauren & I! Beautiful girl!! Mwah!

 Lisa and I. We had met on the Scrapbooking Memories Forum and finally met last year, but pretty sure I didn't get a photo of us then, and then I was sick at the mini retreat in Oct before I got a chance! She's a hardworking studying Mumma!! I know she didn't really want her photo taken, but if you notice Lisa, I'm not looking so flash, so really you had nothing to worry about!!

 Absolutely shocking photo of Lou and I, very out of focus, but turned it B&W in the hope of making it just that little bit better. It's been great to get to know Lou a little bit more over the last year or so! Very talented lady! Bless!!

 Our table.... Wowee, what a creative mess!! Yummy though!!

 Had to include a photo of Tatum's rubbish bag!! LOL! She tried to cram as much in there as she could and when that was full, it overflowed to the floor!! Love it!

 The scene. Where Meredith is sitting there are another two tables either side 'behind' where I am standing to take the photo!

 Love my alphas!!

 Awwww, Amanda, you rock!!

 Meredith, you are one seriously funny lady!! Your friends are so lucky to have you, I love the one liners!! Quite my style!!

 Ok, so Sue isn't going to love this, but couldn't leave her out!! :) Another gorgeous woman, who along with Meredith and Amanda work so hard!! xx

 Love this chick!!

 And, or course, the selfie! Where would I be without them!! 

And now for the LO's!! Basically I sat with a Scrapbook Trends (the latest one) beside me and got all my ideas out of there... It made my life easy and things flowed. I wouldn't say I directly scraplifted but certainly got loads of ideas and inspiration. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

 Bubba learning to blow bubbles at Office Beach caravan park, Wallaroo...Such a cute photo!

 Mia just loves to crumb food with me. She always has. It must be a sensory thing. She is a lot younger in this photo. I think she could be 4 and a half!

 Brenton, Mia and Lexi out by Lake Mary. I adore adore adore this photo. I love the way he's holding Lexi and has a hand on  Mia... I probably didn't do the photo true justice but I like the LO all the same.

 Desert Beauty is from Fran Tynan's class which I loved by the way... lots of new ideas for me!! 

 About having coffee with my MIL and SIL's every Friday morning. And how I'm a bit sad that a new tradition is already over for me as after the school holidays I start work... Bummer. (maybe could turn into Friday afty drinkies instead!)

 I'm a big girl now is from Tatum's class and no I haven't stitched the outside yet... bad me!! It will happen though... I think!! 

 Another from Fran's class. I did love how the LO's where similar yet different. Great ideas for if you have a kit and want to make the most of it.... Wonderful lady!! So friendly! We were so blessed to have all the teachers there for the weekend!! Tatum, Lou, Fran and Michelle!

 Mia Moo at the playground in Wallaroo. I. just. adore. this. photo. 

 Mia 'graduating' from her headstart program at the end of 2009. In Roxby, they do it for their first term at school.

Lexi out by Lake Mary near Roxby Downs. I love this photo too, even though I cut a bit of her head off... *whoops*

So there is a long winded wrap up of my weekend at E2C. Such a great time and a great group of girls. 

Bring on October (hopefully) then 2012 (hopefully)

xxx

 Oh and I just realised that I forgot these two LO's from the weekend. Blogger was spinning out that I was trying to upload lots of photos earlier. I love this photo of Mia on New Years Day about 12:30am. We had a great new years eve!! 

And another one of Lexi at North Beach in Wallaroo!! 

That's all folks!!

Good Glory Nora!! 

Here I am, although it's quick!! 

Been a busy little socialite!! LOL! It's fabulous though, and am finally getting used to seeing 'people', it's only taken me 5 weeks or so, to get used to coffees, dinners, last minute bbq invites, and McDonald family clan beach outings... *phew* and chuck in a night out to Jimeoin too, which was hilarious... 

Feeling uninspired to scrap at all, BUT the housemate is talking of moving on soon, and am thinking that I will move my scrap area into that room.. I just don't want to scrap where it is, it is certainly not working for my mojo like i thought it would.. I can imagine being where I want it to be... There will be a TV in there and I need some noise of some sort, something else there with me! 

I also can't wait until we get our built in wardrobe and some more built ins in the laundry.. Internally I am not coping with the dis-order in my house, I just don't feel like i have it all sorted at all.. Our housemate is a great guy and very helpful in the yard and easy going so he in himself isn't the problem, I just need more space!! Arggghhh!!

Best be going, have my Nanna's 90th birthday which falls tommorow, so we have 'smoko' at her place at 10am and then out for dinner with family members far and wide, and then on Sat we have her party out at the Lions Hostel, and then on Sunday we have Brentons Aunt and Uncles 40th Wedding anniversary surprise lunch, along with a birthday party that Mia has been invited to (HER FIRST INVITE YAY!!) at the exact same time as the surprise so will be a little bit late I'm thinking.... Then the weekend after, can't wait to fly to Adelaide for the day on the 27th for a special lady who is having a HIGH TEA for her birthday, I am abit excited about that!! Then the retreat, then Kasey Chambers, then a wedding in Quorn, then maybe home until Camp Mojo! WOW!! Love it all!! 

Photos soon!! 

xxx

 

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