Our Christmas Present

This year instead of doing a secret Santa amongst my husbands side of the family, where we would normally spend $100 per family x 4 = $400. I suggested we buy a Vietnam family a home for only $600 so if we all pitched in an extra $50 we could buy a family something more special !!! than what we would be racking our brains out to buy each other.
The lovely woman who organises all of this and soooooo much more does all of it off her own back she raises all of the money through out the year and then goes over to Vietnam (ticket paid out of her own pocket) and together with the Red Cross she PERSONALLY distributes all of her donations. Either with house or schooling or what ever she sees is most need eg. last year she bought a cripple man a wheel chair and she bought an orphanage 10 new cots. She is just so passionate and dedicated to helping and this is her way. So I am honoured to be helping.
This is just one example of what can be achieved.

This is what they lived in before.
And this is what $600 Australian dollars can build.

That is Liila in the middle on the ladder. Along with getting the house she also makes sure they get a gift bag of things for their house. How beautiful!
Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you all have a great day.

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

I FLOODED MY HOUSE

Can you believe it. I turned the bath on for the boys and then forgot about it cause they were outside playing with Michael and the neighbours ARGGGGG!!!! Talk about saving water it must have been going for about half an hour I cant believe I completely forgot all about it. My carpet is saturated it went through the walls into Tristan's room, the toilet, the laundry and my linen cupboard thank goodness the only thing that got damaged was the carpet and some wrapping paper. The carpet doesn't matter cause we are going to tile anyway, just looks like we might just be doing it a little sooner than we wanted and the wrapping paper was recycled stuff shoved into the bottom of the linen cupboard next to the spare tins of house paint. Lucky I have a wet/dry vacuum cleaner ($99 Kmart special from 10 years ago still going strong, thank goodness) but I spent a half an hour just vacuuming 1 sq meter and got about 10 litres of water out.
So there is a tip for you DON'T LEAVE THE BATH WATER RUNNING!
LOL (I wasn't last night)

Tanya xxxooo

You tube:- Steve Irwin

This is so funny not one of Steve's usual shows but quite well done. I got this off Marnie Telfords Face book page. Thanks Marnie.

Love this

Got this off Alicia's Blog. I love Adam Hill he is a great comedian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D1ELEYJzRQ

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

Loving Facebook

After trying so hard not to get involved in Facebook my sister finally talked me into it. Now I am hooked. I can't believe how many friends from the past I have found. Love that it is just like blogging.

One more day of school left and I cant wait I am so over the morning ritual of having time limits and then finally getting there only to get all caught up in fundraising, tuckshop, P&C or something else and not getting home until lunch time. Like I said nearly finished one big day to go and then HOLIDAYS YAH!!!!

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

Wow what a week

I can't believe how much stuff I cramed into one week this calender doesn't give "my week" justice there was so much more. But at the end of the week I feel fantastic!! Ready for another one. (soon) I know it is nothing compared to some people but for me it was heaps mainly little things........ like the oven at school blowing up on cooking day ...........taking 40mins to get to an appointment 10mins away because of road works traffic.......... then getting to that appointment and having it cancelled because she forgot?!! and so on.

My inlaws got back from a 4 week holiday in NAPAL yesterday so we got to catch up with everyone for the afternoon. So good to see the completed family of Parents, Kids and grandkids now with the final (hopefully) instalment, Maddison.

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

"Maddison"

Here is my beautiful Niece Maddison, born 31st October.

She is so tiny. Times flies so quickly, hard to believe how fast kids grow. Every time I go and visit someone in the maternity ward it feels like only yesterday I was in there (especially when you see the same nurses) .

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

So glad this week is OVER

What a week it has been. We had our school FETE on Saturday night. So I have had a busy week helping get ready for the big day. Lots of time spent at the school. Not only was there the fete but we also had WORLD TEACHERS DAY which the P&C had to make all of the food for (which I don't think even got eaten, I know the {$40} cake didn't get touched)

But all is done and the FETE was a great success!!! I don't know if there were any marriage break ups or nervous break downs come Sunday but I am pretty sure there wont be a Fete next year, unfortunately. So much work went into it and the handful of people that helped were fantastic but we really need heaps more help on the night.

Here are some photos of my boys enjoying a couple of the rides..............

First ride of the day. The teacups, the guy is just about to spin them hence the laughing and pointing finger.

Seth loved this one but his thongs fell off half way through and he was worried about them.I can't believe Tristan went on this ride I didn't think he would be tall enough but they didn't stop him.
It just isn't fun when you have to line up.

Hopefully this week wont be as busy. We do have a couple of things on but nothing that I have to help organise. Thank goodness.

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

Cyber Crop Forever Always

Cyber Crop on tonight at FOREVER ALWAYS go and have a look if you get a chance.

Guilty

I dont know how many times I have started a post with this......

Got this off Roz James' Blog, thanks.
{click on the picture.}



Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

Want a laugh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nMaY4ZFjrk

This is what I call a very understanding DH!! Scrappers will understand.

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

National Bingo

I'm hooked!! Out of three games on TV I got down to the last number twice...........bummer twice I didn't win and both times the last number I needed was 7. I will definately be watching next week and I think I will be printing off the 10 extra games you can get from the internet!!

I managed to get some scrapping done today this is my 123 Challenge entry for this month.
1. pink chipboard letters 2. hearts 3. 6x8 photo
This is my Sister's wedding day.

Until next time

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

Blogging

Over at Scrapbook City the girls feel that thier blogging needs some work so they have organised some motivation in the form A BLOG ROLL CALL...... what is that you ask? Well you list your blog in the forum and join in by checking everyones blogs and leaving comments so as to keep everyone elses motivation up.

Terri - http://bracklebeebuzz.typepad.com
Wendy - http://craftingcrazylady.blogspot.com/
Michelle - www.michelle-lindenmayers-blog.blogspot.com
Tam - http://tamharris.blogspot.com/
Katie - http://katiehs-life.blogspot.com/
Anissa - http://handmadebyanissa.blogspot.com/
Trish - www.tishstalking.blogspot.com
Trudi - www.allthingsscrapandbeautiful.blogspot.com
Jen - http://uittenbosch.blogspot.com
Ronnie - www.ronniedoll.blogspot.com
Sue - http://scrapinsue.blogspot.com/
Brenda - http://mydaymyscrapbookingmylife.blogspot.com/
Lauren - http://laurenrhodes.blogspot.com
Debbie - http://bizescrapin.blogspot.com/

here is the list so far

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

Holidays

We had a fabulous time on our Holiday just me and the boys, Michael ended up having to stay home to go to his Pops funeral, I think it did him good to stay at home and look after himself and to have some quiet time, made him appreciate us more when we got home.


Our first two nights were at the Mt Tambourine Motel which is next door to the St Bernard Pub. Very basic accommodation but nice and clean. Funny how small a room can feel when you are trying to entertain two excited children. We just relaxed and enjoyed our days without any time limits or agendas. Beautiful views and it was mating season for the Peacocks so we got to watch them prance around in all of their splendor Just beautiful.

Our first night we didn't get there until late after traffic jams on the way down so we just watched TV and went to bed early. The next day we went for a bush walk and checked out the town and the half a dozen shops LOL. Lots and lots of driving and the whole area is very similar to Maleny and Montville but a whole lot more dryer and thank goodness a lot less developed (although I'm sure it wont take long). The good thing about driving so much was even though I was enjoying looking at all of the beautiful views the boys weren't as interested and so they got lots of sleep in the car and funnily enough they slept well in the motel as well so they had a very rejuvenating holiday.

The third night we visited my friend in Labrador and went shopping at Harbour town. Got a couple of bargains but the kids were so excited to be back in civilization that they didn't know what to do with themselves TOO MUCH ENERGY from all of the sleeping. We also had a lovely dinner at Cav's Steakhouse. I had been there before but not for a really long time and the best part was they have a kids play room so they didn't have to sit still for too long.

On the way home I got to stop in at "IKEA" that shop is amazing everything is so cheap and beautiful. Way too much to take in on a quick visit. I will definitely be studying the catalogue and going back very soon, now that I have seen it and everything is still fresh in my head.

I was really sad that I couldn't stay longer cause I really love the Gold Coast but I suppose the Sunny Coast is better in some ways (like traffic).

Love always
Tanya

Holidays

Going away for a couple of days SSSSOOOOOO looking forward to it. I had the worst night sleep last night cause all I could think of was all of the stuff I hadn't yet done. We are staying here.

I had my cousins son sleep over for the first time last night he is the same age as Seth so the two of them have been having an absolute ball, poor Tristan is the third wheel and keeps causing fights but when I can distract him the two younger ones play beautiful together.

Tristan is helping me now 7888899+9 VIDJNXFMRET33IJR4I34I4EJ54DREY

On a sad note my favourite LSS Always Scrapbooking is closing. Bronwyn is still going to be around and she is now a Stampin' up consultant so if you would like any information on having a fun get together just drop her an email - bronroh@aapt.net.au Good Luck Bronwyn.

Be back in a couple of days with heaps of photos.
Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

I WANT!!!!

How awesome is this!! The Original Scrapbox

Tanya xxxooo

Is this me

This is how Tristan see's me. He asked if he could help and this is what he came up with. I dont think the shirt is me but you never know I am only on my second glass of wine.
LOL
Tanya xxxooo

School Holidays

With the much anticipated school holidays here I have to admit I am ready for school to go back. We have already had several play dates and a Train ride day (Nambour to Morayfield and back again) Which was an adventure all on it's own. Today we went to the movies to see the Rat one and now I am home totally exhausted and in need of a holiday to get over this (unfinished) week. LOL. Seriously it has been fun so far but I think we need to slow down a bit and with a the weekend ahead of us I am thinking of spending a couple of days at home to mellow out before I am hit with another FULL ON week next week.

So next week we are going to the Gold Coast for a couple of days just me and the boys Michael has opted to go to work (He is all Gold Coasted out) So me and the boys are doing a whatever goes holiday no plans I am really excited about visiting my friend and seeing her new baby girl. Cant wait.

And amongst all of that I have actually been able (and have actually wanted to) get some scrap pages done. YAAAHHH I am very excited because I haven't had the desire to scrap which has been a bit of a shock to me (as all of you scrap girls will understand) So here are the pages I have done this week.

This is me and my date at my year 10 Debuton Ball.

This one is this months 123 challenge page which I thought I had better enter since I was lucky enough to choose one of the criteria for this month, ripped paper and the other two are no flowers at all and transparencies. This is actually a take two of this page I had originally used the small dot craft paper for the background but Darling Seth thought because I accidentally left it on his desk that it was his to cut up. That will teach me!!

This is using a whole heap of embellishments out of my Scrapbook City August swap packAnd this is my Daisychain monthly challenge kit.Thanks for looking

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

Pictures

I just checked the BOM website to see if the storm that they predicted was going to eventuate and this is the picture at about 10.30pm how cool does it look rain clouds everywhere on the outside of the circle. This is the August swap for Scrapbook City again a fantastic result Thank you so much girls.
Another busy week for me hopefully I can post some more pictures tomorrow.

Thanks
Tanya xxxooo

Scrap Therapy

If you are looking for some inspiration or a new on line scrap shop take a look here one of the shops I now visit.


Tanya xxxooo

Quick layouts

I have been doing some seriously quick pages lately. Just almost chucking them together for the sake of getting them done. For the first time in ages I have actually been wanting to scrap and have been trying to every chance I get. So hence the quick layouts got to get them done while the want is there.

Hopefully soon ( in the next couple of weeks ) everything at school with the tuckshop re-opening, not as many meetings or as much paper work for me, and all of the fundraising stuff coming to an end for the year & school holidays. I might get a chance to scrap more, if the boys let me that is, maybe I can come up with some good bribes.

Sorry for the horrible photos it was rain out and this was the best light I could find.

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

So Cute

I just got this in an email it is so cute you can ask him to do heaps of tricks like roll over and sit down and KISS. Like I said before so cute.
http://www.idodogtricks.com:80/index_flash.html

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

Tagged

Thanks Bec for another Tag I think I have done this on before but I will do it again because I can. (Dad you dont have to read all of this cause you prob. already know it. LOL.)

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Mother
2. Sales Assistant
3. Sizzler - Service, registers and food prep.
4. Medical Receptionist
Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Grease
2. American Pie 1, 2 & 3
3. Happy Gilmore
4. Scream 1, 2 & 3
Four places you have lived:
1. Maroochydore
2. Mt Gravatt
3. Pacific Paradise
4. That's it.
Four TV Shows that I watch:
1. Grey’s Anatomy
2. anything "REALITY TV" {I just cant help myself}
3. Boston Legal
4. Las Vegas
Four places you have been:
1. Perisher
2. Sydney
3. Canarvan Gorge
4. Emerald
4 People who e-mail me (regularly):
1. Hailey
2. Donna
3. Rhonda
4. Daddy
Four of my favourite foods:
1. Roast Pork Sandwich with gravy
2. Roast chicken and pasta salad
3. Guacamole
4. Tacos
Four of my favourite beverages:
1. Tea
2. water
3. Coke zero
4. Alcohol - depends on what mood I am in as to what I drink.
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Gold Coast
2. Movies
3. asleep
4. anywhere overseas on holidays
Four people I am tagging:
1. Anyone who hasn’t been!
Things you are looking forward to in the next year:
1. Holiday in Darwin
2. Seth going to Kindergarten
3. Scrapbook City scrap retreat
4. studying..........


Well thanks for the tag. I love doning those sorts of things getting to know other people and reminding yourself of things you want to achive.

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

Drying out

Well we are finally starting to dry out after all of the rain. Our dams are full now so we really don't need anymore anytime tooooo soon. Here is an example of just how much rain we had........ This photo was taken same time last year.
The boys all had a fantastic time in the rain though, Michael bought the boys skim boards so they could skim in all of the puddles (there were heaps everywhere). So I had a fantastic weekend too cause I couldn't do any washing and I had an empty house most of the week.

A BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister and my mother-in-law. Big party day on Sunday - lunch at the in-laws and dinner at my sisters lots of good food and great company.

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

123 Challenge Prize

Tristan recieved his 123 Challenge prize yesterday and is over the moon!! He is so proud that today he had to take his layout and his prize to school for show and tell. (even thought they don't do show and tell at the moment)

Poor Seth, tears and all, was most upset that he didn't get a special prize in the mail but Tristan was so good about it all he insisted Seth be in the photo. By the way the car Seth is holding was only given to him the day before. (how quick they forget)

Not much else to report but RAIN and more RAIN! Our backyard is flooded and it hasn't stopped rain since it went dark so I can only imagine what it looks like now. I hope there isn't anything on the shed floor that is not water proof!!!!

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

Just for fun

I got this off Leisha's Blog. There are so many in here where it just bought back so many memories. Thanks Leisha!

Just for fun
You grew up in Australia in the 90's.
You made worms by squeezing your Vegemite or peanut butter crackers together.
The best parties always had fairy bread.
The Waugh twins. Go! Aussie! Go!
Super League almost ruining rugby league in Australia.
Getting the Easter Show guide from the paper and circling all the show bags you wanted.
You thought everyone in America carried a gun and you never wanted to go there because you were were scared you'd get shot.
Blinky Bill, Mr Squiggle and Gumby.
Doing research for school projects by going to the library or looking up an encyclopaedia rather than using the internet.
Brian Henderson and Richard Morecroft reading the news.
Paul Keating was some guy that ran the country and John Howard became the only PM you really ever knew because you were too young to care before that.
Waking up early everyday to watch Agro’s Cartoon Connection or Cheez TV.
Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
Everyone got the Coke bag at the Easter Show and it was only $10.
Birthday parties at McDonald's.
A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month. No returns!
The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Don’t push me, push a push pop!
Nobody made "not" jokes... NOT!!
Bathurst stopped being Holden vs. Ford and all those European cars came in until they came to their senses.
Who shot Mr Burns?
That's so funny, I forgot to laugh.
You decorated your room with glow-in-the-dark stickers.
Singing "a ram sam sam, a ram sam sam, guli guli guli guli guli, ram sam sam, a rafi, a rafi, guli guli guli guli guli ram sam sam".
Seeing a small rack of DVDs in the video store and wondering if anyone ever rented them.
Dolly the sheep.
Getting up early to watch the Rage Top 50.
Friends when they were all actually just friends. Why didn't Phoebe and Joey get together?
Watching The Simpsons back when it was funny, every night on Channel 10.
Power Rangers becoming cooler than the Ninja Turtles, even though the Turtles will always be cooler.
Smell the cheese.
Vulcan, Tower, Flame... Australian Gladiators.
Watching Hey Dad! and then seeing little Arthur McArthur go on to star in that famous Sorbent ad.
Full Frontal, not Comedy Inc.
Downloading music from Napster.
Going to see Titanic.
The winner is… Sydney.
Mighty Max and Polly Pocket. Max and Polly always got lost because they were so bloody small.
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
Waiting for Tony “Plugger” Lockett to break that record.
Australia didn’t always win the cricket.
The Socceroos couldn’t qualify for the World Cup.
John Eales captained the Wallabies and we won the World Cup.
Ray Martin hosted A Current Affair.
Zoopa Doopa ice blocks were only 20c and if you couldn’t afford it, you asked the canteen lady to cut it in half so you could split it with a friend.
Listening to boy bands like Human Nature and girl bands like Girlfriend.
Barbie, not Bratz.
The Spice Girls.
Happy Meals were only $2.95 and the toys were simple but actually good.
Brad Fittler was the best in the world.
Thorpe won lots of gold medals and wasn’t so gay.
Playing tackle Bull Rush at lunchtime and having tackling banned. You had to resort to grab 1-2-3 or tip. Same goes for footy.
Pogs and Looney Tunes Tazos.
You laughed at the fat kid on the Cottees cordial ad and changed the song to "My Dad picks his nose..."
You ate Smarties instead of M&M’s.
Service stations didn’t need space for 4 digits on their petrol prices signs.
Girl germs! Boy germs!
Goosebumps.
You had to actually call your friends rather than send them an SMS.
Paul Jennings’ Gizmo books.
Matchbox cars.
The feeling of wonder you got, the first time you were able to see the image in one of those Magic Eye 3D pictures.
Talk to the hand!
Johnson and Friends, Noddy and Humphrey B. Bear.
You wished you had enough Lego to build those amazing cities they displayed in the brochures.
Collecting Yowie toys. Aussie wildlife was way cooler than any stupid Kinder Surprise toy.
Playing truth or dare with your secret crush.
Mark Taylor equalling Don Bradman's record.
Slap bracelets.
Roger Ramjet, he’s our man, hero of our nation.
We had paper money.
Telling those Dobbers where to stick it by singing, "Dibba dobba dibba dobba number nine, wearing nappies all the time" and, "Dibba dobba Cindy went to kindy, stepped on a bindy wa wa wa.
"Good on ya Mum! Tip Top’s the one!
You could buy more than enough food from the school canteen for only $2.
Begging your parents to go to McDonald’s for dinner.
Noni, Monica and that bald guy named George on Play School.
Going to World 4 Kids to look at all the toys.
Watching The Lion King and feeling Simba’s pain when Mufasa died. Disney just doesn’t make them like that anymore.
Soft serve cones were only 30c and they never tried to up-sell a Flake because they didn’t have it.
Nesquik without the Nes.
Troll Dolls.
The Kids' Works at Pizza Hut with unlimited drink refills. You made an ice cream mountain covered in choc chips and marshmallows and could never finish it.
Thomas the Tank Engine and TUGS.
Ba-na-na-na-na! Ba-na-na-na-na! Make those bodies sing!
You had to get your photos developed.
Your family didn’t own a 4WD unless it was a real one like a Land Cruiser or Patrol. Range Rovers were tough and nobody thought BMW would make a 4WD, let alone Porsche.
The Channel 9 logo had dots next to it and the Channel 7 logo wasn’t a folded piece of paper.
No Hat, no play.
High five! Up high, down low, too slow!
Cheating in Heads Down, Thumbs Up.
You always wished your parents had bought you a bigger Super Soaker for Christmas. Christmas is hot in Australia... the more water, the better.
Collecting hundreds of tickets from Timezone just so you could trade them for some crappy prize that you could have bought from Woolies for ten bucks.
Healthy Harold day was the best because you got to miss class to sit in a tiny caravan and listen to a talking giraffe.
Playing handball with Ace, King, Queen and Dunce and making up stupid rules as you went along.
Skipping ropes and Jump Rope for Heart Day.
Chewing the crappy gum in Bubble-O-Bill's nose and wishing they could just use Hubba Bubba instead.
A*mazing.Hypercolour T-shirts.
Who Dares! Who Dares! Who Dares Wins!
Having your very own Dollarmites account and getting really excited when you earned a tiny bit of interest

I know it is long but didn't you find your self nodding along to heaps of the them.
Love Always
Tanyaxxxooo

Rockin' Girl

Funny how you cruise around other peoples blogs and little things stir an interest in you. Well this is one of those things that I have seen recently on quite a few blogs and now it is on my blog thanks to BEC who tagged me so now it is my job to keep this rockin' girl circulating so here is the 5 girls I am tagging................Gigi, Ang, Leisha, Leenie & Michelle.

So to everyone else keep on Rockin' in your own way.

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

Humpty Dumpty

What is the one song you do not want to hear at 2am in the morning coming from you 3 yr old who has only been sleeping in the top bunk for 1 week? Humpty Dumpty!!! That's right I woke up with the biggest fright, jumped up, ran into his room and the little toad was still asleep. Singing in his sleep. So I stayed in his room for a little while just to make sure but he didn't wake up until 7am.

123 Challenge. This is Tristan's entry for last month. He received a special mention cause he is the first ever child to enter and the girls were so impressed with his efforts. Seriously he did this all him self the only thing I did was write Aunty Donna. It was so good to have him sit down and scrapbook with me and when he was finished he said "I am going to win the competition." So cute he was so proud.

This is my effort for July. I didn't win anythingLook I can finally get my hair tied back!!! Yah Thanks for visiting

Love Always

Tanyaxxxooo

Bunk Bed and Seth

This is the prize pack I won at the Scrapbook City retreat. LOTS of goodies for me. The Around the block prize was donated by Scrapbooking Down Under. They were so generous with heaps of prizes and special treats for us at the retreat.
This is Seth asleep in the top bunk. So far he has done two nights and one lunch sleep there. I was really nervous the first time he wanted to but there is rails the whole way around and he is so keen to be in the "big boy bed" that I couldn't say no. So beautiful everyone says it but they really do grow up so fast.

By the way Scrapbook City has already booked their next retreat for 25, 26 & 27 April 2008 so if anyone is interested just contact the store and make a deposit. I have a feeling this one will be a huge hit.

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

A challenge for me

I got this off of Bec's Blog and I Quote

"Pay It Forward
Yesterday, I was visiting Janelle's blog and I was one of the luck three people to have left a comment on her blog for the Pay it Forward challenge. I have always loved Janelle's work and I am so excited that I will be receiving something that she has made. The Challenge goes something like this: "The first three people to join me by leaving a comment on my blog will receive a handmade gift from me. I have 365 days to make it and send. Hopefully it won't take me that long though. Then each of you three must also put this on your blog and get three people each to sign up. Then you make your three people a handmade gift". So hopefully there will be three bloggers out there that will want a handmade gift from me {fingers crossed :o) } All you have to do is put this fun challenge up on your blog and lets keep it going. So any takers? anyone......anyone.......anyone?
Happy Days!"

I hope Bec doesn't mind me cutting and pasteing her blog entry but I couldn't be bothered retyping it in my own words. So if there is anyone that is interested in recieving a hand made gift from me feel free to leave a comment.

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

Retreat was GREAT!!

A BIG HELLO to everyone I meet at the Scrapbook City Retreat on the weekend. I am so sleep deprived and unfortunately have come home to 3 very sick Males. Bummer! Maybe next week I will catch up on some sleep.

The Retreat was so much fun I ate waaaaaaayyyyyyyy to much cause the food was delicious but I am a bit of a garbage disposal I love just about all food. I can't believe I even skipped two deserts and an afternoon tea. I was just too full. The "P" party we had on Saturday night was hilarious just about everyone of the 60 women got dressed up in some type of "P". The photo is of the regulars from the forum. It is so good to finally meet you all!! I loved all of the classes especially Carol Janson's even though I forgot all of my photos can you believe it they were on my scrap desk at home all weekend. So for one of my challenge pack layouts I borrowed a photo off Liz (thanks Liz) just so my page looked finished. Thanks to Janette, Janet and Liz for being such great table buddies hope to see you all at the next one.

All of the class packs were amazing and very generous THANKYOU so much Liesa and Kerry for a great weekend and to top it off I won an awesome AROUND THE BLOCK BAG full of goodies. I couldn't believe it, it was the last draw for the weekend. YAHHH. I will add some more photos over the next week but I have to go and get some sleep before one of the boys wake up again.

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

Reading Lessons

Funny how you take things for granted and you forget just how hard new things are to learn. Tristan is starting "Learn to read" books at Prep and the parents have been asked to attend group meetings to learn "how to teach" them to read. I am so happy with Tristan's teacher, she is very much into getting the parents involved with everything. This is going to be new for me too cause I am more of a numbers girl and have never really gotten into reading and writing. (Hence my really bad spelling and grammar) Growing up I would go through stages and still now, if I start a really good book I find it hard to put down but if it takes too long to get into it I lose interest very quickly. (So much easier just to hire the movie!!!)

Silly me volunteered to sew some mystery bags for the the class the other day (instead of show and tell the children take the bag home, put something special in it, then they pass it around and the other children have to guess what is in the bag by asking lots of questions) Now I am sewing 30 hessian name tags together. But I have to admit it was a great excuse to get my sewing machines out of the cupboard and put them into the Horn sewing cabinet I got last week second hand for $50 it even has the lifter shelf. I have taken photos but my batteries just went flat so I will post photos next time.

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

Week 2 Photo

Instead of the photo a day challenge I am doing a photo a week challenge for myself. So here is a photo of me at 11pm sitting in front of the computer and just realizing I was due to update my blog.

Once again I forgot my camera. Tristan had a teddy bear picnic on this morning and all of the kids had a ball. Tristan ate so much sugar today he was beaming all afternoon. I am so lucky the teacher's aide is doing a photo disk for each of the kids this year cause otherwise I would have missed out on some fantastic photos.

Thanks to Gigi for tagging me AGAIN.... lol that's ok I don't know if I have 8 random & interesting??? facts about me today. Lets see if my brain is switched on.

1. I wear ugg boots permanently during winter & thongs all summer, when I studied at TAFE (2005) I had to buy a pair of shoes that covered my toes for work place health and safety cause I didn't own any other than my high heel boots.

2. I have changed all of the washers in all of the taps in my house, and replaced the toilet cistern, and pulled out and put in a new laundry basin. Domestic / Renovator goddess!!

3. I have a black cat named SWEET

4. I met my husband and started dating when I was only 16. We got married when I was 20 and had our first baby when I was 24.

5. I am the vice-president of the Pacific Paradise State School P&C. (and have no idea what I am doing)

6. My favourite colour is purple.

7. I wear a size 10 shoe.

8. I love to drive.

There you go not very exciting. I am not going to tag anyone cause I have seen this tag on every one's blogs that I visit.

Have a great weekend

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

Back to school

Tristan's first day back at school after the holidays and I got called up to pick him up early because he tripped over a chair while trying to jump it and landed on his head on the concrete. This photo doesn't do the massive lump any justice, it is very impressive!!! Poor baby he was so good about it and hasn't complained all afternoon. I think I will sleep with him tonight to make sure he is OK.
The rest of the photos are from our trip to the Remote-control plane show we went to on the week end. I am still amazed at how much control these guys have over the planes and how much money they spend (us scrappers have nothing to worry about compared to these guys) one of the planes cost $40 000!!!! Can you believe it?
My hair is starting to settle down, I am still not happy but another couple of weeks and it would have grown enough to go and get it done properly.
Only 17 more sleeps until my retreat. Very exciting!! :)

Love Always
Tanya xxxooo

Bad Haircuts and no car

Sorry I didn't realize that it had been so long since I had blogged, I have been reading everyone else's blogs and commenting but didn't even think of visiting my own. Thanks for the nudge Bec!!

Well for the last two weeks I have been CAR-less. I was supposed to get it back Tuesday / Wednesday but I didn't get it back until 4pm Thursday. Although it has been good, having an excuse to stay at home for once, but very difficult being school holidays. One good thing is that if you cant go anywhere it limits your spending, something I should be working on anyway. We still managed a couple of ventures out, and a bus ride that Tristan thought was just dandy.

Plus Wednesday we had an interesting visit from Gigi and her two boys Mackinley and Rainer, lets just say I think Gigi and I needed a bottle of wine each at the end of that day!! How can two boys get along so beautifully and then instantly NOT??? (Tristan and Mackinley) Age old question ARE BOYS REALLY FROM MARS???

As for the Haircut........ OMG!!! I am so disappointed I LOVED my last haircut and agonised over staying short or growing it out and finally I decided on getting it cut again. Now this is the stupid part!! instead of going back to the hairdresser (1/2 hour drive away) who did the beautiful cut I went to the local hairdresser who only does cuts and you don't need an appointment. Easy hey. Well I took in photos and everything but ended up with a cut that looks nothing like my last one. The one thing I kept stressing to her is I don't want it to look like someone stuck a bowl on my head and cut around it!! But alas it does. Luckily my hair grows fast. One good thing is that I have finally gotten rid of all of the Red from when I dyed it last year. Horrible photo this was taken just after I walked out of the salon. NOT HAPPY JAN!! I'm sure in a couple of months I will look back on this and laugh.

So there you go Bec this is my DAY 1 photo (Yuk) but I think instead of doing a photo a day I might do a photo a week at least until my hair grows enough to go and get it styled properly.

LOVE ALWAYS

Tanya xxxooo

School Holidays

Well it is Saturday night and Michael and the boys have just got home from watching the Transformers Movie at the cinema and they are all very excited so I have retreated to the computer because I can not get a normal word out of them.





Can you believe it is school holidays and I have NO CAR. I put it in on Monday for an insurance approval (just some old body work) and they rang me and said do you mind if we start it now I OK'ed it thinking it would be a couple of days but I am not getting it back until next wednesday!!! Lucky everyone has been willing to come and visit us or come and pick us up.





Tomorrow, middle of the school holidays and a Sunday at that and I have a P&C meeting. Then on Monday I have a Fundraising meeting I thought on school holidays I wouldn't have to worry about any of this stuff, like I have a life anyway?!? LOL





Today I went to a "Scrapbook wholesalers closing down sale" (they have been closing down for about 6 months now) I got heaps of albums!! 8x8 $4 and 12x12 $7 and $10 nice albums too not just plain vinal ones. So now I have no excuse but to put all of my finished pages into their albums. PMSL like that will ever happen.

I leave you with this beautiful photo of my boys. Tristan grabbed Seth the other day and said mum quick take a photo of us. Poor Seth had no choise in the matter. Just love them to bits!!!

Love Always

Tanya xxxooo

P.S. The count down is on until the Scrapbook City Retreat only 4 weeks to go. Very excited!!!