FRESH

How awesome and inviting do these babies look???????????????? We went to Donnybrook today and stocked up on their absolutely beautiful, fresh, straight from the growers paddock to you produce, I am in lurrrvvve with the look of these fruit and vegies, everything you pick up is crisp and snap fresh. OHHHH it doesnt get anymore divine than that almost beats chocolate in my eyes. I am very envious of the people who live in Donnybrook and get to shop fresh for this whenever they please. You just can't beat it but I guess I am very grateful that I can go that way to deliver Keelan and indulge every 3 weeks. We usually crunch our way home with the Pink lady apples as they are the best in our eyes. LOL.

That is the most exciting thing of my day really, the kidlets played up a storm while their Aunty and Cousin stayed, they really love to prove how bad a parent I am when we have company, little darlings they are. Zay nearly needed stitches to his back this morning when he fell on a broken handle on his cupboard and opened his back up with the exposed screws and D.H.'s comment tonight, " mmmm I have been waiting for that to happen" durr why has it taken you so long to fix it??????????????? Before that they had been really running amok being silly and I had just been in and threatened war but the giggling and antics kept going and so Zay came off second best. Seriously I am starting to dread having visitors these days for fear of what the terrible trio are going to think up to do, they just plot how to be really bad and with Tim's family they really don't have to do much before I cop an earful about how they should be raised and all the wrongs that are happening. After they have visited I am ready to scream, they upset me so much by the constant critisism, of course being that they are so perfect they just don't see what reality is like. I guess you could say I was the wife they never thought he would end up with, of all the girlfriends he had and believe me their were heaps, I was probably the least likely they would have picked for him but hey it happened and I am here and we all can't do too much about it now. I just wish I was strong enough to put them in their place and not take it all on board.

Well moving right along that was the vent I really needed, tomorrow is dedicated to book covering and getting everything ready to walk out the door come Monday morning. I hope to recover from Today's episode enough to tolerate cooking with the kidlets over the weekend and get my life SWEET again. I think a day at the day spa and a hair makeover would do wonders for me right now, ohhhhh a girl can dream can't she!!!!!!!!!!
Take care, Trace.

EXHAUSTED but impressed!

Hi
Our weekend has been very busy, trying to squeeze every moment out of each hour. Saturday Tim worked and Keelan had a friend come in the arvo for a sleepover, Zay and I hit the shops early to grab our Aussie food for the BBQ that evening and the kidlets enjoyed that when Tim came home and cooked it for us.

Sunday we got out in the garden early, Tim had 3 trailer loads of stuff already to take out the tip from our major effort the week before and then I started out the front, pulling out loads of fern that had gone wild and cutting back dead limbs from palms, then Tim joined me once he had caught up on the tip loads and we started chopping down things again until I had to stop and give everyone lunch and then take Keelan's mate home on the way to drop him off with his Dad, when I returned over 2 and half hours later it was a lot warmer but Tim urged me to join him again even though I nearly crawled out the car as my back had ceased up. We got stuck into it again and then I ran a huge bath with relaxing body shop bubble bath and then ended up with 3 kidlets in with me also and Tim turned the spa on and before we knew it we disappeared into bubble land LOL. I had to keep hold of Zay for fear of loosing him in the bubbles. It is funny how something so simple makes kids so happy, we talked Tim into jumping in on his own as he was really dirty and he got the peace and quiet, typical isn't it. LOL. But it did wonders for my back, I could walk freely again.

Today we got back out and finished digging out Banana trees and banksia trees etc. I think we got about 12 banana trees out, they just get so messy, the possums will only have 2 banana trees left now. So I have a lot of free space to plant some new plants in and I just have to keep the ferns at bay. My azaleas and fuchias can now get more sunlight and water. Not a very exciting weekend when we know lots of people have camped and celebrated with Family etc. But we really just had to get it done and the satisfaction is always a bonus, don't think my poor fingers could stand to pull another thing out for a while but. LOL. Tomorrow will be house cleaning as the kidlets have had the run of the house while we have been busy and it shows it big time. We have visitors staying tomorrow night so I need it spic n span again.

Well must get this tired body to bed, boy it feels really old and cranky today, it has had a fair workout this weekend that is for sure. Take care, Trace.

McQueen mad kid.

Hi
I posted a while ago about adding all Zay's new Lightening McQueen goodies to his room and this is how it look now, he is so happy with it, he has watched this movie until he has worn it out and I mean literally, so he is so wrapped sleeping with McQueen each night. LOL. Keelan asked him tonight if he wants to swap beds but he is not budging from his McQueen room. If you are wondering why he has a rope in his toy box well he just loves ropes, he ties up his cars and tows them and he can perfectly bundle it together in loops like his Dad does, it is just a funny connection he has with rope, I think he was a cowboy in another life. LOL.

Had coffee with a girlfriend today and the kidlets got to play with their friends so that was great. Keelan is having his friend over tomorrow night for a sleepover so he is excited about that, Sunday he is off with his Dad in the arvo so we will be getting gardening done bright and early before the heat and before Keelan has to be dropped off. Next week we have Tim's sister and son coming to stay and then when Keelan comes back later in the week it will be time to get books covered and everything marked. The kidlets are getting more excited each day and the girls ask each morning is it school day yet, Keelan thinks they are totally off the richter scale but hey I am not knocking the enthusiasm in fact I can feel a little of it creeping in myself. LOL.

I have haircuts booked for next Saturday and another catchup with another Girlfriend so my days for the countdown of school return are filling up rather fast. I am getting very used to sleep ins so that may take some getting over however I will welcome a home that stays clean for most of the day. Just Zay left home with me this year so that will be a big change for me but I am looking forward to one on one time with him in between study and housework and have promised him coffee and shake mornings with just us 2 by the beach.

Have a great Australia Day tomorrow, it is great to be an Aussie and live in this truly amazing wonderful country with space, freedom, unreal beaches and countryside. I am a proud Aussie through and through.
Take care. Trace.

Catch up day.

Hi
This is pretty much what the kidlets have done this morning, apart from cleaning the patio up for me they are now vegging out of the heat and after our busy garden clean up days it is a welcome change. Today I am feeling very stiff and sore from all the digging, raking, pulling up of plants and loading the trailer etc. Keelan thought he was going with his Dad today but as yet he has heard nothing from him so we are still in the air about his plans. I have cleaned up inside this morning although looking at these 4 on the lounge and all my cushions on the floor you would not think so. LOL.

This layout was done early last week but I am not sure if the heading would be picked up as" Bedtime Divas Love fun." It was a fun layout to do and I really enjoyed using my stamps, I will certainly be doing lots more stamping with my layouts and the felt border they look great and I have heaps to use up in lots of different colours and patterns but they are a challenge to put on. LOL.

This is a double layout, the second page looks all crooked but it was the way I had it sitting up, it looks straight IRL. Making memories brads sure a easy to use, the little flower brads in the middle of the flowers are Making memories, will be looking out for more of their brads. These papers are making memories too, they are pretty colours IRL.
The kidlets are creating so I am off to supervise and scrap at the same time. Mum and I thought we would scrap or make cards over the weekend and the past few days but our plans got turned on their head and she ended up bringing her stuff for a ride for nothing so I am going to spend some time today getting a few more layouts done, well that is the plan we will see what happens. Take care and stay cool, its a hot one!!
Trace.

Busy with life and Stuff.

Hi
I was doing so good with my posts but life got really busy over the weekend and really hasn't stopped, the Go karts made the male gender of this household very happy over the weekend although the 1st race had me biting my nails and not wanting to look due to a crazy driver who wanted to run over our men. Too much for Mum and I to watch so we left before they had their second race but Keelan did well and was happy to be racing again as was Tim and Brad (Brother).

Sunday we started a yard cleanup so Mum and Dad's caravan would fit under the carport, that led to Dad having to raise the height of the carport and then major garden changes happened after that, we have chopped down some trees and have a new garden bed to beautify but after about 4 loads to the dump this Sunday we will start chopping back out the front, the Lady who used to own this house planted trees and shrubs so close together and although it is private it has all become too boxed in. So we still have a long way to go.

Today has been a really sad day with Heath Ledger passing away. We know the family from Speedway many years ago and I just thought he was such a talented actor so it is really tragic to be taken so young when he had so much more to give us, another good guy gone!!!

School holidays are going great but the kidlets are getting bored and I feel bad that I have not been able to give them a pleasant break away by the coast and time to really chill as a Family it gets hard trying to fill in time with not a lot of choices other than home, home and home.
I have some layouts I did early last week so I will hopefully get them on here tomorrow.
Take care
Trace.

Water Babies

With the really hot weather we have ATM the kidlets have been living it up big in the spa, the girls especially can't get enough and Zay is getting more confident all the time. They have been playing all sorts of games from mermaids, Trin is big on Aquamarine movie ATM to surf rescue so they have been rescuing each other, they are like prunes but they are cool and having so much water fun.

Rainee is rescuing Trin, note the look of underlying worry on Trin's face. LOL. I have been busy doing lots from scrubbing my ensuite from top to bottom, where does all the dust and fluff come from in a week??? to going through old scrappy mags which I do annually and throwing out more stuff. I have scrapped which I will share tomorrow once I have added a bit more to a double page l.o. and yesterday I got out the DAS moulding clay and we all created fun things. Trin is quite an artist with the things she can mould together, she made penguins and people and birds. Zay had multi coloured snakes and he just had fun standing on it and running around with it stuck to his foot. Rainee made buttons and faces and Keelan threw a sad and didn't want to join in although he really did but his pride wouldn't let him. (sigh).

Zay's bedroom had an overhaul, I now have his toys in his new McQueen toy box and his new doona cover on, just wish it would stay neat and tidy like it is now. Keelan now wants a new doona cover, he wants McQueen too but I think at 11 we may look at other options. Shopping in the morning and then I have to get some beds ready for Mum and Dad coming on the weekend for Go karts and clean the scrap room up AGAIN, it is a never ending story cleaning this room, I live for the day I can have it all in marked boxes and have enough storage space. Does everyone else need a major clean up after a few layouts??? I definitely need to put some pennies away for more albums and some of these trendy new storage containers. Well sorry about the all over the place post, just updating my all over the place life I guess. LOL. Take care Trace.

Jigsaw finished!

Hi
The kidlets and I finished the jigsaw today, I have to add that Tim picked this jigsaw out and although it showed a scene on the front it was not the same scene as on this jigsaw, I think they all got a bit drunk at the fair and the vicar and his wife are the ones at the front horrified. LOL. Luckily the kidlets have not really picked up what it was all about, they only gave you a few clues on the box but I just tend to do jigsaws by looking for pieces, Tim on the other hand wanted to refer to something all the time. It was fun and we all have had our goes at it, mainly me as I am an addict once I start but I will miss having it to do at night, Keelan is trying to find another one he thought he had so we can get that started.

We picked the kidlets up on the weekend, it was great to see them and they have missed each other as well, I feel very refreshed and happy to have them all home and I have not found it too different with the work load, I think they all tend to occupy each other more with 4 than with 2 of them. Zay has bonded with Keelan's skateboard today and for 3 he is amazing, I dont know the lingo like Keelan but he has Zay balancing up on 1 end already as well as other tricks. He is more of a dare devil than Keelan was at that age, I just take a deep breath and look the other way sometimes. eeeckks.

I am getting asked now what is happening tomorrow so I have my thinking cap on for things we can do this week to keep them occupied and happy, there is plenty here to do but we will have to have some outings along the way. I hope to get some layouts done this week, Mum and I did an OTP on the weekend and Keelan did one also and they turned out great, we also made some cards Saturday night, Mum's card group Ladies each make 12 cards a year to donate to the hospital shop for them to sell so I made 2 of each of mine and gave them to her to help her reach her 12, Keelan also made cards with us and did a fantastic job, I will have to share his cards with you but we are going to finish them off on the weekend when Mum is here, they just need to be stamped with greetings. Enough from me now. Have a happy Tuesday, Take care. Trace.

Happy Birthday Mikayla Marie,

Big Happy Birthday wishes going out to my Niece Mikayla today, have a great Day honey and I am glad you have 2 of your cousins with you to celebrate, have some party food for us.
I took Trin and Zay to the movies this morning to see Alvin and the chipmonks. The kidlets munched away on popcorn and M&M's the whole movie!! When we got into the cinema I sat back on the chair and said to Zay "Ahh I might have a sleep now," he quickly and very loudly replied "No sun is out outside, you not go to sleep Mum." So I asked why I couldn't sleep if the sun was out, to which he replied "You no sleep when sun is out Mum, you sleep only when it is dark." now I know why he roars at me so loud if I happen to sneek a Nana nap some days, the sun is still out. Out of the mouth of a 3 year old, they really have it all worked out dont they.

I have caught up on ironing in the heat of the day (fruitcake) but it had to be done but someone who dislikes being hot I sure know how to subject myself to more heat. Especially for near on 2 hours. Another thing I decided about myself today is that if I dislike ironing as much as I do why do I buy clothes that require so much ironing, nearly everyone of my going out clothes is an ironing job. Really don't have that one worked out too well. I guess I buy what looks nice to my eye instead of hunting for the non iron garments. Well better go and drink another gallon of water, I am on a detox ATM so no goodies entering my mouth, the headache started today and that whole distant feeling you get when the body has to sort itself out, but I am already feeling more energetic which is why I really need to persist with it, low carbs and no chocolate which kills me but I have to get myself back on track with things, 2008 is my year to get off the excess kilos I have gained from my last 3 pregnancies and with a better body I am hoping to also have a clearer mind, so sick of fuzzy heads and loss of brain function IYKWIM. Study starts for me in Feb and want to be like a sponge and take it all in not have it all bounce off.
Well take care of you, Trace.

Missing these 2 enormously.

Hi

I am hanging out to see these 2 on Friday night. I don't know kidlets you can't sometimes live with them but you most definitely can't live without them. The jigsaw is coming along nicely, I should be saying the layouts are coming along nicely but it is nice for a change to focus on something different. Today I got Trin and we sorted out the girls rooms, far out they are terribly messy little creatures, I will not repeat the worst thing I found but Miss Rainee will be having a talking to when she returns. We now know who has light fingers in the house, Trin and Zay found all their little prized possessions in Rainee's basket, hidden in all nook and cranies, they just went mad when they started to find all their little goodies. LOL. Anyway it is now cleansed, dusted, polished and ready for the next mess they create in next to no time. We then started on Zaylan's room but thankfully his just needed a tidy up of toys, he doesn't tend to live in his room like the girls do at times. Although I think he is a part creator of the mess in the girls room as he is always with them.

Trin requested meat pancakes for lunch sometime this week so I got busy and made them some, they really enjoyed them and lucky for Tim they left him some. We had roast lamb last night just so I had cold meat to make them.We have had a T.V. free day today, I am so motivated to do housework with music playing so we have been rocking away to lots of different bands, Trin played Barbies this arvo while I did some jigsaw and Zay played with his cars, I will be getting strict on the T.V. watching this year as Trin will spend all day in front of it and is so grumpy by the end of the day so it is going to be limited.

Tomorrow morning we are off to the movies as I promised them today when they helped clean up, Trin got tickets for her Birthday and they are still on the fridge, they expire this month. That is about the only news around here ATM. Take care, Trace.

Totally delicious Weekend.

Hi
We had a great weekend, Saturday we did near to nothing, Keelan got a jigsaw for Christmas with no picture it's called a Wasgij and you just have to put it together without a picture, 1000 pieces and it has Tim and I hooked, I love doing Jigsaws but haven't done 1 since I was pregnant with Trinity so it was great sitting together talking for the afternoon and finding pieces, Trin would come over and find pieces everytime but she was too hooked on her movie to stay too long. Zay just played near us or with Trin on and off and Tim and I kept laughing quietly to ourselves at Zay's play talk when he plays with his Lightening Mcqueen cars. About 5pm we all had showers and got ready and went to Albies for tea which was wonderful to not cook for a change and enjoy some quality time with Trin and Zay.

Sunday Tim wanted to do lots but we needed coffee beans and decided we would take a trip to our favourite coffee place and get some more but the amount of people around made us re think our plans, Southbound was on this weekend and I think as soon as it finished everybody hit Dunsborough so we decided to grab the beans and then go to another favourite coffee place Yahava. It has changed since we were there last time and now they dont have a restaurant so we had a takeway coffee and the kidlets had a hot chocolate, the pics ab0ve in the collage show them trying to get their marshmallow, they had big chocolate faces when they finished. We then went to Lavender farm which is owned by a relative of Tim so he got to catch up with her and we had a lovely lunch and some yummy Lavender sparkling Rose', it was so relaxing and Trin got her scones which is what she was busting for and then we went for a walk around the lake and the lavender garden. The smell is just so divine, I have always loved burning lavender oil in the burner and used it in the baths for fevers and bites. Trin is a girl after my own heart, she just loved crushing some lavender heads and smelling them. We all floated home very relaxed and very very contented after our culinary delights. What paradise it is to live near all these wonderful places and we don't have to go far to get to them. The kidlets just loved exploring the gardens and watching the ducks at both places we went too, I know Keelan and Rainee would have loved it too, we will have to take them some place when they come home.

Today I have been back on the domestic front catching up with things and I am about to go and tackle the jigsaw again before I have to think about tea. Hope you are having great holidays with your kidlets, don't you love how they are back to their normal selves now with no school influences. I just love having the raw essence of them in the holidays. Take care and stay cool, Today is a hotty.
Trace.

First layouts for 08

Hi
I have been getting some photos to cardstock in the past week and these are the 3 layouts I have done. I really like how this one above turned out as I find it great to look how much a child can grow in 3 years, the feature changes etc that they go through I am now inspired to dig out the pics of the other children and complete a 3 year growth layout for them also. Especially these young years where they grow like little mushrooms.

This is my little latest nephew who is such a little angel, this was the first time we saw him, I got the sewing machine out for this layout but it decided it wanted to give me lots of unwanted loopy grief but I managed to get it finished and then swore at myself for forgetting how much sewing machines and I don't like each other. LOL.

This layout I went all out I guess with buttons, bling, flowers but I sometimes struggle to know how to complete these pages with so much already on them but Trin has just informed me it is so "pretty"so I guess it appeals to my 6 year old. Check out the funky buttons in such delish colours, Mum and I went to spotlight before we came home last week and they had just unpacked new packs of buttons in great new colours, these funky colours and new shabby chic ones plus some gorgeous pastel novelty ones, which I just saw has little teddies in that I could have added to Marcus' layout so cute so if you are going to spotlight don't forget to see the new range they have, I was really glad I stretched the budget to get them as when I checked the docket they had nearly $3 knocked off them so that was a bonus.

Glad Tim is home tomorrow for the weekend, we need more coffee beans so we will take the kidlets out for a drive tomorrow to the coffee house and buy some more and then might go and check out some sights while we are at it otherwise we will stay around here and work the day away. Have a great weekend all.
Take care, Trace.

Some more grey hairs.

Hi
This is Keelan's Dad's new bike and for Christmas Geoff got him a new helmet so now they are free to be "Born to be wild" and I am trying not to gain any new grey hairs each time they go for a ride. Boxing Day they went to the beach on the bike and I would love to see Keelan covered in leather gear however he probably would have fainted from heat exhaustion which would have had a dire outcome so I had to accept him in jeans and tee shirt. I would have expected this worry when he was a lot older however he is only 11 and I have to just take a moment and pray he is returned safe when he leaves on the bike. I just hope he keeps his dream alive to buy a ute when he gets his licence in years to come and not get the taste for the bike or I will literally be snow white.

Of course the girls think it is cool as does Zaylan and Rainee even said when they went on the bike "Gee I wish I had a Dad like that". LOL. Just what her Mother would need, seeing all 4 of her Children on a bike.

I went and caught up with a Friend this morning who is having a holiday with her Family here ATM and we had a lovely coffee and catch up. Then we took Trin and Zay to the park for a while and chatted more and then we went back to the pool at the park she is staying at and the kidlets had a swim, they loved it and didn't want to come home but they were pretty tired when we finally did leave, came home and had late 2pm lunch and I cleaned up a bit so it was a lovely day and we have finished it off with pizza for tea tonight. These holidays are so laid back, I am not stressing about the house work just getting enough done and generally being laid back about everything just wish we had a pool here as my kidlets would live in it. It is our dream for next summer for them to have a pool, hopefully we can get something sorted out and make it happen over winter.
Off to read my book for a while. Take care and hope you are having a lovely relaxing holiday even if you are at home.
Trace.

Last of the Christmas gifts.

Hi
This is the wall hanging I made for Dad, it is for his workshop as he sells the little cars in the picture which come from USA and the kidlets are in my racing suits from all those many many years ago, Mum made them for me as we have been a long time Speedway Family with Dad having his own Speedcar to Dad and the boys being pit crew for Tom Watson for many years so these pics have many memories for Dad as well as his current business. He has the cutest Brum car for sale which the kids are so set on having, they are the old pedal type cars and so well made and put together, Zay hates getting out of them. The little Go kart stamp is Dad's business logo. I mod podged the lettering so it wont lift off, these frames came from a King kong like business that is here for $2 and they are so great to decorate up, really good quality and they take a little bulk on the layout and you could even paint or mod podge a napkin border around the pine or just left raw looks great also as the flat edge allows you to put things around it like lettering or the tools like on Dad's. They are just such great gift ideas and so fun to do, the ideas for them are endless, I have another couple here to do something with, even a theme for a child's bedroon would look great.

This is the one I did for my Aunty, my Children are her Great Nieces and Nephews yet she treats them just as wonderful as she ever treated us, she loves spoiling Children and it is hard to know what to get her so I thought having the kidlets to look at on her wall would be a good idea. I loved how this turned out, want to have one for our house now. First time I used the felt border and it took a bit of time and patience getting it all on straight and perfect, anyone used it and have any good tips about it?? Seeing as I have packets of it to use up. LOL. Sorry the pics of it are not the best, whatever way I took it the light wanted to shine across it.

So that is the end of my Christmas gifts and I have a couple of layouts tomorrow to post. I can't believe how quiet the house is now we have 2 children home, I think we will go for a drive this arvo to get the kidlets out of the house, Tim is back to work tomorrow, it seems to have flown by his time off and we have been busy catching up on things here as well as our break in Perth. He sold his ute yesterday which he is sad about, he has owned it for about 11 years and for now he will have to drive the Astra when he needs a car until we can get him something else down the track.

We had a quiet New Years, but I guess when you get older and have kidlets the thought of a hangover the next day is certainly no longer appealing. Have a great New Year Day all and take care
Trace.