One fast week.

Well this was a fast week seeing as Easter took some of it. LOL. I think I will outline each day:

Wednesday the kiddos were back at school so it was into cleaning and catching up in the house, I had a window cleaner Man come and while he was here I was equally as busy inside, he did a great job both inside and outside of the windows, I love clean windows but unfortunately once the next wind blows they will start to get dirty again. sigh. Never mind it was worth it.
Got the kiddos from school, went to Bunnings to get a mini axe for Keelan to do edges with and then Trin and I got caught in the plant section, we came home with 10 new plants and as the arvo felt so Autumn I got the kiddos outside and Keelan started chopping out some palms I didn't want in the front garden and Rainee, Zay and I planted the new plants and then I started ripping out and cutting back, in between I was running Keelan to Tae kwon do and picking him up an hour later and Tim came home as I was sweeping the carport and got him inspired to help so we are in the middle of a garden overhaul at the front, I will take photos on the weekend when we get it finished. More plants needed and more pulling out needed. Plus I need a new garden feature, stay tuned..............................

Thursday I had to do some jobs around town and with Zay at daycare and no more study to worry about I took the opportunity to meet my Girlfriend at noon for lunch by the beach, what a glorious day it was down at the ocean. We had a great catch up and with so many tourists around we felt like one ourselves, having time to just chat and enjoy our afternoon. Oh and carrot cake to die for.............. No wonder I am a chubba............LOL.

Today was morning tea with the Mum's in Rainee's class so we had coffee at the Dome, then home to get some cleaning done, Keelan helped me make Lasagne this arvo for tea and that was yummo, took me half the time with him helping so that was fantastic. I am spending lots of quality time with Keelan ATM as he is still sorting out lots of personal stuff with his Dad so he needs a lot of my support, we are slowly getting all the cards on the table but my heart breaks for him when he is the innocent party going through stuff he really shouldn't have to be and in such an important school year for him it just makes it all the harder. He is growing up and starting to get stronger in his decision making and I am really proud of him for that. This is a bit cryptic I know but I need to respect his privacy with this stuff.

Tomorrow is Dancing open day so I am anxious to see what my little Trin can do, Sunday is the last day of Surf club so the kiddos have their break up party to look forward too. Sunday arvo could be busy too but I think by then we will be looking for home.

I really want to get my scrap room sorted this week and get creating again, now I have a lot of natural light coming in the room due to the big garden hack back so it will be nice to get some time in here during the day.
Have a great weekend, take care
Trace.

Fun, full on, crazy Easter.

These pics are all I have to show for Easter, how poor is that, this is Saturday for Tim's Birthday celebration with his Family. They are really wacky shots some of them but shows how much fun they were having, you would think with another 3 adults in the house someone might offer to take a photo of us all but no it never happens. Next time I will have to request it.

Sunday was our 6th Anniversary and I had these lovelies delivered to the door on Saturday from my D.H. Lots of my favourites in there especially the orchids.
Mum and Dad arrived Sunday morning, the kiddos were so unbelievably contained with their Easter goodies, they woke up about 7am and played in their rooms and lined up each little bundle and that is how I found them at 8am, untouched and not 1 eaten. They still have heaps left in their baskets and have been very moderate in their indulging. I didn't take 1 photo of Easter with Mum and Dad, grrrr I was not switched on, I think Good Friday I wore myself out cleaning up a storm, we all literally worked all day, the kiddos had their rooms to tend to which pretty much took Rainee all day with all the whinging and whining thrown in more than any action and we just got into other jobs inside and out that we never manage to get done. It was lovely to enjoy it all clean and gleaning for the next few days. Easter Sunday arvo we went to the park with arvo tea, cricket bat, soccer ball and bread for the ducks and spent a few hours enjoying the glorious afternoon and having a game of cricket which Dad just had us all in fits of laughter with, I seriously needed some of those batting techniques photographed, darn it. Trin just loved the ducks and spent most of her time just watching them.

We came home had a mini session and nibblies and then later tea. Monday we went into town after morning tea for a wander around window shopping, there is something great about spending money but on the flip side it is also great to not spend any, we saw these adorable Golly wogs and I thought great I might get the girls one each, "Mum how much is that golly wog near you?" Mum said "OMG try $90" geez they are still in the shop. Might have to hunt my own pattern out and make them myself. We headed home then and had lunch and mid arvo Mum and Dad headed off, we then got busy again with things.

Today has been low key, no visitors just ironing to catch up on and the kiddos have had fun playing in their tree cubbies they have made. Keelan has 3 assignments due this week so I have been helping him with them on and off and the others should be exhausted, lots of tree climbing and bike riding. Tim was back at work today and tomorrow is back to school for the kiddos.

I have made a big decision to pull out of my Uni course, it has been hard but I know I am missing so many other things I love to do and a lot with the kiddos due to having to spend any precious time I can studying and this is for the next 3-4 years. I am sad but also realistic about it and I am looking forward to being able to get back into my creating side of life with layouts etc. I am sure other things will present when the time is right and I will give myself the chance to get over some hectic years I have put in recently and just enjoy this time.
Well I think that is pretty much it for now, have a great short week and take care
Trace.

Happy Birthday Tim.

Hi
Happy Birthday to my one and only, hope you have had the best day possible and enjoy your lovely goodies from the Family.

We have had Tim's folks and Sister here today for lunch and all the goodies that go with it, nibblies, BBQ and salads and mini pavs with cream, strawberries, passionfruit and chocolate shavings on top and Chocolate Birthday cake I made this morning. Shared with nice wine and finished with Cappo so it was a very delicious Birthday that is for sure.

Mum and Dad are coming tomorrow to stay for a night so we will be indulging once again in great culinary delights and having our share of Chocolate I am sure. So lucky I have been doing lots and lots of spring cleaning (I even have the sore arms to prove it) just to burn off some of these calories I will be having over Easter weekend.

Tomorrow is also our 6th Wedding Anniversary and I got a lovely arrangement of flowers delivered to the door Today which are so lovely. Ahhhhh HE LOVES ME. LOL.

Well I don't know if anyone drops by anymore, between study and housework and kiddos life keeps me busy in many other areas these days but if you do, I wish you and your Family the very Happiest of Easters and stay safe and sound. Oh and hang the calories eat all the chocolate you can get your hands on. LOL.
Take care
Trace. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

No rest for the wicked.

What a crazy busy weekend it has been which topped off a pretty busy week really, Zay and I went shopping out of town again on Friday and we had a great day together, it is so nice and refreshing to save up and go and have a splurge when new season stuff is coming in, I badly needed some essentials and Zay was just so patient and perfect the whole time I shopped. Friday arvo at 5.30pm my Girlfriend came over with 2 of her kiddos for drinks and nibblies which was really nice after a busy day. Saturday was the dancing taxi stuff, it is great to have an older responsible child now to leave the little ones home with while I run Trin to dancing, I left them with jobs to clean up the kids room.

Saturday Tim worked and got home about 3.40pm and then we had to be at Friends for tea at 5.30pm, it was another lovely relaxing get together. Sunday no one wanted to get up but we had to be at Surf club by 9.30am so we had to get going again, I should have had my camera with me as it was a perfect day for taking pics and a heap of luxury boats came in the bay and then had a race down the coast. Geoff came and took Keelan out to lunch so they were here on and off, Trin had a ride on the bike and loved it, Zay started off wanting to go but chickened out as did Rainee, so Trin who will try absolutely anything went for a ride around the block, she thought it was great fun. Trin is more like Tim in the way she will just jump in and have a go, Zay and Rainee are more like me, they will talk themselves out of it before they give it a go. Trin will certainly get to experience more in her lifetime that is for sure, I admire her courage and stength so much. Tim got a trailer load of new sand for the kidlets so they spent yesterday arvo moulding and creating in the sandpit (pics above).

So that was the end of our weekend, I have to say I am so looking forward to Easter, a break from all sport and I get to see my Hubby for 4 days, YAY. We still have a busy Easter break planned but at most will be at home so that will be lovely and we have Keelan this year so we can have an egg hunt and lots of fun with our Kidlets.
Take care, Trace.

A peaceful house.

Hi,
Today I am enjoying getting into some study while I have the house to myself. I started study this morning with a whirlpool of emotions churning around inside about things going on around here ATM and as I have read each chapter of my module I have found so many answers in the text to what I have been feeling and now I feel like a huge cloud has been lifted from me. I have so many answers to things going on with me right now that I am buzzing. I guess this course is really what I need in my life and by the time my 3 years are up I will have gained so much knowledge about ways to improve not only myself but my own Family, Relationships and Friendships.

The layout above is one I started at the end of the school holidays and never got completed until last Saturday. It was the most challenging layout I have ever done and mucked up considering it was the last week of the school holidays and the kidlets were at each others throats by that stage, everytime they had a blow up about something I stuck something in the wrong place or cut it wrong. So I am mixed about the result and the weather here today is dull and windy so wherever I have tried to take a photo the flash has come on, outside the wind blew the layout down and inside the flash came on but you get the picture. LOL.

I want to share an inspiring speech I read today in class notes from Nelson Mandela.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous - talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There's nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure about you.

We were born to make manifest the glory that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

1994 Inaugural speech, Nelson Mandela.

I have a copy of this going on my fridge to be read everyday.

Hope you are having a great day.
Take care, Trace. xxx

Sometimes I really suck at being a Mother.

Hi
Okay so as I posted yesterday, Today was about Keelan having a total pickup and forget about the issues of adult arguments he has faced lately when visiting his Father. Cool, had a great Day, caught up with Nana and Grandad even more special, he, like Zay wanted to go home with them, because they have it all right you see My folks married for nearly 42 years, HAVE IT RIGHT, they have a loving marriage, not too many ups and downs, pretty smooth most of the time and I really only recall 1 time they had a tiff around us and we were like teenagers. SO THEY HAVE IT RIGHT, the way to raise well adjusted Kids without ever showing faults in their Marriage as they really dont have any.

So moving on, the day was great, we made it back to school for the Girls by the skin of our teeth, Keelan has his Soccer gear total, everything on his wish list ticked off plus more. All was going good till he wore his new casual canvas shoes outside (white I might add) to take out the rubbish bins and water some pot plants for me. When he came inside I asked if his shoes got dirty and when he showed me they had which then upset me as he has work boots for dirty outside jobs, so I sounded my major displeasure about it and then went along preparing tea feeling very disgruntled about the affair and then I notice Husband is home a bit later, obviously they had a dry throat so had to purchase a roadie on the way home (he car pools so he can enjoy it being a passenger) and then other events unrolled and kept unrolling that mixed in with me being tired and hormonal just had those feelings of Mt. Wellington ready to erupt really but I just kept it inside, wanting it to remain a good day for Keelan.

Husband senses that my lack of talk about the day and the hostile air about me means I AM NOT HAPPY so continues to prod as to why which in the end off blows the top and the eruption comes, so we sit down for tea not talking and you see this doesn't bother the 3 little ones, they are resilient to this, they have not known Family breakup like Keelan so they really just don't even give another thought to the thick air but Keelan well you may as well just stab him in the heart, sensing we are not talking is too much and after I make comment to Trin to stop talking to Dad as he is not answering her, Keelan just bursts out "its all my fault that you had a fight, if I had not worn my new shoes outside and got them dirty, Mum would not have got in a bad mood and then she would not have had an argument with Dad". this he is saying fighting back the tears so that rips my heart out and I have to explain that it is not his fault and then I feel even worse, all I hoped to achieve today by taking his mind off the war zone on the weekend and I have just put him right back in that place. Then the phone rings and it's his Dad, TIMING!!! Not.

Tim broke his silence after that so did I and we got back on track as best we could but it does not make me feel any better now about it all. We have had time with him since and he has showed Tim his new Soccer gear and he seems happy again but sometimes I ask myself who are the kids in this house. Tim and I have had a big talk about things AFTER the kids went to bed and I realise we are by no means perfect and never will be but it still SUCKS big time that I put Keelan (when this house shoud be his safe place to fall) in that horrid state of feelings, I guess he would wonder why wherever he goes there is arguments and although he has told me many times Tim and I are nothing like what he experiences with his Dad it still doesnt make it right. Today was not even about trying to buy him it was just about giving him a great day to be loved and safe and important and to matter because he is often the last one I hear being the eldest and the one who asks the least. So I really have learnt my lesson and hopefully Tim too. Keelan has issues he battles with himself he doesn't need to feel like he has to own our issues.

Keelan has taught me so much since my first Marriage break up and the reason I left that marriage was because I didn't want him growing up in the environment he is in now when with his Dad. I can't protect him as much I truly want to, it is such a hard thing to do as a Mother, give that Child over to the Father for weekends and holiday visits, something I will never never not ever get used to nor ever really like doing but I just have to live with it, not that his Dad is a bad person because he isn't that is for sure, he just has major issues happening for him ATM. But no one can ever mend your sadness deep inside when you spend every second Christmas looking at your Family and your 1st Born is missing, Easter, Birthdays, Mothers Days, these will never ever be days I get back with him and I need to get every moment right that I have him, every damn single moment.
Take care
Trace. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Our Sunday Evening.

This is our Sunday evening, plus it is very rare to see Males in the kitchen in this house so I had to document their effort. LOL. Keelan and Tim cooked Bacon and Scrambled eggs for us for tea last night, they did a fantastic job, one that calls for a re run down the track. LOL.

We had the usual full on weekend, Keelan got back from camp Friday afternoon so we picked up the girls after school and flew home, Keelan had a shower and then we jumped in the car for 40 mins to take him to meet his Dad, he was pretty tired and didn't have much to say, he did however have a great time and experience and we keep hearing more as days go on. We got a call from him Friday night around 9pm, he wanted to come home, had the sads and was missing us. We then had a pretty upsetting call Saturday morning with him crying and with Tim working and Trin dancing and no one here to help the best I could do to pick him up was after Acrobatics for Trin in the afternoon. I ended up getting Tim to go and get him after work as he was already half way there. I was pretty emotional and sad for Keelan by then, he is just not very settled in his Dad's home life since an issue that happened in the December holidays and his life is in turmoil over it all. He loves his Dad with all his heart but he just can't deal with things his Dad has in his life so I am still unsure as to what Keelan will do about it, it needs to be his decision with this matter and Tim and I can only show him support, love and understanding.

Sunday was Surf club and his heart was not in it but he gave it a go, Trin had her usual ball even jumping off the jetty at the end which she asked if they could do. I did get some scrapping done on Saturday arvo, 1 layout finished and another nearly finished, will share soon. Sunday arvo was spent cleaning up and then was finished off with a lovely tea from Tim and Keelan.

Keelan, Zay and I are off for a day out tomorrow, we are going to meet Mum and Dad and have some time with them, he is really excited about that, I just want to lift his spirits ATM and hopefully get him back on track for a while. We need to get his soccer gear too so he is pretty happy about that. Zay has a cold so I had him up at 2.30am unsettled for an hour so he has just had a sleep to catch up on some rest, I feel pretty tired too but I have to keep moving along with things. Well better go and get kidlets from school.
Take care
Trace.

Still cruisin along.

Hi,
This week has been a little strange not having Keelan around in the morning, he is my little helper and I have missed him although we have managed to get out the door on time and I have had a pretty big week, especially yesterday, poor Zay was falling asleep eating his corn cob at tea time last night, I had him here and there and everywhere, dropping dog off for hair cut, girls to school then into town for shopping and banking, back in the car and home and unpack, back in the car and get my hair trim, off to pick the dog up, home for late lunch, back to pick up Girls and enrol Keelan into soccer then home and everything organised so I could talk live chat to my online teacher at 6pm. No wonder the poor little tike was exhausted. LOL.

Trin's comment book finally came home minus the horrid comment from Mrs Cranky Pants. She actually had a smile on her dial yesterday and Trin said she was a lot nicer, hence only a couple of boys played up, not a heap more of the kids. I am just glad I have the comment documented here and I knew before I took it back I should have made a copy.

Keelan is home tomorrow, can't wait to hear about his camp although I have to take him to his Dad's for the weekend so we will only have a little time with him. I guess I will pack a fresh bag and be left with the dirty camp clothes to wash for the weekend. LOL.

I have decided to give my course a go, I really have had personal war over it all but having a chat online to my teacher helped heaps last night and she did say our first assessment is a very hard one so if I make it through that I guess I am good to go ahead. I passed my first DB today and now have to get used to referencing everything and get this 2000 word assessment started. I just have such an interest in this field of work and it is really the only thing that is going to give me great job satisfaction so I am going to go for it. I just have to find time to scrap as I am really really missing scrapping and my blog is missing eye candy big time. Maybe I will make it a priority over the weekend. I had to keep my mind on study today and then I would wane off and start thinking of a layout. LOL. I have got it bad.
Well have a great weekend. Be back to chat soon, hopefully even get my camera out, it's about time for some more pics even. Take care
Trace.

Keelan's photos.

Keelan's photography.

Hi,
We had a pretty busy weekend, with Tim at work Saturday and Trin had dancing twice and Keelan went with surf club to a beach with big big waves. He came home pretty happy with the experience although he got a sore elbow when his mate collided with him on the surf ski.

Sunday was getting lots done around the house inside and out and then in the arvo we got ready and went to Bunbury Speedway for the Krikke boys tribute night. It was pretty bad for accidents all night, the big race was a nightmare just crash after crash, only 7 cars ended up being in the race. We left before the end as it was getting so late, we already had the 3 little ones asleep and had to wake them up for the long trek to the car, poor little tikes were shaking and not sure what planet they were on but the girls are too heavy to carry anymore.

Monday was more clearing up, had a great big sleep in which was great, spent about 4 hours studying. I am making a big decision ATM as to what I am going to do about this course. It is turning out to need a lot more time spent on it than I was initially told and I feel like I have to push everything else aside in order to do it, which includes Tim and the kids, something I dont think I am prepared to do for the next 3 years. I really think that I just need to have a bit of a break this year after having 3 babies in 3 years and get some time in for me, I miss my scrapbooking and although that will never create an income for me it is something that I really enjoy and find it is my outlet. Yesterday I made my mind up to quit but today I just can't bring myself to do it, so while I play this little war with myself about it all I am no closer to making a decision. I just know that Family time is precious and that by having to isolate myself away from Tim and kids with the little time we do have each week just seems a lot to ask.

Keelan went to camp this morning, I hope he has a great time and experience. Must go and get tea happening and baths etc. Take care
Trace.