Close to the surface......

Just had a lovely time with Martin (son) and Tambi and the kids. We went for a long walk, and the kids rode their bikes.
That's such a nice part of living where we do. We have lots of bike paths and places for the little ones to ride safely.
Then we had taco's and 'stuff' for dinner together.
Tambi had made a chocolate cake and I had made a whipped sort of dessert - all very yummy.
McKenzie (2.5yrs) was so funny. She had eaten plenty and there she was with this chocolate cake sitting right in front of her.
She lowered her head and stuck out her tongue and took a huge 'lick' from the icing of the cake.
It was sooooo funny. Except that her daddy growled at her and made her cry.
She was sooo cute. Tears and chocolate cake all over her face.
What a sweetie.
Just had a lovely email from Wendy who has been so supportive and a good friend to me through tuff times.
She has also experienced some of the same tuff things in her bid to support me and express her own feelings.
Sometimes you just wonder how things get to where they do.
Going over past stuff just brings all that horrible emotion back. It's still so close to the surface.
Just a wrong choice here, or there and you're somewhere where you never intended to go.
And lots of times I still have a big question. What did I do, exactly. Because I've never had it explained to me.
Oh well.......some questions are just going to remain a mystery....and life will continue on without the answers.
Time to go and watch some TV, relax and get my head straightened out again.

This week has been unremarkable, except that I had another birthday.
Doesn't seem so long ago since the last one!!!!!!!!!
I was very spoiled both by family and very unexpectedly by my new employers.
It's nice to feel accepted and that I fit in at my new job. I am meeting some really interesting people as they come in for treatment. Some people have such difficult lives and it makes me so aware that I am truelly blessed.
I worked extra hours this week as Narelle had some days off. So today, my day off I had a big nanna-nap.
I did work on a double birthday layout for a while but the desire and need for a sleep overcame the desire to scrapbook.
On Monday I go and see the neck surgeon/specialist about the big lymphnode lump that is still very evident in my neck.
I'm a bit nervous as I don't do well with the thought of surgery. I'm also still nervous with thoughts at the back of my mind asking questions as to why this lymphnode is still so enlarged and what is it reacting to. Even though biopsy tests indicate nothing sinister - I am looking forward to hearing what this specialist has to say about it.
Another busy weekend with Martin and Tambi and the kids coming over for dinner and an early bike-ride before eating.
Sunday is family dinner and I am making dessert.
I decided to look through these little Womens Weekly Menu Planner books I have owned for about 20yrs now.
They brought back memories of many meals we've had way before our kids were grown up. So for the first time in many years I have made a meal plan for the coming week. Something I used to do every week. Takes the guess work out of what to eat each day, and what to buy each week.
So, for dessert tomorrow night (after we eat taco's) I am going to make Flummery. My kids loved it - so now I'm going to introduce the grand-kids to it.
Think I'll be in the kitchen a bit more than usual tomorrow.

Enjoying the moment........

Again another busy week and weekend has passed.

Busy with working, busy with family, busy scrapbooking.

I have had a lovely weekend. My weekend always starts on a Friday which is lots of fun. I met Sarah (youngest daughter) at Southland and we shopped and browsed and enjoyed spending some rare time together.

Saturday was Monty's birthday party. Which was all go from the start. It was at Springers and they organise kids parties there. A lovely young man helped the kids play basketball games, soccer games and t-ball. It was heaps of fun for them all.

I am glad there isn't a party this week!!! Although, I could organise one, seeing as how it's my birthday next monday. But.....I think I'll pass on that idea.

The weekends seem to be more exhausting than the working week at the moment. I'm looking forward to maybe going to see a movie or something next weekend.

I think I've missed all the movies that I had wanted to see. Although The Kingdom looks good because I am a Jennifer Garner fan. Ex Alias etc.

I had some real relaxing fun doing a few scrapbook pages. Some new ones to put in the frames I have hanging all around my home.

One of Sahnie at her birthday party and one of India at Sahns party.

They are scraplifted, but I have no idea where from.

Sometimes I just browse around all different sites and print off layouts I like. Then later I forget where I got them from.

So, if they look familiar and you think they may be yours..........please know that I enjoyed copying them and am really happy with the results.

I am really enjoying being able to scrapbook however I want. After so many years of preparing classes and needing to think differently about planning layouts it's nice and relaxing to work with my photos in whatever way I feel at the time. Which often means just copying a basic design I like and then adding my own touch.

After a 10.5hr day it's time to relax and watch a bit of TV. I'm always glad when Monday is behind me because that's my longest day every week.

I got a nice complement at work today. I'm now part of the furniture. Although I know I am on a 3month trial it's nice to know that I am fitting in and doing the job well.

Pretty 2yr old

This is my beautiful little grandaughter Sahn at her 2nd birthday party. She wasn't too fussed about a lot of the games but she sure did love the chalk drawing on the balcony.
Sahnie I love your hair in the two little pig tails. You are such an adorable and cute little girl.
Despite the fact that you have some development delays you are changing all the time.
I see you expressing yourself differently and just getting a grasp on things at a much faster rate than you used to.
You love to keep up with the older kids and that's great because you learn to copy what they do. Even the naughtie stuff!!
Our third birthday party in a row this week - it was such a beautiful day that the children could play all the games outside.
they particularly loved the game of tying balloons to your ankles and whilst attempting to protect your own try to pop some one else's.
Andrea made a gorgeos cake for Sahnie. Really pretty. Pink and bows and flowers etc. Nice to see after having so many 'boys' birthday cakes around. I even got some scrapbooking done this weekend. A layout of Isaacs birthday and nearly finished one of India's birthday. Just ran out of time. At work today all the staff got their specially scanned for, orthotics. Pretty special working at a place where you get something worth about $300 for nothing. Especially when I've only been there for 6 weeks.
And mine are really comfortable too.
Off to Medicare today to claim some of those 'big' pathology/radiology bills. And then buy some new photopaper. I bought a pack of 50 last week and used them all!!! Mainly printing photos for the family. Because I usually am the only person taking photos I thought I'd share a few.
Time to go and dry my hair - it's drying by itself at the moment and that's not going to be a good look.

Just had to come back for a minute

I keep forgetting I wanted to post a couple of photos on my blog from Friday of last week.

Our weather has been really nice, but Friday last week we had this huge hail storm.

One of those ones that comes with furious wind and last about 10mts max.

I had to rush out and take some photos of course, because I could see a layout happening right before my eyes.

The funny thing was our little kittens. We opened the family room door, and called them. Both of them kept running up to us, but then kept running straight back into the garden and getting drenched. The poor little things didn't know what to do. The sound on the patio roof was so loud that they were just scared out of their wits.

When I did get them in I had to wrap them both up in towels to dry them off.

Fortunately they both recovered well from their exciting afternoon.

It's All Good........... nearly!

I have been sweating the results of two biopsies I had done on Tuesday. One on a huge lymph node in my neck and the other on a growth on my thyroid.
Well today Dr.Nick gave me the good news that neither have any cancer. Whoopee!!!!!!! Even though I felt confident that things would be OK, there was always a little niggling doubt in the back of my mind.
I still have to go and see a throat surgeon because he may want to do surgery on the lymph node, and maybe on the thyroid. Will wait and see what he says. I hope he doesn't want to do anything. That would suit me a lot more.
I have just printed out about 60+ photos. Some to give to family members and others for me to scrapbook. I think I spend more time organising myself to scrapbook, than actually scrapbooking.
The photos are all of recent birthday parties held for little grandchildren.
India's 'princess castle' book was such a hit, I had to make one for Sahn. Hers I made out of Basic Grey papers as well but I used the Lilly and Kate ones.
It's Sahns 2nd birthday party today!!!!
Got home from a late evening out with some girlfriends, on Thursday night, to find a huge parcel! I hadn't ordered anything, and I didn't think passports (which was the only thing I was expecting!) came in such a huge parcel.
It was from Express Publications and I had won a prize for a competition I entered months ago.
Yeah!!! I havn't won anything, ever. So this was fun.
Unwrapping it was a challenge in itself. However when I got to the goods I have 2 large albums, 1 6x6" album. Refills for all of them. A tote for lots of bits and pieces. Embellishments, craft mats and more.
Pretty lucky girl.
So, this week has been a great week. I worked about 25hrs again. I am feeling really comfortable at my new place of work. Everyone there is pretty easy going and there is always someone setting someone else up so we all get a laugh.
I worked two nights by myself and did allright so I now work my permanent 29hrs per week and that's great. Now I can get some routine and things worked out with meals etc. It's a bit harder when I get home after 7:30pm two nights and after 6pm two nights. But, I get a 3 day weekend every week. Loving that!
I'm off to organise a birthday layout. Then off to another birthday party. Sahn's 2nd birthday. It's going to be crazy. Lots of big people, lots of little people and not a whole lot of room. Should be fun though...................!!