Random pics

You're back!!!!!!!!! My beautiful, sweet and adorable Sahn. Back to stay...after a short time in Brisbane. I am so, so very happy that I can continue to be a part of your everyday life. I am so glad that you have come back to Melbourne.

The irrepressible Harrison...I get so much joy and fun out of watching you play and enjoy your life as a 2yr old.

Riley....I took this photo on saturday and you look so grown up. 5 yrs old and so sweet, gentle and tender. School next year and I hope that you can cope with it.

And then there's Orson. A child who has no physical fears.....loves to be the 'tough guy' with his cousins even though he's only 4!

All dressed up!

McKenzie, India and Monty handing out the programs at Isaac's Baptism. I just love how gorgeous, handsome and pretty these grandchildren look all dressed up.

Blake and Isaac.....I can't believe that Blake is 5months younger than Isaac...Blake is the tallest of all our grandchildren and Isaac is the shortest of the eldest ones.......and he is the eldest one!

Handsome Isaac....shirt and tie...with Auntie Sara......at Isaac's celebration party

Isaac cutting his very yummy and very rich tim-tam birthday cake.

So proud of you!!

Our Grandson Isaac just prior to being baptised by his Dad and with his Dad in the photo. Isaac was so excited and a very, very special day for him, his Mum and Dad and us too of course. Little sister India.....just turned 6. She is such a girly girl and had a fantastic day for her birthday. Two jumping castles!!!!!! One for the big kids and a great one for the younger ones, plus Auntie Andrea's great big trampoline. One big bunch of tired children and a very happy 6yr old Grandaughter.

What's Been Happening

Sleepover at Papa and Nanna's. Joshua and Monty doing some scrapbooking!

Monty at Mini Golf

Joshua at Mini golf

Colin with his new toy.....a good lawnmower at last!!!

It's been a busy couple of weeks....as per usual. What with school holidays I've had 'little people' around me quite a bit. And there have been plenty of 'family events' happening as well.

On the 11th of September Isaac turned 8yrs old. Our eldest grandchild!!!! And he's already 8 now. Which also meant that he is old enough to be baptised.
So, on the 13th was Isaac's baptism followed by a celebration and birthday party. All held at the beautiful new Cranbourne Chapel. It was so special to see Isaac enter the waters of baptism and become a fully fledged member of the Church. Several of us were asked to participate in the service, which is really lovely. I made him a special baptism box....all in white with special things in it to help him remember why he chose to be baptised and what that means to him.
The party afterwards was crazy. The children got all the balloons down and tore around the hall. I must say my little grandchildren and children sure do look great when they really dress up!

Monty stays with us for two nights and I decided to include Joshua one of those nights and Riley another. Boy that did my head in!!! Monty stayed revved up the entire two days and two nights. I was exhausted and so happy to see Sara on Wednesday afternoon. We had fun though. I took Monty and Joshua to mini golf one day and out for lunch...the next day I took Monty, Joshua and Riley to see Wall E. Loved it and so did they.
I then had a few days break which ended up being busy anyhow. Chiropractic appointment, Dr's appointment and a visit to Contours Gym at Aspendale Gardens. That visit ended up in my joining there. I love the idea of doing a workout in 30mts.....and having it tailored just right for my needs at the moment. Those needs being to start building up my stamina and getting a little fitness happening. I so badly need that after the toll my body has taken with chemo etc.

Last Saturday was not only Grand Final day but also India's 6th birthday! Our eldest grandaughter is now six!!! She's such a girly girl this one.....as opposed to her sister, McKenzie!
We all met together at Andrea's new home for a BBQ and a party for India.....then sat down to watch the football. I started off deciding I wanted Geelong to win....but somehow changed during the 1st quarter and ended up going for Hawthorn. Don't ask me why because I really can't stand Hawthorn......but they played good and it was a fantastic game.
My Oncologist, Gary, will be stoked. He is a member of HFC and has memorabillia all around his rooms.

Havn't done much scrapbooking. I did do three pages of my cancer journal last Sunday...staying up way too late. But I so enjoyed it. Apart from a couple of cards I made I didn't get any where near my scrapbook room....except.....to put some new 'stuff' in it that I had ordered on the internet. New Basic Grey, Fancy Pants Christmas papers....and other bits and pieces. Oh dear!!! I really need to stop buying. But...it's so much fun!
I am so glad that I kept a good journal on my blog whilst going through my challenges because I can so easily refer back and get all the details right...and remember my feelings and difficulties and those things that gave me so much strength and help.

So, I now need to get ready for the new week. I've got an appointment at the Gym for 7:30am..yikes!!! that's early for me!!!! Then off to visit with Karen Yates.....hope you've remembered I'm coming!!!!
Two nights of having Monty come and stay and then I need to fit in India & McKenzie and we are all going to Myuna Farm on Thursday....and I guess I'll just be continuing to take heaps of photos and not getting any printed or scrapbooked. Just too busy!!!!

Note to self:......put photos on discs and get some printed!!!!

A new look for me

This is the 'new look' me! At least I have some hair now! But....the colour is very different to my brunette shades I have always been used to. and then there's the curls! They may not last...but my hair is so much thicker than it used to be as well.

Still I am so grateful to have hair. Even Balou likes me better with hair!!! I have only had one tiny trim to tidy up the back but will leave it to grow a lot more so that it can eventually be cut into a style.

A Happy Fathers Day Weekend

We all had such a fun weekend. I organised a Family 10 pin bowling activity for us all. It was such great fun. We had three lanes going and all the grown-ups and all the grandchildren except Harrison and Sahne joined in for 2 games. We mixed up the children with the adults and had some healthy competition going. So many laughs....a few little frustrations and a whole heap of fun.
Earlier in the day I had gone to LaPorchetta and ordered 10 pizzas to be ready for 5pm so Colin, Blake and I went and picked them up after bowling.
Got home to a ravenous bunch of wild things......The pizza's just flew out the door. Then the children all played so happily outside....the adults had a few moments to breathe.
Then 5 of them had baths...which was heaps of fun. Harrison and Sahne had a bath together for the first time. He was so happy to see her again. They are little buddies those two.
It was extra special because of being Fathers Day and the men all got spoiled.

It was also extra special because Andrea and the children are back with us. This is not where she wants to me at the moment, and is having huge struggles...BUT...the rest of us are very, very happy they are home.

Blake spent had a sleepover with us, came to Church with us and then Joshua and Riley came back with us too for some lunch and a play. I must say, by the time we took Blake back home I was really exhausted.

Only to have to get up early and head off in to the city to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for further drug allergy testing. I didn't get home untill 7pm so that was another exhausting experience. And to make it worse they want to do some intravenous testing now. So I'll have to go back there again in the near future.
Today I had the very pleasant...NOT.... mammogram!! Hoping that's all clear.
And I have now cooked 2 large lasagna's made two salads, baked some rolls and painted a box.

The food is for Mart, Tambi, Andrea and the 7 children all living in the one house still. (Waiting for Andrea's stuff to arrive hopefully tomorrow) and the box is for Isaac.

Isaac turns 8 on thursday. I cannot believe it. It was only a short while ago that he was such a chubby baby with puffy feet and hands. Now he is so skinny.....wouldn't think it was the same boy.
So, with Isaac turning 8 it also means he gets baptised. His baptism is on Saturday.....and Tambi asked me to make a White Baptism Box for him. It is full of items that will help him remember the importance of his Baptism day.
A big party after too!!!!!! I have to make pasta salad for 70 people. I've found what I think looks like a really nice recipe...hope it's yummy.

Speaking of yummy...I am hungry....havn't had lunch yet and it's nearly 2pm. Have baked some bread rolls and am going to have one right now!

More Memories

The days are flying by so quickly. It makes me wonder how I ever had time to work! I lots of plans for creative 'things' I want to do or finish and I just don't seem to get much time to sit in my scrapbook room and create.
Admittedly it seems like I keep catching little bugs. Not big bugs...just little ones. But enough to make me feel very tired as my body tries to fight them off. That's one of the issues with having had Lymphoma...because it's that part of your blood system that works to fight off infections etc. So I am vulnerable to catching things. Thank goodness they are all only little bugs. yesterday I had big plans in the afternoon.....then I feel asleep and didn't wake up till 4:45pm. A bit of a shock...however whilst I'm sleeping is the best time for my body to wage it's attack. This week it's my sinus', last week it was a tummy bug....and so on.

It's been a big week for our family. Andrea and her children are now home. The poor girl is gutted, thin, gaunt and barely hanging together. And as a mum I cannot cope very well with seeing my daughter in this state. I want to fix it..and I can't. Time will and lots of love and support will. I feel so much for my beautiful girl! She hasn't moved in to a place by herself yet, they are all still staying with Martin and his family. Tambi has been amazing and so supportive. Not easy having 7 children under 7 and 3 adults to wash cook and clean for every day.

I have done some fun things. Last week as a group from Church we got together to make up over-night packs for children. These packs are for womens refuge centres. Usually women arrive with their children and nothing else. So in the packs we have sox,undies, toothbrush,toothpaste,comb a little gift and pajamas that we made. So we had a wonderful time last week with 9 sewing machines revving up all day sewing nighties and pajamas. And other ladies packed everything together in lovely bags. We got 20 done in one day. Pretty good. It feels so good to be involved in something like this. Giving of my own time for someone I don't even know. Hoping that it will bring a smile on the face of a little one. This is what service is all about and it leaves you with a great positive feeling about your own circumstances.

I have finally treated myself to a MixMaster. I havn't had a food mixer for years and now that I am home and making things from scratch again I really missed having one. Today I planned to make a large batch of pastry (which I then divide and freeze), then I remembered how long it's going to take me to 'rub the butter into the flower mixture'! That turned me off the idea....but not for long. I went straight out and bought my new Mixer! The pastry is done...frozen some and some for a big quiche I have to make for a luncheon tomorrow.
I love the recipe. I have this book called Basic Mixes and it has recipes for the base of 100's of recipes. Which means you can make up a large amount of any of the bases and store them untill you need to make something. There's pancake mixes, muffin mixes, meat mixes, soup mixes....heaps and heaps!!!

I have finished 26 projects for a friend of mine.......and am looking forward to see how it all goes over the next couple of months when she opens her shop. It was so much fun doing them. Now I'm back to trying to finish off my cancer journal. I actually did 4 pages this week. I really want to get it finished now and work on some other things.

One thing I am loving...well it's a couple of things from the same range. The new Fiskars border punches. How great are they? And how easy are they? I bought mine at Paper2 and at $22 each they are sure worth it. I love the one for ribbon threading...I love the scallop one and the little daisy one.
Am enjoying looking at tools. I'm trying to not buy papers and embellishments because I have so much allready.
I bought one set of nestabillities after seeing a Youtube video on using them with the cuttlebug. On friday I will have a practise. They are expensive but for something you can use over and over again it's worth it.

I have spent a lot of time with the little people this week. On Monday I looked after Orson and Sahn & McKenzie whilst Andrea took Blake to his new school. (He loves his new school, especially the fact that 3 of his cousins go there as well). Tuesday I watched Joshua (home from school with a bad cough), Harrison and Riley whilst Carolina went shopping, and again today whilst she picked up their new car. A Honda Odyssey....a luxury one with leather seats etc. It's gorgeous! Carolina sure loves it!

Just heard my former workmate, Anita, has won a car!!! A Cherokee Jeep! What a lucky, lucky lady. It couldn't happen to a nicer lady...she is so sweet and sensitive! Good for you Anita, enjoy it!!!!!!

Now, my plan is to do a few more pages on my journal...so I'd better get off this computer.