… a bit bummed out … but never mind …

life goes on.

I had booked to go to Autumn Escape (a scrapbooking retreat in Taupo) but unfortunately I am now unable to go.

Why?  Well I guess its a good thing really – still bummed thou lol – but I got a job in the packhouse over the quiet season on the farm!  I’m gonna be a Carton Supervisor lol.  Its three months work and you’ve really got to take work when you can get it and for me to go it would have taken too many shifts off from work and they need commitment.

Anyway yeah a bit bummed about the whole thing but happy to have some work.

I’ve come to a bit of realisation with my scrapping and photo taking.  I had read many blogs that say they don’t take enough photos … um I have an opposite problem … I have taken too many photos this year.  Not ones everyday but lots of things that we do and places we go.  So do I stop… no … I don’t think so and at the end of the day its not costing anything – unless I have them ALL printed.  Anyway what I do is go throu the photos on the computer and take the ones I want  printed and put them into a print folder.  As you know (or may not know) I’ve got a Project Life album and I’m a bit worried.  Its only the beginning of Feb and I have filled in 13 pages.  In the album each page represents 1 week in the year.  Oh.  Its only week 6.  Oh.  If each page represents a week then I’m at week 13!!

What to do about my deliema?  Well I guess I need to slow down, but I’m enjoying what I am doing and I guess once I get to the pack house it might only be one photo a month I do lol.  I do have a second album which I have been putting last years photos in so I have pinched a couple of pages from there.  And I guess at least I am doing something its not really scrapbooking per sey but I’m not sitting doing nothing.  I haven’t really had time to scrapbook for a while and Mr Mojo disappeared but I’ve started to sort the scrapping stuff out so maybe I might find him again but at least I’m doing the PL album so I will have something to document the year.

So did I lose you in that post lol.

Off to have some lunch I’m really really hungry today!

And then there were none!

Today all the kids were back at school.  James was not so keen on the idea and reckons no-one does any work and it wasn’t worth going today and he should just go on Monday – ah ok yeah right!

Anyway under much duress and with the thought of these photos being taken for grandparents he stood unpatiently for me to take these.  So Grandma, Popeye, Nana and Grandad these are for you!

And before anyone says anything about the hair – we have battled and argued all holidays to get it cut.  I lost.  Actually I decided it was only hair and the Beatles had long hair and it wasn’t a battle I needed to win so the hair stays.  I have no idea how he sees out from under it lol.  Hes my rebel!

Any way all the best for your day James hope you enjoy it and have a great Year 10!

some more photos

I wanted to share these photos with you cos it was a ‘moment’ lol

I asked Callum and Bec to stand together for a photo, they did, then I said to Cal stand closer, then put your arm around her and I just love the faces they pulled.

I managed to get a little me time today and I caught up on my Project Life with what photos I had.  Bec and I went to town the other day to get photos and before we got there we called into Atu and Sovas with some bits and pieces.  Silverbeet in a plastic bag was some of things we left with then and the USB plug we had the photos on had slipped in with the silverbeet so wasn’t able to get all the photos I had planned as I just had the card from the camera.  Never mind.  After checking out Vickis PL I have started to use up some of  my letters and numbers as well and have added some to my album.  I wasn’t going to do too much embelishing etc of it but I really did enjoy the little I did  so i did it.

Oh and I have just been looking at Heidis blog and her Project Life pages are great too!

And off he goes …

Well were did the time go … all of a sudden we have another off to High School!  Callum was so excited and eager to be getting a time table.

We wish him all the very best at High School, this next step in the journey of life  – have a great day Callum can’t wait to hear about it tonight!

Heres the bus just for mum cos she liked the photo yesterday lol

And so it’s off to school …

We’ve had a great holidays but all things must come to an end … the kids all start school on different days and today Rebecca was the first to go.  She was really happy as she is in Year 7 this year – not at intermediate thou as the local school she goes to goes throu to Year 8.  But she has many firsts coming her way one of them being technology which she is eagar to go to and they go into town for that.  The cat who thinks he is a dog (we have a dog who thinks he is a cat lol) followed us down and said goodbye to her to.

This is her this morning – Callum milked for me so that I could get her sorted as well as take some photos lol.  Have a great day Becs!

So whats been happening around here?

Well there has been a little of this …

Swimming at the beach, sitting reading at the beach, cows being milked, boys playing lazer tag, buying of school uniforms, going to 3d movie Avatar, going to the worst possible scariest movie of all time Paranormal Activity – it was soooooo bad, more swimming, eeling, smoking of said eel, water sliding, stationery brought, more cows being milked, meeting of girlfriend (that was a new stage lol) – GST being done, albums being filled and photos being taken.  Lots of fun and a great holidays so far, Tom goes home tomorrow and Bec comes home tomorrow.

So I’ve been pottering …

I’ve done a few more pages for My Project Life.  I’ve had a busy start to it as there was a lot happen in the first week but now that we are in Week 3 its all slowed down but have caught up.

We went off for the afternoon on Saturday to the Tauranga Marina where Phil and I enjoyed coffee and the boys went fishing.

And heres a shot of Callum.

Conversationw went like this

Mum – Callum where you been?

Callum – down the back of the farm

Mum – What did you see down there?  Did you eat anything?

Callum – no, no whys that?  We didn’t see any berries down there or anything.

lol – yeah right Callum!

My bloggy friend Mandy managed to shake hands with Prince William – you can read about it here.

Hope you are all having a great day – I’m avoiding housework lol.

Because I haven’t blogged in a while …

We had a great time for our week off.  It was really busy and the time went all too fast.   We left here on Friday 1st and headed as far as Turangi and stay at Tokanau were we had lovely relaxing hot swims.  On the way we called into Rotorua Noel Leemings to see if they had any of the $99 R6 telecom cells phones.  Nope none left – not surprised as they had $50 off, this became a bit of a saga as we went as we called into 5 Noel Leemings in a effort to get two of the cheap phones!  The next day we drove to the National Army Museum in Waiouru.  The have a very interesting temporary exhibt on at the moment called The last 100 days – it was moving and well done.  From there we travelled to Palmerston North as I had brought a second hand camera from Trade me and needed/wanted  to pick it up.  And yes a quick call in to Noel Leemings as well where we picked up 1 phone – still 1 for me to go.  From here we travelled down to Porirua calling into Levin for Subway lunch and ooohhh looky there across the road from Subway was a Noel leemings – nope they didn’t have any.  We had hoped to have time to call in to the Car museum in Paraparumu but we got caught in traffic along the way, which was good for me as I tried out the camera as we drove slowly lol.  And yes I am very happy with my camera.  We hit Porirua and went to the shopping centre there and another stop to Noel Leemings and they suggested the one in the middle of town as they had one showing on their computer.  We headed to our motel and we all had a swim.  I was very surprised that the motel wasn’t busy as it was New Years weekend.  The next day we went to Noel Leemings in the middle of Wellington City and I got my phone then on to Te Papa which was why we had headed down to Wellington – it was humming with people.  We all went into the Pompelli exhibition.  The next day we headed over the hill to the Hutt and on to Masterton, Mt Bruce – which had heaps of grass!!!  We took photos of the old farm we used to be on and it was looking very good although I did spy some ragwort!  We headed to Eketahuna where we caught up with two lots of friends and on to Tikokino to stay the night with Phils mum and dad.  On the 5th we headed into Havelock North to stay with mum and dad for the rest of the week taking in Splash Planet one day and I went to CornEvil Maze on the Friday night.  Seems strange to be able to go to the pub with a couple of my neices and Jaclyn drove from the pub gosh they grow so fast!  I had a great night and lots of laughs with Janene, Jo, Deb, Chloe, Jac, Jessi and AnneMarie – we lost the pool at the pub and the maze wasn’t as scary as the last time I went but still a good night!  thanks Girls!

We got home and it was very dry.  Very depressing.  We herd tested as well this week and have also gone to once a day milking.

My Project Life kit arrived with the Mail man and I have made a start on at least getting some of the 800 photos I took over the last week (well I did have a new camera) while we were away.

Its a bit of a different approach to scrapbooking and a bit more like a traditional photo album.  Since I have been working in the milking shed I haven’t had time to do actual scrapbooking so it a bit like a dollar each way.  I get to create and save some memories.  I have also been keeping up to date with my Log My Memory book and have written something each day – have also tried a little Zentangle in it!

I’m not doing the 365 project with my kit but I will be taking photos throu the month to go into the album so it creates a memory.  The best thing I have noticed so far is this – its sitting on the table – the boys keep sitting down to see what I have done and looking at all the pictures in it.

Callum asked me ‘do you like your kit mum’  ‘Yes Callum and if you would like to I would love you to contribute to it to’ ‘Can I’  ‘Yep you can take some photos and write in it too if you want to’.  Cool he said.

So guess what I did … because I haven’t done anything with photos in the last 6 months – to a year – I went and ordered another kit and have printed out over 560 photos of the last year and that is my project over the next couple of week – creating a 2009 album.  Am I gonna be busy or what!

I used one of the 12×12 sheets for my cover as seen on Beckys Blog I’m not sure who did it but I liked the idea.

Family photoshoot

One of my aims for this holiday was to get everyone on my side of the family together and get a family photo.  I am more than happy with the results!  Its a bit hard when you have so many people to try and get them all looking and smiling at the same time!!!!

So it all started with this Dad and Mum, then Debbie – older sister, Me and Jo younger sister.

And now look at us all!

Heres Debbie, Karl and their offspring with some partners.

Debbie, Karl, Zek and Amy (Zeks partner), Chloe, below Chloe Libby, Holly, Bruce (Jessi’s Partner) and Jessi holding her puppy Sadie.

Heres Jo with her four kids and grandson.  Top row is Jaclyn and Jo, then Tom, Saralee holding little Peter and Kayla – Kaylas baby is due in April.

And of course there is US!  Me and Phil, Callum, Rebecca and James

And here is one of us that I liked.

Well these will be going straight into my Project Life kit when it arrives!

Do you wanna win some Basic Grey?

Mrs Frizz told Vicki to do it, Vicki had it on her blog and I took up Vicki’s challenge.

Just go here and be a follower they are trying to get 700 by New Years that gives you one entry and there are other ways to get more entries.

http://getsketchy.blogspot.com/2009/12/free-basic-grey.html

Good Luck!