Happy Birthday James!

Today is James’ 14th Birthday!

Only feels like yesterday that he was a little baby.  Last year he didn’t want hugs from his mumma but we have broken that barrier and he will now say to me – in little cute voice – ‘mum I need a hug’ awwww he is so cute lol.

Hes a lovely boy with “cough,cough” a little attitude – but we love him lots and wish him the very best day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOY!

Yeah I know he needs a haircut but we pick our battles round here!

I came across this today from over at Scrapbook Dreams and I thought it was really good!

And made in New Zealand too!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz31qzhswO0&feature=video_response

Hello!

I haven’t much to say but I’m still around lol.

Here’s a pic of some of the girls I spent a lot of time with.

I don’t normally see this side of them lol.  Phil can tell what there numbers are from the pit but not me lol.

This is what I see.

Its amazing how they are all so different – thats the teats lol.

And you know those cows can really pick their noses with their tongues – eeewwwwwww yuk!!!!

Crafty Tart Challenges

I joined the August Crafty Tart Card Swap this month and we received stamped Christmas Santas – we had to used glitter as well.

So here are mine – I found this cool pen over at Bookem in Tauranga - you colour it on and then heat it and it bubbles up.  I’ve used it for Santas hat, jacket and gloves.  Ive used glitter for his hat and around the top of the santa sack.  The colouring in was done with watercolour pencils and then painted.

I’ve missed out a couple of challenges for the Crafty Tart competition but did this last one.  The inspiration had to come from some china in your cupboard / china cabinet.  Phil’s mum gave me these old dishes last week and I could just see me using them in this layout.  I have used watercolours again and painted them – after copying the flowers.

The photo is from 1976 – I’ve scanned it and then printed it.  Its of mum and her two sisters – quite 70’s which is why I used that photo and the orange.

Plain and simple – thats my style!

And the Winners from my Birthday Post are …

And the winners are Heidi, Jenny E, Yvonne and Widdleshamrock!

Thank you to all who commented!

Ladies if you could email me with your address I will get a RAK out to you in the next couple of weeks!

Great day!

I had a lovely birthday.  Rebecca made me a lovely cake

When I got to have a piece most of the lollies had disappeared lol.

We went out for tea in Tauranga – mmmmm yum – Chinese at China Town they do an awesome buffet.

I got Phils jacket on because it was cold.

James planted me a strawberry garden with the help of his grandad – complete with strawberry plants – mmmm yum!

Callum has made me a mosaic at Tech but I will get that when its finished.

Phil is giving me some classes at Autumn Escape lol.  I said I didn’t want anything but some classes at that.

I brought myself a new handbag.

Good day really.

Off to milk the cows.  Its a bit later than normal because we had a power cut this morning – bit of a forced sleep in lol.

Have a good week everyone!

Happy Birthday Post!

Well so today I turn 40!  Yep two score I am today and in celebration of this I thought I would do 40 random facts about me.

1. I was born in Gisborne.
2. Mum was going to go and see her dad (my grandfather) in hosptial who was sick with lung cancer.  Mum and Dad were on their way to see him when suddenly I decided to make my entrance so they detoured to the new  Maternity Hospital in Gisborne where I was born at 3.50pm – mum didn’t let dad’s hand go during the whole birth which was unusual in those days – cos it was 40 years ago!  And she is still holding dads hand!!
3. Dad didn’t tell anyone that I was born and he went to see Grandad to tell him the news first.  Grandad died 23 October eight weeks later.
4. I have two sisters – one older Deb and one younger Jo.
5. I’m Nic to my immediate family (and anyone else who wishes to call me that lol)  – none of us  call each other by our full names (unless we are being told off lol)
6. I broke my foot when I was around 10 – a friend Janene (who I am still friends with) and I were playing handball over a steel girder when it fell and made a horrible dent in my foot!
7. I went to Disneyland when I was 12.
8. I had my appendix out in the 4th form.
9. I left school at 15 to go to Community College Secretarial School.
10. I only passed typewriting in SC.
11. I started work at an early age – as soon as I could see over the counter at Tomona canteen (Freezing Works) which mum and dad ran.
12. When I first got married I used to say I couldn’t cook (still can’t) but I could mass produce bacon and eggs lol.
13. My first full time job was at Hastings City Library where I started out typing the catalogue cards when I left there I was the personal assistant to the Head Librarian.
14. I stayed at the library for 9 years and left because I was having my first child.
15. At one stage I held 5 jobs – Library, Ming and Sing takeaways, Sunglo gardens, Avon and Tomoana Canteen – where did I fit it all in lol.
16. I met Phil at 17 at his brothers 21st.
17. Phil gave me 27 yellow orchids for my 18th birthday.
18. Phil and I were married in December 1989 – I was 20 years old.
19. We were married for 5 years before having our first child in 1995 – James.
20. I got pregnant again when James was 5 months old.
21. Callum was born December 1996.
22. Rebecca was born March 1999.
23. I’m still in love with my husband.
24. I had my 21st at the Old Flame resturant in Hastings.
25. My Grandmother lived with us in a granny flat for 17 years.
26. Grandma died one month after we were married.
27. Grandma taught me how to make toilet paper flowers.
28. I have lived in both the North Island and the South Island.
29. I love crafts, Especially scrapbooking!
30. As a teenager I wish I had orange hair like Cyndi Lauper.  Still wish I had the guts to colour my hair a little outrageous!
31. I brought my first (and only so far) sewing machine when I was in my teens (can’t remember when exactly) I paid $2000 for it which was a lot of money.  It sewed letters and I paid it off by making Care Bears with names on it throu Tomoana Canteen – can’t remember how many I made but I made lots!
32. I’m a very messy housekeeper.
33. I spend way too much time thinking about scrapbooking than scrapbooking lol.
34. I spend way too much time reading blogs and not commenting cos I never seem to know what to write!
35. I wear contacts/glasses.
36. I wish I could play the piano.
37. I always wanted to be a nurse or work in a chemist.
38. I’d love to have a nice garden – but hate to garden lol.
39. I’d like to take the kids to Disneyland as kids to experience the excitement I had at 12.
40. I love to be happy and often make my own fun!

So thats forty facts from a forty year old and because I want to I’m going to do a RAK to four people that comment on this post in the next four days!  So leave me a comment and I will pick 4 commenters out  on Friday.

Random Post!

So its been pretty busy round here.  My body is starting to get used to early morning starts and using muscles I didn’t know I had – who knew your fingers even had them lol!  I’ve had lots of bruises and aches (not whining just sharing lol) a dear friend recommend some arnica so I got the one that had all the extras in it – for bruises as well as aches and pains and its working a treat!

The other day I was helping Phil with a down cow and he wanted me to keep her head down and I wasn’t in the right place or holding her right or something anyhoo she flung her head back and into my head – being headbutted by a cow is not too nice!  Needless to say there were lots of tears in the paddock, Phil yelling at me to answer him as to whether I was alright so that he could carry on with the cow!  I know sounds heartless aye … but I was ok so that was ok lol.

I’ve been on a big big big learning curve the last month or so and I’ve struggled with it all but things are now getting into a good routine.   However – I am in bed by 8-8.30pm at the latest – I am at my best during the day lol.

Two weeks ago James was taking his plate to the kitchen after tea, dropped it on his big toe, blood and leftover mince everywhere and he needed 5 stitches to stick him back together and here I was worrying about the kids hurting themselves on the motorbike!!!

We had a trip to the library a couple of weeks ago and I found a favourite author but haven’t managed to read all the books I got out.  Her name is Deborah Challindor – a NZ writer – easy reading but good.

While in town I found myself in Paper Plus (I have an addiction to books, magazines and all things paper lol) – I was reading throu a book that was at the front and ended up treating myself to it.  I’m still reading it.

Its by Nigel Latta and called Mothers Raising Sons – what every mother needs to know TO SAVE HER SANITY! – Lol the title was what drew me to it.  Ok so its a sorta parenting book but I have had so many laughs out of it.

Quick quote from the book – Nigel does some talking at boys schools and this was a final thought he sent the boys away with.

Be nice to your mum, pick up your socks and make her cups of tea.  She isn’t going on about stuff – thats simply what good mothers do.  Besides, she’s the only one you’ll ever have, so look after her – Nigel Latta

I really liked that one.  lol

So I haven’t really had time for anthing much scrappy but made some me time a couple of days ago.  Over at Crafty Tart they have a competition on and in an effort to do a least one thing a week I signed up lol.

Here’s my first entry.

We had to get our inspriation from the cover of the lastest Innovation magazine (and this looks nothing like it lol) it also had to have one of the following, dimension, homemade flowers and parenthesis.

And check out that cute cute cute kid!

She still has those little short fingers many moons later!

And heres a close up just cos!

Isn’t she sweet!  lol

So here is the next layout from this weeks challenge.

This is the cover of a Book of Me that I am doing.  I really liked this one.

Hope you are all well and happy!

Not once but twice

… in the last two days I have fallen off the bike twice.

I was going to explain why but I have just discovered that the excellerator is sticking so that’s the explanationI’ll give lol.  This morning I hit the fence – it must have looked quite funny from a watchers point of view – going full throttle at the fence.  Glad it wasn’t an electric one.  I broke the bottom rail.  My  body slammed into the handlebars – it hurt and I was shaking but I had to get moving and milk the cows.  I’m ok thou.  Lol.  Pride is hurt lol.

Yesterday when I came off the bike fell on me.  It really hurt my ankle and it was a bit swollen.  I’m ok thou.  lol.  Pride is hurt lol.

I was lucky yesterday afternoon to have the afternoon off to take Callum to rugby practice.  Poor Phil milked the cows on his own he did well lol.   I thought I had forgotten how to drive the car its been a over a week since I took it out.  It still had over half a tank of gas – whoooo hoooo!!!  Before rugby we went into the library and I managed to get four books  of an author I really like.   Not sure when I will read them.  At the moment I go to bed early,  start reading, fall asleep and when Phil comes in after checking the cows he picks up the book and puts it on his side of the bed.  The other day I retrieved four books from his side of the bed that were mine lol.

We are half way throu calving now and its going well.  I’m enjoying the whole process even thou I am tired and my body hurts – oh that would be cos of falling off the bike lol.

I’m off to do some housework and maybe get a little scrapping done – I’m at home till 1pm – woooo hoooo!

Hope everyone is well.   I haven’t visited many blogs lately but will do a bit catch up soon.

And Huey – come back I need a sleep in lol!

Here’s a photo that was taken last week of Rebecca and her Great Grandma – my grandma.  Bec visited her on her way back home last weekend.

And I just have to share this one of my gorgous neice Jessi and handsome nephew Zek with mum and dad before they went off with their partners to the school ball.  We never had balls at school – just dances we were thought we were pretty special in our skin jeans with the piping down the side and a new sweatshirt!  lol.  Would have loved to have worn dresses and had our hair done like they do now.

Cold weather coming and a share of some photos

I hear on the radio that the weather is going to turn nasty again.  I thought there was a drop in temperature so have just lit the fire.  We got a new fire put in at the beginning of the school holidays.  Mum and Dad came for a night on Sunday to drop off Bec and pick up Tom and Dad kindly cut me up some kindling.  Thanks Huey!

Here is Callum and Phil watching the fire the first time we lit it.

This picture was taken in Napier on the Saturday morning of the start of school holidays.  We took my niece and nephew to their rugby game in Napier and the kids and I played with the camera while they were getting warmed up.

Tina and I caught up with each other while at mum and dads – Tina was passing through HB from Masterton at the same time as we were there so was good to catch up with her.

We had an awesome and fun family dinner at mum and dads on the Saturday night – here is some of the kids chowing down on pork roast smorgy style – this is something we have done for years in my family, lots of food and kids around.

Mum and my sister Debbie

Five generation photo of my sister Jo, Dad, neice Jaclyn and great nephew Peter, and my Grandma.