HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

Saturday the 18th of July we celebrate our good friend Rod's 40th birthday in the park. It was a lovely day and the kids had a blast - we always have such a good time with these guys.....always makes you wonder why you wait so long to catch up with everyone!

Here is Rod with his youngest beauty....Scarlett Macey. Isn't she just gorgeous!

Annaliese (Rod & Heids middle child) tries her hand at photography....watch out Kate! I think she is almost as good as you :)

Annaliese, Bella & Chey the terrible threesum

The lovely Becky and Miss Gabriella

And miss "I don't like my photo being taken....I like taking the photos" Kate Austin.

Happy birthday Rod, we look forward to many more birthdays to come.

Camp Hill Sports Day

A couple of weeks ago we had sports day at Chey's school. It was a lovely day catching up with the other mum's I don't get to see too often and watching my little girl and her friends having a great time and enjoying being out doors and active.

Chey competed in a couple of races and of course, I was a very proud mum, standing on the side lines cheering her on (I tried not to be too embarrassing). Here are a couple of pics from the day.

Chey with her two friends Sophia & Lily.

I've been tagged by Cath....here is my answers to her questions:

1. What is your current obsession?

My new house. I am a very excited and proud first home owner. Everything in our lives seems to revolve around this purchase....sometimes not always in a good way, like I have been restraining my self from going shopping today, even though that is the ONE thing I would love to do more than anything right now :) I even resisted while in Melbourne last week! Now that is control my friends!!

2. What are you wearing today?

Lorna Jane pants and a single with my huggies.

3. Whats for dinner?

Good question! Chey is with Jamie for the night and so I struggle to cook when i am by myself....bad habbit but it just doesn't feel worth it for one person!

4. What would you eat for your last meal?

Another good question. I am a shocker with food. I love it, don't get me wrong, but trying to decide on what i want to eat at the best of times is a challenge. But if it was my last meal, i think i would want a massive spread so i could eat just a little bit of everything! And wash it down with a nice bottle of white.

5. What was the last thing you bought?

I did splurge just a little bit the other weekend, but it was totally justified, of course....I bought a cute skirt from Review (on sale!! and I needed one for work), a nice jacket (had to have one for my regular trips to Melbourne for work of course!) stockings....really loath buying stockings, i inevitably wear them once and put a hole in them! Which i did, for one pair i wore out that very night!

6. What are you listening to right now?

The next door neighbour washing his car....it is very quiet in my house right now (no one home but me) Although Jen will be here soon! Hoping to get a feel of this lively baby in her tummy she keeps talking about.

7. If you could go anywhere in the world in the next hour, where would you go?

Honestly, i think i would just go down the road to Aspley and pick my girl up from her daddy....haven't seen her much in the past 2 weeks so i am missing her. Then i would get on a plane to the next destination available OS. A surprise!

8. What do you love most about where you currently live?

If you are talking about country? I would have to say, climate, opportunities and it is home for me now...been here 16 years and have no desire to live anywhere else.

If you are talking about suburb, Carina, i love living here because it is central to majority of my friends. I am sad to be moving away.... but excited about being closer to some people I haven't had a lot to do with for a while. Hopefully my friends will come visit.....:)

9. What is your favorite color?

I am with you Cath....I have never really had a fav color. I do love pink, but i also love green. However....I wear alot of black!

10. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?

Again, with you Catch -nothing beats a good pair of jeans!

11. What were you doing 10 years ago?

Man...that is a long time ago! In 1999 I was....still thinking....Ummm....living at home with my parents, about to move to Sydney where i stayed for 3 months before coming home early 2000 pregnant with Chey. I must have been working as a nanny to Oska, Alexander and Oliver.

12. If you had $300 right now, what would you spend it on?

Hmmmm, so many options. I would probably buy some new boots - I love shoes!! But i would also probably buy something for Jen and Tony's baby as well....I can't wait to meet this bubba!!

13. What are you going to do after this?

Jen is on her way over for a catch up and then i may get some movies and watch them with a nice glass of wine.

14. What inspires you?

People who love people and life. Like you Catch, i am inspired by people who are selfless and put others first.

15. What are you favorite films?

Pretty much any of the children's movies, I think it is really clever when they add a bit of adult content to keep us just as amused as the children.

16. Who's work/designes are you inspired by?

That is a hard question. I am not much of an art goer - I have some very talented friends who have done some beautiful paintings which i love and have asked to do something for me for our new home.

17. Your favorite book?

I LOVE reading! I don't have a single favorite book (i sound very cultured don't i? No favorite books, no favorite art work etc). I will read almost anything....I love nothing more than settling down to a good book on a cold night. Wonder if this is why i am still single....maybe i need to get out more :)

18. Do you collect anything?

No...unless you can count shoes?

19. What makes you follow a blog?

I enjoy reading about my friends and catching up on what is happening in their lives. I love seeing photos - life is so busy, sometimes it is hard to keep up with everyone and so i find this a really nice way of keeping in touch. Specially with family who are overseas.

20. What was the most enjoyable thing you did today?

Lay on my bed with my best friend and feel her baby kick my hand, while eating home made short bread and discussing what movie the lucky boy Tony is going to take his girls to see tonight.

21. Whats one thing you dream of doing?

Opening my own beauty store. I will be starting up my salon from home in our new house and I am very excited about this.

Whos getting tagged?

Jen & Kate Austin

DIB DIB, DOB DOB

Last year Chey and my niece Taylah started going to Scouts on a Tuesday night. They have both really enjoyed being a part of this group and we have done a couple of fun things now...including our first family camping trip....that was interesting to say the least. Not sure how into it I am....but its good for Chey.

Chey and Taylah stayed at underwater world up the coast, sleeping in the tunnel with the sharks swimming above them! I didn't think she would survive the night...but she proved me wrong. Tay on the other hand is a tough nut...so I didn't have any worries about her!

This year they marched in the Anzac parade and really enjoyed it, although it was as stinking hot day and they didn't have any shade to sit under, so it was a bit much!

Not a great photo....but the girls are there marching! Tay took it very seriously.

My checky nephew Aidan

JAPAN


It has been a while since our holiday to Japan, but we had such a great time and it was so awesome for Chey. Chey just embraced the culture and learn't a few cool words and enjoyed dining on noodles everynight! Occasionally we succumbed to eating McDonalds - i was well in truely over noodles and meat by the time we came home, I cooked a roast the first night we were home with LOTS of veges! Even Chey happily ate her vegies.

I was impressed with how well my girl managed to keep up with everyone on all the walking we did and late nights. Although we didn't have as many late nights as the others.

Chey of coure was the centre of attention everywhere we went. Strange how in Australia, we don't even look twice at a foreigner walking down the street, but in Osaka, we certainly turned some heads....well...Chey did more than anyone else. We always knew that would be the case, but honestly, Chey was given so many toys and lollies and ice creams from strangers - even given ice cream before her dinner was served! Didn't Chey just think that was awesome!

Here a a few pics of our holiday....

Banging a gong in Nara

This was at dinner for the bride & groom whose wedding the people we were travelling with, were there to attend. Seriously, Chey and I tried to hide up the back and blend in with the crowd since we were just hangerons....but alis....it was only a matter of minutes before Chey was presented with this cat from these guys (who are the family of the bride)! I'm not sure who has a bigger smile, the cat or Chey? These guys went out and bought this for Chey after they met us that night - it would have only been minutes after we arrived as well.

And this is the bag of lollies the Aunty whose restaurant it was we were dining at bought for Chey. I came back form the loo to find Chey all coated up and ready to walk out the door with these strangers who wanted to take her across the road to buy lollies! If this was Australia, I would not have let her go, but the Japanese are so respectful and just wanted to lavish her with gifts. Chey of course was not about to say no!

She also received a mini mouse and mickey mouse toy from some other family members as well as ice creams literally thrown down her throat. I think the entire family ended up sitting up the back of the restaurant with us....so much for blending in!

Here are Matt, Carrie & Chey hanging out in Hiroshima. We visited the Atomic Bomb Dome Meseum this day. We took the bullet train from Osaka to Hiroshima - took about an hour in travel time. Was really sad but interesting.

Look what the Easter Bunny left on the end of our bed....

There certainly isn't a shortage of
Easter eggs in our house at Easter time...I have to admit though...chocolate does tastes better when it is an Easter Egg.

Here is Isabella, Cheyenne and Annaliese holding up their bunnies - i think Bella's lasted less than a few minutes before it was all gone! Nothing like chocolate for breakfast (a favorite of mine i have to say!!)

Chey with her chocolate stash

Chey and Scarlett

No longer able to tick the under 30's box.....it is a very sad day.....

Jen is the first of my girlfriends to turn 30 this year and i must say, we are all struggling just a little bit to come to terms with no longer being in our 20's

Happy Birthday Babe

The day started with some girlie fun.....facials and getting our hair done before the big surprise.....

Lunch at the Piney

Jen arriving at her 'surprise' party.....coming out of the lift to see 65 people waiting for her - enough to scare anyone!!

It's hard being a kid sometimes....Chey spent most of the afternoon hiding under the table (there were supposed to be some other kids there who didn't turn up, so Chey was not a happy camper).

I know....I know.... I am a terrible blogger! I honestly do try, but every time i think, right tonight i am going to post something, then i take a look at all you other great bloggers and my ideas don't seem so great anymore.....some people are just too creative :) but seriously I love reading about everyone elses lives.....they all seem so much more interesting!

2009 has been a busy year for us. Chey started back at Camp Hill School. This was a very exciting time for Chey as she has now moved up the ranks in school - Camp Hill is split into two sections - Infants (being prep to grade 2) and primary (being grade 3-7).

Cheyenne now gets to go to the 'big school' and we are officially allowed to do 'Stop, drop & go'!! Woohoo! We have been waiting 3 years for this day!! Until now, i have always had to walk Chey to her class room and wait until 8.50am before i could leave her in the class room.

While this is fantastic in the sense that you got to know all the other mums and dads in her class it also put alot of pressure on working mums and dads who had to get to work by 9am!! Impossible!

I have to say, it is a little sad though, I am missing the moring catch up with the mums and knowing who is who in the zoo.....also.....my baby is growing up - soon she will be making me drop her off down the street so i don't embarrass her:(

Here she is looking beautiful in her school uniform.

In January we caught up with my lovely school friends. It was the first time we had all been together in about 4 years since Nikki & Paul have been away travelling for that time. I think we had grown considerably in size with the addition of a few more small people.....

here we are enjoying a nice lunch at Cath & Grants beautiful new place.

Febuary saw us camping at a Big 4, Forest Glenn camping grounds up the coast with our good friends the Taylors & Austins. It was Miss Isabella's 7th birthday and what better way to celebrate turning the big 7 than camping in the great out doors....ok well it wasn't like we were in the bush or anything....but we certainly had our fair share of bugs to deal with!!

The children enjoying some lovely camp food (red rooster)

Hanging out in the tent Chey and I got for Christmas

The gorgeous Miss ScarlettMacey

A couple of weeks ago we said goodbye to my parents who embarked on the first part of their travels. Mum and Colin retired at the end of last year which was very exciting for them. They plan to spend the next few years travelling around Australia in a caravan. Before they head off around Australia though, they have gone home to NZ to travel down the south island and across to the north where they will spend the next couple of months catching up with family and friends.

This will be the longest we have been away from my mum ever, so we will miss them very much!

Chey continues to be a blessing to me. She is growing so much and i am so proud of her. Chey just loves school and has some lovely friends - i am constantly told what a delight she is to teach and parents often stop me in the play ground to tell me what a beautiful daughter i have....of course i have to agree with them!

I am working, with the help of my good friend Jen, to get my salon up and running from home. Chey and I will be going to Japan in May for a holiday (we are very excited about this!!) then when we get home, i plan to start taking clients....so stay tuned....