Family Photos

Well after nilly 15 years of marriage, 2 children we finally have a family photo which is viewable by all to see. And without too much fuss of getting everyone together. Yes there were so "I don't want to have these silly photo's"! "Tough luck, I want them so just smile" kind of comments. But all ended well!

Thanks to Nathan Frazer, he managed to capture our children's personality in these couple of images. They are both fun loving kids, full of energy and spirit. Yes, spirit. I think that is a nice way to put it at times. You know those very special times when you have to stop and think that they are only children and you are the adult and they don't really mean it.

I love these photos as you can see that my gorgeous children are very loving, kind, caring, spirited (yes that word again) and have such an innocent I wish I could capture forever for them both. Time goes by only to fast!

Live for the day, as you just don't know what tomorrow will bring!

Callala Bay

During the holidays we also went down to Callala Bay to visit our wonderful friends the "Fields". We just love visiting them. They live in a beautiful part of the world. It is so calm, so relaxing and so friendly. We feel quite at home there. Well Ro and Bill you are like family!

Anyway I was very fortunately to have Aunty Ro show me the finer points of using a digital camera as well as wonderful tutorials on PSE. I thought I was a bit flash producing my own digital creations! Yes Aunty Ro, leave me to my wild imagination!

But anyway I got some very valuable lessons in using my digital camera and using the Photoshop Elements program. As well as obtaining some digital elements to use in the thousands of layouts I will be producing in the not to distance future! Yeah! Right! I hear Aunty Ro saying! Watch out Aunty Ro..! Knowing me, your pretty safe aren't you! LOL!

Next time we come down we will have to do the Thai Mill House without children. That was very very yummy!

Anyway check out my wonderous works! Thanks very much to the wonderful talents God has given my fantastic and true friend Rowee!

October School Holiday - Yippy!

Well how did we spend the October school holidays! Well to start with they just weren't long enough. I love holidays and spending the time with the kids and having the freedom to go away whenever we want and not have to rush back for work.

The October long weekend we spent in Far Western NSW starting out at Cobar and doing a lot of travelling through remote parts of NSW such as Louth for Friday lunch. We got to see the great Darling River. We then drove up through Fords Bridge, up through the Dingo Fence at Hungerford then onto Comeroo Camel Station. The kids thought that was going to be great, you know have a ride on a camel. But guess what? There were only about 5 camels roaming the huge property, so they were actually considered wild. On the Friday we were told that there was an Artesian Bore about 1/2 hrs drive away from the property. After about 1 hrs worth of driving around the same area, we found the bore. It was just amazing that water of 40`c can come from the ground. The person who owned the area had a huge 12 person spa shell where there was a tape running into the shell to fill it up. There also was the main bore. It was very relaxing, especially with a few champers!




On Saturday we travelled back to Hungerford where we filled up the petrol tanks, got a cold drink and an ice cream, then moved onto to see Lake Wyara National Park. Yeap, like everywhere else, no water, just dusty sand plains. We also went and saw a wonderful display of God's amazing talent, the Granites. In this area there was huge boulders of granite. Total amazing! The kids got to climb up to the very top and took some photos from their point of view.

Yes I did brave it! The big climb! OMG it was scarey! But I wanted a few photos and then I could get down. The legs started to shake, hot flushes, sweaty palms, yeap time to get down. But I got the photos and that's what counted. There is absolulately no way that I could climb Ayers Rock. No Way! There was also some amazing lizard life there as well. You were able to get so close to them and get some really good shots! The kids had such a great time there climbing and the rocks and exploring. Poor Mum was getting a little worried about the possibility of snakes!





So after climbing around on some really big rocks we made our way to Eulo via a quick swim in the Paroo River. We stayed overnight at Eulo which is a great little town. The people there were just great and who would have thought that we would meet people who had moved there from Mittagong just over 6 years and wouldn't move back for all the money in the world. The next day we went to the Eulo Date Farm where they make all sorts of things to do with dates. Yes even wine! So being a good tourist I thought it best to sample the wears. The wine is disguising, but the liquor is very very sweat and yummy! Mmmmmm!

On Sunday we ended up in Yowah, which is an opal mining town. Yes it was quite hot and extremely dry there. We didn't get to see many people there but we did get to see about 6 kangaroos hopping around in the town. We also did one of the main tourist activities in this little town. Yes we did an opal mine tour. We had the funniest man guide us, he was so unorganised, but so funny! It is pretty amazing that people actually do this for a living in such a vast and remote area. We even got attacked by bats! Yes, well not actually attacked, the poor little things were more scared of AJ and I then we of them! But they felt really really yukky when they hit our legs, head, face, hands, and where ever else.

That night we stayed at a working cattle station "Kilcowera". This is actually a huge station were they fly to the closest main town to purchase their groceries. Wow! Matthew did his usually thing and provided the entertainment for the evening by telling lots of jokes to a captive audience. The kid was on a role all weekend!

Well Monday it was time to start heading back to Cobar, so we ended up in Wanaaring for lunch and then headed back to Cobar in time for an evening meal at the Club.

It was an amazing trip, the kids enjoyed it. They were so well behaved, I was so very proud of them! Me well.... I did the remote bush thing and am glad it is over. I can't go to far without my heels, hairdryer and no dust and flys! So I am totally over red dirt and flys, oh yes and dry heat!

We did some miles but well worth the trip! Truth be known I actually thought I had enough of travelling by the time we got to Cowra on Thursday. Ha! Boy was I kidding myself.

Hockey and Hair

In Goulburn we have been extremely luck to have had a beautiful weekend. The weather just gorgeous. I enjoyed the time sitting outside and watching my crazy dogs play. They are just like children.

Gypsy is really funny, she tags to play tag with Cash and he starts to get to rough for her so she comes and tries to stand as close to me as possible. But that doesn't stop Cash, he just keeps on playing by trying to grab her ears or legs. It's hard to explain but it is really funny. But it not that funny when I try to hang clothes on the line and they both end up slamming into me. I go flying and so does the washing and the pegs. "Not Happy Jan"!

Troy played in his hockey grandfinal on Saturday. His team was luckly enough to win. It was a good game to watch 2-1, there was even a couple of players that got sent off. The heat of the moment and thank goodness it wasn't Troy.

The kids got embarrased as I kept on bipping the car horn the two times they scored. The best things about that, is one that I got to embarass my children (pay back of being a Mother) and that we were sitting right behind the opposing team families. Good stuff! Nothing like a good bit of stirring.

Amy-Jane also got her hair cut short. It is now in line with her gorgeous little ears. It just needed a good cut so bad. The bob style suits her. This morning she now complained of not being able to tie her hair up. Yeah right! Like she always wanted to. When it was long, it would drive me crazy, especially when we would have issues every morning when getting ready for school. But now it is all tidy and she looks just beautiful. Yes even more beautiful.

The bad part about the whole event was that Mum also promised to get her hair cut short. OMG! I can't believe that I made such a promise like that. What was I thinking. Well we will see, maybe over the school holidays. Maybe!

My beautiful family!

Well last weekend I had the chance to caught up with my gorgeous family. I drove my Dad back to Bathurst last Saturday and had the chance to spend some of the day with my beautiful niece Caitlin. It was her birthday and what better way to spend it with family. So as a dotting Aunty, I did what all Aunties need to do and brought the best present ever.... Yer right I hear my baby sister say! See that is the best thing about being the oldest Aunty, you get to buy all the really good noisey presents and no that it can't be returned on to your own children. Ha! Ha! Megan.

So as a wonderful and fun Aunty as I am I brought "Chicken Limbo". This is a game where you have to limbo under a battery operated chicken in which makes a wonderful musical sound whilst children are playing it until they hit the chickens tail and then it says "I got you" and the usual children sounds. Best thing brought ever to date.

So as all energetic children do... they play it flat out. Good stuff! It really drove me crazy in the first few minutes of it. But I never let anyone know until right now! LOL! It also drove the Mummy, the other Aunty and Uncle crazy as well. Like I said the best thing brought for a pressie since ages. I just have the gift of knowing what to buy. Right Aunty Megan?

Anyway during the afternoon all the children got to have a couple of rides of Grandad's harley, driven by Uncle Phillip. I don't know who got the most enjoyment out of this, Uncle Phillip (being actually allowed to ride the harley) or the kids. It was a great day and AJ and I really enjoy the couple of hours we got to spend with Dad, Megan, Caitlin, Ashlee, Phillip, Erin and Jackson. Oh of course we can't forget Cailtin's little friend Shinia who was was extremely energetic to say the least.

I am so blessed to have so a beautiful family. I mean that in the way we all get along no matter what we have all been/put ourselves through and that they look gorgeous. I know that my family breeds gorgeous children blessed by God.

Uncle Phillip showing all the kiddies how to do the limbo!

Amy-Jane showing the real way to do it!

Cailtin having a harley ride with Uncle Phillip

Ashlee getting ready! I think she was a little excited, but didn't want to show it.

Amy-Jane is always ready for a ride on "Grandad's Harley".

Utilising that "Inner Child" Hey Aunty Megan!

Smile and don't be silly! Yeah right!

Grandad and Basil (Aunty Megan's Dog) spending some quality time in the sun.

Where does the time go?

Goodness me! The middle of September and as usual I haven't posted for a good while. 8th of September was the last post. But for me that really wasn't that long ago.

I look at other blogs and find it amazing that people can actually keep their blogs up to date. I am usually pretty good with time management and being organise but this blogging is a real challenge for me.

Well since getting the new camera I thought I be make time during weekends to have some play time. You know work out what all the settings do and don't do. The don't do is mainly operator error!

Anyway a few weekends ago we went out to some friends place at Collector (halfway between Goulburn and Canberra) for tea with quite a few people from church. We went out early as Troy wanted to cook a camp oven. So I got to wander through the gardens and take some photos. Yes definately some were alot better than others. But it was a beautiful afternoon. The kids even enjoyed playing a spot of tennis and feeding the potty lamb. AJ at first was scared of it, funny little thing it was but she soon warmed up to it.

I am hoping to perhaps put some of the photos that I am taking into the Goulburn Show next year. Yes Ro, I won't use any of yours for a change and claim them as mine! Well I really thought that one was. LOL!

The photos are that good. I saved them for the web and then transfered them over Photobucket. So picture quality has declined.

Husband, Hockey and a New Camera

Yes, Yes I know I am definately not good at this blog updating thing! Far too challenging for me at times.......

Have been busy with work. Preparing lots of good lessons for my classes. Even got to attend a professional development activity in Wollongong. It was for having a better understanding of eLearning environment and facilitating eLearning. I went with an open mind and was just going to enjoy the opportunity of actually attending a PD activity with work. But wow did I learn alot on Friday. The possibilties of eLearning. I never ceases to amaze me the continual development of technology and ways to use it.

Anyway in short both my Head Teacher and I thought we were just going to do a 1 day workshop. As it now has turned out, it is actual a major part of a unit of competency which will run over 8 weeks. We have lots of study and 8 Adobe Connect (web conferencing) session. I am really looking forward to this.

Well tonight AJ and I went to watch Troy play hockey in a minor hockey final. So I thought it would be a great opportunity to take the new camera and have a play around with it. Boy do I still have a lot of learn to master this piece of equipment. So they say "practice makes perfect"! And I definately need lots and lots of practice. Like I don't have anything else to do.

Matthew is at his first High School birthday party tonight. A party that goes from 5 pm to 11 pm. Goodness me, what is this child's mother thinking???? We did the good parent thing and sat both AJ and Matthew down this morning and had a talk about drugs with assistance with the booklet that every household got. And much to my surprise Matthew actually knew more about drugs than I did.

Apparently in his health class they have been covering alot on this subject which is really great to know. But I still felt uneasy about my baby going to a party. Anyway I thought it was best that Troy takes Matthew to the party as I would probably interogate the mother before Matthew got out of the car. As it happened the boy's mother is a police officer, but still I wasn't convinced. So I made Troy drive me around to the party on our way to hockey with the lame excuse of dropping off a jacket as he "might get cold"! LOL!

All's good! Yes Mum feels alot calmer about it all now. Just needed reassurance.

Anyway back to Troy's hockey....unfortunately his team didn't win so he has to play again next week. I also got to watch my old team play in their minor's as well. After watching both teams play I now remember why I am not playing hockey this season. Other than the freezing cold weather, I get to involved with the teams performance as well as the stupid calls from the umpires! I think a couple of the umpires refing Troy's game got their umpiring quals from the Cornflake packet and that's being to nice! See that is why I don't play hockey.