Dragonfly....

Everytime I see a Dragonfly, I think about my Grandma & Grandpa.... dearly loved & dearly missed.

Lord give me Fortitude....

I sometimes wonder if this is all I need, my family, my home, my everyday, which remains pretty constant throughout the year, year after year. Lots of groundhog days, very little to look forward to, events & excursions very few & far between. I have dreams for myself and sometimes I feel guilty for having those dreams. Sometimes, I am so consumed by my own dreams that I tend to not be in the present, and I know my kids know that I'm not really there openly embracing the situations that are going on around me. I am imagining a whole world of possibilities for me. It is escapism, and it is my saviour. Going through the motions isn't enough, it really isn't. There are times, I admit it, when I just can't cope, can't possibly listen to another whinge, can't have another childish conversation, can't hear "watch this mum", can't wash up one more time, can't be ignored one more time, and so, I run to me. Into my world, where my life is free & the possibilites are endless. Alot of the time I feel terribly alone and at a loss with this parenting gig, it's like stumbling around in the dark, trying to find a light switch when the whole room has been rearranged!. Is it right to want something for yourself when you're a mother, and still do a good job at parenting?. I'm just not sure if I'm getting it right, whether i should be entertaining some little dreams for myself or not...maybe that is the problem!!. I am trying my hardest & I'll never give up on my kids and my family, I am in it for the long haul, fortitude would be my strong point, but I think I also need a little of something else. Selfish, or self maintenance.? So look, I just want to say, I know I sometimes seem a bit vague. But, if you happen to come across me, probably at the kitchen sink(!), and it seems like I'm not paying attention to you, please know I am. I'm listening, I truly am, (it's a skill all mothers have, to listen to 10 conversations at once!), but, I'm also listening to me. There is a little place inside my mind that is set aside just for me, and I truly don't know how I would cope without it.

Here is a great post on Fortitude , have a read.

Happy 40th Shane....

(Is that Dolly & Kenny??)

What a fantastic party we had!. We are all still recovering from the huge amount of fun that we shared with great friends & family. Thankyou all so much for making the effort to join us for this celebration. It is all too easy to just let things roll on by these days, and I think we need to make a real effort to do something out of the ordinary, and create some fun, even if it does mean alot of work! Such joy comes from knowing that we have created memories which will last a lifetime. I know I will be laughing for a long time yet about just how funny it is seeing people you have known forever sporting a new hairstyle!. What an absolute cack!. The lamb on the spit was a real treat even if it wasn't quite ready on time....typical, when you're trying to feed alot of people!. The Baxters Creek Band were amazing and got us all up dancing, and the karaoke was a hoot, because everyone gets to unleash their inner star!. But by far the funniest thing was the photos taken in the photo booth. There are far too many classic photos to put up here, so I will only put up some of them for you to get the general idea. Everyone who had their photos taken will get a copy and I will make up a disc to music for us to look back on every now & then, especially when we need a good chuckle!.

Introducing......Taylor Belle. Taylor heard me telling someone to write a birthday message for Shane on the blackboard, and this is what she wrote.....pure sweetness! x

Yep, and they get better!. So the photo booth was a huge hit. The background was a piece of material I found at the op shop for $1, and it looked like it was wallpaper from the 70's. Very Funky.
A huge Thankyou to the Band, you guys were awesome, and I can't believe we didn't get a photo of you!. And thankyou to Brother John for your encouragement in me singing my song to Shane, and your wonderful piano playing.

Thanks Cindy for being able to get Shane up to sing a song. Who would have thought it would be Fleetwood Mac??

And despite the very groggy adults the next morning, the kids had a wonderful egg hunt. I can't believe I actually remembered to put their eggs at the bottom of the beds at 2 o'clock in the morning!




Hope you all had a great Easter Break. x

On the Home front....

Just a little news about what's been happening around here lately......we are gearing up for Shanes 40th Birthday. It will be on the Easter Weekend, which has worked out really well for all our friends & relatives interstate as they can come down and enjoy the bush with a few days to spare!. I have been busy making decorations and cleaning up, of course, mowing and brushcutting like crazy for all the campers, and collecting fire wood. Oh and amongst all that I decided to paint the kitchen!, (mad I tell ya, MAD). Photos to come with that one, but you do remember my orange kitchen right?.

But on a sad note Shanes Pop passed away at age 84. Thanks to Dad & Laine, he flew to Perth for the funeral. He was so happy to have caught up with his family that he hasn't seen since he was 17, and they all gave Pop a fabulous send off. And then he was home and straight back into the everyday life in the bush.

We finally got around to puttting on the front verandah after all this time. This was one job that was a long time coming, and I am so thankfull that it has now been done. (the roof will come later...of course!). And we have been having alot of fun trying on wigs, as it is a wig party!. It should be a real hoot seeing people with a new hairstyle. I have plans to make a little photo booth for the night so that we can take lots of pictures while we are in the mood for a bit of fun & frivolity!. I bought a remote shutter for the camera, but unfortunately Canon don't make a wireless one for my model camera anymore, so it has a cord attached to the camera. I am hoping that this will work & I will be able to leave the camera all set up for everyone to use as they please!. My only worry is if I will have enough lighting to make this work. Fingers crossed. Check out Finny in his wig!. Hope you are all well, and if anyone has any helpful hints about the photo booth they will be greatly appreciated!. Here's hoping there will be some classic photos in this space next week!. Thanks for this photo Keith & Wendy, because you can't make it doesn't mean you have to miss out hey?. Thanks for the laugh!.

Vintage sheet swap....

I have only one more trip left into town to try & find some more vintage sheets for the vintage sheet FQ (fat quarter) swap, before I put them in the mail. I am pretty excited to see what lovely colours & patterns end up in my mail box in a few weeks time. The plan is to make a beautiful patchwork quilt out of them. N.B. I did say PLAN !. Yep, we'll see........

Heavenly Sky....

The sky at our place the other afternoon was breathtaking, made me think of a place

called heaven......