New Year Is Here!

Happy New Year!

Here's to Chapter 1 of 12, page 1 of 366!  That's 366 new days, 366 new chances!

Today's list of exciting things to share include:

1.  I made a choc oreo cheesecake from SCRATCH! 

Ace requested it for his birthday and so I said why not, lets give it a go!  Talk about a messy job, mind you it wasn't exactly an easy task due to my electric mixer only having one working beater...must remember to get a new one before Jazz's birthday in June!

2.  I set up my new phone, and no longer have a 'ghost' screen WHOO HOO!

3.  I received my academic transcript in the mail and my degree completion is CONFIRMED!

And that's day 1 done and dusted!

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Hello 2019

January 1st 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

This morning after a little sleep in we sat on the patio and had a breakfast of bacon and eggs...always tastes so much nicer when cooked for you and when served with LOVE!

We then took our first family selfie of the year...albeit looking in the wrong direction LOL!

The rest of the day was spent playing in the vineyard dam - kayaking, paddle boarding, rowing and swimming.

I think Jazz spent more time in the water than on anything LOL.

So good to see Ace push past fears and give things a go!

Cutest moment!  Also ultra hilarious watching them row a boat together for the very first time...once they stopped going in circles they even explored the reeds.

Papa Bear was never far away and even went in for a splash himself!

We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the banks and then had more play time.

Eventually we got the motivation to head back to the house, where the kids got to have a ride on the back of the 4WD ute and I got a tour of the vineyard while Mark hooned home in his little snow flake (he soooo needs a 4WD)!

We had a a bbq tea and then headed off on the journey home...well, after a detour through Marks old stomping grounds anyway!

Gotta say, it was an absolutely PERFECT way to celebrate the first day of the new year!  A huge thank you to this bloke to inviting us over.  Also gotta say that I loved the way the kids all got along so well.

It was so hard to leave and come home (we could very easily live up that way), but at the same time home is always nice to come home to.

Besides we have a 15th birthday celebration tomorrow...stay tuned for the next blog all about that!

Hope you all had a wonderful start to 2019 also xo

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Last day of 2018

After work today we packed the car and headed off (not before yet another little ocd anxiety moment on my part...keeping it real) on a two hour road trip to spend the night with Marks best mate (Anthony aka Packer) and his family.

As it turns out Packer lives on a 100 acre vineyard in the middle of the Yarra Valley and OMG WOW...picturesque is an understatement.

After a BBQ dinner and a 'pew! pew! pew!' show, where Ace got to hold a rifle for the very first time (he opted out of firing it), we sat on the back patio sipping Bailey's (I find it ironic that we didn't drink wine considering we were in a vineyard) beneath the canopy of stars.  Jazz was stoked that he got to view them through the telegraph (note to self:  figure out how to use ours).  

 

Just before midnight we all piled into the 4WD and took off up the bumpy hill to see the fireworks in Melbourne.  Then it was home again for a nightcap while watching Ch94 (where yet again I missed what bloody house they picked...good thing it reruns so many times LOL) before settling down for a peaceful slumber.

An absolutely beautifully relaxing way to spend the the final hours of 2018.

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January 2018...

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

ACE TURNED 14!

It is so hard to believe that 14 years has passed by, somedays it feels like only yesterday I was holding my sweet boy for the very first time. 14 years earth bound and what an incredible journey it has been. As is the case with life, the past year has been one full of everything it has had to offer...the ups the downs, the smiles the frowns and everything in between, but my baby boy has taken it all in his very large stride, placing one foot in front of the other and continuing to grow (and oh boy has he ever grown...he is now officially taller than me and I'm 171cm) into an incredibly handsome and loving young man. Tonight as he was heading to bed, I asked if he was too old for decorations and if he wanted to change it up a bit. His reply was 'I will never be too old Mum, I will always be your baby'! So with that, Mark and I followed tradition and have wrapped presents and decorated the room ready for him to wake up all excited tomorrow as a 14 year old! I say it every year but time really does fly by so fast! I am so very blessed that we have Ace here with us today to celebrate his birthday and hope that the year ahead is one of happiness, love and laughter! Happy 14th Birthday my baby boy...I never truly knew what love was until that very first moment I held you in my arms.

Our traditional decoration and present set up!

This boy melts my heart!

CATCH UP WITH PA!

We got to spend some time at Torquay beach with Marketta, Keana and Kohden and the best part was that Pa was there too.  I think it is awesome that he is off travelling around Australia,but when he comes to visit its awesome!

CAMPING HOLIDAY!

How blessed we are to have spent 13 days and 12 nights away in this beautiful piece of the Australian Bush. Being off the grid, away from the distractions of daily life was exactly what we needed to recharge and refocus.  We all came home with our hearts are so full of gratitude and we cannot wait to get back out into the bush again soon.  Ahh the SERENITY!

Wellington River, Licola

YEAR 1 OF UNI COMPLETE!

I stuck it out and I actually did it!  I cannot even begin to tell you how proud I am of myself for sticking this through.  Its been a tough ride at times but I am not going to quit!  Oh and I am actually kicking some major arse and getting half decent grades...okay so not as many HD's as I would like but a D beats a P and that's all I really need for the degree.

LAST SCHOOL HOLIDAY HOORAH!

Given it was a stinkin' hot day and our pool was green from us neglecting it when we went away, we decided to head down to the local pool to cool off.  This turned into the most awesome impromtu afternoon, evening, night as we caught up with Mel and the kids and not only hung out at the pool together but also went for fish 'n' chips in the park and a had a boogie and a slurpee at 7-11.  I really hope we do it again soon as it really made all our hearts smile!

Love these guys...so much fun!

SCHOOLS BACK!

JAN 29th

Despite the fact that we were all still in holiyay mode with camping gear from arsehole to breakfast and our scheduling up shit creek, we managed to get stationary all labelled, uniforms laid out and lunches ready for the start of the 2018 school term. Ace, Mr. 14 an experienced high schooler in Year 8, took it all in his massive 7ft 20" giant stride. Jazz, Mr. 12 and new to the high school experience, was more on the nervous side about it all,but excited about the tooth fairy visiting. Me?  I just sitting there thinking WOW...where did the time go?

JAN 30th - Term 1 2018!

Our house was bustling with first day of school excitement from the crack of dawn! I can't believe that I am now officially a highschool Mum...oh how time passes by so fast and how so much changes and yet stays the same. 

 They may be all grown up, but they will forever be my baby boys. 

CRAZY OCD MODE!

The boys are back to school and I have a month off uni which means I can do a big summer clear out and clean up which equals room to create - all whilst juggling work in between it all ofcourse! The boys came home from their first day of school to find their rooms now have a homework space. I have a meditation corner and Hosannas room has a little table and chairs. I can't believe how 'stuff' just accumulates...it wasn't that long ago I did a massive cull!  Still not quite done, but it will get done, one thing at a time.  I am starting to feel a little more sane with it organised, ironic really, as this frenzy state makes me look the opposite!  By the time I finish this cleaning frenzy I think studying is going to be a breeze in comparrison!

Goodbye January, you have been full of amazingly awesome memories!

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Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013...

'in the end some of your greatest pain becomes your greatest strength'.....How true is that of 2012!

I don't know where to begin to summarise my year as it has been jam packed and to be honest my biggest lesson has been that no matter how much you fill your life with 'things to do' eventually you need to face what you are avoiding and so with that said my promise to myself for 2013 is that my reality will be one of happiness and contentment. I will not fill my life with 'things to do' in order to avoid facing that which I cannot, I will fill it only with things that fulfill my higher purpose. 

I believe that my positivity has always been one of my greatest attributes and although towards the end of this year the shadows crept in I still managed to turn my face to sun and see that there is always light if you allow it in. I say goodbye to 2012 with no regrets and no angst but with the thanks that it provided lessons in strength, courage and the determination to beat all odds. 

I do not hold false hope that 2013 will be the be all and end all because the reality of life is that you take the bad with the good but I do know that I will work damned hard to ensure that it is a year that sees me continuing to strive to be all that I can be and that sees me spend quality time with my family and friends and that sees me doing what I love to do. 

Thank you for your friendship and support, it is treasured dearly and may 2013 be one with more ups than downs. xoxo

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