It's beginning to feel a lot like .....

Christmas

Just have to say, totally loving this pic

Finally the Christmas bug has bitten me. I was beginning to think that I was turning into the Girl who stole Christmas. Haven't felt much like celebrating at all and have wanted to avoid it althogether but with two young boys in the house, there was no chance of that happening. So after much nagging and whinging, I finally got around to pulling the tree out and setting it up for the boys to decorate. Here is the decorating in progress:

Peek-a-Boo, I see you

Mr Serious:

Easy to tell this one doesn't take life too seriously lol

Hope the Chistmas bug bites you all soon.

Cheers

Me xoxo

All things Heidi

OMG OMG OMG talk about awesome. Despite the sadness of the week, going to Create 08 to see Heidi Swapp was definately the highlight of my year.

So, after much nagging from two lovely ladies, I have finally got around to editing some of the pics from the day. But, before I do that, have I told you how fantastic, how awesome, how unbelieveable the day was??? hehehehe just had to tease ... coz I can. Seriously though, I could sit and listen to Heidi Swapp for days on end - she just has this presence about her - so real and so natural - to be honest, totally different to what I expected. I had this feeling that being so 'famous' in the scrap world that she might be a bit aloof and standoffish but OMG she is totally the opposite. She just rolled with the punches and was like - well human lol. She is so genuine, you can tell that all she was saying came straight from the heart and that her emotions and tears were genuine too - trust me, not even the greatest actor or actress from Hollywood could fake that kind of raw emotion - truly inspirational.

Of course the day sped by too fast and it was over too soon and we didn't get any of the projects finsihed but hey, who cares, I got to see Heidi lol.

The mess that was Create 08

We got so much great stuff - a little silver enviro bag full of all the materials we needed to make ouor two projects plus a little Heidi Swapp make-up bag full of other treats that were ours to keep. Even the water bottles were Create 08 personalised lol. Talk about surreal but OMG so amazing (lol have I said that already?). Words cannot really encompass what the day was so maybe I should just let the pics speak for themselves:

Seriously, what more can a girl ask for - personalised water bottles and Diet Coke - well for me Coke Zero would have been better but for Heidi, I won't complain lol.

One of our projects for the day: A mirror album just for ourselves called 'To Your Heart be True'. It will look totally gorgeous when it is finished - this was a sneak peak that Heidi gave us but check out the link here for the finished product:

http://issuu.com/advantus_corp/docs/heidi_swapp_keynote_slides








A crappy pic but a pic with Heidi none-the-less (man i need to go on a diet :O]

I think that is it for the Heidi wrap - will post pics of my projects when I finally get them completed - might need some gentle nudging to get them finished lol.

Cheers

Me xoxo

My Dad ... My Hero

We have had some sadness in the family with the passing of one of Dad's brothers at the age of 71 after losing his fight with cancer. He passed away a few days before school ended for the year and leaves behind my aunty, 6 cousins and all their children - not to mention his own brothers and sisters. But as sad as this time has been, at least now Uncle Michael is now at peace and free from suffering.



I have to say I am sooooooooooo proud of my Dad. His commitment and closeness to his family - as in his own siblings (and their partners and offspring) as well as his own wife and children - is something that is amazing. My dad is the sort of person who is there no matter what is going on in his own life and he is one of those people who goes about things quietly and never expects anything in return, and especially never expects to be thanked - he just does it because that is the type of guy he is. Even though he is the baby of his family, it always seems that everything falls to Dad and everyone comes to him in times of crisis and sadness. As things have turned out, Dad and Mum were privileged to spend quite a bit of time with Uncle Michael in his last few months - first a 6 week stint in August/September when they were touring the state in their caravan and lastly a week long stint during Uncle Michael's final days.



Even though Uncle Michael's ultimate death was (and still is) quite sad, Dad counts himself very fortunate to have been there. Not once did my aunty or cousins ever exclude Mum and Dad, in fact it was the exact opposite - they called him their rock. That is just the kind of man he is - he will be there for anyone no matter what. But what makes me most proud is the way he stood up and represented his brothers and sisters in presenting part of the euology for Uncle Michael. While Dad is a very sociable person (and i mean VERY sociable lol), he detests public speaking with a passion but when one of his great-neices asked him if he would help her present the Euology, Dad put his own discomfort aside and did it. And what an amazing job he did - I have never been so proud of him in my life. What he had to say was perfect. I can only hope that one day, I can do for my family what my father has done for his - he has set the bar pretty high so I hope I can reach his lofty standards.



So Dad, although you will never see this, this is for you:

I just wanted to say I love you, I am proud of you and I am thankful to have a man like you in my life.

Love you Daddy

Me xoxoxo

3 more sleeps

OMG - after forgetting earlier in the week what exciting thing was going to be happening this weekend, we are now down to THREE sleeps.

Yep, a group of girls who I scrap with are heading off to Brisvegas to attend a HEIDI SWAPP workshop. If you haven't guessed from my LO's - I do like my Heidi stuff or should I say in my best Lion King voice - 'not like, LOVE'??!!!

It is going to be a bit of a rush getting there - school doesn't finish until 3.05pm then we have an appointment at the solicitors at 3.30 which hopefully won't take too long and then I am hitting the road - lol not literally. The aim is to be on the road to Brissy by 5pm and get there by 8pmish depending on weather conditions, traffic etc.

Woo hoo bring on the weekend!!!!!!

Sending big hugs to my special girl - you know who you are - luv ya heaps hun mwah mwah - there go raise that hehehehehe

me xoxox

OK so the secret is out

I have been busting to try to keep this quiet for a while now but I reckon that there was someone special in need of a bit of extra loving today so S4J and I have finally let the cat out of the bag.

Look out Victoria, here we come. OMG OMG OMG OMG I cannot believe it. In less than one month we will get to meet the super talented, super gorgeous, amazing BECK!!!!!!

I cannot believe it - I have wanted this for so long and a few months back I thought, stuff it - why wait. So when I got the opportunity, I jumped up and grabbed it with both arms.

S4J and I did intend to just rock up on her doorstep but hey when someone needs a lift, isn't it just the best feeling to know that you can do that for them.

So happy surprise my lovely beck, cannot wait for the 9th.

love ya mwah mwah mwah

me xoxoxo

Inspired to Create

So I have finally found the time to create after being inspired by the beautiful, gorgeous, talented (you name it, this girl is it) BECK. She creates these calendars every year and after buying a tonne to alter last year and not doing one, I gave myself a kick in the pants this year and have now created two.

I know, I know, I need to stop typing to give you time to pick your jaws up off the floor but this is what I have made for my Secret Santa present at school tomorrow. I have the best person to buy gifts for - a lady who is very special to the students and I alike. Sadly she is leaving us for greener pastures after Friday :( :( :( but I know where ever she ends up we will miss her like crazy. This is pretty much a lift of Beck's calendar but hey at least I have done something lol.

Obviously the Spotty PP has been left blank for a photo to be added - bit hard to ask for a photo without giving away what you actually want it for lol.

Lastly, Wooooooooooooooooooooooooo Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo we have FINALLY made it to the last week of school for the year. It is such a relief to have most of the hard work done - although I do need to make some minor adjustments to the Yr 8 classes for next year. I cannot believe that the school year is pretty much done - where has the year gone??? My principal took the Year Coordinators out for dinner tonight - great good, great company, great night in general. I am so lucky to have such a great group of people to work with. Each of the other Year Coordinators brings something different to our collective group and I find each and every one of them inspiring. I have so much to learn so lets hope in 2009 they will still be as open and willing to share their knowledge and expertise with li' ol me.

Til next time

Me xoxoxo

Terrible mother that I am

LOL so i just read through the last post and yes while I know that it was Mitchell's birthday, I realised that his little bro didn't even get a look in or a mention. So this is a pic of him taken some time last week - have no idea what day now - they have all merged into one lol:

MR PHOTOGENIC

Anyways while I am here I have TWO jobs that you ALL have to do for me:

1. Check out this girl's stuff - some of the most awesome scrapping I have ever seen:

http://rih2002.blogspot.com/

2. Check out what this awesome mum has created for her kids teacher's - hmmmmmmmmm wonder if she wants to move so I can teach them little kiddliewinks hehe:

http://scrappinmyworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/lucky-teachers.html

OK so that is your homework for tonight - go check out the awesome-ness (gee i speaking da great english tonight ain't i hehehehe). But in all seriousness, these two girls have been the BESTEST friends a girl could have asked for this year. They have been there beside me (well via the computer anyways lol) through all the crap parts of the year and more often than not, it has been the support of these two girls that has got me through another long night to see the light of another day. If only I could repay them but there isn't enough money in the world to give what I owe these girls. Thanks ladies, you mean more to me than words can ever say.

Love ya

me mwah mwah mwah xoxoxoxo

I think I am here

Phew what a week it has been - don't think I have had such a busy one in quite a while. Well obviously most of my weeks are busy - lots of planning to do and the inevtiable pile of marking - but this week was even more so.

This was Sunday afternoon:

Pick the idiot who thought it would be a good idea to have 23 sugar-filled, screaming kids running around the place. Yeah it was me and YES people, take my advice - GO TO McDONALD'S. Seriously though, it was a great afternoon. Mitch has never had a birthday party at home for all his mates because we always lived too far out of town but this year was different so he made the most of it. It started out as water play on the slip 'n' slide but it didn't take long for the kids to discover the pool (which i was wanting to be kept secret) but ah well, it was all in the name of fun.

I spent Monday and Tuesday putting the finishing touches on this:

These are just some of the 160 students that I am going to be calling 'mine' for the next 5 years. I have been wanting to be a Yr Co-ordinator at my school for about 6 years but having time off with the boys and only working part-time has meant that I have had to forego this privilege ... until now. I found out back in September that I had been appointed the Yr 8 Coordinator for 2009 so after many months of planning, arranging classes, visiting schools, nagging staff for assistance, Wednesday was the Yr 8 Trial Day. And for those of you who are in the know - the day was an awesome success - well apart from the popper incident anyway lol.

Then onto Thursday morning and Mitchell's actual birthday. Not too many good pics to be had, lots of blurry ones with his arms thrown up in the air to his shouts of yahoo to each new present he opened. As always, he was thoroughly spoilt but hey, he will only turn 6 once right???

Thursday lunch time saw me escape from the piles of paperwork left over from Transition Day to race down to Mitchell's school with yet another cake for him to share with his class:

THIS IS WHAT HE THOUGHT OF BEING TOLD HE HAD TO KISS THE CLOSEST GIRL IF HE TOUCHED THE BOTTOM OF THE CAKE WITH THE KNIFE - hmmmmmm doesn't look too please about that lol

LOOKS A TAD EMBARASSED BY ALL THE ATTENTION lol

And finally - well for the picture department anyway, Thursday night with Mitchell's school concert and Christmas Bash. The preppies were so cute - they all dressed up as Cowboys/Cowgirls and did a performance for us. (NOTE TO SELF: ASK SANTA FOR A LENSE WITH A BIGGER ZOOM!!! as none of the pictures of the performance turned out any good) but how cute does my little man look all done up in his Daddy's hat???!!!

And then onto Friday and our staff party. OMG what a night!!!! I had the BEST time. It was organised by our staffroom - well mainly Spanner - and it went off, TOTALLY ROCKED, best night i had in a long time and because this is my blog I am gunna hide all the pics hehehehehehehehe

Ok I think that is enough of an update for now. I will let you all get back to sleep. Sorry for boring you all hehehehe

me xoxoxoxo