To My Dear Followers....

To the few that are left, after quite a lengthy absence, I have managed to write a post!!! I hear a faint cheer in the background!! lol

It has been over a month since I last posted. I am always making excuses for myself but the truth is that I just a busy Mum! Don't get me wrong, I loooove to blog! It is my little indulgence as I scan other peoples blogs, dream, rant, post pictures of the family and generally try to keep some sort of record regarding my life!

Time flies so quickly! I sound like i'm in my 6o's but it is so true! I try to squeeze every last minute out of every last day and still find a lengthy "to do" list for the next day! Unfortunately the blog comes low on my priorities! And suffers!!!

So I will attempt to recap on a very busy October and early November....

Here goes......

 a little bit of beach action!!!

 No matter how cold it is, the children love a swim. I think personally they believe ANY sunny day is a beach day!!!

 I sit back and marvel at how beautiful the world is....

 Then I get crafty with the camera...maybe a slight arty sideways shot?

It is a great time because the kids have a good time and rarely argue!! Am I the only one who has kids that seem to argue over EVERYTHING!!!???

Then there was the bout of GASTRO that took the whole family down!!! Gotta love cleaning products and lemonade. We lived on this for about 2 weeks.

back to the beach for a lovely coffee and milkshake. The sun was lovely after indoors for days on end!!!

A quick reminder to be happy, more for myself than others. Love a morning snuggle with my baby and a read of my favourite magazine!!!

All better for soccer presentation. It was Jules' first year and he was so excited to recieve a TROPHY!! Well done my little one!

 off to the nursery to buy pots and plants to finally finish the front garden. I'm a little embarrassed to say it but we built the house 8 years ago!!!!

 I had to take pictures for inspiration

Daddy's helper a Bunnings!He really loved the kids trolleys!!!

my beautiful Agave that I up rooted myself and planted...gotta love an off cut!! lol

 

hmmm looking a little better...

Back to the beach

Grandparents came home from holidaying in New York. They found the M&M shop most fasinating!!!

I made dinner

 and Almond Bread

a few people came around for dinner

Ruby worked it eating yogurt...

I went a little crazy...car trips with more than one tend to do this to me!!!!

I am very blessed to have both sets of parents in my life!! So when we get together it is a real 'family' affair. Lunch with the In-Laws and Mum and Dad!!

Mum throws a good spread...

 The woman who I think is Amazeballs!!!

a quick hearing test for Jules..I suddenly thought he wasn't misbehaving, maybe he was deaf!!  LOL  LOL

Turns out he is just misbehaving!!!! HAHAHAHHAHAHA

Cricket season started. Not only for my husband but my precious first born. So that now means 6am starts on a Saturday. Oh that is him packing the car. It is a tight squeeze with 4 cricket kits!!!!! What the????

Hubby's birthday. A little note from Harry

The best part is that we went to a resturant where you could write on the table!!! Kids thought this was COOL!!

Happy Birthday to you and Thank you Rojo Rocket for entertaining my kids!!!

Oh and then there was episode 2 of "Ruby's Adventures".

I have to set the scene. I was on the phone. I heard a cry then it got louder and louder!! I ran to see what the problem was. Half expecting to break up a sibling argument. No Ruby was at it again in the bathroom. This time no toilet involved thankfully.

this is what I opened the door to.....

 What the?? She had climbed on a chair into the SINK!!!???

She got stuck!! why Ruby? I asked. "I wanted a bath!!!!" she replied.

I'm pretty sure last bath was in the actual bath!!!!

Rest after the trauma of bathtime!!!

Kind orientation started for my baby boy!! Growing up so fast! You can see he had some trouble settling in....

Finally back to the beach! I really didn't think I could fit so much in during one month. I look back and can actually begin to see why I'm so tired!!!

The truth is that I loved every minute and wouldn't change a thing!!!

Until next time!!!!

Kitchen renovation

I love a good before and after!!! This kitchen looks amazing after the renovations! It is amazing what new cupboards and some paint can do!! oh and all the little bits and pieces that are the most fun to  shop for!! I did notice they stayed with the original bench top which would have saved them a packet!!!

source: Design Sponge

Laughing all the Way to Happiness

I love the sound of that! Laughing is a great tool to develop great relationships! I had the chance to interview a fantastic speaker who teaches us all about laughing to better relationships.  

I really believe it is a fantastic way to stop anger in it's tracks. How can you stay angry when you are laughing? Virtuallly impossible!!! Mark Gungor shares his thoughts on marriage and making it work!! He has a fantastic radio program in the States that allows people to ring in and share their trials and intimate questions.

What I love is that he doesn't suger coat it! He tells it how it is!! We need more of that. Honesty with an intention to heal broken relationships! Love it!!!

So tune in if you are around on Friday 4pm Eastern Australian time to 94.9 Rhema FM and have a giggle! It may just help you see the brighter side of life!!!!

CLick on this link to get podcasts on your Iphone!!!!

http://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/the-mark-gungor-show/id292212480

Fifty Shades of Grey

Ok so what is up with this book ladies?

I have a blog to express my opinions and chat to cyber world about my thoughts and feelings so today you get my thoughts and feelings about this new phenomenon.

It started over a conversation I had with my friend. Please understand that we have not (or ever intend to) read the book. We just couldn't understand why or how it has become socially acceptable to read such graphic sexual content in public places!! I'm a little gob smacked!

It would be no more acceptable for my husband to sit his 'bot bot' down on the train and pull out the latest porn mag and begin to read! So why is it ok for girls, ladies to sit on the train and read a book which contains such stuff? 

Now I know a porn mag is very graphic but from what I hear Fifty Shades of Grey is also very explicit and full of detail. Boys love pictures and are stimulated by visual pictures and a woman is turned on by emotions, thoughts, feeling and engaging in conversation. I see it as a porn mag for a woman!  

My friend also had a concern that I hadn't even thought about. This book is available in our family friendly Big W for all to see. No wrapped, sealed section, no restrictions and at a very reasonable price of $10!! She has young girls about to enter teenage years and this concerns her!It even takes pride place at the end of an isle!!! 

How 'low' can we go as a society? This kind of thing was full of shame and happened in the privacy of your own home - reading dirty mags, watching inappropriate things on TV. In a blink of an eye, something changed. I'm not sure what but it is now quite acceptable for books with highly sexual content to be read in public, no shame, even chat about it between yourselves. Please Lord may it not be on my child's reading list in year 12!!!! But if it was, I can't say I would be suprised!!!

Now I'm not about to start a picket line and chant that God will strike you down if you read the book. This is my opinion and I do feel strongly about it for myself and my family. I just want to protect the innocence of young girls and the beautiful relationship a husband and wife have. Filling your head with dreams and fantasys of a different kind can only lead to confusion, dissapointment, insecurities and dissatisfaction with your life. 

Ok I will stop but I feel that someone should challenge what seems to be the natural progression of our society.  Is anything wrong anymore? Or do we live by "If it feels good do it"?

What do I want my kids to believe? What kind of relationships do I want them to experience?

These are the questions that I think must be asked and real thought taken into account when we sit back and accept a new 'norm' in society. One thing I know for sure...Fifty Shades wont be in my family libary! Instead I fill my mind with all things 'good'!! Postive role models for my kids - truth, grace, mercy, forgiveness and Love. True love that lasts a lifetime!!!!

I will remove myself from the soap box now!!

  

New England Homes

This blog post is dedicated to my best friend in the world.!!! She left me for a season to live abroad and found herself in an amazing part of the world called New England. She came home to tell me all about the beautiful homes that I would love! After a quick "goggle" I was hooked!!

So to my friend, I hope these posts from New England give you warm and fuzzy feelings on the inside.... 

ok I must stop but until next time!!!!