Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

Happy New Year

I'm not one for making resolutions exactly but this year I feel I have to take control of some things and so am going to at least have some aims, these are:


organise our finances in a logical fashion, budget and save!! Ok well definately budget so that the money and the month run out at the same time and not the former running out well before the latter!!

continue to appreciate the kids while they are still young and full of wonder and bright ideas, what happens to those great ideas and enthusiasm for little things as we grow older?

Scrap and make cards as often as I can.

(I've nearly finished a christmas journal that a friend sent me for my birthday.)


Read more books and listen to more music.

(I read a whole book on Tuesday, Sophia Kinsella, Remember me. It is a brillant book and well worth the read. I don't think I've ever had time to finish a book in a day before certainly not post children.)

That'll do for now.

See you in 2009

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We went to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland today and had a fab, rare family day out. We all really enjoyed our skating and Charlotte has a natural ability for skating, she has only been once before about 2 years ago and was whizing round like a pro, we were all very impressed.

The rest of us managed ok and didn't fall much (me not at all!!!) and Charlotte and I managed a couple of quick laps once the ice quietened down towards the end of the hour and while the boys were drinking their respective drinks, hot choc and beer, you can guess who had what!!!!

We also went on the observation wheel and had a look round the German Market that was there with some lovely stuff. Charlotte and I brought a bracelet and Charlotte also brought a very nice ring.

What a bad blogger I've been!!

A little catch up, I've been busy with college coursework and the kids,etc so not much scrapping or card making.

We went away for the weekend to Portsmouth and stayed in a lovely hotel called Queens in Southsea, it was brill. I think if I won a lot of money I might have to live in a hotel, no cooking, washing up,etc. Someone making your bed!! The reason we went away was to celebrate with my family for my Nana's 80th Birthday. It was a lovely weekend and the birthday girl had a lovely time. We all loved going up the Spinnaker Tower and the kids loved the glass floor area!!

I've also been following the stories in hand class from jessica spragues blog, it is a lovely idea and I hope to keep it up!! http://www.jessicasprague.com/

I've done the printing and made the binder so off to a good start. I'll take some pics and let you know how I get on.

UKS challenge

I thought I'd do this challenge with some photos I took yesterday at the halloween festival at Tulleys Farm. The kids really enjoyed the pumpkin chuckin'!!

The challenge was to follow a sketch, use Autumn colours, 10 of something and outdoor photo.

Littlegreen Crop

I had such a lovely time at Littlegreen crop yesterday and did my first scrapping in ages. I did a 12 x 12 LO of the kids on the trampoline called bouncing anda star book class where we made the 6 x 6 star book and I've been decorating it today, interupted by making a card for my friend who had her baby yesterday. I will also be making a tag book for her so will get on with that tonight and then we can add photos as they come.

Olympic Parade Photos

Here are some pictures from the Olympic Parade today, it was fantastic. The kids and I loved seeing all the athletes we had cheered on in Beijing.


Mark Foster (swimmer) and lurvely!!!

Tom Daly (Diving), Rebecca Adlington (2 golds swimming)

Ellie Simmonds

(2 Golds paralympic swimming)

Andy Hodge (gold, mens coxless fours), Phillips Idowu (silver, triple jump) Tim Brabent (Gold, Canoeist)

Doodlebug house

Charlotte and I made this doodlebug house today, she choose Halloween style and we had a nice time making it together. We were pleased with the final outcome of our cute first little house.

I also did this Lo for a challenge on UKS which was to use shades of the same colour and use a sketch. I found the big picture of Charlotte and Gary and wanted to use it in a LO so this seemed a good opportunity.

The journalling says, When we lived in Dillwyn close Daddy used to go in the loft wher his record player was. On this day you clamboured up with him and listened to REM's Green album at top volume.

Another LO

This is a LO I did last night following a sketch from the uks summer stash bash.

Excuse the photo.

Circle minibook

This is a circle minibook that was on UKS, by Annette (voodoo vixen). Her site is so lovely and her minibooks are fab.

http://scraphappenshere.blogspot.com/




Mine don't quite do hers justice but I really enjoyed what I've done so far. I need to go on a shopping trip for a few more embellishments, etc so that I can finish it off.

Year 6

When Charlotte goes back to school in September, she'll be in year 6. She had a list from school of things she will need to have. She was very excited about getting it and a lot of thought went into exactly which folder and pencil case she wanted. She chose a Mr Bump pencil case and a Mr Men and Little Miss Folder amongst all the other things, I think it's a preparation for secondary school. She was so pleased showing her dad and grandparents what she had that it really deserved a LO.

The sketch is one from UKS Summer Crop, (Friday 15th)

I'm in the process of doing 2 mini books as well, and will hopefully finish them tonight.

Veggies

Ok, so I know that it's not exactly enough for us to live on but everyone has to start somewhere!! As I am normally unable to keep a house plant alive for very long you can imagine how excited I was when i got all this from my veg patch and apple tree!!! You could here me shrieking with excitement up and down the road and the kids even ate the runner beans.

Camping

We have spent the last week camping in the Forest Of Dean with my brother and his kids which was fab. We all had a lovely time and feel revitilised by our break. We visited a number of places, Sculpture trail, a 4.5 mile walk which the kids did without any complaining. Puzzle wood, great mazes, Gary and I went to Chepstow races as we had won tickets and we had a lovely day out. The kids went with my parents to Dick Whittington Farm Park. Swimming, Clearwell Caves and had a picnic by the river Wye. Some of the photos are here at slide.com, thanks LK for showing me this site!!
http://www.slide.com/mscd?pxcid=nzTNjDdsU9UqUrVas1vUb3V0QzaN59VcuR19x2LZn1DPb9_3SXdsZ3lVTYbg-ikM&nc=

Legoland

Well my dad has been home for nearly a week now and seems fine, apart from a couple of headaches, thanks for all your best wishes. We will see him next week as he is coming to visit us where we are camping. So that will be great.

We took the kids to Legoland on Thursday and had a brilliant time. As you can see from the pics I hope, we rode on the sky chairs, watched Johnny Thunder save the day, raced on the fire trucks and put out the fires!!! enjoyed our watermelon, and rode on the wave riders. All in all a good day was had by all and we certainly all slept well when we got home.





We are going camping for a week tomorrow, so catch you all soon. Hopefully with a lot of holiday pics for scrapping.

Weird few days

After a scan yesterday my dad was rushed into his local neuro hospital within a couple of hours and had brain surgery that very afternoon, being 200 miles a way I felt a bit helpless but I think even if I'd been there I'd have felt the same. Anyway he's making a great recovery and should be home over the weekend!! Hard to believe brain surgery on a Thursday anbd then home 2 days later but we'll see how he goes. He's obviously made of strong stuff!!!





I did this quick little LO tonight for this weeks challenge on uks as i felt the need to do something, so another page for the kids dr who exhibition album.

Teachers Minibook

This is a minibook I made for Georges teacher, as he has had a really lovely year 1 and enjoyed it a lot.

No LO's but some cards!!

Have made a some cards with some images a very kind friend sent to me. Two for George & Charlotte's teachers and one for George's friend whose party it is today.