March 8

This was photo was taken after the School Sport Tennis Exchange selection trials. For the first time, both our girls were selected to the team. M has been a part of the team for the last three years and plays heaps of tennis, but B only decided to try out because we were there. I have been a coach/manager of the local representative team on and off since 2005. This year I am convening the State event so won't be taking on a team. As I was at the trials to assist the new team management, and M was trying out, B came too. She filled in during the Bump Doubles to help even up the numbers. The following week she got her forms filled in and entered to try out at the final selection trial - and was selected to represent our Cluster! She was very excited and it was great to see both her siblings excited for her. She's since joined the local club and is having some successes.

Free Stamp

Browsing Nadya's Blog I found a link to , Let's Get Jazzy

She is offering a free stamp!!!
Just by responding to her blog EVERY one can get a free stamp!
Can't wait to see how her blog blossoms :)

Friendship Award

I received this lovely little Friendship Award from my friend Sherry :)
What a great surprise it was too!!
Here's what the award says:

“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

Now my job (pleasure) is to pass it to 8 more people deserving of the award :) I can't really give it back to Sherry...But I certainly would..she's very deserving...


1. Mary ...seriously hoping she'll come out and start blogging again..
2. Lita ...hoping she can afford to get the net back on again soon..
3. Michelle ...a wonderful new-ish Mum..
4. Leanne ...very giving person, who's had a lot of heartache this past year..
5. Susan ... for inspiring us to complete our challenges..
6. Rhonda ... Su! Demonstrator with a HUGE heart...
7. Cori ...I first "met" Cori through Sister Swaps...love her down to earth Blog...
8. Meg ..Somone I've wanted to get to know better since I found SS ... Her honesty and strength is truly inspiring.

Day 37

Love is in the air!! Chris, from work, met her man on the 'net. Today they met for in real life and she took him up the hill, so that we could see them from our office (yes the hill that has appeared on my daily photo pages twice already). Obviously we couldn't see much..she just wanted us to be able to "see" him without actually meeting him stirring the with good natured jibes. I'm hoping to print this picture to give to them as a reminder of the day they finally met.
They are off on a holiday to see the beautiful tourist spots famous in our area.
We got a "mini holiday"/long weekend after our fire alarm went off. Something electrical set the alarm off and the power went out so we were sent home. It's amazing what a difference a three o'clock finish makes to your Friday afternoon! I met the kids after school, dropped T at tennis, took the girls home for a snack/swim and then spent the evening at tennis with Julie and Liz and even enjoyed a couple of coldies before arriving home around 8.30pm.

Day 26 - Australia Day 2008

ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR
Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free,
We've golden soil and wealth for toil
Our home is girt by sea.

Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty, rich and rare,
In History's page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We'll toil with hearts and hands,
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands.

For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share,
With courage let us all combine
to Advance Australia Fair

In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair

We got to sleep in today - our walk didn't start until 7am :) I was pretty happy with my walking time; finishing my 3kms in just over 23 minutes in a race to the line with a lady who had walked most of the way with me...I'm not really sure who won, but I think she may have pipped me by the smallest of margins! B and T took off running at the start of the race and I didn't see them again until the finish line. B got one of the coveted Australia Day medals for coming first in the 12/U girls division and T got his photo in Tuesday's paper. M and Auntie came up the rear, although not last and Grandma tried but couldn't catch me, finishing some where in the middle of the pack :) After the walk we had a light breakfast of fruit and cereals and then wandered around to the Australia Day Ceremony where our friend Gail became an Australian Citizen. It was a hot day and unfortunately the planners didn't provide shade for new Australians or School Citizenship Award winners, who spent almost two hours in the very hot sun. I was however impressed by the fact we sang both verses of the National Anthem and then after the ceremony were entertained by a man who sang good Australian songs like "We are Australian" There was a birthday cake for people born on the 26th of Jan for us to share and a BBQ breakfast, including Bacon and Egg Sandwiches!
After the ceremony we went to play tennis. Auntie and I played against Grandma and M and the other kids took turns in playing on the next court and the practise wall. It was a fun hit, with Auntie not having hit a tennis ball in a number of years and Grandma trying hard to impress her Grand Daughter with her Pre 1980s Yonnex Aluminium Raquet that the kids are sure resembles a squash racquet!

Day 17

As promised, after M and T returned from their sleepover, T and I went to the movies. After much discussion and trying to fit in around A's schedule we decided on Bolt at 12.15. We went in armed with a mixed bag of M&Ms and our drinks and we were so early we even beat the advertisements! During the ads we decided we'd like to see Monsters vs Aliens, Pink Panther2 and Ice Age 3, so we'll need to keep an eye out for them in the July holidays. We still have a week of these holidays left so we'll probably go and see Bedtime Stories and/or TWILIGHT! That should keep my SS friends happy LOL! M is hanging to see Twilight...
Bolt was quite good, I even shed a tear. T was a bit disappointed when the initial Super Hero stuff stopped but then once he saw there was a storyline he sat riveted, trying to figure out what was "movie" and what was "real life" even pointing out that it was "a bit sad". Good choice overall, as I wouldn't have seen it if we'd been able to go to Bedtime Stories.
Around 4pm we went to Nicko's house to celebrate his birthday with a bunch of people from work. We had a good night, with M and I leaving around 10.30 so we could get a good sleep before our Sunday walk, and AB&T got home around 2.30am!! Turns out Nicko's birthday is actually on the same day as mine.

Day 15

Today was just another day at the office, but I was greeted with this bright birthday card from my boss. It calls me a "banana" for trying to keep it quiet LOL and I discovered that my sister K who works for the same organisation had spilled the beans on my birthday.
The Magno-men are an attempt to brighten up my work space, but I found that I don't have a very magnetic work area. They belong to the children, but they've not missed them as far as I can tell :)

Day 14

Happy Birthday to Me!!
M and T came walking with me this morning as B was at a sleepover and A wasn't home from his night shift. We walked for just over an hour and both kids did really well. T and I came up the rear for a bit, just chatting and walking, before we decided we didn't like being last... We ran and passed a few people at a time, with M and T ending up racing to the carpark for "first place". They both enjoyed themselves and were looking forward to the next walk. Unfortunately for T it won't be every time as I like to walk at a faster pace than his little legs can keep up with!
Mum greeted me with a candle and Gift Voucher for my birthday. I started work late as M and T were very keen to give me my present and I wanted to wait till their dad was home...it was worth the wait, they gave me a CrazyPopper popcorn maker to replace the one B had burned out a few years ago....Kirsten and I met up for lunch and then after work she came over to drop of a very chocolate cake she'd baked especially for me, then she left her kids here for a swim whilst she went out for a walk. After her walk we chatted for a bit before I took MTB over to my sister's new house for a lovely prawn birthday tea :)

One Year On...

Wow! I've had my Blog for a year! I just re read it to make sure it was all ok to share with A's family (that's why I set it up initially anyway!) and read my Anniversary entry from last year...
Well, it seems Last year I gave him his wedding ring all spruced up...(top)
Guess what I gave him this year? A new one.
His old one got stuck in a lock at work and broke. I had it repaired but the filigree pattern was cracked and would most likely break again soon. We picked out a new ring and put it on lay-by. I paid it off early and gave it to him for our anniversary...(bottom)

365 Project.

I've signed up for the 365 Project on SS. I'm really looking forward to it. By all accounts I should have an album completed by the end of 2009, with one photo/item from each day in the year. I'm really excited about it. It will go hand in hand with my new goal to do at least one page per week.

DAY 1
Here's my first photo for 2009....
Breakfast at Macca's to celebrate my nephew's (red) 5th Birthday. He spent the night at our house so his mum could go out and celebrate New Years Eve with her friends :)
After breakfast we did some shopping and my DN chose his own present - Australian Towel, Hat and Tattoos. Interesting choices as he would have got a DS Lite game had it been our choice!

My DS7 has just begun to see my DN as a friend as well as a cousin. It's really nice to see as I was great friends with my cousins growing up.

Easter Was Awesome!!!

It was FANtastic to see my brother and all his family (bar one daughter) over the Easter Week.
The kids loved meeting their cousins and they all played really well together. The eldest is turning 20 this year and the youngest is 1. We played cards (MAY I?), did SingStar, went to the Desert Park, had meals together...it was fun. My darling brother even cooked lunch for me!! Warm lamb salad. . . it was delicious!!



It was also interesting to see how the nature/nurture thing works. My nephew has grown up on the other side of the country to his dad. They see each other about once a year. They look alike. They sound alike. It's amazing.
The family genes must be very strong. My niece and my middle dd are very similar in appearance (with about 8 years in between).

The Wedding Anniversary party went well, with the three kids (my sister,brother and me) and our families giving Mum and SD a digital photo frame with photos already on it. It has quite a big internal storage capacity, plus you can add photos by card or USB...





Can't wait to see them all again!

March so far..

March has been HUGE! Dh has been working days, and I'm still getting used to working full time (over two jobs). I seem to be waking at ridiculous hours of the morning and feeling exhausted each evening.
Netball is starting soon. I've taken on a 13/U netball team, that has somehow become 2.
Thankfully I've found a lady to take one on each Saturday.
I'm also in the midst of planning a Tennis event and organising to take some kids to another one next term.
DH is slowly getting used to being the one that's home to do tea etc, although it did take some convincing. I guess it is hard when he's so used to finishing at bed time, to be home and able to cook dinner..?
I have two name tags to wear for work. My morning job says "tutor" which really confuses the kids who are just learning to read!! The second one actually has my name on it - I like it. It makes me feel a part of the school :)
It's almost Easter. With that comes family. It's my sister's birthday on Tuesday, then my brother and families come to celebrate mum's wedding anniversary on Thursday. This just reminds me - I forgot to say happy Anniversary! 30 years!! I think it was on the 11th... Oh well, I'll have to do something nice for her party...really should get together with the siblings and organise something...
It will be nice to see them all, though at this point I'm not even sure when my brother is coming. His girlfriend, 3 of his kids and two of hers will be here on Thursday. I hope he can come!!
I caught up with him in Melbourne last year for an hour or so, but it would be nice to see more of him :)
...Now, I need to remember to go chase up the Easter Bunny!

SS Blog Challenge #1

My new year's resolution was to take part in the SS Blog Challenges. Well it's February and I'm just beginning...better lat than never!

This week's blog challenge: RECIPE! We all dig out special recipes during the holidays - some that we ONLY use at holiday time. Why do we make those dishes every year? Where did the recipe originate? Does someone request it? Would it just NOT be the holidays without it? What memories of this recipe do you have from your childhood?

Christmas every year as a child we had White Christmas and Rum Balls.

White Christmas from Australia

3 cups rice bubbles
1 cup mixed fruit
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup dry powdered milk
3/4 cup of sifted icing
sugar
225 grams colpha
vanilla essence

1. Put 3 cups of rice bubbles, 1 cup of mixed fruit, dessicated coconut, dry powdered milk and 3/4 sifted icing sugar in a bowl.

2. Melt 225 grams copha in saucepan. Add copha to dry ingredients in bowl - mix well.

3. Press mixture firmly into a biscuit tray. Set in a refrigerator. Cut into squares.

I make neither for my family, although I do love to eat the Rum Balls that my mum still makes!
We have our own tradition of Ginger Bread houses. We began the tradition in 2004 after tasting our Canberra neighbours, Malcom, Rodney, Bonny and Alison's gingerbread house. We thought it was a fantastic idea - but being our first time, we cheated and looked around until we found a house to buy, rather than making one...but all we could find was this litte tree. None the less - a new tradition began. Christmas 2004...
We usually make our own Gingerbread House or houses - depending on how many we need. They were a hit at the class parties in 2005 and we made our first one for my CM Xmas in July workshop. In 2006, when we were in Adelaide in a tent we bought another tree as it was a bit hard to bake in the caravan park!! Below are some of the houses we made in 2005. We also made some mini houses as Christmas Gifts, with pink and green icing. They were hard to make so we are sticking to white!

Then there are the stock recipes that we ALWAYS keep ingredients on hand for. What's one of yours? What's your family's favorite dish? What do you ALWAYS make when you have company for dinner? Are you known for a certain recipe that people always request? This week, tell us about the recipe(s) that invoke special memories for you.

My favourite biscuits are "Lady Alice Biscuits" they are custard based and melt in your mouth. These were an old recipe of my mum's.
Andrew's favourite dessert, "Alice's Apple Squares" is from his mum's recipe book, my favourite version is apple and rhubarb.
We don't have people over for dinner often, but when we do it's usually a barbecue. My favourite salad is the Crunchy Noodle Asian Salad.
When I was growing up we didn't have lots of money and "KiSiMin" was often on the menu. It was always a two night dish and it was always MUCH tastier the second time around.

Ki Si Min

Ki si Min (fast and yummy)

mince meat

cabbage

onion

curry powder

mixed frozen vegetables

chicken soup in a can

You use as much as you want but for say 7 people l use:

600 grams of mince

1/4 cabbage

1 onion

curry powder to taste

saucepan lot of frozen vegies (l use lots cause love me vegies)

2 tins of soup (you can use one but l like mine creamy)

Chop onion and saute in pan with some butter till translucent, add curry powder to cover. Add mince and stir till browned. Slice cabbage thinly and add to mixture, cook vegies and add to mixture also. When all mixed together and cabbage has softened add the tins of soup and mix well and heat through. YUMMMMMY and l might add l add extra curry powder to taste when thats done.

Quick easy and tastes better than it sounds very cheap to make too.

Happy Anniversary to US and ...stuff...

15 years today.
This photo is a little older than that, but it's a nice photo.

We had a really nice day together (with two of the kids).
I had planned on getting DH some nice drinking glasses, but couldn't find any I liked.
I gave him his refurbished wedding ring instead. It looks great - someone resized it with yellow gold once and it looked shocking. This time the jeweller removed the yellow gold, reshaped the ring (from where DH got it caught on something at work), remade the shank and polished it all up. It still fits!!!
We gave ourselves the treadmill as a combined "everything" gift, with birthdays, Christmas and our Anniversary in Dec/Jan it seemed a good idea. It was neat that it was delivered today.
I ran for 2 minutes and walked for 13. The kids enjoyed it too. My goal will be to increase by 10% each day until I get to a certain point..not sure what that will be yet!
Our 1st dd is away on a tennis tournament for 8 days. It's day 6 and she's finally played some tennis. She had two singles and 1 doubles match today and won them all. She only met her doubles partner when it was time to go on the court! They have to play each other in singles tomorrow! DD has a bad (?) habit of feeling bad for her opposition, so I hope that she doesn't take it too easy on her "partner" whilst they are playing their singles matches. She's missing us all, and we are missing her lots too! xxxxxxx

The dd8 and ds6 had a great time playing with the Treadmill Packaging. It was a slide. It was a car! They even managed to find some wood planks in the box which they used as "surfboards" in the pool at our friend's house! Gotta love their creativity - all we could see before they started playing, was M.E.S.S.