Time for an Update

I trust you all had a very relaxing Easter. Life has been very hectic here the last month or so. It has been nice to have a break at last. We have spent the last week camping at Tannum Sands with a group of people from church. There were 60 of us for the four days of Easter and then 7 families stayed on until yesterday. The guys went out everyday fishing, and quite often the kids joined in as well. Not a lot of fish caught, but lots of fun, as there were four keen fishermen with boats this year. Chloe had a ball as there were quite a few young people around here age, and they spent lots of time at the beach, swimming, and mucking around and generally having a lot of fun. They were amazed at the number of people each day that would add to their wooden structure and by the end of the five days there was quilt a mound of wood. Just had to take a photo of it. Most evenings they sat around chatting, playing cards, listening to music and generally having a really good time. It was so good to see. On Easter Saturday we all went to Lake Awonga and went tubing and skurfing. We played cards, laughed lots and I even managed to read 3 novels in five days and started a fourth which I plan on finishing this weekend before I go back to work next week.

The sandflies were pretty bad as usual but this year, although I was on tablets I somehow managed to have a pretty nasty reaction on my forehead to a bite that ended up sending me to the doctors where I have had to have a course of antibiotics and a steroid cream to clear it up. Thankfully it is much better today so hopefully by the time I get back to work next week it should all be cleared up.
Chloe and I had both booked in for hair appointments this morning, but unfortunately I had to cancel mine because of my infected head, but she went ahead and wow what a change. We ducked into the supermarket on our way home, and one of the guys from school saw her and his comment was "Crap - you look so different". Thought I would add a before and after photo.

Uni was pretty busy the couple of weeks before I left to go on holidays so I haven't had much of a chance to do a lot of scrapbooking, I do have a couple of Layouts from classes I did at Embellished with some of the girls from work though so thought I might show these. I also have a very quick one I did of Chloe doing her homework, that I thought I would share.

This Layout was done in a class that Julie Heard took. We were using her transperant butterflies. They were so cute to work with. Love this photo of my mum and I. It was taken on her birthday in January. Lots of people think we are alike.

Love that. My Mum is a very special person who has wonderful qualities and if I could be half as nice, half as compassionate and thoughtful as she is I would be one very happy person. Love you MUM.

This Layout was done in one of Ali Russell's classes. Just a fun funky layout about friendship and girl power. These were photos taken at Chloe's birthday last year. Got to use a bit of the new HS Bling and some great SR Papers. Just love them. This Layout should have some journalling just above the flower but doesn't matter how much I have tried to do it - it just doesn't look right so am leaving it just as it is.

This last layout is just a fun one I started before the holidays and finished today. Chloe is not a language person, in fact she has receptive language difficulties and hates doing assignments. It is quite stressful for her and she was laying on the lounge floor one night having a good whinge about the workload in the Senior school - thought I should snap a photo of her doing an assignment and documenting this for her. I am sure in years to come she will look back at these days and realize they were some of the best days in her life.

Steve has gone to Bris this afternoon to catch up with Pete and Sarah. He has a seminar to attend on Sunday and Monday, so thought he would go early and spend some time with the kids. Should be landing as I type this. Chloe and I are going to have a girlie night tonight with Lauren. Lauren is the four year old daughter of my good friend Sharon who is home from PNG. Lauren's brothers stayed with us for 10 days whilst Craig and Sharon and the girls were in Bris, and Lauren has been waiting patiently to come spend some time with us ever since. We have been shopping this week for nail polish and lip gloss, pretty hair ties and we are doing the whole lot tonight. Make-up, foot spa, nail polish and the hair and then hope to take her to Macca's for a treat afterwards. She is so excited. Will have to take some photos to share. Oh to be four.

Things I am most thankful for today are

1. My mum - love her to bits. She has not only been an awesome mum but my best friend too.
2. My daughters - whom I have so much fun doing the girlie things with.
3. My son who is a wonderful thoughtful young man who goes out of his way to help others.
4. My wonderful husband - who is just the best. Words cannot describe how much I love him and how blessed I feel.
5. Great friends who know how to have fun. You guys have made this last week such a fun and relaxing holiday