50th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS.

What a busy week. - We arrived home from holidays a week ago today to a housefull of visitors. Our good friends Craig & Sharon and their four children (home from PNG for 6 months) stayed with us this week, whilst they got their house ready to move into. My workmate Karen (from Emerald) and her Mum and Baby boy also stayed for a couple of nights, they went home and then our three kids arrived home from Bris for the weekend to help celebrate their Dad's birthday. We have been really busy getting ready for work and School. Steve started last Tuesday and I started on Thursday. It was good that we only had one day - but this week is going to be a killer with five full days.

Pete, Sarah and Colin flew in on Friday morning to spend the weekend with their Dad to help celebrate his 50th Birthday. We have had a totally awesome weekend - full on, but lots of fun too.

We spent most of Friday down at The Causeway, skurfing and tubing with friends, from church, and the kids friends. We had a couple of boats and neither Steve or Darryl got to set foot on land much. It was stinking hot in town, so it was nice to escape to the coast where there was a lovely cool breeze. We got home late - veged out with Pizza, and Season 2 of "Smallville". Both Sarah and I fell asleep.

Saturday was full on as we prepared for Steve's party. We spent the morning running around getting food, picking up a birthday cake - making deserts and then at lunch time, Sarah, Chloe and I all went to the Beauty Clinic, where we had manicures and pedicures, and all got spoilt together. It is so much fun when we all go and we have decided that we will make this an annual event. This was the first time that Chloe had joined us - she has been growing her fingernails for weeks, just so that she could join in the fun. It is difficult for her as she has very weak nails like me. Sarah is the only one in our family blessed with beautiful shaped nails and strong ones at that. We were there for nearly three hours, and the pampering was just wonderful.

Meanwhile, whilst us girls were being pampered, the boys took Steve to "The Rock Pool" in Rocky. This is a fun pool, with water slides, rock climbing, minigolf and water fun activites, and they had a ball - mind you he was determined to meet any challenge they issued him.

Saturday night was Steve's 50th Birthday Party and it was an awesome night. It was an open invitation to friends from church and there would have been about 80 or more there. He felt really honored as heaps of young people came to help him celebrate. He has a real heart for guys our kids age. Our kids all gave speeches - (they even had me in tears, so I can even begin to imagine how Steve must have felt to hear them sharing the things that make him a special Dad to them. He has been an awesome Dad to them - a very hands on Dad - still is, he loves spending time with them, whether it be just watching TV, skurfing, sking, playing x-box - whatever they want to do he is there to do it. They also shared how his love of God and how he has always lived by example has had a huge impact on them. I have to agree, Steve has a real servant heart and gets his greatest joy out of doing things for others and seeing other peop[le happy, The kids and I are truely blessed.

Today we are all exhausted - The kids got up early and bought us breakfast in bed, where Steve got to open his presents (family tradition) We then spent most of the morning just laying around chatting (Deep and meaningfuls). Pete and Sarah's friend Naomi (from Gladstone) was also staying with us so she joined in too. We all went out for lunch - had a great time, even took the camera and took some crazy pictures. Spent the afternoon playing card games together before we took the older ones out to the airport to catch their flights home. It has been an awesome weekend - just loved and enjoy every moment we get to spend with these guys.

Tomorrow it is back to work - a whole week of it - I am still not in work mode - still want to be on holidays. I love holidays - it means family time to us. This week I also have to get in and start doing some scrapbooking again. It is so long since I have done any - lots of ideas but really need to get a few CJ's out of the way first. Also have lots and lots of photos to scrap too from the holidays.

The End of the Holidays

We've had a very full week this last week on the Sunshine Coast catching up with Family and Friends. We seemed to have packed so much into this week - thought I would share a few of the highlights of the week with you.

Yesterday my niece Tamika turned 18 so we all went out to this lovely little Italian Restaurant to celebrate and then went to "Starbucks" on the Esplanade at Mooloolaba for coffee afterwards. Us oldies then went home and left the young ones to party on.



During the week, Pete came up to visit for a day and we spent the morning body surfing, and the afternoon tubing and skurfing on the Maroochydore River. Sarah came up again today for the day and we spent the last day on the coast tubing and skurfing again, with my sisters and their families today. The kids had a ball, and the highlight for Steve was to see my 6year old niece really enjoy herself, as well as my other nieces and nephews mastering the tube and having a ball.

Sal thought I would include a picture of our inflated tube for you and Mark to check out, as I know you guys would really enjoy it.

Steve spent a day on the river fishing with a cousin of mine - even managed to catch a feed of fish.

Got to visit the a couple of local scrapbooking shops and picked up a few new supplies. Mainly paper. Was able to get most of the papers to do Ruth Clarks class at S of F. The rest I will have to find in my stash at home.

Yesterday we got to go have coffee with Mark and Sal and the family again and I got to nurse little "Cowper Mark" again. He is now two weeks old, and Sal is looking amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed their company. All in all it has been a busy week.

Tomorrow we leave to head home to Rocky. Still have a few days left before I start work - but they will be busy days as we shop for school supplies, have haircuts, etc etc etc.
Why do holidays always have to go so fast???????????????????????????

Meeting Baby "Cowper Clifford"

Yesterday we got to catch up with Mark and Sal and their gorgeous family and got to meet the newest edition to their family. "Cowper Mark" is just so gorgeous and just so tiny. He was only five days old and you forget just how small a new born baby is. It was just on time for him to wake for a feed, so I managed to get lots of lovely cuddles. Mark and Sal have the most delightful children. They are so well mannered, so friendly and just really lovely caring children. They really took to Chloe and she had a ball playing with them. They have adopted the Latham family game of "Smack in the Dark" and they were enthusiastically telling Chloe all about how they play the game each Sunday evening since Sarah told them about it when we visited them back in September.

Also thought I would share some photos of Pete's new car. The car is in immaculate condition, one owner with very low Kms. Is air conditioned, has a drink holder, Really good CD Player and excellent speakers. Pete is on cloud nine. After living in the city for 5 years and catching public transport everywhere he finally decided at Christmas time it was time to get his own set of wheels. His social life this weekend is already full with trips away with mates - picking Sarah & Colin up from the airport on Sunday night when they return from Cairns. I am sure that in a weeks time, he will wonder how he ever did without it.

We are now back on the Sunshine Coast - ready for a relaxing week. Why do holidays go so fast?

Busy Busy Busy

Haven't had the opportunity to blog for the last few days as we have been pretty busy catching up with friends, restoring furniture, (Sarah and Steve have been restoring an old desk for her to use for her scrapbooking) looking for a car of Pete, and making curtains for Colin's bus.

Had a lovely time at dinner on Friday night. The meal was superb, pity the service was a little slow, but we still had a great time. On Saturday we went to a Bar-B-Que and caught up with a heap of friends that used to live in Rocky but are now scattered everywhere. We also caught up with our really good friends from PNG. They are home for six months, so they spent the afternoon with us. We knew them before they were married, so have seen the birth of all four of there children. Last year they stayed with us for the birth of their youngest daughter, so we kinda feel like adopted grandparents. The kids just adore Chloe and were so excited to see her. She is fantasic with them and adores them too and spent the whole afternoon playing around with them.

Must also congratulation Mark and Sal on the safe arrival of their gorgeous baby son

COWPER MARK CLIFFORD.

Looking forward to catching up with them on Thursday. Can't wait to see you all Sal.

Well not heaps more news. Sarah Chloe and I are off to have a girlie day shopping whilst Pete and Steve are on a mission to buy Pete his first car. They think they have found a beauty so will keep you informed on whether they eventually get it or not.

Hope you all have a great day.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Today is a special day. It is 27 years today since Steve and I got married. In a day where marriages don't seem to last all that long, I am so thankful for this wonderful Man. We have been together since High school - and if I had my time again I wouldn't change a thing.
I couldn't ask for a better husband or father to our children.

We mightn't always see eye to eye on everything, but he has been my rock. He's deep love for God and for us has been something we all have been able to depend on.

He has an amazing relationship with our kids and they all love spending time with him. In fact the girls still fight over who gets to sit next to him on the couch. They both still line up for a tickle. He is the first to wrestle with them, play a game of skirmish or basketball.

Just wanted to say how much I love you Darl. You are the best and I feel so blessed to have you in my life.

We've had a good day - Pete gave us Gold Class cinema passes for Christmas so that we could use them for our Anniversary, so we went off to the Movies together at Lunch time to see "Night at the Museum" (wanted to see Casino Royale - but it was booked out for the next week, and seeing that we don't have a Gold Class cinema in Rocky, we had to use it today) Boy what luxury - lovely reclining chairs to sit back in and a waiter to wait on us hand and foot. Whole new dimension to movie watching.

Tonight we are going out to dinner - but we are being joined by very close friends of ours, Ian and Kathy Forward. We met Ian and Kathy just after we got married. They were the first friends we made when we moved to Rocky, and 27 years later we still remain very dear friends. In fact I would say they have been a huge encouragement to us as we raised our kids. They are such positive people and have a great family and our kids and theirs share lots of very happy childhood memories together - especially the Latham/Forward version of Monopoly.

Things I am thankful for today.

1. My wonderful Husband Steve
2. 27 years of being married to this wonderful Man
3. The wonderful father He has been to our children
4. The wonderful provider he has been to our family.
5. His love of God, his desire to help and serve others, and his wonderful work ethic.

Birthday Celebrations & Family Get together

What a great day - we were all together to celebrate my Mum's birthday. Both Pete and Sarah came up from Brisbane for the day, and we all took Mum out for morning tea, then out to lunch and then off to the movies to see "The Holiday" We had a great day together. It is not often that we get to spend the day with all our kids, and man when they get together you were never know they are adults. They seem to revert back to their younger days, wrestling, poking each other and generally having a fun time together. It is so nice to see them all enjoy each others company. Chloe ended up going back to Brisbane with them and will stay with Sarah until we get down tomorrow night. Seemed strange waving them all off together and we were left behind. I feel so incredibly blessed and proud to have the three kids that we have. They are really very special people and we love them to bits.

I also want to acknowledge my wonderful Mum too - I have been so blessed to have the parents that I have - Mum and I have always been close and good friends, and she is one of the kindest, most thoughtful and considerate person I have ever known, always going out of her way to make each one of us feel special. Well Mum I hope you have had a wonderful Birthday today Mum- we have certainly enjoyed spending the day with you and want you to know that we love you very very much.

I also managed to get some nice photos of us girls with Mum, and then all our kids with their grandparents. Sarah managed to take a good photo of Mum and I, so I can't wait to scrap it too. I have so many photos now to scrap - not quite sure where to start. Lots of lots of ideas - just need plenty of time to be able to do it.

It has been raining on the coast today. So good to see the rain - we see very little of it in Rocky, so was nice to wake up to the sound of rain on the roof this morning.

Thinking of things that I am thankful for to

1. My wonderful Mum and the blessing she has been in my life.

2. The best parents who have loved me unconditionally

3. My Kids - three amazing young people

4. The Rain - much needed in our State

5. This wonderful country that we live in.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Just want to wish you all a very Happy New Year. I pray that 2007 is full of health, happiness, lots of fond memories and blessing for you all.

We celebrated New Years Eve with about 30 friends from church at a Bar-B-Que at the Cribbs. Had a great time - very relaxing mainly just sat around and chatted - played a few games and then went home after we saw in the new year.

Also managed to do a photo shoot of Pete on Sunday afternoon (in spite of his bitter complaining - he hates getting his photo taken) and being the scrapbooker that I am, I like to have photos of my kids to scrapbook. Needless to say, I did get a few good shots of him especially with his dad and I. Think I took about 200 photos though to get a dozen good shots.

We left Rocky yesterday and drove to Bundy and had New Year's Day lunch with Steve's parents - Lovely chicken roast dinner (Steve's favourite - and no one cooks a roast chicken dinner like his mum). We both had a little nap as we were pretty tired from our really late night the night before and finally arrived on the Sunshine Coast around 8.15pm last night. So the first day of our new year was spent in the car travelling.

This morning we had to take Pete to Landsborough early to catch the train into Brissie so that he could go to work - what should happen to be around the corner from the train station but a scrapbooking shop. Just had to visit it didn't I - I was so tempted but I did manage to restain myself as I really want to use up a lot of my stash at home first. Still I enjoyed the looking.

Also want to share with you a LO my friend Ali Russell did of Chloe when we scrapbooked together last Friday night. She is such a talented scrapbooker. I love all her work - but the thing that amazes me the most is how quickly she can put a page together. Awesome - there is no other word for it. Ali, Chloe got a real buzz out of seeing it in your Gallery and loves your LO of her and her friend.