the time is flying by!!!

and look at that its over a mth since i last blogged!!

I've being crazy busy here + there is still more of it to come.

we had a wonderful break at labour weekend + stayed in a fantastic beach house in Oakura (which is 15km sth of New Plymouth).........and Kev had a great weekend windsurfing + paddle boarding + he even won a $800 custom made wetsuit!!

And then it was heads down + getting ready for our first halloween party!! I spent hrs on the invites.......infact I spent far too much time on the invites .............next time I will start early + not pour my heart + soul into them.

It was the best party. 17 kids came + they all had a blast. We played bob the apples.

eat jelly of the plate .......no hands!!

toasted marshmellows (which i got NO photos as I was getting the eats ready!) + to end the night we had a big lolly scramble. I also took NO photos of Finn, Ruby + Taidhg dressed up!! I plan to get them to have another dress up session + pose. Finn went as Micheal Jackson, Ruby a Zombie ballerina + Taidhg started off as Ben 10 but he wanted his face painted like a lion.......so he became a Lioning Ben 10!! And i was the only adult that dressed up + I went a Desperate Housewife!! For our first halloween party it was a hit + we will be doing it again next year!!

We finally planted out vegetable garden last week.............you always plant later than labour weekend in Stratty as there is always a late frost...........and do you know what........we had a small sneaky frost hit us + it killed our baby toms, cumbers + courgettes.......bummer!! But the corn + carrots are apparently already poking through the soil. Got to plant out the beans + peas yet.

not alot of scrapping has being happening but got some things to share in a few weeks using the lovely nook + pantry BG!! But I did make this cute little card for a friends BD last week.

its seems to be the season for BD's atm around here..........kids have got 5 parties happening + my baby turns 5 on the 5th of Dec.............eeck where did that time go!!

and and and I just had to share this photo............I just love it!!............come fly with me!

OK gotta run my most fav movie is on..................Dan in Real Life..............its soooooooooo funny + I just LOVE the music + I wish we had a house by the lake like that!!.............well i guess a tent by the sea is good enough atm eh!!..............lol

NITS!!

are so damn expensive........would you know!!

we are on our third round of these little buggers for Ruby + first for Taidhg (thats what you get for letting your boy wear his hair longer)!!

Finn ended his hols on a high note.............he came 4th in his golf tournament yesterday..........pretty cool huh!! But poor old Ruby ended up coming head to head with a cow yesterday.

check her out. photo from yesterday (same one on FB) but today it looks worse!!

she did make me laugh this morning with her comment "i've lost all my prettyness"!! But when i dropped her off at school this morning she loved all of the attention of course!!

I was happy yesterday too as I completed 5 loads of washing!! whites, darks, towels, woollens + a clothes wash!! It felt good to catch up!!

well my next few weeks are going to be filled crazy craft making.........how painful ;). School has got its Mission/pets day + you know when they make those sand saucer things + vegetable ppl...........but when they move further up the school their craft making extends.
So guess who put their hand up but as well gave ideas..........and as well we are having a very exciting party here in the next weeks + I've got to make all the goodies for that too!!

leaving with you the last 2 LO's I did for the SBO GOK challenge.

Almost blue!

the sky was almost most filled with nothing but blueness (such a word)..................it was welcomed with open arms at our house + the kids were quickly put outdoors!!..........lol........well it didn't quite happen like that but I did suggest it + they agreed!!

We saw the mountain for the first time in what seems like weeks.......... and it had snow down to the bottom but when i took this photo just before a lot of the snow has melted over the day!

Yep just a tad cool in the Naki atm!!

I don't really like talking about the weather but man!!........its just effected us so much these holidays + done my head in like nothing + all the mums I saw at the supermarket feel all the same. I know there is a light at the end of this tunnel!!........lol

So yeah day 9 + all is looking well. T at daycare .........giving F + R a breather. Haircuts done!!

Food supply brought in!! Body + lungs being excercised on almost blue day!! Mother enjoying quiet coffee!! :) ...........and planning on read my reserved book from the library - Tony Parsons - 'Starting Over'.

Day 7

today we woke up early to go to New Plymouth to cheer this guy on!

Kev competed in the New Plymouth 1/2 marathon + did it in 1hr + 23mins!! Only trained for 4 weeks!! I'm so green jelly how naturally fit he is + wished I had this ability. He puts my 10 weeks of going to the gym to shame!!............but hey baby steps for the very unfit!! :)

day 4.

all is going well so far apart from the rain but I know I'm not alone in this wet patch!! We have done hoilday programme, friends sleepover + going to friends.

Today was filled with lots of tenting making (inside), stories read in the tents, breaking tents + making your sister squeal or should I say scream!! Jumping on the old couch + doing handstands on the new couch!! Running outside when the rain stopped for 5mins, making art + a spot of telly. Did i mention I only had 2 kids ...........easy!!

Tomorrow ...........not sure what that will bring but I'm thinking some baking needs to be done as I have some very turned bananas!! A spot of tiding + sorting + lets not forget the washing.........ick mines piling up due to this flippen rain!

But I'm looking forward to the weekend as Kev is having it off + its looking busy too + YAY to daylight savings!!

So for the second time I played the GOK comp over at SBO. They have had some great challenges going on over there. Wish I could of got some more done but the last 2 weeks of term were crazy here.

So I quickly squeezed one out last night just before week 4's challenge closed.

I combined 2 of the challenges - 'white' space + a $5 LO. How simple was that for me!!........but it still took me like 2hrs.

So Turf Dogging...........its windsurfing on land. Its like a HUGE skateboard + Kev can lock in his sails he uses for actual windsurfing into the board. Its great for those days he can't get to the beach ........... but the wind has to be right.

so hoping for a spot of sunshine tomorrow!

NINE!

yesterday we celebrated Finn turning 9!


Yesterday we had a fun time with Finn + his 3 buddies. We took them to Chipmunks..........great place for them to run, shout, yehaa + burn some of that 9yr old energy!! Then we headed down town to "LoneStar" + I can't rave enough what a fantastic place to take kids to eat..........its another place that can handle loud talk, giggling + goofing around. And lets not forget the price ppl...........$10 for a meal, desert + a drink for each kid!! And great food for the adults too!! Then we headed back to Stratty for some birthday cake, hallway soccer, guitar playing + a bit of All Black watching.............then home!!


I was the one that did the driving around of the boys. They cracked me up with their theories of the world + life in general. Also it was good to see Finn with his friends + just be himself. Finn's not a very open book + i'm learning to respect this.............its hard as I'm so the opposite. Also listening to him talk made it even more real that he's his own person with his own thoughts, opinions + feelings. I did know this but yesterday just confirmed it a little bit more + that he's not my little boy anymore. Ohhh its hard letting them go!!


And hey here we are the proud parents of a wonderful 9yr old!!




So I'm looking forward to school finishing on Friday + less running around! Its being a super crazy term with spring happening on the farm, kids after school activities + me at the gym........I'm one tired mama!! And let me add my tail bone still hurts..............esp when I sneeze!!.........LOL

so yeah rollon Friday + bring some good holiday fun!! Lots of hanging out + going to some school holiday fun programmes + I think the kids have got their eye on some movies that are coming out too. Also daylight savings is coming.......yeah!!

and check this out............... This was for SBO's comp challenge 2...........had to use a label.
I love how this came out! I used one of the KR's kits. Love those kits!

I'm avoiding this..............

to go + do this................

but I will leave you with this...........

Rach