I'm baaaaaacccckkkkkk!!!

Yes - it's true - I am still very much alive.
I had to shake out a few cobwebs on my return - wow - it's been a while.
Here's the last few years in a nutshell -

• took a two year break from Uni - needed some space - needed some money!!

• worked a couple of jobs - one mindlesss (admin for a construction company) - another very interesting (ASADA - Aust sports anti-doing mob - short term contract - good times).

• I now have two daughters in highschool - MissG in Year 10 (& now taller than me - eek!) - MissE in Year 7 - and little MissJ is in Year 3. All have great teachers - all doing really well. They are the light of my world.

• girls are playing HEAPS of sport - a mixture of netball, volleyball and Aussie Rules football / AFL!!

• last November I played a week of netball at the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast. It was amazing - never thought I'd ever do such a thing - great team - great times - and I survived 8 games of netball in 5 days!!

• while in QLD I also got to finally meet my bio mother and two bio brothers! Weird, exciting, emotional, stressful - in fact every emotion under the sun. Needless to say - I now feel a peace that I haven't in a very very long time.

• did a few (some minor/some major) renovations on the house - put in an inground pool (woot!) and landscaped the back garden. (below is a peek....) Pool built by JS Pools. (local Canberra pool company - the link is to their yellow pages entry as they don't have a website - highly recommend them - we have 5 other friends who have used them). Lanscape design & labour by myself and Mr W. Hard work but REALLY happy with the results. 

• We're currently working on fixing up the study (looks pretties so far!!) - and the lounge-room. I'll add photos along the way to show you bits that we've done.

• I am now back at Uni - (Bachelor of Education - Primary teaching) - doing a full load - just want to get the flippy thing done!!! I should be able to teach from mid next year - with just one or two extra subjects to finish off by the end of next year. Love, love, love to teach - just bored with the studying bit - but need that bit of paper (the actual degree) - so will suck it up and get on with things!

• looking at starting a design company with my girls. The creative streak has flaired up once more with the return to Uni and the space to use my brain! We've decided to call ourselves stuff by us - and we'll have some crafty homewares - like quilts, paper craft, small home furnishing etc etc. Keep watching this space as I add pics of various pieces along the way. We're all very excited - this is going to be fun!!! (of course it's going to be a slow process - with Uni, school, sports, life - but hay - we have to start somewhere!)

• Molly - our Spoodle - is still doing very well. She's a joy to have around.

• MrW - still my rock. He deserves a medal most days. xx

• and I nearly forgot - I've lost almost 10 kilos!! Last year I went on 'Lite n Easy'- really great food. Have stagnated for now - can't afford the special food with the loss of my income. Have concluded that exercise would greatly help with greater weight loss!! (but it has been a few months - and I have managed to keep it off). Very happy.

That's all I can think of for now. Oh - it's been the stock-standard rollercoaster of life - with all it's ups and downs - but we've faired well - and life is - as always - GREAT!

Nice to be back. xxx

My Girls

LOVE my girls!!!

 
Photo taken in July - last day of term 2.

MissE and MissJ were about to head off to 'Crazy Hair Day' at school - and MissG and I were heading out the door to catch the bus to Netball State Age in Newcastle.

(I've been playing with Photoshop. Sorry about the angle - I was being arty when I took it!! Well that's my excuse - anyway!!)

MissG Is Getting All Growned Up!!

Stop the world - I want to get off!!
The last 9 years have flown - and now my eldest has started High School.
I can't believe how my little girl has grown - in what feels like - such a short time.

Here's a pic of MissG age 4.....



And here's a pic of the girls today...


It's a bitter sweet thing this 'mummy-ing' - as you want them to grow up - but then you look around - and don't know where all those precious years have gone.

I'll be honest - I am a little scared of the teenage years - but I'm looking forward to this next chapter - and to the many exciting adventures that lay ahead.

It will be OK - won't it?????????????

New Addition To The Family.

As hinted in my previous post - yes - it's true - we have welcomed a new member to the House-o-Possum.

She's blonde and beautiful - just like all the other female members of this household (ha!) - and she was born in September 2007.
We had been considering adding to our brood - but the timing had to be right (I had to finish my studies for the semester) - and we had to wait for all the stars to align - just right.

Name: Molly Moo
Current Age: 9 months
Breed: Spoodle - Cross Cocker Spaniel/Poodle
(or 'Cocka-Poo' for you USA peeps)
Place of Birth: Bungendore, NSW
Where we First Met: Pet Shop, Canberra
Nature: Extremely Cuddly, Fluffy & Cute

Photo 1: Molly on MissG's lap - day of arrival Nov'07
Photo 2: Molly with MissE

Photo 3: Molly with MissJ

Photo 4 & 5:  Miss Molly Moo!!

John Butler Trio

Last week John Butler Trio were to play in Canberra.

I had tickets.

Sadly - the drummer was sick - and the concert had to be postponed. (he's all betterer now - thanks for asking!!) Perhaps they'll get back here in October - after they finish their touring in Europe.

In the meantime - I found this instrumental on YouTube - title - 'Searching For Heritage' - (very ironic title for me really) - and just had to share it.

I can't stop playing it.

These guys are good. Check them out - if you haven't already.

I've heard they're awesome live - I'll let you know my verdict when they finally play here.

I can't wait...............

UPDATE 1: they've rescheduled the concert - Monday 29th October - YIPPEEEEE.

UPDATE 2: THEY WERE BLOODY GREAT!!!!!!! 
(seriously good concert) 
*love*

What A Blast !!

We're back from the magical white stuff - and what a fantastic time we had.
(I'm talking about the SNOW people - don't go getting any wacky ideas....)

MissJ (almost 5yrs) learnt how to ski for the first time - and MissG (age11.5) and MissE (almost 9) were starting to ski backwards by the end of day 5 !!

The weather at the start of the week was all sunshine, awesome snow-cover & every lift open - and it moved into gale force winds and many lifts on wind-hold. BUT - we had a ball.

We went with CousinR from Holland - who came for a short but wonderful 2.5 week wirlwind visit to OZ - and our good friends - The Smiffs (family of 4).

Loads of laughter and good times had by all - it really was the holiday my psyche was screaming for.

Not much can compare to skiing around the slopes with my girls, my husband, CousinR and my good friends. We're already frantically doing the calculations for the next possible skiing adventure.

DAMN that skiing costs so flippin' much. (note to self - MUST win lottery to help ease the pain in my husband's pocket.......)

Today - CousinR flew back to the land of cheese and clogs - and the house & it's inhabitants seems eerily quiet and a little sad this evening.

He will be greatly missed - but here's hoping it won't be another 7 years before we're all back in the same hemisphere once more.

(oh - and yeah - not much studying going on around here - bugger!!! - better get my nose back into those books................this semester is not quite as exciting as the adventures that have been playing in my surrounds.)

ETA: labels for the photos are as follows (I can't work out how to flippy put them inbetween the photos - it JUST.WON'T.WORK. Pfffffttt!!)
Photo 1: Perisher Blue
Photo 2: CousinR & MissJ
Photo 3: MissJ (& me further up the slope)
Photo 4: MissE
Photo 5: MissG
Photo 6: MrW, me & CousinR
Photo 7: The Mob - eating lunch!!
Photo 8 : The Smiffs - D & D.