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My baby is growing up!

C6 has had her final day at Sacred Heart College. That means my baby has finished school! How scary is that! Although she is happy and can’t wait to get to Uni next year, I am feeling less excited. Home is not going to be the same without her! At least C5 will still be here (when she isn’t at WITT, the hospital, with her friends or at Powerco…busy girl that she is). Robin and I are going to have lots of time with just the two of us…I guess we will cope 🙂 Mmmm lots of time to scrapbook, do other craft and maybe go away and explore more of NZ and maybe another overseas trip???

Last Tuesday evening we had the school prize giving and then Wednesday night the leavers dinner! C6 had a fantastic time with her friends. This week has started off with exams for her. The first being Statistics at 1pm today. She really needs to get good marks to be accepted into Uni. The type of degree depends on her exam results. It may be Chemical Engineering, but it may also be a Science degree???

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Just wondering?

Does anybody ever read my blog????

Lately I have stopped writing on my Facebook profile and the only person who noticed is D1. I thought that I would just write on my blog but wondered if I am just writing into nothingness? I guess I can still share my thoughts , dreams and my everyday life and leave it at that, but I did think that this is a great way to link up with family and friends. Perhaps there are only a few of us really that use their computer on a daily basis?

I do have an amazing life! We live in a fantastic house. It isn’t perfect but it is ours and as I always say, it is a work in progress. I don’t think it will ever be finished. We have been painting the outside walls for approximately 10 years! Each summer we try to do just a little. Enough to make a difference but not too much to make us sick of the job. You see the whole outside of the house was sprayed with a product called ‘Rhino Coat’ and man is it hard to get off. We have to use heat guns and scrapers and it is a very slow job! Today we painted the last of the back wall…yay!!!! I did one very silly thing and painted one whole area in white, which I thought was topcoat. I did say to Robin that is was drying a bit dull too! It wasn’t until I was nearly finished when I  looked at the bucket of paint and found that it was UNDERCOAT! I know…you would think I would have checked that out properly before I started. Normally I would have! Today, I was pretty upset before we started. Robin had plans to build the base for his new water tank! I wanted to finish the painting so we could get the big planks of wood off our conservatory roof! These were used to stand on so we didn’t break the Novalight roofing, but they also made a horrible noise all night long when the wind blew…and they kept me awake at night. I wanted them down! So being grumpy at the thought of possibly another week of broken sleep, I got determined to get up on THAT ROOF and paint the wall myself! Did you know that I hate getting up on the roof? Well I do and even worse is getting back onto the ladder to get down! I guess that somehow I worked myself up so much that checking the label on the paint bucket was the last of my thoughts! Although I did think I had checked that it was topcoat. So after finishing the layer of undercoat over the first topcoat…I had to do another layer of topcoat paint to finish the wall off. Thankfully Robin felt sorry for me and he left the water tank for another day and helped to finish the painting. The planks of wood are now off the roof, stored in the back shed, and the wall is finished!

We now have to finish the front of the house and then it will be painted all around. Maybe this summer?

After that it will be the flat (which is connected to our house), we will need to paint it the same colour as the house….so we actually have another whole house to paint! I guess that by the time we finish the flat we will need to start all over again….what a lovely thought…NOT! At least the preparation time won’t be quite as painful as this time 🙂

Yesterday it rained all day so I decided to do some sewing. I cut out and sewed at whole patchwork area to make a single bedspread. I am thinking of giving it to C6 to put on her bed at University Hall next year. I just have to get some more material to finish it off. I will post a photo as soon as I can. I also managed to do a little internet shopping! Just as well it’s pay week! I love www.simonsaysstamp.com as they have set postage prices unlike many other American internet shops. I just have to be patient until my little package arrives. Hopefully it won’t take too long as I have ordered some Christmas papers to make my Christmas Cards with.

Tonight is Sunday and I love our Sunday night dinners! Tonight we had 10 of us….well 11 but Jess was a little late. A couple of months ago we decided to have family dinner get togethers and have it at different places each week. It was our turn tonight and we had Chinese takeaways! We all put in towards the meal and the person whose place it is at gets to chose the type of takeaway! Last week we had fish and chips at Mum and dads place. The week before it was Indian at Judy and Lens!

Right..time to sign off and get myself ready for another busy week! Robin is already in bed. He and Jordan leave for work at 7.30am. C5 is working at the hospital 3-11pm tomorrow and C6 has her first exam! I have to get to church to set up for mainly music…and catch up with the washing and housework…fun fun fun. I also have to start my J100 readings. 5 to read before Thursday night homegroup. This week I plan to be much better organised! PRAY for me PLEASE…I am such a time waster 🙂

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And views around the house

Robin and I mowed the lawns last night and the place always looks so much better afterwards. You don’t notice the unpainted outside walls so much and the ‘work in progress’ renovations seems to pale against the lovely show that the trees make at this time of the year. We are really settled in our home and can’t imagine living any where else in the world. But in saying that, we aren’t apposed to a move somewhere else. C1 and D1 have joked about buying a home in Sydney with a Granny flat attached. Now that could be quite tempting! In a years time both girls would have left home and this is a BIG place for just Robin and me. The only positive thing about staying here then, is the fact that we have plenty of room for all the family to come back to…at any time…but especially at Christmas. I just love having us all together. This Christmas is going to be great. C1, D1, G1 and G3 are coming from Sydney; C2 and D2 from London; not sure about C3 and the boys (G2 and G4) but they will probably be here some of the time; C4 and D3 (from Sydney) are coming in the new Year; and of course C5 (and her bf) and C6 live here. It’s going to be fantastic. I can’t wait!

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The view from my windows

It’s now November and I am happy to say that we have had a few really hot days! I just love summer! I have been enjoying all the blossoms on our cherry trees and also the wisteria. Each day I see new growth and the green leaves appearing as the blossoms die off. I have also been able to enjoy eating my breakfast out on the deck, and being able to laze in our new conservatory (when I can make time available). Today I have hung out 3 big loads of washing and although the weather is a little changeable, seeing it all blowing in the wind and drying nicely is such a satisfying feeling for me. I love getting it all in dry and then and folding it up nicely. That is probably my favourite housework job! I am not a kitchen person…although I did make a lovely quiche for lunch and a big banana cake as well. C5 and her bf are happy to be together again as her bf has just come home from University for the christmas holidays. He has got a job at Powerco with both Robin and C5 so all three of them will be going in to work together. C5 has finished her second year doing nursing and her bf his first year studying engineering. C6 went to the Francis Douglas leaving dinner/ball last night with her boyfriend (I will post photos when I get some). She has her leaving dinner next Wednesday night. It’s so hard to believe that my baby girl is finishing her high school years. She plans to be studying Chemical engineering in Auckland next year, so is hoping to do very well in her final exams! Robin and I are filling in our lives with our various hobbies. We seem to be in the AS room (the anti-social room), as the girls call it every night we can. Actually it is the scrapbook room, which Robin has now invaded with his computer and double screens! He says he has to come out with me or we will never see each other. It really is a fabulous room and so warm and inviting, I just love it 🙂 I am really quite happy to share the room and Robin and I seem to talk more out in the room than inside the house. We thought last night that we could actually live in it if we had to…just need running water/shower/toilet and a sink! We have a microwave, a grill oven, a kettle, a toaster and a fridge already. I had a lovely suprise present from D1 on Thursday. It is a cute book on scrapbooking and has awesome little quotes in it. The card she made me was a real tear jerker! She wrote the nicest things in it 🙂 She is an amazing daughter in law…I love her! One little quote from the book…

‘It’s about the art and it’s about the writing – but more than anything else, scrapbooking is about the memories’

I loaded heaps of scrapbooking photos on my page last time I blogged so this time I am going to put up some photos of the views from my windows. The scene I see when I look out from my home each day (weather permitting of course). I hope you enjoy looking at what I see and it brings you some pleasure as well.

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My latest pages and my new Scrapbook room

So now I have started to set up the new room, and it has been so much fun! I am very spoilt! I didn’t realise just how much scrapbook supplies I have, but I LOVE them all! I thought I would share a few more photos with you. Some of the room and others of my latest pages. I hope you enjoy looking and get inspired to create your own pages

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Latest events

Well…I am seriously thinking about finishing up with Stampin Up. (AND I HAVE GIVEN UP). The new catalogue comes out on the 1st of September, and I have a huge decision to make. Do I buy the new products and keep up with all the Stampin Up supplies…or do I finish up and just use the products I already have? They do have some really lovely stamping and scrapbooking supplies available, but as I don’t sell (as a business) it does get a little extravagant buying the products for my own use every quarter….and I do have heaps of supplies! Only trouble is that I now have an amazing scrapbook room! Yes a ROOM! We have converted our family/games room into a big craft/movie room! It is fantastic…and nearly available to use…I just need to load it up!

 

I am so blessed….I can’t wait to have all my scrapbook supplies set out and have our next Wednesday Scrapbooking group meeting out in the room! Photos will follow I can assure you!

So can you see my dilemma? I could turn Stampin Up into a business and work it from home. But do I want to turn my hobby into my work? Will I still enjoy scrapbooking as much or will it become less interesting because it will be my job?

I have a decision to make and I have to make it before the end of September.

The latest family news is that I have spent today at hospital with C5. She got her Gall Bladder out as it was causing her all sorts of problems and the doctors advice was to get it out so she would be more healthy. I have taken tomorrow off work to pick her up and be her nurse for the day. Me nursing a second year trainee nurse! It is going to be a interesting day. She was looking much better when we left her tonight so hopefully she will be able to just have a restful day reco-operating..and I can just spoil her 🙂

I have also had 2 weeks in Sydney seeing the family there. C1 and D1 went to Singapore for 5 days, so I drove G1 to the bus stop and G3 to school each day. Driving in Sydney isn’t as bad as I though it would be. Once in the car, it was just like driving around home, only the lanes felt a lot narrower! I have taken heaps of photos and will be busy scrapbooking them very soon. I managed to do some scrapbooking while there as well. So in my next post I will try to upload some of my latest pages to share with you.

Until then

Pam P 🙂

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Guess what I have been up to???

Well….apart from the usual, housework, mothering, work, along with Stamping and Scrapbooking… I have had the sewing machine out and I have been doing some Patchwork!!!! Yes….I can’t believe it! I haven’t done any patchwork since I was a young thing! Mothers Day was the instigator. I decided to make something for Mum for Mothers Day and just loved the pillows I made so much that I didn’t want to give them away…so I had to make more for me. 3 for Mum and 5 for me!!! That was because I ran out of the material I was using for Mums ones. The ones I kept match our fireplace lounge really well, and I didn’t even think about that when I brought the material. It was such a good bargain I just brought it. I wasn’t even that keen on the patterns but they look great made up. I have now purchased some more material. I’m not sure what I’m going to make yet….but I am hoping for some inspiration. I have found so many neat patterns on the net….so now it’s a matter of just getting into it!!! If I can find time to do that! Life is just too busy! And I still want to find time for scrapbooking….my main passion 🙂

Have a look at what I created and see what you think???

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Earthquakes

So….With Japan now having a massive earthquake followed by a very destructive Tsunami, Robin (my husband) has been hot on the trail of working out why???? He has put his theory on his blog www.kiwithinker.com and now spends hours searching the web for more info. Along with his previous passion of proving the ‘global warming’  belief wrong, we now lead a very interesting life! I sit on my computer doing this blog, facebook,  and then also fit in my passion for scrapbooking and mainly music, while he sits on his computer doing his blog and further searching and listening to scientists around the world. We do sit in the same room though and still share meals and coffee breaks. Hehe….actually it works quite well! We are both in our mid fifties, and I seriously wonder what the next decade will be like for us! C5 also shares our lounge room and as she is on her second year of nursing, she also sits at her computer and studies. C6 sits at the BIG lounge table and does her homework, along with keeping up with all her friends via facebook or texts! And….I know that if any of our boys were home, they would be sitting with their laptops as well! We are quite a technology focussed family really. C1’s life is Business cost anaylsis via a computer program. C2 designs and markets Samsung laptops. C3 writes songs and raps on them via the computer, and C4 sells computer games via itunes eg. his new game http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/geomonsters/id420203626?mt=8

On Wednesday we are heading down to C4 and D3’s wedding in Featherston….yay…I can’t wait. They have been going out for 6 years and have amazing lives individually and also together. C4 with his computer stuff and D3 with design and modelling. They live in Sydney and are travelling to New Zealand on Tuesday. C4 was his friends best man only one month ago here in New Plymouth. Here is a photo of them both…

Aren’t they a gorgeous couple. I’ll be adding photos of their wedding as soon as possible 🙂

On the 26th of March I am heading off for a 2 week holiday in Sydney catching up with C1, D1, G1 and G3…and then the last week, C4 and D3 as they should be back from their honeymoon. I am so looking forward to seeing everyone again. It’s so sad that it takes a holiday overseas to see family and yet also exciting to be travelling!

But, back to reality. I have so much to do for mainly music before I take off for the wedding and holiday. Mainly music theme day is the first week back and it needs to be organised before I go. So, I need to get planning and preparing!

Lets hope there is also better news concerning Japan and their nuclear woes next time I write. It is such a worry for all! And after so many have already died 🙁

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Concert for Christchurch

From 12.51 pm (the time the earthquake struck) until 12.51 am, New Plymouth St Marys hosted a concert in support of the people of Christchurch. Northpoint was given the time slot from 10pm until the finish. C5 and C6 were asked to sing some songs. You should have heard them!!! They were amazing 🙂 C6 played the guitar beautifully and their voices just blended together so well. I sat there feeling so blessed and so very proud. I am sure God has BIG plans for both girls! I just wish I had taken the video camera along so I could share them with you, but I didn’t, so I have attached links to a couple of videos of them playing around at home. Have a listen and tell me what do you think? Good or Great?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hysOqa4WJeM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsz5uYWkpz8&feature=related

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Our Kittens

After our beautiful Cat Nala died last year (we had her for 15 years), C5 and her bf arrived home one day with Tyson. A lovely gray and white striped kitten. We all fell in love with him very quickly and he proved to be a cat with character! Sadly Tyson ventured onto the road and was run over! We were all sooo sad 🙁

C5’s friends decided to buy her another kitten for her birthday on the 15th of January. AJ was another kitten that was easy to love. He is a gorgeous stripped tabby kitten with BIG feet, called a polydactyl. Late January we went away to the “Parachute Music Festival” and arrived home to 3 cats! A mother Cat had arrived with her little kitten. You would never believe it but the 3 all looked like they were related…and yet AJ definitely didn’t belong to the mother cat. SPCA was overloaded with cats so we offered to look after these newcomers for 3 weeks unless someone claimed them. 3 weeks later and we are now the proud owners of all 3!!!

Then you would never believe it but on the doorstep one morning we find 4 cats! Another kitten had arrived! This one sounded like it had asthma, and was quite wild! We couldn’t even catch it! For the next 2 weeks it was a challenge to get this kitten from being so scared to be able to feed it from our hands. We achieved this but also noticed that it was getting sicker by the day. Finally we caught her and we took her to the SPCA and found out that she had lung worm! We now have to treat all the other cats as it is contagious. We have left the kitten at the SPCA and now have to make the decision to whether we collect her again or not. Robin says no, 3 is enough! Us girls are BIG softees!

Mother cat (Molly) has been feeding both AJ and Skittles! And they cuddle up and sleep together all the time. AJ is a real character. We find him asleep in the most odd places. Today I found him in the opened dishwasher. I had been stacking dishes and got sidetracked doing something else. Came back, and when I went to shut the dishwasher, he came running out! I will add some photos of him and his various sleeping spots.

Now…do we go pick up the other kitten, or do we take the mother cat to SPCA as well and only keep the 2 other kittens. That is the decision. What do you think???