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Tuesday 14 December 2010

quote of the week.....

When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.
~Alexander Graham Bell

Friday 10 December 2010

HAPPY, HAPPY

This is what Hunter says to you when it's your birthday "Happy, Happy"
Today was Hunter's 2nd birthday:)
Because the kids are already on holidays we were able to jump in the car and head over to Mandy's for a birthday lunch.
Hunter had a great time opening presents and eating cake. I do believe we sang happy birthday about 5 times to him and blew out birthday candles about 30. He was having so much fun.
Mandy had invited her bestie, Natasha with her two cherubs - Sarah & Harry, mum & Dawn, and Mandy's neighbour from upstairs, Mary.
We are having a big birthday party on Sunday at Homebush and I cant wait to see Hunters face when he opens the present from us, all those years of noisy toys from my sister and it's finally pay back time, lol.


Playing with his new toys with Connor

Being the great mum she is, Mandy made Hunter a Thomas cake for his 2nd birthday, and it turns out this a little tradition. Mandy made the same Thomas cake for Connor's 2nd Birthday

As I'm standing on the chair taking a photo of the cake I found this little person climbing up me to see what I was doing:)

HOORAY!!!!! everyone clap for me

Blowing out the candles the first time


A picture with mum and Mackenzie

Shanice and Mackenzie

Beautiful bubba girl

Eating cake..... well wrapping it up in a baby wipe, unwrapping then eating..... too cute!

scrappin time

I have been scrapping a bit.... mainly my Tuesdays at Nic's.
Joh and I did head down to Scrapbooking Delights last weekend for a crop, which was great and we did a cute little Christmas layout using Bella and WOW goodies - I haven't added a piccie yet, but I'm waiting till this xmas to take one.
Joh and I also went to a class at Scraploot this week, but I havent had a chance to photograph that one yet (or add a picture or title, lol)

"Really" using new Basic Grey Curio.... love it!
Shanice was actually saying to me Really at the time I snapped it..... as in, mum do you really have to take another photo of me and I dont want to smile!


"HoHoHo" this is the layout class we did down at Scrapbooking Delights. I did change mine to a 8 1/2 X 11" though

"Crazy Eyes" using cute new Sass Count me in range.
The kids were soaked after going on the ride at Sea World, freezing too!

"Amazing just the way you are" using new Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934...... I love this range!
I know it's a sappy love song, but when I hear that part if the song I think of my beautiful girl

Tuesday 7 December 2010

quote of the week

Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun.
~George Scialabba

Monday 6 December 2010

graduation day

Friday the 3rd December 2010 was another huge milestone in the Sheppard-Morris household. Shanice graduated year 6.
The school put on a beautiful presentation assembly for them and all the parents and family were invited to attend with a morning tea afterwards.
The primary coordinator, Mr Lack, called all the students one by one onto to stage to receive their certificate and graduation year photo by the principal, Mr Cockrem, and then their class teachers presented them with a medallion. It was such a proud mummy moment.
I was so pleased when I looked at Joh on one side of me and Mum on the other, both had tears in their eyes, so I didn't seem so silly crying on my own.
I still cant believe that my baby girl starts high school next year.

Shanice receiving her certificate from Mr Cockrem
The school hall takes crap piccies
BFF's - Shanice and Britney
The 3 of us - me, shanice and anthonyShanice with Nan - when did my big girl get so tall

Saturday 4 December 2010

camping

With summer now here we thought it would be great to hitch up the camper and go camping on the weekends. I did a little research for some national parks that allowed camper trailers and found a tops one up the central coast right on the beach. I rang Dal to see if they would be keep to bring along their camper too. And the date was set!
So, last weekend we were packed and on the road at school pick up. Freeway was clear of traffic and we arrived with heaps of light to set up. Dal & Stu arrived a little later. Once the campers were done and kids in bed it was time to crack open the lollies and vodka! Let's just say I was a bit under the weather the next morning.
Saturday was definitely a beach day. It was sunny with not a cloud in the sky and not too hot. The kids lathered themselves in suncream and i put some on my shoulders and back (forgetting my arms and face, so now you know where i got burnt). It was a little windy, but that wasn't stopping us. Birdie Beach was calling us this morning. The kids took their boggie boards and had a great time using them in the water and sliding down the sand dunes. Stu took the kids out on the surfboard and Shanice stood up on her second wave! The kids a natural..... I wonder if she'll be a goofy foot like her mother? Connor had a go to but was to busy enjoying the ride than trying to stand up. And I have it all on video
We stayed a couple of hours then went back to the campers for lunch and a rest. When it got a little cooler we drove around to Fraser Park to check out the beach there.....blue bottles! But that didn't stop the kids. this is when I cracked out the camera and went a little crazy taking photos.
Dinner time came and went and then the kids all crashed from their busy day.... and the adults weren't too far behind, lol.
Sunday morning we had to pack up early cause Connor had to be back home for a birthday party by lunch time. We had such ba great time camping with Dal, Stu and the girls, we cant wait to do it again.

Shanice hanging out the trucks window
JUMP!!!! go Connor
Connor, Abi, Makayla and Shanice
Connor - I wonder if the water was as cold as he looks
A windblown Shanice
Makayla, not as windblown
Abi, really didn't want her photo taken
Going boogie boarding
Connor almost loosing his board in the wind
Shanice, just a natural in the water
Love this pic of Makayla building sand castles
Stu giving Shanice surfing lessons

Tuesday 30 November 2010

Double Digits

I cant believe my baby boy, or aka Monkey Man, has turned double digits.....10!
How fast the years has slipped by.
Turning TEN in the Sheppard-Morris household is a pretty big deal, and along comes a pretty big birthday present. Shanice got a laptop for hers, and cause Connor already had my old one, he got a Sony EReader! and not a day has gone past since that I have not seen him carting it around with him. He loves it (and Ant & I both love ours too!).
He got to have a birthday party too, with 3 friends for a sleepover and then I took them to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 the next morning.
What a TOP movie.... we loved it!
We had our family birthday lunch at the Alroy, which is becoming a little tradition. It is such a great spot for the kids and the adults and is so relaxing.

I wonder what the next 10 years will bring

here are a few pics from Connor's birthday lunch

The handsome birthday boy with one of his new toys
If on for the 8 year age gap, these two could be pass as twins

It seemed like i took photos of these two (Shanice & Britney) all day cause they were being extremely cheeky for me and letting me take their photos - stupid faces, bum dancing and all
YEP, I love this face!
Impossible! I can never get just one photo of these four smiling at the same time.

And one with Hunter


And we cant forget this gorgeous girl, baby Mackenzie...... she is so perfect and slept all day

quote of the week

"Be who you are and say what you feel
because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind.”
~ Dr. Seuss

Tuesday 23 November 2010

quote of the week

Immorality: The morality of those who are having a better time.
~H.L. Mencken

Monday 22 November 2010

Lighting of the Christmas Tree in Martin Place

Last Thursday I got the kids out of school at lunch time and headed over to Mandy's place to meet up with her and mum. We had all decided it would be lovely to take all the kids to see the Lighting of the Christmas tree in Martin Place.
My gorgeous friend Dal, takes her family every year and mentioned it to us and we thought it sounded like a great idea as we had never done it before.
Once we arrived at Mandy's we got her kids all dressed ready to go and headed into town. We parked at the Entertainment Centre cause we thought we could catch the monorail round to Pitt St which the kids would like. Well, hindsight is great. Hunter hated the monorail and screamed the entire way. I thought it was because he was in a carriage with me and my kids and not Mandy, but the return journey proved he truly doesn't like them:)
We headed up to look at the windows at David Jones which were very cute, and I remember going into town as a kids with mum and dad and seeing them, which was very nostalgic of me.
Then it was a quick trip in the lift up to the David Jones Christmas Cave, of course that just happens to be in the toy department. I knew that my two would not have their photo with Santa, but Hunter and Mackenzie were going to get theirs taken...... well that was up untill we found Santa in a cubicle! And Hunter screamed the place down (and I do believe he set the kids off in the other cubicle with another Santa, lol).... so there was no photo this year with Hunter and Santa only Mackenzie. I know have come to the conclusion that it must be the Wright gene that comes out during Santa photo times as we all seem to hate them!
As it was getting close to 5pm when we were meeting Dal, we headed up to Martin Place to grab some dinner and a spot to sit to watch the show.
We were a little early but we got a great spot right in front of the stage. I do believe we were actually on TV too, but have not seen the footage yet.
Justine Clarke was the MC for the night, which I just cant get my head around as I still see her as Rue on Home & Away, lol. But the kids know her from Playschool now. There was also Curious George and Yo Gaba Gaba and the Sydney Girls Choir. The whole show was great and then finally when it was all dark they lit the tree and then the fireworks started.
It really was a wonderful night that I shared with my family and everyone enjoyed it. I am so pleased that we went.

"Lala, this is where I'm going to wear my reindeer ears!"
And Mackenzie wearing the too
How cute is this face?
Curious George
Yo Gaba Gaba
The lord mayor of Sydney, Justine Clark and Santa
Some of the kids - a friend of Makaylahs, Shanice, Connor, Mackenzie & Nan
Hunter and Makaylah
And the tree

spitfires and blue skies

On the first weekend of this month (November that is, lol) Anthony wanted to take the kids and me on a "family fun day" to Temora to see the Spitfire fly.
Personally I dont have much interest in staring at some old planes fly around in the sky, but you know we have to do these things as a family!!!:)
So we left the farm at around 8am on the Saturday morning and drove about two and half hours to Temora. Is was long but a beautiful drive. That part of the country is just gorgeous.
We arrived in time to see the first of the three planes fly. And there was plenty of time to check out the other cool planes on display in the museum. Anthony was in his element and the kids had a great time....... I just needed coffee:)

Connor with a Tiger Moth
I've forgotten the one in the front (Anthony will know) but the one in the back is a Spitfire

And I'm pretty sure this is the Spitfire getting towed out ready to fly

Oh, this is me yacking on the phone, lol



The Kittyhawke and the Spitfire doing some pretty spectacular flying

Connor was excited cause Grandpa took a few spare digi cameras for the kids to use