feeling....

I'm not feeling very happy in my heart this evening!
I'm not going to name names or point fingers cause that's not in me, but i need to vent and this is the perfect place.
I'm feeling very ............. used! that's the word i think I'm searching for.
I feel that i put my heart and sole into everything i do and it kills me to see it be taken away from me so someone else can reap the rewards.
I'm not angry just really hurt and really sad and it doesn't help that I'm still saddened by events that happened just over 12 months ago. not a day goes past that i don't think about it and the void it left in my heart.


bloody hell....... here come the friggin tears...........

last week of school hols.......

it has been one crazy week.
The kids have both had swimming lessons each day this week. It turned out that the other kids in Shanice's class were all sick so she got a private lesson each morning with her favourite instructor Alysia, who she just idolizes. Alysia even raced her each lap that she did and OMG her swimming has improved so much. the next level is squads and i don't think she be waiting too long before going up.
Connor on the other hand is still a Marilin 2 after 2 years in the same class with 3 different teachers. i feel so sorry for the little bugger but i think we had a turning point this week as his freestyle stroke become more smooth and fluent, so my fingers and toes are crossed for him.

Wednesday saw us leave swimming and head off to my girlfriend Dallas's for our school holiday get together with mums and kids. I so enjoy these girls company and have since ummmmm......... i was 8 years old. They know me so well and don't judge me for whatever reason. I can bounce ideas off them and get opinions that i cant get anywhere else. I honestly don't know where i would be today without this gorgeous group of life long friends.
We arrived just in time for lunch and after a chat and a play Dal had the kids going on an Easter Egg hunt which is so exciting to watch the real littlies do, they get so excited.


Paige & Abby doing "CHEERS" with their eggs

Connor and his eggs.
My little monkey man is just so beautiful. He knows he isn't allowed chocolate but because it was a special occasion he asked for only one and gave the rest to me - God Bless his cotton socks!


And the traditional "sitting on the steps eating ice blocks" photo.

After Dal's me and kids headed up to mums as mum, Mandy and hunter were coming back from QLD. We got there before them so me and kids did a quick tidy up to surprise them before arriving home. I missed Hunter so much........ and so did the kids. I couldn't stop kissing him.

Thursday saw us swimming again and Miss Nic came along too as it was William's 5th Birthday. the kids played for hours and then it was off to McDonald's for a treat. Nic and Sharon popped over so all the kids eat their happy meals and have a play. And Nic was such an angel, she helped me get thru some of my mammoth pile of Scrap Girls tasks.
Well, so she should, lol, she MADE me write the mammoth list in the first place.

so......... the list turned into 2 pages full of things to do which i was procrastinating about doing and making myself get side tracked so i wouldn't have to do any of it. But since making the list i would like to say that there is only 6 things left to do - YAY!!!!!!!
Connor went up to mums for the weekend, Shanice went to Brittney's and Anthony went down the farm so i could have time to myself to get stuck into getting all my jobs done. And it worked.
Still got a few things which shouldn't take too long - i hope.

Tomorrow it's back to normal Sunday night stuff, like piles of ironing as my two kidlets go back to school on Monday. I knew there was another reason i loved private school - no pupil free days LOL

today is monday

well............. it is. and i couldn't think of anything exciting to write as a title :)

today was a non-eventful day! i took the kids to their swimming lessons and came home to do a tonne of work ready for the Scrap Girls retreat next weekend, which turned out to only be a little bit of work cause it's all so time consuming.

I took a few pics of the Challenge Kits so i could upload them to the Scrap Girls blog and while i was doing that i couldn't help but snap a couple of the kids too.

Might i just say Shanice was quite obliging which is unusual for her.

so i have been on this computer now for the past hour updating the SG blog. And i've just had a little looksee and you can hardly notice the changes i'e made - grrrrr - that's so annoying, LOL.

randomness......

just a post about lots of random Sheppard-Morris stuff:
*this is my 400th post - YAY!!!!
* we had a lovely day down at Tracy's yesterday. after not feeling creative at all we put some Scrap Girls things together and Trac's creativeness came flooding back - YAY!!!!
* i have had a pain in the bum headache since last Tuesday morning that keeps bordering on a migraine - grrrrrrr
* i feeling all inspired to paint my office - more likely tell Anthony what colour and get him to do it as i suck at painting!
* Ant and i are off to see The Fast and the Furious tomorrow night - so cant wait. might have to see it twice though as the first time i might just be having eye candy overload
* i need to try and convince Anthony that we need to go to the Caravan & Camping Supershow that is on at Rosehill till next weekend
* Joh got me the cutest thank you present - CUPCAKE EARRINGS - too cute
* i went shopping today. funny that! and i got Melrose season 3, 2 pair of the cutest ugg boots, the kids and Ant got a stack of books at bargain prices, and i got mine and Tracy's NEW Scrap Girls shirts ready for the May retreat coming up in 2 weeks - YAY!!!!
* i miss my nephew so much it's ridiculous. i wont see him till Wednesday night and i cant wait to give him the biggest Aunty cuddles and kisses.
* the kids start a weeks intensive swimming lessons tomorrow. I cant wait cause i get to sit and read my new book. i love that time by myself.
* we are hopefully going looking for acreage next weekend - my heart so feels so happy about this first baby step in achieving our dream
* i cooked the yummiest roast for dinner tonight. better than my awful attempt last week, lol.
* i hope that Charlie wins So you think you can Dance, OR Ben. I love them all but Charlie just has this certain charisma that i think is tops
* I'm now off to go and watch a movie with hubby and do some knitting - I'm such a nanna :)

playing catch up......

it's been a mad week and i'm now trying to catch up on a million emails and doing bits n' pieces to get ready for the Scrap Girls retreat in 2 weeks time.

i've done half of my emails and thought i needed a little break, so i'm bloggin!

Last thursday, Connor and i headed down the farm with 3 dogs in tow for 5 days away over Easter. anthony was away with work so he met us there and shanice was coming down after school with her friend Brittney and her family.

It was a great weekend. The boys far too much beer, Joh and i scrapped, the kids played and fought and played.

we all headed into Canberra for the day on saturday. It was a gorgeous day. We went to the pub for lunch, let's not go there ......... i have been going to this pub since i was about 10 and having the same ploughmans or drover lunch and i LOVE it! well........... they got new owners and now have a new menu! was not impressed!!!!!

Joh and i shopped up a semi-storm at The Bead Barn and then we head to Brand Depot near the airport for some more retail therapy. I scored some great bargains and spent a small fortune! But had a great day in the process.

we left Canberra and headed straight into a massive storm right on dusk too. Of course it was the girls turn to drive and both Joh and i didn't like it at all!

Each night we sat out on the back veranda with the fire going having a drink and few marshmallows. It was so relaxing and i cant wait to do it again.

somehow the Easter Bunny found the kids and spoilt them all rotten.

Brittney, Zoey, Shanice & Connor in Canberra

besties - Brittney & Shanice

our little fire

For some odd reason i couldn't sleep at all monday night. At 1am i got up cause i was so annoyed at just laying there, so i decided to fold all the washing! then i read some junk mail, then i finally managed to fal asleep on the lounge watching Animal Planet just before the kids and Anthony got up! grrrrr......... since then i have had this massively annoying migraine type headache that just wont go away no matter what i take!

Tuesday i spent the day scrapping at Nic's. It took me all day to finish just 1 layout that i half did over the weekend, but i came out really good - well i think so anyway! LOL

Then on tuesday night the crazy got into me and i decided it was time to pull absolutely everything out of Shanice's room and start from scratch as she has far too much crap in there. All that was left on Tuesday night was her bed and furniture!

This is what i woke to wednesday morning

i could see the floor! OH and this went down the hallway too. So 6 black garbage bags of rubbish, 1 bag for Hunter and 1 pile for the church later Shanice's room is looking much better.

She has a goal too, she has to keep her room spotless for 1 month and she can get an iPod. We'll see.............

Shanice started karate too this week with Connor and Brittney and as a little mid school holiday treat we went to the Drive In.

we saw The Road to Witch Mountain and Confessions of a Shopaholic. There we sat in the back end of the ute with blankets and pillows, i sat next to the truck in a camping chair and we had the best time.

So on the scrapping front i've done a bit - for me anyway.

The other week my good printer with the scanner, copier had a hissy fit and has decided not to work, so had to photograph my layouts and the quality aint that fabulous! But here they are.

OMG!!!!!! i saw this technique for paper rolling somewhere and desperately wanted to try it. What was i thinking!!!! i used really thick pp and it took hours to do these tiny rolls BUT the end result turned out fantastic

so that's the big catch up from me for now................ of to finish my emails

i want...............

THIS

the new WeR Crop-A-Dile corner chomper................

back tomorrow to update about our Easter break

quote of week.............

When you look at your life,

the greatest happinesses

are family happinesses.

~Joyce Brothers

camping - rain, hail OR shine

we are so loving our camper right now.
it's all about when we can next take her away and use her. the kids love it, Anthony loves it and i LURVE it.

we had booked in to go back up to Soldiers Point on the weekend just past. we looked at the weather reports all week and we thought stuff it, we're still going.
we took the kids out of school early again and headed up with Anthony's mum and dad. we got no rain at all on Friday
we set up, the kids ran around like mad kids and enjoyed the place because there was only one other tent there where it was almost packed the last time we went up - i think the prospect of rain kept people away.
Saturday morning mum, Mandy and hunter arrived and the weather still head out. we put up the tent and the kids moved all there toys into there to play, which was a great idea. Mandy and i went into town to get a few things then raced back cause we could see the rain fast approaching.
we managed to quickly get the Easter Egg hunt set out just before the rain started right in the middle of the hunt.
Hunter thought it was hilarious as i was holding him, hopping like a rabbit in the rain. he was laughing at the bouncing but couldn't quite work out the rain!
well it bucketed. we found out the camper had 2 roof leaks - not huge ones and they are fixable and the side canvas need re-waterproofing.so it was a good exercise taking it out in the rain.
the kids got slightly stir crazy being cooped up and when there was a break in the weather the scooters and wave boards came out and we all raced them. it made for a super funny afternoon.

i dont think anything beats going away with family!

scooter racing - grandpa, Anthony & shanice

mum scootering


well...... how do i explain this one....... Hunter wanted to race too!!! I think the rain must have got to Mandy as she pram raced, lol

my gorgeous boy

i cant stop taking Hunter pictures - he is just TOO gorgeous

the 2 boys - look at those bright blue eyes

tea cups & high tea

I love, love, love High Tea
Any chance i get to go i jump at it!

I had to pop up to mums this morning to sign some legal papers for mum as her solicitor was coming over, so what a get excuse to go out for lunch afterwards - OR High Tea

We went to T2 at hornsby and it is the most gorgeous little place. there is even a shop next door to buy all the yummy teas - which i couldn't resist.
The cakes, scones and mini sandwiches were just to die for. and i chose the scrummiest tea - "Strawberry and Cream" - YUM!!!!!!!

the other week i was watching some doco on Jackie Chan - of all things, some architectural thing it was. And anyway he collects tea cups (cups and saucers). And i thought what a lovely thing to collect, i just might do that myself. i thought about all the old antique shops i could drag Anthony and the kids into, lol.
Well, i just couldn't walk past this gorgeous little bamboo number today. This is the first of my new collection! It is so sweet and dainty and i love it and cant wait to have my first cup of tea in it tomorrow.
i also couldn't resist the cupcake tea infuser! just me!!!! And my first lot of yummy tea. I got the catalogue and have already started to mark the ones i want to try next.

zac power and other random stuff.......

lets start on friday........
i always have coffee with the mums from school every friday morning. there is about 6-12 of us that get to together. so on friday for something a little bit different i organised for us to have an Enjo party. It was great......... we bought some great cleaning goodies, cleaned part of my house and chatted till it was almost time to pick up the kids. Next we are going to a tupperware party!

so to get ready for our party morning i spent all of Thursday baking up a storm. I cooked Hot cross bun cookies, banana bread muffins and choc cherry bliss bomb cookies. the best thing about making all those yummies was that i really enjoyed doing it! Plus they tasted really great.

saturday turned out to be a super busy day. i met mum and mandy for coffee at stanhope gardens because i was having withdrawls and desperately needed aunty love from Hunter. while we where out i got some great ideas for Easter presents too.

next we headed across to Parklea markets so i could pick up 3 frames that were on order. Anthony got his Italian job painting framed that Deanne painted him fro Christmas done and it looks fabulous. And i got a 3 photos of the kids and hunter framed.

by lunch time me and kids were on our way down the farm, but i had to stop in to tracy's on the way. my half an hour stop turned into almost 2 hours - sorry trac.

we did make it down the farm before the pub run.............

Anthony thought it would be good fun to mix my drinks and after 6 drinks he reckons i was getting really funny! well it wasn't funny this morning when i woke with a killer headache - but no hangover thank god!

i took Pat into Golburn to do a bit of shopping for Easter. Shanice came with us and got totally spoilt rotten, Connor had decided to stay back at the farm to play golf.

getting on to the Zac Power part of my post..................... i bought connor 2 of the new zac power books he hadn't got yesterday. on the way down the farm he read one whole book and started the second. i picked up the third book today that he was missing and on the way home he started that one and finished it and then went onto almost finish the second book he started yesterday. That boy certainly loves his Zac Power. And he reads just like his dad!

Shanice got a new book too "Tweenie Genie". she's so gorgeous, because she is severely dyslexic she really struggles but tries so hard. Half way thru the drive home today Ant wanted to sleep so i took over driving and Shanice asked if she could read to me which i just love. Every time she got stuck on a work she's lean across to Connor and he'd tell her what it was. Just too cute!

well, i've come home and gone grocery shopping, unpacked everyone's stuff, ironed, cooked dinner and then i made a cake for Shanice's best friends sisters 3rd birthday tomorrow. I volunteered to try out my giant cupcake cake tin i got for Christmas. I cant wait to finish it tomorrow and take photos - god i hope it turns out as well as i hope!