My very own Princess

PRINCESS

SOPHIA

AGED 2

My Daddy

Anyone who knows me knows that i have fellas in my life. My Darling Husband, My lil man AJ (the cheekiest most troublesome adorable 3 year old), and lastly the original man in my life my Daddy Dearest.
Today i have been thinking an awful lot about how lucky i am to have the Daddy i have. And yes at 27 years of age i still call him Daddy Dearest.
I am very fortunate to have him. And we are extremely close. My parents separated when i was 12 and i chose to live with my father while my sister chose to live with my mother. That meant that from 12 to 18 while living at home it was just me and Daddy. He taught me so much and i am the person i am today because of him. Because of the confidence he instilled in me, and because of the morals and standards he set for both me and himself. My Daddy was approachable and willing to listen. That is not to say that i always approved of his methods, and he could be quite strict. (More than a teenage girl wanted him to be) But he always had my best interests at heart. He pushed me to know myself and to know my limits. And to stand up for what i believe in. (Which i am almost positive he regretted when he believed an opposing side of an argument.) He has always had my back, supported me, and been the best Daddy a girl could ever ask for. I know i dont tell him nearly often enough but i love him and am grateful for having him as such an important part of my life.
I know that my relationship with my Dad has influenced my life in a positive way. I know that i married a man who respects me for me, and values me for who i am, a man that will always treat me like the princess i know i am thanks to my Daddy.
I know it isn't common for a young girl to chose her father over her mother, but i know that i made the right choice and am proud of that decision.
My Daddy is amazing and last year he married an amazing lady, Connie. This means a lot to me because i am loving seeing him so happy and i feel as though Connie has been part of the family forever because she just fits in so well. She has the same generous heart and thoughtfulness nature. I wish them both the best and feel blessed to have them in my world.
(And they gave me the best Chrissy Present too..... A SEWING MACHINE!!! YAY!!!)

My Daddy walking my down the aisle

Dad and Connie on their wedding day

AJ being a happy lil vegemite

i have decided to add some of my favorite pics to my blog and this series has to be right up there as my favorite.....

Do you see what happens when Mummy leaves Daddy in charge....

But when Mummy found him she had to take these photos for his 21st!

New Years Resolutions

Wow every year as new year roles around every one starts asking about new years resolutions.

Do you make them?
If so do you ever complete them?

Last years "resolution" was to quit smoking. (But then again it had been my NY's reso for the past 5 years.) I actually did it this year though. I was ready in myself and i made the commitment and did it. With the help of Champix. I think having goals are a good thing. (You can tell that by my other posts). But what is the point in setting a goal for the sake of setting a goal? As i said for 5 years previous i had set myself the goal of quitting smoking. Why? Because smoking is bad for me, cost too much money, etc.... Not because i actually wanted to do it. The truth is i enjoyed smoking, i enjoyed my 5 minute ciggy break to cut the rest of the world out for just a few minutes when i needed to. It was of course an excuse. But one that i chose to believe. While quitting smoking is not an easy thing to do, it is an easy thing to say you want to do.
So back to my point... Why set a goal for the sake of setting a goal. I have things i want to achieve. And i try to set myself time lines that are realistic and achievable. But why do i feel pressured into making a new goal of putting it out there for the whole world to know.
Is New Years Eve a good time to make up your years ambition? Cause while drinking away the year that was 2010 i don't think that i will be struck with a ambition i truly feel i should be dedicating my whole next year too.
I mean should i be making generic resolutions like, i want  to focus on my family, you know my husband and kids and making sure i am a good mother? Because of course that is important. Any one who knows me, knows that my family come first and always will...
So i guess i am just wondering where did the making of resolutions come from and how much do people really invest in achieving them?

Favorite gift to give over the christmas period...

So christmas just flew passed....
it has been, it is over and finished for another year.
It is about giving, and my favorite gift this year to give was not a christmas present...
Just prior to christmas we went to the Bri to visit my family. And while it was frustrating at time dealing with some of the family politics. (which i wont be going into right now) I really enjoyed being able to see my Dad again. It had been 9 - 10 months since i last saw him. At which time he went to England and even though i talk to him on a regular basis it was so good to see him. And while we were away my Dad and Connie celebrated their first Wedding Anniversary. I tried to be creative trying to think of the perfect gift to give. Upon a google search of first wedding anniversary gifts i came across the traditional gift of paper. Now i know that you can buy some stunningly beautiful paper these days but paper just seemed to be a little boring. Therefore i searched again modern first wedding anniversary gifts. And i was pleasantly surprised with the options. The one i chose to make and give was origami roses. Now you can of course buy them pre-made. But i thought if i make them then it is more personal, a gift made for love,  with love. So i set myself the project of learning to make paper roses. This of course meant more googling. I found a site that had sep by step instructions but as i had no knowledge of any of the terminology it was quite difficult to pick up. Then the next step was to you tube it. Which meant watching numerous videos and possible a hundred different attempts. When all of a sudden it just kinda clicked and all the attempts no longer resulted in scrunched up balls of paper all over the floor and started resembling roses. The more i made the better they become. And eventually i made a beautiful bunch of roses for my dad and step mum. They were a huge hit. Not an extensive gift just one that was handmade and heart felt. It was my favorite gift, and i wish them both many more years of happiness.

My second Favorite gift to give was to my Bestie to whom i also gave a handmade gift of a red tutu.

I'm Home

It is always nice to get away and visit family.
But it is equally nice to get home.
Sleep in your own bed.
And be back to living your life.

Family Hugs

this is my daughters drawing of family hugs to good not to share....

FAMILY HUGS

Artist Sophia Blake

from June 2010

aged 4

Love

So we are going away on Holidays today...

still not quite packed so about to turn MaNiC!!!

but before we quite make it there.....

i wanted to wish all safe travel over the christmas period and as you all reflect over 2010

may you be reminded of all the good things you have done,

all the goals you have achieved,

all the people that you LOVE!!

this is for KY...

I truly do believe in you 

I have your back

at times when you are doubting some of your other friendships

know that ours is true!!

I love you through the good times and Bad

i take you in sickness and in health

and all the rest of that stuff

i promise you will never be rid of me

Packing

The Joys of Packing....

SO we are going away tomorrow for a few days to visit my family.

And i am in no way suggesting that is a bad thing.

But i HATE PACKING!!

And to make matters worse i still have so much to do.

And trying to get it all done with a broken toe isn't my idea of fun.

And because it is our Christmas catch up i have to take all the presents too.

That means i have to have them all wrapped and ready to go.

(And i hate wrapping, but thats another story...)

Not just that but i have to remember everything and be sorted.

SO i tell my Darling Husband that i don't even feel like packing....

HIs response.... "just throw a couple of sets of clothes in and we will pick up anything else we need"

WHAT????

Is he for real?

 So we will forget all the presents, we can forget our little fellows pillow. (He will not sleep with out it.) We will forget  our Princess' ZuZu pet (toy thingo she cant seam to live without).

And they are just a few of the things, the less important things that we MUST pack.

Now don't get me wrong i love the man i truly do, and no he is not one of those guys who is oblivious to how a house is run... He knows what goes into the day to day stuff.

I know that i am the stresser and he is the mellow one. 

Perhaps that is his way of saying not to worry, but honestly that makes me worry more.

Oh well best stop blogging about it and get it over and done with.

Unless....

Anyone wants to do it for me???

Okay i will do it myself

Its true....
Some of my most bestest friends live along way away.
But they still are the closet people to me!
Life is how you look at things, the more you live the more different your perceptions are.
I perceive that with age comes peace of mind not wisdom.

ShOeS...... gotta love em

Rawr.... I'm a monster

today my husband and i have been together for ten years.....

10 years ago we were young and crazy

And looking back on it, it’s kinda hazy.

How did we get from there to here?

And you still are the only one I want near?

We have been through so much, and stayed so strong

Who would have thought it would last this long?

We knew we were something special to treasure

And ten years on you still give me so much pleasure

I know you have my back, as I do you

Who would have known love could be this true!

Despite my faults you still love me

And together Happy we will always be

You are the most amazing man and a great husband

And by your side I will always stand

Because of you I smile everyday

I know that feeling will never go away

The way you hold me and make me feel

Makes me wonder if I am dreaming or is this real?

Ten years on, and we have seen a lot

But communication and trust is something we never forgot

If life wasn’t crazy enough we introduced kids to the mix

And I love watching you daddy showing them your tricks.

To see our love blossom and grow into our girl and boy

Seeing the love of our family gives me such JOY.

You mean more to me than I could ever say

And I love you more with each new day

Thank you for sharing ten years of your life

And for choosing me to be your wife

xoxoxoxoxox

Be different

celebrate what makes you unique...

            

Ouchie

So i am officially the most  talented person i know....
I have a broken toe. How did it happen??? Well i was at the shopping centre and my toe was ran over by a trolley...  Yep its that easy! its my little toe and it is broken half way down my foot. Man do i love being me. Seriously if this had happened to anyone but me they would be laughing and continuing on with their life life nothing happened. But cause i am me.... Well it means i have a broken toe and 2 kids on school holidays to run after. Yay! Truth be told it is throbbing, but it is far from the worst pain i have felt from my feet. I am and i will be completely fine. Just means i have an excuse for taking it easy for a few weeks!

Here are my 2 kids and my godson Keaty!

My children

Children give life more meaning

and these two...

have changed our lives forever

I am so grateful for these blessings!!

Friends

I have the most amazing friends. 

They are caring, trustworthy and are accepting of me for being me. They are loyal and honest (even if it means telling me something that i may not wish to hear.) They are genuine and thoughtful and their friendship means a lot to me.

Truth be told i don't have a lot close friends. which just makes the ones i am closet to all the more special. 

It is weird to me that all 4 of my bestest friends are so completely different. And serve different roles in my life. To be honest with you never have all 4 of them been in the same room at the same time. But they have all seen me smile, shared with me a private joke in the company of others, Seen me sick and sad, Gotten rotten drunk with me, and stood by me through my mistakes, and been happy for me successes.

So one of the 4 is of course going to be my husband Andrew. He is amazing and i share everything with him, my life, my secrets, my thoughts, my hopes and dreams, and of course my future. I am sure that it may sound very cliched but i know this to be true.

And next of course is my BFF Ky. She is so amazing. Crazy and quite often in her own world. But the best thing is i love to visit that world with her. It is bordering on my world. Maybe because I have spent so much time there and i am so comfortable there. Or maybe because it is very similar to my world. I have known Ky the longest out of all my closet friends. I consider her to be more than just a friend. She is my little big sister. She knows me better than i am sure she cares to. We have been friends for many a years. (around 15 years) She has known me at my most foolish, and been my friend as i have grown. She understands my thought process and as she has shared my past she best understands how my past experiences affect my decisions. She knows what i stand for and has been the truest of friends.

Then there is Madonna. She and i didn't start out as friends. She was the sister of a past boyfriend. But truth be told we had a connection that her brother and i never shared. She was a mother at a young age. And an amazing mother at that.  (i became a mother at 21) She understood more than just the stage of life i was in. She is supportive and giving. Yet still understand the importance of having /making time to be more than just a mum. To connect with friends and to have enjoyment away from our kids. O am blessed to have her as a friend.

And the newest edition to the list is Julie. I have known Julie for 3 years. She is older than me and far more mature than any of the others on this list. She is extremely determined and sure of herself. Her influence on me is interesting to say the least, She is wiser than me and has had more experiences. She has a different perspective on everything. This means that we quite often disagree. Or should that be agree to disagree. I guess it would seem to most that we are unlikely friends, and i guess we kind of are. But the thing that make our friendship work is that despite our differences we respect each other. And value each other for the honesty and truth of character. We both are who we are. I never realized until now that we don't make sense. Because the truth of the matter is somehow we just do.

I am grateful to have such amazing people in my life. And hope that i have not offended anyone by not including them on my list, but these are my dearest friends. I do treasure all my friends and the individual relationships we have. It just feels nice to acknowledge those who mean so much and i have realized i do not tell them how much they mean to me, nearly often enough.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Even Steven

"It is Christmas
  in the HEART
          that puts 
  Christmas in the air."
                          - W. T. Ellis

my husband

to find the meaning of life would be...
to understand your your destiny
to know the answer to all the questions
and be at ease with tough decisions
so what is the meaning of my life???
... to be your loving, adoring wife.
I love you Andrew

Arsehole....

At the end of the day, on the wings of your thoughts, go beyond the cares and troubles of the world. Remove your mind from everything and everyone, and become blissfully detached, like a star. Like a star, be free to radiate light, for your essence is light and peace. Enjoy the simplicity of the night sky, the peace. And then, when you want to, you can shoot down to earth.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Someone is in trouble...

the important things...

The important things in life...
What are they? Well that will depend on who you are and what you define as important.
For me it is a number of things, like my amazingly supportive husband and the relationship we share. And of course our beautiful kids Sophia and AJ. My best friend who may as well be my sister, my actual sister. My Daddy Dearest (and yes at 27 years old i still call him that), my extended family and my dearest friends. I think you would be shocked to find anyone who wouldn't tell you that their family and friends are important to them.
But it goes beyond that...
To me the important things are the quiet moments or the small things that you share with each of them. Because when truth be told when they are gone from you, it will be all the little things you miss most.
An example of something important to me is when my little man comes in every morning to wake me, i hear him coming and pretend to be asleep, he climbs up on my bed and covers his eyes and screams at the top of his lungs PEEK A BOO as he flings his arms in the air. It is truly the greatest way of being woken up. To see the smile on his face and sheer enjoyment in his eyes that he has outsmarted me. Not to mention that our little game is concluded with a kiss fight (which means we see who get give the other the most kisses).
Another important moment for me was today when my 5 year old daughter looked me straight in the eye and said "when i grow up i want to be just like you, do you think i can be as good a mummy as you are?" To which i replied (with a tear in my eye) Come here and let me kiss you.
Now i am sure that i could go on and on about important moments with my kids.....
But another important thing in my life is when i chose to stay in ipswich and not move with my dad when i was 17/18 so i could continue my relationship with Andrew.
Important things are when someone cuts their amazing trip short to come home and be at your wedding. Or when they postpone a trip to meet your baby.
Special things can be the nicest gestures of the smallest gift. For example when a friend cooks dinner for your family just because. Or a gift of a home made present just to let you know that your friendship is important.
Important things can be possessions. Mine is my wedding ring, the gold for my wedding ring comes from my Mama's wedding ring as well as a long line of successful marriages from my Mama's side of the family. Not to mention it is a token of love from my wonderful husband.
There are so very many things that can be deemed important
i think you can tell a lot of a person by what  they consider to be important in this life.
i wonder if you treasure the things i do?

the 2 cutest people ever

funny funny

tough questions

So i have this friend who i love to pester.
It is as tho i have taken it upon myself to ask her the difficult questions.
To make sure she is examining her life and is on track for things she wants.
To find out if she is happy, what makes her happy, and what her goals are.
So here are those questions and here are my answers to them....
I would just like to remind you that these aren't the easiest questions to answer and would challenge you to try and answer them too.



Are you happy? Yes i am
What makes you Happy? My husband, my adorable kiddy winks, my family and friends
What are your goals? To find  a career that i am passionate about and allows me to feel like i am making a difference.
What are you doing to achieve your goals? Very Little at the moment
What changes are you going to make to help you be where you want to be? I am going to start researching courses and uni, and next year i am going to do some unpaid volunteer work in the area i am interested in to make sure that, that is a career i would be interested in persueing before committing myself to.
What comes next? Ummmm, i work on focusing on me as a person. (not me as a mum, or me as a wife, but me as an individual.)
What time frame are you looking to achieve this in? Realistically i plan on having a solid idea of what my future path is by the end of 2011. and will be ready to take action in 2012 when my baby starts school.
What can be done to keep you motivated? it is always good to be held accountable for your actions, but really i need to keep my focus and persue my own bliss.
What will your reward be when you achieve this goal? A Family Holiday to Fiji

HAHAHAHAH CLASSIC

For those of you who dont know me....
you need to know what kinda humor i have
and this my friends is it

first picture had to be one of my favorites ever taken

Brampton Island
Sunset at low tide
Just beautiful
and a great time in my life to remember...

In the beginning...

So i thought it was time to start a blog....
To be honest i cant say i am sure which direction this blog will go
I just know that there are things i love and things i hate
Things that inspire and things i desire
and somewhere down the track i am sure i will share them with you.

The reason i started this blog today???
I was checking out my Bestie's Blog....
now to be honest i would dare to say that i know whats going on inside her head better than anyone.... (including herself most days) But still found it interesting the things that she has come across and added to her blog. They weren't shocking.... In fact they were along the lines of what i expected. There was music, (which i am sorry to say i am not a muso) there was artistic pictures that made you think, there were cute pictures of animals and joke pictures of things that made her smile. As i said it was all along the lines of what i expected from her. But each post i came across was interesting and something that she had found as a way of expressing her mood, likes, dislikes, and revealing a bit of herself. It made me grateful to see and be able to share. So i was inspired and started my own blog.
I hope you find something in here that will also make you smile
xoxoxox