BAD BLOGGER! BAD BAD BLOGGER!

Well I think the title says it all!

Man we have been so busy. I have been spending long days in
the office, usually over there at 7am and home about 6.30, on
top of that we have a constant stream of work visitors through that
by the time you get home and cook tea for everyone and clean up
you are just falling into bed..........(lets just say I am looking forward
to the wet season). So after days like that on the computer I just
can't even stand looking at it when I get home!
Added to that there has not been a lot of time to craft, and the
only things I have been doing are swap cards, I have to make double
this month as will be away all of next month. Also have been trying
to put myself together a travel journal for my holiday, but really
finding it hard to find the mojo for it, but I think if I put the effort
in I will be really glad I did at the end of the holiday.

HOLIDAY.....................
I am so counting down the days, for a start I am the big 40 on
Tuesday, I remember when I was young, thinking that was so
old, but I am actually looking forward to it. I only wish I was
heading home to have it with my twin brother, but cause I
talked my husband into the overseas holiday this year I can't
afford to do both.
Oh god! I just counted the days and it is only 25 before we
fly out. It keeps going around in my head what I still need
to get done before I go, mainly just work and housework wise,
I'm not real concerned on packing as figure I'll only take 3-4
outfits and if I need anything grab it over there.
But, the govie (she's a gem) is staying in the house for the
3 weeks looking after Jay, so me being the virgo that I am
would like to have it spotless before I leave (even though
she see's it everyday anyway), and I usually like to have
the freezer full of meals, even though she likes to cook and
I think enjoys cooking in my big kitchen instead of in her
cabin, but that's just the way I am!

The holiday - I am sooooooo excited!
Fly out of Darwin at 1.10am (groan, yawn), Todd will be with
us to Brisbane which works out great, as he will be flying
back to school, so we'll stick him on a plane to Rocky,
and meet up with our friends Fiona and Paul Langsdorf,
these guys are so much fun and we are so looking
forward to travelling with them, we are hoping we don't
let them down on the partying scene, as living in a dry area
(as in illegal to drink alcohol) we only have the odd drink
now and then when we stay in Darwin for a few days,
and we are really cheap drunks now, one drink and we are
pissed, should make for a cheaper holiday! LOL!

So we fly out and land in LA then taking a shuttle to
Anaheim, were we will do Disney for a couple of days.....
I know no kids, but you can't go to America and not do
Disneyland. Then we head back to LA for 3 days, looking
at doing Farmers Market and Grove Mall (gotta shop),
and also Universal Studios, we are staying right on
Sunset Boulevard which should be great, and the house
of Blues is straight across the road which should be
good, after that we fly to Austin Texas for a couple of days
and a look around, not sure what we'll see here but a friend
said it is definatly worth a look, I think John would like to see
the Texas Rangers hall of fame, we will then hire a car
and drive up to Waco Texas for 4 days, there is a big
county fair and PBR rodeo final there, so should be great,
and John and I are on the lookout for new hats and boots
for work (might have to mail those home), then we drive
up to Dallas early in the morning and look around, then
fly out late that night to VEGAS! for 4 days, we have
hired a 2 bedroom suite at the Mirage so that will be great
then hire a car and drive to the Grand Canyon and stay
the night at a hotel on the rim of the canyon, drive back
the next day via Hoover Dam and then fly out that night
to San Diego, stay there for a couple of days, just looking
around, not sure we will do the zoo or Seaworld yet,
thought we might just wait and see what locals have
to say about it and what they suggest doing,
then hire a car and drive up the West Coast, checking
out all the beach towns along the coast, up to San Francisco
for a couple of days, doing Alcatraz and Yosemite, then flying
out via Sydney back to Darwin!

Whew! I'm tired all ready just writing it down.
But I am getting so excited.

Anyway just thought I would do a quick catch up,
hopefully it will be a lot sooner before my next post.

If anyone reading this has travelled to the States and
has any suggestions that would be great!

Better get back to my cooking - doing a big bake up
so there is stuff for Jay and Lyn, but also cause we
have 4 extra people staying for work a few days
before we leave and it would be nice to be ready
and not in a panic.

Afternoon at Bella Glen

I had a friend come out and visit for a few days on the holidays and
so did Jay, so I thought we would do a run out to Bellla Glen so I
could show Margaret and take the boys for a swim. The weather
had already cooled up so Margaret and I gave it a miss, and I
got the camera out to get a few shots. which was great, of course
the boys did a bit of hamming up for the camera.
This is the tree thy all climb up to either swing off or jump off.

Mmmm is that a flying fox, oh wait a minute that's Jay.

Is that 3 Monkey's in a tree?
Yah know what? I think it is..........

Going....................

Gone!

This one is Lane Hockey

watching on.....

There is no way he

was going in after

he saw the crocs in

the water when we arrived!

Luckily they were only little

freshies, I wasn't quite sick

of my boys at this stage

that I would feed

them to the crocs!

This is Margaret Hyndman

watching on.

Todd with his fluro yellow singlet and cowboy hat.

Why so worried Jay?

This photo so reminds me of his father........

Give us a smile Jay!

Todd contemplating.

The Boys Hamming It Up

Jay deep in thought......

Todd deep in thought............

Todd and Jayden deep in thought......

(nice photo Todd)

and my favourite....

They say Todd that a picture tells a

1000 words.........................

Age Champion

I am such a bad mother. I just realised I forgot to post about Jay's school
sports day. My baby won the age champion for his age group. Not only that
his house also won the carnival. He was walking around for hours with the
biggest smile on his face. He even had to wear his medals and ribbons around
the shopping centre later, and had everyone pulling him up asking what he got
them for. No shame my boy. With the 2 medals clanking together, it sounded
like a cow with it's bell on following me around the aisles. LOL
It was a great day, but so hot! The school wizzeed the kids through the events
and had it all done and dusted by lunch, which is good because it was so hot and
also cause so many families had so many hours to get home, we only had 3hrs
as we headed up to Darwin for a few days. Picked up Todd off the plane, did
the movies, I think the boys did every junk food place in town, (bad mum
again, I know, but since we live out bush it usually only happens about 3
times a year), we also visited the new waterpark in Darwin, which is fantastic,
it has all sorts of amusements with water, including a couple of huge water
slides and the whole lot is free, supplied by the City Council. They have
picnic areas and bbq's, it really is great. I just enjoyed not seeing the kids
(I saw them in the distance) for a couple of hours and stretched out on a
towel and had a read. A friend was good enough to let us stay in her
house as she was away, which included a pool. The kids had a ball, and
I spent too much money.............

Now back to the sports carnival. I was so busy watching it all I kept
forgetting to take photo's, but I did get the high jump which Jay, I think
jumped a metre 15. He won every event except the 400 and 800 which
he didn't go in as his knee was aching. Well done Jay, especially for having
a go!

This first picture I love...............

He is so used to having his hat on that he forgot to take it off!

Up and Over.

Look at that concentration!

The winning jump! (just I think)

Being presented with his medal.

7 Blue Ribbons, Age Champion Medal, Winning House Medal.

Well done!

MOJO...............I have none!

MOJO refers to a magical charm bag used in hoodoo. In modern usage it may also metaphorically refer to possessing a "magic touch" of creativity or charm.

This is what Wikipedia has to say about MOJO......Now I don't know about hoodoo,
but I have so lost my "magic touch"of creativity lately. I was so pushing to sit
down and get my June swap cards done that the thought of July's has me
stressing.......... But don't worry girls the ideas are there, I just have to sit
down and make them.

I really love how the June ones turned out and I have had so much fun receiving
them all.
So if anyone finds my mojo please send it back to me.

The neighborhood dogs

This is the first card I've made where one of my sons has walked in and said
I really love that card. Of course him loving dogs helps. I actually really love
this one in real life as well, as this photo doesn't really show how bright and
fun it really is.

Here is the Birthday tag, I had the idea of the dogs down the bottom but
wasn't sure if it would really work, but I thought what the heck give it a go
and if it doesn't I can just stamp another, but it looks great".


I put some clear dimensional on the vehicle to gloss it up and make it stand
out, I also put it on the windows to make them look shiny like glass and the
puff of smoke and the clouds above the houses I used Liquid Applique to
make them look cloudy and puffy.....




The section with the car is actually raised so it looks like it is driving in front
of the houses. I cuttlebugged the card above and below the picture and
pinned holes in the yellow. I've had this idea for so long and bought the
tailgaiting wheel not long after I started, cause Jay loves dog's so much,
and when the Neighbourhood wheel came out I just had to team them up.

I really enjoyed making this card.

TFL

luv, Kristy

Another week done and dusted...

Wow what a week!

Thank god it's finally over. We have been full on mustering this week.
We had 42 decks of cattle arrive that we purchased, and because of the
rest of the staff doing training, John, Murray, Jay, myself and 2 other
fellas were the only ones left to unload, read and crossbrand. What a
day. Usually this is done by about 12 fella's so it was a long and tedious
one. I was on the NLIS (National Livestock Identification Services ?I think
it's services) reader, reading their ear tags, on the slide gate and pushing
them up the crush. But I gotta admit most days I do in the yards now
are usually 1/2 days when we are branding.
We were in the yard from 5.30 in the morning until 6 at night, and I
was exhausted! I found muscles I didn't know I had. And when those
cows charge, I just can't get up those rails like I used to. LOL

Here's a couple of pics from the week.

Lancen Joshua in the lead while we turn out.

This is the next day, we mustered a couple of paddocks of cows and heifers
that we sold for an export ship going to Indonesia. This is the chopper at work.

This is the chopper landing to fuel up.

I just had to put this photo in. Lyn and I were watching them bring the cows through the gate along the road and this calf got through the wire onto the wrong side of the fence. The men didn't realise and kept trying to chase the cow back into the mob, and she was having none of it, there was no way she was leaving without her calf. The calf finally scrambled through the fence and off they trotted back to the rest of the mob.

It was a real Ohhhh moment! What a great mum.

So anyway the trucks finally headed off with the sale cattle a couple of hours ago. John's headed off to check on some weaners, Jay's practising his guitar and I thought I should catch up on my blog. I've had no time to stamp, but do have a couple of cards I made a week or so ago that I am yet to post, so will get them up over the next few days.

Have had to cook for heaps of people over the last couple of weeks, don't you just get tired of it, especially when you work all day then have to come home and cook for strangers. All lovely people and no trouble, just sometimes you like to come home and just be able to veg, have a shower and put your jarmies on if you feel like it, or just cook something really simple.

Tonight will be the first time we will have the house to ourselves in a long time and I'm thinking.....Suimin! No I couldn't do that to my family LOL, I have some yummy jew fish defrosted. Mmmmmm, anyway better head off and try to do something with it.

TFL

luv, Kristy