March photo overload

Ruby the Labradoodle, our house guest for the Easter weekend, Ruby and Amelia are just having a blast together!

A Happy Easter weekend to you all!!

Giving a little bit

September 2011 was the last time I had a hair cut.  September 2012 I discovered Pantene Beautiful Lengths and wanted so badly to donate my hair so I planned to get it cut in November for National Donate your hair week.   I had my appointment booked at the hair dressers for Thursday November 17 last year.

On Wednesday November 16 I got a phone call from Sam's surgeon saying that he could do Sam's kidney surgery the next day.  The day of my hair appointment.  Hmmmm which one would I cancel??

So of course we prepared for Sam's surgery, and I cancelled my hair appointment and gave my hair a few more months to grow.  I finally made another hair appointment and I got the chop today.  I started to get really nervous, not with the thought of losing my hair, but had thoughts that the hair dresser wouldn't listen to what I wanted done and I got a bad hair cut.  Most women seem to worry about that one I think.

It all worked out and I was really happy, I even asked her to trim a little bit more when she'd finished.  It is amazing what a good haircut can do for your confidence and helps you to feel refreshed and renewed again.  So imagine what a new, real hair wig would do for a woman who has lost her hair due to breast cancer treatments.

 

When I found out about Pantene Beautiful Lengths program to donate free, real hair wigs to women in Australia who have lost their hair due to Breast Cancer treatment, I felt very strongly that this was something simple that I could do.  I know my Aunt survived breast cancer and there are many other women I know or have known who have been touched by breast cancer.  Apparently it takes 9 pony tails to make one real hair wig.  I understand synthetic hair wigs are hot and uncomfortable and that real hair wigs are much more comfortable, I hope they are anyway.

This was just my way of helping.  Give me two more years and I'll do it again.

. . . . and of course when I wake up tomorrow morning I will not have the salon perfect hair and it will look totally different.

A photo a day: Week 2

A cooler, cloudier day was just right for a walk with Amelia.  The early signs of Autumn were being revealed to me along my walk.  Dahlia's, Crepe Myrtles and ripening Blackberries.

January 7

Miss Amelia's 2nd Birthday

January 8

The boys watching Amelia opening her presents.

Gabby arrived at our place one visit with a bag full of books.  The perks of managing a book store.  The first book I grabbed was "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce.  Now I'm not great at book reviews and I barely pay attention to book reviews.  So I will give a very quick rundown.  Harold is retired, he is sensitive, he likes his quiet time to think as he has a very busy mind and he is a bit lost in his retirement and life at home, until he receives a letter from an old friend who is dying of cancer.  Harold is inspired to walk and believes he will save his friend, and this is his journey.  Many of us take a lifetime to learn what Harold did on his journey, I related to Harold and all of his struggles, whilst reading I felt I was growing with Harold.  I found this a lovely easy book that I couldn't put down.

January 10

Another hot Summers day, I escaped the boys and grabbed a Yogurberry Pomegranate and Mango frozen yogurt before grocery shopping.  Very refreshing.

January 11

My first time at a Cardio boxing class, Gabby and Neil picked me up at 6.30am for a 7am class.  Their friend Sean runs the Vigorous Fitness classes at Castle Hill, click for more info.  I can't believe I made it through the class without vomiting, charming, I know, but I was so beetroot faced during and after the class as well as a little puffed out too!  I did have fun though and am going back each Saturday for more.

January 12

We have church on Sunday afternoons this year, we swap from a 9am meeting to the 1pm meeting with the other ward that shares our chapel.  This Sunday was a very hot day before church, by the time we came out at 4pm it had started raining.  The cool change had come along blown away the heat and replaced it with a wonderful thunderstorm and rain.  It was the perfect afternoon to make a lamb roast for dinner.

January 13

During the thunderstorm after church all four boys were in the back room either painting, playing or just dreaming with their Lord of the Rings miniature figures.

January 13

A photo a day: Week 1 2013

Well here we go again attempting another "Photo-a-day" for 2013.  I'm a little sad that I didn't keep up with the posts last year.  I think life just got a little busy to keep blogging and I kept falling behind.  I do like going back over the photo's from last year, so I shall do my best again this year.

 Seeing in the new year on the front porch with sparklers

December 31, 2012

The first day of the New Year was spent at Palm Beach with my family.   Gabby and Neil did a bit of bouldering, Jan sat under the shade of the beach umbrella, the boys spent lots of time digging in the sand and I even went for a few swims in the crazy rough surf.

January 1, 2013

Toby had been begging me for weeks to put up the tent in the back yard, so we finally did it, just he and I.  We spent the evening playing cards, chatting and nibbling on treats.  It was such a lovely way to spend some one on one time with my youngest.

January 2

The next night it was Ethan's turn to share the tent with me for the night.  We did lots of talking, card playing, reading and toasting mini marshmallows over a tea light. 

January 3

Then it was Sam's turn to hang out with me.  We pretty much played Uno for ages and talked and toasted marshmallows too!  I do like spending time with my boys alone.

January 4

My mum's last night in Sydney so we had a family dinner at the local Thai restaurant.  Here are the girls, me, Jan and Gabby.

January 5

Sunday night and with my mum gone, it's back into the routine of doing the dishes again . . . . and oh what a pain it is with three boys in our small kitchen.

January 6

Sunday afternoon

. . . . and all is quiet in the back room