Super cute

This will be a quick post, cos I am off to a day of scrapping and fun at Kell's. Poor thing feels sick today, so will also try and keep the kids from terrorizing her too much! Will have my kids there as well for a couple of hours, as Ben stayed up WAY late playing his new video game... not sure when he will surface ;) Ah, that's what Saturday's are for.

Here are some of the SUPER CUTE photos of my sis Kell and her hubby Rohan, from the photo shoot I did on their anniversary, on Thursday.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Today is my sister and brother-in-law's 5th wedding anniversary, so a congrats goes out to them! Marriage is hard sometimes and comes so naturally at other times, but our families are our home, and it's a beautiful thing.

Today I did a scrap page for the Kiti Q newsletter using Basic Grey blush products, and I really love it. The photos I took the other day - or was it the other week? - of my big sister Kell and her little boy Jude, who is 18 months. So today I wrote a poem to go with the layout (I'd got as far as making the brackets, and realised I needed journalling to go in them!), which came really easily so that's good. And the kids were both sleeping (shock! Sienna hardly ever sleeps in the day) so I had time to put it together in peace, which was very pleasant indeed :)

This afternoon I am photographing Kell and Roh for some anniversary photos, and on Saturday Kell is having a scrapbooking day! Yay! So I hope I will do at least one layout on the weekend. Now I am going to tidy the house and sing along to Regina Spektor, while Ash runs amok and Sienna reads books.

Time to Play

I am so in a scrapping mood at the moment (by that I mean this evening/tonight/right now), but it's past 11 and I've got to work tomorrow. However, I finished one layout since dinner, as well as watching an episode of House and doing a couple of other things.

I can't show it to you tho! I am really excited - I am having a feature article published in Scrapbook Creations in a few months. First time an article I've written will be in print (poetry doesn't count), and tonight's layout is for that feature. But I did one the other day for the 123 Challenge blog - I don't LOVE it but it is kinda cool, and I do really like the sewing of scraps on my chipboard brackets. A funky kinda technique I just felt like doing.

Had all four kids all day today - my two and Kell's two (same ages). Was actually pretty ok. It was good in particular that I had no ambition about achieving anything all day - other than childcaring - but in fact spent the morning tidying the house. Did dishes, cleaned my room, cleaned bathroom, lounge, kitchen, and folded and put away two loads of washing. Kids were really good. Spent afternoon childcaring (they get grumpier as they wear out!) and reading a book.

It was a good day but I am not surprised I was itching to create by the time Ash was in bed!

Excuse Me Mummy

We have been making sure Sienna says excuse me before asking for something lately, and this morning she is being very polite - saying 'excuse me mummy' every thirty seconds so she can point out to me whatever is on tv on the baby einstein video the kids are watching. Is driving me a bit mental, but she is being so polite! So what can you do.

Am really tired, feeling a bit weak still from Tuesday's inexplicable illness, and from lots of gardening. Had some photos printed yesterday, a bunch of 6"x8"s for something different, so would love to scrap but can't today. Later this week though.

Took some photos of my niece and nephew Alannah and Jude the other day. Here is also Alannah with Sienna, and my cute big sis Kell with Jude. Friday, I mean. Here are a couple of shots I like, but I haven't actually looked at them all yet.

Two Parcels and a Dragonfly

Actually, three parcels to be technical about it, but one was my page returned from Scrap Creations, which isn't interesting.

BUT first thing's first. I was really sick yesterday. Semi-conscious all day pretty much, despite the kids climbing all over me when they could. They got to watch a lot of tv. And good for me - Ash slept longer than usual. Must have been a nasty bug or something, I woke up at 2:30am and was up until 4am with all the horrors of gastro - or something like it. Then all day was just headachey and nauseous and feeling awful, trying to sleep.

Sienna was cute - at one point I was lying on the couch, and she comes over and says "Naughty Ash. Mummy - get up" and I said "no, mummy's sick". She says "ok, Sienna do" and trots over to Ash, who is pulling Ben's xbox controllers out of the tv cabinet. Sienna takes the controllers off him, says "don't touch, Ash - not a toy" and putting the controllers away, shuts the cabinet doors. Ash wasn't thrilled but I was quite happy about it, and it was super cute.

OK back to my story. So I was sick and horrible, and I had to open the door to sign for a package (the registered Scrap Creations one with my layout). But with it came ANOTHER package, from Rosie, who was my best friend all growing up and is always a part of my heart. It was such a thrill, as we keep in contact with great warmth but only rarely. She sent photos of her girls Athena and Arwen, which I have yet to scan in, and this drawing, and these little people in one of her artistically sewn pieces of fabric which I love. All so wonderful!

AND THEN AND THEN, today when we got home from work and picking the kids up from care, there was another parcel on my door - actually now that I remember, it was in the letterbox. This was a surprise gift sent from Germany from my lovely friend Sylvia King! She bought me this absolutely beautiful dragonfly necklace from Prague, where she and her husband Jeff went for a short break not long ago. I just LOVE it, and took a picture of me wearing it this evening so everyone can see it. I love dragonflies, and wearing the colour green, so it means even more to me that Sylvia chose this for me. I bought a silver dragonfly pendant in Sydney in November (but it is quite different in style), so this one makes it the beginning of a theme, which I am very happy with.

I think what is most meaningful is that I feel quite loved by my distant friends, and it is genuinely heart-warming to feel in their thoughts. I think of my friends, both near and far geographically (and emotionally, actually), all the time, but it is humbling to consider myself being in their thoughts also. True friendships are these where hearts touch even when hands cannot reach.