Carol-Lalo Blog

Three monthly update?

2010-11-14T14:44:00.004+10:00

Not intentional but my poor old neglected blog only gets looked at quarterly for some reason... Facebook and other peoples families on the photography blog have taken precedence over this one but never fear... an update is here :) There's too much to catch you up on so i'll start from today... or yesterday to be precise, read on :)

This blog update of course is all about a certain little muppet who turns six tomorrow... SIX! 6??? Yep... 2,134 days have flown by (give or take a few for leap years and whatnot) since we introduced him into the big wide world and every year we and those around us wonder what will he come up with next?? LOL! 6 Years of joy, laughter, tears...oh the tears, his mine and dads and probably many others around him ^_^ but it's fair to say we've all enjoyed the ride that has been Jesse Harrison and we definitely don't want to get off!

Yesterday we had a small party for him and some friends from school mainly and in line with this terms learning at prep he opted for dinosaur themed party. So off i went in search for a dinosaur cake that would top the last dinosaur cake (3rd birthday) which wouldn't be hard coz looking back on it was a pretty poor effort LOL!and viola! The picture looked extremely hard and complicated and my good friend Jacque (otherwise known as the cupcake lady) was on standby in the very likely case i failed at this cake but i surprised even myself ^_^

Anyways, enough about me as this all about Jesse and his birthday, check out the highlights of the party including the dinosaur themed food, dino-dig and of course the slip & slide which was a blast!

There was talk amongst the mums that after the dino-dig the slip & slide would be great exfoliation... any takers?? My fee is cheap =D

As promised...

2010-08-09T19:46:00.003+10:00

Or threatened- whichever way you look at it :) here are the rodeo photos from 'Mt Isa Rodeo 2010'

This year I really enjoyed playing around with my new lens and got some great in action captures, those guys out there are unbelievably brave (and or stupid LOL)! Of course there's also the captures of the kiddies that just melt my heart and makes me laugh at the same time. They're so big and so darn cute! LOL, mummy goggles are out and on big time!

Here you go :)

Oh... and for those of you who think Lily makes it easy for me when asked to pose here are the commands i was giving her from left to right:

"Stand there and look at mummy"... "Stay right there with your eyes closed so i can see your face".... "can you put your hands on your hips?"

Hello... Long time no see :-)

2010-08-05T12:13:00.004+10:00

I thought it was time that you see me again and find out what we've been up to in the last... ummm...3 plus months?? Yes it has been a while *blush*

Ok, here's our last 3 months in a nutshell:

First let me start with the InspireMe photography workshop I attended in May, i'd been saving and planning for this event for almost a year and it was totally worth it! Sadly I neglected to take as many photos as i should've have of the amazing accommodation we stayed in probably because i was too busy laughing and goofing with Rowena whom i go waaaaay back with & Heidi who i met the night before the workshop but the three of us just clicked like lifelong friends and the fun began!For now here's just a quick show of the time i had there- i might dedicate a proper post to this in the next few days so here you go:

After what Lalo called my 'fantasy camp' (and in effect it totally was- no kids, no hubby and no cooking! YEAH!)he and the kids drove to Townsville to pick me up and we all had a bit of a family holiday...

In between all of that we've also done the everyday stuff that takes up up precious time too...

and last but certainly not least we had a great visit from the Abideens just a week or so ago (i'm still finding clothes to be sent back in what might be a shipping container!)...

More photos from their photoshoot will be featured on the photography blog in case you're interested :)

Ok, well there you have it! A super fast catch up on our lives for you and stay tuned coz it's rodeo weekend so i'm bound to have more to share soon :)

Yeehhhaaaaw!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

2010-04-27T23:31:00.002+10:00

Yes my baby is TWO already! I'm sure it was just a couple of months ago we were welcoming her into the family...

And wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago when she turned one...??

Ok, so maybe i've lost a few days and hours in between but it really does go so fast!

Here's a few pics from her 2nd birthday celebration...

She's become quite the little poser this girl of mine...

So there you have it, my baby's two and yes before i know she'll be starting school (blah blah) but it's ok, coz i'll be there with the camera as always and you'll be here watching it all happen with me :)

Thanks to those of you who made it and those of you who couldn't thanks for your birthday wishes too, we are truly blessed with beautiful friends and family and we thanks God everyday for every one of you. Mwah!

I might be a bit obsessed...

2010-04-12T19:00:00.005+10:00

What started off as kinda cool thing to do for Jesse has kinda turned into a bit of an obsession for me *blush* and i've spent quite a bit of time researching and finding out the right thing to so it all works out, yes i AM talking about the caterpillars!

When I realized that one of the caterpillars was actually growing and thriving in the makeshift home i thought i better find out what we had and how to help nature along so to speak.

After having gone to the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Cairns about a year ago i thought it may be my best chance of finding out what to do (and what not to do) and what we might be dealing with in the way of these little critters, so i emailed and next morning i had a reply from them, so cool!

Apparently the cocoons we have are actually moths *bleagh* which is funny to those of you who know me because i have quite a severe phobia of them- still I'm persevering with those two cocoons if purely just for the educational aspect to Jesse.

Despite being told that the caterpillar is probably a moth i went into denial LOL! You see (from my research) caterpillars can vary in their appearance depending on what host plant they're well... being hosted in- depending what they're eating basically. So to just show a caterpillar even to an expert is kinda iffy, so i just read up on what butterfly caterpillars do Vs moths and this little guy...

I'm convinced is a butterfly caterpillar! The info sheet i got from Australian Butterfly Sanctuary mentions "they will often eat the skin they have just walked out of" and i saw that happen a couple of times, it was bazaar!

Here's another big chunk from the info sheet: "You will notice that each instar changes the appearance of the caterpillar slightly. When they are small they are brown and white and designed to look like a bird dropping - a pretty good idea if one of your main predators is a bird! However, in their last instar the caterpillar’s skin is a green colour and designed to merge with the colour of the food plant it is sitting on. At the end of the fifth instar, the caterpillar will be readying itself to pupate. You will notice that it will attach its hind parts, again with silk, to a leaf or branch and then it will spin a loop of silk and hang off that by the ‘neck’. Within a day or two the last skin will have dropped off and the newly exposed pupa casing, which will be very soft initially, will harden providing the protective covering within which the butterfly will form" Sooo... do you reckon my caterpillar is in it's 5th instar right now?

Anyways... that's my news for today, oh and just one more little cool thing i found that fuels my obsession...remember the bit about looking like a bird dropping?

Can you see it? Here's a closer look :)

Cool huh? Yes, i've gone mad and I'm gonna try see this little guy through his journey too ^_^

Stay tuned for further updates!

Straight to the point...

2010-04-07T20:31:00.005+10:00

For those of you not on so much on the Facebook scene I'll make this a super quick photo share about our goings ons (is that a word?) since the last time i shared. So lets get to it (and these are in no particular order)...

In the last month Jesse has started soccer

We went to Townsville and stopped at the usual Kronosaurus Dinosaur pit stop in Richmond

Lily's still modeling my sewing creations quite happily

Jesse had a pirate party at school after doing a unit of it at school... No not a unit of piracy as such but learning about treasure and ships and the like

We visited the old township of Mary Kathleen which has the abandoned uranium mine now filled with water, the colour of the water is even more amazing than what it looks!

We dyed some hard boiled eggs as an Easter activity...

Lily was just happy to get to eat them after the dying process ^_^

I had a birthday, thanks for your calls and pressies MWAH!!

And the most recent chapter is that of our caterpillars that Jesse found on the orange tree! We started with 4 in the cage, and two cocoons, we now have one very fat caterpillar and the two cocoons still going strong. I hope to get to show you some exciting pics of emerging butterflies in the coming weeks, or maybe moths as has been the running joke with my known 'love' for the little critters!

So there you have it my loyal subjects in a nutshell these are the days of our lives. Now just because i can i'd like to show you my favourite photo of the week for now- i had my trusty close up set on my camera trying to get a glimpse of a caterpillar inside a cocoon and Miss Lily came up to be so...

Back again...

2010-02-26T23:00:00.003+10:00

I know what you're going to say, no posts for a month and now three in one week! Well don't complain! Who knows when I'll have another busy month or two and you wont hear from me again so sit and enjoy! And now before i get hate-mail about how i neglect my male offspring let me say on record that he does not like the camera again these days, he pulls faces and generally just runs away so I'm the first to hope he passes this phase again real quick... and I'll keep trying of course but you REALLY don't want to see the out takes, trust me! =)

So what's the actual purpose of this post? I just wanted to show that Lily can get just a bit cuter than you thought :)

That's all for now :)

The holy couple...

2010-02-23T14:30:00.006+10:00

Yesterday Jesse said he and Lily wanted to play Shepherds so he brought me the muslins to tie around their heads, Lily was happy to oblige. Next thing I know he's shoved a soft toy under her shirt and they looked like this...

I'm still laughing =D

Quick update...

2010-02-18T13:53:00.003+10:00

Life's been busy here in the Isa, from Jesse starting school to cooking & sewing and just life in general my blogging's gone by the wayside so after a quick nudge from the family here i am sharing our life with you :)

Jesse's taken starting school totally in his stride, he gets up, gets dressed in his uniform, puts his lunch in his bag and tidies his room all before i even get out of bed! Then he patiently plays his Leapstar or reads books till my alarm goes off so he can have breakky and we make our way to school.

Lily's adjusting well too, she gets time with mummy all to herself and can play with toys without being bossed about by big brother- however she does ask about him still especially at lunch even at week four of the school term.

All in all school is going great, the teachers are lovely and Jesse has of course already made a heap of friends. I'm totally thanking God for having a hand in this as i've seen so many kids crying and just being anxious about this stage in their lives, knowing who we are in God gives us all the confidence to take those big steps in life right?

As i mentioned above i've been doing a bit of sewing, made my first dress and was totally bitten my the bug! This condition isn't helped by having a cute model either I'm afraid...

Then of course a family has to eat and since last year Lalo indulged me with a beautiful new camera i have to make the most of it and food is the perfect subject! It stays still and allows me to move it to better lighting without the incessant whinging and fake smiles for those mouthwatering images that will in turn make my siblings wish they lived closer to me LOL!

Ok, for the Australia Day holiday Lalo arranged for us to go to a property 1/2 an hour from Mt Isa and rough it up for a night with good ol' country hospitality. Of course i see this as photo ops with the green lawns and rustic look to the place...

but alas it wasn't to be... Lily was teething and for a baby that doesn't normally cry much she made up for it this time! So behold the lovely scenery at least...

And as for Jesse... well he was more interested in the pigs!

Now for some snaps from around the house...

Till next time :)

We had some visitors...

2010-01-18T14:18:00.002+10:00

Yep, it's true! People ACTUALLY came to see us here in Mt Isa all the way from Canberra! It was gonna be a long drive but they came to their senses (almost) and flew to Townsville and drove from there :)

I have millions of photos from the two weeks we had together and in case i didn't say it enough while you were here, we really appreciate your effort in coming such a long way and of course enduring our lovely weather LOL!

Here's just a few memories...

I also took the chance to get some family photos of the Ojeda Clan and i just HAVE to share this one...

Til next time loyal subjects... Chao! You'll have to keep an eye on the photography blog for the sneak peek of the family ones *wink* Thanks again for coming, the kids LOVED being spoilt with lollies and endless attention and we loved seeing you and watching you enjoy the finer things in life :)

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I've taken a million other photos since then too mainly of the kids of course so i thought i'd share a couple of favourites :)

Big photo share...

2009-12-12T21:29:00.003+10:00

First please excuse the terrible photos of Jesse's Graduation, it was on in the evening and the light was low, my flash was low on batteries and Jesse was way too excited to stay still with a million kids running around so lets say i left my photographer's hat at home shall we? *blush*

Receiving his certificate...

Here's Jesse with his teachers and his friends

And here he is with his friend who happens to be the tallest boy in the class, my little man looks quite little next to him LOL!

Jesse's really not happy about not having anywhere to go for the next 8weeks since Kindy was his favourite place next to church on Sundays but he's really looking forward to Prep next year so onto bigger and better things i guess...

Next on the agenda is the introduction of the new family car...

Thanks to God providing everything that we need and more we were able to get our hands on this immaculate 4WD so Lalo can have his own car to take to work while i use the current family car to take Jesse to school next year... of course it will also open up the whole new world of camping and off road adventures \o/

We took it out for a quick test drive just this afternoon and of course this means photo ops for me...

Smile Lily...

A cool dead tree...

While they were walking Jesse was telling Lalo that he was the best Daddy ever, and that he didn't know any other daddy as cool as him because his Daddy took him on exploring adventures at the lake...

Lily thinks he's pretty cool too...

Well that's it for now, I'm sure I'll post some more eventually but for now it's over and out from the Gonzalez Family

Better late than never...

2009-12-06T15:35:00.008+10:00

Ok, so our Cairns trip was in mid November and it's now early December but my efforts to update you still count! ^_^

The plan was to go to Cairns relax before the silly season, possibly pick up a second car for our family, pick up my brother to come and second shoot with me at a wedding (and help with the driving back) and then make it back via Karumba in time for said wedding. It kinda didn't go as planned but God knows best and this is how it unfolded...

Sightseeing in Cairns is always so nice and i got to have a good play with my new lens and camera...

Then we let the kids have a bit of a play

and did some exploring of the beaches around Cairns

Juan couldn't make it due to the dreaded uni exams & assignments but Tata took a leap of faith and decided to come instead of Juan... we made the mistake of telling Jesse a few days before and it was talked about EVERYDAY until finally it was time to pick up Tata from the airport. Boy was Jesse excited to show him his favourite part of Cairns (actually Kuranda to be precise)

and just spend quality time with him...

On the way to Port Douglas where we spent the last day before heading back to Mt Isa we saw a couple about to jump off a perfectly good cliff...

Apparently the wind conditions just weren't quite right but we waited for about 1/2 an hour and they still hadn't jumped! On our way back there was no one there so we assume they jumped or went home LOL!

The trip back was interesting, we weren't able to pick up the car (but we did see it and it is now in our driveway after all) so i was squashed in the back between two car seats as we embarked on our journey north across the state...

We went past a huge windfarm...

...and this cute little town...

It's only cute cos it's my little niece's name ^_^

Then after driving through bushfires in the middle of no where we made it as far as Normanton before it got dark so Karumba will have to wait for another time. After the long drive home and a good night's sleep we showed my dad the sights

and Jesse managed to squeeze in one more story before having to board the plane back to Canberra...

A great time was had by all! I'll try post again soon with the photos of Jesse at his Kindy Graduation ^_^

Super quick update...

2009-11-19T13:46:00.002+10:00

Hey loyal followers... yes i mean all two of you! LOL!

Ok, first things first, SM Subscription Contest has been drawn, then name out of the hat (or out of my hands drawn by Jesse) is Kerryn!!! So please email me your address and I'll make *the call* :) This should take effect as from the next issue coming out soon :)

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Next item on the agenda is my firstborn's birthday... *sigh* time flies when you're having fun so goes the saying and boy is this boy FUN! He makes us laugh EVERYDAY and we truly thank God everyday for bringing him to us and for the joy he is to have around... most of the time (I'm keeping it real here, gimme some credit!). This year due to our little holiday Jesse missed out on having a full blown party but someone once told me it's not a birthday unless there's cake so we took some to the Kindy for Jesse to share with his little friends (not posting the pics of the friends yet but keep watching).

Here's some taken on the day and some at the Kindy...

5 is a BIG number... it means a whole hand, it means big school next year, and it means mummy's getting older too LOL! To Jesse 5 also means he can put himself to bed for his day rest... "It's ok Mummy, you're changing Lily and Daddy's on the compooter so i can put myself to bed now that i'm FIVE" and with an about turn he kissed me on the cheek, went to his room and shut the door.... sob, sob :(

More photo shares...

2009-10-22T18:58:00.003+10:00

Just some more pics of the kiddies and a reminder to keep those entries coming for the RAK which i hope to draw next week sometime. I only have four entries so far which is kinda of a bit sad but then again... i don't have a big following now do i? LOL!

Ok, now for the shares...I have recently acquired a new toy, two to be precise and these pics are me testing out the new acquisitions... You see now that i have a good camera i can take good photos right?

All the designs above are done by my good friend Rowena, love your work Ro! *wink*

RAK Time...

2009-10-12T14:08:00.003+10:00

I've decided it's time to be honest and lay it all out there... i'm just not scrapbooking that much... and by 'that much' i mean once a month is exaggerating but twice a year is far from the truth too.

In light of this I see that my monthly subscription is going by the wayside, unopened issues for days or weeks sit gathering dust when they could be being put to some use by someone with more time and motivation! So that leads me to this RAK post... No competition coz last time i failed miserably at coming up with something so this time just comment here, say hello and maybe make even post about it yourself in your own blog (let me know if you have done this so i can check it out ^_^) and you will be in the running to win a 12mth subscription to Scrapbooking Memories :D

Ok, now I'll leave you with a couple of pics of the people who are really to blame for my lack of time...like you didn't now who they were!

Here's Jesse begging me to take a photo coz he's wearing his hat like Uncle Alf...

And here's Lily sitting still for like a millisecond (hence the not so sharp photo) posing for me to get my settings right just before i had a newborn shoot...

And just for fun here's a pic from that shoot that followed ^_^

Get yourself some popcorn...

2009-10-01T13:38:00.007+10:00

I know i haven't been around as much lately but if only there were more hours in the day which i realize and i quote "that if there *were* more they would invariably be taken up by {other menial} jobs... but i can still wish this was the case!

Moving right along... i haven't posted many photos *here* of the family happenings since well about August and that was a big month cos that's when we had some visitors to our parts of the world as well as the Mt Isa rodeo etc. so... What do you do when you have a million photos to show family and friends?? Well you have a slide show of course! So get yourself some popcorn and a glass of coke and enjoy just some of the happenings which occurred while the Abideens were here :)

I really wish i could include some further commentary for some of these but there just isn't enough hours in the day LOL!!!!

So.... arrow down....

Hope you enjoy it! :)

All about the words...

2009-09-11T11:48:00.003+10:00

After much deliberation and procrastination i have asked Jesse who with much elation has picked a name without discrimination out of a hat so we can without further melodramatizations announce to the nations who has won (although nations is a kind of an exaggeration due to there only being four qualifications but there will be no nullification of said competition).

So... in conclusion the answer to the question is....

MISS KAREN!!

Congratulations Miss Karen from the administration of this competition you will be awarded a creation from ME! (We will be in communication for the delivery of your new acquisition).

FYI Miss Karen is a teacher and is often called upon to decipher words and their meanings so i thought this post should fit the criteria :)

Is Lily the face of Princes Ratbag??

2009-09-07T09:39:00.002+10:00

Yes, i thought I'd become one of those pageant mums and enter my little princess in her first beauty contest LOL! Just kidding! It's just a bit of fun to show off my Lily so go here and vote for this photo:

Thanks in advance!!!

The Big Deal

2009-09-02T23:06:00.003+10:00

It's long overdue but finally it's here... Not sure I'm ready but as someone just said to me recently there's no point waiting and watching on the sidelines, you gotta get in the ring!

The big deal is that I'm launching the Memories By Carol Photography Website!

Hopefully this will let my sleepy little town know I'm ready for business and looking forward to capturing some beautiful memories for them. Let me know if you're interested...

It's been a while...

2009-09-02T22:22:00.005+10:00

Ok, i know it's been a while but there are reasons or excuses as you might call them but be that as it may i have been flat out! I will get Jesse to pick out a name out of a hat tomorrow so stay posted still to see if you'll be receiving a special little something from me in your letterbox. In hindsight the contest wasn't very well thought out so maybe for the 200th post I'll have something a bit more feasible :) I might be a bit wiser by then LOL!

ANYWAYS... there's more pressing matters at hand that I'm dying to share but it deserves a post of it's own i think!

100th Post!

2009-07-19T22:37:00.002+10:00

I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with some contest or something to celebrate my 100th post but the idea eluded me and i kept putting off posting anything! In desperation i turned to my usually less creative other half and lo and behold he came up with a brilliant idea! Here goes:

I would like you to track back your minds (or blogger's archives :P) and answer just 3 questions from my previous posts. Of course only the seriously determined (or deluded) will even care to respond to this challenge but at the end of it you will be greatly rewarded by something handmade by me. Those of you who know me will know my hobbies so lets start there...

1) What are my 4 main hobbies?

2) Name ONE of the three people/families that have come to visit us here in Mt Isa (they have to have stayed with us).

3)Where did i spend my birthday this year?

I realize there may be several of you that answer these 3 easy questions correctly so from the correct answers I'll get Jesse to pick out ONE name out of a hat. Of course there's also the very real possibility that no one will even bother to comment so if that happens I'll just sit here and wonder why i don't have any friends!

Be sure to leave you email address with your answers in the comments page :)

I will leave you with some pics I've taken in the last couple of weeks...

Charli Turned three this week...

Lily & Jesse got spoilt with a treat from Miss Karen so Mummy could have a play with the camera...

and i managed to steal Abby away for a short girly mini-shoot...

I'll be posting more of little Abby on my photography blog over the next few day so be sure to check that out, but for now peace out! :)

The cake is not a lie!

2009-07-06T16:03:00.006+10:00

If you don't know what I'm talking about then don't worry your pretty little heads about it and just enjoy the visual and maybe try out the recipe for yourselves, as for the rest of you... I'll deal with you later!

I mentioned to my friend Neek that i have an abundance of oranges and lemons and she linked to a recipe found on this blog. I made it today and it is the easiest recipe to follow and the product is quite easy in the palette (probably not on the hips though LOL)

Here's the recipe and trust me you'll be eating it within the hour!

Orange(or lemon) Poppy-seed Muffins

1.5 cups self raising flour

1 orange (or lemon but I haven't tried it with a lemon yet)

180g melted butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

Poppyseeds to taste (i put in about 1/3 cup the recipe says about one tblspn)

Process all in a food processor till it comes together and all the orange or lemon is finely processed. Bake in for about 15-20 minutes or until knife comes out clean and enjoy!

Oh and now that i'm back from Canberra i'd like to share

5 Things i'm thankful for

while i was there:

1. An uneventful flight.

2. My sister spoiling me with leaf tea at her house

3. Seeing all the family and friends at the party (photos to come)

4. That the weather had warmed up from the week before so i wasn't so cold.

5. Talking to my babies and Lalo everyday and knowing they were fine.

Now that i'm back:

1. Hugs from my babies and Lalo right off the plane

2. Finding the house in order and dinner cooked.

3. Getting my computer back.

4. Lily walking so well all around the place (too cute!).

5. Ali keeping her baby in while i was away...(You can have it any time now LOL!)

Now i must go and have some tea and a muffin...

Canberra is Cold!

2009-06-28T22:13:00.003+10:00

Yes sir it is mighty cold here in the capital but it's been nice seeing family and even as i sit here next my SIL the cold doesnt put a damper on the fun! Until that is i think of my babies at home and that brings me back down to earth, i am missing them more than i thought i would :(

Anyways, no photos just a quick hello and a 'watch this space' because i'll have some pretty cool pics coming up :)

Cheers Big Ears!

I've been busy...

2009-06-10T10:31:00.003+10:00

Taking photos of others mostly, not so much my own little treasures but treasures just the same :)

Here's a taste what you'll see coming up in my photography blog in the next few days...

If you're curious click on the Memories by Carol link on the right and tell me what you think :)

I'm also getting ready to go to Canberra in almost two weeks so I'll have to dig out my winter woollies and just pray that the cold doesn't catch me by surprise so i don't get sick! Of course I say this as I reach for the tissues because it suddenly got cold here in sunny (but cold & windy) Mt Isa so i better start medicating myself with all sorts of the natural elixirs i push on everyone else LOL!

Thanks for looking :)

Practice makes perfect?

2009-05-26T11:06:00.002+10:00

Yes my obsession hasn't waned one iota! Jesse rarely stands still for me if i have the camera around so Lily is my main victim!

I've been testing my lenses for sharpness (you see i had a suspicion my big lens 28-135 wasn't as sharp as it should be but of course it's just user error)

Pretty sharp you reckon? If you look closely you can see me in Jesse's eyes taking the photo LOL!

I also have been practicing with a bit of sun flare...

and perspective...

and this is just to show that the little Miss CAN stand on her own quite easily but refuses to attempt this thing called walking LOL!

Not much else happening around here, I'm trying to get some sewing done here and there and I'll show you some of my creations when i get a bit more time :) Thanks for looking and don't forget to leave a comment so i know you visited :)

One of my Favourite Recipes...

2009-05-22T13:48:00.004+10:00

At this time of the year when our orange tree is starting to yield it's fruit i love serving this up...

Serve with a dollop of double cream and lap up the compliments ladies and gentlemen!

Flourless Orange & Almond Cake

2 oranges

1 ½ cups of Ground Almonds

1 cup caster sugar

1 tspn Baking Powder

1tspn Vanilla Essence

1 tspn Cointreau

6 eggs

Icing sugar, to dust

1. Wash oranges well to remove any sprays or waxes. Place the whole oranges in a large saucepan, add enough water to cover them and place a small plate on top to keep the oranges submerged. Gradually bring the water to the boil, the reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes (oranges should be quite soft and are ready when a sharp knife slides in & out easily).Preheat oven to 180C, lightly grease the tin and line the bottom only with baking paper.

2. Cut oranges into quarters & leave to cool. Remove any pips and place oranges in food processor and blend until they form a very smooth pulp. Add the ground almonds, caster sugar, baking powder, vanilla essence and Cointreau and using the pulse button blend until all the ingredients are combined. Add the eggs and process again until just combined- take care not to over process (the mixture will be thick & may look slightly lumpy).

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes or until the cake is firm and leaves the side of the tin. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Why do i give away my secrets??

2009-05-21T15:04:00.003+10:00

Well it's not really mine to give away but through this blog i came across this competition.

The website has lots of scrummy things for sewing and all sorts of beautiful crafty stuff so go on over and check it out...i may have already added stuff to my shopping cart LOL!

2009-05-16T19:46:00.015+10:00

In my never ending quest to improve my photography and take portraits good enough to sell, my camera and i have been inseparable, and when I'm not spending time taking the photos I'm back in the office processing them and reading everything there is to know about it all. I would eventually like to show you before and afters (how i used to do it and how i do it now) of all I've learnt but there's too much and I'm definitely not an expert yet!

So here's a few photos I've taken here and there for you to HOPEFULLY see an improvement on and of course just to show off my gorgeous kids *wink*

I'm of course thinking big things and with this in mind i have bought a cute little prop for any willing little girls brave enough to put up with my enthusiasm...

I was originally going to make one of these gorgeous pettiskirts but on the advice of one wise woman I decided against it in favour of keeping my sanity *wink*.

So do i have any volunteers? I am traveling to Canberra at the end of June for just a week so be sure to book in early =D

Just one more quick share:)...Jesse is and has always endeavored to be super helpful around the house and when he asked to have eggs one morning for breakky i thought I'd try getting him to feed Lily while i got the eggs ready...

He did a fantastic job and Lily just loves her big brother to bits so this would've been a treat for her! So for this reason there was lots of laughs and cute exchanges between them and they were finished in no time! This was the end result though...

Thanks for looking and God Bless :)

Cupcakes...

2009-05-07T15:50:00.003+10:00

Just a quick share today, BFF made a request for my cupcake recipe so i thought I'd share with everyone :)

Carol's Cupcakes

125g butter

2/3 cup caster sugar

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 180C and get patty-cases ready in muffin tin. Dump all ingredients in a bowl and beat on low then increase to high speed and beat till mixture is smooth and pale yellow. Divide evenly among patty cases and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Decorate as desired :)

I always double quantities MINIMUM and freeze so i have them as needed, they defrost really well as if I'd just baked them :)(just one of my secrets to being a domestic goddess *wink*)

What you almost missed...

2009-05-06T21:32:00.003+10:00

Due to some 'issews' with my inbuilt card reader my memory card was corrupted and would not read even in my camera! ... so after a lot of wheeling and dealing with the mostly helpful guys at Harvey Norman I've been able to share this moment with you :)

You see... we've had a little visitor around our home lately, he's kinda tiny and green and may not even be a he but a she but i cant tell these things and haven't had the time to investigate further so for now we call him George...

I have a plenty more photos of little George to share but i couldn't resist posting these the minute I recovered them from the card. I don't know who's cuter the little green critter or my big critter LOL!

Really...

2009-05-05T22:58:00.005+10:00

After reading Lusi's post today i thought I'd share what my day looked like today...

Really today...

* I finally got the photos organized that i should've done over the weekend.

*Ran around town doing errands while my beautiful Lily happily put up with being taken in and out of the car.

* Had the self control to NOT get cranky with the Harvey Norman people for not having time to put MY computer issues first (even though it is THEIR fault... patience, patience)

* I was relieved to see that the Kindy people were happy with their photos...so far.

* I was kinda sad that our Life Group bunch had to split... (all for the greater good though)

* I'm struggling not having a memory card for my camera even if it's only been two days!(due to the afore said HN)

* i wonder where the day went

Today I'm also thankful for:

* My husband coming home safely and on time not having to stay back.

* Having new people in our home for Life group

* Jesse being happy to go to Kindy but even happier to see Mummy at the end of the day.

* Lily and Jesse playing and loving being near each other.

* Being missed by my other Life Group buddies.

* having a place to sell my bags.

* Having a message on my answering machine to remind me that my friends love me :)

Well just a short one today, hopefully I'll have some cool photos to share if they can be recovered from my damaged memory card. They'll be of Jesse holding a cute little green tree frog Lalo found while gardening again :) Have i mentioned i Love QLD critters? Not the toads though bleagh!

The perfect day...

2009-04-30T11:05:00.004+10:00

I came across a cool competition to win this...

How gorgeous is it!!?? The comp also gives me a chance to tell about my perfect day so rather than just commenting about it i thought i'd share a LO about it...

If you'd like a chance at winning this awesome kit go here.

My Baby's ONE!!!

2009-04-26T15:34:00.008+10:00

Yes it's true my loyal subjects, my little baby went from this

to this

in what seemed to me just a few short months! Of course there were exactly 12 months in between that transformation but it went just too quick for my liking!

We had a small party to celebrate the occasion, all our friends here have of course been part of her little life up to now so it was only fair she shared her cake with them- not that she knew what was going on of course!

It didn't look this pretty for long as you can imagine... Lily thought it would look much nicer all over her face...

...and by the looks of it she thought it tasted pretty yummy...

I think everyone enjoyed her company too...

I think a good day was had by all especially the birthday girl and right to the very end she smiled when she wanted to and NOT when mummy had the camera in her face! Hence the following family portrait...

Til next time...God bless...

April Happenings

2009-04-26T14:10:00.010+10:00

I've been gonna gonna do this for the last two weeks and finally here I am and I still should be doing other things but those of you who know me I thrive on doing a million things at a time so there you go.

There's a few things to share about in the last month, least of which is a very special birthday but that deserves a post if it's own so I'll share about the rest of the month first.

First I HAVE to thank my BFF for sending me this gorgeous gift for my birthday...

I made you one just how you like it so come on over *wink*

For Easter Lalo had all those days off which for him meant getting straight into the gardening and great for me because he found these little critters for me to photograph...

I'm loving having my Photoshop up and running with my new PC and my wonderful lenses and camera so I've taken it upon myself to finally get the most out of it all... much to the dismay of my children who I'm sure are starting to believe that the camera will have to be surgically removed form my head LOL! Here's a few of the (un)willing subjects...

Ok... so for Easter while Lalo was gardening (we did help for a bit but there are some thing that only Daddies can do) Jesse an I went inside and did a bit of baking...

and some more cooking to take to church

It was really nice that as we were baking and cooking Jesse asked just the right questions about what Easter is really about and what happened on the Cross and what Jesus did etc. It was also so cute to hear Jesse say "we are blethed to be a blething" as I explained to him why we like to bake things for others and bless others with everything God gives us. It's moments like these, and they happen all the time, that i love being a stay at home mummy ready to answer questions and instill the knowledge about our AWESOME God and his Word in their little hearts.

Anyways... just wanted to share one more cute pic our our little Miss in her new hat...

She's such a little character already, loves getting attention even if it means we're laughing at her as well as with her LOL! This one will definitely come out for her 21st! LOL!

Real or Rumour???

2009-04-16T15:50:00.005+10:00

Rumour has it that i have given up scrapping since i started sewing so i thought I'd dispel these with some evidence...

And in between that I've also made these lately, one was made for a particular client but the other one's up for sale :)

I have lots more photos to show you and maybe some newborn ones too soon but i need more time to play... Seems to be just when i have my set up how i want it life gets too busy! Chao for now :)

Cairns & Townsville Highlights...

2009-04-11T11:23:00.016+10:00

Since my last post we obviously went to Cairns and Townsville and had a fantastic time. Today i'll share some pics (I still dont have photoshop so please bear with me as the pics are totally SOOC !) but i'm sure i'll share some more as I get to play with them a bit more :)

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The drive was a very long 13 hours drive for us but we had an overnight stay in Charters Towers after the first 8 hours. The night was a bit of a write-off as far as sleep goes because Lily (being overtired) decided not to let the rest of us sleep either but such is life and the next day was MUCH better. The kids amused themselves in the car...

and enjoyed the pitstops along the way...

Finally we arrived in our accomodation and it was fantastic! Everyone enjoyed the pool...

Mum stayed dry to take photos of course... not to mention that it has to be minimum 35°C for me to get even my toes wet, LOL!

During our stay in Cairns we went to Kuranda where Jesse was fascinated with the planewreck there in the rainforest...

and i was mesmerised by beautiful butterflies in the Butterfly Sanctuary

Lalo had a close encounter with the prettiest butterfly in the place...

but the Ulysses butterfly doesnt like to show it's pretty colours when it's sitting still and actually closes it's wings (so as not to attract predators i guess) so no amazing photos of this little beauty :(

We ended that day checking out the Venom Zoo...

Jesse was quick to point out to the lady there that this snake was 'tiny' in comparison to the other one he'd handled before (on the South coast a couple of years back!) LOL He's a regular little snake handler as you can see!

We were also blessed to catch up with the Piagno's on their farm, it's the middle of avocado season so after we were fed with a delicious lunch we were sent home with a BOXful of avos to bless others with...

and let me just tell you right now they are the best avo's i've EVER had!!!

While we were learning the process of packing and shipping avocadoes Jesse was off hooning around on a quad bike thanks to Crazy Uncle Joe...

He's still talking about how Crazy Uncle Joe told him he's going to take him on an even longer ride next time so I hope you're up for it Joe!

On the last day in Cairns we hit the waterpark

and playgrounds...

and just had a leisurely day on the Esplanade.

Eventually we reluctantly said goodbye to Cairns and made our way to Townsville where we stayed here...

If you look real hard you can see Lalo way up on the 10th floor waving.

The view was just amazing...

We extended our stay by one night because we had stayed an extra night in Cairns, this way Jesse was able to enjoy this...

That's him in the black rashy covering his mouth so he didnt swallow water and then feel sick at night LOL!

Last time Jesse went to Townsville with Lalo he wasn't game to get in the firing line of this bucket so this was great to see! I wonder if Lalo would be game to endure this much water being thrust upon him...

I won't show the aftermath of this one LOL!

We enjoyed our short stay on the strand and ate plenty of fish & chips and just enjoyed meeting the locals...

That's pretty much it in a very small nutshell, i'm sure i'll share more photos as i come accross them in the future :)

OOHHH!!!! I should also post about another highlight of this trip was celebrating my birthday half way through the holiday.

The day began with showering me with pressies including beautiful bath bombs and chocolates of course and most unexpected was Lalo's gift...

Who would've thought that a comment i made MONTHS ago would stick in his mind for so long AND that this man of mine would have such good taste to choose such a stunningly beautiful delicate teaset??? He never ceases to amaze me even after more than 14years together (only 12 of those as his wife *wink*).

3 more sleeps!!!

2009-03-24T11:19:00.005+10:00

Yes, in 3 more sleeps we'll be driving out the driveway coast bound! The plan is to be in Charters Towers for one night on our way to Cairns, spend 4 nights there and then move onto Townsville for a couple of nights before heading back home for a couple more days of just relaxing before Lalo heads back to work.

I'll be spending my birthday (yes poeple it's coming up so get to it!LOL) in the same city we honeymooned in so that's a bit romantic... we'll have the kids with us of course LOL!

Some of the places we hope to check out are the Kuranda markets, maybe the Skyrail and or the Scenic Train also the Zoo would be a cool to take the kids to and of course lots of shopping BUT all this depends on the cost vs entertainment value so if you have any thoughts or suggestions on these PLEASE let me know!

Not much else has been happening around here, i've been doing minimal sewing and a bit of scrapbooking but my Photoshop is AWOL at the moment so there are no photos to share at least until i come back... i heard a rumble that by then it will be sorted :)

Ok, just to keep you happy here's a few snaps but please be gentle coz they're straight out of the camera (SOOC is the correct term for this i'm told...*wink*) and totally unaltered!

Enjoy and bye for now...

The 'not so' mundane things in life.

2009-03-19T18:42:00.003+10:00

The dictionary describes an epiphany as 'a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience' so it's no surprise that I experienced one today while washing the dinner dishes. To be fair this is usually the time MY mind is "still" enough for God to speak and I actually listen.

In a sense it was relating to something I've always known but never really gave it the importance it deserves but now it will be different. Maybe not on the outside, not to others but to me, on the inside.

What on earth am I rambling incoherently about you ask? Well it's all about my family. My epiphany was all about my family, my children and my job as a mother and wife.

So now you're beginning to ask yourself why I didn't see my family as important, what kind of a person am I? but that's not what I meant above when I said I didn't give it the importance it deserves. My family has always had the number TWO position in my heart after God of course, however, my role in this area was kinda just... overlooked. I was just going through the motions, yes my children need a mother and I've done that to the best of my ability as have I as a wife. Always doing what you're supposed to do, always striving to be that woman from Proverbs 31, sometimes doing what is nowadays seen as old-fashioned even (like staying at home with my kids) but all the while wondering what does God want of me?

One of my favourite verses of the Bible comes from Micah 6:8 and it says "And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." This has been on my heart for the longest time and just now I feel like I'm truly understanding WHY he put it in my heart. \

To truly understand what any of this has to do with my epiphany you must also know that for a long time now I've wanted to somehow minister to new parents and newly married couples, never on my own but with Lalo. Well this kinda came to pass when we facilitated a Marriage Enrichment course through our (then) church. We loved it, got to know other married couples, laughed, cried and prayed and made great friends along the way. Eventually life moved us away from this venture and so my dreams of ministering in this area slipped away.

Fast forward 3yrs or so and Lalo and I finally start a family and God surrounds us with people who witness to us through their own families, marriages and parenting. These years plant seeds that are still fruting to this day, friendships remain strong and the experience of moving away from everything I knew is phenomenal

Fast forward again three years and a second baby later and I'm still feeling like God hasn't divulged to ME where my ministry will be. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the type to stand up and preach (it scares the life out of me in fact) nor do I want the recognition of some big fancy person in leadership. But if I understand correctly God has something for each of us, a mission if you will, a ministry.

Well, FINALLY it has been revealed to me what it is. I know for a fact that some of you (and you know who you are) already know this, eventhough I kinda knew it's not until now that I understand that my ministry is my family. This is the vessel through which God wants me to minister. This (He said as I mundanely scrubbed tomato sauce off the dinner plates) is how others will see me at work. This (He said as I reach for my baby girls' bottle) is where I want you to put all your energies into so others will want what you have. This (He said as I pass my husband in the hall) is where I want you to be your best.

So I guess this is why I'm passionate about the way we raise our kids, I guess this is why I'm passionate about the way we carry ourselves as a married couple, I guess this is why we are strict in the discipline of our children. I guess God had always been saying this in my heart and when I thought I understood I wasn't really embracing the mundane. To Him it was never mundane and I hope that as of now I can see things through HIS eyes. Raising my family in His ways is far from mundane.

Wow... that took longer than I thought. God often speaks in the places where your mind stops and just rests.. the mundane places, the places where you end and He can begin.

FINALLY!!!! (just a quick post)

2009-03-13T21:13:00.002+10:00

Yes.... all is well in the world now that i have a new computer and am back online for good!!! Can't promise i'll be on here as often as I used to be because i've since found a new love of sewing but i am contactable via email and i'll always be posting here if you're wondering what we're up to.... ahhhh... what a relief to be normal again LOL!

SHE LIVES!!!

2009-02-27T12:21:00.004+10:00

Yes i live, and so does my family! We still dont have a computer but we do have a wireless modem so on the odd occasion i can borrow a laptop from my gorgeous friends here I'll post a quick hello:)

I've been AWOL for so long I dont even know what to write about but here's the short of it...

Jesse has started Kindy otherwise known as PreSchool, he's absolutely loving it and even tells absolute strangers that he's a big Kindy boy now, LOL At home he's still besotted with his baby sister and loves reading to her and just being with her.

Lily will not stop growing! She is crawling everywhere and pulling herself up on everything and most of the time she can lower herself back down again LOL. She's pretty noisy most of the time and is very content, happy to play and entertain herself when she's not annoying her big brother LOL.

Lalo has finally taken on the role he was acting in for the previous 6 months and for the last two weeks has been totally swamped with work, so after this week we'll have him home for weekends again. He's also recovering really well from his knee surgery walking almost without a limp and about to be discharged from physio if he can just bend it 120 degrees... you'd know all about that Ro *wink*

Then of course there's me... I've been busy too, taxi-ing to kindy, playgroup, then to pick up Lalo, sewing shop...Yes I said sewing shop! You see i've taken on a new hobby of sewing bags. Handbags big and small for anyone and everyone, i have a small boutique selling them at the moment and i've sold a few privately also. Today Mt Isa... Tomorrow the WORLD!!! Muaahahaha!!! LOL Just kidding, i'm just enjoying the creative outlet and making a few bucks on the side :)

Well that's it for now i think, i'm totally missing having a computer and HOPEFULLY God willing we'll be sorting out this problem next month but if i dont get back online for a while i'll be thinking of all my cyber-friends who have enquired about me.

Just before i go i'd like to shout out a big thanks to Lou, Lucy and Ro for your snail mail and patterns and just for thinking of me, I guess you can appreciate i'm going crazy and feeling totally disconnected from the world so your thoughts and goodies are really appreciated. Oh, and Pily...your boxes are always welcome also even if they're full of stuff i left in Canberra LOL

1 more sleep!!!

2008-10-05T14:02:00.007+10:00

Yes, tomorrow we jet off to Canberra for the first time in almost 10 months and that means lots of shopping *insert happy dancing here* but more importantly it means we get to meet Pily & Gerry's little Kairi, Cristian & Paola's little Catalina, Frank & Pricilla's little Javier AND the whole family gets to meet Lily! Wow...that's alot of babies in a short space of time when you think about it LOL! As you can imagine my camera will be well used in the next week and a half so be ready for your close up little munchkins!

Jesse has been counting down the days till this trip but in the interest of maintaining my sanity i've lined up a few things to keep him entertained in the meantime. Thanks to the Mt Isa heat our new pool (thanks Amy *wink*) has already had a fair bit of use...

Sam & Jesse were in there for ages encouraging each other to jump and splash and generally just being boys.

Jesse totally loves the water...

but the verdict is still out for Lily...

The warmer weather of course also calls for new the season must haves... The Summer Dress(es)...

There's also a couple of new things on the table for Lily, she started solids on Monday...

So although she wasnt impressed at the green stuff (avocado) being shoved in her mouth it was all ok once i put the plate away and she had a clean face again...

The other news is that the Little Miss was SPRUNG sucking her thumb at bedtime...

Not unlike another baby used to in his time...

Well that's the installment up until now on the Gonzalez Clan, we'll be seeing some of you tomorrow or in the next week otherwise WATCH THIS SPACE for the Canberra update.

Have a GREAT week =D

5mths and more...

2008-09-26T11:56:00.008+10:00

Lily is 5mths and one day today and has as of yesterday mastered the art of raspberry blowing! She's also trying very hard to grasp at her feet enough to put them to her mouth but hasn't quite made it yet without our help LOL Oh and she also threw up her hands for the first time when i called out to her to pick her up which is SO cute =)

Click on the photos below to see how she's changed in the last 5mths :)

Jesse's finally able to play with his play-do set (after a few months of sleepless nights he's sleeping through again!) and he's loving it!

Everyday our firstborn gives us something to smile or even laugh about, today it is this...

Yes, call the fashion police!!! The shirt & shorts are totally my fault, it's wash day AND he's grown out of most of his Tshirts (we're waiting to go to Canberra to go shopping YAY!) but the hat and SLIPPERS are his doing... my feet were cold was his excuse LOL

And just to shock you all i think you should know the drought is over! I have been scrapbooking once again after a few weeks of not being able to find my mojo or time for that matter! Here are some fruits of my creativity...

Forgot to share!

2008-09-21T16:16:00.007+10:00

Just going through my photos i realised i hadn't shared about a recent party we went to earlier this month!

Beautiful Abby turned a big 5 in early September so she had a dress up party and asked me to do the facepainting for her and all her friends. There were lots of little girls running round and let me just sayI've never seen so many princesses in one place at one time! Jesse being the boy that he is went as a dinosaur

Here are some photos from the day and if you have a party and need a facepainter, i'll check my schedule and see if I'm available *wink* LOL

And here's Jesse in full costume...

A great time was had by all and for the rest of the day everyone was on a major sugar high... LOL

(I couldnt get that many photos to come up any bigger without redoing the whole layout all over again so sorry, you'll have to just clik on the image and it will enlarge it big for you)

This one's for the Grandparents...

2008-09-19T17:40:00.003+10:00

Yes it is totally safe :)

Just a photo share really...

2008-09-17T22:33:00.003+10:00

We had a friend come and play on Tuesday, he's a bit serious most of the time but a real cutie :)

...and i also wanted to share my little Michellin Baby... how cute are those rolls? LOL

Bit of this and that...

2008-09-12T18:51:00.004+10:00

At the risk of sounding old and cliche-ish time really goes so fast these days, i feel like i just updated this last week and of course the truth is that it's been a while!

I find myself going from one thing to another, accomplishing nothing really and yet everything and everyone around me is changing and growing and i'm kinda caught in a vaccuum not being able to stop and take a breath!

Wow that's a bit deep for an opening paragraph huh? Well if i cant be honest here then i may aswell give up now!

So now for some piccies as that's my main purpose of this blog and hopefully to get some feedback from my three readers LOL.

Enjoy

2008-08-12T14:43:00.005+10:00

Well another month has gone by and what do we have to show for it?? As usual we just have plenty of photos and of course memories... awww LOL

What's happened in the last month i hear you ask... well this past weekend was Rodeo here in the Isa, the 50th Anniversary infact but it wasn't all that this year unfortunately, ever since moving to the new beaut complex it's lost it's oomph. Jesse enjoyed every minute of it though so that's something, could be all the dirt, animals and people around but it might also be because of the Rodeo's special guests this year...

Note Jesse there in the front? Well this was him watching their second show of the day (we saw four i think) for the first show we came in a bit late and the music was quite LOUD so when i motioned to Jesse to go to the front and dance with the kids he thought i meant for him to go and dance with the Bananas on stage so off he went and climbed on the stage and wiggled his little toosh until one of the Banana security people gently lowered him to the ground. It all happened sop quickly that i didnt have time to react and get him off myself let alone take a photo :( Lalo also missed the whole saga as he was putting Lily in the pram, he did see the aftermath though which was Jesse heading towards me (right after he was taken off the stage) crying with his mouth wide open but no sound coming out. Poor darling...but so cute :)

Lily seemed to enjoy the show too...

Jesse also go to go on one ride of his choice...

What else...oh yeah, shortly after my last update one of my friends went in to have her baby and we looked after little Sam for a couple of days, Jesse and Sam could pass as brothers or cousins at least and they had a ball playing the whole time.

Lily's growing ever so quickly and i'm finding it hard to keep up! Just the other day i realised some of the clothes i had put away for her because they were too big are now fitting her perfectly!

This is one of the reasons I'm so looking forward to going to Canberra in October as i'll be able to go mad shopping for her in stores that AREN'T Kmart or Best&Less. The variety (or should i say lack of) just really leaves you wanting here in the Isa...

Anyways... on another note altogether here's a pic that just screams fatherhood to me...

So cute...

Not much else to report I dont think... Hope you have a great day and God bless :)

Turn up the volume...

2008-07-28T14:31:00.006+10:00

I'm just following Pily's lead here so you can all ooh and aah over Lily...

and enjoy the new Wiggle..

Just one more thing...

2008-07-19T18:44:00.004+10:00

Monday was Charli's Birthday so...

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

Long Time No see...

2008-07-19T15:27:00.011+10:00

Yes i've been AWOL again from blogger in a futile attempt at cuttng down on my time on the PC & internet however I haven't really been any more efficient in other things so what's the point? LOL!

Ok so what's been happening...? Juan's visit was over all too quickly of course as it happens when you're having fun and when visitors are few and far between :( He seemd to enjoy the rest of his time here and Jesse was 'bewy thad' to see his Uncle Juan go as was I naturally.

He're a taste of what else he did on his visit...

Well Lily is now 12 weeks old and she has gone from this...

to this...

... time goes so quickly! Jesse can hardly contain her on his lap anymore coz she's much more wriggly nowadays, but so cute :)

Funny thing happened the other day that i've been kinda expecting i guess... Jesse was feeding his little monkey 'Jeremy' like mummy feeds Lily LOL!

After I took the photo I tactfully explained that only mummies are able to feed babies not daddy's or boys and he tactfully reassured me that "it's ok mummy, i'm just pretending" and went on feeding,LOL!

What else has happened lately...Oh in the last box we received from tia Pily Ruthie had sent this cute little butterfly for Lily...

it had been sitting on the cothead peering over at Lily but she found it too interesting to look at and constantly had her head back so it now peers over at her from the foot of the cot :)

Jesse's still loving being the big brother and loves to read to his sister...

I'm sure the day will come when he's not as keen but until then we'll savour these moments and be sure to remind him of them too.

Lalo's also revelling in being the apple of his daughter's eye...

..and I'm having fun playing dress ups of course...LOL

Uncle Juan's Visit

2008-06-26T16:56:00.006+10:00

Just a really quick update today while i have a spare few minutes. Uncle Juan is visting from Melbourne (and currently cooking for us hence i have a few minutes to update you all *wink*) for a couple of weeks and it has been jam packed so far.

Jesse is taking full advantage of his uncle and he may very well be his favourite uncle now seeing as he reads him story after story after story and plays with him pretty much all day!

But Miss Lily's also getting her share of cuddles too...

The Isa Show was also on the weekend so we went to that...!

.... and there's still a few touristy things on the menu for the rest of the time Juan's here so i'll keep you posted :)

I've also done a couple of layouts for the CJ's on Scrap of Faith so i hope you like them girls, one of them is for Tracy's and the other one is for Nat's.

Just 7 days!!!

2008-06-13T14:18:00.005+10:00

Yes, 7 days till we actually have a visitor coming to see us here in the Isa *happy dancing* My little brother is taking precious time from his uni holidays to come all the way from Melbourne up here to see us :)

It kinda all started with my usual joke "when are you gonna come and see me?" always expecting the usual 'oh, but... it's so far, expensive, too difficult for us... this that and the other' anyways, my little brother is coming!

Jesse is starting to plan things too for when he comes, like 'we can draw together, and i can show him ALL my toys outside' LOL! I do believe though that he gets Juan confused with my other brother Alf... obviously coz we only see them so rarely so the photos get pointed to regularly, so guys i need RECENT photos please!!!

So when he gets here Lily will be held by one of her many uncles for the first time! This is kinda bittersweet considering she'll be almost 6 months when anyone else in the family holds her:( But hey... as long as they're sending her love *wink*

Cant wait till you get here little bro!

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On the Lily front things are going according to schedule LOL! Three hourly feeds during the days have led to full nights sleeps as of last friday, YIPPEE!! So while it's still not EVERY night she does 8-9 hours it is more often than not so not long before it is the norm.

Smiles are also more prominent which is so cute of course...

and she's also shown clear signs that she can recognise Daddy's voice (like when he walked into her room when she was barely whinging and he spoke, she broke into a full fledged sobbing cry!)Yep, a Daddy's girl from the onset! And he's not one bit bothered by it of course! LOL

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On a much sadder and frustrating note... My beautiful engagement ring I received as my 10yr anniversary/birthday gift (to replace the first ring that was lost in the move to Mt Isa) has met an uncertain fate also :( It somehow fell out of my pocket while the wedder stayed in *insert baffled face here*. The good news is that it has to be on this block somewhere as i never left the grounds, just out to hang some clothes and back in but all the places we've looked have given us no joy :( Still praying it turns up... I have a niggling feeling this is a God orchestrated thing, not that i blame him as it was me who put the ring in my pocket rather than on the microwave like i usually do but i *know* in some way He will be glorified by this little incident whether i find it or not "and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."Romans 8:28

Yet another photo shoot...

2008-06-09T16:57:00.010+10:00

...and there's more to come so humour me! I'm not sure what i'm loving more to play with, my new lenses & camera or my baby LOL!

I couldn't decide on just one or two so here's a collage of some of my favourites...

So which one's YOUR favourite??

Now before you start shaking your head in disbelief at what a neglectful mother I've been for leaving Jesse out let me reassure you that he has been given plenty of chances (even tried to bribe him) to stand in front of the camera lately but his standard response is "I dont want a photo mummy".

He will happily 'help me' while I set up the studio and will read books or preferably eat in front of the camera while I get the settings right but as for smiling or even looking AT the camera... not a chance!

I'm really hoping he gets over it quick *insert sad photographer's face HERE* **************************************************

On a completely different note...

I've been tagged for the first time by the lovely - Karen (YAY!!! someone loves me LOL!!)so here goes Karen :)

5 things found in my bag:

1. Baby wipes

2. Keys

3. Notepad covered by the lovely Ange from our Secret Santa on SoF

4. Lip Gloss (of course!)

5. Empty Tupperware snack cup...

5 favourite things in my craft room (mine's a craft corner but here goes):

1. Wall hanging made by Sarah

2. my sewing machine

3. My Kmart organiser caddy that i bought on special for $79 :)

4. My (way too full) Clip-It-Up

5. A pink rose in a vase picked by DH a few days ago from our garden:)

5 things I have always wanted to do:

1. Own a house

2. Go on resort holiday

3. Get a his & her massage at the above said resort

4. Go on an African Safari

5. Host a REALLY elegant dinner party

5 things I am currently into:

1. Scrapbooking

2. Blogging

3. Playing with my new camera & lenses

4. Cooking sweet naughty stuff

5. All things baby!

5 people I am tagging:

1. Pily

2. Sarah

3. Ro

4.Leisa

5. Katie

Happy 6 weeks Lily!!!

2008-06-06T17:42:00.011+10:00

6 weeks old today, can you believe it??

... and we're already seeing her gorgeous smiles... >??

... and as Uncle Gerry said, "she's more and more like her Daddy everyday..."

Now...when my Miss was born a certain avid reader had the audacity to suggest her daughter wouldn't feature on my pages anymore...

Care to eat your words avid reader? LOL! Just joking, a simple comment on the pages would suffice *roll*

Just one more thought for the day... Today would've been Joshua's birthday, he would've been three...

We miss you little mate and think and talk about you almost daily.

Cant help myself!!!

2008-05-30T16:17:00.004+10:00

Ok, i know this is like the third post in like a week but i have to, i mean i HAVE to show these photos! *shock*

Can you tell i'm loving my new Canon 50mm f1.8 lens??? *grinning unashamedly*

Baking Challenge

2008-05-29T12:56:00.004+10:00

Ok Chrissy, this one's for you *wink*

Baklava Fingers

Filling ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

20g melted butter

8 sheets filo pastry

50g melted butter

Syrup

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons orange flower water (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 210˚C, line one baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

2.To make filling place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until combined.

3.Working with one sheet of pastry at a time, lay sheet on workbench brush with melted butter then fold in half. Cut into three strips and place a teaspoon of filling on each close to the bottom edge of the pastry. Roll up tucking in the sides so as to encase the filling. Place on prepared tray.

4.Repeat with remaining pastry and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire rack over a tray and brush liberally with syrup while both are still warm. 5.To make syrup combine all ingredients in small pan and stir over low heat until completely dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, remove from heat and add orange water if desired.

Note: To roll, I place the filling close to the bottom for the pastry, folded the sides all the way up and then rolled the pastry all the way up.

I made this for the first time a couple of weeks ago and WE LURVE them!!! I havent seen it anywhere to buy at cafes or anything here in Mt Isa so i'm glad i had a go and made it myself!

Hope you like them and let me know if you have go :)

More photos of course...

2008-05-27T14:59:00.006+10:00

So guess who got her ears pierced last Wednesday??

Now to those of you who think i'm a cruel Mama rest assured she cried for less than a minute all up so much better than getting it done when she's old enough to anticipate pain if you ask me! Plus she does look just adorable dont you think?? LOL

On another completely different note, one of my brother's has just returned from the US after a three week holiday and of course I took full advantage of the opportunity and bought some lenses for my new camera. I havent had much time to play of course as they only reached me yesterday but here are some pics taken with my new toys...

I can't wait to have a bit more time and a more awake baby also to really play with them but until then i'll take photos of the more mundane (but eaqually important) things in life LOL!

That's all for now but i'll be back on soon to share a recipe for Chrissy's challenge... *wink*

First Photo Shoot...

2008-05-21T19:20:00.007+10:00

Yes of course this the first of the many the poor child will have to endure in her life along with her brother...But just think of the layouts and the memories!!! LOL

Here are some of the out-takes...

...and here are the ones that went out to family...

We did it all in the first week she came home but i had to wait for them to be received before i could post them on here of course... couldn't spoil such a cute surprise LOL!

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What else has happened... We've settled into a routine of sorts already, church, playgroup, biblestudy, and shopping are our usual outings and Miss Lily seems to get most of the attention wherever we go; mostly coz of all the hair she has LOL!

Jesse's first words when he wakes up from slumber usually are "where's Lilibean?" or "is Lilibean up?" To which the answer is usually "sleeping" and "not yet".

I guess the only other thing to mention is that i have another layout to show :)

About Lily...

2008-05-11T20:13:00.004+10:00

Just in case anyone out there is wondering what the newest addition to this family is like i thought i'd enlighten you :)

Lily can best be described as a sleepy baby. Yes those of you reading who actually KNOW and have met our Lily will know and probably laugh at this statement but for the rest of you let me show you what this means:

This is Lily sleeping soundly...

Food time comes around and we begin to stir her up to feed...

Sometimes our weapons of choice are wet washers or wipes, rubbing her feet and undressing her a little...

To her credit she does try and open her eyes... briefly.

But more often than not it takes a good 15-20 minutes to wake this sleeping bear from her slumber.

SO provided we have been successful at waking Miss Lily to have take in her nourishment she then proceeds to fall asleep halfway through her feed so she can have us repeat the above mentioned tricks whilst changing her nappy. This happens about 6-7 times a day and once during the night.

There you have it, a typical day for Miss Lily Angelica Gonzalez.

First Lily Layout

2008-05-03T17:45:00.004+10:00

C'mon now, you knew it wouldn't be long! It's a digital layout done solely in between feeds so quick & simple :)

And here's another i've had sitting on my scrapping desk BL (Before Lily LOL!)

And one i did for a challenge at some stage but hadn't shared i don't think... baby brain OBVIOUSLY!

I plan on getting into my paper scrapping ASAP so lookout, girly pages galore!!! LOL

Anzac Day is now Lily Day!

2008-04-30T17:12:00.006+10:00

Hello everyone, after weeks of absence from the blogging world the news is out!

Lily Angelica was born on Anzac day at 5.56pm, she weighed in at 3.72kg which is 8.3 and a half pounds and measured a whole 53cm! Lily made her entrance into the world via caesarean after having me in labour for way too long of course but all is well with both mother & daughter :)

She is a very sleepy baby so far totally opposite to Jesse who was awake from the word GO so night feeds take way longer than they should as i'm spending as much time trying to wake to finish feeding as i am actually feeding!

Jesse is absolutely besotted with his little 'thithter' and is constantly saying he 'will look apter her' and 'i just lub Lilibean' LOL! She in turn only has eyes for her big brother when he's around talking and caressing her so as parents we're just typically 'proud as punch' LOL!

Anyways, now to the good stuff... PHOTOS!

Hope you enjoyed the short update :)

Still here...

2008-04-08T14:02:00.004+10:00

Yes, no baby yet of course and i know i have two weeks left officially but anyday now would be great! :)

So while i'm waiting for baby to arrive I'm just twiddling my thumbs (yeah right..) and scrapping and entering competitions here and there... and thanks to Country Scrapbooking i've won one :) Yipee!! The comp was to submit 5 photos that tell a story... what's my story?

What else to report... not much really just waiting and hoping... and scrapping LOL

What a weekend!!

2008-03-31T11:37:00.005+10:00

Of course I was expecting to be doing something for my birthday as my gorgeous husband knows me and usually plans something out of the ordinary but that wasn't til Sunday... What was Saturday all about???

Lalo thought he'd take us out to breakfast on Saturday morning seeing as Sunday breakky at Dom's wouldn't be an option for several reasons. Then we went to Kmart for a spot of shopping...(scrapping cart was on special *wink*) and then home for a relaxed afternoon. Once Jesse woke up the plan was to go out to the lake and test out the new camera...

Well... on the way to the lake I was led to believe that Lalo just had to drop off something at a friend's house and then off we'd go...As we pull up he suggested we all get out just to say hello... Of course by now i was more than suspicious!

As I walked into the room full of women and gorgeous pink parcels everywhere my beautiful friend Ali says "Welcome to your Surprise Baby Shower!" Needless to say i was floored and somewhat embarrassed as everyone was just looking at my reaction! I do of course LOVE surprises so after i picked my jaw up off the floor proceedings got under way with games & pressies and of course delicious food.

As one of the girls pointed out, all the blue that has ever been in the house has now been blanaced out by the pink i was going to be bringing home for this precious Lilibean LOL! What a blessing to have such a gorgeous group of Christian friends who are as eager to meet this little bundle of pink as we are!

Now even though i had the camera there i didnt even take any photos would you believe, i was very much in shock for most of the afternoon and just enjoyed the attention :)but here is a sample of what was given as i prepare for her arrival...
So eventually Sunday rolls around and the day started off more than suitably with breakfast in bed...

I only took the photo half way through breakky of course coz i was too cozy to get up LOL! Then Lalo & Jesse brought me a couple more gifts that I WASNT expecting, (after all i did have my camera already!) So that was complimented with a digital frame to display the pending photos... and a the game UpWords so Scrabble gets a bit of a rest LOL!

Then of course it was church time, with birthday wishes left, right and centre which is always nice :) and Lalo had organized lunch afterwards at a local club with friends. He'd even thought of the cake which we didn't even get to cut because we'd all ordered dessert with lunch! Luckily Chocolate Mud Cake keeps very well and our Bible Study group will be more than happy to help out with the disposal of it :)

So all in all I had a fantastic weekend..., wouldn't you say? Let me leave with a layout I sarted and finished somewhere in between all of the above...

Slow week...

2008-03-27T19:29:00.005+10:00

Again not much happening, getting on with life scrapping, seeing some friends here and there spending time with Lalo (on his 6 day weekend woohoo!!) and helping out with church stuff here and there too for a change. It feels nice to actually be part of something bigger than everyday life if you know what i mean. I somehow volunteered myself to make up the Easter gifts that are given out at the Easter Sunday service and they were a hit! Dont really have a pic to show but imagine easter eggs growing out of a pot :) it was all to represent the new life we find in Jesus. Cool huh?

The only other exciting thing happening that i can think of at the moment is my pending birthday of course (This Sunday 30th of March for those of you who are thinking of fogetting!!! LOL)and that means my wonderful husband has gone above and beyond the call of duty and bought me a new camera *happy dance*

My beautiful old Sony is definitely on it's way out so he thought he'd indulge me and let me buy a new Canon 400D that i've been eyeing off for a while now. After a surprise $200 price drop from one day to the next it arrived on our doorstep on Tuesday and after much begging he let me open the box and have a play. The alternative was of course to wait til my ACTUAL birthday but in my defense i thought I better check out everything was intact and working properly in case it had to be sent back *wink* It was fine of course...LOL

So i havent yet taken any photos worth showing off yet as the weather's been less than ideal and with 4 weeks to go before this baby's due my energy levels arent at their highest but i promise this weekend i'll be putting this birthday pressie through it's paces!

So on that note... be sure to WATCH THIS SPACE

Oh, just a couple of LO's to share since the last post :)

This was inspired by one of Karen Latham's creations...

And this is a canvas...

Hum Drum...

2008-03-10T19:22:00.007+10:00

First let me congratulate my little sister and her family on the birth of their second little princess Kairi Esther Abideen born on Tuesday 4th March.

Isn't she just adorable??? They are all doing well and at home now adjusting to life as a family of four...soon that will be us too LOL!

Not much really happening in the oh so exciting world that is OUR life hence the lack of posts of late. That and the lack of time that i want to be spending sitting upright at the PC while this baby tries to kick her way out *shock*!! Seriously, Jesse was never this active while in-utero and i'm beginning to wonder if she'll be born walking and running at the rate she's going! Of course this all indicates that all is going well so i have to be thankful for that :)

Classes at the LSS are going well, i have classes every week til i choose to stop and then we'll see after baby's born but just today i've been informed that the shop won't be a scrapping shop much longer as of the new financial year :(

You see the shop is actually two shops in one, a kitchen shop stocking all sorts of culinary tools as well as providing services as cake tin hire etc. and the other half is the scrapping/cardmaking/wedding invites shop. The scrapbooking/cardmaking side of the business is taking up too much space for the amount of turnover (or lack thereof) it generates so it has to go to make room for more kitchen stuff as that side is thriving. Soooo... i just thank God that it's not my livelyhood LOL but seriously i thank God that i had the chance to meet these ladies and maybe made a connection or two :)

What else... Ummm... oh, it seems we have a teenager in the house! After being so sick a while ago we thought Jesse was just catching up on the two weeks of not eating but it has continued well and truly and is eating us out of house and home! One upon a time we used to be able to share a banana or at least use the same apple for morning and afternoon tea but nowadays we're lucky if we get a glimpse of the fruit in the house! The same boy whom i had to prompt at every bite of a half sandwich is now eating a whole sandwich plus the fruit, biscuit and 'treat' that is out on his plate and has the nerve to say on a regular basis "i will still be hungry after i finish my lunch"! I seriously had thoughts when he got sick that i should be giving him apetite vitamins or something similar but God who hears my thoughts has obviously answered my unsaid prayers yet again! No need to spend money on vitamins just be prepared for the increased grocery bill LOL!

Well that's all for now i think... i'll leave with you the latest layouts i've completed since the last post but don't get too excited, i've been kinda slack in that area also... *oops*

AWOL

2008-02-22T13:56:00.001+10:00

Yes it's been weeks since my last post and i know it's highly unlike me but hey... life gets in the way of my 'cyber commitments' thank goodness! *wink*

Only one MAJOR thing has happened in the last month that i haven't posted about and that is that i am now teaching scrapbooking classes at a local scrapbookng store.

The long story is that when i arrived here in Mt Isa this was on my heart to do and so i prayed and went to the LSS at the time with my stuff and she wasn't interested AT ALL This was a bit dissappointing but i didnt lose sleep over it as i figured it wasn't the right time as far as God was concerned.

Over a year has passed and a new shop has opened in town and i believe i have grown in my faith aswell as my scrapping (combining the two) so i believe I am a better witness now than i was a year ago and so God put it on my heart again to try at the new LSS. Off i go about 5 weeks ago, layouts in hand to show but not really expecting a different outcome from last time.

In fact i hadnt even prayed about it, just had the desire well up in me again and i prayed as i drove to the store more of a don't let it happen unless it's your will kinda thing.

I asked if they run classes and if so is she after a teacher, YES, YES, YES! She later told me she had already been told about me and my work and she was just waiting for me to come in and ask, in fact she had my number (i dont know WHO has gone before me) and was going to wait a few more months and if i didnt come in she was going to call me. She'd even been shown some of my work that's been in one or two of the magazines

The store currently has a beginner's class only and she's had names of people wanting something more advanced so that's where i come in as far as the owner's concerned... no pressure huh!

So i've been busy preparing classes and running two of them to date, i havent really scrapped much personally since starting but once i get into the swing of things it will all fall into place... until Lilibean makes her appearance of course LOL!

The ladies who have attended the classes so far have all been happy enough to rebook for the next class so that's a vote of confidence for me as i have never officially 'taught' any classes before. I just keep praying that God will use me in this area.

No photos to show for now but i have taken some of course just havent done anything with them LOL. Maybe the suspense will keep you checking in on me... then again maybe not :(

On a roll..

2008-02-09T19:03:00.000+10:00

Just another LO i finished last night :)

The good, the bad and the ugly...

2008-02-08T19:25:00.000+10:00

Ok, let me start with the ugly... Jesse (who is the furthest from being ugly than anyone reading or typing this blog! LOL) has had a tummy bug :( That's the ugly part, so are the messes mummy has had to clean up! He's looking up thank goodness but it hasnt been pleasant at all... which brings me to the bad...

As of last night it looked like i'd caught the same bug, probably due to the nights of me curled up next to Jesse with the bucket in hand for nights on end, getting next to no sleep but breathing in all the germs and whatever causes this thing!

The good thing is that i seem to have had only one night of it rather than the many nights so it may just be that i was so tired from the above mentioned rather than the actual bug... Still praying tonight isn't a repeat of the night before.

In between all of this Lalo has had a few days off and so has been here to relieve the large pregnant woman from some of the constant demands of a sick three year old but as most boys are when they are sick Jesse just wants his Mummy.

Weird bug this one though coz you'll be fine one day and then you're up all night and then you wake up fine again until the evening... etc.

Thinking Jesse was over the worst Lalo thought to take a drive to Camooweal and the NT border to put some K's on the car and took Jesse with him on Wednesday... Leaving me with lots of time on my hands to do some scrapping (in amongst the other house things needing to be done of course) YAY!!! So here's what i missed out on...

But here's what I got done... from that day on :)

And it looks like Saturday might be anohter driving day for Father & Son... can you hear me complaining?? LOL
Oh and sometime before all the bad & ulgy came about Jesse went out and played in the rain with his favourite gumboots & umbrella from London (same place where the Pussycat went to visit the queen says Jesse *wink*)...

Finally remembered!

2008-02-04T17:36:00.000+10:00

I have meaning to post about this during the last couple of weeks and kept forgetting but we had some visitors all the way from Cobar half way through the month.

The Mukwindidza family came to the Isa for work but while the daddy's were working the kids were happy to get reaquainted...

and pose for me of course LOL!

While i'm here i thought i may as well bite the bullet and share my expanding belly with those of you who keep asking... Not that i dont love being pregnant but i'm not a fan of photos of me when i am... anyways, here you go.

Difficult weekend...

2008-01-28T14:28:00.000+10:00

I dont really know how to post about this or if to even post at all but this is part of my life and i feel i need to share
On saturday morning I had a visit from a friend from church who was delivering some tragic news. Lalo was at work as he's rostered on this weekend so i'm kinda glad she came in person rather than tell me over the phone as was the plan.

Sadly i was informed of a life lost very close to our family... Joshua (4mth shy of his 3rd birthday) had died during the night.

Just typing this is so surreal i can only imagine the battle inside Karl & Nadine's hearts right now as they begin to come to terms with this.

To take you inside our friendship let me just say that we've meeting together for almost a year now once a week for the kids to play, we have morning tea, play some more then lunch and then everyone toddles off home for a sleep. Well the kids do anyways :)

So this is a real shock to us and as we've been saying since it happened we probably won't feel the effects of it until we all meet up again. There will always be the void of someone telling this little one to 'back it up from the tv' or having to rush over to an existing structure that Joshua is climbing so he doesnt fall and hurt himself. No one can deny he was full on, always trying something new, always finding a new way to create adventure usually to the horror of those watching but he never managed to hurt himself and was never a threat to those around him so just being a boy really.

As a photographer he was both a dream and a nightmare... those beautiful big blue eyes that went right through you, cradled in that sweet face full of mischief and gorgeous blond hair with natural highlights... but that just never sat still enough for you to capture it! Yes, this is a very sad time for those left behind... we have the memories and the photos and the stories but we dont have the real thing to keep building it all up.

I know in my heart that God has a bigger and better plan than what i could ever imagine, and I know in my heart that he has his reasons for even letting us all get attached to this little life for such a short time so i rest in this and i praise him all the more allowing us to experience the rush that was Joshua Karl.

We love you Joshua and you will be sorely missed and treasured in our all hearts.
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In the midst of all of this i have also been scrapping, but this time is was more than just a release of creative juices but more an escape from reality to some sort of normality if you will. I battle feelings of guilt because i know the above cant be denied or escaped... I think for me it is that i need to do to stay sane and be able to function.

Another day.. another dollar...

2008-01-22T19:41:00.000+10:00

I mean another Layout!!!LOL

Not much else going on at the moment but i'll keep you posted *wink*

New week, new resolutions...

2008-01-21T14:29:00.001+10:00

Ok, maybe that's the wrong word seeing as as soon as you call them resolutions you're bound to break them but i do plan to start a new habit. Actually i started it last week and have continued onto this week with even greater momentum so hopefully it will be one that sticks...

What am i talking about you ask? Menu planning of course! I know, the excitement almost made you fall off your chair I know but I am a Stay At Home Mum to a three year old and a baby on the way and i need all the help i can get with staying organised and motivated. I mean i can motivate myself to scrap all day without any help but then there are things that must be done in the home, in the kitchen etc so the family is well looked after so hence i am undertaking this new venture...

Oh the joys of reading my blog, and then i wonder why I dont have any comments LOL! Maybe this will motivate you to leave comment on an otherwise boring blog *wink*

On Friday night one of my gorgeous friends surprised me and said she was coming over to scrap with me and although she's not (yet) a scrapaholic we had such a good time that she's really made me miss my other gorgeous friends with whom i could talk & cut paper & laugh all at the same time. So of course it's only natural now that i have to force her to scrap with me regularly until she becomes addicted! LOL!

I also spent some time playing around with Ro's Digital elements and came up with this...

So many layouts to do digi and paper but as usual so little time...

As promised...

2008-01-18T09:53:00.000+10:00

A photo of King Jesse :)

Sadly not a very interesting post...

2008-01-17T14:41:00.000+10:00

Ok, so i've totally fallen off the 'photo a day' wagon after what... four days? Well truth be told i have taken photos i just havent had time to upload them but at least yesterday for sure i didnt pick up my camera at all so to be fair and interesting to you all i might only post a photo a week for this challnege as i find myself taking photos of whatever i'm doing just for the sake of taking a photo and that's of no interest to anyone really...be honest, i can take it LOL!

What else can i tell the TWO people who read my blog regularly... Umm... today i did some craft with Jesse and thought i'd better start adding some meaning to the craft we do and use it as a learning opportunity for him, other than motor skills i mean. So we made a Kings crown (with a piece of packaging that came in something) and i told him how Jesus is our King etc. We also read a book about when our king was born which is in fact a Christmas book so maybe this craft is a little late LOL!

I'd like to jot down some ideas of crafts similar to this where i can teach Jesse about God so please email me if you have any ideas :)

I'll take photos of Jesse and his crown and upload them this afternoon so make sure you check em out :)

Photo a day...3

2008-01-14T14:24:00.000+10:00

Ok, didnt get home til late and when i did i had NO time to upload my pic for the day so here it is...

Totally loving the bright colours and the sharpness of it all... it does help when the subjects are that little bit older and stay still for you for longer than a second unlike my 3year old! LOL!

I scrapped!!!

2008-01-13T14:38:00.000+10:00

Yes it's been a while since I last scrapped anything... last thing i did was an OTP for my dear friend Sarah for Christmas and would you believe i didnt even take any pics of it!!! Oh well... never mind as Jesse & Ruthie would say LOL

So this week i've done a layout & tag for a Circle Journal i'm doing with some gorgeous ladies on SoF...

And here's the actual album it's gone into... Just another masterpiece by Chrissy

Plus I completed a layout last night from a new sketch blog put together by Susan Hocking DH will die to know his secret's out too so sshhhh!! LOL!

Ooops... Photo a Day 2

2008-01-11T18:44:00.000+10:00

Not wanting to be behind on just my SECOND day of my new photo a day challenge i snapped a pic of my centrepiece for my friend's birthday evening. Just a few flowers in water but they do look really pretty...

>br/> I just wish i had thought of it earlier in the day thought so i'd have a little bit more natural light rather than having to use the flash... or at least play around with the flash a bit more... sigh... my own fault for taking on too much or i guess forgetting what i'm supposd to be doing! Pregnancy brain, pregnancy brain, pregnancy brain is all i can say!LOL

Photo a day...1

2008-01-10T19:10:00.000+10:00

The very talented Katie Toland has inspired me with her photography and her 'photo a day' challenge to make use of my camera and my spare time while i still have it.

I've had the same camera for years and while i've done studio shoots and weddings with it i haven't really explored what it can really do so maybe if i exhaust my options with this one i can convince DH that i need the next step up *wink*

So while this isn't like the best photo i've ever taken i love how it turned out and to me it just says... PLAYTIME.

Leg Four- Homeward Bound

2008-01-09T17:22:00.001+10:00

The last leg of the trip was mainly travelling back home firstly by driving to Canberra via Kangaroo Valley then a few days later by plane to Mt Isa. It was all pretty uneventful but we did get to catch up with some friends for dinner & look at their GORGEOUS wedding photos and then just a farewell dinner for us at my dad's. Both times i neglected to take my camera but at least we have the momories LOL!

So there's no photos to speak of but a couple of anecdotes to tell.

While on the plane from Canberra to Brisbane Jesse noticed the Male Flight Attendant was wearing an apron and when the polite man asked him if he as enjoying flying on the plane Jesse politely asked him why he was wearing a dress!!! I quickly explained it was an apron and later during the flight the same flight attendant walked past with another male flight attendant and pointed Jesse out saying 'there's the little one who asked if i wearing a dress'...*blush*

While waiting for the next plane to Mt Isa we sat and had a coffee in one of the lounges at Brisbane airport, Jesse being the cultured child that he has become joined us with a babyccino. As the story goes he tried to blow a bubble into the cup (for some reason) but seeing as it was made of pure thick froth it landed the entire ball of froth right on his nose & mouth and the poor child could hardly breathelet alone speak to say 'help me mummy'. I burst out laughing and I could hardly pull myself together to wipe him clean not to mention the stares we were getting from other people around the place, you see they could only see Jesse's back and me laughing hysterically in front of him! Lalo missed the main show but was there to finish wiping him us as i couldn't lean over the table over my expanding belly and my unceasing laughter.

Oh the joys of boys...

Leg Three- Callalla Bay

2008-01-08T14:47:00.000+10:00

So we now descend upon the Field Family Residence and are introduced to the lovely Cook Family, of whom we’ve heard much about but had never met. Don’t worry Leisa, it’s mostly been good stuff *wink*.

After a quick run down of the Christmas happenings we head over to one of the beaches the Field’s frequent, Tara with surfboard in hand Jesse with his trusty bucket… Alas there are absolutely no waves for Tara to show off her recently learnt skills, Jesse however was happy to put his bucket to good use.

I dare say he won’t be getting away with this as the teen years hit!

And while Leisa tries her hand at surfing or at least staying on the board I put my camera to good use too…however the photos seem to have gone astray so maybe I used Ro’s camera for these?

The hermit crabs were happy to pose for me though…

Once we head back to our home for the next few days (Tara’s room) I find the gorgeous fine sand of this part of the coast has made its way into unmentionable places… So after a quick yet thorough shower for all we dine and start it all again in the morning.

Next couple of days involved a spot of shopping, Anne of Green Gables moments...

more beach outings

and a picnic at the park…

The hostess with the mostsest did a wonderful job of entertaining us even going as far as baking a Lemon Meringue Pie for her guests...

I meant to take a pic of the finished product but... we ate it LOL!

On our last day there, while Lalo packed the car Ro, Leisa and I snuck out to Berry to meet a few of the local SoFer’s for a spot of coffee & retail therapy.

Good food, good friends what more could you ask for?

Leg Two- Ulladulla

2008-01-08T13:48:00.000+10:00

We now head off to Ulladulla 40minutes North of Bateman’s Bay to visit Lalo’s parents and also meet up with his sister & family. By now the weather had finally decided to turn for the better as far as we were concerned, I mean I know the whole country needs rain and all but when you only get to the beach once a year…well, you know what I mean.

Again our belated Christmas celebration was more about fellowshipping together which is really nice and again Jesse was able to really get to know the people in his extended family. I love that as he gets older he remembers more of what goes on so next time he sees them it’s not all new again. On this trip he couldn’t get enough of his cousin Jasmine (8yo), I mean they all played well together for the most part but here he kept saying “Mummy… I LUB Jasmine” so cute.

We finally made it to the beach for what originally was going to be just a walk as it was still too cold by our standards. As we arrived on the beach the people both in the water and on the beach seemed to be at a standstill, then we realised they were all watching the dolphins perform. Of course I was too engrossed to take photos (I know, shock horror scandal!!!) and when I thought of it they were just too far for my humble little camera… The older kids decided if there was water they would go in… Jesse followed suit but after the first splash thought better of it and played on the sand instead. The next few days were better as far as the beach is concerned; lots of sun and heat came our way and that meant swimming lots of great photo ops LOL! Goodbyes had to come and we left a teary Grandma & Jasmine behind ready for our next adventure further up the coast…

Just a by the way post...

2008-01-06T20:55:00.000+10:00

I politely asked DH to take out the empty egg cartons & a box that was left over from Christmas and this is what happened…

Boys will be boys hey...

Home sweet home

2008-01-06T20:17:00.000+10:00

Three weeks away and boy is it nice to be home… The chores, the heat (and subsequently swollen ankles) but at least my own space, car and my own bed!!

There are a few highlights of our trip that I’d like to share but I’ll have to break it up into the four legs of our journey so it’s easier for me and you to read too I suppose.

Leg One- Carol & Jesse go to Canberra 1 week ahead of Daddy…

Jesse was great on the plane as usual; I still find it amazing that a 3yro can already have a jet setting lifestyle every 6-12 months! I also praise God for allowing us to afford these trips in order to see our family once or twice a year.

We arrived on Monday and were off to see the Wiggles in Concert on Wednesday…

Ruthie & Jesse were mesmerised by these celebrities and danced, wiggled and sang for the duration of the show.
Then on Saturday we left the rainy weather behind us in Canberra and we made our way to the coast, with Tata & the family. Jesse was reacquainted with his grandparents and his pint sized uncles that as I said before he only sees once or twice a year. He particularly took a real shine to Matt (11yo) and shadowed him the whole time we were there “Mummy…I LUB Matt” he would say every few minutes LOL!
Together we all went to the local wildlife park and all took a chance at holding a snake… yes even Jesse!!

Soon it was Christmas Eve and Lalo was arriving in Canberra and SUPPOSEDLY staying the night there before heading out early next morning to be with us at the coast 2.5hrs east. Luckily for us he couldn’t help himself and drove that same night… got lost due to being given wrong directions (NOT BY ME!!) but eventually made it safe and sound but very tired.

Christmas came and went; too much food was had and too many presents & toys were given and received but most of all it was about family and being together, celebrating Christ’s birth with each other.

It's so quiet...

2007-12-13T14:58:00.000+10:00

Again my loyal subjects i grace you with my presence... Sister #1 has left with her little Miss in tow and the house is strangely quiet... only because Jesse is asleep of course LOL! To be honest although there are two less people in the house Jesse feels he must make up for the void and has not stopped transmitting since Ruthie & Pily left on Monday. Sometimes he's asking after them and other times he's just talking about other stuff... nothing really but just making up for the second voice that had been around for the last month.

Needless to say i was metally tired by the end of Monday and when i voiced this to Lalo that night Jesse said he was mentally tired too...!!

I personally haven't got much to show on the scrapping scene as i havent been scrapping pages but cards & pressies so OBVIOUSLY i cant share them here but i do want to show off what i've received (among other goodies) for Christmas from the gorgeous Sarah:

How gorgeous and stunning are both these works of art??? i was and still am in awe of the work gone into them and the thought taken to whip them up! (for those of you wondering why we've opened up our presents already it's because we wont be taking them with us when we fly to Canberra so Christmas came early for us *wink*)

What else can i share...Oh i do want to say a sincere CONGRATS to the very talented Rowena on the launch of her Digital scrapping stuff available at Blue Bazaar (in the digi section) what more can i say other than just remember the little people who got you hooked on Photoshop LOL! (dont know what Bill thinks though...)

Have you missed me??

2007-12-05T14:54:00.000+10:00

Ok so it has been a little while since i updated you all on my happenings and i know you have been checking in every day eagerly for my return, wait no more!!! LOL!

The last month or so has been kinda hectic, not in a bad way but just busier than usual with my two visitors on board plus the usual end of year stuff that all happens at once not to mention a 3rd birthday in the middle there... Having a little girl in the house has been quite an eye opener for our little household, Jesse has definitely improved in his speech and they together have given us quite a few moments where all we can do is laugh at what's being said (to each other or to us!) For example when driving somewhere in just the first week we heard the two bickering children in the back of the car... Ruthie was saying "you need get over it Jesse, just get over it!" to which Jesse replied "You need to calm down Ruthie" OBVIOUSLY not something they'd heard from us! After observing that Ruthie gets her hair done every morning and afternoon after sleeps Jesse is keen to line up too and have a piece of the pampering, Tia Pily is only too happy to have a play with a boy LOL!

Here's a few pics of our playtimes together over this time...

Miss Attitude...

Miss Photogenic...

Cowgirl & boy...

Well in short i think that's it for now... on the baby front all is going well and Lilibean is well and truly growing as she should and kicking up a storm... hope to not to stay away for too long but until then, dont miss me too much :)

Just a brief update plus some piccies...

2007-11-05T14:26:00.000+10:00

This week will be mainly spent preparing the nest for our visitors Pily & Ruthie, who are to arrive with us on Monday. First we travel the 9hour drive to Townsville to get some kilometers on the car (something to do with it being a lease) on Friday, spend a day as a family in a city we've never been in and then on Sunday we pick up our very anticipated guests and travel the 9 hours back the next day!

I am definitely looking forward to going away and then having them here of course (Pily being one of my 3 regular readers i better be saying this too *wink*) so i know this week will be a short one. Today i already re-tidied the spare room as it had again become the junk room after my last clean up, it's all too easy to just have a spare room to throw things in and forget about! I'm sure Pily will appreciate my efforts and keep it like this *snig*

Another thing we've done since my last post was decide on a birthday party theme for the almost 3 year old in the house. Seeing as this will probably be the first year he actually remembers after the event and knows what's going on we thought we'd make it a good one so we decided on a Dinosaur Party!!!

As you can imagine he's very excited, he handed out his little dinosaur invitaions at church on Sunday and has already put in his order from the latest Kmart Toy Sale Catalogue that he wants EVERTHING! LOL! "That one and that one and that one" etc...

IN preparation of this event we also tried facepainting on Jesse to see if he liked it, his request was Spiderman (Now just to clear up any misconceptions he has never seen the movies of course but just walk through Kmart or look at a catalogue and spiderman is always there so up to now we're happy witht that) and working from memory i came up with this... i think i have to practice some more but Jesse was more than happy!

The last thing that is worth a mention that will mostly interest our Chilean correspondants is that Jesse has found a taste for Harina Tostada that was sent by Grandma a few weeks ago (for those of you not familiar with this substance it is toasted wheat kernels ground into a coarse powder) Mum isn't a fan but it has definitely become a Daddy & Jesse tradition to smother any visible part of the red flesh on watermelon with this crunchy powder and then some. A true Chileno some would say LOL!

Just a short funny one...

2007-10-30T22:07:00.000+10:00

The struggle these days is to convince my almost three year old that he is not ready yet to give up his day sleep purely because I'M NOT READY to give up those couple of hours in the middle of the day.

So most days I win and he sleeps and all is well and there is harmony... today was not one of those days unfortunately and try as i might to prove otherwise he wasnt budging yesterday or today! They say you can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink... i guess there's also truth in that you can put them to bed but you cant make them sleep! Aaargghhh!

Anyways my post today isn't so much about my lack of peace for the day but more for the joys that still come out in the midst of it all.

After i had put Jesse to bed and roused on him ummm maybe for the hundredth time I once again walked into his room to see him playing... but here's the scene before me:

Jesse is sitting at the foot of the bed with his soft toys either side of him in a line and Jacob the monkey is sitting at the head of the bed up on the pillow with Jesse's play guitar around him.

"What are you doing" i ask and the matter of factly reply was "we're playing church, that's Stuart" pointing to the monkey (Stuart is one of the young guys musicians at church)!

There is no photo because i was trying to stay focused on the fact that i had been disobeyed yet AGAIN but in hindsight I wish I HAD taken a photo and THEN dealt with it LOL! Live and learn hey...

Well, that's my story for the day, hope you enjoy your day and i hope my child sleeps tomorrow :)

Welcome to Sunday Gully (not Valley apparently) QLD...

2007-10-24T14:30:00.000+10:00

Greetings again adoring fans, today’s post will consist of photos of our latest camping trip with the Layts. This family is but one of the families that is making out stay here in Mt Isa so much more than bearable. Don’t get me wrong it isn’t a bad town whatsoever but like they say “Life is like a good wine, better had with friends” LOL!

So anyways, we went to a place called Sunday Valley just over an hour from Mt Isa. We left on Friday afternoon close to evening really and arrived well and truly in the dark hoping the spot we had picked would look as nice in the morning. Fed the kids and put them to bed once the tents were finally set up and then it was time to relax and unwind to the music of cicadas and toads hopping around our camp!

Alison and I retired at a reasonable hour only to be kept awake by the constant chatter of the two dominant males who stayed up till some ungodly hour! And they say its women who talk a lot…

Saturday meant it was time for Linky’s birthday celebration; presents followed by playing, followed by cake of course.

The heat and flies was making Lalo do some very strange things throughout the weekend the rest of us coped.

Jesse of course had to copy and lazed around like Daddy too... Seeing as we were camping in a place with no amenities (I know what you’re thinking… but trust me we coped) Lalo found a way to bath Jesse like royalty! “Your Roman Bath awaits” I think were his exact words LOL! The other kids were shown the same royal treatment of course.

By Sunday the kids had finally found the water and we were too tired and relaxed to care about keeping them clean. It is said there are fresh water crocs around the place but no one actually sees them in these parts so after a lot of playing in the mud by the bank the two older ones made it in for a swim and then it was time to go home and get back to civilisation of toilets and showers. YAY!

Just another week...

2007-10-13T16:38:00.000+10:00

Hello again my loyal subjects, hope this day finds you and your kin well. There is not much news on the home front really, life just goes on as it usually does. Dont get me wrong, i'm not bored nor 'eating the bread of idleness' but i just dont know how much of my 'life' you're actually interested in hearing LOL!

Let me see... Monday we did the housework as per usual but finished rather early so we went visiting, thanks Aunty Ali for always being home when we need to get out of the house LOL!

Tuesday was playgroup day and for the first time we went on our own as our friends had other plans... wasn't as much fun for me but i think once Jesse stopped asking where was Abby & Joshua he occupied himself with the toys and had fun.

Wednesday was a good day, Alison, Abby & Kaleb came for morning tea which turned into lunch (as it susually does) but then also turned into afternoon tea with the boys and ultimately the two families enjoyed take away pizza for dinner! Gotta love being blessed with friends who dont get sick of us LOL!

I had my first antenatal appt on thursday with everything going according to plan of course, the Obstetrician did a mini ultrasound where i saw Lilibean move it's head from side to side, so cute already!

Friday was another social day (if you really knew me this wouldn't surprise you) Alison was kind enough to pick up a rather bulky toy to take back to the library for me in return for a coffee that same morning. Shortly after they left we had little Sam and his mum come over for a play. Both mums and bubs had a good time it seems, especially Sam who was fascinated by throwing toys into the inflatable pool LOL!

So as you can see i am not NOT busy just not very exciting to read about probably... I totally love that God has blessed me with wonderful friends and when i'm not spending time with them physically i'm probably on the phone to one of them whether here or in Cobar (Sarah) or in Canberra (Pily) or in Dubbo (Michelle)! Of course all the in betweens are filled in by parenting my almost three year old and most importantly spending time with my wonderful DH who as we speak is tackling his NEMESIS...

I speak of course of the HUGE hedge that shelters our rental home from the road, noise and onlookers.

This image is probably not an accurate representation of Lalo working on it as the sides of his mouth are not usually turned up in this manner...

So that is the run down of the week, we have done some craft activities during the day which i've been meaning to photograph so i'll get to that and then post some piccies but for now i think i've covered it...

I'm still here...

2007-10-07T17:01:00.000+10:00

Ok, so i havent posted for a while but there is a reason and those who know me well should be prepared for the coming announcement... I have been having ahem... I have been kinda... ahem... dozing during the day! There i said it!!! I know it goes against everything i believe in but early pregnancy does it to me every time, and i am so tired :( Ok, so i know i dont have to justify myself to anyone but that's the reason why i have been AWOL.

My sister called today even half way through the day (when she is usually 'dozing' in fact) and Lalo told her i was sleeping to which she promptly replied "dont lie, Carol doesn't sleep in the day!" *sigh* my secret it out but i will fight the urge until it is out of my system!!

So what has happened in the world around me while i have been absent? not much really, the weather has been really hot so we got out the Inflatable Water Theme Park that Tia Pily gave Jesse last Christmas and we have been cooling off in there most mornings and/or afternoons. I say we because Lalo and i have also been wading in there like beached whales to beat the scorching heat... yes and it's only October!!! No photos yet and you're probably glad.. you dont want to see us in this condition anyways LOL!

This strange phenomenom of being tired has me even unmotivated to scrap lately so there are no new layouts or projects to share with you. I'm hoping the new lot of prints due to arrive any day now will cure this but how do YOU get over the tiredness??

Lastly (is that a word?) I will share with you some photos taken maybe a couple of weeks ago when Uncle Karl took Jesse on their dirt bike, he had loved it ages ago when he went but apparently wasn't as keen this time round. Is my child already discovering his mortality??

...and Lalo and Jesse have taken up gardening as a father & son thing to do every afternoon. They have planted tomatoes and lettuces and they are nurtured every evening with a drink and good talking to so we can have yummy salads for summer :) So cute!

Just sharing...

2007-09-29T14:54:00.000+10:00

In my quest to keep morning sickness at bay (as we all know is not limited to the morning) i started cooking pasta at lunch. I'm sick of bread and though fruit looks good and tastes good at the time it doesnt fill me up for long and so i'm CONSTANTLY looking for food... Lalo just laughs *roll*

ANYWAY... back to my story, i started out just by cooking the pasta and ended up making up a delicious recipe that you'll just have to try for yourself! SO here's the recipe, if you make it (and you really should) let me know your thoughts :)

Carol's Pasta (very original i know)

1/2 cup chopped bacon or ham

1 onion sliced finely

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3 Tblspn Leggo's Sundried Tomato Pesto

Sundried tomato strips (i didnt have them but it would be nice to add)

1 cup cream

Salt to taste

Pasta of choice (i used large Penne)

1. Cook pasta as per packet instructions and keep warm.

2. Sautee onions and ham until onion is see through. Add pesto and tomato strips if available and saute for a few more minutes.

3. Add musrooms and cream all at once and turn heat to low, simmer until onion is no longer crunchy.

4. Season with salt, toss through pasta and serve

Presenting...

2007-09-28T16:48:00.000+10:00

Hey, it's been a while since i posted by own standards and although certain individuals keep telling me i haven't updated my blog they are one and the same who say i have to give you all time to comment so don't update it too often! Who understands people???

Anyway, i though it would be nice to present our little Lilibean to the world, called that because it is the size of a bean and Jesse used to pronounce the word 'little' as lili so little bean becomes "Lilibean" :)

We dont know details of course so dont ask and if we did we might not share anyway *wink* but we do know everything is normal and growing according to {His} plan, we are only into week 10 so it is definitely too early to tell pink or blue yet. On that note some of you are probably wondering why we are sharing so much so relatively early but for you let me say that we have put our faith in Him. Seeing as that's what anyone can ever really do then we may as well rejoice in the news to date :)

Ok, on the Toddler Front we have some other exciting news, Jesse is officially OUT OF NAPPIES!!! Yay! yes, it has been just over a week since I took the plunge to go nappyless (for Jesse to go nappyless that is!) at night and as suspected there have been NO accidents what-so-ever. My goal was hopefully to have him fully out by the age of 3 so with two months shy of that i'm ecstatic! Lollies was enough of an incentive to keep it going for the first few days but he just took it all in his stride and stopped asking for the 'treat' after a few days... do i have an angel or what??? Ok, i may be biased...LOL

Not much else to tell really, we're well and truly into the swing of things after our friends returned from their holidays. We have playdates every other day, BBQ's on the weekend and life is beautiful :) OOHHH Lalo and i were given tickets to the big ball of Mt Isa, the Casa Grande Ball which is on tomorrow night so i'll have piccies of us looking all nice and glam while we have a night out... stay tuned!

2007-09-19T14:26:00.000+10:00

Saw this on Karen's blog and thought i'd borrow it... Read carefully...you might learn something new about me...

20 years ago I . . .
1. I was 10 yrs old LOL!!

2. I had just migrated from Santiago, Chile to live in the Capital of Australia

3. I hated school as I had just come out of an ESL school and was teased etc by the other kids :( Kids can be cruel

4. I Don’t remember much else really…

10 years ago I . . .
1.I was blissfully in the honeymoon stage of our marriage, we got married in February 1997.

2. We had just moved from our Govt. flat in August to a nice townhouse in a much nicer part of town and loving it.

3. I was working at City Camera House as a printer and was soon about to start managing the shop.

4. Was loving being a young married couple!

5 years ago I . . .
1. Was still emotionally recovering from my first miscarriage earlier on that year :(

2. Was learning to trust God in the above mentioned and in DH’s struggle to find a job in the field he had studied, Geology.

3. Was about to get the shock of my life when DH found a great job but it was 8hrs from our then home, Canberra (we moved away 4½ years ago)

4. Was still loving being a young married couple.

3 years ago I . . .
1.I was loving being pregnant in what would seem to be the longest pregnancy ever! Still had two months to go!

2. Had recently moved house to a bigger nicer home for our baby to call home in Cobar.

3. I was loving being surrounded by wonderful friends who were there to share this time in my life.

4. Was sad to know that I wouldn’t be around family at this same time :(

1 year ago I . . .
1. I hesitantly supported my dear husband in making the decision to move to Mt Isa, QLD.

2. I was struggling to make friends in this bigger town and terribly missing my old friends in Cobar.

3. I had just come home from the Louth Scrapbooking Retreat where we had a ball before having to return to the Isa :(

4. Was the first time I travelled on a plane on my own with a toddler, wasn’t too bad at all!

So far this year I . . .
1. Thank God for giving us the opportunity to move and adapt to where he wants us.

2. Thank God daily for the friends I have all over the place.

3. Have been camping for the first time and loved it!!

4. Have miscarried once again in March but am now in my 9th week of pregnancy and all is going well PTL!!!

Yesterday I . . .
1. Slept in a little longer than usual and felt great- i.e.: not too much nausea :)

2. I turned up to playgroup but it wasn’t on because school holidays start next week so…

3. We went to Mc Cafe with a friend and her gorgeous little one instead.

4. Got some ironing done finally…

Today I . . .
1. Made chocolate biscuits with Jesse

2. Went for a doctor’s appt to confirm pregnancy including blood tests

3. Plan to make a roast rack of lamb for the first time

4. Plan to upload this to my blog :)

Tomorrow I. . .
1. Will hopefully start my day with some soft boiled eggs for brekkie…in bed of course (hint-hint Lalo) :)

2. Plan to have a quiet day at home.

3. Maybe get some scrapping done while Jesse sleeps

4. Vaccum & Mop the floors if I find the energy.

In the next 12 months I shall . . .
1. Keep my trust in God

2. Have my sister & niece visit us in Mt Isa

3. Give birth to a beautiful healthy baby…

4. Keep enjoying the life God provided for us.

Did you learn anything new...? Clik on the comments and let me know :)

2007-09-18T19:42:00.001+10:00

It's been a quiet few days here lately, the weekend was non eventful other than Jesse waking up with a stiff neck from sleeping on it badly and therefore we had a somewhat... whingy boy on our hands poor darling. After three days of 'my neck is thore' he's still walking and turning kinda funny but there's no more complaints of pain so i think he's just being overly cautious. Because this was the weekend that i was meant to be in Louth at the scrapbooking retreat Lalo was going to take Jesse for the afternoon on Saturday for a big walk up on of the hills but that didn't happen and therefore i missed out on valuable scrapping time, none the less i have these creations to show for my efforts... So not my BEST work (nor publishable for that matter) but i'm documenting my family's happenings and isnt that what its all about??

Have a great day whenever you read this :)

2007-09-12T19:28:00.000+10:00

Just thought i'd share a few more photos of our trip away and time we spent with family just in case they may actually be looking at this blog LOL!

We did have a ball especially now that Jesse is getting that little bit older and is able to interact and make everyone laugh (and cry at times, oops). It's great to come home too and have him ask for everyone he saw and where are they etc. A little sad but great that he remembers them and now understands a bit more when he's speaking on the phone with them etc.

Anyways, just a few images i thought were tipical of our visit... please don't judge LOL!!

A few nights were spent getting acquainted with the new technology of the day...

So the next morning we would praise God for 'ABC Kids' so we could have those last few minutes of dozing before it was time to go go go!

This one is self explanatory... do you think i take TOO many photos of this little guy?

And just a nice one to finish off, it was really really nice to see the two cousins bonding, sharing and enjoying each other's company (in amongst the tears and heartache of course) for the short time we were there.

We're back!

2007-09-09T19:44:00.000+10:00

After two weeks of purposely keeping myself away from a computer while on holidays i have a lot to catch up on so the updates will be posted in chapters in order of appearance :) Here's a rough overview but i dare say i'll be revisiting some parts of the trip as i go through my photos :)

The purpose of our trip was a friend's wedding of course but i had to make plans on the way so as not to waste the opportunity of a trip through Brisbane! On our 5hr stopover a few of the SoF girls who reside in Brisbane made the trip to the DFO to meet with us, it was a real treat to meet them in real life and put a voice to the faces i'd been talking to for such a long time now!

The rest of the first week was spent in two halves... Lalo speding time with Frank as the best man should do and me... occupying myself with shopping and kidlets as a dutiful wife and aunty should do LOL

Then of course there was the wedding which was beautiful on all accounts, the bride looked stunning, the groom scrubbed alright (almost as good as the best man *wink*) and the weather was great for a Semptember day in Canberra!

The second week was rush rush rush to see and do everything we had to do before coming home, namely shop during the day and then visit everyone who wanted to see us of an evening. Of course we NEVER get to see everyone we would like to see but there's always next time...

We managed to spend some time with Lalo's parents who made the 2hr trip to see us for a day, muchly appreciated :)

and then some time with Lalo's sister & her kids for the cousins to get reacquainted... they had a ball!!

Jesse enjoyed spending time with Ruthie, and everyone else enjoyed spending time with him too...

so on all sides so it was bittersweet to watch as i know we live so far away and those times are so few and far between but if this is how God would have then who am i to argue?

All is well again...

2007-08-22T14:55:00.000+10:00

Yes, harmony has returned to the Gonzalez household... all our illnesses have receded and have kindly been asked NOT TO RETURN!!!

Jesse has made the most miraculous recovery, after the last post where i had hoped it was only a passing thing well that afternoon wasnt much better. He was moping around and being very lethargic and even threw up again in the afternoon.

Next morning though he was a new boy! He got up and put all his breakfast things out as he usually does (it's so cute) and ate all that was put in front of him, breakfast and lunch and most of dinner! As if he'd never been sick!

Praise God for speedy recoveries and answered prayer!

This week we fly out to Canberra at lunch time Saturday for a wedding where Lalo is the best man so i hope to come back with lots of photos of my gorgeous man all suited up! LOL

Meanwhile i have a list as long as my arm (ok, given my arms are actually quite short maybe i should say as long as Lalo's arms LOL!) of things to do before we go so what am i doing here in blogland???

Oh that's right, praising God for our speedy recoveries and lots of other things he needs to be preaised for ;o)

Half way through Sunday...

2007-08-19T14:51:00.000+10:00

Day started early as Lalo left for work at 6.45am but made me a cup of tea in bed before he left (new tradition, thanks Chrissy *wink*).When Jesse eventually wandered out of his room at 7.30ish we did the get dressed, breakfast, tidy up thing and then went to church. All signs pointed to a good day still...

Church was great as usual, the girls at creche even complimented on how well behaved Jesse was and how he's coming out and actually conversing heaps, he's known for being shy and introverted at church so this was great!. Still all signs pointed to this being a good day...

Then we got home in time for lunch, Jesse was not quite himself, his eyes looked somewhat sunken and dark... he's not a big bread eater but will usually down half a sandwich with some gentle encouragement... today i shouldnt have 'encouraged' as much coz he eventually threw up :o( I felt like such a bad mummy :o(

Then it was time for bed (he usually sleeps from 1pm-3.30ish) but this time it took ages,he kept calling and crying, he was nauseous and had a sore tummy (all the while i'm wearing a groove in the hallway going back & forth from the ironing board to his room!) but EVENTUALLY decided he needed to go... ...

Then he fell asleep! ...

I hope it was just that something didn't agree with him because it's getting awfully close to the time we go away......

So it could still be a good day if that's all it was, i didnt get as much ironing done as i wanted to but the day isnt over, and if i play my cards right i might even finish the layout i started last night and show you before the day's out :o)

2007-08-18T09:19:00.001+10:00

Dinner went great last night, food was good, wine was good and the company excellent of course LOL! I didnt take my camera *shock* but some of the other girls did so i'll be expecting photos from them soon and then i'll show you all :o)

This morning we took Lalo to work at 6.45am and last night was the first night where Jesse hadn't woken up in the night since he's been sick and i wasn't up all night coughing either, Lalo slept well too and other than a headache which goes away with panadol he's fine too so Praise God!

Tonight we have our new pastor's induction at the church so we'll be there for that, really looking forward to this new season in our church, there is much excitement, nervousness and all round giddyness at the things God has in store for us all...

Just one more quick thing to share, this morning I put Jesse into room-time to try and get him back in the habit of staying there until the timer goes off (since he's been sick i've been very leaniant on him), and seeing as he's waaay better he stayed there quite happily playing with the cooking stuff... Then i hear him calling..."look at my family, look at my family" so off i go to see see...

2007-08-17T14:25:00.000+10:00

I should be glad it's friday but with Lalo on call this weekend i'm not that glad about it... however it IS one more day closer to the time we go away and Jesse is starting to look healthier and play up more so he must be recovering LOL!

Lalo is home sick today but looks heaps better than he did when he came home yesterday so i dare say he will be at work throughout the weekend while Jesse and i potter around as we do...

Tonight however i am out on the town with some girls from church on a girls night out *happy dance going on* we'll be going to dinner and having girly fun so i'll try to take some piccies and post them here tomorrow :)

OOHHH and i should say we've had some rain here today, it's kinda cold and grey but it's nice to be able to wear winter clothes for just a bit longer before the heat starts, good for us to aclimatise before we go to Canberra too i guess.