ANZAC Day

I know that I am a little late but on Saturday we commemorated the brave New Zealand and Australian troops who fought at Anzac Cove in Turkey 25 April 1915.

There is a growing attendance at the dawn service in New Zealand. Unfortunately it is just a little too early for this young family we did make a special trip down the road to our local memorial.

So in their memory I salute you and all those who have given up so much in the name of freedom.

For the Fallen

They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.

From the poem by Laurence Binyon

This is the poppy that the returned service men and women sell to help raise money to support the needs of all service men and women of New Zealand.



Finally our local memorial. Small and simple but does the job to remind us all.

How hard can it be?

How hard can it be for a pharmaceutical company to stay in stock of the nutrition supplement my son needs over night?

After this weeks experience I would say impossible. The warehouses had no stock, the parent company in New Zealand had none. Consequently I had to make a run into our nearest hospital to collect a couple of nights worth of food.



I hope they sort out the problem before too long because it has taken 5 days to sort this temporary solution out.

P365 week 15 and 16

Here are my next two weeks for Project 365

week 15



The credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi

week 16



The credits are here at Nuts4Digi

The Holidays.

It is the school holidays so my blogging has got very slack. These two weeks have been full of adventure, the at home and day trip variety.

We have been hiking, kite flying, box carting, ferry riding and exploring the military caves of North Head. The children have been baking, and chalk drawing, climbing trees and to the movies. We have had visitors, done some gardening and constructed a worm farm.

Phew I get exhausted just thinking about it. DH has done a little more painting, I have made some bedroom curtains and have taken DS1 to hospital for neurology appointment and to have blood taken from his port a cath. Oops it has failed and it looks like he is in for some more surgery....yuck.

DS1 has had a week in respite care so I have had some mornings to sleep in and sleep through the night which is always fabulous.

I hope all your holidays have been fun and full of adventure like ours.

Watch out for some more photos but here is a LO taken with the children paddling in the sea after taking a ferry ride to Devonport from Auckland City.



The credits are here at Nuts4Digi

Friends

At this time when the funeral on my friend has been, it sit here with terribly mixed emotions.

My tissues and tears were out and well used at the funeral. About 200 people turned up to the New Zealand many of whom I knew. So bitter sweet really so sad but fabulous to catch up with people I have not see for some time.

Anyway this has really bought me to reflect upon friends and what they really mean to me,

My friends loss will be greatly felt. She was always there when I needed someone to lean on, someone to share good and not so good news, the highs and lows, the laughter and tears. She respected me and inspired me to be my best.

So to all fabulous friends out there. I love you and value what you mean to me.

Finally I thought that I would put this little poem in memory of my lost friend.

Do Not Stand at my Side

Do not stand at my side and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep,
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glint on snow.

I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle Autumn rain,
I am the shining star at night,
When you awake to the morning light.

My time has come, I am at rest,
I am the swift, uplifting rush,
Of quiet birds in circling flight,
I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my side and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

A Very Sad Day

Friendship is something to be cherished for ever. So today I sit numb with sadness and shedding tears as I take in the news that a really good friend of mine was out riding her bike when she was hit by a very fast moving car and left for dead on the side of the road. Sadly and despite the efforts of the medical staff my friend passed away.

She leaves behind a husband and a tweenaged son.

My hugs, prayers and support go to those whom are left behind.

Another day out

Phew I think I am worn out. It is the forth day of the holidays and we have been doing the staycation thing. Today we decided, because DS1 was off to residential respite care over on the North Shore of Auckland, we would give the children an opportunity to ride on a commuters ferry from Auckland City to Devonport on the North Shore.

The day was a perfect Autumns day. The sun was shining the sky was blue and we didn't need sweatshirts. I was the designated driver so DH and the children could cross the harbour and meet me on the other side. They were all very excited as they left the car. I smiled as I saw everyone skipping their way to the ferry building. Luckily the water was very calm and the ride was smooth. Smiles and excited chatter greeted me when I arrived to pick them all up.

Isn't it wonderful when an experience that is everyday for some people can be really exciting for others.

P365 week 13 and 14

Here are my pages for Project 365.

Week 13



The credits can be found here

week 14



The credits for this can be found here.

I wonder how I am keeping up with this. I am surprise at myself as we a quarter of the way through the year and I haven't yet missed a week.

Enough of patting myself on the back.

Easter Eggs

I have to say we don't have too many traditions at Easter in our house. Going to Church and making Easter Eggs is about it.

This is the third year on Good Friday that my children and I have made marshmallow eggs and coated them in chocolate.

Each child has a turn to make their own marshmallow and participate in the mess task of coating everything in chocolate, and I really mean everything. So after a long and exhausting morning each child had complete their batch. I heard everything from... when is it my turn.... how much longer do i need to stir... when can I ....Is it time to ....really the list of questions was endless. When I sat down at the end of this I had to smile at how much fun each child had had. I smiled too at how this tradition had become something which my children can wait to participate in.

This is the first year that my DH has been home to participate in the egg making experience. Usually he is out of the country with work. I am not sure how happy he felt as crowd control was his department this year. Holding back the eager, and at times tetchy, participants does require patients.

Here is McKenzie coating her marshmallow with chocolate.



Hayden just loves using the beater and here he is at the final moments of making marshmallow



Finally Andre really had a ball doing his chocolate work.

Every Little Girl Deserves a Moment of Magic.

My DD is a real tom boy. You can find her, on any given moment, climbing trees, using a hammer and nails, riding bikes etc etc. So I was really delighted when I captured a moment in time when she loved looking like a real girls girl.

She has the need to wear a white dress at an event soon. This dress was all that could be found and has about 3 layers of petticoats, bows and everything a pretty girls dress should have. I must add here that if I had a choice about style this dress would not have been top of my list. Anyway on goes the dress and DD developed the most beautiful smile. She twirled around and glowed with happiness as she just loved the dress.

Latter I look her outside so I could take a photo or two and I have to say I am glad that she gets her moment in time to wear a dress that she thinks is magical.

Just look at that smile




Don't you love the spontaneous twirls that come with the dress.



I even had a go at a very artistic style of scrapbooking with one of the photos. Not my thing really but I love what I have come up with for a first try.

Here is Every Little Girl needs a Moment of Magic.



You can find the credits here at Nuts4Digi

DD's homework

The homework my DD has this year is not the traditional variety at all. I am not sure what it's purpose is but it sure does take up heap of time. You will remember I posted earlier about the poster she, oops I mean I, had to make for homework. It was supposed to be done in an hour but these things needs heaps more time than the teacher anticipates.

Anyway last week it was cooking of some variety and this week this week it was to make a 3D model, a poster or a plan of a classroom. I have to admit none of them could be completed easily and with very little of my help. So after much discussion DD and I decided on a plan, of an ideal classroom. She drew a draft and I could see that it would take heaps of time to make the final copy. So I decided the computer was the way to go.

Firstly we went here so she could make her own printing into a font. Then with her direction I placed everything into the Photoshop programme. In 20 minutes this is what we got.



credits; everything is from Life365 by WW along with DD printing made into the font.

I have to say that I am not a believer that homework should need so much of my help but to get the job done this needed my input.

Since this was handed in I have been thinking that perhaps DD needs to learn Photoshop so that when her next homework project needs the computers help she will be able to have a go herself.

As for DD she was very excited at the way her homework turned out and really wants to learn how to do this herself.

A blogging award

The wonderful Melissa has given me a blogging award. This is a first for me so thank you Melissa. Take time to go and visit her blog it is always a great read. She takes wonderful photos and has great stories to share. Do drop in for a visit.



"The Dardos Award is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web."

“Premio Dardos” means “prize darts” in Italian. This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day.

The rules are:

1. Accept the award, post it in your blog together with the name of person granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Past the award to 15 other blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgement. Remember to contact them to let them know they have been chosen for this award'

So I really do have some great blogs that I visit. Not 15 but I will do my best to guide you to some.

1. Beth Nixon writes a wonderful blog. Full of stories of everyday life that most people can relate to.

2. Flora's Blog is just like visiting a candy shop. She is a wonderful scrapbooking artist.

3. {A} . This blog is fabulous and fits in my must read list.

Hmmm I think that this is it for the moment.

Project 365 week 11 and 12

Just a quick post to let you see me Project 365 pages for week 11 and 12. I have come to the point where I need to decide whether I am going to get these printed made into a book now and consequently having 4 books to make up a whole. Or whether I should wait and make just one magnificent book. Hmmm Since I have never had any of my LO's printed this would be a first for me and the seer thought of what they might look like outside of my computer does make me nervous.

Oh well

Week 11



week 12



Enjoy