A new Beginning..

Two of the boys started school today.  Aden is in Year 3 (2nd Grade) and Ian in Year 6 (5th grade).  They were so excited and nervous!  I can understand.  I noticed a little girl in Aden's class crying and clinging to her mother.  It took me back to my days of elementary school.  I'm sure that is how I was with my mother.  :)  But there were no tears today.  Not even from me!  I can't wait for them to get home....in 6 hours....to hear how their day went.  I'm sure they will be all smiles then!!

Mixed Emotions...and a few layouts...

Design Dollies

Sketchy Thursdays

Today my in-laws left after their month long visit.  It was SO good to have them here.  We enjoyed seeing some sights, visiting our first home Christchurch, and just hanging out with a cup of coffee and playing cards.  Oh how we will miss them.  Yesterday we decided we needed to climb the World's


Steepest Street, Baldwin Street here in Dunedin.  Its quite the climb but I'm glad we did it as a family.

We are happy that our teammates are here with us. Not only in Dunedin but here in our house.  I think that will help make today not quite as sad.  The boys are starting school tomorrow!  New school year, new school.  They are anxious and happy to go meet new friends.  What a week!!!


I have snuck some moments away to complete a couple layouts.  The first one is a new challenge I've found.  DesignDollies had a great sketch this week and I knew right away it was perfect for Aden's "Kiwi" feet.  He loves that he can be barefoot any time, any place.

Next layout is for SketchyThursdays challenge this week.  While my mother-in-law was here, she took me to my local (YES, I said LOCAL!!!) scrapbook store and bought me the Basic Grey collections Marjolaine.  Thanks, Jan!!!  I LOVE it!  The blues, browns, and greens are just my colors.  It worked great for both these layouts.  I love this picture of Aron in his red jersey walking away from me.  I almost didn't catch him but so thankful I did.  It made me reflective of where he is in life.  Having just turned 11, he is gleefully calling himself a pre teen.  Yikes....not sure if I'm ready for those teenage years yet.  So I'll hold on tight to these days we have now.

So thankful for this last month that has brought many smiles and many moments to remember.  And of course, scrapbook!

Life is a blur...and Sketchy Thursdays...

The last few weeks have been a little bit blurry.  We've enjoyed having my in-laws here and have seen a lot of beautiful places.  Yesterday was a rainy day and I was secretly thankful as it meant we could stay home for a little while.  Sooooo...I used that time to sneak in some scrapbooking.  :)  The challenge at SketchyThursdays was a great one for this layout of Aden cutting his hair.  I've been a mother for 11 years now and Aden was the first to cut his hair.  His response?  "Well, you said I needed a haircut."

My next layout is for scrapbookers-anonymous.  Their challnege this month was to use 17 buttons on a layout.  Well.....let me say that my 23 buttons on this layout didn't even come close to making a dent in my stash!  And that's not even including the big tin on vintage buttons my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas.  Love those!!!  This layout is about my boy's love for water.  They have always loved water, even as little babies.  Living in New Zealand, they would go to the ocean every day if we let them.  And the water here isn't exactly warm.  We are only 1900 miles north of Antartica so the water is VERY cold.  I don't think the tap water runs as cold as the ocean here.  Brr...but it doesn't stop them.

I thought I'd include this sunset picture.  Its been a joke around here about if the sun shines here or not.  Typical New Zealand weather has been around for my in-laws visit.  This evening we were watching for yellow eyed penguins, the world's rarest.  I just had to capture the sunset too.  It was beautiful!  Here is one of the pictures of a penguin.  So cool to have seen them in the wild.  Next week, my in-laws leave and the boys start school.  I think I'll loose myself in my paper and glue for a few hours....or days.  :)

Dream come true...

11 years ago today, my dream of becoming a mother came true.  Aron was prayed for, wished for, cried for, longed for, and then given to me by God.  I am blessed by HIS life in my life.  And so very thankful he calls me Mum.  Happy Birthday to my sweet, fire loving Baby boy!  (the candles in the middle were his idea.  See that HUGE flame???  And the smile to match???  That's my boy!!!)

Sketchy Thursdays...

Slipping this one in just in time for this week's challenge at SketchyThursdays.  Now off to celebrate Aron's 11th birthday!  More on that later!  :)

Sketchy Thursdays...Guest Designer Challenge

First off, let me say that it sure doesn't feel like summer here in Dunedin!  I'm sitting here with a long sleeve shirt, a sweater, jeans, socks and shoes and my fingers are still cold.  I'm wondering what it will be like in winter.  Brrr......It seems fitting that the pictures I chose for SketchyThursdays Guest Designer Challenge are snow pictures.  The challenge this time around was to use red, at least one heart, and journaling.  We took these photos Valentine's Day last year but my feelings for Bryce are still the same today.  I am so thankful for him and the love he has for me.
Photo 2/14/2010...journaling 1/13/2011

Sketchy Thursdays...

Over the past few days I've snuck in some scrap time here and there.  We have been quite busy showing Dunedin to my in-laws, which we've loved!  I thought I'd better get this posted before we head off for the day.  I'm going to have an 11 year old next week so I need to do some birthday shopping.  My layout this week is from SketchyThursdays challenge this week.  I just love these pictures of my boys in the woods!

Favorites from today...

Overlooking Dunedin from Signal Hill

Today the sun was shining!  It has been cold, rainy, and chilly since Dale and Jan (my in-laws) got here so we were so thankful for sunshine and warmth today.  We took a drive up Signal Hill, took in the sights and captured some memories.  The boys love to run around in the woods and flat areas surrounding the lookout.  They came running up to me and said "Mom!  You HAVE to check out this mushroom!  You'd love to photograph it."  Do my boys know me or what?!   They were right.  You probably have guessed that this isn't the only photo of these cool mushrooms.  :)  I'm so glad they came to get me and knew that I would love to see them.  How cool!  I used that opportunity to photograph my other favorite thing(s)....My Boys!  I love that they are willing....most of the time.....to have my camera in their face.  I'm so glad I was able to capture these shots.  Today was a good day!

They're Here!!!

The boys "attacking" Grandma with a HUGE hug!

After many months of planning, skyping, and just anticipation, my in-laws arrived yesterday for a month long visit.  I think the excitement level in the house could rival the excitement of Christmas!  As we sat at the airport waiting for their plane to arrive, Aden kept saying "I just can't wait!  I just can't wait!" with a sparkle in his eye.  I think in the first hour Dale and Jan were here, "Grandma" was said about 500 times.  The New Zealand weather gave them a great welcome of clouds, rain, wind, chills, and just grey skies.  Welcome to the Land of the Long White Cloud!  We are so excited for this time together and praying the month goes by slowly.   Oh...and I believe that the first picture is my photo of the day for yesterday!  :)

Happy 2011...

Wow...how did we get through 2010 so quickly?  Didn't we just start this....well, last year?  I'm not a big one on making New Year's resolutions, but I am a believer in Goals.  So this year I have several goals that I AM going to accomplish.  Just one of my goals is to take a picture every day.  I like to believe I'm pretty good at capturing the every day moments along with the special times but there are some days I don't get any pictures taken.  So just one of my goals is a purposeful photo every day.  I am going to figure out how to get a slide show of my POTD...photo of the day....up onto my blog so I (and you) can have a record of my photo journal.

With that being said, this is today's photo.  This is one of my favorite road signs here in New Zealand.  It shows the road you are driving on, a rail road next to it, and then several side roads.  After looking at it, I think "what, where?????".  But I think this is a great one to start off 2011 being that there is one path that I want to follow and so many that could send me in a different direction.    I am looking forward to keeping my focus, staying on the path, and achieving my goals!  So whether you make a New Year's resolution or not, here's to achieving our Goals!

Happy 2011 Everyone!