3 weeks...

It has been three weeks since dad died....my head knows this but my heart still cannot believe it....there is so much I want to tell my dad...I cannot believe that we will just never see him again...I don't suppose it is ever something you get used to.

These pics are all fairly recent ones and are the things E talks about doing with her dad-dad...we talk about him a lot and will continue to do so, so she hopefully will not forget...





A family friend Peter Lee wrote this a couple of weeks ago
Lissy

monday art....

I was hoping to get on with something creative today...but....

The morning was spent taking my mum to the airport...so all pretty quiet around here with everyone gone!

Then I had a nap and entertained E...I set up her new easel in the play room and she set to work! This masterpiece is grandma on holidays! She is rather enjoying her new playroom I think!
Ben called from Denmark and all is going well over there....they have internet etc in each room! And plenty of other facilities at the training centre.

We had dance this afternoon and my friend Jo is popping over to visit tonight...so that is this day finished!

Hope you have had a good Monday - Lissy

making progress....

This morning my sister, brother in law and youngest nephew came over and we headed down to the Farmer's Market...my brother in law was picking up a couple of Turkeys...and then we headed for the fruit and veg which I must say was wonderful....I shall have to make a regular stop there on Sundays I think...

I got a phone call from Ben to say he had arrived in Copenhagen despite some flight delays and his luggage arriving late from London. He heads of to the Maersk Training Centre today for the Anchor Handling Course (the anchors that hold oil rigs down that is!)...I have no idea where that is exactly but it seems to be on some island part of Denmark near a place called Svendborg, a couple of hours from Copenhagen!

Then we headed back to our place and mum and my eldest nephew turned up and the marathon began...sorting my house out and shifting the last of the furniture around....my sister is a very good organiser so it soon got underway and huge progress was made....I had to have a nap and take rests to put my feet up ( I really could do without this pregnancy high blood pressure thing!)

So now we have a play room and a toy free living area! YAY!!! I still need to get some shelving for the books, a TV and cabinet and do some sorting in the play room but it has already made a great difference to the house....it is just off the kitchen and my scrap room so the perfect location. It currently has an antique chandelier for lighting so looks a little grand!

And I will get on with some more organising in my scrap room....an ongoing saga! And at least now my house and garden is starting to look presentable....

But at least now I can feel like I can get on with some scrapping and creative stuff this week!

E being me this evening....lol...

And this girl loves her pasta...must be the Italian in her....lol....from Ben's side of the family! She would always share my dad's pasta when we went to restaurants but soon ate so much we had to get her own serve!
Hope you have had a good weekend - Lissy

Sharon....

I meant to mention this in my last post but got side tracked....lol....

Sharon has her own website....so go check it out :) I love the little mini album :)

I am hoping she will come and take some baby pictures for me in a few months :)

Have a great weekend all - Lissy

36 hours without power....

But we survived....and were actually pretty productive moving furniture and rooms around....so now we are all sleeping down one end of the house....just have to set up the play room now....oh and I am still doing the bedrooms for Evangeline and the baby....oh well...have a few months...or 11 weeks to be exact....and I was very glad to have a long hot shower this afternoon after a couple of cold ones! I won't complain though as I know my sister has had worse power cuts on the farm!

Our puppy Missy has grown....she is now 12.4kg and 16 weeks old....a month ago she was 9kg...she will get to 28 - 30 kg when she is fully grown! We are still working on the training! E had a bag of treats and was practising getting Missy to sit....She has a fabulous nature as all GSP (German Short Haired Pointers) seem to have...and most of the time fancies herself as a lap dog...lol
Ben has flown off to Copenhagen for 10 days....his first trip to Europe... exciting even if it is for training! If I wasn't 7 months pregnant I would have gone too! Oh well! We checked him in, had a coffee at Dome and then sent him through the departure gates! E only sat still long enough to drink her Iced Chocolate!I am supposed to be taking it easy (blood pressure is up) but need to get some sorting and cleaning done....this upside down and messy house is getting depressing...but now the furniture is mostly moved I can get on with it again...and the washing has mounted up....

My sister and family are down this weekend...as Mum, Annica and Ace are off to Europe (Prague, Italy and France) on Monday too...we managed to get mum a flight etc last week so she can go....Dad had been very upset she cancelled the trip when he got sick...Ace (9) is looking forward to going to Venice! I would love to be going!

So with everyone gone, I have put aside next week to scrap book and get the Hyden Retreat class samples done....and maybe even something for me! And a bit of sewing would be nice too! Do I sound like a broken record...lol...Hope you have a great weekend - Lissy

Muddy Puddles.....

Alli came for morning tea with the boys today...wet, cold and rainy but they had fun in the rain puddles (Alli took this photo) ...so they had to have a bath and dry clothes! Such a great childhood experience for them! And Alli made yummy choc muffins for us to eat! I just made the tea!

And she took a picture of the bump...so here it is! Onto some scrapping and such soon....just need to have a rest....Lissy

28 weeks

Well I have hit 28 weeks and went to see my Ob (Dr Love...lol...yes that is his name) and see how we are going....blood pressure up a bit which is understandable after last couple of weeks...so here she is....I have tried to take a pic of myself...the bump... but will have to wait and get someone to do it for me...

Busy day on Sunday working in the garden...not that I did much....mum stayed with us for a few days when we got back from the farm...the weeds were waist high and the roses needed pruning...Ben did some mowing and such too...so it all looks much better around the garden!
E supplied us with refreshments and then helped out with the gardening...and the azaleas and wisteria are flowering which is lovely! Need to do some weeding in the vege garden which is growing well.

Scrapping.....have plans to get my samples done for the Retreat classes next week....have the ideas and the stuff.... just need to do them..so stay tuned for Sneak Peeks and details...Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat from19th – 21st of October 2007...so quite soon really!

Anyway other than that Ben is off to Copenhagen for ten days for training on Friday and we are trying to get on with life. Take care - Lissy

mum's birthday

Well today was mum's birthday...We are still at the farm but wanted to do something especially after all the sadness of the last couple of weeks. So we went to the only restaurant in the area(other than the pub)....about 100km away! But it is worth the trip....it is called Terra Vista (18km from Hyden) and is on a farm that also grows olives and makes oil too....We had an amazing meal.....chicken stuffed aubergine rolls with pasta......it was so delicious! Plus some yummy tiramisu and cassata for dessert. They have a great view over farm land and a great garden which Ike and Evangeline had fun playing in.We have had wonderful support from family and friends in the past week which we are thankful for. The reality of it all still has not set in and I think we all expect dad to walk around the corner any moment. And maybe we always will.

Lissy

more time

....more time with my dad is what I would wish for....but then any amount of time would never be enough to spend with this wonderful, kind, talented,intelligent,loving and lovable man....

My sister and I are so lucky to have had the best dad in the world, our Mum, a wonderful husband and our kids a very special grandad. I only have good memories which is not something many people can truthfully say...

Walter Edmond Alden 25 November 1936 - 28 August 2007

We will always love you and be thinking of you dad xxx

busy, busy, busy weekend...

and I am knackered! and warning...long post with lots of pics :)

It started Friday when my nephews came to play. We surprised E with their visit picking her up from school (she finishes at 12). They had a ball playing as always!
On Saturday, the boys and my sister came over for morning tea, then at lunch time we went to the airport to pick up Ben's dad... E had a lot of fun playing with her Papa... Then Auntie Marg and her cousins came over...more playing and afternoon tea! Then we had tea Saturday night with mum, my sister and family....so even more playing! And she had made a yummy washing day pudding!

Today has been a little quieter....we made pancakes for morning tea as my sister and family were dropping in again...

And E and I have been playing....cafes, doctors, taking photos, fixing things with the Fix it Fairy....and she chatted on the phone to Ben and so on...

I am no super mum I just try and remember that she will not be little for ever and to enjoy playing with her.

And then my good friend Jo came for afternoon tea....

So very busy but lots of fun and lots of cake.....

I made a couple of Kim Archer's mini wallet albums...from her Hey Dad online class...fabulous idea...so quick and simple....now I just have to print out the photos for them....and more good ideas there waiting to be done! I think I will do a feminine one for my mum's birthday too...
And the most precious thing from the whole weekend...this picture E drew today....she traced the shapes using my tag template and then made them into our family...me top left, Ben top right, E bottom left and her sister (due in a few months!) bottom right...how cute is that! I absolutely love it! And some pics from today that I just like...
Hope you have had a good weekend - Lissy

so far this week...

all is going pretty well here....the weather is mixed and we have been rather busy...nothing exciting...just everyday stuff!

early morning walks with an angel
blowing bubbles
playing with friends
watching TV with the cat
I have been washing and ironing a mountain of fabric...rather tedious but necessary.....so now I really do have to get on with the sewing side of things...though I am having arguments with the sewing machine....so it may take a while....

I am well and truly fed up with moving junk around...but have most of it done and cannot do a whole lot more until the man of the house returns and moves the furniture! I am still clearing out stuff and just about keeping Good Sammies fully supplied at the moment as I am ditching loads of stuff!

Two gorgeous handmade garments arrived this week from an Etsy store - Kinchi - the workmanship and quality of these garments is fabulous and they are so beautiful...a summery dress for E and the back.....
and a wrap dress for baby....I love the fabrics and colours...they are both so unique...my photos do not do them justice I am afraid...

I am trying to finish the birdie album so then I can clear my counter and maybe get onto some scrapping again! Some for the retreat and some for me hopefully...but Father's Day and my mum's birthday are looming too so I need to get cracking there! I am doing Kim Archer's online Father's Day class so hope that may provide the necessary gifts!

I hope you are having a lovely week - Lissy

sunday....

Another good day today!
E set up a picnic this morning....then we met some friends at the Guildford Sunday Market. They came back for coffee and a play...then E painted the house we made yesterday...and we had a sleep...well E had a big sleep, which she doesn't do often and I dozed for a while!

So all in all a good day! And we just saw a wonderful rainbow out side....hope you have had a good weekend too - Lissy

a wonderful day....

We have had a wonderful day E and I, so I thought I would write a second post!

The weather didn't get to 25C but it was still lovely outside! It was a bit windy in the morning so we cleaned and rearranged Evangeline's bedroom and she loved it being all neat and tidy!

Then we washed and played with Missy...she coped very well with her first bath! The cat was outside too... We ate our Vegemite sandwiches outside on the step because it was so nice out! And this afternoon I made a pillow and mattress for E's dolls bed (which used to be mine)...she was rather delighted but soon found some other uses for it in an upside down stool...and took her own photos!The sewing is very dodgy but she does not seem to mind!

Anyway I hope you have had a delightful day too - Lissy

saturday morning....

Plans for today....well we had pancakes for breakfast...yum...couldn't wait until Sunday...lol... Three loads of washing are on the line and nearly dry due to the wind! I hate to use the dryer which fortunately here in Perth we don't have to do often anyway.

I might try and do a little more sorting and so on...the "moving house without moving house" project is progressing well! I need to get all the stuff in 5 rooms moved so Ben can move the furniture when he gets home in two weeks! It would be bliss if we could squeeze in a little painting too. With only 16 weeks until this baby makes her appearance we have a bit to do! Especially since Ben will be gone for about 8 of those weeks!

I really want to get on and do something creative....scrapbooking and sewing and so on....but I feel I really need to get this house in order so I am putting it all on the back burner for now....mostly...still working on the birdie album and such though....

And I am starting to get organised for the next Scrappin’ Outback Retreat in Hyden near Wave Rock from 19th – 21st of October 2007...I am planning on creating two layouts...a double travel layout (two versions) and a single school photo layout....so I shall share some sneak peaks in the next few weeks! So start thinking about what photos you have if you are coming....call Karen on 98751021 or 0427977672....the other tutors are Ali Paterson and Sharon Manning...and they will be coming up with some great stuff!

Then we plan to wash the dog Missy when it warms up...her first bath....eeek! It is forecast 25C here today...not bad for the last weeks of winter!

Later we will catch up with my sister and family....so I shall keep you posted! Have a good day - Lissy

friends...

I am lucky to have some great friends :) Some I don't see often and some I only chat to by email but still a great bunch of friends.

I have had a lot of friends helping out in the last couple of weeks....babysitting E for me, bringing medicine over late at night so I don't have to go to the late night chemist with a sick child and so on...And there help is so appreciated especially when Ben is away at work! Their support is invaluable! So thanks girls :)

E has an ear infection to add to her cough and a cold and she was in a lot of pain last night until Mel brought over Pain Stop....I have now stocked up! She was pretty quiet all day. I have a cough and a cold too so we had a sleep this afternoon and she has really perked up tonight! Yay! It is nice to have my bright little angel back! note: I use the term 'angel' lightly...lol...

I bought some baby carrots and broccolini to cook so E could see what was going to happen in our vege garden...she thought the carrots were yummy! Here is a fascinating photo! We ate some raw and then we cooked the carrots and broccolini and she ate some of them too! So I am looking forward to the stuff in our patch growing! And it does look like it is growing!

E loves puzzles.
And Mel has given me a nice award :) How nice is that :) The Nice Matters award is blog hopping at the moment! So now I am passing it on....plenty of candidates out there...but not all bloggers so here goes...Alli, Sharon, Rach, Megan....All very NICE girls....so it wouldn't surprise me if they have already been nominated :) Not sure how many I am supposed to do....I want to add more...but need to leave some for others out there to nominate :)

Have a great rest of the week and for those who are fighting coughs etc I hope we are all feeling better soon! Lissy

organising....and de cluttering!

I have been quite productive....I am getting rid of a LOT of stuff around the house....clothes, craft stuff and so on and it feels great! Lots of stuff going to school, loads of stuff to Good Sammies (the boot of the car is filling up), and some stuff for the holiday house! I am a hoarder so I am trying to be ruthless!

And I am rearranging and organising stuff....I figure time is running out before this baby arrives so I need to get on with it! I actually really like things in my house to be neat, organised and aesthetically pleasing although I do not always achieve it!

In my 'studio' I have placed all my nice fabrics on the shelves for inspiration....boxed and labelled my sewing stuff until my meat safe is cleaned up to house it all...

I rearranged things so the scruffy scrap booking stuff is out of sight...and the shelves are neat and organised...it is much nicer and more conducive to creating if things are visually appealing...so one shelf done... ....but the rest of the room is still a bit of a mess! I work on a 9 foot long antique shop counter which is currently covered in stuff....so I need to sort and clean that up too! And I have another smaller shelf to do as well...

I have thrown out heaps of magazines and paper work that is just cluttering up the place too. I figure while I am on a purging roll I need to keep going!

I have to sort out my photos....I have ALL the photos from the family mostly so I am trying still to roughly sort and categorise them...plus all my millions of photos from when I used film...so that is still a bit of a mess...and I do not really have an effective storage idea for them either...

It is raining LOTS here today and only 13'C...cold for us! Alli and her two munchkins came for lunch and a play! E is always excited to see them! A nice way to break up a rainy day!

I am working on the baby's curtains....they are pink gingham and I am planning on appliqueing pears and apples on them....my skills in this area are a bit limited so we shall see how I go! These are the fabrics......

I am also going to attempt a rag edge quilt with these fabrics plus a few others from the stash....I found some instructions by Della Jultak on the Internet...and just have to work out how big I want it...

So hopefully I will have quite a productive weekend! Hope you have a good one too - Lissy

inspiring art....

Over the last few months I have been collecting some art from Etsy....nothing particularly expensive...but all based around a theme of RED...I want to create an INSPIRING ART wall in my studio (a rather grand name for my creative space). My aunt always had a wall of interesting art prints at her house on the farm that I loved as a child...

Some I have framed and sitting on top of the bookshelves....others I am waiting to find frames for...then I will proceed to create my wall....soon I hope!< This is my latest purchase called Bird Talk by Sieben Morgen...a little collage...I just love it...it has come all the way from Stuttgart Germany!
The room is all pretty neutral at the moment...but in a HUGE mess so I cannot share any photos of it as yet! Swapping rooms around in the house is creating even more mess and disorganisation around here...I am mainly shifting stuff from one room to another and piling it up where I have recently cleared space and so on....lol...but I live in hope that one day I will have it mostly organised and looking good! I am not the most organised person as most will know but I still believe this is achievable!

I had plans to be creative or sew today...but instead I have played with Evangeline and the puppy...not productive but very satisfying! Hope you have had a good day - Lissy