im leaving on a jet plane...

tomorrow is the last day of 2011

it has been a fantastic year for us here in the blessed house

we started the year off in Canada on the ski slopes

and we are going to end the year in Cambodia in the searing heat!

this year i returned to work, teaching pre primary

will went to 'school' three days a week

and the hubby launched himself back into business

we bought an ice cream store and {new to us} boat which has made our summers more exciting

we have camped, took short holidays and spent lots of fun times with family and friends

next year i look forward to working less {much, much less}

the little guy is off to kindy

and who knows what the hubby is going to do in his business!

open a burger bar, hire more staff, start something new i am sure

i plan to spend more time with my girlfriends

more play dates

much much more crafting and learning how to do some new crafty things

more dates with my hubby 

more camping with my little family

swimming lessons and maybe even tae kwon do lessons for the little guy

lots of fun times ahead...

tomorrow we are leaving on a jet plane

we are all packed and ready to go

you can keep up with our adventures over at our blog

lake world tour

there will not be much posting going on here for the next two and a half weeks as i will be posting over at lake world tour so make sure you head on over to catch up on our adventures

happy new year everybody

love the blessed family

xoxo

{Christmas Day}

our christmas day started with a sleep in!

can you believe it?

the little guy was so tiered he slept through until nearly 8am

he climbed out of bead and peeped into the living room

then he came quietly into our bedroom and whispered to us

"there are some presents under the tree"

he is so mellow and easy going, just like his daddy

we unwrapped our presents 

and the little guy got all the things on his christmas list {plus a few more}

a gun {yes i gave in and got him a mini nerf gun}

buzz lightyear and woody dolls

and a skateboard

he was a very happy little boy

we had an easy morning around the house

getting ready for the big day while will played with his new treasures

then we headed to lunch at my mamma's house with my family

it is always a noisy even when my family gets together because there are so many of us

but i wouldn't have it any other way

the kids run around and have fun together and they even rope the adults in to play with them

there was lots and LOTS of delicious food {my family are wonderful cooks}

great company, lots of gifts, fun, laughter and joy...

in the afternoon we headed home to pick up the next round of food and gifts and then we headed to my hubby's parents house for christmas dinner with his family

once again there was lots of gifts and delicious food

we sat and watched will and his cutie cousin halle play

we nibbled on yummy treats, watched uncle matt fly his new kite and chatted away into the evening

and the end of the evening we were exhausted and it was straight home to sleep of all the christmas cheer

i love christmas

i love my family

and i love that jesus was born

after all he is the reason for the season

i hope you and your family had a wonderful christmas

loved the blessed family

xoxo

twas the night before christmas...

and all through the house

not a creature was stirring

not even a mouse

the stockings were hung by the chimney with care

in hopes that Saint Nicolas would soon be there

Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

cruising the canals

last night we put the boat in the water and cruised up and down the canals in mandurah looking at all the fancy houses decorated with chrissy lights

we pulled up at the marina to grab some delicious fish and chips from cicerellos

undoubtedly the best fish and chips around town

and then we continued to cruise around, listening to christmas tunes and admiring the sights

it was such a fantastic evening

now it is christmas eve and we are spending the day relaxing in preperation fro our busy day tomorrow

we are heaading to church tonight for the christmas eve church service and then home to bed to wait for santa claus to arrive

i am so very looking forward to tomorrow morning

to see the little guys excitement opening all his wonderful presents

merry christmas to you and your family

we hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with your family and friends

hand made chrissy cards

i do not usually hand out christmas cards, but this year i decided to make some cards with will for him to give to his grandparents 

we got the paints out yesterday and made some cute hand made chrissy cards

i came across this cute idea while i was cruising around pinterest

a hand print reindeer and we added some glitter glue for his red nose and the bells around his neck

i also stole this idea from pinterest too...

a hand print santa

i painted the fingers with white paint and the bottom of his hand and thumb with red paint

then we added some glitter to his hat to give him a little sparkle

and glitter glue for his eyes and smile

i finally got will to hold hid pen correctly

now we just need to teach him how to start writing his name

the days are slipping by very quickly in the lead up to christmas day

but i think i am ready now...

all the christmas gift buying is done

and all the gifts are wrapped and ready to be placed under the tree

the food is all sorted and bought and taking up all the space in my fridge 

camera is charged and ready for me to be snap happy and capture all the fun

our new clothes are all washed and ironed ready for us the wear

the house is clean and tidy

the christmas tunes have been put onto my iphone and the dock is charged ready to blast christmas carols all day long...

hope i have not forgot anything!

{christmas time traditions}

the little guy and i started a tradition last year of making a gingerbread house together

last year was the first time i ever decorated a house

i was able to purchase an already made and pieced together gingerbread house from the supermarket

all we had to do was pipe on the icing and decorate with lollies

but that was when we were in canada

i could not find one like it this year so i just went with the kit from ikea

all the pieces are already made and cut to shape for you

you just have to construct the house and decorate it

i had an extraordinarily difficult time putting ours together

just when i would have it all pieced together 

i would step back to admire my handy work and then it would fall in a heap!

somebody gave me some great advice after i had already done it of course

but they suggested you hold it together with pins

you just have to remember where the pins are and remove them before eating the house

i will defiantly try this trick next year.

i eventually got the houses finished, 

they did look a little more like the leaning tower of pisa then a cute little house in the snow!

will helped me to pour on the icing and cover the houses {we made two} with yummy candy

they are not fancy but i let will have creative license over them so i think they look pretty good for being completed by a three year old.

just look how perfectly he lined everything up

he is a little perfectionist, just like his daddy!

one house was for us and the other house {the better looking one!} we were going to take to his nanny and poppys house on christmas day

but when i got up this morning, will had already started nibbling away at one, 

the one for nanny and poppy of course!

holiday preperations

we are slowly {the emphasis is on SLOWLY}

getting ready for our trip to Cambodia

{you can read more about our trip here}

so far we have dragged the backpacks out of storage

located our passports

had our injections and stocked up on some medication to take with us in case we get ill, and

bought some appropriate travel clothing {long pants and long sleeve light weight shirts}

the accommodation and flights are booked

now we just need to...

organise a first aid kit

keep reading our lonely planet guide and workout any sight seeing we want to fit in

buy travel size everything {toiletries etc etc}

work out all the clothes we want to take with us

and then cut the pile in half coz i always pack waaay to much

work out what technology to take with us... laptop or ipad or iphone ?

{me and my first world problems}

and then jam everything into two very large, but hopefully not too heavy backpacks

eek, this list is just way too long

and we have Christmas to get through yet!

a little bit at a time and it shall all get done... hopefully

holidays are here

it is day two of my freedom and i am loving it!

school is over for the year and i don't have any school work to think about

i am going back to work next year but only as a relief teacher

and only two days a week

{the days will is at kindy}

these past few days have been all about relaxing, just a little

a bit more Christmas preparation

and play time, lots and lots of mummy and son playing

will is in to colouring and he is always asking me to draw him pictures to colour

i am not the best drawer in the whole world so the other day i found some easy how to draw books

he puled them out this morning and asked me to whip up a cement truck for him

so i followed the instructions and was pretty pleased with my efforts

now if only i could get my son to hold his crayon correctly!

every time we sit down to draw i show him how to do it properly but he says no mummy you do it like this and grabs the crayon with his fist

my son, the son of a pre primary teacher will be going to school and not be able to hold his pencil properly!

oh well, that's what i pay the school big bucks for right? to teach him those skills

we have a few months yet to get him ready

the one big thing i am STILL woking on is his toileting

he is too lazy to go to the toilet when he is busy playing and so wets himself

it is driving me cray!

i tell you it is easier to toilet train a dog then it is to toilet train my three year old son!

{abbey turns five}

today is my sweet nieces birthday

she turned five

we went along and had a fun time at her birthday party

playing games

eating food

and enjoying the little kiddies

i really love watching all the cousins together having fun

my sis is very pregnant at the moment so we have another little cousin on the way

i hope it is a girl

it will even up the boy girl ratio in our family a little!

Christmas light gazing

we have been touring around our community looking at all the houses that have been decorated for Christmas

each year there are more and more houses being decorated and it is lovely to see

the little guy loves hoping out of the car and running around looking at all the lights hanging on the houses

he loves it when there is a hoho {santa} on the roof

that is his favorite :)

most houses are taking donations for the childrens hospital

you will know if they are as they will have a small sign so if you are going Christmas light gazing make sure you take some money to make a donation to help the little kiddies out

shining stars

i had a request for the recipe for those super cute shortbread biscuits we baked the other day

the are called shining stars

they are shortbread cookies with boiled lollies melted into the middle

such a brilliant idea!

you can find the recipe here

happy cooking to you

xoxo

{santa mail}

there was an exciting moment in our household last night...

Will received a letter in the mail box from Santa!

he was so cute

running to the mail box and peering inside to find his postcard

jumping up and down and waving the card around

priceless...

thanks Santa, you made my little guys day :)

p.s... i have finished teaching for the year!

it was my last teaching day yesterday

i said farewell to my gorgeous kiddies and said hello to my new found freedom

i have one more day to go into work and clean everything up and then we have a fancy staff christmas lunch to wind the year up

i have enjoyed the year with my class, they have been so much fun to be around but i am looking forward to being a full time mummy again

Chrissy cooking

every year a week or two before Christmas i get together with my mumsy-in-law and my sister-in-law for a big baking session

we cook all sorts of yummy treats for Christmas day and any other special events we go to around holiday time

this year i made rocky-road and chocolate rum balls {minus the rum!}

i am hoping we can hold of eating them until Chrissy day, not sure if we have the discipline so i may be making some more!

it is such a lovely and special tradition and this year the little guy got in on the action and helped us to bake some yummy shortbread biscuits

i love holiday traditions

i think we need to start a few more!

curry in a hurry

i am totally in love with indian food at the moment

when we are not in the mood for cooking our first choice for takeaway is indian

for the locals spices on ocean is yummy and of course chutney marys

we have a new indian restaurant that has just opened up around the corner from my place so we will have to check that one out next

i cooked a delicious butter chicken up the other night and i my hubby exclaimed that it is the best he has ever tasted!

i must confess that i did not cook it from scratch

it came from a packet mix but it was absolutely delish...

if you shop at an iga check out the passage to india range of indian simmer sauces

that are super yummy

softies for the kiddies

only 23 sleeps until we fly out for cambodia

{two overseas trips in one year, yikes!}

a lovely friend of my mumma made these softies for us to take for the kiddies in cambodia

what a sweet lady

i love these little guys, check out their ties!

it is only a little thing

but the children are going to love and cherish them i am sure

lets hope i can squeeze them into my backpack...

jingle all the way

i have finished my Christmas gift shopping!

i braved the busy crowd and got everything i needed all in the one go

i love sunday trading, the shops are a little quieter on a sunday so i recommend going then

i love buying toys for my little guy and all my nieces and nephews

now all i have to do is wrap them!

we have began watching Christmas movies

a muppet christmas carol, elf, the chipmunk movie

next is going to be miracle on 34th street and the polar express

we might have to crank out the home alone movies as well, we haven't watched them in many many years, i wonder if i still find them as funny....