sporty kids

Oh where does the time go.......
Life has been busy here with the 3 children and their sporting prowess.
Millie and her oztag

That's her second from the left.  I was so proud of her.  The conditions were the worst ever, cold, raining, muddy and just miserable.  The girls were determined and put everything into it and won the series against NSW.

Then my two champion climbers off to Sydney for a whole week.  Battling against other states and climbers and just enjoying the competition.

day 1- los angeles

There was a surprise when we got to Los Angeles....a big stretch hummer to take all 9 of us.

Very comfortable with drinks and music, thanks Pop.

We had a few hours to kill before checking into the Grand California Hotel so of course we were off to the shops in downtown disney.  Nice hat Millie!

Found a Hagen Daas shop with ice cream and more. 

 Beautiful coffee, hot chocolate and hot fudge sundaes.

up up and away

Our plane trip was pretty uneventful.  Movies, food and a little sleep.

 

Mum hadn't been been on a plane for at least 15 years so she was a little anxious.

We were all so proud of her because we know the only reason she made the trip was to see her grandchildrens faces light up with all the new experiences she knew they were going to have.

2012 only just getting into it now....

I really must be showing my age because I really can't believe it's April already.
My blog has been very neglected. 
I am going to try to blog some memories from our family holiday to USA a few months ago.
The school year has been a smooth transition with all of my 3 teenage children at high school together.

I feel very contented being home here in Australia after our 4 weeks away.
The vegie patch has been quite productive with eggplant, tomatoes, capsicum as well as rocket, chives and basil.  I love pottering about down there and getting into the garden.  The passionfruit vine was laden and we have a bunch of bananas almost ready to cut down.

Felting with my little friends

I have been having a wonderful time passing on a new skill to a group of 11 and 12 year olds.

Felting is a very old craft.  

We lay 3 layers of wool fleece and then place a design on top.  

We then wet the fleece and work it - roll it and rub it to make felt!

These wonderfully talented kids worked through this process with me and designed some fantastic pieces.

Vibrant colours beautifully blended.

I bought them home and rinsed  and dried them and put them out on the grass on a rug to make a collage.

It is a very special feeling you get when you share things you love and value with others.

Thank you Amber and Jen for being my inspiration and giving me the love of felting.

What do you think?

Everyones creations

beautiful colours

toadstools, faces, apple trees, oceans....

butterflies, sunrise, LOVE, 2 green frogs....

yummy rice paper rolls

Pork and vermicelli rolls with vietnamese dipping sauce

This was my lunch today.

I had leftover pork and vegetable curry and rolled it up in rice paper with some fresh mint and a dipping sauce. 

Sooooo tasty.

Here is the Pork curry recipe

1 onion

garlic

500g pork mince

2 teaspoons red curry paste or yellow curry paste

1 cup light coconut milk

1 cup shredded chinese cabbage

1 tabsp shredded coriander

125g rice stick noodles

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil.
2. Add mince. Brown well. Mix in curry paste. Cook for 2 mins.
3. Blend in coconut milk cabbage and coriander. Simmer 2 mins
4. Stir through rice noodles. Simmer for 5 mins.  Serve topped with lime juice and chilli if desired.

Enjoy!

making damper

Balls of dough

Backyard fire

yummy damper

Jace cooking

damper cooking on stick

What fun these 2 had on the holidays.
They googled a recipe for damper.
Collected twigs from the backyard and found a spot to clear for a fire.
Rubbed their damper mixture and kneaded the dough.
Started the fire and let it get hot.
Wrapped the damper around a thick branch.
Turned it over and over to cook in the fire.
When the outside was golden they broke it of and smothered it in butter and golden syrup.
This was a real success boys, you planned it well and showed great initiative.

flower

Lots of buds ready to open.

This little plant was given to me from my beautiful friend Julie.

They grow everywhere in Bali and I also saw lots in Thailand and Vietnam so they love heat!

When she gave it to me it was one little stem with a few leaves and it had flowered once.

It must be the perfect position next to the pool because every year it gets more stems and each stem puts out flowers.

I love looking out and getting a glimpse of pink against green foliage.

Such an amazing little plant.

organised?

It's a funny time of year, feeling relaxed and in holiday mode with the kids but underneath craving a routine and some order. 
Some days we are all a little lost with no direction and nothing planned to do. I don't think this is a bad thing.  My good friend Julie once told me it was good for children to be bored in the holidays, it showed they had totally relaxed and destressed. 
Most of the year it is full on with school and sport and study and jobs and responsibilities so to be bored is a good thing.
Tonight I opened my new 2011 family organiser calendar, that in itself is exciting to me with all the blank pages waiting to be filled with family life.  I tranfered some dates onto the january page, orthodontist, school start and uniform shop, then a couple on february but the rest of the year is a comforting blank.
I love stationary - notebooks, folders, spiral bound books, diaries, notelets and actually any paper product.  I have bits and pieces spread around the house and this year I have a desire to actually USE some of it.  All the cards I have put away for special things - USE them.  The notebooks and diaries - USE them for journaling.
Pretty things are mean't to be shared and that's what I'd like to start doing too. 
Sending friends a little card or note to say "Hi, I care about you".
These thoughts are in my head often but it's the following through that doesn't eventuate.
This year I'm going to really try.......

girlfriends

How special is it to have girlfriends.
I caught up with 6 girls today for lunch. 
We don't see each other often but all belong to an online group. 
We are all differant and beautiful in our own way. 
It is such a warm feeling to be accepted in a group, it's good for the soul.

America

We are going to America this year.

When I was 16 and my brother and sister were 12 and 14 we went with Mum and Dad.  Well now my kids are going to be 12, 14 and 16 and their Nan and Pop are taking all of us to America.

It's quite hard to comprehend for my kids, we have had a few overseas holidays to Vietnam, Vanuatu and Thailand but USA will be totally differant.

We have plenty of time to plan what we want to see because we aren't going until next Christmas.

Dad wants to spend Christmas in Disneyland and have 5 days in LA then off to Las vegas where my boys will have a huge adventure rockclimbing in the Red Rock Desert by day and we can enjoy the lights at night.  We are looking at doing a flight over the grand canyon from Las vegas and going onto the viewing platform.

For New Year we are planning a few days in Lake Tahoe.  My kids have never seen snow!  We want to have a day skiing and paying in the snow.

Next we are planning San Francisco for 5 days, visit Alcatraz Island and Pier 39.

To break up the trip home we are having 4 days in Hawaii.  This will be so much fun.

Rhys and I on NYE

It's the trip of a lifetime and I'm so grateful to my Mum and Dad for taking us all.  I'll keep my blog updated with our plans this year.

New Year challanges

 One huge challenge I have borrowed from my friend  Amber


To fill up my 'Experiences' money pot, by refusing to spend money on anything unnecessary in 2011.  This is my biggest challenge, but also my biggest excitement!

I'm making plans to use up a big chunk of my craft supplies; to make every single birthday and Christmas card by hand with the paper and stuff I have; to make do with my cupboard full of sheets, doona covers, towels and pillow slips; to use all my bowls, dishes, plates and mugs without replacing a single one; to limit my spending to food and basic household supplies only; and to wear, with pride, every single piece of clothing in my cupboard.   I have too many nice dresses that sit waiting for a 'nice day out'.  I'm going to make them a part of my everyday wardrobe.  

Anytime I'm tempted to spend, whether it be in the shopping mall (I'm going to seriously limit my visits) or the local fete/op shop (I don't need any more wooden or glass bowls ever!), I'm going to stop myself and make a point of putting these coins/dollars into my 'experiences' fund.  

And on weekends, we are going to visit more parks, more museums, more art galleries, more festivals, more workshops and more friends!  With home-made picnic food in tow!

 

How liberating......thanks Amber xx

funny little pictures

pretty things

table decorated

gumnuts

christmas bush

Visited GOMA today in Brisbane.

Here is Millie picking a wish.

Here is some amazing white lego.

garage sale

In two days time we are having a garage sale.  Six of the neighbouring homes are having one too.  A street garage sale.  It is such a good feeling decluttering rooms and cupboards.


It's a busy time of year for the children with school.  My 15 yr old has had major assignments to hand in and exams next week.  The 11 yr old did a school captain speech today.  He had practicied so many times at home here he hardly looked at the palm cards.  Poor Millie, 13, woke up with a huge puffy eye so had a day at home with me jsut relaxing.

One of my good friends in moving to Canada for 12 months so tomorrow we are having a bon vogage coffee morning.  I'll miss you Joanne!

This is my morning ritual, a lovely cup of tea in my individual teapot.  It's my special cup from Vietnam!

creativity

Don't you love being creative.
Last year I did a 10 week creativity course for women.
My eyes were opened up to all sorts of new concepts.
Amber is a wonderful teacher and we struck up a lovely bond and have regular craft get togethers.

I really look at the world differently now
Here is a georgous wattle in flower, it was swarming with bees and the scent was so sweet.

Busy busy

It's a full afternoon for the whirly winds.
Millie is off to an hour of soccer practice.
Rhys is riding to a friends and going to swim laps at the local pool.
Kyle is going indoor rockclimbing in Brisbane - an hour away.
It's Rogers birthday tomorrow so I'll make some buttermik pancakes for breakfast, his favourites.
We are heading out with some good friends and all the kids to a local Vietnamese restuarant for dinner - good food and lovely company.

wow this is exciting

This is a huge thing for me, I've never written anything. 
I'm Carrie and I am a 40 something mamma who is looking to embrace more in life.

I love being productive.
I love getting outdoors and getting my hands dirty in the garden.
Baking helps me feel creative.
Spending time with other women is one of my favourite passtimes.
Roger, my partner, is my best friend.