Australia Day

The weather this week has been dreadful and between the flooded garage and big girl bedroom day the week is flying by.

The weather for Australia day was supposed to not be very nice and we'd talked with friends about going to a park or the beach or something but with the weather we decided to take the kids to the movies.  Yes that's right, all three of them!  We hoped that they would all last but knew that if they didn't (the girls that is), I would take them out.

We went to Miranda and saw a 9:50 session of "The Muppets"

The movie was FANTASTIC!  I have always loved the muppets and there was definitely enough humour in this movie for the adults too.

Mikayla did very well considering it was her first movie.  Not sure she is ready yet though. Was only able to do it because Geoff was there.  Had to get up and rock Alana to sleep at one point and then she got really unsettled about 10 mins from the end so I had to go to the back and try to quiet her, so I could still see the end, and the rest of the cinema weren't too disturbed.  But I'm glad we did it...

Favourite song from the movie is this one.

After the movie we bought Harrison's school shoes at Shoes and Socks.  In and out in 10mins!  Fantastic!

Then we headed over to the Bunyon's for a BBQ lunch with the Christofis'.  A very relaxing arvo caching up with friends.  Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Big Girl Bedroom Day

Tuesday 24th January 2012

Geoff has been off this week and it has been great.  His first day off was Tuesday and after we had visited Ikea over the weekend we decided that Tuesday was Big Girl Bedroom day!

So we spent most of the day putting together the furniture and putting her new room together.  I forgot to take a before shot but here are the photos of the day...

Such a great little helper...

Thanks Daddy...

All finished...

One happy little 'Big Girl'...

Went in to check on her... peaceful...

Went in later...Whoops!

Catch up...

So that I don't get further and further behind, I am going to use this as a catchup post.  There are still things that I want to record between Boxing day and now but if I wait til I have time to write them, I 'm going to miss the most current!  So I will leave this post like this and come back and edit this post with those that I have missed when I have time...

Not quite up to date...

25th and 26th December 2011

Christmas Day

This year had been a pretty stressful in the lead up to Christmas a few relationship concerns and a few health concerns so we were all a little tired and stressed by the time Christmas arrived.  I feel that this year I really have let my children down, in that I spent hardly any time at all with them discussing the true meaning of Christmas in the lead up.  I have had to let this go and make sure that Christmas 2012 is a much more focused on Christ and what he has done for us.

Christmas day was a busy one for us.  We had breakfast with Geoff's family at his parents place which was lovely.  His brother James, arrived back from Africa that morning after 3 weeks away and it was great to see him and everyone all together.

We headed back home and Mum and Dad came round in the afternoon for dinner.  It was a little sad that this was the first Christmas in 30 years that I had not spent at least part of a Christmas day with my sister.  She was at home in Perth as she had to work between Christmas and New Year.

For the first time since I can remember, the Williams family did not have a roast for Christmas! We had nibblies and salads and other yummy stuff and decided to save the roast for when Donna and Josh were over in January.

Christmas day was different this year, not worse, not better, but just different.  We still had a fantastic time and were spoilt by everyone and enjoyed the time we spent with the family.  We really are blessed!

Santa has been to visit!

Boxing Day
Boxing day was a fantastic day.  We all sat around and watched movies, played with new toys, rested ans stayed in our jammies for most of the day.  it was exactly what we all needed with all the busyness in the lead up to Christmas.

This photo montage is a snapshot of the day...

Title of photo that I posted on Instagram:
"A Shore boxing day montage... new toys, sleep, cricket, fun with the family, first taste of solid food and an exhausted little girl falling asleep in the bath! A nice slow paced day after the busyness leading up to Christmas.  Am so grateful for all I have!"

A little early but...

We were driving to the city one evening before Christmas to do some shopping and to look at the Christmas windows at DJs and I was thimking that this was something that we hadn't done before and that we were making a memory by doing so.

It was then that I decided upon this theme for the coming year.  So whilst this technically doesn't fit into the year of making memories...It was where it began...

23rd December 2011

Geoff was on holidays and we had spent the day before and that day at Miranda doing Christmas shopping.  We needed to get a few more more Christmas presents that we weren't able to get at Miranda, so we thought we'd go to the city and try to get them there.  It was brave to take the kids out again but for the most part we were all calm and enjoyed the time together.  There were definite ups and downs during the afternoon/evening but I'm glad we went.

The David Jones windows were amazing and Harrison enjoyed them.  The QVB tree is so big and awe inspiring too.  Decided that next year we'll go in again but only for the windows and decorations!  Keep the shopping separate!

A photo collage of some of the trip...

Changes and Memories

I started this blog early last year under a different name and with a different purpose.  I was attempting to do something nice for myself once a week for the whole year.  But me being me... didn't stick to it!  I could have deleted those previous posts, but I like them.  So even though they don't follow, they're going to stay.

I have recently been reading a couple of other people's blogs and have been enjoying sharing in what has been going on with their lives.  Some have made me think about myself and my family.  In one of these blogs the writer spent some time talking about her children and their characters and how she will enjoy reading over these posts in 12 months.  This prompted to thinking about how a blog can be used more like a diary or journal...

So this blog has a new theme...

Making Memories

Making memories is the theme for the year for me and our family (by default!).  I have such great memories of my childhood and I want to start doing things this year that we can think back over and remember.

I plan to use this blog to help remember.  Record the things that we do and photos to help jog our memories.  Wonder if I'll stick to it?  Not putting a limit on myself of how many I should do etc... can't really fail can I?

So this blog is mostly for me but I'm happy to have others share it too.  So if you are reading this, I hope you might find something here you like too.

Do a good deed for someone you don't live with...

This Project 52 is fun and I'm finding that at the moment each week is just falling into place.

This week my mum came over and the kids had out a set of jacks that I have had for ages.  They're called Knuckleheads and they are very cute (quite possibly the reason I bought them in the first place!)

Look at those cute faces!

Well the kids weren't using them for what they were designed for (I think it was more for the noise they make when you throw them on the tiles!), so they were quite taken by Mum throwing them up in the air and trying to catch them on the back of her hand.  Mum had to go back to her childhood to try and remember the rules for the game (It was a bit of a long trip back!! Love you Mum!!!!)

Mikayla in particular tried for ages, while Mum was in hysterics, trying to get those little plastic faces to stay on the back of her hand.  It was very fun and perhaps exactly what Mum had needed at the time as she's been having a bit of a tough time at the moment.

When Mum left I got onto Ebay and bought her her very own set and had them delivered to her.  They arrived this morning and I think she quite enjoyed the surprise!

Doing something for someone else or giving a gift to someone you love is fun.  I've enjoyed it this week and it has reminded me of another gift that's on offer to all.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

 ~ John 3:16 ~

Question is, are you ready to receive it?

Until next week...