Nice surprise!

Yesterday I went to check our mailbox and I got a lovely surprise - inside was a package from Amazon. I started to panic because I couldn't remember ordering any books in the last few weeks! So I opened it and inside was a gift wrapped book! So I tore into it and found:

A copy of Jamie Olivers latest book 'Jamie At Home' based on his series where he grows his own vegetables and then cooks straight from the garden!

Inside was a gift card that read: 'Thank you for having me to stay - lots of love Mum xxx'

Thank you Mum - I love it! Its got a real old fashioned feel to it with its fabric cover! I haven't had much of a chance to read it but have had several flicks through - the book is dedicated to Steve Irwin and his family which I think is wonderful! There are some amazing recipes inside and each section has a part about how he grows the different vegetables used in the recipes :)

It was a wonderful surprise and really made my WEEK :) Thank you!

I phoned Mom this morning and thanked her and also got to say hello to my Uncle Bernard and his wife Louise (you may remember they recently had a baby) - I congratulated them both and Uncle Bernard said 'yes, not bad for an old man huh?' Louise sounds as though she is enjoying being a Mom!

And down it comes....

Finally the whole thing came down :) it already looks so much better - the bin arrived yesterday and is already full and I will take come pictures later of how it looks now - so much space - such a better view - so much tidier! Next we have to clear all the garbage etc and then Lloyd will smash up the concrete pad and we are going to gravel it as part of the extended driveway - there will be a new garage doow into Lloyds workshop on that end next year :)

All fall down.....

Lloyd and Parker pulled the barn down this week....firstly they removed the roof, then using the quad and my truck, they pulled off two corners and then the end....and then with my truck they pulled the whole thing down :)

All was well.....

In the afternoon we walked down the road to meet the children from the bus and get pictures of Abigail getting off the bus after her first full day of school. As you can see, she was all smiles!!!

Abigail will now got to school all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She happily went off on her own yesterday morning and got on the bus with no problems - and had yet another great day at school :)

Not as smooth as we thought......

Abigail was sooooo excited to go to school and ride the yellow bus! But when the bus arrived and it was time to actually climb on board, she changed her mind!!! She took one step on...turned and ran to me! So I had to go with her and walk her up the steps onto the bbus - then the door closed and off the bus went with my little girl on board!!!

Abigail starts school....

Abigail started kindergarten on Tuesday. She caught the bus with Christopher and Susannah (Laurence cycled that day). Lloyd and I walked down to wave them off and get some pictures of Abigail getting on the bus!

Sams little friend....

Sam with a grasshopper - he loves these strange little creatures :)

No preschool

I got an Email yesterday to say they have cancelled the preschool classes here. This is due to low enrollment and lack of instructors - which means Amanda also pulled out of teaching. The low enrollment HAS to be because of the cost this time - it's gone up almost $100 a semester and it is just not worth it - because in the last year it was just a playgroup....not a preschool. Many rural families just can't afford that kind of money for their child to go and play in the local hall twice a week!

I'm really sad that this area will no longer have a preschool. I'm not sure what to do about it - Abigails kindergarten teacher was so sad last week when I told her I wouldn't be teaching this Fall - she said she had been soooo looking forward to having children in her class who had been through a year with my curriculum.

I'm really so sad about this.

5 hours and counting....

Officer in the navy = arrogant, pigheaded, 'better than everyone else', know-it-all attitude!!!!!


I will be so happy when I see Lloyds car arrive back this evening with only Lloyd in it :)

Thinking of Louise...

I've been thinking of Louise and her family over the last few days. Louise had kindly sponsored me for my Run For the Cure, because her Mother In Law was fighting breast cancer and so it is a charity very close to their hearts.

Sadly, on Tuesday, Louises Mother In Law lost her fight against this horrible illness.

Louise, I know you and your family are going through such a sad and horrible time right now. Please know you are in my thoughts. I will be thinking of your family when I run on the 30th.

One day they will find a cure. They will!

Glorious weather...

24c outside....just gorgeous....I'm loving this weather :)

PINK :)

Congratulations to Kyliesmom - one of my blog readers and someone who was kind enough to let me experiment on them them last year when I was taking photographs :)

Susan, her husband Scott, and children Kylie and Jake, welcomed a new baby into the family yesterday - just a day after the due date!!!! A baby girl!!! Congratulations to you all - I can't wait to see a picture and hear how you are all doing!

Not long until Val welcomes her new Grandson into the world too :) Lots of new babies.....but none of them mine :(

Thank you!

Today I reached my fundraising goal of $300 for the Run for the Cure! I am so so grateful to all of you who have taken the time to sponsor me! This is such a wonderful cause and I am so glad that my first 5k run will be for such a worthwhile charity!

Thank you again! It really does mean so much to me :)

If anyone else would like to sponsor me then you still can - I can raise my fundraising goal :) Its very easy to do using a credit card from anywhere in the world! Alternatively you can send a (British or Canadian) cheque made payable to Lloyd A Thorpe and we will add the amount via our credit card (which is what we have been doing for several people)

Or alternatively - why not sponsor one of my boys - they are running with me and still have not reached their fundraising goals of $50 each. I know they would soooo love to have people sponsor them.....

Thank you again!!!

Anita Roddick died.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6988343.stm

Very sad. She was so young!

So done...

I am so done with visitors and guests. I don't want ANY for a VERY long time. I just wanta break from having other people here and having to entertain and go to the same tourist places again and again, do laundry for other people, clean up after other people and not being able to relax in my own home.

I want a year off. A whole year with no one but US. WE have so many renovations and things going on and this year has been constant guests and I am tired of it now and I want some time off - is that too much to ask? I just want some space in my own home with no one else here. Because when it comes down to it its me that does it all......

Pissed off? Yes. I am. I just wnat this week done and then I want 12 months clear with no visitors - its going to be a bad enough year having workmen here all day every day. Thats quite enough.