87 Years

On Wednesday it was Nan's 87th birthday. Kobe and I spent the morning at the blueberry farm with the boys and then raced out to Deloraine to celebrate with Nan with an afternoon tea.

Toni came up with a fantastic idea of getting Nan a really big digital photo frame for her birthday as we have lots of great family photos that would be nice for her to look when we aren't around, so Carli, Toni and I set about collecting photos and money off family members so we could give it to her for her birthday.

I had lots of fun going through all of Nan and Pop's old photos that were on my computer from when I scanned them a while back. I'm so glad now that I had the feeling to go out and get all their photos and talk to Nan about them and scan all of them while Nan could still tell me about them.

I hate having things just not right so ended up I either resizing, cropping or lightning up over 940 photos to put onto the frame. I was so happy that I could get all of their old photos onto it for her as I know how special they are to her.

Because our family is so big we had lots of money to spend on the biggest frame we could find. We ended up getting a 15 inch frame which was really lovely and also had money to send Nan a big bunch of flowers on the morning of her birthday. Nan's passion in life was her garden, so she always loves getting fresh flowers.

When Nan saw the present all wrapped up she was interested in it straight away.

She kept rubbing her hands along it and laughing. I asked her if she wanted to open it and she would just giggle.

I'm loving my new camera as it has a video mode so I got to video Nan opening it.



I think Nan wasn't really sure what it was at first. It is quite large and looks like a small TV, but Mum explained to her what it was before we were able to turn it on for her.

The photos were hard to see as we were outside, but when Nan saw the photos flashing up she started giggling when she realised what they were.

Hopefully it will bring her lots of joy as she can now see her old photos regularly and also photos of her family who can't always be with her. I asked her if she was going to be around for her 88th birthday and even though she can't talk she did indicate 'yes' that she would be. We hope she is.

Book Buddies and Blueberries

I know people are starting to panic, but everything is alright! I know I haven't blogged for five days now but I just seem busier than ever now that the boys are at school. I think it's because I don't want to waste my day sitting at the computer when the boys are at school so I'm not getting anything done that I usually would. Kobe and I are just enjoying the time together :) It also didn't help that our net slowed down for a couple of days and there was no way I was going to attempt to upload pics.

Jay and Harri's classes at school are book buddy classes and yesterday they went on an excursion to a blueberry farm just outside of Lillydale together. They both asked me if I would come along as parent help, so Kobe and I jumped at the chance as it would be often they would be on an excursion together and I'm sure it won't be long till Jalen won't want me anywhere near a school excursion that he is on.

Kobe and I drove out on our own and met them there. He was so excited when he realised we got to hang out with the boys for the day.

The kids were told to stay with their book buddy for the day. Harri's book buddy is Jared and Harri wouldn't let him out of his sight all day! He was so cute holding his hand. If Jared was every a metre or so ahead, Harri would yell out 'wait for me!' and would grab his hand again.


The kids all brought little containers from home and got to pick all the blueberries they wanted to fill up their containers.


Kobe loved picking all the berries and would go around pinching berries out of everyone containers.


The kids got to eat as many as they wanted, so Kobe decided to try one out....he wasn't very impressed!

Harri was very proud of his pickings, but I don't think he even tried one the whole day!

It was a really lovely place to visit and the adults had just as much fun as the kids and got to take lots of blueberries home as well.


On the way back to school they stopped at Hollybank Forest for lunch. I actually haven't been there for about 10 years, but it brought back lots of happy memories as it was actually where Aaron proposed to me! :)

The kids had a lovely time playing in the trees.

Hopefully the boys will have more book buddy class excursions this year, so Kobe and I can tag along before it's not cool to have your Mum there anymore :)

A New Life Together

Last night we spent a lovely night at the Tailrace Park to celebrate Jason and Sarannah recently getting married and Sarannah moving to Tasmania with her two girls. Both Jason and Sarannah have been single parents for a long time, so everyone is very happy for both of them.


It was a beautiful night hanging out with friends, eating food and having fun.










Kobe and Eden see each other a lot at the child care at the gym. It's so cute seeing them together. I'm sure we won't think this is cute though if it's happening in 15 years or so still!


The boys always love going to the Tailrace to play in the maze.


Jack is always such a good sport with the kids and spends lots of time with them. Harri thinks he is great and hangs around him whenever he is around.


Jason and Sarannah have moved to the 'other' ward (they were in our ward but are now in West) so we are very sad to see them go. Our ward presented them with a lovely quilt that lots of members had made a square for and Tania put together.


We are sad they aren't in our ward but hope to get to see them lots anyway. Sarannah and her daughter Georgia joined us for our run at the Gorge this morning. Hopefully it will become a regular thing.

Running

I'm not a fan of running on treadmills at all. I can't think of anything more excruciating and boring than running on the treadmill as I watch the minutes tick over, wondering when it's all going to be over.

I have been going to the gym regularly for years now which I absolutely love, but every now and then I feel like a bit of a change. When Lisa P. mentioned on facebook that she was going to start going running I thought it would be fun to do it a couple of mornings before Aaron left for school.

Lisa P, Lisa Wheeler and I went a couple of times together at 6am. We ran (and walked a LOT) from Kings Bridge, into the Gorge, across the suspension bridge and around the pool and back out again. I LOVED it - but it was way too early for me and I was feeling really tired for days after. As I never know how much sleep I'm going to get at night it was hard to plan to go to bed early as Noah would have other plans throughout the night.

When they both said they would be going at 8am on Saturdays I thought that would work well so last night we started bugging a few others from church to come with 'the three Lisa's' for a Saturday morning run. I was shocked this morning when there were 13 of us all ready to go this morning!!

We all run and walk at different paces but it's fun as we are all doing it together. Lisa P, Lisa W and I were suprised at how much further we can run already without having to stop and walk, so at least we know it's doing some good. Hopefully the good weather will stay around a bit longer so we can keep it up regularly.

Back to it!

I'm very excited as my new camera has arrived and I no longer feel lost! I gave my mum her camera back on Sunday and was hoping and praying mine would arrive very soon as I was hating not having my own camera. The doorbell rang yesterday and when I saw the delivery guy with a square looking box I said 'I think I'm going to love you if that is what I think it is!'. He laughed and said 'a camera!?'. He was lucky I didn't kiss him! ;)

Now I have to learn how to use my camera all over again, but I'm looking forward to it. The amazing Fiona Harding is now in Launceston part of the week as she is going to uni, so we are very lucky to be able to see more of her. She has agreed to teach me some photoshop which is actually very scary as I feel like I'm learning from the master! Luckily she is very patient as she needs to be as I have forgotten so much already! I'm looking forward to learning more and hopefully one day I will be producing photos half as good as hers.

Harri started back at swimming lessons last night so my camera was broken in at our favourite place - the aquatic centre. Just a few photos that I took while playing around with my new camera, that I also photoshopped using just a couple of things that I remembered from Fiona.






I know I'm going to have lots of fun this year and Aaron is going to be complaining once again that our computer space is taken up by all of my photos!

Home Reading

Harri is absolutely LOVING going to school every day (despite being extremely tired). His teacher Mrs 'Stack' has been telling me how he just loves school and is such a great helper, a good listener and a joy to have in class. Half way through last year things really started to 'click' with him at school. All of a sudden he was reading lots of different words and really wanted to keep reading.

On the first day of school this year his teacher told me that he could start taking a home reader book home straight away if he wanted, as his old kinder teacher had told her he was going really well with his reading and writing and she wanted to get him back into it as soon as possible.

I only get to Harri's class twice a week as I have to drop off Noah at another school three mornings a week, but every morning Harri races to his class to change his home reader book on his own. He is so excited every night to read to me and to show me what he can read. Last week Harri came and sat with me to read and Kobe decided he wanted to join him. Hopefully Kobe will love reading just as much as Harri does when he is at school too!

NAB Cup

The footy excitement has now really kicked into high gear with us taking Jalen and Harri to the first game for the year last night. It's not the official footy season yet, but for the boys going to a NAB cup game is just as exciting. Last night it was the Hawks V Tigers.

The boys were excited to get another badge to add to their collection on their scarves.

Not long after we got into Aurora Stadium the guy and girl who does 'HawksKids TV' came over and asked the boys if they would be interviewed. The guy cracked up laughing when he realised who we were and said he remembered us being in Melbourne last year and trying to get Harri to answer a question by saying 'Liam Sheils' but Harri just kept saying 'I don't know what to say!!'.

He asked the boys a couple of questions about what they expected this year, and which players they thought would perform well, and then wanted to interview Aaron and I. I was so embarrassed and told them not to video me, but he asked me a question about what I expected from this year anyway. I said that I thought we would have a good year as the 'boys were looking really fit' to which Aaron then jumps in and says 'she especially thinks Luke Hodge is looking fit!' just to embarrass me. I'm hoping that ends up on the cutting room floor!

We ran into one of Aaron's workmates from school, who is a BIG Tigers supporter. They went on the school footy trip together last year and both love the footy as much as each other.

We had great seats up in the Gunns Stand next to some other crazy Hawks supporters which was fun. We missed you Kylie and hope your migraine is gone now :(





We were right under the commentary box.

Mum also came with us. She always seems to end up sitting next to drunk old men at the games!! The one next to her was cracking us up as he was a Tigers supporter and was giving it to Mum, even putting his Tigers scarf around her neck at one stage! He became quiet after the first quarter :)

It was a very boring game with the Hawks thrasing the Tigers and winning by 73 points, but there were lots of things to keep us entertained.




Harri gave us some three quarter time entertainment, and was cracking everyone up with his air guitar moves.

In the last quarter (about 10 pm!) he finally started to lose some of that energy and started dozing off.

It didn't last long and he got his second wind just in time for the final siren.

Everyone had a big sing-along to the Hawks theme song - hopefully the first of many times this year :)

After the game we hung around to watch the Hawks come off the field and give out signed footballs to people in the crowd like they always do. We were up the top stand so we thought we would have no hope of getting one. Next thing I know a ball is flying up in the air near me. Aaron starts screaming at me 'get it, get it!!!' like a crazy man and I make a dive for it as it bounces around! I told Mum I marked it and she believed me!

I was very excited about scoring a ball. It was signed by Wayde Skipper who I didn't even know, but I didn't care. As we were walking out I saw another kid who got a ball and asked him if he got it from one of the players and told him how cool it was and showed him mine. He then said 'yeah Buddy gave it to me!!' and he was so excited. Maybe in a few years Wade Skipper will be the next Buddy Franklin! ;)

It was a fun night with the boys and Mum. Thanks Nicki (and Liz) for looking after Noah and Kobe for us. We are looking forward to going to three more games this year as the Hawks are playing three Saturday games in Launceston. Hopefully we will have a better year than last year and get back to our form that we had in 2008 :)