Friday 18 February 2011

A Jumpin' Good Road Trip (And a HUGE Big Thank You)

This post was written many months ago but every. single. time. I tried to post it the pictures just wouldn't play. So I'm trying again. It's late, but I mean every single thank you in there. Grab yourself a drink, put your feet up, and read on...

This is a post with far too many pictures. But it took me 6 years to get there so I figure that a whole shebang of pictures is allowed (and this was after brutally culling the amount). EDIT: nope, pictures just weren't playing so there aren't any. Sorry. Just imagine lots of cool ones ok?

Three days after flying in from Amsterdam we set off on a road trip. There was me, Andrew and Langlan, Mum and Dad, Trinny, Connor and Kenzi, and Spaniella. We all piled into 2 cars and headed north for my graduation.

There was much jumping to be done. Firstly in the horse park at Scone where a series of photos have shown up Dad's jumping trick. He first lifts one leg and then the other. Me thinks that is not really classed as jumping.

With other stops along the way, and many musical chairs switching, we arrived in Uralla where we stayed the night, and did a little window shopping.

The next morning it was up and away to graduation day at the University of New England. The first time I set foot on my university grounds was when I was graduating. Crazy. It was a great ceremony. My favourite part was when the Chancellor got all the graduates to stand up and thank their family and friends for helping them get to this day. I would never have made it without every single person who was there, and some who were not.

Mum and Dad who provided shelter, food, transport and a whole lot of love and understanding when assignments were due (except for the occasions when Dad would sneak into my bedroom breaking Mum's orders to leave me alone, but his eyebrows really did need trimming!).

Trin and Brenton who provided internet access, the occasional bed, made their dinner go further when I popped in and shared their kids with me for entertainment.

Then there was Connor and Kenzi who would always happily accompany me to the beach for some serious study break time.

Dani, AKA Spaniella, who was so amazing and gave me her library password over and over again (I could NOT keep a hold of it) so I could continue using Newcastle uni's databases.

Langlan who wiggled and kicked and made life interesting in my last semesters.

And then my husband who forked out the money, loved me through the craziness of distance education, encouraged when I needed encouraging, listened when I didn't need encouragement, gave advice that was spectacularly good and generally made sure his early retirement plan came to fruition.

Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

Then the ones who weren't there.

Ben Lau for coaxing me through Open Foundation and teaching me what an essay really was.

All the wonderful people at Ronald McDonald House (including the AWESOME Bingham family) who had long lunches with me on Friday and generally kept my feet grounded and my head out of the clouds and in the linen cupboard.

The Morgan's for being incredibly generous and buying ridiculously expensive textbooks for me, providing my stationery and doing mega amounts of photocopying.

Leanne for suffering through our 'dates' together when I always seemed to take us to places for lovers, or alternatively going cycling often with disastrous results.

Kate Sullivan for always seeming to be able to find me in the library no matter where I hid myself and making sure I didn't take law too seriously, or seriously at all (there's nothing like a wheelie chair race in the info common for a bit of fun in the midst of assignments).

Kati Mac for being Kati Mac and always providing a rollicking good time when I visited her in Dublin or she visited me in Amsterdam and making me remember that there's more to life than books (and her wonderful subby-bus driving skills to get me to the hospital after my surf accident).

Cousin Rachey for lunch on the roof of the library, and being someone who was an outsider with me at the Christian student stuff and a mean under-water hockey player.

Linny and Andrew for having The King of Torts on their bookshelf in London which got me into John Grisham which helped to keep me inspired when law got plain old dry and dusty.

Floor in Amsterdam who insisted on studying when she came over when I would rather have chatted.

Rebecca who taught me the wonders of kringloop-therapy and brought so many meals over when studying was tough.

Minette who would call to check how things were going.

Joshua who loaded me up with so many fruits and vegetables that I could eat chocolate and lollies for the rest of my life and still have enough vitamins inside me.

Our fabulous small group who devoured my baking and prayed for my studies.

And like all good Oscar-worthy speeches, I'm pretty sure I've forgotten someone. They say it takes a village to raise a child but in my case it takes so many, many amazing and precious people for me to get a degree.

Actually, make that two degrees!

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Home Made=Love

I love making.
Kenzi had a Birthday party to go to on Saturday.
Friday we went searching for something. I have got to say that I hate plastic...and it's so expensive!
We found a little cooking set that was on sale for $5.

We cut and primped and prettied.
In the end it was beautiful, and Miss E loved it.

Swim like a Bigger Fish...Swish, Swish



Con Con Library had his swimming carnival today.
He dressed in red and was excited and ever so nervous!
He swam in Freestyle and Backstroke. He got 3rd in both.

He had to then swim in the relay.
They got a 4th.
Proud, proud, proud.

Thursday 10 February 2011

Our Melbourne Trip - in pictures and no order


The carousel and the op shopped dress....oh and the cute kid!

That floating head kills me ever time....our favourite Melbourne boy and his amazing Mummy.
Back - off I have the baby and you are not getting him! Geelong foreshore.
Myer Christmas windows......long line and a boy treading on Cal's toes! Clara and the Nutcracker were all worth it though.
The eyes! 2 cute kids.
The beach pools in Geelong are awesome....cold but awesome.
How cute is this kidlet?
One very beautiful house...sold and slept in. Ta for sharing your first night with us!
Early, early flight....big smiles because we were excite about our holiday.
Even 10 year olds can wear party crowns when they fly!

We had a great time. Connor wrote about it on his first day back at school. He will have to post here, but it cracked me up that the highlights of his Melbourne trip was the MCG, Langlan and op shopping! Got to totally love a boy who tells the whole world that he is an op shopper!
Thanks Cal and Andrew and Langlan for having us, feeding us and cuddling us. We loved it so much we are coming again in May!

Swim like a Fish...Swish, Swish


The Pobjie Academy for Young Ladies is back in full swing. (Connor's wrist is fine as well - turned out to be a good way for freaking his Mum out!)
Yesterday we had our first ever home schooling swimming carnival. There were about 150 people there, and Kenzi had a ball. She went in every race....with a big smile on her face.
She did good. 1 first, 2 seconds, 1 third.

Wednesday 2 February 2011

The Best Plans....

Today is Wednesday. On any normal Wednesday during term time Pobj would go off to work (this happened), Connor would go off to school (this did not happen) and Kenzi and I would library visit with friends and learn and create (most if this did not happen)

Instead today we had a doctors visit and an x-ray visit...all in the blistering 41 degree heat of our car without aircon! Connor hurt his wrist on Monday and I told him to suck it up and be brave (he can be a little bit whinny when it comes to minor ailments!) However this morning it was swollen and very sore.

Connor is a bit in love with our doctor - she is so fun - and so he didn't mind her prodding and pocking. Kenzi even gave her the bracelet she was wearing - yep she is a great doctor! She had us toddle off to have an xray, because if it is a break that is a pretty easy fix, plaster for a while and all is well. Other alternatives will take longer or are just a little scary (so we will not go there)


Apparently, because she did not call tonight it must not be a break - so we will wait and see if the swelling goes. If it does than we tack it up to the boy going to extreme measures to stay at home...or visit our cute doctor! If not, back to the drawing board.

Oh, and just so you know Kenzi and I made flowers this afternoon....no maths involved, but a whole lot of fun!

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Guest Post by Student from the Pobjie Academy for Young Ladies

My First day at Miss Lulu's Year 2 class.

She taught me how to sew on felt with a sewing machine
and how to do cross words.

Her voice sounded a bit like Hagrid's from a Harry Potter book that Mummy read once.

I did three and a half cross word puzzles. One nursery rhyme one was a bit funny.


I took pictures of Miss Lulu and my cross words.