Well I leave 2006 with hairy legs and an untidy house, all the washing is done thanks to my MIL, thanks Penny!!! I know I am going to fall in the hugest hole when she goes home and Michael goes back to work but I am going to enjoy it while I can.

06 seemed terribly long, it seemed like lots of driving interrupted by things like Kiwi Scraps, play dates with friends a fundraiser and scrapping. My sanctuary, my sanity and the source of much happiness to me.

07 offers more driving but more time in between. I'm hoping our therapy days are the same and that Alec continues to thrive, priority for 07 is some OT to help him with fine motor and to do what I love.. scrap my family!

here is my last one for the year... Michael asked why I used such a daggy photo, I said well now you know what I think about the photos you take of me... but I'm not a scrapper.. he says, start thinking like one! now all I need to do is learn how to stick stickers on straight and I have it made!

wow that hasn't quiet sunk in yet, that tomorrow will be 2007. No great plans for us, with two littlies it is a bit hard to get out or find a sitter on NYE, not that fussed these days would rather see in the New year with some scrapping.

Have a safe one.. Happy new Year!

So back in November Ali Edwards received some stamps from Kah-Mei Smith at Fontwerks who was inspired by Donna's trash to treasure challenges and covered the box she sent the stamps to Ali in.. are you still with me?

Well anyway I was looking for something to put this years Christmas cards in and I saw Riley's shoe box from his funky Ecco shoes mum gave him for Chrissy and remembered the covered box and this is what I ended up with. Very cool, I recycled a shoe box and used up some scraps.

I am sitting in my lounge room watching series one of Babylon 5 and making a blog entry.

Alec got a laptop for Christmas from mum and dad with a wireless mouse and keyboard, I am liking this.

I'm also having a cup of tea and a fruit mince pie and the children are out! Penny and Michael have taken them to go Bananas.

Christmas day was wonderful, Alec keeps telling me it was the best Christmas in the whole wide world, it gives me a wonderful warm feeling I love that I was able to make him so happy and that he can now express his feelings. This very hard year was made all worthwhile when I see him communicating, gesturing and participating. It truly was the best Christmas in the whole wide world!

and my husband headed out at 6:30am to collect our Turkey Buffe... it is 7.8kg of free range gobbler breast, we visited a couple at Landsdale farm yesterday LOL.
me, well I wisely stayed in bed, even my children are still in bed. Last night we drove around the neighbourhood and looked at house lights.

I saw the best Christmas layout, it was by the masterful Carole Janson amazed doesn't really capture my awe, just loved it.

I was rather impressed by Jen Hall's santa photo, those girls look gorgeous and it was a great background too Jen! can't wait to see it scrapped.

I planned on getting better photos this year, I can't see it happening, I have even gone as far as getting matching shirts for pressie opening, my friend Ali had done some and she gave me the material, they are very cute.

I also got them matching outfits for lunch. It is just a small afair at our house, 7 adults and 2 children this year, Michael's mum is here from Brisbane and the boys are loving it. She is very naughty though she turns away every time I point the camera at her.

Well the trifle isn't getting made while I sit here, I better go and write lists for everyone.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone..

If you are out shopping and you pass a Kmart Wishing Tree or similar buy a present for someone if you can. I was at Kmart before it opened today and was standing next to the tree and the first one I saw was for a boy of three, it bought tears to my eyes, I took that one and while I was shopping picked a present for a boy of 4 and picked up another tag.

It's very easy you just leave the tag and the present with them. I just needed to do it. Also don't forget any extra tins, juice or long life milk you have spare can be dropped off at Salvo stores for redistribution or you can leave it at Coles, they have a food drive going all year.

Have a good weekend!

so you know I should be cleaning don't you
it is so not going to happen
yesterday was so full on.

We raced Michael to the train along with Riley, Michael was off to Sydney and Riley was going to mum and dad's, dad took him to Scitech as mum is off in Singapore. Alec and I braved the heat and went to gym, we picked up Riley, went to Jodi's for a swim. Yes Riley's floaty does work but he has zero 'what to do in water' instinct, then home picking up HJ's on the way and then getting ready for a little class I did for some of my morning tea girls, it was fun but it was 11pm by the time we finished. I was so tired i forgot to take photos though.

I have now hunted down and purchased all 16 cars figures "gulp" I think the shipments to k-mart and target stopped in Sydney and that was as far as they got because no matter who I talk to no one has seen full sets here in Perth, but I have them now I can relax.

I think I might go paint those reindeer so they aren't naked 2 years in a row then clean my desk, it's a start

no one has much to say at the moment, I know how you feel, too much to do and the days whizzing by!

Our whirlwind of organisation starts next week once we go and collect our tree from the chritsmas tree farm.

Today we have our last session of gym (occupational therapy) for the year then off for a swim and home to do a class. I'm doing mini albums for some girls. I'm getting more request for home based classes so it is something I think I might persue in the new year.

have a good one and try to keep cool! we are looking at 36 here today, way too hot for my liking.

school is over! one more week of Early Intervention and we have six weeks of sleep ins and jarmie days and scrapping! oh so much scrapping, Michael will be on holidays from the 20th Penny my MIL will be here from the 14th so if I want to stay up until 3am scrapping I can!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like to get some more done for Penny to take home and update her photo album and I want to relax and not to have to be rushing off to another session.

Pretty laid back week in store for me, our last session of gym then a swim visit to Jodi and a class here Tuesday night and cleaning and florentine and cookie making Wednesday..

have a good one I am off to do Jen Hall's online class!

congratulations girls! just be thankful you only had to keep that secret for 2 weeks as opposed to 6 like we had to last year! I can't wait to see all your marvelous work

Debbie Kingston
Libby Morris
Marion Werren
Jen Hall
Sheree McGee
Jo Carey
Nikki Rudd
Sandra Gerdes
Carole Janson
Catherine Duffy
Kylie Tout
Lauren Dennis
Jody Essenhigh
Natilie Taylor
Rachel Scholz

and a big congrats to my friend Lissy who recieved 2 honorable mentions for her monogram and BTP item.. woohoooooooooooooooo

don't you love making teacher gifts, I went with quick and easy this christmas as I still have to make gifts for 10 early intervention therapists and a daycare gift.

I made florentines to go in the paint tins so it is also a yummy treat.

see here is a clear example of why you shouldn't clean up. For 4 years I have had a bottle of un-do, used it maybe 3 times, but then disaster stirkes
Is it where I left it the day I bought it home?? no ofcourse not because I cleaned up and sorted and now I can't find it so I have to waste 20 minutes searching for the stupid thing all because of a little puff of wind that stuck something down in the wrong place!

You may ask is this not misplaced anger and frustration, you would be correct because there is no car in my garage!!! it is in bits at the garage, I am totally over it now. I am trying to work out how I just spent $1600 repairing a $4000 car!

please excuse the over use of exclamations, I figure they are more acceptable that a string of mildly offensive language.. but bugger it I want my car back!!!!!!!!!!!

what you can do with a 32cm spiderman when you are avoiding cleaning

I have no energy for anything today, I lost all of Sunday to a migraine so all my wonderful plans were washed away, I did clean my scrap room though at 11pm last night, ok so it is clean in a disorganised kind of way

Poor Michael try as he may it was all too slow and he couldn't order my Christmas present himself, what is it today??? it is like the world has slowed down! When you rely on the internet for work/information/recreation you notice when it isn't working!

I've just had a 2 hour battle with paypal, when I worked for an American web design company we worked out this was the best way to pay me as it took about a 1/4 of the fees the bank did when they cashed a cheque. Anyway 2 moves and several email addresses later paypal couldn't find me, all fixed now though and I just got my confirmation email.. My Donna Downey camera bag has been ordered!

I really needed it today, we had the kindy assembly, our first assembly, it was so sweet and Alec did so well but it was hard wrestling Riley and carrying a camera.

We are off to Michael's social club dinner tonight, breakfast with mum and dad in the morning and then the finishing touches on some commissioned work.. so I have nothing to share with you! and you all know how much I like show and tell, it has been great scrapping and creating again, a month is way too long to sit and shuffle paper I tell you.

Good luck with your bags Donna, i think they look gorgeous and can't wait to get mine, have a good weekend girls!