Christmas 2011

Once again Christmas has snuck up on me this year!
And it doesn't even feel like Christmas!
The weather has been terrible the last few weeks leading upto Christmas.
It has been rainy and cold!  This photo was taken 23rd December:

We had one nice weekend in the second week of December and there quite a few people putting up Christmas lights on their homes but there aren't too many homes decorated this year.  I think it's because the weather has been so miserable!

We managed to get a few outdoor decorations up this year.  I accidentally put outdoor lights on our Christmas tree this year but didn't realise until the tree was completely decorated so we didn't have lights to put up in the conifer trees out the front unfortunately.  I did however manage to buy a rope light tree this year.  I LOVE it - even though Aaron and Ash don't think it matchs the lights on the gutters!

Here's this year's attempt at outdoor decorating:

We kept up the tradition of making a Christmas card tree on our wall.

I much prefer displaying the cards this way!  It doesn't look as cluttered as cards on a table.

Here are some photos of our home at Christmas:

And finally, here's a picture of Lauren's masterpiece.  

I think I'll use it as our Christmas cards next year!

What a Blessing ...

I was driving the girls home from school this afternoon and I went over Ashleigh's line for the Primary Presentation with her which is "The Priesthood is the power of God.  I am blessed by this power when my Father gives me a blessing when I am sick". 

I then took the opportunity to explain to her what this means.
And then at the end I said "That's what happens when Daddy gives you a blessing"

Then a little voice from the back seat said "or Poppy". 
Lauren had obviously remembered when she was really sick with a vomiting bug last year her "Poppy" had come over to give her a blessing as Aaron was away. 

I think of how lucky my kids are to have experienced getting a blessing from their poppy. 
I never had that experience and I am so happy that they got to experience it.

Precious.

I've Never Been Down This Road Before...

We've been so busy the last few weeks.
Ashleigh had her dance school concert last week and it has been weeks of extra rehearsals so we didn't seem to have any spare time up our sleeves.
We can all breathe a sigh of relief now as her classes are finished for the year!
Here's a photo of Ash in her acrobatics outfit striking the pose she had to hold at the end of her performance.

She did so well despite her injuries!
Yes, our little Ash has a tendancy to attract bad luck at the worst possible time!
First, she lost her front tooth the day before Aunty Mandy's wedding and she was flower girl so I had to tell her to smile with her mouth shut!
And then at her rehearsals (the day before the concert) she broke her toe.
She was determined to do her part anyway and didn't want to let her team down so she went on stage and performed to the best she could!
She only started halfway through the year so she was 6 months behind the rest of the girls in her class but she did so well and we were so proud of her going on stage - she was so nervous!
Unfortunately her toe was trodden on a couple of times (backstage) before she went on stage so she was in quite a bit of pain and was unable to do her cartwheels as well as she would have liked.

Both the girls have their school end of year performance in a couple of weeks.
Last year Lauren danced in two dances - one for her class (the support unit) and another with the main stream class she was integrated with.
She absolutely loved being up there on stage!  She was a natural!

Aaron's been working long hours lately.  He seems to enjoy the challenge of his new job.  Everyone seems to love him there (as usual).  He's on a bit of a health kick - exercising more and watching what he eats.  He has lost a few kilos in the process which is great.

And me, I've been busy working 4 days a week from home.  I work school hours (at least I'm supposed to) which is good.  My bosses go away for two months on Wednesday so it's going to be a lot quieter and I can't wait!!

Today, on the way home from church, we had to pull into a side street as we realised Lauren's car door was open so we needed to pull into a quiet street so she could open her door and close it  properly.  Ashleigh said "I've never been down this street before" and then Lauren said "Yes you have, you just did".  Duh!

Anyway, here are some photos I took of the girls today.  They are looking so grown up now.

Bras and all the rest!

So this past weekend I had to have a little girly chat to Ash.

She has already started to morph into a young lady - and she's only 10 and a half!  I don't remember developing boobs until about 12!  Must be all the hormones in food these days! :) 
I presented her with her very first "bralette" (well that's what Bonds call them) and had a chat about the joys of body changes!
It went pretty well.  She listened intently, screwed up her nose a few times whilst contemplating the upcoming changes her body will go through over the next few years!
At the end of our "chat" I gave her a little Puberty Survival Kit in a cute cosmetic case!
She was so excited.  I could see on her face that she was excited about becoming all grown up!
Me ..... not so much.  I am going to miss her childlike qualities as they slowly disappear over the next few years!
And, let's be honest, I'm not really looking forward to the mood swings and temper tantrums!

Here she is with her fave cousin:

On another note .....
My hubby has embarked on a whole new lifestyle change.
Already he has lost 10kg.
This has really motivated me to also lose some weight before summer.
I have stacked on the weight lately and am really noticing that it's stopping me from doing so many things I used to do so easily!
So, less eating and more exercise is on the agenda for me!

Where Have I Been!?!??

So much has been happening lately.
I've neglected this blog ..... again.

So here's what's new:

We have a new addition to our family:

Her name is Coco and she's just adorable.
Ash is such a good Mum to our 'baby'.

Here she is "chillaxing" on the carpet!

Lauren adores her also! Look at the joy in her face!

Her favourite part are the ears - they're sooooo soft!

Don't tell anyone but I think I love her as much as Ash and Lauren!

She's so cuddly! And such an easy pet to have. She doesn't make any noise, I can lock her in her cage when I want to go out. Her poos are teeny tiny! AND she's kitty litter trained! Brilliant!

For the first time EVER we went away for the Easter weekend and had the best time.
We went to Port Stephens with friends of ours Steve and Ruby.

This is a photo of Birubi Beach. It's absolutely gorgeous. Beach as far as the eye an see!

This photo was taken at the Lighthouse in Port Stephens. Amazing view!

The girls got to drive around the golf buggy!

We stayed with Steve's parents who live in a resort on a golf course.

Their backyard has this gorgeous lake alongside it! It's so peaceful.

And of course we went dolphin watching while we were there!
The weather was perfect - sunshine and warm weather the entire weekend.
So visibility was great! And there were about 3 pods of dolphins there that day!

Here's is a photo of Ashleigh and Steve and Ruby on the back of the boat.
Ash is holding on for dear life - in fear that she will fall off the side and become shark bait!

So we've been busy having lots of fun!

Aaron loves his new job and I'm enjoying being a stay at home mum at the moment!

Today is Lauren's birthday and this year I decided to simplify things a little. Instead of making numerous batches of cupcakes I BOUGHT a birthday cake and stuck a few flowers on it for her to take to school. So much easier and she's just as happy! We're just having the family over for dinner for her birthday. And then I'm taking her to Lollipops Playland with her cousins. That's what she wants more than anything. And finally, here are some more photos from our trip to NZ:

Here's everyone enjoying a dip! I had to stay on land with Lauren - she wasn't a fan of the water and to be honest, neither was I overly keen!

Here's everyone enjoying a dip at the waterhole in Kati Kati.

Ffffrrrreezing!!

Loz and Mike at the pier at Kati Kati

Home Away From Home

We're back from our trip to NZ!
We had a fantastic time but it's always nice to come home.

I'll fill you in on the details later but here are some pics for you to enjoy ....

Ashleigh enjoying the clean, NZ water!

Ash and Aaron on their way back from putting out the net to catch some fish!

Lauren likes it in the boat on dry land better than on the water!!
This is obviously a photo taken at low tide!

Ash swimming at Waihi Beach

Big rock at Opoutere - OK, so I forget the real name of it but "Big Rock" sounds good to me!

Nay and Kirsty swimming at Waihi Beach with Ash!

The view from the "bach" at Opoutere!

What Will 2011 Hold For Us??

If the start of the year is any indication of what 2011 will hold for the Browns it should be a good year!

We brought in the New Year quietly this year – we swam and dined with good friends and played games! It was such a good night!

This is what our New Year’s Day looked like:

Babysitting a new born baby girl and dog sitting 3 doggies!

Ash was in her element! She did such a good job of taking care of baby T.R. She’s a natural! She loved feeding her the bottle and rocking her to sleep. Lauren even had a turn at rocking her to sleep!

I’ve decided not to make any New Year’s Resolutions this year (a first for me) as I never seem to achieve them! Although last year I did achieve a BIG one! I read the BoM from cover to cover! Such a good read!!

I hope you all have a great 2011 filled with happiness and endless opportunities!!