Thirty-one

Another year older. 31 on the 31st. Everybody gets to experience this phenomenon only once in their lives (when their age matches their birthdate). But I have had to wait longer than most people.
I have to say, it’s pretty neat.

I was awoken this morning by 2 little boys standing next to my bed. They sported mile-wide grins and chirped “Happy Birthday!” in unison, before launching into song. However, it was not the song I expected. “Happy Birthday to you, You’re a hundred and two, You still go to Kindy, and you can’t count to three”. Sweet. But better than looking & smelling like a monkey, no?

Despite having to work, I have had a lovely day. My workday was peppered with phone calls, text messages, emails, forum posts, Facebook messages, all wishing me a Happy Birthday.
Cards & presents were hand-delivered or arrived in the mail (thank you, everyone).
After I picked Tyler up from Kindy, we met Mum & Dad for lunch. I chose my favourites: sushi, Coke Zero and chocolate mud cake. Mmmm.
My wonderful husband (who got me a Cuttlebug!) is currently cooking a special birthday dinner. It smells amazing.

Since today was a work/school day, we celebrated my birthday on Sunday afternoon/evening. We took the boys up the Sky Tower. They have been wanting to go for AGES, and last time we drove through town, I promised them that we would go there for my birthday. They didn’t forget! Originally I wanted to have dinner at one of the restaurants as well, but we couldn’t get a booking (even though I tried to book 3 weeks in advance!).
So Rob & I took the boys to the Sky Tower in the afternoon, and then we met my parents and sister for dinner at a different restaurant closer to home.

I hadn’t been up the tower for several years, but it was a beautiful day and the views were amazing.
The boys (voluntarily) dressed up in their nicest clothes for me, so naturally, I had to get a few photos of my handsome little dudes:

Sharing …

… the latest Design Team work I have done for Crafty Tart, using My Mind’s Eye “Bella Bella” and 3 Bugs in a Rug “Butterfly Kisses”. I previously shared some sneak peaks here.

ALWAYS (Butterfly Kisses)

Journalling: You are growing up right before my eyes, but you will always be my bubby. Daddy, Ethan & I have been calling you this from the day you were born, and we still do it today … but lately you have been asking me not to call you “bubby” anymore! I don’t think I can stop!

LOVE YOUR SMILE (Bella Bella)

Journalling: You have the best smile, kiddo! Of course I am taking about the real & genuine ones (like in this photo), not those fake cheesy ones!

MY WISH FOR YOU (Bella Bella)

I found this lovely poem/prayer online and it summed up so much that I wanted to say to Tyler:

Dear God, I pray he’s treated right,
and protected from all that gives him fright.
He’s so happy and free with joy,
I’d hate to see that be destroyed.
Help him learn from his mistakes,
and never give him more than he can take.
Give him all the love he needs,
and bless him with joy that makes him free.
Save him from the pain life brings,
and make his little heart sing.
Please God, don’t let the world take it away,
It’s too precious to let decay.
So God, I beg you please,
protect him from what he sees.
Let him see life in a different light,
Let him see darkness as a starry night.
God, please make his heart very strong,
and spread to the world his happy song.

Hats!

I started writing a post about all the different hats I have to wear, and how sometimes (like today!) I’d really like to just wear the Wife and Mum hats, and burn the others put the others away for a little while. Just quietly, the Work hat is looking particularly ugly on me this week (ahem).

While I was writing, this song kept popping into my head. Eventually, I stopped typing and deleted what I had written. Why? Because the words of this song say all I wanted to say, and more.

Hats – Amy Grant

The sun comes up
The breakfast show
Can’t you see me running?
It’s crazy, don’t you know?

The moon is high
I’m working through the night
Will somebody tell me
Where do all the hours go? (I don’t know)

Well it don’t stop
No, it’s never gonna stop
Why do I have to wear so many things on my head?
Hats!

One day I’m a mother
One day I’m a lover
What am I supposed to do?
Hats!
Working for a livin’
All because I’m driven
To be the very best for you.

The water is hot (so hot)
The phone don’t stop (hello, good-bye)
So how do I manage
To hold on to my sanity? (I don’t know, baby, I don’t know)

The red dress on
Time for having fun
But can I really be
The girl you see in me?

The spirit is willing
But the flesh is weak
Why do I have to wear so many things on my head?
Hats!

One day I’m a mother
One day I’m a lover
What am I supposed to do?
Hats!

Working for a livin’
All because I’m driven
To be the very best for you.

This may be a dream come true
This may be poetry in motion
This may be a dream come true
But when it all comes down
It’s an awful lot to do.

Hats!
It don’t stop
Why do I have to wear so many things on my head?
Hats!

One day I’m a mother
One day I’m a lover
What am I supposed to do?
Hats!

Working for a livin’
All because I’m driven
To be the very best for you.

It don’t stop
No, it’s never gonna stop
Why do I have to wear
Why do I have to wear
Hats!

I Believe I Can Fly

This is Tyler’s favourite song at the moment. He sings it All. The. Time.
And he only knows the chorus.

Enjoy!

Crafty Tart News!

There have been some exciting new changes at Crafty Tart … the new Design Team members have been announced! Check out the Crafty Tart blog to find out who is joining me on the team.
The forum is starting to get busier, and the DT are planning some great challenges over the coming months. The first challenge will be posted soon, so keep checking back!

Here are a few sneak peeks of my latest Design Team work for Crafty Tart. These papers are from the new My Mind’s Eye range called “Bella Bella”, which is soooo pretty!

Excited?

After having to sit on the sidelines watching his big brother play, Tyler is finally going to be in a soccer team of his own. Soccer season starts again in a few weeks, and this year Tyler is old enough to join the club. Tyler will be in grade 5, and Ethan in grade 7.

On Saturday we headed to the mall to buy Tyler some boots, shin guards and socks (but we couldn’t find any green socks in his size).

When I checked on Tyler before heading to bed on Saturday night, this is what I saw:

He definitely would have worn the boots to bed, if he’d known how to lace them up!

I think somebody may be just a *little* excited!

Love Notes

Here are a couple of pages I did last month for Crafty Tart using the new Making Memories “Love Notes” range:

SO LOVED

SPECIAL

I’ve been doing quite a bit of scrapbooking lately. Most of it I can’t share yet, although sneak peeks of my latest Design Team work for Crafty Tart will be going up soon.

In the meantime, here are a couple of recent layouts that I CAN share:

ONE MOMENT

I did this one as an example for Annelie’s “Word Challenge” at The Sketch Book. I was pregnant with Tyler in this photo, which means it was taken almost 5 years ago! Wow, where does the time go?

HIS PRINCESS

If that last one looks a little familiar to some of you, that’s because you will have seen the “original” on Beverley’s blog.
“His Princess” was the class Beverley taught at the Scrap of Faith retreat last year. She had some class kits leftover, so I bought one from her.
Due to other scrapping commitments, it sat in a box on my scrapping table for ages. But I finally found time to sit down and do it a few weeks ago. Thanks, Beverley!

Ethan’s Ribbons

Ethan belongs to the local Athletics Club, which runs every week from about October through to March (with a break over Christmas). This is his second season of Athletics, and it is his thing.

We discovered pretty early on that he is a FAST runner. He comes 1st, 2nd or 3rd in all his sprints, every week. There are probably about 25 boys in Ethan’s age grade (6 years). They run 100m, 75m and 60m, and they also compete in high jump and long jump (longer distances, discus and shotput are added as they get older).

Club Champs were held over the last 2 weeks. All the races were timed, and “official” ribbon ceremonies were held for every age grade, in every event. They even had a proper podium!

Ethan got a ribbon in EVERY one of his events:

60m – 3rd place
75m – 2nd place
100m – 3rd place
Long jump – 3rd place
High jump – 2nd place*

* He was SO close to getting 1st equal in high jump. He and another boy were the only 2 who progressed to the final height. Ethan hit the bar on his 1st and 2nd attempts, and was too scared/sore to take his 3rd jump. The other boy (who ended up getting the 1st place ribbon) missed all 3 of his, so Ethan would have got 1st equal just for attempting his 3rd jump.

Didn’t he do well? Not only that, he has a great attitude and displays good sportsmanship. Developing those things has taken time — at the beginning he used to get upset if he didn’t win every race — but we believe they are important. It’s one of the reasons we have encouraged him to be involved with sport all year round (he does Athletics in the summer and plays soccer in the winter).

I’m VERY proud of my boy. Not just because of his placings, but because he always tries his best and has fun, which is the most important thing.

U are …

The latest challenge at Scrap The Boys went up on Sunday, and it’s a great one!

This month’s challenge is going to get you thinking about those precious boys in our lives – whether they are our sons, nephews, husbands, dads, grandfathers, grandsons, brothers or friends. We want to see you all get those thoughts down on your pages.
So the challenge is to journal a minimum of 50 words and use “U R” / “You Are” or a combination in your title.

Here is my example:

Journalling reads: To our boy, Ethan Jakob Blair: You make us so very happy, in so many ways. You are loved more than you will ever know. You are our eldest child, our first born son, our “little guy”. We just love your awesome sense of humour, some of the really cute and oh-so-funny things you say. You love to quote your favourite movies, and you have an amazing memory! You have a great smile, and you give really nice hugs. You are friendly and popular. You are polite and well (mostly) behaved. I’m proud of you!
Ethan, you are a real sweet boy, and a very kind and caring person. You’re a great big brother, and even though you and Tyler do fight sometimes, you really look out for him.

As the only Kiwi on the Scrap The Boys Creative Team, I can’t help but notice that there haven’t been very many entries from NZ scrappers.
So come on, girls! You have the whole of March to complete this challenge, and there are some pretty cool prizes up for grabs. One winner is chosen by the CT, with another winner voted by public poll … doubling your chances to win!

Summer Picnic

Just sharing the Design Team work I did for Paper Pesto this month, using their “Summer Picnic” kit (sold out).

Paper Pesto kits are not only gorgeous, but extremely good value for money. I managed to create 5 layouts and a birthday card, with quite a few supplies left over.

FRIEND

Journalling reads: Through blogging, scrapbooking and the Bests, you have become a good friend.
* Beverley & I at [my cousin and her friend] Lauryn’s wedding (Aug 2008).

THESE GIRLS

Journalling reads: These crazy girls (along with Heather, who wasn’t in the photo) are so much fun, and I am so blessed to have them in my life. Whenever we’re together, there are so many laughs and plenty of crazy photos!

THE WHITE STUFF

Journalling reads: Tyler’s first trip to the snow. He’d been to Snow Planet, but this was his first time experiencing the real thing. And he absolutely loved it. September 2008.

HOME

Journalling reads: I really do know how blessed we are to live here. Our house is just 5 minutes walk from this amazing beach. There’s nowhere else I’d rather live. This place really is my home.

A TASTE OF MOERAKI

Journalling reads: On our campervan holiday around the South Island, we stopped to see the famous Moeraki boulders. As we were leaving, we spotted a sign pointing to Moeraki village. We decided to camp there for the night, and what a great decision that was! We both fell in love with this cute little fishing village, and our dinner at Fleur’s Place was divine! May ‘07.

BIRTHDAY CARD