Happy 43rd Anniversary

Another reason to celebrate - it is my Mum and Dad's Wedding Anniversary today. 43 years! Only 40 more years to go, and we'll have made it there too!
Mum is staying with us, but Dad did actually remember when he phoned this morning! Although yesterday before Mum left, he swore blind that it was the 11th July! nope! Way out!
Here is the card I made for them.

Credits:

Unconditional by Sweet Digi Scraps at BTST

The boys were up at the crack of dawn this morning, but it was sort of OK, as we wanted an early start. We had them at Kindergarden by 8am! It's been a long while since that happened! Mum and I then made our way first to Lidl to pick up some bargains. We went in for tapes for the video camera and some pocket games for the boys, and came out with much more, a pair of trousers for Mum, three little girl hand bags as presents for my nieces, some English crisps, Smarties and Nutella. More than expected. And incase you didn't know Lidl is a grocery store!!

Then we went into town to find something for Mum for the wedding. She got a very nice combination, 7/8 trousers with a buckle by the ankle and a jacket to go with it. she looked very smart. They had some nice stuff in the shop, had I not already got my clothes for the wedding, I would have found something in there. And Mum bought me a new belt. Thanks, Mum! Dare I say this, I went to put on a belt the other day as this one pair of jeans if the boys grab my legs my jeans start falling down. So I thought, I know a belt will help. Well, I haven't worn one in years. And not one of my belts fit anymore. Should I perhaps stop eating the chocolate...?! ;o)
Nah, now I have a belt that I can grow a lot bigger in!

We then went and had a hot chocolate and a muffin (chocolate one!) as we had finished so early. But for the first time ever, I have to say it was not a good hot chocolate, it was toooooo sweet! Shame - but the muffin was good!

We then went into another shop, and I have finally spent all of my Xmas shopping voucher. I got a T-shirt and 3/4 trousers. I looked very smart in them too. And we bought the boys a set of clothes each. A T-shirt with a map of Germany on and shorts to go with it. And a baseball set for Richard (didn't come in Robert's size) and a smart pair of dark blue shorts each for the wedding, so at least they will start the day looking smart!
we finished all our shopping in time to pick the boys up at Kindergarden. This afternoon we did go in the garden, but it was too cold! it has dropped probably about 15°C in the last two days! So all we did was have an ice cream out there and come in again. But the boys seemed quite happy to play indoors for a change. Robert did a new jigsaw, and Richard pottered about with his basket of bits and bobs!
I had better head back downstairs now, Mum is down there and working on my ironing basket, don't want her to think I am hiding up here!

I got a layout for the lyrics Challenge at BTST done tonight, it is Robert last year on holiday, trying to drive my uncle's car! he thought it was great (especially, when he found my uncle's sweetie stash!)

Credits:
The Sweetest Boy of All by Phillsboo at DAC
Frame from Austin by Lliella

Bye 4 now

Nanna's here

We picked my Mum up this afternoon from the station. So much building work going on there, they we couldn't get really close and had to walk past all the diggers and tractors and workmen. The boys thought it was great. Well, once I had convinced Robert that they weren't coming onto the path we were on.
Robert wanted Nanna to go straight out into the garden when we got back home, after buying something for tea first. He wanted her to play football with him. Both Mum and I declined, poor Robert.
He has been a bit accident prone today, he already has a nasty scab on his knee, which he fell on again yesterday and made it bleed again. Well today he fell on it twice more. So clumsy, perhaps he is growing again. It seems then that he loses all control over his limbs. He also has a tiny scratch on the inside of his finger. Well at tea he got some salt in it from his tomatoe, you should have heard the screaming. Even once washed, he couldn't calm down. Poor boy really, but it does wear you down all this whining all the time, and today was "whiny day"
It wasn't quite as warm today, infact when we did get in the garden is was quite nippy. Good for our shopping morning tomorrow, as there is nothing worse than trying to try on clothes when you are all hot and sweaty. But on Friday it is the Kindergardens outing to a castle, so we really need the nice weather back again then!
I made another layout with my Birthday present at lunch time but it is downstairs on the computer so I will post it here later.

And here it is. This is Richard and Zoe, Dad caught them at first unawares, and then posing for the camera. So cute. (oh and also taken on Saturday at our birthday party!)

Credits:
SunShineDay and HappyBirthdayKerri by Dinphy

Bye 4 now

Check up

Robert had his check up on his heart this morning and all is OK! His heart is totally normal, the doctor we went to was very friendly, but Robert still put up a fight. He did not want to lay down for the ultrasound, and I know it doesn't hurt, but he took some bribing!
One funny thing there, was Richard. the nurse came in and told me that I could already take Robert's T-shirt off, well once Roberts was off, Richard wanted his off too! And it was easier to take it off than to argue, so when the nurse returned there were two half naked little boys! And of course Richard wanted to be right where the action was! So guess what our next appointment in 3 months time is earlier in the morning, when I can take Robert on his own there!! A much better idea.
This afternoon we spent in the garden. Robert fell over on his already scabbed knee and managed to knock the scab off and make it bleed again. there was a lot of screaming until it was all cleaned up. But then he went off and played and was actually kneeling on it, so it must have been feeling OK again!
Miffy (one of our rabbits) had decided he wanted his hutch cleaned out properly, he had kicked all the sawdust in there allover the place, he had buried his food dish completely! So he is all clean and tidy now, we'll see how long it is, before he buries his food again! The chickens I think thought it was their birthday, they got our leftovers from lunch, some ground up eggshells (their own) to make their egg production easier for them, some left over cat food and rabbit food, then Richard went and watered the cats dry food. So the chickens got that too. Plus their normal ration of seeds! We haven't just got "happy" eggs (as they say in Germany for eggs where the chickens run free), but "spoilt rotten" eggs (cause our chickens most certainly are spoiled!)

Not sure what I am up to this evening, scrapping definitely, but the football has muddled up my TV week, will have to find something to watch when I finish clearing up the kitchen.
Bye 4 now

Please - no thunderstorms

it is getting really dark here as I write. I do so hope that we don't have anymore thunder. It terrifies poor Robert and I just don't know what to say or do anymore. Any suggestions would be welcomed.
Anyhow, about my day! Florian didn't leave so early this morning as he is actually off to France for work today. So he took the kids to Kindergarden. He also took one of the left over cakes in for the girls there. And they were over the moon about it! Extra Brownie points for Robert and Richard! Who knows when they might need them.
I managed to get most of the washing done and dried this morning. I didn't want to hang any out this afternoon as we had friends round and the boys wanted the hose on. Not a good thing if there is washing out drying! They had a GREAT time with the water, the best bit being putting it all on the end of the slide, then sliding through it. So cute! And I had another good natter!
After tea it was bathtime, cause although they were playing with water most of the afternoon, they were still pretty filthy! Robert got most of his ice cream on his rather than in his tummy! Very sticky!
Now I am off to be creative, I think, depending on that big black cloud out the front of the house. Out the back the sun is shining...who knows.

Well so far so good, no thunderstorms, so here is what I have to show off so far!
First of all, Happy 7th Anniversary to my brother and his wife! (I did this one yesterday, but their anniversary is today, so I waited to post!)

Credits:

An ordinary Day by KimB Designs
Alpha beads by Becki Kress

And finally I got to use my Birthday present. Another big thank you here to Dinphy! It is just soo great! Here are a few impressions from the party. I have loads of pics, will have to see if I scrap some more!

Credits:
Happy Birthday Kerri Add On by Dinphy

Bye 4 now

A great party and a relaxing Sunday!

I didn't get chance to blog last night about the party, so its a double post today.
I had a slight case of the nerves right before the party, when as we were trying to get everything ready on time, the boys decided in an unwatched moment to empty all the jigsaws they own (and they own A LOT!) out! That didn't help at all! But we were all finished in time for the party, and it went really well! We had a lovely time with lots of our friends. The most surprising thing of the day was how well the kids got on together, they all played all afternoon without screaming or arguing! We were all very impressed!
We got lots of nice presents. I got a scanner! Ooh my digital hobby is expanding, expect some layouts with older photos soon, the ones that I only have on film! I got a great cookery book (Jamie at home (Jamie Oliver that is)) an oven dish, books on the town we will be moving too (someday) and tickets to the cinema. Mum is probably going to be here next week, so if Florian gets home in time, we will be going to see "Indiana Jones"! I hope so, i am already excited!
But the best present really was to have all the friends and family around. We had some good old natter, great laughs and good food.
As we started the party early (noon) the last guests left at about 8pm and we were finished with the tidying up by 9pm. I was so looking forward to sitting down and looking at all the books and scanner and such, but the weather had other plans for me. There was a thunderstorm, and Robert does NOT like them. He gets so frightened. So I spent the next 2 hours going up and downstairs, everytime the thunder boomed. And once that had finished, he decided he would have earache! What an evening! Still from 1am to 6.30am they did both sleep, and so did I!

Today we had a very relaxed day in the garden. It was great. We put our bench somewhere different in the garden to sit today, and it made such a change. It was fun! Just like with photos, changing your perspective can make a difference! (for Mum, we put it just below the greenhouse next to Miffy!)
We had tea in the garden, the boys on the picnic blanket, they thought that was great. And it did their appetite good!
I got some good pictures of them playing today. Didn't get any of the cute bit though. Both of them went and sat in Miffy's run (that's one of our rabbits) and Miffy normally very shy, actually played with them. They had taken a couple of diggers and tractors in with them. And Miffy sniffed them, picked them up and moved them around (the diggers not the kids). It was so cute to watch, that first I forgot to take pics, and then Miffy went under her hutch to play, so we couldn't get a decent picture.
Both are once again in bed, and I am praying that tonight there won't be a storm, so I can sit and relax some more!
Bye 4 now

Busy Day

Getting ready for tomorrows party. This morning I went shopping and filled the trolley right up to the brim, it was almost overflowing! So hopefully, I will have enough tomorrow to feed all the hungry mouths that come by. Mum and Dad went to the cake outlet store and got three or four (can't remember now I got to write about it!) for the typical German "Kaffee und Kuchen" (coffee and cakes, something quite a lot of Germans celebrate in the afternoons). I also have enough food to feed all those that love our company that much, that they stay for tea too! Well, tea and football that will be, the European Championship starts tomorrow. (Shhh, England didn't qualify, so two men in the family, are not so happy about that - my Dad and brother!)

The afternoon I spent trying to (emphasis here is on "TRYING") tidy up the barn. The boys did not leave my side, so that made it extremely difficult. My plan had been to do it, when Florian got home, as together it would have been much easier. But he had to work late (I hope this is not the beginning of leaving later on a Friday!) and won't be home til much later now. Oh well, I got the area cleared and cleaned, where the buffet is going to go. All the kids cars, bikes, and such will be going in the garden in the morning and then it will all look a lot better!

Oh, and the boys have a surprise for everyone tomorrow too, but I won't tell today, cause then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore. ;0)

The boys had a bath this evening and I got them out quite early so they have actually been tucked up in bed since 6.50pm today! Hopefully that won't make them wake at the crack of dawn tomorrow!
Bye 4 now

Happy Birthday to me!

Yep, yet another birthday in our family! Mine this time, no more teasing Florian, we are the same age again! 39! One more year to the BIG party! We are having a party this year too, only we limited ourselves with the invites. "only" 20 adults and 14 kids! And me totally unorganised! Never mind, I should have it all sorted by the time the first guests arrive on Saturday! I hope!
This is the card I got this morning. Florian made it for me at the weekend (with no help from me! Not quite true, I have so many beautiful kits, I pointed him a little bit, otherwise it is too overwhelming in that folder!) I love it, and so did the boys, infact Robert told me all about how HE made it! (mmh, strange that, I could have sworn that only Florian was sat at my laptop!)

Credits:
An ordinary Day by KimB Designs

I had lots of surprises today. Two great ones being from friends I have made through scrapbooking. Thank you so much Leigh and Dinphy. Leigh is letting me go shopping for some CU stuff, so that I can work on my second kit (probably for the June Colour Challenge at DSO). Mum and Dad are contributing to that too, I got a ebook on making kits, so watch out for another freebie sometime in June, I daren't say soon, it might not go according to plan.
And Dinphy, well, what can I say, I feel so honoured, this is what I got from Dinphy.


Well, what do you think, I think:

It's my party and I'll share if I want to!
Share if I want to,
you would share too,
if it happened to you!!!!
(did you sing along?!)

Yep, Dinphy gave me this to keep, share or sell! I just couldn't keep it to myself, it is too good to only be used by me. It is an add-on to her SunShineDay which is a freebie on her blog. So once you have helped yourself to my birthday present (click on the preview), do pop over to Dinphy's and leave her some love, when downloading!
Oh and when your downloading here, how about a few comments as a birthday present!
You could sing me "happy birthday", like my boys did this morning. They were so cute. They sung it again this afternoon too. But it was really a non-birthday kind of day, I did the ironing this morning, and played with the boys in the garden this afternoon. Saving my energy for the partying at the weekend!
Now I think I will go and make myself a birthday layout with my new kit! Although I never took any photos today - no not true, Robert took one of me in his Birthday Pirates Hat. Not a pretty sight!
Oh, anyone interested in my contact lense problems, I went to the opticians this morning and have something stronger to clean them with. But the girl there said that the lenses I have (hard ones) have approximately a life time of 3 years, mine are just that now, so it may be a trip back to see her, if this cleaning stuff doesn't work. So keep your fingers xed for me. Don't really need the expense of new lenses (the insurance used to pay as I am so shortsighted, but not anymore!)
Ok, that's all for now. Take care

A non-exciting day!

A very normal day today, kids at Kindergarden, washing, sorting, ironing (not all of it, as some was still in the machine). A few phone calls. Made lunch and picked the kids up again! Boring for the world as such!
This afternoon wasn't much better either. We did go for a little walk and as rain has been threatening all day, we took the boys umbrellas, and it did look cute, I got some pics of that, so hopefully there are some good ones for scrapping! We didn't walk far, cause Robert got it in his head that he would rather go home and play, and stopped! After a LOT of coaxing I got him to go a little bit further, but then Richard started complaining, so I gave up, and we went home and built a Thomas Track!
As you can see quite a boring day. I was wearing my glasses today, as despite my eye being better I can still not see properly with my left eye in my contacts. I gave them a very thorough inspection last night, which is not easy, when you are as short sighted as I am. And it looks as though the middle of the left one has some kind of something stuck on it! I am currently doing the protein removing thing, but tomorrow i will go and see if the opticians here have some suggestions. I HOPE so!
Ok, that was all for now, I may be back with some layouts later. I have a lot of challenges to tackle!
Bye 4 now

Toot Toot Toot!

I've been published! Yep two of my layouts mad the Artisan Notebook, a scrapbooking e-zine! In May they were asking for layouts with "reflections" and I had two done, so I thought I would send them off. I never expected either of them to make it, but they both did! Wow, wow, wow.
Stop off at the Artisan Notebook Gallery over at DSAguild.com and leave me some love, I would be thrilled to pieces!

And I was so busy being excited about that last night, that I forgot to blog! After the kids Kindergarden yesterday we went to my Mum and Dads. I had another appointment with the eye doctor about the scratch on my cornea! Well it has all gone again! Yippee! I was in and out of the doctors within in two minutes. So once back to Mum and Dad's Mum and I went shopping, looking for something for Mum to wear to the wedding. We actually found a very nice combination, but Dad pulled his "face" when he saw it in the bag, so we may still be looking for something else. Men!! Of course things look different off than on. But they pull "the face" anyway!

It was a scorcher here yesterday, and the boys spent the entire afternoon with Pop in the garden with watering cans and lots of water! They had a great time. Richard however wasn't worn out enough, he didn't sleep a wink on the way back. That and lack of sleep at night (he had me up again between 2-4am ) made a VERY VERY grumpy Richard today.
He started his grumpy day, when it came to getting ready for Kindergarden. HE wanted to put his OWN shoes on, which he did pretty well in 20mins. But then he proceeded to take them off again. Just as I was ready to go out the door with them. I told him that he had til Robert was in the car to sort his feet out then we were off. Well, he still wouldn't let me help him, so we drove off with one shoe on and one shoe off!
At Kindergarden he wanted to go the wrong way so I carried him (couldn't hang around today, I had an appointment at the bank!), well that was the beginning of the end. He screamed the house down, everyone came running to see what the matter was. I actually left with him still screaming at me that "my want to walk outside" - oh dear!
They told me he was fine again after I had gone, but back home after Kindergarden was a different matter. He missed out on lunch totally as he was too busy screaming at me! In the end (after about 30mins of screaming) I put him in his bed, where he proceeded to scream himself silly. ONce Robert and I had finished lunch, I got Richard back out of bed and tried to calm him down. After two stories (good old Thomas the Tank Engine) he stopped screaming, and was calm enough to go to bed!) Uff, what a lunch.
I gave him an extra 15 minutes in bed today and then we went straight in the garden.
Friends came round and a neighbour with two girls stopped by in the afternoon, it was great. All the kids got on well. And so did us girls.

Now the boys are tucked up in bed, and I hope we have a better night tonight. And I also hope to be back later with some new layouts.

I'll start with this one, this is made using another of my favourite designer's latest kit Sunshine Day! It is a great kit! And no Dinphy, there are more ways to use your kit, and I will try to show you soon. If you are wondering what I am on about, check out Dinphy's blog, you will see, that "Great minds think alike!"!
Anyhow, this is Robert and Richard getting comfy for some sunbathing on Robert's birthday!

Credits:
Sunshine Day by Dinphy

And here is another of my cheeky niece Mia, she had just finished a serious sulk, where she hid in the hood of her cloak! i managed to coax a smile from her in the end!

Credits:

Uncertain by Sweet Digi Scraps at BTST

And this one is using some of the products from Liz's (Sweet Digi Scraps) Scrappers Grab Bag (on offer until thursday!).

This is Richard looking sooo cute! I will probably be scrapping this picture again and again!

Credits:
It's Primary my Dear by Sweet Digi Scraps at BTST

Bye 4 now

Beautiful sunny day!

We had a great day today. The boys let us have a bit of a lay in, they themselves were up playing, but not fighting. They did manage to make a BIG mess of Robert's room, but we got to catch up on the sleep that we missed out on the night before!
then after breakfast Florian tackled the mess in Robert's room! I don't know how he did it, but he made a very good job of it!

I was downstairs at the time, making various salads for our barbecue this afternoon. 2 of Florian's oldest friends and their families came to visit. They picked the perfect day for it! Not a cloud in the sky all day. We were out there all day, we had the paddling pool out for the kids, and they had a great time. I think we didn't stop eating all afternoon either. First we barbecued, then after letting that all settle we had dessert, then after that had settled I dished out ice cream for everyone! It was great fun!

They all left about 6pm and we had our tea in the garden then. The boys thought it was brilliant, they must be so knackered now, with all the fresh air and running about. With a bit of luck we won't hear from them now until morning (who am I kidding!?!)

Bye 4 now