The Year that was ....

I totally stole this idea off Kristy over at PaisleyJade .. sure hope she doesn't mind!!!

What a year it was .. definitely the worst I've ever had to deal with but here it is in a Nut Shell anyway .....

JANUARY
We finally got the Internet baaaacccckkkkk after living in Pukekohe for 2 months! Oh my would you imagine how much more stuff gets done without the Internet to distract!! I did A LOT of crafting while we were Internet free and even got to set up my very own Craft Room for the first time!! and did so much Stuff I was a real Busy Beaver and had two LOs put on the shortlist for NZ's only Scrapbooking Magazine Up2Scrap and was involved in Fiskateers Online Crop. My good friend Jennie gave me my Scrap heap Plaque which still proudly hangs in my Craft Area!



FEBRUARY
We got used to living on a one wage fortnightly pay basis and loved our WooHoo Wednesday pay day! I got back involved with the TM Scrappers Challenges. I made more promises to blog everyday hehehe and Made Thankful Thursday all about my beloved Husband Jason. I also branched out a bit in my scrapbooking by using fabric. Jason and I Introduced Red the Crab into our lives. Jason celebrated his 33rd and Last ever Birthday, we spent a fun filled Sunday at Parakai Springs Pools and I make the best Titans Helmet Birthday cake ever! (well the best one I've ever done hehe) I made Valentines Day into a Happy Valentine's Week by doing lots of Valentines crafts with the kids. My favourite was the cool Valentines photo shoot I did with the kids. We had a Happy Valentines Day baking lots of surprises for Jason when he got home from work. I also managed to get some crafting done in there! Abbey discovered little girls stuff I had a WooHoo Wednesday securing my first Scrapbook tutors job at Absolutely Crafty. There were a few TGIF's and we started planning Riley's Robot 5th Birthday Party. We had a Fun Filled Family Saturday at the Pukekohe AMP Show, and had fun catching spider webs. Abbey received more injuries



MARCH
We had a BIG Weekend as a family riding trains and visiting gardens. Abbey got all girly and cute under the trampoline I did Alot of Scrapbooking in March here, here, and here , Riley Turned 5 and started school and we had a Robot Birthday blast! oh and I tutored my first scrapbooking class



APRIL
I got too busy to blog preparing for all my class stuff. Shared with everyone my story of the beginning of my scrapbooking hobby and I started back at work semi part time




MAY
I found out I was going to be published, got mad busy with work and sickness and tutoring and then my life was turned Upside Down by the sudden and shattering death of my husband Jason. I found out the true reason why we scrap and my life kinda went very numb for a while. We had a funeral, cremation and I sent my husband back to America with his family.



JUNE
To be perfectly honest I do not remember June, I know I had a Birthday and went out to Uncle Freds for my birthday dinner, apart from that the month is blank.



JULY
We moved to Whangarei. Abbey celebrated her 3rd Birthday, became a big girl by giving up her Binkies, and started afternoon Kindy. Riley started at his new school Kamo Primary.



AUGUST
Another month I sleep walked through. Jason was laid to rest in the Grafton National Cemetary in West Virginia USA. He was given a Full Marine burial, I regret not being there for it.

SEPTEMBER
I woke up slightly. Got back on the Horse and started Crafting again and started to begin my mission of documenting the love we have for Jason. I made my first Snapfish Book. Riley had his first school cross-country, disco and dress-up day. They had the Prison Sentencing for the man who killed my husband, which I attended.



OCTOBER
I shared with the world my obsession with the colour orange and started orangefying my world. We had our first Halloween without Jason.



NOVEMBER
Art Nights with Ruth and Janine really got going. I won stuff, had a very crazy emotion week with my friend Jennie visiting, having my First wedding anniversary without Jason fall a day before the 6 month anniversary of his death, as well as getting two LOs accepted for publication in the new NZ Scrapping Magazine NZ Paper Chasers, and also became a Crafty Tart. We also went to my beautiful cousin Sherri's Wedding.



DECEMBER
December started out tragically for NZ with the Pike River Miners tragedy coming to a close as such. It was full of Christmas crafting here, here, here, here and here. We had the first Christmas without Jason and December in general was very hard for me emotionally.



So goodbye 2010 and Hello 2011

CRAZY Week

This week has been rather crazy!
Firstly .. I started back at work full-time this week - Monday-Friday 9am-3pm. There were a couple of mornings I REALLY wanted to call in sick but I fought my way through and made it through the whole week. I will be happier with myself once I get my first paycheck!!
The benefits of the job are ....
*Good Pay (we really need the extra money!)
*I can take Abbey with me (I'm a Pre-School teacher)
*They are letting me work school hours
The downfalls of the job are ...
*I have to go there instead of staying at home
*I am so tired I don't feel like crafting as much
Like I said, I'm looking forward to getting a motivational boost when my first paycheck comes in!
Secondly .. My Aunt and I dedcided to go to the local Craft Fair here that they have once a month. It was on today. I have been crazy crafting for it for the last week and I sold one thing. ONE thing, at least it paid for the charge of the table, but it was a little disheartening. I did get alot of interest in my items and a lady who is setting up a craft fair type thing asked if I would display my items there so that was a bonus. I have decided that this may be a good time to launch my Online Scrap Heap Store. I made the site a while ago but haven't advertised it, I guess now is the time so go check it out, buy my stuff (hehehe)
Thirdly .. My scrapbooking classes. Thankfully no-one booked into the crop this week so I didn't have to go out. Next Thursday is the next one so I have to get prepared for that. Because of the Craft Fair I haven't really prepared yet so this week will be mad preping for the Class!
Oh well I guess it's better than not having enough to do!

Bad Blogger!!

Forgive me Father for I have Sinned ... it's been 8 days since I last blogged ...

Well today is the day of Riley's 2nd school visit at Pukekohe Hill School.


School visits are from 8.45am until 12.30pm. Last week Riley had a HUGE day. He went to school assembly shortly after I left. He got a bit overwhelmed by that and cried, the teacher took him for a little walk to settle him down. He also got to go Swimming in the school pool! He was very happy when I picked him up and his teacher, Mrs Masters, said he had a great day. Fingers crossed for another one today.

The only crafting I have done lately is for my first class over at Absolutely Crafty. I have completed 3 LOs and have another 2 planned. I'll share them all with you after my class :)

Apart from that life has been quiet. I am searching for a job. Money is tight and Jase and I have plans of owning our own home. To do that we need a second wage. Sadly with Riley heading off to school it makes things a little awkward. Firstly we can't afford before/after/school holiday care, and I personally would prefer to not have to use those services. So I need a job in school hours (9am-3pm) and preferably with the school holidays off. Sadly not many people are that flexible! And understandably so! But I am working on a few different options. Fingers crossed one of them works out soon.

WORK WORK WORK

Ok I am officially back at work full-time, so not so much time to scrap, or do anything to be honest!! I get home usually eat dinner play with the kids briefly then we get into the bath and bed routine. By the time all that is over I'm ready to vegitate. Usually here on the computer, not often at my table crafting. So last night I decided I needed to do something about it! It's wrong not to be doing some sort of scrapping everyday!! I have an hour lunch break. So last night before bed I packed up stuff in a box and worked on altering a tin for a friend! It was great! I usually just sit in the staff room at lunch time either chatting or reading old womens mags. Now I have a crafting hour! Tomorrow I'm going to work on Abbey's birthday invites. They need to be done like ... YESTERDAY! I finally made a decision as to how I'm going to do them! About time!!! Now it's figuring out how many I need to make! So hopefully I will have some stuff to show off soon!!