A wedding of the Celtic traditional kind!

How time flies!!  So much for me starting another blog!  I have been very busy with work and have been unable to find time to do anything other than spend time with my family and go to work!  So, it has not been all dull and gloomy here....although the recent cyclone that threatened our shores made the days that way! 

We enjoyed a trip down to Gladstone, once again.  This time for my best friend's wedding.  It was a beautiful ceremony - done in Celtic traditional style, where the bride and groom quite literally 'tie the knot' by having ribbons draped over their clasped hands and tied together after they said their traditional (but not the 'I do') vows.  Each ribbon represents a certain aspect that they 'may' bring to their union, but which is 'not their intention'.  Here are some links to help me out, because it is quite beautiful to watch, but quite difficult for me to explain right at this point in time (I have just finished a 'sleepover' at work - more on that later!).

http://wendymyers.wordpress.com/extras/in-lieu-of-a-unity-candle/tying-the-knot-ceremony/

http://www.gothicweddings.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=30
Scroll down to see the actual vows they took - this is pretty much it!


http://www.myspiritualwedding.com/content/005422.shtml
And about the colours - http://www.myspiritualwedding.com/content/005423.shtml

This is truly a beautiful ceremony!  Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera, so I do not have photos of the bride and groom (or the beautiful ribbons J made!).  I manned J's camera for the afternoon/night and *think* I got a couple of shots that she would like!  Unfortunately, she wanted the camera for the honeymoon, so I couldnt take it home and take them off (I tried - I truly did!!).  However, I will leave you with my fantabulous point and shoot photos (which, as you should know, I am a HUGE fan of right now!  hehe) of the clouds and landscape coming into Gladstone on the weekend of the 21st/22nd March:

How do you know you are nearly into Gladstone?  When you travel from the north and take the turn off from Mt Larcom, you get a grand view of the powerhouse!  Sometimes it looks dull and boring, like many industrial buildings, but on this day, it was looking a little more spectacular in the heavily overcast conditions!

These photos were taken on the way home - the day before the night the cyclone was due to hit the coastline.  It is amazing how, just over 500kms away, we were affected by Ului!  Although we weren't as affected as those actually HIT by it, we still felt the shock!  Notice how overcast it is?  This was the main aim of these photos that day!

Been a while!!

But I havent been idle!! As you can guess, I have been kept relatively busy with my hoard, but it hasnt been just the everyday things that have kept me from blogging!

First off, there is my sciatica, which prevents me from sitting down for long periods of time at the computer, in front of the TV or just anywhere in particular! I have not been able to sew (sorry Tracy no update on that quilt just yet!) or do much at all except read a good book or two, because crocheting with my hands in the air while I am lying on my back tends to make the blood rush from my hands and make my arms ache just a little.

Yes, I have picked up my hooks, again. Winter tends to have that affect on me. This time making a very easy beanie pattern I found in the May, 08 issue of "Get Creative" magazine. I have made about 5 so far and plan on making some more. No real need for the kids to wear beanies in Central Queensland, but they are a good fashion accessory, anyway! Here is Mickey posing for me:



I have also made up a poncho from a pattern from the same magazine for one of Weez's friends who had a birthday party last weekend. It turned out ok.....except the beanie was a little too small for her head! No matter - I took it home and added some more rows to it and it turned out fine. Here is Weez modeling it for me:



Mickey fell sick on Thursday night. A lovely vomiting bug that he has decided to share with his brothers! Nothing like sharing and I am glad they are learning that, but they have to learn that some things are just NOT good to share, hey? Bubba fell sick this morning and I dont think little Will is altogether good, either. He has slept most of today! But he has managed to keep his bottles down, so that is good.....just grumpy as anything when awake and refusing to play the game of "nice little baby don't scream in Mummy's ear". But.....we will persevere. Besides - what doesnt kill them only makes them stronger, hey?

I cant believe that tomorrow will mark 12 weeks since I gave birth to him!! I am trying not to blink, but the time is just flying by and he is getting bigger and bigger every day! He was smiling at 4 weeks, but it took Aunty JuJu to come over and get him to smile for long enough for me to take a bloody photo! Here it is:



Took me 4 weeks to get that darn photo, but its worth it hey?

In other news - my car conked out the other week! All I wanted was another week so that Pete could get my bus in order and I could run that one around! But, since it decided to play a game of its own, I have been stuck without a car for the last couple of weeks. Just lucky that Dad is on long service leave, coz I have had to call on him a couple of times to do the school run on some rainy mornings!! Other mornings have involved the kids walking to school or juggling cars (all utes) and doing several trips.

Favourite photo of this week is:



Say "Smile!" around this house at the moment and this is the response ya get from the boys!!

24/03/08

He has arrived!! Little William David Crane endeavoured to make his way into the world early this morning in the back of an ambulance! Yes, I knew I was in labour (about 9pm last night) and I knew that I should be careful, what with my troubles that I had a couple of weeks ago. But, I didnt think things would progress quite as they would, obviously!


Look how tiny he was, compared to Petes hand!!

Birth STATS:
Weight: 3030gms (6lb 11oz)
Length: 48cm
Head Circ: 34cm
5 fingers, 5 toes, plumbing attached and all in good working order!

As I said, about 9pm last night I knew I was in labour, but contractions were sporadic and there wasnt any real routine about them, so I headed for bed about 11:30 after informing Dad that he would probably be needed sometime in the wee hours of the morning and he headed off across the road to bed, himself. About 2:30am I woke with a seering pain and knew that it was time to head off. Pete rushed off and told Dad and I went to the toilet.....where all the troubles began. I was having another bleed and it was not stopping this time! With each contraction, there was more, so an ambulance was called.

After what seemed an eternity, they showed up and I was on the verge of hysterics.....thank goodness Dad was there, because he put his arm around me and spoke to me in that fatherly voice of his and I soon settled down! Down to the ambulance we headed and into town. Just 3 minutes from the hospital, William decided to make his way into the world and there was no stopping him at all! It scared the shit out of not just me, but the ambulance officer as well! She did really well, though and spoke me through it all and he was delivered safe and sound.....her second delivery since being an ambo!

Pete rushed into town in my car and packed it a little when he arrived at the emergency entrance......the ambulance was there, but we werent in it! Mainly because he reckons it looked like a meat wagon (his words, not mine - my waters had not broken....they broke when he arrived and there was just a little mess in the back - stupid little beds they have in there!)The nurse had to calm him down after letting him in, because he nearly knocked the doors down trying to enter! The look on his face when he entered the room was just priceless!

Aussie day fun!

6 weeks is a long time to have holidays! For parents AND kids! ALL the kids were at each other's throats during the last week! I dont really blame them, though.....usually they have school and everything like that to keep them apart, but on the holidays, they are basically in each other's faces all the blinkin time!!

We had a nice break, though - Lenny and Moo's G'parents and their Uncle and Aunty came up for a little visit! We had an excellent weekend catching up and just spending time with them! Originally, we were going to put up the camper out the back and have them stay in that, but Cam and Jules have bought a house of their own, so they have moved out of Dad's place, so they stayed there.

They arrived Friday night, said a quick hello and then headed off to bed - dont really blame them, though.....the trip from Ipswich to here hasnt changed much over the years and can be really tiring and boring to the max!

Saturday found us basically lazing around the house, chatting and catching up. We headed to the beach in the afternoon, where the kids had HEAPS of fun! Here are some shots of them:

Just a FEW kids! When we were leaving, there were a couple more, but not ours. I think the parent got a shock when I yelled out that we were leaving and any kids that were with us to come NOW!! LOL.....Quite deserted after that!


AH!! Stuck in the mud!! Its a wonder they didnt run into any Pippy's!


Sea water can be sooooo sticky - especially on a long walk home!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Ok, so a little late with this actual post, but Merry Christmas to all!!! I hope everyone had a fantastic time and Santa brought them all they wanted!

We made a last minute decision to head down to a property at Agnes Waters (we only had 4 kids with us, so it was a little easier to just up, pack a few bags and leave!!).....SIL Mum and Stepdad's place. It poured down rain the night of the 23rd, so were at odds whether we wanted to camp out in the rain. BUT we made the trip and set up camp in the very overcast afternoon. Christmas Eve wasnt too bad...just a few drizzles....but Chrissy day was fantastic!! Very overcast, but not hot, humid and awful, like so many other Christmases I have known!

Tea that night was a lovely, big Red Jew that Pete bought from the fish markets just before we left......bloody lovely fish!!! It fed 6 kids and 10 adults (I think that the 4 dogs got a little each, too) and we were still picking from it when everyone had had a plate full! It is tradition for them not to eat red meat on Chrissy Eve, so it was a fitting meal....and very filling!!

The kids had a fantastic time opening their pressies up in camper in the morning before Christmas. As SIL's whole family were there, we thought it best to do that first then head over to the house for brekky. Brekky was VERY simple, with vegemite on toast, cereal and the usual non-cooked stuff.....no bacon and eggs and no dishes to wash up (used plastic plates!!).

About 10:30am came some nibblies as well as some more visitors! Christmas certainly IS the one time of year where I eat and eat all day and dont feel guilty!! After lunch, we all had a rest and everyone was back up by 4 or 5pm. SIL's Mum was a little under the weather the whole time, so it did her some good. I just hope she doesnt/didnt pass the flu onto anyone else!!

Heaps of video was taken over the days, but not many photos, so I can only show you guys a couple! Bubbles were the theme for the day......there is a bubble machine on top of the chest freezer, there and the kids were chasing them and having a HEAP of fun! See the sky in the background? Yep....that is what it was like ALL day!! AND windy!!


Here is SIL entertaining the kids with one of those bubble wands! They really loved the huge bubbles from it! Well....when the wind wasnt blowing them apart, anyway! She DID manage to get one or two off whole, though....so all good!

Appreciating nature (IMG heavy!)

I have been appreciating nature, of late. I love my digital camera and I am taking photos whenever and wherever I can. I truly live in a beautiful part of this world and I grew up taking it for granted! Over the last couple of years (I would say about 5-7), this area has really grown.....as in new industries have cropped up, therefore lots more new people have moved here to get jobs.

I love this time of year! Not only is it hot (my favourite weather), but the days are, mostly, beautiful, crisp, clear days. I grew up in a small community (here), where there was basically NOTHING for kids to do, but go to the beach, over someone else's place or the like. Most of my friends didnt have a computer or any of the gaming machines available of the time (I was one of the lucky ones with an Atari....remember them?). We (Bro and I) had to HOUND our parents for a video machine!

Although this place has changed lots (bush area bulldozed to make room for more subdivisions, etc), there are still things that have not changed. Nature, for example, is still the same in most areas. Since we have an Aluminium plant, they have to have a 'buffer zone' between them and 'civilisation' so if any fallouts happen, we are, basically, protected. Mind you.....if one of the Lines were to blow, then we would ALL be in for it! But, that would only basically happen if someone COMPLETELY fucked up, so is highly unlikely.

Anyway....here are some photos that I have taken over the last couple of weeks....just so you know what I am talking about!

The sky one evening...loved the way the sun was playing with the clouds!



Our two resident Kookaburras. They had a baby, but s/he has now left the nest and they all alone, again. I found their nest the other day. It is visible from our back verandah and I missed all the comings and goings!!


The walk down to the beach is not far.....couple 100 metres....and this is in between!! This is what we found today! a see of green foliage, with pink lillies poking their heads up everywhere!


A flower in the greenery on the side of the path to the beach.....quite common, but fitted in with my 'theme' for today! An open Pippy........just something that caught my eye. Not something you see too often down there, either!


While the kids were swimming, today, I took these. The first is a shot to the left of where I was standing......huge sparse water in between me and the boat (the white thing in the middle) and then an island. 2nd is across the mouth of the river, directly in front of me.....mainland is that far away! hehe. 3rd is a shot of down the river towards the bridge. No, this is not the way onto this island........it is actually the main way to the next town (which is just across the bridge).