So proud of my baby

Chloe has only been learning the guitar for a very short time, only since changing schools in March. Chloe wasn't expected to participate in the concert as she had only been learning such a short time but Chloe was determined to be part of the concert and did so well. I am so proud of my baby.

The concert tonight was a little concert put on for the parents of what the kids have been learning so far. Just certain cords but also singing along with it, songs written by Mr Gagen to make it more fun while learning these cords.

Mr Gagen is such a wonderful teacher, making learning music so much fun!! I wish Mr Gagen was around when I was young and learning to play the keyboard maybe I would have stuck with it.

The kids had such a great time tonight and so did the parents. The place was packed out with parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters.

I couldn't get a decent photo of the entire group playing but Mr Gagen was kind enough to have his photo taken with Chloe after the concert.

Mr Gagen and Chloe with their guitars after the concert tonight.

Thank you Mr Gagen and well done Chloe

A month of Birthdays

Talk about a busy month for us, 3 birthdays, Christmas Parties and then Christmas!! Phew!!

Andrew's birthday was just a small do at home, Chloe wanted to make him a cake so she got creative in the kitchen and made him a double chocolate cake with mock cream in the middle and creamy chocolate icing covered with MM's and Clinkers - Andrew's favourites LOL!! He loved it and so did Chloe LOL!!

Yesterday Chloe celebrated her 12th Birthday, we had a family party at home for both Chloe and Sarah. Sarah celebrates her 19th Birthday on Monday but it made it easier to just hold it as 1 party.

Some photo's of their birthdays to share with you.

Cake Chloe made for Daddy's birthday.


Chloe was so very proud of the cake she made for Andrew's birthday and it was yummy too LOL!!
Chloe finally got her wish for her birthday, a handmade guitar from her Poppa Ken. Ken makes guitars and boy he makes them good too. Chloe has been wanting a guitar but it had to be one from Poppa. Look at her face when Poppa gave her the guitar.


Chloe had a vanilla sponge cake for her birthday, here she is making a new wish


Attempting to blow out her candles LOL!! They were one's that re-light LOL!!
Sarah went to Paris earlier this year and loved it. She has been asking for everything to do with Paris since. Granny gave Sarah this Eiffel Tower for her birthday.


Sarah's cake was a chocolate sponge. Sarah also had problems blowing out her candles.



Stevie, Leigh and Sarah (the cousins)

Andrew, Sarah and Me

Sarah and Charlie (cousins)
That was pretty much it for the night.

Was nice having family around to celebrate the girls birthdays, Sarah is out partying tonight and tomorrow night to complete her celebration LOL!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Shannon's Semi Formal photos

Wow what a day!! up bright and early this morning, Shannon actually came and woke me, come on Mum we gotta go shopping for the last bits for the semi LOL!! the only time she will get up on her own accord LOL!!

So we headed up to Strathpine to get the 2nd pair of shoes to go with the 2nd dress LOL!! then got strapless bra, 5 pairs of stockings, dress for the after party LOL!! the card was screaming!!

We got home just before midday and then I did Shannon's nails for her just in time for her to head down to work to have her hair done.

I had to help Shannon get ready, putting her stockings on for her so she wouldn't put holes in them with her new nails and then her dress so not to wreak her new hair do LOL!!

Her dear friend Osman has taken her to the semi this afternoon, his tie matched her dress perfectly.

Here are a few photos to share with you. She really didn't want any photos so her smile isn't the best LOL!!


Shannon was sooo worried about the fact that she was taller she kept bending at the knees, hence why no full shot photos LOL!! Had to crop them down LOL!!

I hope that she has a fabulous night tonight, they are headed to the Kookaburra Queen for the semi and then back out this way for the after party later on.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!

Trip to Wivenhoe Dam Photos to share

What a day this was, well afternoon actually. When Sarah got home from work and Chloe's friend Jess left on Sunday, and the fact that Shannon had been at home all week really sick with Tonsillitis we decided to get them out of the house and jump in the car and head out to Wivenhoe Dam to see the gates open, something the girls have never seen in their lives and something Andrew and I haven't seen since we were kids.

We did this trip previously in June 2008 when the dam was way down due to the drought the dams got lower still after then but I have some photos to compare with and WOW!! It was a great afternoon spent as a family and I think everyone else though the same too, cause WOW!! talk about people. There was a traffic jam at Wivenhoe LOL!!

Here are a few of the photos to share with you

from right to left (eldest to youngest) - Sarah, Shannon and Chloe at the Wivenhoe lookout, see they are nice and dry and their hair has been straightened so lovely LOL!! NOT FOR LONG LOL!!
This is the traffic just after we turned off into the road to Wivenhoe Dam LOL!! Traffic Jam!!, we decided to park and walk it cause the traffic was totally stopped for hours. Yep it took an hour to walk to the dam but we ended up beating vehicles who had been sitting for hours in the traffic jam.

so here is Wivenhoe with all it's gates open!! WOW!! what a site and all the spray, certainly needed it to cool off after the long walk.
this is the flow from the spillway. raging torrent now check the next photo which is the comparison back in 2008, soooo very different hey?


hard to believe that this is the same spot right? Look at the photo below and how there is nothing and the photo above you would never believe that there is a cliff.Now for some photos of the girls getting wet from the spray, you can walk out onto a platform and see the spill front on however it was hard to find a spot due to all the people.

So here are the girls with there lovely straightened hair LOL!! not so much anymore hey LOL!! You can see the spray from the spill behind them.


Shannon loving every minute getting wet from the spray LOL!!

Photo of Shannon and Chloe getting sprayed on, like it was raining.
Andrew and Shannon out on the edge of the platform posing for the camera LOL!! look at all the spray LOL!!Ok now we head to the other side of the wall, we also went here back in 2008, standing in a similar spot to take these photos, have a look at the difference. There was hardly anything in 2008 and look at it now.

this is the photo we took back in 2008, of the same area just a little further up on the platform from memory. Huge difference hey.

After seeing Wivenhoe we headed up the road for 20 minutes and took a look at Somerset Dam, unfortunately they closed off the path to go right down to the base of the wall where the spill was, such a shame so this area was the only spot you could see the spill. Not a very good view but still.



And of course Sarah standing in front.

All in all it was a lovely afternoon spent together as a family and the girls seeing something that they have never seen ever before and possibly won't see again for a long time.

It really was amazing to see this again after remembering it from childhood, it's so different. So glad we went.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Ted Smout Memorial Bridge Opening to Redcliffe

We spent half the day today at Brighton/Redcliffe to celebrate the opening of the new Ted Smout Memorial Bridge. We parked the car down near Decker Park and walked the entire distance over the bridge to Pelican Park at Redcliffe. We took a little break and then decided to catch the free bus back to our car LOL!!

Have some photos to share with you, it was a very gloomy day but a good day to walk. They handed out free bottles of water and had water stations every 5oo meters which was great.

the crowd walking across the bridge and the speed signs

the Hogs Breath Cafe Hog who was walking back and forth over the bridge

Fishing platform

The Ted Smout Memorial at the half way point

looking across the other 2 bridges and the low tide to Redcliffe

where we sat for a break after coming off the bridge near Pelican Park
coming back over the bridge by bus they dropped us off at the old Hornibrook Bridge and you walk back underneath the other 2 bridges through back to Decker Park

all in all it was a lovely afternoon even though the weather was yuk
it made it nice for the walk over the new bridge

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Love Ness xx

My Best Friends 40th Birthday!! What a night!!

Sorry I know I promised photos from the party but I just haven't had time to scratch myself since being here LOL!! Having a fabulous time cramming in as much as possible while we are here. We just got back from Mt Gambier SA today, so we have now done the Great Ocean Road right through to and into South Australia, we stayed at Mt Gambier and drove back inland this morning stopping at many little towns on the way.

I will show you photo's of our trip mostly likely once I've returned as I have soooo many photos to go through LOL!!

So here we go with the Party!! Happy Birthday Dean!! Dean and I have been best friends since we were 4 (36 years of friendship) He has been there for me always!! I hope we will both celebrate another 40 years together as friends.

Dean's husband Jamie did such a wonder job organising this fantastic party for Dean. We went on a party train out to Drysdale from Queenscliff. Beautiful old steam train, with the carriages rocking the entire way there and back. Everyone dressed in Victorian and how terrific everyone did with their costumes too.

Here is a pic Jerry took of the steam party train

Now many of these photos weren't taken by me, Jerry and Lyndal were taking heaps of photos of the night too and got so many great shots.

This first photo is of Andrew and I, yep that's right we got Andrew in costume LOL!! ssshhh don't tell him I put this up here LOL!! and yes I was freezing but wasn't allowed to put on my big coat until after the photos.

This next photo is Dean, Jamie and Me (now doesn't Jamie look fantastic!! he made his costume himself including the gloves, it was totally amazing!! and I soooo want his boots!!)

Dean, Jamie and Dean's Parents - Gary and Carol

Jerry and Mark (Jamie's brother)

Dean and Jamie walking to the carriage of the stream train

Jahi and Jamie (makeup artist and hairdresser)

Jamie in drag doing his performance for everyone on the dance train.

Jamie and Dean

Dean's friends on the platform at Drysdale - Simon (Mary), Troy, Andrew, Jahi

Azz and Greg

Photo of Dean announcing that it was my 40th Birthday too. Love you Dean xx

I had told Dean not to announce about my birthday as he had said that this was what he was going to do. Didn't matter, he did it anyway LOL!! We do celebrate our birthdays only 3 days apart but it was his night.

We all had the most fantastic time that night even though it was dam freezing cold, think it was like 4 deg but the wind chill was colder.

It was so wonderful to finally meet Dean's friends and put faces to the names finally and get totally spoilt at the same time.

Hope you enjoyed the pics.

Catch you all in a few days time.

Love Ness xx