Post overload!!

Oh why do I leave it so long between posts, and then have about 100 things to mention when I *do* get around to posting - really must just do it in dribs and drabs mustn't I!!
So LOTS to mention...

Yes, I got to see my gorgeous Lusi, even though that in itself seems ages ago now (nearly two weeks!). Of course it was too short of a visit, but SO GOOD to see her, as we really don't know when it will be next... here's a pic I nicked off her blog... I managed to show her a lot more of Brisbane than I had intended, as we got a little lost getting from the airport to Maccas where I was meeting my sister.... so she has now been over every major bridge in Brisbane, and got more snaps of bits she didn't get last visit, hehe.... I was sad to hand her over to Cass and Lu though :( Hope its not too long till I see you again sweet girl xxx

It's definitely Christmas in full swing in our house now! The start of December definitely brought with it all things christmassy... This year I have made the boys an advent calendar using an activity each day rather than a chocolate - but actually they have the choccie calendars too, which I had bought before this idea was given to me from the wonderful Ange at SOF... Well as for the actual calendar, hopefully I'll get something made next year, but I've designated a christmas/family related activity for each day leading up to Christmas Day. So far, we've missed actually doing a few of them - due to disorganisation or wet weather - but hopefully we can catch them up. So far we have:

* Been to the local christmas carols

* Put up our tree

* written christmas cards

Today after school we are making some felt baubles... these activities are much harder to find time for with school to work around though! Today's should be fun, and might actually be good enough for yesterday's activity of getting a new ornament each for the tree (even though we just bought new red ones on Sunday) - we will make them this year I think!

So the weekend saw us at our playgroup (the one I've been going to with a couple of girls I went to school with - love facebook!) christmas party. One of the guys dressed up as Santa, which was for sure the highlight of the afternoon, at least for us adults... it was one of the cheap costumes I gather coz it fitted oh-so-bad and Pete had a nice hole in his crotch area - so funny!! The kids thought he was great though, except Pete's own son who was petrified... lol... we had done a little secret santa with gifts for the kids. Its actually the first 'christmas party' I've been to for a playgroup or group of friends, and it was really nice... maybe I should organise one with our other friends from church too! Eli got a little teddy that has velcro, laces, buttons etc to play with; Jaidyn got some matchbox cars; and Lani got a couple of rompers. Of course I made cupcakes again!! Spent ages the day before looking up pics on the net to decorate them..... well they didn't really turn out how I initially wanted them too, but were good anyway!

And Eli thought so too :)

Straight from the playgroup break-up, we headed to our local christmas carols... it was so good that it was on last weekend, as otherwise Greg would not have been able to go (working 6 days/week from now on), and I wasn't sure I would be with the kids on my own (Eli is enough to handle in a place like that!). They were lovely. I really LOVE going to our carols. Ours are particularly great because they are put on by the combined churches in the area, so there is really a big Jesus focus, which is so often lost these days, and I love that Jesus' birth was the main focus still, with only a little bit of Santa, Rudolph and Frosty...

In preparation for this last weekend, I spent the nights of the week before at the machine, sewing a christmas dress for Miss Lani. So of course she wore it and looked just gorgeous!! Might have to put it on her regularly in December to get some wear out of it, and of course on Christmas Day! And Eli wanted in on the photos too:

On Sunday we put up our tree and a few christmas lights... just as we were putting the tree together though, we decided we wanted some more fairy lights for it and I wanted to add some red to the blue and silver we've had for years.... so the tree stood there a little bare while we trundled off to Crazy Clarks to get some more decorations! Then we came home and Jai and I (and Eli tried to help too, but of course really just got in the way!) decorated the tree and Greg chuffed off outside to put up the lights on the house... we don't have a lot, but might just collect a new set each year I think.... we now have one set of icicle lights hanging from our gutter, and Greg bought a set of net lights to hang from the deck (really, we could have done with 2 of these ones though), and we got a neon red christmas tree which is hanging in the baby's room's window (which faces the front of the house).... here's the tree though... I just LOVE looking at it, esp with the lights on at night...

And here's a special little friend on our tree - a snow baby that my grandmother made for Jaidyn (he has 4 - the first 4 years of his life, but she's not making them anymore :()

I have a list about a MILE long of things to make and do.... its getting closer to christmas and I seem to keep adding to it and then not doing much..... I did get some inspiration from Ali Edwards this morning while reading her AEzine email, when she encouraged us to do these projects in the bits and pieces when we can, and they will come together... I am forever waiting for a nice big chunk of time to do it, which face it, doesn't happen much in the life of a SAHM to 3!! So I'm going to try to get these things done in small amounts now...

Anyway, this has taken a good chunk of time to do already, so I'll leave it for now... possibly missed something but oh well.

Take care all xxx