Merry Christmas All ! !

Carolers are singing and joy is in the air
Jingle bells are ringing
It's Christmas everwhere !

May Christmas this year
Be your happiest yet
May it bring you warm memories
You'll never forget

May your favourite traditions
Bring pleasure to you
May your loved ones and friends
Share your happiness too !!

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my showcase followers, I hope that yours is Happy and Safe.

My Dad

I received a copy of a photo of my Dad in a Christmas card this year from a cousin of mine, which prompted me to scan it and do this layout. I feel compelled to scan all my old photos to preserve them for posterity. I have aged these three somewhat, to make them blend with each other better, although they are still pretty old photos, dad was born in 1910, he would be 99 now.

Christmas Flo

Since we put up our Christmas tree this year, Flo has staked her claim under it. She can be found here at any time of the day or night, incognito under the tree, pretending to be an ornament or part of the village set up around the train track. We can't run the train as she will cause a derailment lol !!!

Crazy Hair Day

Zach had a Crazy Hair Day at school, to explain, the children come to school with a crazy hair do, and pay a gold coin for the privilege, the money is used to raise funds for various activities around the school. On this occasion it was for the year 6 Farewell.

Drama in the Backyard

Oh what high drama it was getting the Christmas Photo taken, Ivan just would not co-operate, then he started fighting with Zach over the pose, and all hell broke out. We were trying to get the four of us together in one photo. The camera was on the tripod and was set to time lapse to take the photo, but Ivan kept on buggering off out of the frame. In the end we gave up and I put him in the picture in Photoshop Elements !! Thank goodness for that program, it makes life a lot easier !!!
These are some of our good shots and some of our worst.

Us

Ivan and I posing for our Christmas Photo, but I couldn't resist putting my Jacaranda photo in the LO as well, I just love those trees !

Mummy's Boy

It isn't hard to tell who loves his Mum to bits !! Tassie Lassie : you will get the joke in the smaller picture.....it is a Tassie thing......! ! LOL We're of Tasmanian descent and proud of it HA !!

Kogarah Jacaranda

One of my walking buddies showed me these jacaranda trees in a Kogarah park, Ivan and I went back there and took this photo. How majestic do those trees look, all standing in a row ? !!

Stegosaurus Feet

I laughed till I cried at the way Zach could spread his toes !!! Little Mr Stegosaurus Feet !!

Serenity/Turbulence

These photos were taken on one of my walks. It can be really calm one day and really rough the next. Funnily enough these photos were taken on the one day, so it was a matter of calm one minute and rough the next. I love having my walks along the bay, there is always time to reflect, when looking at the water.

Zach's Birthday

These are photo's Yvette took of the motley crew at Lazer Skirmish, and then at McDonald's. I believe that the kids all had a fun time together, and would love to go again !

Liz and Yvette - Friends

Yvette and Malcolm took the boys to Lazer Skirmish for Zach's Birthday. After that she took them all to McDonald's for a bit of a party. Liz met them at McDonald's so that Jess could come to the party (Jess was too young to attend Lazer Skirmish, but it is a boy thing anyway !) While the kids were feeding their respective faces, Liz and Yvette posed up for this lovely photo !

The Golfers Prayer

My son Sean rang me and asked me to put these words into a LO for him, but I only had a half an hour to do it, no time at all, this was my second attempt after the deadline had passed, much better than the first.

Tom's Birthday

Tom's 10th Birthday celebrations, at the indoor sports world, the boys are getting to that age where they aren't fussed about having their photo's taken, hence the wonderful poses in these photo's HA !

Bunnings New Store Opening

Liz's uncle is a Manager at the new Bunnings store, and coincidentally her children's school was promoting the grand opening of the store. So...along they all went, Liz, Tom and Jess. They had a great time and the kids loved to have their photo's taken by Mum with all the TV celebrities.

Go Kart Kids

Another LO of the Go Kart boys, this time Malcolm, Alex (Zach's school chum) and Zach in their respective Karts, they really had a good day.

Botany Bay Walking Track

This is where Jill, Noele and I go walking three times a week. The view is lovely, the weather is variable and as you can see from the track, it is divided up for pedestrians and pushbikes, although often pushbikes come on our pathway, but Noele gives them short shrift !!

Having Fun at the Fair

Yvette, Malcolm and Zach went to the Royal Easter Show and had a brilliant time in Side Show Alley (well...Zach did anyway !)

Elani & Liz - Friends

Liz and Elani have been friends of Yvette since they were all in primary school, they are now spread across three states, but still good friends.

Poppy John

One of Yvette's workmates and now a friend to us all, John, with his adored grandchildren. What fun being a grandparent.

Neighbours

Jill & Russ....Jill is my walking buddy, this couple have been together for ever, and still love each other very much. How nice to see these days.

Getting Some Rays

Jodye out in her mystical garden getting a few rays, but only a few, with that gorgeous fair skin, red hair and green, green eyes !!

Making Spaghetti & Meatballs

My darling daughter making spaghetti and meatballs for my darling "Angel" she is a really good Mum and he adores her (as do I) !

Taronga Zoo Photo's

Mal, Yvette and Zach had a really great day at Taronga Park Zoo, it was Yvette's Birthday, so they had a family outing. These are just some of the wonderful photo's that Yvette took.

Zach's Tooth Tragedy

Zach had a terribly tragic accident at school back in 2006. It will cause him trouble for the rest of his life but he is dealing with it really well (as we all deal with our burdens). These teeth that were smashed were his second set of teeth, so, much work has to be done to retain them. There is more of the story in my journalling.

Elani's Little Fairies

Elani's lovely little girls at their ballerina concert, I just had to turn them into fairies, they looked so sweet.

Go-Kart Boys

Zach and his friend Alex really look like racing car drivers to me in this shot, so professional !!
Alex had a bit of trouble with his kart breaking down, but was soon put into one that worked and was back on the road, the boys really did have an amazing time !!

Alice in Wonderland & Snow White

Here I go lifting photo's from Elani's Facebook Album again, I couldn't resist scrapping the girls in their Fairytale Character costumes, they look so cute !!!

Totem Tennis

Zach has started to play Totem Tennis each afternoon after he has finished his homework, I try to play with him also, but I only last for about 10 minutes, which is better than not trying at all I suppose. After all his tennis lessons he has a pretty good "Eye" for the ball !!

Orchids

I lifted this photograph of Orchids from a friend's Facebook Album, they are such beautiful orchids that I just had to scrap them, I didn't write the poem, but it did seem very appropriate for this LO.

City of Sydney

When my neighbours and I go walking 3 times per week, we walk along the edge of Botany Bay, this is the view we have of the city across the bay. As the journaling states this is my first successful panorama shot, it is 6 photographs joined together with the help of Adobe Photoshop, I am really please with the results.

Another Miranda Sunset

I suppose I am getting boring with all these sunsets, but they are so breathtaking to me that I just HAVE to photograph and scrap them, I am totally compelled !

Elani's Yard

Another photo in Elani's yard that was taken by Noele, seems to me to be a really sweet place for little girls to live !

Beautful Yards

Noele took these photo's in her and her daughter Elani's yards, pretty special places to be I think.

Vacuuming ?

These are photo's of Zach doing his chores and making a great game out them, that's one way of making work interesting HA !

August Sunset

All of these photo's were taken within 1 hour of each other. Noele is my neighbour and we both took these photo's from our yards, they turned out pretty good don't you think ?

Canberra Excursion

Zach had a bus trip to Canberra with his school, they stayed overnight in a motel then toured around Canberra seeing the sites and visiting some of the attractions there, he had a whale of a time, and really enjoyed the trip. It is a shame that he was bunked with a couple of bullies in the motel that night, but because he is such a balanced kid, he didn't let them ruin his time away, he just let their barbs slide off him. You rock Zach...you are just the greatest !!!!!

My Hip Replacement

I celebrated my 64th Birthday while in hospital recovering from my surgery, the family brought in lots of cupcakes, instead of one big birthday cake and we had a lovely time eating them lol
These photographs show my room mate, Sister Shaz and Zach and of course the Birthday girl (me !!!)