Soccer started on Saturday...for real...a whole game...not just practice....this was Patrick all morning before we left...sooooooo excited to be playing big boy Soccer on the same team as his brother no less!! My two are in front here in the blue...

And they did awesome!!! talk about proud-motheritis on the sideline and a little more quietly than me proud-fatheritis too!

Joseph really shone, last year he was the youngest on the team and while he gave it his all, the ball was usually dominated by the older kids...this year he IS the big kid and he scored goal, after goal, after goal....!!! I did feel sorry for the other team but rather excited for our team too, what a great start! Patrick was like a wee terrier, worked hard the whole time, totally focused and never gave up once in a huff (as he so often does at home!)and I was so pleased and proud when he got his very own goal too! There was only five on our team so not much leeway for subbing and resting but they had so much determination they didn't even think about being tired....Patrick came home and the first thing he did was wipe his boots down and dry them and placed them carefully in the wardrobe ready for next week...well done little guy!

Lots of stuff been happening....the biggest as most of you already know is we are soon to become Northlanders!! Can't believe how quickly it all happened but yep Keri Keri here we come!! Jim starts his new job in 6 weeks and we are aiming to join him and rent for the first 4 or 5 months while we look for a new home to buy. While its sad to leave our place here in Huntly where the boys have grown up thus far and we've had fun renovating, extending and landscaping, we both feel its time for a new adventure and hope whoever buys our place will enjoy what we have achieved so far. The boys have taken the news in their stride with memories of our holiday at the beach still fresh in their minds they were very excited to be told we were soon going to be living near the sea! I have been making lists of stuff to do...all that cool stuff like decluttering and wiping every little fly poo off the ceiling ready for buyers to view! oh yay!

I have enjoyed being a Survivor on the SBO DT contest these last few weeks...but boohoo unfortunately the card challenge was my downfall and I was one of the bottom two who left this week....good luck to the final 5! Also thanks heaps if you voted for me during the previous rounds....these were my entries throughout...

I guess the cards were a bit simple for this type of competition but I really don't like fussy cards so stuck with the sort of card I would like to get myself or would choose to give someone.... clean lines and a bit funky!

Also the NZ dare girls are back refreshed after a wee break so don't forget to check out the new dare for this round to use all product from one manufacturer....and theres a great prize which could be yours for entering from Junkitz!!

Have a great week!

Think of me cleaning lol!!

Oh hi blog! Good...you're still here then lol!!

It was all systems go as usual this morning...back to the routine hooray! But with a lovely relaxed crew who got ready to go out the door this morning without one single tantrum about shoes, without having to be told a million times to do their teeth...i guess its a good thing they are desperate to get back to school, kindy and music group rofl!! Please let it last for a few days heh, heh!!...the dogs are in the starting block position by the door as usual!

Well Gran and Pop certainly got to see the boys (and Mum and Dad!!lol!) at their worst and best during their visit from the UK these holidays (HI Guys!) but hey thats good, this is real life after all and we loved having them here....even if we couldn't hear them all the time over the yelling, screaming and barking that is the chaos of our house right now while we are living through ages 6, 4 and "I'm not quite two and can't talk yet and man that is frustrating sometimes"!

So Freestyle! that was good...nice to have a day devoted to scrapbooking, first time I've gone to CC classes and meeting some 'famous freestylers' and so nice to say hi to scrappers I know through the internet! Thank you if you said hi to me...I was a bit dazed during the whole thing lol!!Picked up some fun techniques from the 4 classes I attended...this is the needle felted birdie I made in Tias class....layout still to come! So cute!!

Art Journal from Rhonna's Art Attack class using her papers and stamps....which I'm turning into a mini album with pics from our recent beach holiday....

We learnt the art of dying paper towels and an easy masking trick in Emily's Shiny Happy People class...havn't completed this one yet either!

But my favourite class was Zina's Little Miss Creative and here is my version of the layout she taught...alotta, lotta fun!!

The only gripe I would have is there just wasn't enough time dedicated for each class and the tutors were racing through the instructions at the speed of light...certainly not much time to 'enjoy the process' as Rhonna kept desperately saying during her class rofl!! It would have been nice for them to have had time to expand on why they love this style of scrapbooking and hear them talk more about freestyle. Too be honest I won't be forking out that amount of money again for classes unless they cost less or are go for longer or both lol!

Have you been checking out the excitement at SBO's DT Survivor competition?!! The wildcard is making a comeback this week and the new challenge is to make a set of 4 cards using one pattern paper...can't wait to see what the Survivors create this round....and there is supposed to be an extra challenge this week too....lots of nasty talk about cockroaches ...eeeekkk... hee hee!!

Thats my lot here, Autumn has arrived with a vengence...its cooolldd!! I've got woolly socks on and it actually feels right to be knitting a woolly scarf now lol!!

More from Tutakaka

Another lovely set of snaps from Northland.

Sand Castles
Sculpture

Kayak rides

Caught a fush!

We are on Holiday!!!!

Woohoooo!!

Here we are living the kiwi dream for a few days....a bach on the water front...Tutakaka just north of Whangarei.

Jims parents are here from the UK and mine are joining us tomorrow...so the kids are going to be in Grandparent paradise!

Their wonderful granny brought these fabulous pirate costumes with her and they have had the best time wearing them and pretending to be pirates, digging for treasure and sword fighting and ahaaing me hearty all day long.

It was still damp but warm , and they managed a dip in the suprisingly warm sea...the dogs are loving it too as are we....looking forward to some sunshine tomorrow just to add some icing to the cake!