Bring on the long weekend!

Yesterday we went down to Geelong to pick up the camper trailer. It's really hard to believe that we actually now have our own caravan - especially after wanting to get one for several years. After every camping trip in our tent, we've come home and looked at the trading post at caravans. So finally we have one of our very own!

We set up the van after lunch today. We couldn't do it last night as we wanted to go to our fortnightly Bible study group as we haven't been able to get there too often this year due to Mark's trips to Singapore. We spent most of the afternoon out in the van showing it to my parents, Tracy and her kids, and Kerin and Rick and their girls.

Tonight we are having a movie night in the van. The boys are watching Star Wars VI. They wanted to sleep here, but we thought we'd just have a movie night and then go back inside. Tomorrow we'll put some stuff into the van - crockery, pots, pans, and other things that we plan on keeping in the van. We hope to only have to pack our clothes when we want to go away in the future. We can't wait till next weekend when we go to Rosebud for the weekend and use the van for the first time.

Winding up the van.

Pulling out the bed ends.

Ta Daaaaa!!!!!!!

Movember

Since next month is Movember, I suggested to Mark that he grow a Mo. I don't think he is too keen on the idea, so this might just have to do - perhaps he might use this pic for his profile on facebook for Movember....

Fun at the Barbershop.

a bit of a sleezy, cheezy one of Nath

STOP IT!

Sometimes I have to tell myself this, if I don't, Mark and the boys do! LOL!



October is ADA - Anxiety and Depression Awareness Month - and next month is Movember! Grow a Mo (if you are a guy that is - I wouldn't recommend girls to do this....) to help raise awareness of depression in men.

Our New Caravan

Yay!!!!! We've finally done it! After debating on and off for the past three years, we finally decided that it was time to get our own van. We decided to buy second hand and had been looking in the Trading Post for a decent used Jayco Campervan.

Presitge Jayco were having a sale on the weekend, so we thought we'd go down to Geelong for the day, have a picnic and see what the campervans were worth brand new so we know whether the used van prices were reasonable or not. Well, after seeing the new vans and realising that they were cheaper than vans that were 3 years old, we decided that we'd buy a new one! Go figure??????? By the time we add an awning and flys to the cost of the van, we're up for the same price as the second hand ones. Why not get a new one with warrantee and it's new?!?!?!?! So we pick it up in less than two weeks. Can't wait.

Our New Van

We bought the one that we saw 'on the floor', otherwise we'd have to wait till March next year to get the van - far too long in our opinion - we want to use it at Christmas time! The colors in this van were what we would have chosen anyway.

The layout of our new campervan

At Prestige Jayco, they had a jumping castle, face painting and balloons for the kids - which was a great way to keep them happy while we looked at vans. After our purchase, we went to the foreshore park for our picnic. The boys had fun wading in the sea, and then riding their bikes.

The Master and the Padawan!
(my niece - Keira)
I couldn't resist putting them in a picture together!

Nathan's Star Wars Jedi Birthday Party

Yesterday was Nathan's very belated Jedi Birthday Party. We had a great time. At the start of the party we gave all the children a Jedi costume - just light brown fabric cut into a tunic and dark brown fabric to be the belt and shoulder sash. No sewing involved and they looked great! Real little Jedis!




We made light sabers for the kids with balloons which they used to attack the incoming missiles - which were round balloons we threw into the air.


Nathan had a light saber birthday cake - which was just a large Jam Sponge Roll for the handle and small ones for the saber part.

Light Saber Birthday Cake

The kids all had a great time, the weather was perfect, the children all well behaved.

Afterwards, Kerin, Rick and the girls, Mark's parents and Andrew and Clare and their kids stayed back for a BBQ. By the time we went to bed we were exhausted and not looking forward to one hour less sleep (thanks to the start of Daylight Savings!) But we did have a great time, and Nathan loved it so it was certainly worth all of the effort!

Tooth Fairy to visit

Nathan has lost his first tooth! Hope the Tooth Fairy does not forget this time, (she does get pretty busy sometimes...).

Today I'll be getting some things organised for Nathan's birthday party which will be on Saturday. As he loves Star Wars, we're having a Star Wars theme. All the kids will be given a Jedi costume and we'll play Star Wars themed games. I'll be spending time today cutting out 14 costumes for the guests, no sewing involved - thank goodness... Mark's going to make the cake - probably a Light Saber - made with Jam Rollettes.

Nathan's party was meant to be in August, but as he, Cameron and Mark all came down with a nasty dose of the flu and then all got secondary infections we had to postpone the party (twice!). So now almost two months after his actual birthday, we're having the party - it has been delayed so long b/c Mark was in Singapore for 3 weeks (and we joined him for his last week) and we couldn't have the party without him.

The boys are quite excited about the party, and have been wearing their Jedi costumes all week - as you can see from yesterday's post's photos.

This was the first invitation.
The boys really love Lego Star Wars on the PS2.
I downloaded a pic from the net and added Nathan's face.

I'm Published!

Our book arrived this morning from Click on Print and I'm very excited! It looks great and I'm very happy with it. It will be a lovely momento of our trip to Singapore.

Today I'm minding my nieces and nephew. We bought hats for them at the Singapore Zoo. I think they are a hit!

The cousins with their Zoo Hats!
My boys are in their Jedi costumes.... What else would you need to wear?!?!

My youngest neice with her sister's hat.

Nathan in his Jedi costume..
..and Boba Fett helmet (which is an alien mask from IKEA)