Balloons in my backyard

Balloons are fairly common place where we live but they usually stay over the mountains however this morning and yesterday morning saw them in our backyard. They make for a picture perfect postcard moment.

The other two photos are of my latest layouts...one is from a sketch challenge which I'm too late to enter, but I really liked the sketch so wanted to play and the other one is for the multi photo challenge over at Scrappin Patch (where I'm heading on Saturday to pick up some goodies ready for the school holidays!)

Lyall has Phar Lap playing at the moment, I can only watch it when I'm in the right frame of mind - it always makes me cry. Damn animal movies lol!

Weekend catch up

I'm off to a first aid course today, so am able to sneak onto the computer for a few minutes lol. It's been a nice weekend here. Friday saw the arrival of our old neighbour and good friend Chrissie, whom we spent some time catching up with, sharing dinner etc before dropping her off to a dog show on Saturday. Donna and I headed off after that to buy Danny a kennel - it's now getting to hot for him to be inside for too long so I'll spend time over the upcoming term break getting him used to it for short periods of time. Tui thinks it's pretty cool, makes me think of the kids book 'My cat likes to hide in boxes' - I know mine sure does lol.

Sunday we popped down to the river for a few hours accompanied by a picnic and a few drinks to watch the jet boats hoon by. That was fun, probably more fun for Lyall than Donna and I, but fun all the same. In between all this, Lyall has been busy finishing off (and starting a few more!)jobs around the house. Don't get me wrong, he isn't one of those blokes who never finishes a job, he always does, but when you need to get stuff delivered you may as well get it all delivered at one time, hence the finishing of a couple of jobs and the starting of another couple. We also met another 'neighbour' (lives a few houses up the road, up a long drive), who came over with banana cake and yams for us, so that was really nice. She has two lovely boys, one of whom thought Danny was the coolest thing since slied bread. I even managed to complete a layout in amongst all this, and it's one I really really like. Must get my act together and get it uploaded as it's for the Scrappin Patch multi photo challenge. Am also teaching Donna to do an OTP Christmas project, so our lounge looks like a tip at the moment.

Donna gave Danny a bath yesterday, so there's a little snap of him with his drowned rat impersonation lol. Have a great week everyone.

A weekend away

The week before last my brother in law phoned and asked what we were up to this weekend. He was flying down to Dunedin and taking my mother in law with him - another brother in law was also flying down (at a different time). All of them Aucklander's. Lyall and I decided that we would meander down to Dunner's and catch up with them - only one BIL in the know. So Friday night after work we drove to Timaru and then made an early start and carried on our journey to Dunedin. We went and got train tickets (for our third Taieri Gorge Railway trip) and then headed to the Farmers Market for a wander around, and a bit of a wander around Dunedin CBD. Around lunchtime we headed back to the train station and stood in front of MIL who looked for about a minute before it clicked - was she suprised and rapt. We then spent a lovely afternoon on the train, followed by dinner at the Speights Pub, watching a bit of rugby on the big screen and then catching up again for breakfast this morning, before they headed off to Lanarch Castle and us back home to Christchurch. For those who don't know, just before we shifted down here, Lyall's Mum was given nine months to live due to cancer, so it was extra special being able to catch up with both her and the boys, in a lovley relaxed manner (her deceased hubby was a train driver all his working life, and the kids grew up in railways houses etc so the family have a bit of a train thing!)

On the journey home there were a few markets to stop and check out and the cheese shop at Geraldine (and the Barkers shop at Geraldine lol)...and the Speight's Pub at Timaru...Now I know Auckland is bathed in sun today, as my brother rang from his boat while over at Motuhie Island, no different down here, it's real shorts and t-shirt weather allright. And as you see, I have the photos to prove it LOL.

So no scrapbooking for me this weekend, but a lovely weekend away. Though I have returned home to a cat who cut her foot after deciding climbing on the roof of the house would be a good idea. But the roof has a steep pitch and she went for a couple of slides. The noise of her doing that made the dog bark which attracted Donna's attention and she went to investigate and was able to get Tui to a spot where she could climb down. Looks like we will have to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't become infected. Silly cat LOL.

Gone to the dogs...

Like the rest of the country, Canterbury has been basking in sunshine these last few days, which meant I was out mowing the lawns in shorts and a t-shirt yesterday, with snowy mountains in the background. Still such a novelty lol. Last week Lyall was out playing farmer Lyall on a tractor - our paddock (one big ten acre one!) needed topping and fertilising, so that's all been done now, today he's been making a sandpit for the dog to play in - with us being at work he needs something to keep him amused and he loves to dig. Danny was blissfuly unaware that he'd had an operation, and came home and continued to run around like the lunatic that he is, but thanks for all your good wishes. We toddled up to the beach with him yesterday for a run and to the dog park this morning - this used to tucker him out, but no longer does lol. Of course it tuckers me out, hence the photo of me on the floor accompained by a cat and dog (well the sun was streaming in the french doors and I just couldn't resist...).

Friday night I caught up with Gaye, Vicki and Heidi for a spot of scrapping - always a good time had, and made extra special as Gaye bakes (Heidi, Vick and I share the same type of baking...it comes via Woolworths and is more likely to be in a packet with the name Natural snake lollies on it ROFLMAO) - and hey, that's not to say we can't bake, just we don't often get round to it, anyway I digress...the lovely Gaye had made delicious banana cake and peppermint slice, so may there be many more crops at her place lol (though I must take coke to keep me awake!). Heidi also named my layout and did the journalling, which was a great help as my brain doesn't work so well come the end of the week (and no smart comments about my brain not working at any other time either you lot!!!)