Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Moving images

Hi all.
I had intended on blogging about some fun happenings but I've been so moved by the images coming out of my home state Victoria Australia that I had to blog about this instead.
There are over 170 people dead and they think more to come and whole towns wiped out. The stories of escape from 30 to 40 meter flames are incredible and the stories of those who lost their lives so incredibly sad.
It makes it so much more disturbing when you discover that many of the fires were deliberately lit...I hope they catch them and punish them with the full extent of the law.
If you are able with a donation, go to the Australian Red Cross www.redcross.org.au. It's going to take a lot for them to recover but they will need all the help they can get. For more info on getting the still burning fires under control go to www.theage.com.au.
Keep safe.
samx

Saturday, January 10, 2009

We have the dress...

and it fits!

The dress has made it home the last fitting now done. Not sure breathing will be much of an option but it looks great so what does that matter?! Seriously, Jess has done an amazing job and I really wish I could show you all some pics but there's too much risk of James seeing it...can't have that. You'll just have to wait until the wedding pics.

It feels SO close now! Just 9 weeks left - can you believe it?

So time to rope in my lovely bridesmaids to help me in the hen night in Australia. I've agreed to let the afternoon/evening be a surprise...goodness only knows what's in store for me now. Especially as my sister Kate is one of the bridesmaids and at her recent wedding I organised for her (and her hens) to learn how to pole dance...oh dear. No photos for that one although I think there are a few on Facebook somewhere...

I've been looking at our wonderful photographer's blog where he puts up pics from recent weddings. Have a look for yourself - http://atuazon.bigfolioblog.com/. His work is SO beautiful and makes me really look forward to having him there on the day. Hope I look even half as good as the people he's shot before!!

I had promised to put up some pics of little Joshua on Christmas Day. They didn't come out quite as well as I'd hoped but he's still very cute in them. Here's one with Nanna Mary and his new book...



Uncle James reading to him too...



And this is him tired out from all the Christmas Day partying!

More pics and wedding news soon...
samx


Monday, January 5, 2009

How long??

Oops...I have been so lax in the blog department!
I started with such grand ambitions in November and then...nothing! Well, it's a new year so with new year resolutions in mind, I am resolving to blog more.

The lead up to Christmas is always a bit manic though - parties, get-togethers and drinking. Lots of drinking. Well, that's what I thought until our office Xmas party came up. We're not a big company but all of us were looking forward to a good shindig to round off the year. I'll protect the guilty by not naming names, but I will say that to call that Xmas lunch a party is a gross overstatement! It was the driest Christmas get-together I've ever had! This is making me sound like I just wanted to get hammered which wasn't the case! Normal Xmas procedure would involve at least a couple of glasses of wine...wouldn't it? Apparently not. Well, we were allowed 1 bottle between 6 of us and that was emphatically it. Call me ungrateful if you will but it felt really stingy. We were even expected to work later that afternoon!

Oh well...in the spirit of positivity and moving on, I'm blogging about it and suggesting that my colleagues and I have a bit of a post-Xmas shindig of our own. At least I have a job...

Christmas was lovely though. Days with my future in laws and little cutie Joshua - I'll put some pics up soon of him in his adorable outfits. Got to love Christmas when there's a baby around! Presents were also great although we had a bit of a narrowly averted disaster! James, my beloved and wonderful future husband, doesn't like to do things in an orderly way...last minute Jimmy I should call him. Probably not an uncommon trait for men I'm aware but I find it just a little frustrating. However we do present lists for each other at Christmas to save getting unwanted gifts. Good idea right? It was. But when it's 23 Dec and James says 'Your presents still haven't been delivered by HMV. What were the 2 cookbooks on the list again as I may have to go buy them again?', I'm filled with confusion. What cookbooks?? I didn't put any cookbooks on my list this year. And there's the issue...THIS year. I did LAST year. Mr IT, did a search for the word Christmas in his emails (instead of just scrolling through to the most recent one sent by me as normal people do!) and managed to find one from 2007! Not only that, he distributed it to half his family. Who all went out and bought things that they had bought me last year! So, stuff up realised, James sheepishly told the family about the issue. His mum was annoyed, his step-dad just laughed. And laughed. And told every man he knew. And they all laughed too because suddenly anything they'd done wrong recently was nothing in comparison. And me? I got a Wii console!!! Excellent!

After that excitement, things are pretty good! It's now less than 3 months to the wedding and the money is flowing out the door! The bridesmaid's dresses have arrived and look great (just hoping they'll look good on!) and I pick my wedding dress up on Saturday! Hope it still fits!

Until next time.
samx