Life Changes

I absolutely adore the art the Princess created for me in celebration of my new job!

That's right I am lucky enough to secure my first full time teaching position, I start next week, can't tell you the huge range of thoughts and feelings I have towards it!

I'm on the look out for a few classroom essentials such as a bell to ring to get the attention of my students and an old chair I can funky up for my teacher chair - such fun ;-)

I'll show and tell when I get it all together!

Rachael xo

After a long absence from blogging...

I'm back!

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted, so much has happened since, which I guess is why I haven't posted, way too busy!

In late January the Cowboy moved in with us. This was very exciting and very exhausting as I had to make room to 'absorb' the Cowboy and his belongings and create a bedroom for his boy who stays with us over weekends.  This involved a major sort out, de-clutter and getting rid of stuff which was much needed and long overdue.

The Princess turned 10 in March, she is so close to being as tall (or small) as me  - haha. The Cowboy's boy turned 16 three days later and in April the Cowboy turned...something ;-).  Aside from birthday celebrations, since January we have had something on every weekend, apart from one!

I spent all of term one (10 weeks) on practical experience in a local Primary school with a Year Six class.  I absolutely loved my 10 weeks with the class and  learned so much .It was very sad at the end when I had to say goodbye, I was so spoiled with flowers, gifts and cards!

Gifts and cards from my Associate Teacher and students

My best friend Mary Thistle gave me a polished red apple  for completing my teaching degree!

The end of term one on the 19th of April was the completion of my teaching degree after 3 and a bit long and eventual years!  My Mum gave me this beautiful bracelet made by jewellery designer Colleen Toland.

I'm now applying for a full time teaching position but in the meantime I have part-time work in the school I was at last term.  It's so exciting to know tomorrow I am going to go to work and get paid for it, its been a long time!

I'll be back...this time much sooner than 4 months!

Rachael xo

Christmas in our Family - Part Three

A lovely thing about Christmas is the new traditions that evolve over the years.

My Mum is incredibly talented at handwork, her creativity and stitching is enviable.  Two Christmas's ago she started a new tradition of hand stitching her grandchildren a Christmas decoration.

For Christmas 2011 she made the round tasseled ornament, each one had their individual photo on it.  This year she made the Gingerbread men which each child hung on a small wooden tree she took to Cairns.

When they are grown up and have their own trees they will have a collection of heirloom decorations that have been lovingly hand stitched for them by their Nana.

Precious!

Rachael xo

Christmas in our Family - Part Two

I know it's a little late to be posting about Christmas but I wanted to share our family Christmas this year.  We spent it in tropical Cairns, Northern Queensland, Australia and for the first time ever my Mum had her seven grandchildren with her on Christmas Day and for the first time in many years me and my two brothers.  

It was big because we all traveled to Cairns to spend Christmas together, my brother, his wife and three little children flew and drove down from Weipa.  My other brother, his partner and their three big boys, my Mum and her boyfriend and the Princess and I flew from Auckland which is a five hour flight. 

It doesn't matter where we celebrate Christmas or how hot it is, we always stick to some of our old traditions such as dealing with the cooked turkey on the ground, why this happens I don't know but if you click here you can see the same thing Christmas 2008! haha  

We always have a nicely set Christmas table, this one was done by Mum and suits the tropical weather.

                           

We added new elements to our family Christmas such as this starter of prawns that my youngest brother cooked on the BBQ with sweet chili sauce and served on banana leaves.

Our main meal was a combination of traditional Christmas food, ham and turkey, gravy and cranberry jelly along with non traditional salads of hot roast vegetable salad, roast beetroot and feta salad, curried egg salad and new minted potatoes. Delicious!!!

And as per tradition there was plenty left over for Boxing Day food.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I love spending it with my family.  I am so blessed with my family as the Princess and I would not have been able to go if it had not been all of them contributing by paying for our flights and helping us with money while we were there.

Rachael xo

Happy 2013

Trinity Beach, Cairns, Australia

Wishing you health, happiness and good fortune for 2013.

Rachael xo

Christmas in Our Family - Part One

Stain Glass art made by the Princess a few years ago

Traditions
Like my Mum and my Granny I absolutely love Christmas, not so much for the Christian significance of it but for what it means to us as a family.  It's a time when we come together to celebrate Christmas Day as a family and exchange carefully chosen gifts and eat wonderful food we have communally prepared.

Our family Christmas traditions are very much taken from the traditional English Christmas my Granny brought with her from the UK when she emigrated to New Zealand many, many years ago.  We don't decorate for Christmas until 1 December.  The tree is not to be taken down until a certain day after Christmas (which I have forgotten, need to ask Mum!).

Traditionally Christmas Eve involves playing Christmas carols, maybe having friends over for drinks, stuffing the turkey (we have our own family recipe for the stuffing), finishing off last minute gift wrapping (in my case all my wrapping is almost always last minute!) and going to mid-night mass. Before going to bed we bring out the Santa presents, leave "Santa" bite marks in cookies and milk in the bottom of the glass that has been left out for him.  The Wasband started a new tradition in our home, we leave a carrot out for the reindeer, on Christmas morning there are always spat out bits of carrot over the lawn, messy reindeer!

Christmas Tree - Castle 2012

Christmas Day starts off with Santa present opening, champagne, delicious breakfast, family members arriving if they have not stayed over night, more present opening, more champagne and nibbles, Christmas Dinner about 2pm, always turkey but as years have gone by we have evolved the rest of the meal, more champagne (a pattern here), dessert that always included trifle and fruit salad although this has evolved as well and more often than not we are still be at the table until the early hours of the evening.

Boxing Day is lazy, left over Christmas Day food, looking at each others gifts, going to the beach for a swim and beach volley ball or touch rugby on the lawn or last year playing board games around the outdoor table at my brothers and more champagne!

I love Christmas!

Rachael xo

Pinterest - Challenge # 9

I've had to rethink the 30 days of Pinterest challenge as I didn't think it through enough! I can't post everything I am making or trying from the Pinterest site at the moment because most of it is Christmas gifts and many of the 'giftee's' read my blog! So my challenge is now simply to make or try 30 things I have pinned on my Pinterest boards. Expect a flurry of posts after Christmas Day when 'all' can be revealed!

So without further ado, Challenge # 9

Sourced from NOT ON THE HIGH STREET.COM

I love these wooden heart and star decorations so I decided to cast my own spin on them. I copied sheet music from my Granny's Christmas Carol book onto 180gsm card stock and cut out the hearts and stars using a template I made. I outlined each shape with glue, sprinkled glitter on the glue, punched a hole and threaded each shape with garden twine.  They are going to be the tags for my Christmas gifts.

In the meantime they make a nice center piece!

Rachael xo