Hmmmmmm.....

Hmmmmm.....not sure how I'm feeling today!!  Yesterday I turned 40.  Shock, horror and dread.  I've joined the club of "old mother gooses" as Macy so lovingly reminds me.  I don't feel 40 years old, although, I'm not exactly sure how that's supposed to feel but I guess it won't be so bad....I'll just live in denial, worked for my 30's hahaha.

Macy left this message for me on our magna doodle noticeboard xxxx

So for Honey's birthday, I wrote a list of 40 things I loved about him but obviously, I can't do that for myself!!  That would be totally vain and.....I couldn't get passed number 3 so I've decided to do a different list....

40 things about ME!

1.     My name was Emma Beth for 24 hours, then I was renamed Trudy
2.     My absolutely favourite food is watermelon.
3.     I am a middle child....that explains a lot!  Woe is me lol
4.     My older brother and I had the same initials until I got married.
5.     I like to sing but sound terrible.
6.     I love post-its and staying up late.  I hate going to bed.
7.     Worm freak the heck out of me, so do cows and feet.
8.     When I was about six, I fell out of a tree and ripped the side of my face off.
9.     I always forget to take me vitamins.
10.   I bit my nails until I was 33 and then just stopped..it was a miracle.
11.   I talk a lot.  No honestly, I do ;)
12.   I love polkadots and have a thing for buying and making cushions.
13.   My favourite group is Wham!
14.   I have been to 6 schools in my life.
15.   I was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
16.   I hate cooking but I do it so my family doesn't starve or die of scurvy.
17.   I have been married for 20 years.
18.   Mushrooms are disgusting.
19.   When I was 10, I wished I could own all the Barbie's in the world.
20.   My brother used to trash my bedroom when I "borrowed" his stuff.
21.   The 80's were the best years.
22.   I fell in love with Honey at first sight.
23.   My kids make me laugh all the time.
24.   Fizzy lollies are my favorite.
25.   I love Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston and Heidi Klum.  
26.   Even though I've seen each episode a million times, Friends still makes me laugh.
27.   I collect perfumes - I got a new one for Christmas and 2 for my birthday!!!
28.   I have skinny ankles.
29.   I was in my primary school bugle band but couldn't play a note!  I faked it hahaha
30.   I love my Grandma. She's a special lady xxxx
31.   Survivor is my all time favourite TV show.
32.   I like to go garage sales and find little bargains.
33.   I aways try to have some fresh flowers in my entrance way at home.
34.   I slept in until 2pm the other day.  Go me!
35.   I'm a dreamer - I have plans for all kinds of things in my head and notebook.
36.   I gave up coca cola 2 years ago and still miss it! Always an addict.
37.   My sister and I like to talk like hill billies, yawl.
38.   I love watching movies and reading autobiographies.
39.   I had a great childhood, with heaps of wonderful memories.
40.   This year, I'm trying my best to live a good, fun, active, loving, honest life :)

I could write a longer list of things that make me me but I could go on forever. {oooh, I should have put that on the list - I love to write lists} So many good things have happened to me in my life, I have a great family and wonderful friends.  I am so blessed.  I had an awesome birthday...lunch out with Honey and Macy, dinner at Strada with Honey, Macy, Ezra and Brooke and then home for birthday trifle made by Macy, all by herself!!!!  And some lovely gifts, spoilt.

Trifle by Mace.  So yummy :)

From this......

to this.......now I'm 40!!!!!

So thanks for being a part of my first 40 years and roll on the next 40!!!!

Thanks for all the lovely phone calls, txts, messages and flowers.  I'm a lucky girl!

trudy_n xoxx

Summer days......

Summer days, drifting away but ah..those summer nights.......oops, I'm pretty sure that's a Grease song!!  But, summer is well and truly here and thank goodness for that!  There's nothing like the long hot, sunny days to make you feel alive and happy.

This summer is flying by.  There's only 2 more weeks until school starts, which means back to work for me.  I'm super lucky to have an awesome job where I get the whole summer off but that also makes it harder to actually get back to work!!  No more late nights {I'm a night owl} and no more sleep ins {my biggest was 2pm!! I know} although, I must say, I'm looking forward to catching up with the girls and my co-workers...another year of fun and mischief - the girls, not us!

I thought I'd share a few, maybe more than a few, lol, of my favourite summer snaps with you...........

We painted our house.

Macy and Granma harvesting the strawberries in Granma's vege garden.

Honey and Macy skipping rocks at Lake ferry.

Chicken tikka for entree.  Out for dinner with Honey.

Macy and crew swimming at the pool at my work.  Lucky, huh!

I got to use some of the vintage glass I've been collecting, for lollies on Christmas day.

Macy and I at New Brighton beach.

Macy's taller than the Cookie Muncher now at the Cookie factory.

Lighthouse - Cape Palliser

Honey and Macy fishing at Ngawi.

My gorgeous sister Drewe and I on New Brighton Pier.

Raspberry ice-cream sodas...a summer must.

Lake Ferry.

I hope you're having a wonderful summer.  

Enjoy your time off work, or enjoy the time after work!!  

Spend time with your kids, eat lots of ice-cream 

and don't forget to wear sunscreen ;)

trudy_n xoxx

2012 in review....

It's gone.  It's done and dusted.  2012 - it's been nice knowin ya but I'm not gonna miss ya!  Roll on 2013 and what it has to offer - and I'm already liking what's on offer, yay!

I've had a rough 2012, some of you will know all about that and it has probably been the hardest year of my life but I have learned a lot from my struggles and although it was a pretty bad year, there was plenty of good in it.  So pull up a chair and come along with me as I review some of 2012 and look forward to the future :)

Family.......

No new babies in the immediate family unless you include Mr Archie Cuddles, my sister's puppy that she got after the untimely death of Ollie, her beloved chihuahua.  So welcome Archie :)

Here he is again, Archie.

Honey turned 40 and we had a lovely family dinner. 
Ezra turned 19 and Macy, 11.  Time is flying with the kids.  This year, I get to say I have a 20 year old son....that's freaking me out quite a bit, lol.
We had some awesome family trips to Christchurch to see Ma, Pa and little sister.

Honey and Macy at either Wellington or Christchurch airport.

Ezra got a new job and is enjoying that even though he starts at 5am.  And Macy had a brilliant last year at DPS, gaining 2 big awards and having a lead role in the kapa haka at the final assembly.

Fun times......
2012 started off in Christchurch, having New Year's with the family and then Drewe came up to stay with us for 10 days....was so much fun.  So we went on a road trip to Auckland, swam a lot and chilled out together.  It was sad when she left :(
We did a lot of fishing and spending time at the beach during 2012 - there's something soothing about the ocean and I did quite a bit of thinking and walking when we were at the beach.  It was the first time I had been to many of the spots that we went to so it was nice to explore new coastline.

Mataikona

Castlepoint

Te Awaiti

We got a tandem lead for our boys so now I can walk them by myself without ending up wrapped in the leads!!  Caused a lot of excitement in our house, lol

Walkies on the tandem lead.....Chilli and Tonto

Macy's netball team won their grade, again!!!  Woo hoo.  And got best defensive team. 
Macy whipped her dad on X-Box kinect boxing, hahahaha. He'll be so happy I shared that with the world.

We spent a wonderful day at the Wellington Zoo with our friends, the Laughtons.  And...we went to our first international netball game with some special friends and got on TV!!

Music, movies and television......
The London Olympics - I spent days, and nights, soaking up as much of the Olympics as I could...now I have to wait another 4 years!
Another good year of Survivor!  Although, I still think Malcolm should have won the latest series and if you don't watch survivor, I suggest you do ;)
The final installment of Twilight came out and it was amazing!  I've decided that perhaps I should be a vampire - I mean, Bella looked gorgeous once she was turned into one.  I'll keep hoping. Hahaha.
One Direction became the soundtrack to my life :)  It played in Mace's room, in the car, on TV, in the dining room and was always played super loud when Macy had a shower so she could hear it above the water.  Luckily, I'm a bit of a teeny bopper and didn't mind it at all....and I'm so cool, I know most of the words!!

And we all know Gangnam style...that funny song and dance took over the world....you know the one I mean and I'm guessing, even if it was in secret, you've tried to see if you can do it!!! ;)

Other stuff........
Whitney Houston died.  Sad face.
Obama won the US election although I thought Mitt gave him a good run.
I really fell in love with my iPhone, discovered the joys of instagram (follow me) and realised that I don't use my laptop now that we have an iPad and a Samsung Galaxy tablet!!  So much technology in this house, geeks.
It was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
Queensland won the State of Origin, again, woop woop.

I went to the dentist 17 times this year.  Now, I'm a complete dentalphobe so this was quite a challenge and helped me on the way to 2012 being a really crappy year.  Anyway to cut a long sad, scary, anxiety riddled story short....I found a wonderful new dentist who has repaired all the faulty work in my mouth and I'm not so scared anymore.  Dr RWJ - thank you. Around this time, I need to thank some wonderful people and I'm going to do it by name but please don't be offended if you are not named because there are so many people who helped me in tiny little ways that I would be here all day thanking you.  There was, however, a few very special people who came to my aid often and I want the world to know how wonderful they are, that they mean a great deal to me, that I love them to bits and am grateful for them.  So in no particular order (hahaha) big huge bunches of virtual flowers to.....Anna, Leah, Mel, Karen, Kim, Mum, Drewe and my beautiful family. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So that's 2012......well, some bits anyway. Except.......after 10 years of super long hair.....I got it cut off!!!!  I'm loving the shorter style, embracing the natural curl most days and straightening it sometimes....it was a hard decision to chop it off but I'm happy that I did. Be warned....the photos are hideous - I'm no good at selfies!!!

Before.....it was pretty long.....

That's how long it was!

Or having it straight.

Embracing the curl!!!

I'm excited about this year.  I face it with a positive attitude, energy and courage.  It's been pretty good to me so far.....we've enjoyed some lovely family time, Macy's currently out at the beach with her best friend and family, Honey gave me the new iPhone5 (screammm, I love it) and we've started painting our house....so far so good.

2013....bring it on.

trudy_n xoxx