Advent Candles

This year we decided to start educating our children a little more about our beliefs. I had read an article which spoke of the importance of religious traditions. This was our attempt at establishing one for our family. Last Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, we lit the first candle after Kevin read a story from the girls' bible.
They enjoy these candles on the table. Hollie and Daddy had to make a special trip to the shop to buy the wreath, well two infact, so we were ready in time. I was the slack mother who didn't get around to making one.
At least our girls know the reason for this silly season although today when Hollie was talking to my Dad, who is in hospital right now, on the phone and he asked what she was doing for Christmas, her response was, "Getting presents." I guess that is a typical response for a three year old.

Advent Calendar

Here is my Advent Calendar. Well it is actually a Christmas calendar because it doesn't start when Advent starts it starts on the 1st of December. This was supposed to be finished for last year but I ran out of time and paper and BG's Figgy Pudding paper is old news and thus hard to come by. Some of the newer boxes were completed using BG's latest range (name escape me right now) but they work well together so that's ok.
The boxes were cut on my craft robo and very minimally embellished. I've used velcro on the backs of the boxes for extra strength and so the littlest one can find what's in the box too. These photos were taken at night so they are pretty dodgy but you still get the idea. I am happy with the way it turned out. The Christmas title is temporary, for this year anyway, and of course the 2009 will change in 2010 which is nearly here. How crazy is that?

Some more layouts

Sketch LO for Young Scrap Birds Cyber Crop

I rotated the sketch from the cyber crop over at Young Scrap Birds to create this layout. This was a murder mystery dinner where we had to dress in the roll of the person we were to be. I was a doctor and I'm not sure what Kevin was. We played brother and sister though. Ryan organised the whole thing. I didn't really want to go as Jessica was only a month old at the time and I was tired. The main reason was because I didn't know what to expect at the murder mystery dinner and I was shy. Yes that's right me. I ended up having a really good time though.
I enjoyed using this sketch and I enjoyed doing this challenge. I wouldn't have thought to scrap this picture if it wasn't that everyone else was scrapping costumes. THe journaling square was made by Amanda Dobbs as part of our berrylicious swap on OzSwapTillYouDrop yahoo group. Thanks Amanda.

Some layouts for your viewing pleasure

This layout uses the sketch from the October sketch at Scrapbooking Memories forum.


This technique on the journaling block was the faux silk using tissue paper and stamps I learnt over at 123scrapbook. I made a card with it and thought this left over bit suited the colours of the layout really well.

New teeth and a chipped tooth

We have been dealing with teething children for almost 3 years now. One seems to get new teeth and goes out of teething as the other enters. I guess that's the price I have to pay for having kids so close together. Hannah 3rd tooth popped through yesterday and the 4th one today so thank God that is over for a while. Hopefully it will mean more sleep for all concerned.

This is Hannah at Playgroup with a funny hat on before her teeth were big and visible.

Jessica is also teething. Trying to get those 2 year old molars through. She has one through so we are just waiting for the other 3 to come now. SO she's getting teeth but she lost a part of her front tooth when she chipped it at the pool on Saturday. I only knew it was chipped because I saw the bit of tooth in her mouth and like the true scrapbooker I am I picked out the piece of tooth to scrap and then I gave her a cuddle. Poor little thing she had blood coming from gum of the broken tooth.

Here is Jessica eating ice cream at the Longreach Club when Mum was here. This was right before she tipped the bowl up and drank the remaining runny ice cream.

Hollie has all her teeth now until she's four. Then the unfortunate thing is they start to fall out.

This is Hollie is the hat at Playgroup too. Isn't she just beautiful?

I am hoping to follow later today with a few LOs I've recently completed. I just hope the kids think it's ok for Mummy to have Mummy time. We'll see.