An update on Life

I have been so anti social lately and I apologise to all my blogging friends...... I don't know where to begin. Well, we have been to the States and had a great time. But before we left, Teagan's boyfriend ended up in hospital and was told that he had Aplastic Anemia. So, just before we flew out, he was on the mend. A week after we arrive back home in Australia, I get a phone call from his mum to let me know that it had progressed into Leukemia. Needless to say, we have been devastated. He has just gone through the first phase of his treatment and is in hospital at the moment starting the second round and can't talk. He is on antibiotics for the infection in his mouth.....He is so sore and tired. Breaks my heart. Teagan is being so strong, I am so proud of her. They are both only 14......

I haven't done any stitching since the last update, but I hope to change that one day soon. Maybe when things settle down and I get more time. I just haven't felt like it.

My USA Trip

Black Bear at Lake Tahoe

Kids in our friends pool in Livermore CA

Our friend, Cody (at work)

The Cabin we had in Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe (Teagan and Astley)

At Disneyland

As some of you guys may know if you have Facebook, I have been over to the USA again.....My whole family and I had 3 wonderful weeks over there. We spent 2 weeks with our friends up near San Francisco and 1 week in Disneyland (of course). We had our first 4th of July party, which we just loved! At a beautiful house with pool, fireworks and fantastic food. We had a few days in Lake Tahoe with our friends, we had rented out a 2 storey cabin with 2 other families.....We went jet skiing, white water rafting and generally relaxed. The highlight of the entire trip would had to have been seeing my first bear! He was huge!!!! A big black bear, going through the garbage at the front of our cabin at 2 in the morning! Thankfully, Grant had taken out all our food out of the car! LOL

Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow

I have really been AWOL lately......Have been too busy to stitch a real lot as I've been concentrating on losing some weight, working and looking after my family. I have lost 12 kilos which is 26.4 pounds. I have been at the gym everyday after work and then walking in the evening. Anyway, I have slowed down on the walking in the evening and have picked up my stitching. I have completed one square

My eldest daughter has had quite a traumatic experience. Her boyfriend of 2 years is on exchange in Sth Africa and a week after he left, broke up with her. He comes back to Australia on Sunday. She is really scared to see him. Mind you, she has a new boyfriend, who happens to be one of his friends, so it will be interesting come Monday at school

Not For Us Alone

I have been AWOL from blogs and stitching. Sorry about that. I just haven't felt like either. But I had signed up for a pin pillow swap and that is making me bring out the needle and thread. But I before I lost my mojo, I did complete part 4 of NFUA. Here is a picture:
I have also been busy with my eldest daughter. She just got her "L's" which basically means she can now drive if she has a licensed driver next to her. Then when she's 18, they can drive by themselves. So, she also had a 16th bday party. It was 50's themed:
Then a couple of weeks after that, we had her rowing dinner. Her grandmother made this dress:
Now, I must get back to some more stitching.....I think I need to

The Little Red House

As you can see, I have finished the house in part 4 of NFUA.......Nothing else to report, just a quick update

Not For Us Alone

I have finally finished Chapter 3 on this piece.....It was by far the hardest to stitch. I had to use a book of hers called "Autopsy of Montenegrin Stitch". Everyone was telling me that there was no way I could finish it without it. I had bought it about 4 years ago and had never used it. And that's when all hell broke loose! I searched for it everywhere. Pulled everything out of my cupboards and drawers. I couldn't find it anywhere. I searched for about a week and nearly ordered another one. After lots of &%$#*&^, I finally found it hiding at the back of my bookshelf in my craftroom behind a lot of magazines. Anyway, it helped knowing that I wasn't the only one who had trouble with this chapter....As you can see in the photos, I have now started Chapter 4, which I am really enjoying. I love the little red house.