Get Busy Living!

Well well well... What a whirlwind the last fortnight has been...

I know what you thinking... Where in the bloody hell have you been mate? Well, I have been here there and everywhere. Literally!

So naturally today, I am grateful for being busy... I love being busy at home and at work. Keeps me on my toes, keeps me achieving and keeps me determined - amongst other things.

In the last two weeks, I have inspected so many sites, from in and around Brisbane, then doing a trip up North Queensland involving several flights, one of which I nearly missed...and, over 1,5000kms of North Queensland Country driving in 3 days... From Emerald to Winton back to Emerald and everything in between, including a little town called Sapphire. I even got to see an old Caravan Park, that my family and I stayed in, in Emerald for a month when my Farther first moved our family to Queensland after our stint in Papua New Guinea. The swimming pool I remember swimming in across the road from the Caravan Park has definitely had a facelift in comparison to my time. Was amazing to see some things surviving time. Especially after visiting old railway towns that didn't make it against its battle with time.

I have been to beaches and chilled out on a luxury 42-foot boat... I have jumped on a trampoline with my kids until I couldn't breathe and move, cuddled, chilled out and watched movies. I have skyped called my little loves ever night when I was away. And, most importantly, given the Christmas spirit, we decorated the shit out of the house and of course, put up the Christmas Tree. Clearly, we decked it out with so many lights so the fat man in the red suit couldn't miss where to put the Chrissy presents even if he tried.

I am pretty sure by the time the next fortnight is over, with Uni Exams, another trip to Emerald and Mackay, my Christmas holidays will be here in no time - you bloody beauty! We have so much excitement in store for our little loves and I simply CANNOT wait for them to see all the goodies we have brought them.

Live your life - full out!

What an amazing Saturday it has been.

And with that, today I am grateful for being a Cheer Mum... Yep, if you know me well, you would know that hair and makeup is not my forte. Therefore, I would epically fail at being a Dance or Cheer Mum... But hey, I have set myself a goal, and totally smashed it... I am seriously thinking of quitting property and law and getting into the hair and makeup biz... Alright, I confess, I still suck at putting makeup on myself.

Miss Mia had her second cheer competition for the year! And, her and her team has placed second in their division! PROUD! Both little loves have been committed to their love for Cheerleading, with Havanah attending every single recreational cheer class so she can do competitive cheer like her big sissy next year. And then there is Mia, she has been that obsessive kind of dedicated... Between Zac and I, we have trained almost every night in our gym with her. She sets herself countless goals and we get in there with her, work out with her and help her achieve them. She does smash them by the way...totally gets that from me.

I remember when she came home from Cheer the other week buzzing with excitement about their new routine for the comp. 'Mum we did the full out for our new routine and smashed it' this was obviously said in a high pitched overexcited little ladies voice. Oh and a full out for the non-cheer knowledgeable people reading this is the first time they perform their routine from start to finish in front of the other kids at their cheerleading school. I am totally getting the hang of this Cheer Mum shit! Even learning all the terminology - you wanna know just come see me... Ok, maybe wait till next year to ask me any questions.

Right, back to the point... So all her hard work over the last 12 months has paid off... Babycakes did so well.  I, of course, screamed out 'Go Mia' when it was all quiet before they were about to start... I am pretty sure she was really grateful she couldn't see me at the top of the grandstand waving my arms around like crazy cheering her on.

Proud is an understatement, and I am looking forward to the commitment and dedication next year... At the rate I am going with all this cheer training with the girls, I will be a pro! Thanks, Mia! Could I still be a pro, if I couldn't cheer accurately to save my life... Let's just go with a yes for now.

It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas!

Today has no doubtable been an absolutely full on day. It's always good, well I love it - the busier you are the quicker time flies. 

So between work and my health today flew before my eyes... and then, let the excitement begin!

SCHOOL CHRISTMAS CONCERT!!!!!!!!!!! (screamed in two adorable little ladies voices).

Yep, it is Christmas time here at the girl's school! Boy, was it the absolute best! I remember a time where we never were able to make these things... Now, all that hard work over the years has paid off and I don't miss a thing!

The Christmas decorations and outfits were out in full force, with the old and the young all giving it a good bash... Nothing could beat the smile on all the little faces... All 300 hundred odd. I am pretty sure as soon as we arrived, they ran off to their friends, compared outfits, run around, threw in a couple of cartwheels and then enjoyed some tasty food from the food trucks on site. 

The stage looked awesome, and so did the gorgeous little Preppy's that got on the stage, all nervous but full of excitement belting out Silent Night at the top of their lungs. 

Then the MC announces that it's the grades 1's turn to show the parents and teachers their best Christmas singing voices. Immediately Havanah got up, jumping up and down, waving her arms around like crazy to ensure without a doubt we could see her. The excitement and joy on her face this year was so much better than last year... Pretty sure it is because she wasn't as nervous since she has done it once before. 

A few more grades go by, and then MC announces grade 3's... Oh, the smile on that kids face, the fun she had, the joy it made Zac, myself and their Au Pair Evie feel. A little more conservative, she didn't jump up and down like a monkey... She just smiled, waved, smiled again, giggled with her friends when Zac and I waved back like the dorky proud parents we are and then belted out her Christmasy tune!

Such a magical night, under the stars, listening to 300 children singing completely off key, not in time with each other and all distracted by waving at their parents!

It was clean yesterday - sorry you missed it!

So, in between the constant cooking and cleaning - I thought I would bash out a quick gratitude post for today... Today, I am super grateful for a messy house... Or just mess in general. Yes, this is another one of those moments where I have completely lost the plot. But I have only lost the plot for today... Any other day, I definitely will not be grateful for the mess.

Why the mess you may ask? Because the mess I am grateful for today is a result of a lot of cooking in preparation for some of my favourite peeps to come over for a family BBQ dinner and drinks... This has been organised for months...

I am stressed that everything won't be done on time, that the food isn't good enough, that I still have food in my hair and the house looks like it has been hit by a tornado. I love having people over and entertaining... I am just not sure everyone else in the house does... I always stress out...

But I know, tonight will be great... Because of the people, our family will be spending time with...