Happy New Year !!!!!!!!

I need to start with December first before wishing everyone a happy new year!!!

Beware this is going to be a mammoth posting, so I hope you're sat down with a brew!!!

First off we had to have our dog, Ben put down at the beginning of December. To be fair I had physiced myself up about eighteen months ago for this event, so it shouldn't have been a shock to us, however he had prostrate troubles and we thought we were taking him for a routine injection to keep the enlargement down. It wasn't enlarged and we were given drugs for something else, but by Sunday he had deteriorated quite badly and we took him back to do the deed. It has been strange without him to say the least, Christmas was easier, I guess our minds were taken off it, but since everyone went back to school it has been difficult again.....

Later in December my friend Vicki and her family emigrated - it has been going on FOREVER , but when she told me what date she was going it was SUCH a shock I wanted to make her something, and remembered a fantastic mini book made from a tin of playing cards that a lady did on uks, so I asked her for some help and this was what I created:

The front of the tin and inside, and the front cover page (I think)

The first page - showing a map of the uk - geography is not her strong point!!!!











Page 2 - happy days and the big slide!!!

Page 3 - more happy days at the park rhs missing due to pic of her children

I removed the rhs of the page owing to photo's of her children too

page 5 - friends and angels

Again rhs removed

page 7 - New life in Australia

Back page - which means the other WAS the front LOL - goodbyes are not forever.......

and the inside of the lower half of the tin - with a secret note


In between that I went to the all day crop at Leeds again - I think that was the eighth of December - I never got round to scanning those lo's so I have nothing to show - but I had a good time. It was great to see everyone again - especially Trina.

I had been on a major speed scrapping session making both sets of our parents some calendars - made with my new toy - the Bind It All. I sent the one to South Africa with my freind Vicki's hubby, I was a bit worried at forst as they didn't receive it, but apparently it turned up shortly after.

There was the general over rush at school and nursery with shows and plays and parties. It was great this year for Sam though - he "got it" this year with Santa and everything - this is a pic of him meeting Santa at his party!!!

The children were stoked at Christmas - "Santa did good" was the general consensus - I just need to scap it now!!!!

The girls got their nintendos and Sam loved his workshop and garage.

But he made us laugh, he wanted to play with the ds's, but we wouldn't let him for fear of him breaking them - so Gary got his old Game Boy out for him and he is quite addicted now to his "boy player". He's actually very good too!!!!

Here's the three of them completely engrossed!!!

And so we get to January!!!! and back where I started - Happy New Year.

Everyone went back to school and work and nursery, and the house became unbearably quiet again.....

Work has recommenced on my website and making new cards and getting this finally sorted has been my main concern in the first half of January.

I have also been very busy making the "play room" into my new craft room. There's still some bits that need sorting and the computer needs moving into that room too, but it's just so fab - everything is now in one place!!

Everyone seems to have settled back down with a new routine, and yesterday we had great news - Abigail has got into the school orchestra - so she is made up right now.

I think that about sums up December and January - watch this space!!!!