Birthday Brunch & SAM retreat - one year on

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM! To celebrate we had a birthday brunch at our place. Its become a bit of a tradition over the past few years. It all began when we decided that brunch on Easter Sunday was a great excuse to all catch up as a family, and now it happens more and more. Its a pretty simple affair, everyone brings along something and we have a big cook up outside on the BBQ. Eggs, bacon, sausages, piles of fresh toast, juice & coffee. We usually eat at about 10.30am and then sit around catching up for hours after. Its 2.30pm and the last ones just left.

I actually remembered to grab everyone soon after they arrived for a group photo. Ive been meaning to get one for ages, but you know what its like (especially with lots of kids ) there is always someone asleep, or hungry, or someone has to leave early or had to work and couldnt make it. LOL
So this is my family...Mum & Dad: Jodi, her DH Col and their three kids Jessica,Lucas & Riley; my youngest sister Vicki her DH Mike & baby Georgia and the five of us. Some strange faces there, but its near on impossible to get everyone to look and smile at the same time!

Yesterday was one of those days I just felt all inspired to scrap. Craig was at golf, the boys were all content and amused so I did one LO in the morning (cant share yet) and last night I still felt that urge (haha no not THAT urge!) so I scrapped another whole LO. Ive been wanting to scrap this photo since the retreat last year, but Im still waiting to get it on disc (!!!! subtle I know) so I went blog surfing and snatched all thepics I needed from your blogs. This photo has been scrapped a million times, and I will probably use it again when I actually get around to scrapping a LO or two about all the fun we had at the retreat. This LO was actually inspired the gorgeous photos of these little bubs who were all in the making at the retreat (even if some of their Mummies didnt realise it yet!!!!) It was fun, and really good to scrap about a slightly different topic for a change.

















Its also hard to believe thats its been a year since Mel and I jetted off to the other side of the country to spend a weekend with the most gorgeous and fun group of girls you could hope to meet - who we had never even met before. Its awesome when people you have never met before offer to pick you up, have you stay at their house and drive you around for the weekend - and to top it all off they turn out to be one of the most genuine and gorgeous girls ever - thanks Rozzie! I think our family and friends thought we were a bit batty going all that way for a scrapping retreat. But it was SO worth it. My only regret is that I wasnt able to enjoy it to the full (read stay up all night drinking and scrapping) as I was 36 weeks pregnant at the time, and had to be a little gentle to my poor old body. I couldnt even manage the walk up & down heartbreak hill most of the time, just as well I was able to borrow a car from some lovely chicky!

Craig & Pete have gone off to the 4 wheel drive show this afternoon, and when they return Sabine and I are off to see the dixie chicks at the entertainment centre tonight, Should be a good show. Tommorrow is the last day of holidays for the boys, so we better get all organised for Tuesday - Im definately not looking forward to getting back into the school routine again! Ive been enjoying my sleep ins too much.