Merry Christmas!

Yes it's that time of year again when the festivities of this season take hold and the kids are so excited as Santa arrives tonight. Too all my buddies wherever you are at this time of year, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and I hope that you are celebrating this season with family and friends. We also celebrated Grace's 15th birthday yesterday and Happy Birthday Grace with loads and loads of love from your family. It seemed to be a fairly busy day yesterday as we had the car break down on us the night before and had to leave it and go back yesterday morning to deal with it. Thankfully we managed to get it home although it broke down again. With all this rain and flash flooding we have had over the past few days water got into part of the engine and after cleaning it up and doing what one does to get things back to normal we seem to have it running back to normal now. So yesterday we dealt with that, I also wanted to take Grace out for brekky first up so Tim could set up her brand new computer we had built for her and she had no idea she was getting so managed that as my sister came to the rescue to get us to and fro and boy was she surprised with her b'day pressie she had no idea she was getting. Of course all my kids on their b'day get to choose the kinda takeaway tucker they want and the kinda cake to go with it so pizza and Boston Mudcake was on the agenda and scrumptious plus.

Today we have cleaned and done those last minute shopping things at the local supermarket mainly cleaning items.......lol, in readiness for tomorrow...Christmas Day. Pressies all wrapped last night and tonight we will go check out the Christmas lights that are on show all over Bendigo.

I will be the first to admit that I am looking forward to putting 2007 behind us as it has been an incredibly difficult year for us with so many different situations we had to endure and so with that I also wish to say thankyou to everyone who kept us in your hearts, in your prayers and in your thoughts as we dealt with Lance and the difficulty we had with his health and the even more frustrating part not knowing ("still") what is wrong with him. But there is one thing I do know and that is God is a miracle working God and I know that he has helped our family through this year. Not only dealing with Lance but for those of you who may know.....my hubby Tim is visually impaired and I am his full time carer. Along with him both Stephanie and Maddison are also visually impaired and they all have a genetic eye disease, no cure and nothing can be done for it. They have Best's Vitelliform Dystrophy. All you need to do is google it and you could also google Macular Degeneration, that should give you some understanding of it. Recently, about a month ago, both Maddi and Steps had another appointment with their eye doctor and Maddi's right eye has weakened. Not easy to deal with as he approaches high school next year and all that goes with settling and establishing himself there but with a disability and so many people NOT understanding what these kids go through it will be an eventful year for him to say the least. But we manage and thank God for helping us through even if so many times I feel I am just not coping and managing too well because I will for the first time say that I do have alot on my plate and it is far from easy!

For all of those out there in particular 3 families I know who are going to struggle this year due to the loss of loved ones in their family I wish you peace. I know it will be a struggle and very difficult for you but I know that you will also be surrounded by loved ones.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

It's not always.......

......... easy to blog new entries on a daily basis or even once a week. Life gets busy, things get in the way, there is often those things such as housework, feeding your tribe and running errands that often stop us from doing things that we really do wish we had a little more time for...........such as blogging and making it a little more regular! But I guess we just do the best we can. :)

The countdown finally begins as we near that special time when Santa slides down our chimneys and delivers those wonderful and precious gifts under our tree. When the children still believe, when Christmas is still magical, when the festivity celebrations are underway and when it is time to sit back, ponder and really think about the true meaning of Christmas, yes the birth of Jesus Christ and what that meant to the world and all those in it. A time to celebrate this miracle in all it's glory, a time to truly appreciate what Christmas is all about.

So as I sit here trying to blog a few words here and there my mind is elsewhere, thinking of a song that has been in my heart and on my lips for the past few weeks and although many others sing this song including Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Rudd, this would have too be one of the most truly beautiful songs ever written and is now renowned as a Christmas Song. Mary Did You Know words written by Mark Lowry and music by Buddy Greene. This song is full of power, passion and emotion. I have watched the video clips and cried and I have sung along with the song but mostly I have listened and I have imagined what the song is saying, the story of a mother and her child and emotion this song brings with it. It takes me to a different place, one of compassion, filled with emotion and power, filled with grief as only a mother can feel and above all, a place that I can draw close to God. I hope you listen to it and enjoy.

Scrapping.......yes I have done a little scrapping. The LO below is my latest PBP CT LO and the last one for the year as we now have a break to do those things that we need to do being Christmas and all. The photo was taken a couple of years ago and is of my youngest son Maddison.

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The CT LO below is the latest for Tara Dunstan Designs. Photo has been scrapped before (who could resist) and I just love my girl Grace with a little 'tude!

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I am working on 2 other LO's although neither of them are CT LO's and just popping the finishing touches on them before I pop them on here and in the galleries. I have just finished creating some bookmarks (as Christmas gifts) and need to print them off and I have also done some very simple Christmas Cards that I need to take photos of and plonk in here as well. So a little busy before the man in the big red suit arrives.

Well I am going to leave you with my latest LO's for now as my eyes are hanging out my head and I need to pop myself to bed. Till next time...stay safe and stay calm with all the festivity celebrations happening.

Hugs

Chris xoxox

Well what can I say..............

I'm a bad blogger but you already knew that.......lol. I try so hard to update my blog but it just does not seem to work and I try so hard to do a little blog hopping, ready with some loving but that too I'm afraid just doesn't happen. Well it's that time of the year where we all seem to be flat out with the "festive season" and all the challenges it throws at us. Have you done your Christmas shopping? Oh I hope you have all at least started. I know I have and have everything organised........well I hope so anyway. Today I pick up one more present for Grace but as her birthday is 2 days before Christmas Day Tim and I decided we would give this pressie to her for her birthday instead of Christmas. About 2 weeks ago the poor kid had her mobile phone, her wallet and her Ipod stolen and too make matters worse a friend of hers had asked Grace if she could pop her mobile phone and wallet in her bag as well and yep they were knocked off too. The worse thing about the phone is Grace worked so hard after school by picking up garbage for half an hour as often as possible and being paid $5 for it. She saved like mad to buy this pretty darn expensive phone only for someone else to come along and say they'd prefer it instead.....grrrrrrr. Anyway the phone was useless to them as after we reported the theft we also rang Telstra and they put a full block on the phone. By doing that they could not turn it on and nor could they put another sim card in it.......so for all their efforts they got nothing.

So Tim and I decided that her main pressie would be given to her for her birthday instead and I can't say what it is because she might just pop in and read my blog but I can tell you that it is not a new phone or a new Ipod........nope nope nope better than either of those.......lol

Ok onto other stuff. Yes I have been scrapping here and there and of course that's what you all come to visit me for right????....ROFL to check out my LO's, well I hope so anyway and to catch up with all other news. So the first 2 are the latest CT LO's created for PBP and the designers there.

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And the LO below is a CT LO for Tara Dunstan Designs.

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I am finishing off my latest CT LO for Tara and will post that as well when I feel it is worthy to adorn the galleries and my blog.....rofl!

So what else is news....school is coming to a close. Lance finished his exams about 2 weeks ago now and seems to have past.....we are still waiting for the results. But with that he has finished school now as well and we have just finished the orientation/transition program into Yr 11. For those that are nor aware here in Bendigo we have I guess junior and senior high and we also call them Secondary Colleges not highschools. Yes we are pretty much the only area in Australia that does it like this but it works so well. So the 4 main secondary colleges go from yr 7-10 and unless you are in a private school than that will go through to yr 12. Then off to BSSC Bendigo Senior Secondary College for yrs 11 and 12. Without seeming to brag and we only found this out last night at orientation for parents and child that BSSC is pretty much the only school in Australia that caters so well and so much for the kids in Yr 11 and 12. It is nationally recognised as one of the best schools in Australia and they get kids coming here from all round just to do their education in those years. Their success rate is something like 95% and some of the well known people that have come out of that school and made names for themselves world wide are amazing and here I was thinking it was JUST the next stage in Lance's life......hmmmmm a little more than that.

So not only has Lance been going through the transition stage there but Maddison our youngest has also been going through his as he is off to secondary college next year. He had another orientation day Tuesday and seemed to settle in nicely. Ahhhhh my babies are all growing up.

On another "Lance" moment he is 16 of course and now has decided he wants to go for his L's. So we will be booking him in asap and getting another looney driver out onto the roads.

The girls are doing well. Grace finished her exams she had last week and we are just waiting on the results of those but she did top the geography exam and came in with the highest result for that in her class.....and she told me she didn't think she was going to get very far.....lol yeh right girl! So that was a very proud moment for her as they acknowledged it and paraded her about the place....well just in her class anyway where they applauded her, she had to do a speech and then she got to be in the teachers possie for awhile and dished out a geography test that all the other kids had to do. WTG Grace!

Stephanie didn't have to do exams as she is only in Yr7 but she has been just as active and just as busy with school and she is doing very well.

So the year is almost at a close and it's a very busy time with Christmas and all that goes with that. Don't get too stressed out at this time of year and if nothing else just take it in your stride and enjoy it. Till next blogging take care and stay safe.

Hugs Chris xxoo

Not much to say......

.......but I'm blogging again. Quick some one call the doctor I've blogged twice this week. Anyway there really isn't much to say except that it's Saturday, we have had storms today with some rain and the is awesome. I think we are about to have another pour down as all is looking very dark outside and no it's night night time....rofl. This kinda weather I love and I hope we have it for a few more days yet so we can get as much rain as we need.

I received an awesome package in the mail on Thursday. 21 12x12 LO's I order through My Reflections and they are amazing. I have been hanging out for so long to have some 12x12 LO's printed professionally and withing a decent price range as well. This September My Reflections started offering loose leaf printing in a few sizes but in 12x12 as well. The quality of printing is absolutely amazing and I am really happy with the results....well actually I am more than happy with them. Thanks Suz you've done a marvellous job. So for all you aussies who have been looking at need a place to have your LO's printed than pop on over to My Reflections and check out what they have and what they are going to be bringing out and it's all great stuff.

Of course where are my manners.....you're looking for the latest Chris Turnbull Creation.....lol well here you go this is my latest LO and I hope you enjoy!

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There isn't much more to say except I am working on the next LO which would you believe is of Lance on his father's motorbike. So of course when that is finished apart from all the galleries I pop it in, I'll pop it on here as well.

I'm settling rather nicely into my latest CT gig with Tara Dunstan and her wonderful designs. Man can her and I chat like you wouldn't believe....rofl or perhaps those that know me well enough would believe it ;). She actually has me helping out on the admin side of things too which I was more than overwhelmed when she asked me so yes settling in nicely.

Oh and there is one more thing to say and although this LO has already been posted here I thought I would post it again as it was voted LOTM over at TTS. Totally amazing and I feel so honoured. Thanks girls who voted for my LO. :) If you click on the image itself it will take you directly to my gallery over at TTS. However the credit link will take you directly to my PBP gallery!

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Well that's it for today, enjoy your weekend, take care and stay safe.

Hugs Chris xxoo

Dear Oh Dear!!!!

I have been somewhat slack in my blog duties these past 3 weeks or so. I always have good intentions to blog at least a couple of times a week but good intentions just like everything else sometimes mean well but at the end of the day don't quite happen. So to my blog readers I'm sorry.

What's new...well these are my latest PBP CT LO's which I love and have come together so well and I have to admit that I just love my return to digiscrapping. As a designer (although I know a few are still saying how much they miss my designs) I had no time to scrap and when my son Lance became sick I realised that it was time to not only once again be able to create my own family heirlooms I had missed so much, but also realise scrapping was more important too me than designing. As much as I enjoyed people creating with my designs all that work was not worth what I was missing out on and so there had to be a change and I am so grateful that I made it.

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Did you want to hear some fabulous news? Yeh course ya do....check this out and I'm proud as puff because I was so overwhelmed this designer wanted me on her team.......

Tara Dunstan of Tara Dunstan Designs asked me to be on her CT and I was so stoked. Yes she has a call going out now but before that call went out she asked me to be on her CT and how could I say no. I love her designs and started loving them when she started selling over at PBP and I have quite a little collection of her stuff already. Of course I will pop some links in to her part of the shop over at PBP but for now the shop is down for some maintenance so can't link ya up yet. I have also started creating for her but can't show just yet till I get the all clear from her so when tis all ok I'll show you what I've been up to.

A little update on Lance. He is going really well, he had the last of his tests about 7/8 weeks ago and they could not find anything further which in reality is good but as the cardiologist and his paeditrician have said very frustrating for us as well. They are now saying his heart is good and are thinking along the lines of the arteries surrounding the heart going into spasms which is quite serious anyway and that if they decide this it will take time to diagnose this. It took 3 years for them to diagnose this in one young patient who was similar to Lance so we may have to wait awhile......lol. If they decide that it is not then they really have no idea what is going on. He is back on his heart meds because they cannot deny they have been a huge benefit to him and I have to admit that he has been the best in the 12 months that this situation has been affecting him. Long term management...... follow up visit with paeditrician in January, medication for the next 6 months then wean him off to see how he is without them. All the experts have admitted they cannot deny what they found but they can't explain it to us either. For me it's simple I know God is taking care of it all. He is back to playing sports and doing what he does best with specialists permission and we just keep an eye on him too see how he copes that way. Now with his meds fully in his system he has only had 2/3 attacks in this time (8 weeks) compared to that many a day. So much better.

The other kids are doing well, the flu hit our home as it has most but not all of us got it thank goodness. Lance came down with it first and is still struggling with the sniffles and is a little bit chesty and it's been 2/3 weeks now. Then Tim came down with it really badly and although he is better he is still a little sniffly and a little chesty with not much voice, and of course Stephanie came down with it at the same time as Tim but not as bad and she seems to have made a full recovery thank goodness. The rest of us....nothing and hope it stays that way.

So Christmas is like not too many days away and it is creeping up on me a little too fast. I have all the pressies organised but I wish I could have just a couple more paydays to help get through and as much as I thought I would be fine 3 bills came yesterday.....grrr. The house rates, phone bill as it has just gone to the new monthly billing and the water bill. The worse thing about the rates is I just paid one lot last month.......the council here in Bendigo have weird dates for it and it is suppose to be quarterly (every 3 months) but not sure what happens as the first 2 payments are no where near 3 months as I paid one quarter last month (Oct), now another quarter this month then the next in February which would make it 3 months and then the last lot in June but how does 3 months work into October and November.....beats me!

Exams are coming up for both Lance and Grace in the next 2 weeks so that will be interesting. Grace will study very hard and has been doing so and Lance....well Lance is a different matter and won't study or put any effort into it all and no matter how much Tim and I try to encourage him to study and prepare himself for them, he refuses so what can you do. Schooling does not come easy to Lance at all, the poor kid struggles at the best of times and really has to work at his learning and as parents all we can do is be there for him, continue to encourage and do the best we can as we do with all our kids and luv 'em to bits!

Seeing as I have yet again written a novel and I have to get up in the morning to get the kids off to school it's time for me to call it a night and bid you adieu. Take care and stay safe.

Hugs

Chris xxoo