Goodbye 2009

Here we are at the last day of 2009.  What a year it has been, who would have thought that this year would have seen me not only get my first full time job, but also move out of home, get a dog and learn to be independent?  Certainly not me!  I can't believe how much I have grown this year, its been pretty massive really, and even as I sit here and write this I am still a little overwhelmed about everything that has happened in 2009.  But instead of doing a recap of the year, I am just going to tell you about my new years...because tonight I have reached a whole new level of cool, oh and the fact that you already have most of my year documented on this blog. 

The day started out very nicely with breakfast in Inverloch with Dad, Dave and Jake and then a morning swim at the beach, which was more like an ice bath that was super refreshing in the heat of the sun!  After that we packed up our stuff and headed back to Melbourne.  Tonight we (Dave and I) have been having a bbq pool party, well actually it was really just a pool party for me because I didn't swim as there was lightening and you aren't supposed to swim in a storm, but anyway, we saw the new year come in, no thanks to the tv count down, which seemed to have very little idea when 2010 was actually coming, and then once everyone left...well that' when the party started.  Once Kitty and I had the house, well the living room to ourselves, we played mario on the wii and boy did we go hard...we played mario until 5:30am because that's what all the cool kids do!  The only downside to this is really the fact that if I wanted to de-nerdify a little in 2010, this probably wasn't the best start, but it was fun so what can you do. 

Oh and Kitty made another one of her amazing cakes...this time appropriately new years themed.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Inverloch

So I got a new camera for Christmas and while I have been down at the beach I have been taking some happy snaps!  So even though I don't have anything super exciting to say today, I do have some pictures to share: 

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

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Christmas Run Down - No.5

Well we made it to the final Christmas run down, so without further ado:

On the Eleventh day of Christmas something I did do:

Carols by candlelight

A true Australian Christmas tradition, Christmas wouldn't be the same without it.  Sure sometimes its corny, but its just such a nice thing to do on Christmas eve, sitting around with your mates and watching the carols.  I was a little disappointed that this years carols didn't feature Dennis Walter singing the Holy City...it just doesn't quite feel like Christmas without it, but I guess I will just have to get over it, because it didn't happen.  What did redeem the carols in a big way though was Silvie Paladino singing Your Grace Still Amazes Me... incredible.  So while I just watched it from the comfort of Kitty's lounge, I did get to go to the rehearsal the night before...which was super fun... and also with kitty, oh and Annie too.  

On the Twelfth day of Christmas something I did do:

Celebrate Jesus' Birthday

Well i guess this is the whole point of Christmas, celebrating Jesus' birth, the celebrations started at 8am when Jake and I went to see what Santa brought and then we headed off to church were I meet Buzz Lightyear...its true.  After church we headed out to do the family thing, Lunch at Gran and Pa's and then Dinner with Meg and Wayne.  I really love Christmas Day, when else do you get to just spend the day hanging out with your family and eat?  Anyway, I am off to enjoy the rest of my night...

Merry Christmas everyone...I will leave you with the song...from the top.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas something I did do:

Celebrate Jesus' Birthday

Carols by Candlelight

Almost missed my solo
Nativity the Musical
Shopping Centre Carols
Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Gingerbread

I have decided that I actually like to cook... I still don't do it very often but I enjoy it and this week while I was cooking some Christmas presents I learnt something very important...which leads me to cooking tip number 5...

Tip 5: Silicon baking trays are risky!

This is something that Dave and I learnt the hard way as we watched the cookies we had just break slide into the middle of the tray and crush each other.  So I guess the lesson is to stick with the normal trays...they are much sturdier.  Luckily we learnt from our mistakes and the gingerbread men turned out pretty good.

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

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iPhone

Normally I am not one to boast, but today I have some super exciting news....I am now the proud owner of an iPhone.  I have wanted one for a really long time but because I am a bit...well a huge commitmentphobe I didn't want to go on a contract, and I couldn't afford to buy one out right, and while neither of those two things have changed, I have given in and I am glad I did because I love it.  I never wanted to be one of those people that become so super addicted to their iPhones that they don't really function without it, but I can already tell, as much as I don't want to, soon I will be one...and there doesn't seem to be much I can do.

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

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Christmas Run Down - No. 4

On the Tenth day of Christmas something I did do:

Almost missed my solo...

Yep thats right, I almost missed my solo with the songsters this morning.  You wouldn't have thought it was possible but it happened.  This morning I was out, taking advantage of the fact that I didn't need to be at church for the first time in a long time when I got a text from the songster leader..."Are you coming to church to sing?" I was a little taken back by the message as I knew I was doing a solo with the songsters but I thought that I was singing at the 6pm carols service, not the 11am...so I wrote back exactly that...only to get the response... "no the 11, not the 6".  So with that I jumped in the car and raced to church.  Walked in sang a congregational song, then got up and performed my solo with the songsters, no army uniform, no salvo t-shirt, in fact not even dressed that nice, just in some casual sunday clothes complete with my new favourite shoes.  But I sang the song and then I left, ready to return for the carols service tonight...which it turns out I don't have to sing in.  Oops.

Nativity the Musical
Shopping Centre Carols
Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

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Christmas Run Down - No.3

Ok so you know the drill, no need for introductions, lets just sing...

On the Seventh day of Christmas something I did do:
Eat lots if food

It's not really surprising, I mean I love food at the best of times and at Christmas it's in your face all the time! However this Christmas has been full on food wise, especially over the last couple of days. In the space of two days I attended three end of year breakups all of which involved food. I had Indian with me cell ladies, breakfast with my dietitian friends and afternoon tea with work, it was full on and delicious. However, as if all the parties weren't enough, they also included bringing food. I know a little while ago I wrote a blog about the pressure I felt when taking food because when you are a dietitian people expect you to be able to cook, which isn't always true, in fact in my case, it couldn't be further from the truth. However I think this Christmas I have excelled. Seriously check this out... For our dietetics breakup our Christmas gift rule was, the gift had to be home made, and because I leave everything until the last minute, mine was edible, coz let's face it... It shouldn't take that long to cook something, but homemade good homemade craft…way too long. So I decided that I would make truffles and check them out... The look awesome even if I say so myself! Now because I don't do things in halves, one amazing success for the day wasn't enough, no I kept going. That afternoon, at my work CRC breakup, I introduced my CRC friends in Castlemaine to the heaven that is toblerone dip. I must admit though I was a little shocked that they had never heard of it before, maybe it's a salvo thing, but it, like the truffles, were a hit!

Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Eighth day of Chirstmas something I did do:
Shopping centre Carols

Yep you read that right, on my one ADO before Christmas I caroled. It probably didn’t help that Dave was in charge of caroling this year so I didn’t get much choice, but it was just like old times! I was caroling with Pheebs at forest hill this morning, something that we haven’t done for a number of years, but after a few rough numbers we were in out element. Nothing feels more Chirstmasy then racing to say the number of the next carol, or smiling to the little old ladies that stand and watch you play, or even wish a little kid a merry Christmas with a bad rendition of jingle bells (no.100). I can’t say I would rush back and do day after day like Dave and Benny did but it was fun while it lasted. Oh and just between you and me, I think Dave was a little annoyed that us girls brought in so much money…what can I say Davo…they love us!

Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Ninth day of Christmas something I did do:
Nativity the musical:

Once again, this is something that I blogged about a little while ago, but that’s okay, because that blog was all about the fact that I was going to be in a musical, and now its done! Tonight was sooooooo much fun, an experience I will never forget. I was so nervous before hand, but once I was out there under the lights and in costume, everything else seemed to fade away and I just did it. It was so good.

Everyone did an amazing job, especially Benny, my joe, he is one very funny man! I really hope this isn’t the last musical I get to do, because, I know I have said this three times already in one paragraph, but it was just so much fun. Oh and just to make it even more special, two of my good mates from Bendigo, Jana and Sam came all the way down to Melbourne, just to see it. I was sp surprised to see them there, but it meant a lot to me that they came! So thanks to everyone that came, and a massive thanks to Renee for giving me this opportunity…it was the best.

Shopping Centre Carols
Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate

Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

FHEEEEW…well we are almost there…Just 3 days to go!

To be continued…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Christmas Run Down - No. 2

So it must be time for another Christmas run down... but first, just to clarify for Dave's sake...you will find the lyrics fit better to the tradition tune not because it is actually any different but rather because it is slower... So just in case you missed the first one we will sing it from the beginning...

On the Third day of Christmas something I did do:

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Forth day of Christmas something I did see:

Come Celebrate:

This has become a Christmas tradition...although this year it came with a very very very nasty surprise.  For 5 and a half years now...well actually maybe not quite that long...i guess depending on...well actually just keep reading.... for the last few years at very least I had what I thought was a fantastic memory of Blackburn carols...come celebrate.  It was a memory of one of the first few times I had met Davo.  He was playing in the Box Hill Big Band and they were playing at the carols.  After the evening, I plucked up lots and lots of courage and went to see Dave.  He was wearing his Salvo T-shirt, Jeans and those crazy blue shoes.  Anyway, after a brief chat with Beas and Mim tonight, it turns out this memory is....WRONG.  It never happened.  The Big Band has never done come celebrate so how could Dave have played in it? Well this little moment of truth has rocked my world.  How could I have a wrong memory??? Seriously how does that even happen? Well let me tell you...it appears that I have confused two memories...Dave playing in a different band at carols without the blue shoes or jeans and another event at Blackburn sound shell where Dave was playing in the big band...it does kind of make sense but it does make me wonder how much more I have made up! 

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Fifth day of Christmas something I did see:

More Christmas Lights:

These weren't just any lights though, they are crazy christmas lights...like intense crazy.  They are in Narracan Street in my old hood of vermont south and well the are just full on...I can't really explain it so just have a look at the photo...

Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Sixth day of Christmas something I did use:

Conversation Cards:

 

To be honest, conversation cards are not things that I have had much time for in the past.  My opinion was why can't you just think of your own stuff to talk about, I don't think having the questions prescripted was actually going to make things less awkward, in fact I was convinced it would probably make things more awkward.  Anyway, that was until two days ago when Sally from work showed me some that she had got as a Kris Kringle present.  After actually looking at them I changed my mind, I decided they were great and actually went and got some to give as a Kris Kringle present of my own, and do you know what??? They were a hit.  We used them tonight at my Bendigo Cell group break up and it was a lot of fun...There is a freedom with conversation cards, because you aren't answering a nosy question from a friend, but just a card, you can say it like it is and its good!  Never again will I poo poo conversation cards.

More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

Well there you go, 6 days down, 6 to go....Hope you are enjoying the sing-a-long as much as me!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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More New Friends

Today has been a massive day, and I have been flat out for most of it. But two things in particular make today super special...Today I made two new friends... let me tell you about them:

1. Samuel Jude Kean - well I guess he didn't really get a choice, I just decided that because he was matt and Fee's baby, he had to be my friend, today was just the first time we met and I tell you what he is sooooo beautiful!  There isn't really much more I can say other than Congrats Matt and Fee you have such a beautiful baby boy! 

2. Was a little more random.  After an amazing evening with my good friend Claire enjoying the sweet sounds and very very attractive good looks of Keith Urban at his Concert at Rod Laver Arena we caught the train back to my car at Box Hill.  However at the station while buying our tickets (which in hindsight I don't actually think we needed to do) Claire and I were asked for assistance by a french lady, we, being the lovely girls that we are, of course said yes and helped her also purchase the unnecessary ticket.  She then told us that she needed to go to Canterbury station but wasn't sure how to as she had lost the group that she was traveling with and they had just told her to catch the train and that she would be fine.  So as Canterbury is on the same line as Box Hill we told her to come with us.  Being super late at night we had half an hour before the train, so we got to know our new friend a little better.  It turns out that she is French, but she has been living in Wagga Wagga for the past 3 years.  She got married in France this year, but her husband is still there, but he is coming over to see her for the first time since the wedding (which was 6months ago) to see her for Christmas.  All of a sudden the 2hours between Dave and I didn't seem that far!  Anyway, it was pretty random, and I guess she is pretty lucky that she bumped into Claire and I at 11:30pm at Richmond station and not someone else.

Oh and here is my favourite photo of Keith from the concert...coz I know that you want to see it...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Rawards

One of the other good things about December, other than summer and Christmas is Rawards.  What is Rawards you might ask?  Well its an interesting, when you look at it at the most basic level it is the Box Hill Salvos Youth Break-up Party, but it is so much more than that!  Its a dance party, its a great feed, its a chance for you to win something, its a fun time to hang out with your mates and most of all its a great chance to dress up. 

Now my friends and I pride ourselves on our Raward costumes and seeing as though it appears I have deprived you of these for my entire blogging history, here is a recap of the costumes thus far....

2005 - TV Logies - Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this one on my computer, but I can tell you it was good.  The team went as the cast of Chris lily's 'We can be Heroes'.  It was our first united front complete with:

Kat as Pat 'I am going to roll around Australia' Mullens
Brad as Phil 'I saved those kids from the jumping castle' Olivetti

Miriam as Ricky 'Supernerd and musical extraordinaire' Wong

Myself as Ja'mie 'I've got hundreds of sponsor kids' King

and Dave, who gets a special mention as he spent the night as both Daniel 'I donated my ear' and Nathan 'I'm a bit deaf' Sims.

2006 - TV Show theme - hence the 5 of us came as Grey's Anatomy, special mention goes out to Brad who was painted black to be just like Burke. (I feel in light of recent events I must also mention that this was not done with any racial intentions...we just needed a burke to go with our more natural Christina)

2007 - Disney - Is there a better Disney team than the Increadibles? Complete with Mr Incredible himself.  This time there is a dishonorable mention to Brad who was conveniently overseas for Rawards this year.  

2008 - Op Shop Formal - and while it was not a team effort there were some very special outfits.

and finally 2009 - Heroes and Villians themed - and I think one of our best efforts yet - the Ninja Turtles.  Complete with green and weapons. Oh and another dishonorable mention to Brad who once again managed to be overseas for Rawards...perhaps he is avoid us and our awesome costumes.

who knows what we will be in 2010!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Christmas Run Down - No. 1

Not surprisingly I am already behind on my blogs for December, so in an attempt to keep the world informed, but not bored, I have decided to do some Christmas run downs. This means that when I forget to blog at the time, instead of giving you the primary school holiday diary in back dated blog after back dated blog, I am going to sum it all up in one blog for a few…just to keep things moving. And I just decided right then, that I am only going to talk about 12 Christmas things…kind of like my very own 12 days of Christmas…maybe I will even try and make it fit the song???

Here goes …. (just sing it, it works trust me)

On the first day of Christmas something I did see…
Was a pageant with kids from kids church:

So this Sunday just gone was the kids church pageant, my last official duty as Kids Church leader. I managed to get through the whole morning without tears…well almost, I did cry a little when I said goodbye to Dusty, Jess and Brad, but they were flying out to the US the next day and I wasn’t going to see them for 6 weeks. The morning went almost smoothly, but it was a lot of fun. Nicely done kids.

On the Second day of Christmas something I did see…
(you have to sing real fast…) Bendigo’s Christmas Lights:

After a lovely dinner at Clogs, Dave, Jana, Sam and I went driving all around Bendigo to see the Christmas lights…and I must say I tip my hat to you Bendigo, job well done! As the trip wasn’t supper planned, we were driving blind…perhaps next year we will have to get the lights map from home hardware which tells you were to go, but it didn’t matter because it seemed that Jana had a 6th sense for Christmas lights, so we weren’t disappointed. Although, being little miss Christmas spirit I like to do lights with blaring Christmas tunes, but I was restricted, by Sam, to playing my favourite one and nothing else…I think Dave was a bit happy Sam put his foot down, my Christmas music can be overwhelming.

And a pageant with kids from kids church.

On the Third day of Christmas something I did do:
Sing with my Pa:

This is something that is becoming a Christmas tradition…well at least I hope it is anyway, its only its second year, but that’s better than one right? Anyway, tonight I was in Melbourne, doing a Christmas carol service for the good people at Hayville, with Pa, Heather (Pa’s singing /gigging friend) and Dave. The night is just a simple night with carols, but what I like the most about it is the fact that I get to sing with Pa. Pa has always sung, and I have always sung, but it was only a couple of years ago that I think we performed together, and I love it. There is just something about it, I guess you would say it’s special. Anyway, the point is I love singing with him…and I hope that there are many more years of singing together to come.

Bendigo’s Christmas lights
And a pageant with kids from kids church.

To be continued…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Brave to the max

Just in case you were wondering…I can be super brave when I want to be! Take today for example, today I attended a Dietitian’s Professional Development day and I went armed with some hard questions for the speakers. Now normally I would have all these questions but then chicken out at the last minute because I didn’t want to make a scene. Sometimes I even get lucky and someone else asks for me, but not today. Today I stood up for myself and other rural practitioners and asked my hard questions. I wasn’t rude, or demanding, I just asked what need to be asked, and while I didn’t really get any answers, I feel like the seed has been planted. Oh and just in case you were wondering, yes I am a bit proud of myself…hence the blog.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Fire Ready

Sometimes I get a little paranoid about things, and one thing that I am particularly frightened of is bush fire. This isn’t a new fear, but it has certainly been exacerbated by black Saturday. I still remember as a little girl having nightmares that the fires in the Dandenong’s would travel down burwood highway and get me in Vermont South. I used to be able to talk my self out of it, but now I just tend to take stuff with me everywhere, just in case of fire. For example for most of last summer I drove around with all my photo albums in the boot of my car, just to be safe.

The thing is with Castlemaine, Inverloch and Warrandyte (the suburb next to Donvale) all on the list of high fire risk places this year I am on alert, so when I saw an add at the post office for a community fire meeting, I figured that’s where I wanted to be. While the meeting was mostly about how defendable properties are and what you need to do to get ready, I feel like I have taken the first steps to being prepared. I have a fire plan and sometime before January I am going to make a fire ready pack for the boot of my car, just in case I get caught out. I know this might sound a little obsessive to you, but I am really worried. Since moving up to Castlemaine I have a new appreciation for dry land, and a desire for rain like never before. The thing is I can’t really stop a fire if it comes, but I guess I can be prepared and pray that my family, friends and I will be safe. So fire season, I think I am ready.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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let the count down begin

So today is the 1st of December...so all thats left to say is let the count down begin...bring on the lights, the carols, the decorations, the food...all of it!  Seriously is there a better time of year than Christmas...except for maybe my birthday, I can't think of any...actually you know what?  Christmas is better than my birthday! 


I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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