Happy Birthday to ME!!

my weekend was jam packed and left me pretty tired -

Saturday morning, one of my besties arrived (after travelling an hour) - with a carrot birthday cake - for "coffee".

The last birthday cake I had was when I was 21.  Before that, maybe when I was 10 or so - unless I made it myself.  This was a very sweet gesture to begin my 'birthday eve' (my actual birthday was Sunday).

We proceeded to eat large slabs of this delicious cake and enjoy each other's company.  I actually ate the cake for lunch too... two days in a row.

Shortly after, one of my other besties arrived - much to my surprise - and then I knew I was in for something!

eeek - I was totally having a bad hair day!

I said goodbye to the first one - expecting her to be going, and then she announced that she was coming with me!

So I got delivered to a local beauty salon, given a brochure and told that I could have "anything you want - it's already been paid for".  My sneaky husband had been plotting for a few weeks and organised all this without my knowledge.  I almost cried.  Then quickly forgot the tears as I proceeded to be spray tanned from head to toe and having a gorgeous facial!!

I got dropped home for an easy afternoon, later to discover that I was being taken out for dinner!  The kids were taken to my parents' place, we picked up our dinner dates - and off we went - to Ocean's Resort Restaurant!

he NEVER smiles nicely for photos!!  my face is still "glowing" from my facial! (and probably aided by the glass of wine - hehe)

The meal was YUM!  I ate WAY too much and felt a bit sick.  We had heaps of bread & spreads to start, then I had pork ribs, and we all got free dessert!!  A great night out.  I was blessed that my hubby and friends just wanted to celebrate me (they even toasted me!!).

our dinner dates ;-)

My actual birthday was a lot less 'busy' - but I was still blessed with lots of lovely messages/phone calls and time with my precious family....

Here are some of my funky pressies :D

new apron!! I've always wanted one!

me - staunching my apron out (HAHAHA)

the other apron - a cute half one -

mugs and cosies - from a certain moustache loving friend ;-)


YUM!

Some well thought out reads.....

Note, I am hiding the picture of the incredibly slim, toned, non-child bearing, great looking woman in a bikini! hehe.  I don't think any diet book could make me like that! ha.

cards that say "I love my mumma because, she loves me" and show off princess Adelaide's new cutting ability.  Equipped with pictures of me, her and giraffes.....

And some vouchers so I can go on a spending spree (because you can never have enough music or clothes)!!

lucky me. 25 and counting...

So, I'm about to turn 25.

This is something I have pondered over the last few months.

It is kind of a big deal to me.  The last few days I've been a wee bit emotional about this.  I guess I just realise that I may not of made this birthday.

25 seems, well, mature.  Like, I'm now all grown up - even though I am married with 2 kids and a mortgage.  It feels like I finally am "of age".  I turned 21 just after our wedding, so that wasn't a big deal.  The last four years have just kind of sailed past and here I am, my 25th eve.

I sure hope that I make the next 25 years count a lot more than the last have.

So, in light of this significant birthday - I have written some of my "bucket list" -
this was semi easy for me - I just thought, 'if I died this year, what would I regret not doing' - many of the things on the list are those things.  There are others that wouldn't be regrets, but just that I wished I gave them a better go.

I purposely tried to make the list "un-spiritual" if you like.  I am a Christain, it is easy for me to dream up ideas for the future for spiritual things - so I forced myself to dream of some other stuff.

So here we go:

• own my own home - freehold
• buy or build my dream home
• adventure travel to the exotic locations my hubby dreams of - as his travel partner, and do it his way (Thailand, China, Cambodia, Vietnam etc)
• spend at least a week in a top resort
• travel to Rarotonga
• get a professional photography shoot - just us two - a re-shoot of our wedding pics
• have a full body makeover at an all day spa
• run my own business
• work in a job I love, not for the money
• sing to/with an audience of over 5000 people
• celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary in style
• get a really nice diamond ring
• be someone's birth coach
• experience a white Christmas
• learn to rollerblade
• learn to ski or snowboard
• visit one of our sponsor children, while they are young
• lavishly decorate our bedroom
• bungy jump in Queenstown
• do a wine trail
• celebrate thanksgiving and make it a tradition
• see my kids come to a relationship with Jesus
• take my children to Disneyland
• watch the sunrise on New Years Day
• sleep under the stars with my family

I'm sure the list will grow longer as time goes by, but these are the things that have really stuck.  I'm looking forward to slowly doing them!

Some loves....

Playmates, hopefully growing up to be besties....

My little beauty....

World cup fever... and aunties who spoil nephews with official regalia!

We WON!! YAY!

Gifts from the UK

My little tiger.... ;-)

This roof, built by an accountant turned handyman.... what a clever man I married!

This garden, built by him & I - to tidy a messy corner....

Plants gifted from my mumma!

My cat, enjoying her favourite spot...

And after weeks of intense hard work, these are up....

It's a bit of a shame to be moving after so much hard work, but on to bigger & better things!  We are moving in December/January to look after my in-laws place while they are away for most of 2012.

Looking forward to some dreams coming true.....

over at my place.....

I know you all wondered where I have been!! hehe

This is where/what I have been doing:.

Now, as you can probably see - this has kept me VERY, VERY busy in the last few weeks.  Let's hope that it sells quickly so that I am not kept so busy for the next few!

Once I find my camera (I got it back but have "misplaced" it) I will get something decent on here!

x
Arna