Relaxing after a very physical day

Well here is the kitchen all removed.  The tiles were a big pain in the butt to remove but Greg got them all off.  I took the kids out for the day, first to the park and then down to the shops. 

Greg also removed a big slab of concrete from our driveway as it had lifted up due to some trees planted near the drive (not by us) and their roots lifted the slab.  We have got rid of the trees and were waiting to get a big skip bin to get rid of all the concrete.  Greg's brother came over and helped thank goodness as it was a very physical job, in the terrible humidity and I think it would have killed Greg if he had done it by himself, after doing the kitchen.

Here he is, sitting on the lounge tonight having a well deserved rest, eating some ice-cream with choc sauce - while watching Red Bull X-fighters - motorcross competition on TV.

Now, to wait for the kitchen tomorrow!!!!!

The Kitchen reno begins.....

Well, out with the old and in with the new this weekend.  Here is Greg removing our very daggy kitchen, which revealed its original colour - a gross dark woodgrain laminex type material (very 70's).  We also found out that this is the original kitchen too, and that the cupboards down the bottom didn't even go to the back wall (so skinny).

By tomorrow it will be a bare room and on Monday a new creation will begin!!! 

Can't wait!!!

Sunny weekend YAY

A lovely sunny weekend with no rain, which was just what was needed around here.  Saturday was very busy doing garden stuff.

Michael helped Daddy with the mowing out the front

Michael in the garage with Daddys motorbike

Standing on the front steps

All finished below (out the back)

Looks pretty good when its all nice and neat!!!

On Saturday night I had a girls night out for dinner.  We went to a dumpling place at Chatswood.  Food was SO yummy - it was delicious.  We had a great night out.

This pic is not the best of me at all.  I look totally like a big fat buddah!!  It is the angle but looks like I could do with losing a couple of kilo's too.  I'm a size 12, so pretty average, but I have been getting into some bad habits, such as not eating breakfast and then eating chippies for a snack - and am now paying the price I guess (comes with getting older too hmmmmmm).  I need to exercise more and eat a little better, so my goal is to see if I can tone up a bit, before Courtneys wedding - I think would be a great goal!!!  OMG, I look so bad..................... eeeeekkk, that is motivation!!!!

Here is a cute little pic of Michael and Victor.  Vic hasn't been well as he got a tick (paralysis) on Friday night.  Bad news those things.  I was about to pull it off him but it fell off (as it had sucked all it needed).  He is still a bit slow but is ok and he is taking it easy.  Nat said I needed to take him in as he had signs of being affected but it is SO exy and we really don't have the $$ at the moment.  We just monitored him, especially his breathing and he is ok, so far.  If his breathing was bad, I would have taken him straight in to the vets.

Rain, rain go away

The old kitchen...... not long until the new one!!!

Now I know we are desperate for rain, BUT we have now had about 3 weeks of it and OMG not just a bit, but a LOT.

You know when you get those big downpours for about 20mins and then it stops, well these downpours have been going for 4 HOURS straight, non-stop.

The neighbours at the back have been flooded in one room and I was chatting to a guy from work this morning and he was sorting out call outs all weekend!!!! (Council - so we get called out to sort it out).

Today started out quite cool and wet and overcast, this afternoon 32degC and about 100% humidity!!!!!!! I had the air-conditioning on all afternoon as it was terrible.

Is this global warming????

The good news is I have a date for my kitchen - 1 March it goes in YAY. I can't wait. Our kitchen we have now is.... ok..... - I have had it for 4 years so it can't be that bad, but it is time for a new one. The old one is a bit daggy in colour (gotta lurve that turquoise benchtop eh) and the particle board doors are starting to swell, there is just not enough cupboard space at all and I am totally hanging out for a dishwasher - I miss my one from my old house a lot.

Why is it though, when you decide to do something (ie spend a lot of cash $$$) that every bill you wern't expecting comes in?? Maybe it is Karma or something........... hmmmm

We had a busy weekend as usual. I had a meet up with friends on Saturday am which was great. Then we went down to the shops to get some stuff. I got 2 pairs of shoes!!! Jemma got 1 pair and some stationery stuff. We also got stuff for her school assignment. Sunday was doing the assignment while Greg too Michael to the park. The afternoon was cleaning up the chook pens (thanks Greg!) and lawns etc. Then the rain came down (again).

So it will be a very tight couple of months money wise I think, but worth it because I get a new kitchen and I guess we are adding value to our little house.

Some other stuff going on. I want to move Alex out of her big room and into a study/room as she is never home. Naturally this is causing her to crack it BIG time. She will be 21 in June and I have a big bedroom sitting there empty most weeks. She says I am kicking her out (which I'm not) and how mean I am. I told her I am changing our living arrangements and if she hates it so much then she can move out. She is sometimes worse than Jemma and Michael at chucking a tantie when we don't do what SHE wants. In all honesty, she treats this place like a hotel and I need the space.

Ahhhh, kids!!!!!! .

No, I haven't fallen off the perch.....

Michael playing with the pegs

But the humidity has been a bit rough - and although I know we need rain - OMG not quite a whole week of rain!!!!

Hot and rainy and humid is how it has been for the past 2 weeks. I have been busy too.

Sue, Julie, Me & Julie

I had dinner with some of my girlfriends from where a used to work (about 12 years ago or so). We had Thai for dinner and then went to a coffee shop for dessert. YUMMO. We try and catch up a few times a year and it was great.

The dirty dishwasher - all clean now though

The kitchen is going in on Monday 1 March!! Very exciting. We needed a dishwasher and wanted one of those Fisher & Paykel 2 drawer ones. At $1800 + for a new one, hmmm - no $$ left in the budget at ALL for that. So I let Greg handle that (as I have done everything else pretty much!!).

He got this one above on Ebay for about $335, which is a pretty good price. Older ones were going for over $400. It did have a chunk out of the top of it (Greg has fixed now and you would never know), and when we got it home I noticed that the top drawer didn't close properly. Not sure if they sold it this way (probably) or if it happened in transit (not likely) but we downloaded the service manual and it was a very easy fix (thank goodness).

I scrubbed it when we got home - it was absolutely filthy dirty disgusting!!! Honestly, how can someone sell something that repulsive?? I nearly heaved when cleaning the filters (don't think they had EVER been done). Errgghh it was foul.

Anyway, we have tested it and it works fantastic - and is sparkling clean now!!! Gotta love a bargain eh.

Mum, Dad, Rich & Nat.............then Nat, Marty, Damo (Alex BF) & Alex

This Sunday it was lunch at Yum Cha for Mum's birthday (which was on Sat 6th Feb). Yum Cha didn't disappoint as usual!!! Yum Yum Yum

Alex, Greg, Michael, Jemma & Me!!!

The sun has finally come out today, not sure for how long but it is still mega humid. Hope the rain stays away as our yard looks like a jungle................