for My MUM!! (so it's a long post....)

Hi Mum and Hello Milena!!

This post is for my beautiful Mumuccia who is in Italy (still) and is staying with Milena at the moment. (I'm still trying to find my SKYPE things!!)

Mackinley played soccer on Saturday morning and scored TWO GOALS. He was very happy and excited Mum. Unfortunately, I was home with Rainer, and so missed it. Michael says they were both fantastic goals and he should be very proud of himself (I think he really is).

Mackinley had his 8th birthday party on Saturday. Two friends pulled out at the last minute and he was very upset, but the smaller number was better in the long run. The 3 friends arrived at our place at about 1.30pm then Michael took them to Replay (a games/video arcade) at Chermside Shopping Centre for a couple of hours and then when the parents came to collect them at about 4pm from our place, we had the back area decorated and had a BBQ and cut the cake and Rainer even helped to sing "Happy Birthday".


I only managed one photo of the cake. I had to bake a soccer field this year. I'm getting much better at icing a cake with coloured sugar (instead of icing) and making goal posts for every football code.

Mackinley received his copy of the Nicene Creed at Mass on Sunday. He still complains about going and I get upset, but then I realise that even WE used to complain sometimes and I wonder how that must have upset you.....and then I just tell him he will never go to Heaven if he can't sacrifice one hour of one week. We laugh, and then we walk together. It's nice.

His First Communion and Confirmation will be on 13th September. That's the last weekend they're having them. If you can't make it back don't worry. We would much rather you stay in Italy, enjoying your time relaxing and catching up and re-acquainting yourself with family and friends. We can easily celebrate again when you come back to Brisbane.

Mez, John and Sarah came down from the coast for Morning Tea after Mass on Sunday. They are fine and wish you well on your holiday. As you know Mez's Mum passed away last year and her Dad is also finding his way on his own. I made Sarah a little box to put whatever little girls put in boxes (haha) but I don't have a picture. It was very cute.

Lil and Phil came down with the kids on Sunday and stayed for most of the day. Phil is going to widen the driveway and build us a fence across the front of the house.......FINALLY!!!! The retaining walls along the driveway and the driveway itself are so damaged from all the rain we've been getting lately, that I really don't like parking the car there anymore. While he's doing work for us, I'll have him do other repair/handyman jobs ready to rent out when it's time.

We saw a lovely house on Friday. We told the estate agent we were VERY interested in it and she told us she would keep us informed if someone else makes an offer. Michael rang her on Monday after Lil left and she said it had sold that morning!!!! He was furious!!! I was upset (I still am) but I think it's good for us to have some more time to organise this house a little more before we need to move. It was a great price too Mum. We would have been comfortable with paying the mortgage and all Rainer's medical bills and possibly sending Mackinley to Terrace. Another will come up...fingers crossed!

I had Sunday afternoon off and went to the Scrapbooking Expo all alone!!! I saw my fiend Nicole who owns an online shop called "Craft Queen" with lots of gorgeous ribbon and stamps and yummy stuff. She gave me a big, HUGE packed of ribbon and other bits to help advertise her shop (for everyone else, it's a guest DT spot).

I'm very grateful, because she knows I struggle with ribbon on my layouts, but I'm glad she has enough confidence in me to do it. Gosh, if I can put ribbon on my layouts, anyone can!!!!!

And then I shopped for myself.


I have 2 layouts in the current magazines.
This one in the last Scrapbook Creations.

I used a lovely watercolour paper and just coloured randomly. Some colours traditionally go together, and some don't. It was a delightful experiment which luckily got published. My watercolouring skills have improved. Have yours Mum?

And this one in this month's Scrapbook Creations.

They asked me to create a layout using letters to decorate, in other words, "TYPOGRAPHY". It's a photo of the back of Rainer in between the trunks of the crepe myrtle in the backyard. The bark just glows, doesn't it?

I have some more coming in magazines soon which I am excited about. I will put them here when the magazines come out.

I have been quite sick the last week, but mostly normal "Mummy is doing too much" and it's getting quite cold now at nighttime and I forget to put a jumper on because I'm busy rushing around. You know how it is!!!!

We miss you Mum. But we want you to totally exhaust yourself over there. Get to do and see much more than you would like to, so by the time you're ready to come back to us, you won't have any regrets!!!

Ciao Mumuccia!!
(p.s. You can type a reply {click on COMMENTS} without having an account. Just start by typing "Mum here" and i'll know it's from you. xxx)