Another card!

This was the card I sent to Anam for her birthday again it's Lily Kate mini monograms and paper, with ribbon and rubon from my stash. You can see I'm sat in the lounge with a small child, I've got a chance to upload odd images I've been meaning to! :)

Christmas decoration

Have been playing with beads and making decorations. This is the first result, the central ball is covered in sparkly glitter, doesn't really show in the photo, but should sparkle in the tree lights. Just need to add a hanging loop.

Best laid plans :(

Hey hum, so much for running errands today. Caitlin is sick today and has been throwing up this morning. The poor lamb is currently curled up under a fleecy blanket beside me fast asleep. But has spent the morning curled up watching Television, reading storys with me or insisting on cuddles, I've been right beside her all morning, so no housework either.

We've been lucky really Caitlin is largely and healthy child who seems to avoid most bugs that do the rounds apart from the chickenpox, which have got her twice, GP said she was so young and had such a mild dose the first time she didn't get enough immunity, fortunately she was smoothered in spots the second time. But coughs and colds largely pass her by or she'll snuffle for a couple of days, but it doesn't slow her down or seem to affect her. So it kind of catches us by surprise when she is sick. I just hope she continues to have such a good immune system as she gets older.

At least I'm home and it wasn't yesterday for my theory test. I suppose it could be worse this is my last week before uni starts, I'm in uni most of next week then I'm on placement for 6 weeks at a local hopital from 8 - 4 Monday to friday, back in uni for a fortnight, then on a second 6 week placement until Christmas. At which point Tim's operation is due. I somehow think that the time between now and christmas is going to fly!

I passed!!!

Took my theory and hazard perception test for driving this morning and passed! I got full marks for the theory and 52/75 for the hazard perception bit that I was most worried about.

So now I can book a practical test when I'm ready. I'm hoping and working towards taking the practical test in October sometime. But in a couple of weeks I'm down to one lesson a week as I can't get a second evening lesson with my instructor.

Made me laugh!

For all wives, finacees and girlfriends of Geeks out there you have to listen to this - The international geek song!
(link courtesy of Rho's blog)

Jewellery again

More jewellery I've managed to photograph while the sun is out. Blue rectangle set is all glass beads. The brown necklace and bracelet are brown coloured shell and tigers eye chips with seed beads between. The aqua shell one has got round opalite gemstone beads. All with sterling silver findings again.

In other news Caitlin and I have started doing some christmas cards while I'm still off university. With the two placements and a provisional date for Tim's operation of 14th December I want to be as organised as possible this year as spare time could well be at a premium closer to Christmas.

Card

I love the new Basic Grey - Lily Kate and the new mini monograms are just gorgeous! This card was one I made for Katy's christening.

Reversing and turn in the road - driving lessons continue!

Had really good lesson today, My instructor took me to a quiet car park to make sure I was happy with reversing and working out where the back of the car was. Then we went back on the roads and practiced reversing in a straight line on the road. He was happy with that, so he decided he would try turn in the roads, so I did some three point turns, didn't hit the curb once and my instructor was really pleased. So next week we're moving onto reversing round corners. I'm even improving round the roundabouts too :)

Good day!

Had my kidney scan today and they both look normal, as does the adrenal gland, so that's really good news. I go back to see the consultant in september for all the other results. But at least both my kidney and heart are ok.

Also met my placement educator for my placement in september, she seems lovely and so does the team there. I'm going to be in intermediate care ward with a mix of patients, some stroke, hip replacements and other orthopedics cases. There is also a rehab department too who are linked, so will be lovely to be on a ward and have patients there for a longer period of time. Most are there for 4-6 weeks, as long as my placement.

Finally a happy birthday to Anam! Hope you have a lovely day!

Jewellery

Been making some more jewellery this week, here's some of them. The blue shell earrings are to go with a necklace and bracelet I made a while ago. The bracelet is garnet chips and fresh water pearls, the other two all are glass beads.

Trains

I think there must be a genetic link somewhere. I got a train set for my third christmas, I'm told it's what my sister and I asked for. Well we got Caitlin a set last christmas and she got a road and rail set for her birthday from us. I've let her play with it in the lounge this week and she's helped me make a track and then has loved running various trains around it. The favourite one is a brio engine that as you push it it lights up, makes steam engine noises and if you press the funnel it whistles!

Some digi LOs

Been a while since I've loaded any images of my digi layouts. So here's a few of them, I've been playing with brushes from spaceraven and Jason Gaylor. These were all part of a precrop challenge for a cybercrop. Some based on movie titles or lines from them and 80s pop songs.

Driving lessons no. 2

Well managed the dizzying speed of 50 mph briefly in today's lesson, but perhaps more importantly managed to keep a decent speed on the main road. Did cross roads and left turns on roundabouts too which was ok. Spent much more of the lesson on the main roads. so felt like I was making progress. Roll on tomorrow where we're doing right turns on roundabouts and dual carriageways. All in all I'm progressing well and gaining confidence according to my instructor.

Each lesson seems like a step closer to more freedom and a little less reliance on Tim. I'm sure he'll enjoy the chance to not always be the driver too. Better get on with my theory this afternoon, especially hazard perception.

What a cutie!

We've been away for the weekend to a christening. Katy is Tim's cousin's daughter whatever that make her, Caitlin's second cousin I think. She's three months old of gorgeous cuteness! Her and her parents are back from New Zealand where they now live to introduce her to the family.

First driving lesson!

Well had first 2 hour lesson today, didn't crash the car, so that's a good start. Did left and right turns in a circuit on a quiet hosuing estate near here. Then drove home via the main road which was a bit scarey, the parked up outside the house, which was ok, fortunately not to many cars parked. My next lesson is on monday, so hopefully I might manage to get over 20 mph next time.

More birthday pictures

Caitlin has gone to bed after her birthday tea and lots of new stories. But here's a few more piccies, snow white costume was from Laura, Jane and Neil. She's got little chocolate muffin cakes this year with her candles on as we couldn't find gluten-free cake mix in time. I've got some coming tomorrow though, so she'll have one on saturday when she gets the rest of her presents that need some assembling. Plus pictures with mummy and Daddy.

Happy 3rd Birthday Caitlin!

My little girl is growing so fast! I'm not allowed to call her my little girl or baby any more she tell me 'I'm a big girl now mummy!' But I think she'll still be my little girl when she's grown up and left home, lol!

Here's pictures of her each birthday from the day she was born and looked like she done 10 round with Mike Tyson (was actually the emergency forceps delivery) to today's picture of her in her new cowgirl dressing up outfit that she grudgingly let me take pictures of before going off for a canter round the garden.

Caitlin and Laura

Just the one picture I've sorted from the weekend so far. This is Caitlin and her cousin Laura on a stone elephant in the play ground at whipsnade wild animal park. Don't they look similar? When they were walking hand in hand at one point they looked more like twins than cousins. It so good to see Laura has almost caught up Caitlin now, she was a head shorter last year. With just 13 days between them it's so interesting watching them both develop and grow, seeing the differences while at the same time not being competitive or destructive about who's doing what first.

They both had a fab day, Caitlin was fascinated by the sealion show and we were lucky enough to see their baby elephants on their daily walk too.

1966

Tim's parents got married in 1966 on 'that' day when England won the world cup. Any how 40 years later it's their ruby wedding anniversary, so here's the book about 1966 that I made for their anniversary. It's an accordian book with gated cover, although you can't see that very well from these pictures. I should add every one of these images is originally from 1966.