A Midnight Rescue

We had an unforgettable trip away.................

A weekend of relaxation, fishing, fine food and drinks. The chance to unwind and get to know some of the people that Mr Crafty works with. That was the invitation we received for his works "Social Club" weekend away. No kids, just a group of adults sitting around talking outside of the working environment, relaxing and I guess drinking a little too much.

REWIND......
Better make that drinking WAY too much.

What started out on Friday as a simple get together turned into an adventure for some that they wont be forgetting any time soon.

Three highly intoxicated men

Two very silly female backpackers

One midnight rescue !

The resort we stayed at was tucked away in the beautiful Whitsundays. Tucked away so well, that the majority of us attending didn't even know that it existed. 

Cape Glouster Eco Resort was everything you expect in this gorgeous part of the world. Chrystal waters, long sandy beaches and accommodation to die for. It truly was a little piece of heaven here on earth.

We arrived to find that some of the "crew" were out on a fellow workmates boat setting crab pots. Those who had arrived earlier in the day had already settled in with a few drinks and were quite "merry" already. Right then we knew we would be in for a BIG night. But not as big as it ended up.

The adventure had only just began ! 

On their return from the boating expedition, it was decided that we would move up to the restaurant area and get some food into the bellies of the "happy" few and settle into an area that was some what warmer.

It was freezing.

The night progressed well. There was much laughter, glorious food, and yes, a lot of drinking. I began to notice just how "old" I was getting as I tried hard to keep up the pace of the twenty year old's who made up the majority of our group in age. 

LOL I didn't do to bad really, and was proud not to be the first in bed :)

Later as the "boys" played pool, I sat with the ladies chatting and laughing, I was finally feeling at ease after having the jitters originally, as I did not know anyone all that well. 

As the night progressed we noticed that a few of the fellas had disappeared, and we assumed that they had, had enough and had headed off to bed. That was until one of them appeared dressed in his wet suit and headed off towards where the boat had been moored. 

Here they were, drunk as skunks heading out to check the crab pots ! Are you kidding me ? What were they thinking ? They would not listen to reason and all boarded the boat with the two back packer bar attendees in tow. 

They had all gone completely mad...........

It must have been around midnight when the call came in. 

No one believed them at first.

But then the reality of the situation soon began to sink in.

They had flipped the boat ! and all five of them were clinging to whatever they could find to keep themselves afloat. It was dark and the water was icy. And to top it off, the area is not called "Tiger Shark Bay" for the fun of it.

Back on shore people sprang into action, I can honestly say that I have never seen so many people sober up so fast. 

The resort owner managed to call her father and off he went in his boat to rescue the crew "lost at sea" 

They were lucky that no one was hurt just their pride they were lucky that one of the phones still worked. They were stupid to attempt such an adventure whilst so drunk. The back packer girls (who were sober) were a mess, and can you believe that one of them willingly got into the boat with highly intoxicated men that they had only just met that afternoon and she couldn't swim !!!!!

The mind boggles

The contents of the boat are lost forever. 

The boat itself needs a lot of work. 

The night will provide much conversation in the workshop this week I am sure. And the fellas involved will be given much ribbing by their work mates.

All in all it was a fabulous weekend. But one that of course will not be forgotten in a hurry :)

And by the way, the crab pots were full of jennies and had to be let go.........

Linking up with Jess for another fabulous week of IBOT

Happy Tuesday 

Happy 15th Birthday, Love Mum xx

Fifteen

Where on earth has the time gone ?

I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday

So small and cuddly

Fresh and new

You had me completely wrapped around your finger in an instant

You have grown into a wonderful young man

And to say that we are proud of you is an understatement

You are strong and kind

Funny and sweet

And not a day goes by that you fail to bring a smile to my face

My heart is filled with pride

I am so very lucky to be your Mum

You have a certain spark about you
You are full of charm
And in this life, I have no doubt that you will go far
Follow your dreams
Listen to your heart
And forever remain true to yourself

Happy birthday my sweet boy
And may your fifteenth year bring you much happiness

I love you
Every grain of sand on the beach
Forever and always
Mum
x

Super Power Be Gone

Imagine my surprise last week, when I finally discovered that hidden amongst my many talents cough cough that I do actually posses my very own SUPER POWER !

Are you ready for my power to be revealed ?

I posses the power of INVISIBILITY...........

Imagine that. I am a real life Super Mum.

Every morning as the sun rises and after my first cup of much needed coffee of the day, I start my day by ritually dressing in my Super Mask and Super Cape that is washed and pressed within an inch of its life.I rouse everybody from their deep slumber and begin my daily routine. 

In our household am I the only one ? I am head chef, the household maid, washer woman and ironing master. Chief taxi driver, head nurse, teacher and mediator. 

I am called for and yelled at, complained to and sighed at. I have had the pleasure of witnessing tantrums and eye rolls, slammed doors and even a few attempts of running away. Really ??

*sigh*

A mothers fathers job is defiantly not a glamorous one. And more often then not is down right exhausting and offers up the feeling of being unappreciated. 

This was me last week unglamorous, tired, grumpy and ignored It was the week when I finally woke up and realised that I was "special" that I did actually posses and deserve the title of Super Mum. 

To my family I had become Invisible. 

All was fine when I was doing something that was of benefit to another household member, but the moment I requested something be done for me, or for something such as a chore that needed to be attended to, everyone seemed to magically loose their hearing and their ability to move.

Nothing was important unless it was a benefit to them.

My desire to posses the power of invisibility has always been a dream. And each time I watched  Harry Potter uncovered the invisibility cloak, my desire to posses such a power increased. To me it was the ultimate, unattainable super power that I longed for.

But as my children grew into teenagers, not to mention hubby's selective hearing which has gotten much worse over the years. My increased invisibility to my family has worn down my desire to posses such a power. Being ignored, which lets face it, is exactly what being invisible actually is. Really isn't what I thought it was cracked up to be. I want to be seen, I want to be heard. I want to be included and I do not want to be left out or forgotten. 

The Super Mum title is usually one that is tossed around loosely, and is usually used in context with Hollywood Actresses and Super Models. The everyday mums that do it all day in and day out, sometimes with help and sometimes without, are the ones that deserve this elusive title. 

But is it really a title that we want to be tagged with ?

After living with my much desired power on and off for the last few years, I am happy to hand it back and live life as a normal, down to earth parent that may very well deserve the title of Super Mum but is more then happy to let someone else claim the title rights..........

SUPER POWER BE GONE

Linking up with the gorgeous Jess for another fantastic week of IBOT

A Little Healthy Competition, Or Two

As the year rushes by at an alarming speed, it seems as though lately I haven't even had a chance to  stop and scratch myself let alone keep up with all that is going on in our household. Between school  assignments, work commitments and various other activities, we have so far had an adventurous couple of months.

The youngest member of the Crafty household, Mr 13 is known for putting up his hand and throwing himself head first into anything that grabs his fancy, and so he has had quite a big few weeks lately, with a lot going on at school.

Ever since he first walked through the school gate at age 5, he has always been the type of child that gets involved in every aspect of school that he possibly could, and things have not changed since he began High School this year. 

He is a child full of confidence and has never been afraid to put himself out there. And his determination was evident this week when he challenged himself yet again and entered into the running for Grade 8 Student Council Leader......

Speeches were read 

A secret vote was taken

The winner announced 

{Insert drum roll please}

He won !

His determination had paid off yet again, and he became the third Crafty teen to be selected into the Student Council. He was full of pride the smile on his face and his puffed out chest as he made his important announcement at dinner time was priceless.  

     .............................................................................................................................

Next up for Mr 13 was a "Junior Master Chef" competition. 

For two weeks he and his friend/cooking partner worked hard preparing a menu and planning their attack on the world of cooking. The winners would go on to compete against the winners of other local High Schools, and from there whoever won would go on to compete for the state title of "School Junior Master Chef" 

The day of competition arrived and excitement was in the air. Spaghetti and Meatballs was the chosen dish, and as the ingredients were packed into a cooler bag for the trip to school, I reminded Mr 13 that no matter what the out come, he was already a winner for  giving the competition a go.

As it turned out, they came equal second, not a win but a job very well done none the less. I was proud of my little master chef and am looking forward to him recreating the dish for our family next weekend.........

Happily linking up and sharing Mr Thirteens adventures with the adorable Jess for IBOT :)

Answered Prayers - Happy Teen

Some time last week, when all the planets were aligned and I actually had some spare time to write. I published a post expressing my concerns for my second eldest sons lack of enthusiasm since graduating Grade 12 last year.  find it here

Since then, I am happy to announce, that things have taken a turn for the better thanks to some gentle nudging and he has been bouncing off the walls full of beans and excitement.

Thanks to our God above, I discovered an old news letter in the bottom of teen number three's school bag. Usually when said notes are found and dated back a few weeks, they are immediately tossed into the bin I hate clutter but for some reason I decided to take a few minutes to read and see if I had missed out on anything that may have been going on at the school.
On the back page under the heading "Community News" was an invitation for any past or present students who were interested in a career in the "Medical Field" to attend a University open night to learn more about the courses that would be running next year.
Knowing that my boy at one stage had expressed a keen interest in Psychology, I wondered if I should approach the subject of the open night and see if he would show any interest in attending.

I approached with caution !

I have recently backed off, giving him the benefit of the doubt that in good time he would work things out for himself.

To my surprise, he was totally up for attending and even asked if I would go along for moral support. I Immediately accepted his request.
On Tuesday night we set off together, my fingers crossed behind my back, that this may just be what he needed to bring back his spark and determination.

HALLELUJAH
My prayers were answered
I stood back and let him do the talking, I felt so proud as I listened to him asking questions and finding out as much as he could about the University course that interested him most. He was animated and showing general interest, my heart was singing because he was once again showing signs of happiness for his future.

Up until recently, Central Queensland University (CQU) did not offer any courses in Medicine. But as of this year, the University is expanding and slowly more and more courses are being introduced. Imagine our surprise when we found out on Tuesday night that as of next year Psychology is one of the courses being offered. When these words were spoken, he turned and gave me the most gorgeous smile. It was then that I knew God had answered my prayers.

So, as mid year approaches us fast can you believe its May already ? We are getting ready to fill out application forms and submit them to the University. My boy has decided that in 2014 he will enroll and aim to achieve a Bachelor Of Psychology. A dream he once had but let fade away when his confidence was shot down early last year.

I am of course having such a proud Mum moment which meant that I just had to share this news.

Since attending this open night on Tuesday, I have had time to stop and reflect on why he had changed his mind from studying at University in the first place, and I came to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe he was worried that he may have had to move so far away form his family, his friends and his comfort zone. I am not sure if this is the case or not, all I can do is express my delight in his new found happiness and be proud that once again his future is glowing as brightly as the stars in the sky..........

Thank goodness I took the time to sit and read that old school news letter.

Flashback Friday - ROXETTE - The Sound Track To My Youth

                                               Hello you fool I love you !

For today's Flashback Friday I'm heading back to the 90's, re-living my teens and the band that had me and much of the world in a frenzy at the time........

                                                         ROXETTE

The band, a Swedish pop duo consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, formed back in 1986 and became a world wide hit when they released their breakthrough album "Look Sharpe".

Their songs became the "anthems" of the early 90's and you could not turn on the radio without hearing the duo's hits. Listen to Your Heart, Dressed for Success and the ever popular The Look. They were the songs of my early teens and the idols of my time !

Marie was responsible for me chopping off my long locks. And Per, well I thought he was a God lol.......

On December 7th 1991, I was lucky enough to attend "The Joy Ride". The world tour that took Australia and the entire World by storm. It was the first concert that my then boyfriend / now husband attended together.
It defiantly took us on a "Joy Ride".
Much to our excitement, we even made it onto the recorded "video" now that is showing my age that was filmed as part of the tour at the Sydney Entertainment Center. Our sons have had a giggle or two over the years when we have played it to show them that Mum and Dad are "Rock Stars" in their own right LOL........

(Unfortunately I have been unable to find any photos of us all dressed up in our 90's " Rock Star" finery).

So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that Roxette were on their way back to rock our shores last year. I was determined to be there, I wanted Hubby and I to relive a wonderful memory from many years past.

And so on Valentines Day 2012, 21 years later at the Brisbane Entertainment Center, we got to relive that wonderful memory when we attended our second Roxette concert.

Our 2012 V.I.P Passes

It was like stepping back in time, we were teens again. The songs were a sound track to our youth.
It was most likely the last time we will ever get to see Roxette live, but the memories are ours to cherish for as long as we live.

A concert "selfie" to cherish 2012

Linking up with the ever lovely Cathy for another Flashback Friday Enjoy your Friday everyone !