The last few days in our lives

Friday consisted of baking for the boy's school Cake Stall at their Market Night.  Their school had a small fete but the kids enjoyed meeting up with some of their classmates in an out of school scenario.  They had a sponge toss stall set up where two teachers at a time put their heads in a wooden cutout structure and the kids got to throw wet sponges at them......needless to say there were some rather wet teachers walking around that night lol.

My contributions for the cake stall was an Anzac Cake and a Coconut Cake.  I couldn't really ice either of them because the school didn't want anything that was going to melt and go mushy,,,,just in case it had turned out to be a warm day.  They needn't have worried but I didn't ice them as I normally would anyway.  I made a very thin icing and just drizzled it over both cakes and then topped them with coconut, just to make them look a little pretty.  They sold them for $5 each so that was cool, it all helps the school.

Getting organised

The cake tins are ready (notice the extra one on the side....lol lucky for the kids the Anzac cake recipe makes a larger cake than I needed for my round tin so we got to have a small cake for home out of the mix as well!!)

Thank goodness they turned out reasonable......the coconut cake on the right is upside down in the photo as I had problems getting it out of its tin,,,,,,disaster was averted though with lots of gentle handling!

The end results, not great but not too bad

 Lately we have been going a little Ebay crazy.  Yes I have been selling a few bits and pieces but I think we have bought more than we have sold.   Thats okay though, as it has all been bits and pieces for the house that is helping to turn this house into our home with our own stamp on it.  Lately we managed to pick up a 3 tier cat scratch pole with little sleep nook for just $1.00, I won 250 scented tealight candles for $5.00 (they are pretty little flower shaped ones), I got a gorgeous golliwog style door stop to go near the front door for just $8.00, some Better Homes and Gardens magazines for just a few dollars, a present for me for Xmas that was brand new and unopened for $6 (will reveal this after Xmas lol) and on Friday hubby picked up these beauties.  He had spotted these and thought they would look lovely outside on our outdoor setting (the outdoor setting that we don't actually have as yet as we don't actually have a verandah up yet lol,,,but that is all besides the point right?).  I do love them and now I am impatient to actually get our outdoor area set up.  For the moment though they look quite nice in their new home on either side of our tv.  Here is what they look like,,,,we got the pair including the candles for just $20!

They are quite large and I think they will look so nice sitting on an outdoor table at night time.

Saturday was a bit of a crappy day.  I was just a little over emotional when Hubby informed me that he was going away yet again.  This time he is off to New Zealand!  Although this trip is only a small one with him leaving at 5am tomorrow morning and returning at about 8pm Thursday night, I think all the travel he is doing has just caught up with me.  This trip will allow him to pop in and have a little visit with his mum and dad who live in Auckland at least, so that will be great.  He hasn't seen them in over 5 years, so I am at least happy about that. I guess I am just at the point where I am overwhelmed with the events of the last 6 or so months and the slightest thing is enough to push me to the edge at the moment.  Hubby said I wasn't being very supportive of his new job and it is a better life for us here...........I still fail to see how a better life comes from tearing a family apart, and him travelling constantly leaving me to hold the fort.  The money is the same as it was back in Adelaide, yet we have more expensive schooling here (this is still a big shock, I just can't believe the difference!) and our child support payments for his kids have basically doubled and then we have to factor in 8 return trips to Adelaide each year to pickup and take back kids (this alone costs us approx $500 a trip by the time you count fuel, accommodation for 1 night and food)!  I am back to level headedness today but I know that life is going to be a continual emotional roller coaster for me and I am going to just have to find some way of coping with it all.  Next year I do plan on volunteering somewhere while the kids are at school so that will be something I suppose.  I will keep my eyes open for a job too but even that will be hard due to the nature of hubby's work and the last minute type of notice he gets for travel.  I think I need to find my niche in craft or something and maybe start my own little business up,,,,,don't know,,,,food for thought.

Anyway on a lighter note, yesterday we went back to the Caribbean Markets again as we had to find a few more Xmas gifts.  While there we went on the Jungle Boat Ride.  We had bought tickets for the ride last time we were there but I started to feel ill and we had to leave before we got our turn.  It had been a quite warm day last time and we had walked around the market before lining up for the ride and I think I got a little overheated.  The market is in a big shed and of course, big shed combined with lots of people can make it very hot.  Once I had got back in the car and hubby had cranked up the air conditioning I was fine.  So yesterday, being a cooler day, we went back and got to have our ride.  Here are some pics of our little jungle adventure.....

Goats on the island (real ones!)

You may need to click on this pic to enlarge it lol

Beware the Crocs!!

The Aussie Dunny

Kangaroos in the bush.....there were more but they are out of camera shot lol

Gillligans Island???

These guys were just too cute lol

Someone help that man!!!  lol

Lions on the loose

Mr12's thrilled to be here look (lol he said he did enjoy himself, not that you can tell!)

Hubby,,,,,,,he hates being on boats of any type lol

Anyway enough of my rambling,,,I have a floor that is in desperate need of a mop lol, seeya later alligators!