Wedded Bliss

22 years of wedded bliss

Noel

I loved you yesterday

I love you today

I will love you tomorrow

I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.

I love you not only for what you have made yourself, but for what you are making of me.

and I thank you xxxxxx

Happy Anniversary Mam and Dad

Last Wednesday was officially Mam and Dad's wedding anniversary but they were still in their travels but on their way home.  Unsure what to get them for their special day we decided that we would catch up today, meet for lunch which, unbeknown to them, we had decided to pay for.

We all love Indian so decided to go to Shavan's in Mount Waverley - not because we had been there before as we hadn't but it was basically one of the few Indian Restaurants open for lunch.  Shavan's is the sister restaurant to our local one in Frankston, Kasturi's.

We had a choice of the al a carte menu but decided to have the South Indian Buffet (but did end up ordering a few meals that are family favourites such as Butter Chicken and Lamb Rogan Josh.)

I know that we all enjoyed the food and it was brilliant to catch up with Mam and Dad.

A busy life.....

So what's happening with the House Of Murray at the moment???

Currently I have been really busy with work, spending the last few weeks working out of Kilmore up in the country (North West of Melbourne). Hanson have acquired a new quarry right next door to our existing quarry and I have been asked to assist with the transition from them being an independent to our global multi level company systems.... I have to say it's been fun at times. I have been there for 4 weeks now spending 4 days each week there. Monday I return but only for 3 days this week and after that I will have a break for a few weeks before returning for month end.

The footy club have been hosting the Frankston & District Junior Football League Finals Series again this year for the third year running. Although it raises brilliant money for our club the days are long and hard. We have done really well so far for the first two weeks as the weather has been perfect unlike last year where it rained all four Sundays. I spend my time between counting monies from both canteens and bbq tents and when I can I have been helping out in the canteen also.

Last night we went to Nana and Grandad's for dinner to celebrate a few things. As they are flying out for a holiday in Port Douglas on Sunday Father's Day was one of the celebrations. As well as their 45th Wedding Anniversary which is today.



We finally caught up with Christian to give him his birthday present from last week, which I may just add don't know who loved the Manchester United soccer ball more - him or his father, Sean. He recently celebrated his 4th birthday.

It was great to catch up with most of the family as we haven't seen them for awhile. Unfortunately Vicky wasn't there as Daniel wasn't that well. I was soooo tired though as I had just driven in from Kilmore East arriving home at 6.05pm and we were meant to be at dinner at 6.30pm. A lovely roast lamb dinner was cooked for us which I really enjoyed after weeks of pub meals while away.

This morning I am working out of Yannathan Quarry, which is a sand plant. I am doing it as a favour as they have a big job on but it's great to catch up with some of my favourite truck drivers as. I still miss them from when I was in the weighbridge fulltime and I love seeing them again.... so many new faces though!!


Alex is getting excited as she goes on school camp on Monday. The camp is at Koonwarra, down in Gippsland and she will be away for 5 days (4 nights). There is horse riding there so she is really looking forward to that.

Menu Plan Monday (25th Sept - 1st Oct)

The busy weekend started this week off with a food fest to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We ate so much seafood on Saturday night and Sunday lunch it was ridiculous but I am not complaining at all... I adore fresh seafood.

No travel plans for this week either, which is good. If I do travel for work it will be just a day here or there - no overnight stays. So I get to spend some more time in my kitchen (how sad am I sounding at the moment?? LOL)

The meals we have planned this week are:

Saturday ~ 17th Wedding Anniversary ~ Seafood Platter
Sunday ~ Kelly's Hotel, Cranbourne
Monday ~ Roast Lamb, Roast Potatoes and Pumpkin, Carrots, Broccoli, Mint Sauce and Gravy
Tue ~ Chicken Pomodoro Parcels with Salad
Wed ~ Hot and Saucy Steak, Crispy Potatoes and Steamed Vegetables
Thu ~ Lamb Stew with crusty bread
Fri ~ Indian Chicken Tikka with Steamed Rice

Baking:
Berry and Coconut Cake

As you have probably gathered by now, I LIVE for menu planning! By menu planning it ensures that we have a weeks worth of meals organised which is especially useful Monday through Friday when there is not much of the day left after finishing work, picking up the kids from school and having to deal with the tasks of homework, clothes washing, showers, etc., and to do without the hassle of worrying WHAT we are cooking for dinner each night. Honestly if I left deciding what’s for dinner until I go home we wouldn’t eat until midnight!!

I know that our week starts on a Saturday but that’s just for the ease of fitting in with my grocery shopping which is normally done on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon. As usual more great menu ideas can be found at Menu Plan Monday over at I’m An Organising Junkie, don’t be shy pop over and have a look at other’s menu plans. You never know you may just find something different to have for dinner.

Some recipes for things we cook can be found over at our cooking blog, A Dash Of Flavour, normally posted after they have been cooked or just click on the links for each meal when they appear.

Happy cooking,
My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Anniversaries, Dinosaurs, Cars, Seafood and the Beach...

What a HUGE weekend we have just had....... and I must say it's the best one we have had for a long time..... just the four of us.

Saturday was our 17th Wedding Anniversary and while we said we weren't going to make a huge fuss about the day we ended up doing just that. It all started on Thursday night when Noel took me out for dinner at Gingseng Modern Asian Restaurant in Frankston, which was really nice. The kids were staying the night up at Nana and Grandad's so it was just the two of us.

Saturday was our actual wedding anniversary so we exchanged our gifts in the relaxed bedroom atmosphere.....



Noel was given a socket set and a screwdriver set (real romantic but that's what he wanted) and I was truly spoiled... I cried!! A new handbag, a french cookbook, a foodies guide to Melbourne, a bottle of Versace Woman and a brilliant anniversary card which was musical and sang "you're my best friend"!!!



God I love my man and my new handbag!!!

We spent the rest of Saturday morning shopping at Springvale, buying seafood for our celebration dinner - a seafood platter.

On the way from Springvale to Moorabbin we came across a dinosaur - a Triceratops in fact. Thankfully he was the friendly type. (Actually it was just an ornament in a nursery!!)



Then we went to the USA Food Shop in Moorabbin - this would have to be the kids favourite shop due to all the imported lollies etc from the States.

Before heading home we stopped at Shannon's. A place full of expensive boys toys... cars!!! Collector's cars. Shannon's is a company that insures vehicles but it also is somewhat of a showroom housing collectors cars as well as auctioning them.




Obviously the boys were in their elements.

Saturday afternoon was also the Grand Final ... St Kilda vs Collingwood. We sat down and watched the game only for it to be a draw. No extra time is given in AFL Football so this means that there is a second Grand Final next Saturday... I actually thought "FINAL" meant "LAST OR END" but obviously it doesn't!!

Although disappointed by the outcome of the final we still celebrated our wedding anniversary with our seafood platter..... yum!!!




Sunday was another family day and the weather was gorgeous. The kids cleaned the rabbit hutch which then turned into a water fight... guns blazing.



After another round of seafood for lunch we headed out for a nice walk along the Frankston foreshore walking from the pier to Oliver's Hill and back again.






Dinner was at Kelly's at Cranbourne and really topped off the weekend..... back to work today!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Another quick weekend....

Well another weekend over and it was a quiet yet full, if that makes sense.

Friday night saw us out for dinner with the kids and Noel's parents to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. We went to La Porchetta in Mentone, which I have to admit wasn't the most brilliant meal we have had, considering we don't mind La Porchetta (the Frankston one is better!!) It was good spending the evening together and catching up. Not only had we not seen the kids for the whole week but we hadn't seen mam and dad for awhile either.

Saturday after working only for a few hours, a little shopping on the way home and we settled in to watch the Grand Final. We were meant to go over to a friend's house but Alex complained of being sickand dizzy. She actually slept from around 3 pm until the next morning.

Unfortunately, as far as the football went, it wasn't the year for St Kilda this year and they lost to Geelong. Oliver cried his little heart out when the final siren sounded much to the surprise of Noel and myself. Like all good supporters we were dissappointed but glad that it in fact was a good game.


Sunday, after having a sleep in (which I enjoyed) we decided to take the kids to the cinema. We went and saw G Force in 3D... the kids loved it even if as adults we struggled to concept guinea pigs being secret agents for the FBI! Not to mention the trained cockroaches that carried minature spy cameras into place where normal agents just couldn't go!! LOL!! The kids look really nerdy with their 3D glasses on - it made me giggle.

Unfortunately, the weather was miserable all weekend but we enjoyed our time as a family. The kids are back to their grandparents again today but only for tonight. Home tomorrow evening until Thursday. School holidays are a pain for working parents who need to organise sitters left, right and centre but we make the most of every day we have together the best we can......

Happy 16th Wedding Anniversary.....

16 years ago I married my best friend

16 years later he is still my best friend

~ ~ o0O0o ~ ~

WOW I really cannot believe that it has been 16 years... it seems like only yesterday we were getting married, dancing our bridal waltz to Rod Stewart's 'Have I Told You Lately", giving birth to our beautiful son, Oliver, and our princess, Alexandria, now watching them grow, moving to Sydney and then moving back to Melbourne, etc.... always sharing the good and surviving the bad TOGETHER!!

Have I told you lately that I love you?

Have I told you there's no one else above you?

Fill my heart with gladness, take away all my sadness,

ease my troubles that's what you do.

For the morning sun in all it's glory

greets the day with hope and comfort, too.

You fill my life with laughter and somehow you make it better,

ease my troubles that's what you do.

There's a love that's divine

and it's yours and it's mine....like the sun.

And at the end of the day

we should give thanks and pray to the one, to the one.

And have I told lately that I love you?

Have I told you there's no one else above you?

You fill my heart with gladness, take away all my sadness,

ease my troubles that's what you do.

Take away all my sadness, fill my heart with gladness,

ease my troubles that's what you do......

I love you Mr Murray..... very very much!!

Happy 12th Wedding Anniversary!!

Happy 12th Wedding Anniversay!!

Wow who would have thought we would survive being together for so long. We sure have had our share of ups and downs but I know that we wouldn't change the last 12 married years for anything. Sounds corny I know but no matter what is often said in jest we love each other.

This morning was romantically spent still cleaning up the place for our family to come over. Mind you the place doesn't look much different than it did yesterday especially after a hurricane of 5 children aged 7 - 1 spent the afternoon playing!! However I got a wonderful card from Noel for anniversary - actually reduced me to tears. It wasn't the card, which was really nice, it was what he wrote proves that he is a true romantic at heart!!

I think everyone enjoyed themselves. It must have gone well as every one left by 8pm!! And they arrived at 2p.m. ! Packed with plates of food we thanked them for coming and I must admit I enojoyed myself today!! It was wonderful to spend the afternoon with family especially my sister. It was a really good time for us both and she even left with Oliver tonight so he gets another sleep over - lucky him.

Didn't walk today but I can say that my legs can feel yesterday's efforts. I am proud that I have been making the effort to walk and it is great to have someone to walk with - hey Vicki I know that you are reading this!! Cross fingers that we will be able to pace around the park on Monday after work. I found my bonus buddy so I will see how many steps I do in a day now.

Until tomorrow.............

Grand Final Day and no interest...

Well today was Grand Final Day and as a family of St. Kilda supporters I must say that we weren't at all interested... funny really as in 1993 we weren't interested in who was playing either as we got married on the day of sporting celebration!! Can't even tell you who was playing that year. This year the Swans (Sydney) won... roll on the 2006 season. Carn the saints!!

Things that were on my mind today were my sister, Claire, planning tommorrow's family get together, wondering if the house would ever be clean enough and I had a few fleeting, thoughts okay they weren't fleeting at all, I admit, about Noel's brother and his wife.

Okay grab a drink this may turn into a long one!!

Claire is my little sister, she is 6 years younger, and it is only as we have grown up that I have learned how much a truely beautiful woman she has become. She is so accommodating for everyone especially me. If I work and need help with the kids she is there. Unconditionally she has both of our children when we ask and it never seems to be the wrong time or a hassle even when she is dealing with 3 boys of her own. I think the way that she is much loved and liked by all that meet her is very deserving and selfishly, I believe that I am truly jealous of her as a person.

The house never seems to stay clean no matter how many hours go into cleaning the damn place. The strangest thing is that we are only home about 25% of the week. We are both at work full time, Oliver is a school and Alex is at creche for the same hours as us and yet it is like a hurricane has gone through the house each week without fail!! Why?? No rest for the wicked - isn't that what they say? There is obviously a conspiracy happening somewhere!!

Tommorrow is officially our wedding anniversary - 12 years!! We thought it would be wonderful if we could get both families together, have a meal and chat - you know nothing formal at all. We almost succeeded as we had confirmations from both my sister and Noel's parents but a phone call last night confirmed that Sean and Vicky were NOT attending a family do AGAIN!! To be honest I am at the point of not even bothering to invite them. There always has to be a reason, and I mean a good reason, for them being invited and then it is still iffy as to whether you get an acceptance. The majority of the time and sadly for Sean, he turns up by himself. Maybe it is because we didn't give a good enough reason (we didn't come out and say it's our wedding anniversary!) however we mentioned discussing Christmas BUT we all know that Vicky has an issue with spending too long at a family function on our side of their marraige. This is starting to sound bitchy but I will be the first one to put my hand up and say that I am really get sick of her antics - and I also know that I am not the only Murray who is. I had better stop here.... To be honest I don't think Noel will like this post!!

This evening I went for a walk with Vicki, my friend, amd we actually did four laps of the park instead of the three we have done previously.. and it was wonderful - I feel great this evening.

On a brighter note - it is our day for celebration tomorrow and I am sure that it will be a great day overall. A bbq is on the menu (yum) plus if the weather stays nice maybe the kids can all go to the park behind our house for a while - but the major plan is just to relax with our family.

Told you it was going to be long - hopefully you didn't fall asleep reading...... I have brain drain now so I am off to bed!!

Oh what a night

By the time work finished I was well and truly over it!! We had a very busy morning but a really slow afternoon. There are so many things that I am focussing on at the moment and work is definately not on off them!

It is our wedding anniversary on Sunday and we are planning on having the family over to join us for the day - not celebrate as that is just too formal - we will cook a late lunch or early dinner and just plod on during the afternoon. My sister and her family plus Noel's mam and dad will be coming over and with a bit of luck so will Sean, Noel's brother, and his wife Vicky therefore it should be a great afternoon. We have not really planned it to be an afternoon of celebration (we haven't organised a band to play... hehehehe) it is really just a family get together. To be honest that is all we both want - you know to spend the aday with people that are close and enjoy the day without all the hype..... So it is 12 years this Sunday - and yes we got married on Grand Final day in 1993!! Can't even tell you who was playing!! I just asked Noel and he said maybe Essendon and Carlton but he isn't 100% sure. Not that is matters as the 25th September 1993 was our day - not 44 men running around chasing a leather ball.

Talking about football I cannot believe that The Footy Show has the right to start early and I don't get to watch "You are what eat!!" I love the show - infact 9 times out of 10 I get really motivated after watching it and end up having a wonderful week.

I had a call from Vicki this evening - it was her 1st weigh in tonight and although she has noted a change in her overall cms the scales weren't as friendly.. in fact there was no change weight wise. Maybe the additional exercise and the change to her eating plan plus the fact that she has also given up the fags (for which I am really proud of her) has had a balancing effect this week. I am sure that next week will be a different story as far as the scales go!! Cross fingers on the Melbourne weather tomorrow as we are planning another walk so that means another chat - yey!

Well tomorrow is another day and I am off to bed now....

Rain Rain Go Away...

Well as usual the weather here in Melbourne turned for the worse. The few rays of sunshine we received in the afternoon were of course short lived and as I was nearly home when raindrops appeared on the windscreen. "This is all wrong" I remember thinking "I am meant to be going for a walk tonight and more importantly I am meant to be meeting Vicki!!" It wasn't meant to be. So a few emails later and we have prosponed out long awaited meeting until Wednesday night.

Dreaded rain... absolutely spoiled my fun!!!!!!!!

Work wise my day was rush, rush, rush. I am facing a week full of month end procedures topped with an assessment that I am required to complete for my Certificate IV Workplace Trainer Assessor that I am attempting to successfully pass. Today I did one assessment on a fellow workmate that I have had to write, trial and assess the lucky candidate on. I have two more assessments to complete before I submit my work for my assessment. I have been chosen to complete this course through work and to be honest do not want the hassle of failing and dealing with management. I think I should do okay!!

School holidays have begun and Oliver is at his grandparent's house for the next few days. Alex will be going there tomorrow (Tuesday) night for a sleepover. It is amazing how much you miss your child when they are away from you for just one night. I miss Oliver not just because he isn't here but I miss just talking with him and being able to cuddle him when I want to. He will be having a ball with his grandparents and not even giving us a second thought.

Although both of us miss the children when we are apart Tuesday night will be different for us all. Normally I attend the Weight Watchers meeting where I am the recorder (money taker) and have been for some months now. Noel gets to spend quality time with the children whilst I am working at the meeting. So as both the children are at his mother's house tomorrow night the night is sure to be something different. Saying that I am sure that nothing exciting will happen except maybe get a head start on the housework.

It is our 12th wedding anniversary this Sunday. Nothing has been planned to date but we have tossed around the idea of having a lunch here with just the family. Will see what happens.....

But at the moment I am too tired to think about it and will say goodnight!!