Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future

He'll kill me for this but here:

I guess thats what can happen when you take a pic on your wifes phone and upload it as her wallpaper ..... (was great though i love the little things that people do to plan a smile on my face - they really make me melt!)

but seriously i should follow it with this one, its what he looks like most of the time during the work week: 

This is my husband ... certainly the person i saw my future with.

Why? .. well our values match, hes an amazing father, has passion for most/if not all things he does, i can depend on him even though his job is full on, he really pays attention to the needs around him - he would stop and help anyone out almost to the point that he really does put others before himself, of course he has flaws but who doesn't (& lets face it i can live with and work on those ;) ), he puts his heart into our future in creation, he really has amazing talents in creating things and fixing things up to save a $ or two, he supports me and i know he really loves me unconditionally - i just hope i pay him the same back.

Love you Noodle!

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

Okay so this is a long post if i sat down and wrote all thats in my head & its interesting timing as Mark said we should sit down and put another dream board together, but I don't have the time for that at the moment so heres just a wee something from my page who am i?:

(Also lets face it at the moment all i have to do is look around me and i'm where i want to be)

. . . . I aspire to . . . .

- Be Myself - Happy, Loved, and full of life.

- Be the best mum i can and teach my children the basics, while supporting them to be themselves.

- Learn the art of photography - to be the one behind the lens capturing the beauty in a picture forever.

- Always see that the highs of life are just around the corner, no matter how low i may be feeling.

- Let nature support me, as my family and i work with it to create gardens of self sufficiency with happy healthy lives.

-Love others as they love me, and show people the thanks they deserve.

- Smile daily and be thankful for the road i have walked thus far, in my path of life.

Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them

So at one stage in my teen years i can remember I sat down and counted 21 'nick-names' (maybe mostly thanks to having a big sister?) ... not sure i'd have than many now but lets see (not sure if i should be embarrassed or not about some):

My name: Samantha


& lets face it the main person that calls me that is mum - at least its not always when i've done something wrong these days although i still can hear her and the tone she uses if i am.  I think some of my friends do use my full name to? 


Nicknames....


Sam - obvious shorten and the name i get called the most 
Samon - came about in my teens from somewhere and has now changed a touch to Samin - from hubby
Sammy - My Granddad calls me this mainly
Mama - From my other grandparents although the older i get the less they use it
Manfa - From my sister and parents i think originally my sister couldn't say Samantha? (i'm sure she can correct me if i'm wrong)
Saminanthina - From my sister followed with some originals - Runka & Chickamore .... maybe she can explain where they came from .... in response she got Dickwad & others i'm sure that i can't recall at present -- gotta love ya big sisters xx


Seems the others have faded away now isn't that the way as we move through life and friends change -- have to say i'm glad to have seen some slip away too haha! 


But have i forgotten any? ... feel free to add them my lovelies xxx

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

Ok - so this made my mind wonder! ... i started thinking rich and famous ... then animals but i think I've settled on my husband .... odd choice you may think right? ... but i have some reasons for this:

• I love my husband (again obvious fact) but like everyone we have our differences and i respect that, however to be him for a day i think it would help me gain more of an insight into why he does the things he does that irritate me .... then they may not irritate me and i'd live a bit more stress free ;)
• I want to understand more about what he does and goes though in a day at his work ... and vis versa! a day with the kids is more of a challenge then it looks although may have to swap for longer than one day to learn this ;)
•  I could make a few changes while i was there right?? 
• Relationships are ongoing work - its a fact and the work needs to be two sided or the relationship wont work so to see it from his view would interest me - yip call me curious!
• Then again do i really want to learn more about him? ...... maybe i should swap with someone famous instead - hard choice though huh!

Day 16- Another picture of yourself

Me on our wedding day (obviously?) @ Pukekura Park

... I love the way the dress sits in this photo...

I had my dress custom made by my Great Aunty Joan - so i never went though the experience of dress shopping with my mother.  But it was all that i wanted it to be - Silver skirt with silver lace over white panel & halter top .... every bride has the right to feel like a princess & it was an amazing day!

I still can't rate our photographers - Roger & Bob from Freezeframe Fhotographics

highly enough - we were one of their earlier weddings they covered and they are an amazing team! ... always making sure the small details were sorted (down to the chain on my necklace!!) We had our photos before we said 'I do' and it was great to settle the nerves.

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

I'm not lucky enough to have an iPod .... but heres the first 10 on my computer shuffle

1. John Mayer - Love Soon
2. Katy Perry - Fireworks
3. The Beatles - With a little help from My Friends
4. Pink Floyd -  Another Brick in the Wall
5. Bon Jovi - Bed of Roses
6. Elton John - I Want Love
7. Split Enz - Message to My Girl
8. John Mayer - Comfortable
9. S V - Burn For You
10. Brooke Fraser - Without You

Interesting collection huh?! .. there is a fair bit of music i like thats not on the computer though

Day 14- A picture of you and your family

Family ... well theres a word that sits close to my heart ... with Christmas coming up I really can't wait to catch up with the 'Blakes' my Mums, mums blood line - i haven't been to their Christmas gathering for years and i'm really looking forward to it as i have my own children to watch run around with the next generation of relies as I used to. 

 Its really hard though when you marry as all of a sudden your family doubles + you create one of your own, this Christmas my sister in law is back from the UK and i'd love to have my children spend Christmas with their auntie but we can't be everywhere ... i'm sure i'm not the only one that feels pulls

Okay ... so heres some photos ... BIG family photos! 

... all of the family @ our wedding a few years ago now

Brown / Riddick Family - My Dads Bloodline

Blake / Fowler  Family - My Mums Bloodline

and the family I Married into:

Hasler Family (Marks Mums side)

Goodin Family (Marks Dads side)

and i can't resist adding this family picture again from my sisters wedding:

I do love family pictures ... am hoping to get my sister to take some of my family at the beach when she is up at Easter 2011 

Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

When I first read on the list that this post was coming up i thought that it would be great, a wonderful way to 'rid' any hurt i'm feeling, also as when i was younger letters seemed to be a big part of my communication with some friends & was important to me - looking back the letters were probably full of crap but still - theres nothing like receiving mail from those you love.

BUT to write a letter to someone whom has hurt me doesn't actually come naturally anymore for a couple of reasons:

• It feels like i'm back in high-school writing notes to friends .. and honestly i'm not the person i used to be writing letters instead of just talking to someone anymore .... Yip i went thought a large amount of bullying at through-out my schooling - for whatever reason (Believe me - I've blamed it on every part of who i am at some stage) and instead of letting it control me I've moved past it.  Past the crying, the low feelings and the time that i spent really caring about something that probably meant nothing to the other people involved.  I've really learnt from it that if you want to let it affect you it will ... if you want to forget about it and move on then you will.  End of the day there is only so much we can control in our lives and so long as we make the most from what we can then hurt will be overridden by happiness.
• I see mail as a good thing now - and to send a letter of hurt or if i received one it would really hurt so i choose not to live that way.
• I actually don't have any 'hurt feelings' in me ... i guess I've dealt with them!
• Although I put my heart into all that I do - after talking to a friend last week I have learn't that to avoid getting hurt, don't set your expectations in others - just take them for who they are and concentrate on yourself - giving you 100% .... don't rely on others to 'make' you happy control it yourself.

The other big thing that i have learn't about hurt is that a lot of the time a person actually doesn't set out to hurt you ... sometimes they actually can't change the circumstances that have lead to your disappointment and feeling of hurt.  If it does occur then the best thing to do is actually talk to the person/people involved asap and resolve the feelings rather than hold onto them and build a grudge as it really doesn't lead to happiness .... and honestly i'd choose happiness anytime over the feeling of hurt and disappointment.

Yip thats 'the new' me, full of warmth and love ... no room for hurt anymore - been there done that!! ... the world is a better place when you just smile.

(hope this makes sense .... its written amongst talking to the girls)

Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one

well ... i think it was Hannahs blog over @ Rainbow Child that i was reading when i thought of creating my own - so just followed the instructions and created my space ... as its says above: 
"A web page that i call my-own - among many in cyber space. It is a collection point for my inspiration, passion and creativity .... may it also inspire you with every breath"

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends

okay so i'm cheating here ... I've decided to share photos from my hubby's 30th celebrations that we had over the weekend.  It was a great night with some friends and family, we stoked up the pizza oven and it was all go!  I wanted to make him an R18 cake but he was a bit shy so i went with a banana & chocolate cake with his favorite - flakes & M&M's - so yum but man what are we meant to do with the half we have left? ..... i think its time to get out and exercise more!!

So he finally crawled into bed at 4am after hitting the top shelf .... needless to say - the day after was written off after we had cleaned up