Scrapping, Swapping, and Flying Away!

My new hobby that I've gotten into this year has been scrapbooking.  I've discovered that it's a lot of fun, relaxing, and helps to preserve memories.  I'm not entirely thrilled with its cost and the fact that it can consume so many hours - but I figure it still balances out in the positive.  

Through scrapbooking, a friend has introduced me to the world of "swap-bot" - where I can swap paper scraps, embellishments, and all sorts of other things.  Another friend who I've introduced to swapping is swapping poetry and mix cds - FUN!

So to get my mind off my many worries, I've been focusing my energies on these two hobbies and having such fun!  

Sadly, they're going to be a bit on hold for the next month as Alexandra and I are about to leave for Australia.  Yes, we're headed to the land down under and are so excited.  We've been packing our bags and arranging our lists (packing, itineraries, etc) and are now to the point where we're just anxiously anticipating...

I'm hoping to relax, reconnect with family, and let this be a vacation.  Alexandra can't wait to meet her Australian cousins - and also see things that she's only seen in books and television.  The Sydney Opera House is on her list, as is the Big Banana (thanks, Disney Channel) - and of course the animals!

So I guess this answers my wondering where my time has gone and why I've not blogged recently.  I've gotten a lot of pages done for my scrapbooks; I've found new hobbies through swapping, and am looking forward to reconnecting with hobbies I've fallen away from; I've been trying to organize a big trip for myself and my daughter.  

My goal for our trip, though, is to keep up blogging as we go and include photos of our adventures.