Half-term, the new "me", two Thais and a German, oh and some layouts!

May and the first week of June have, as per usual, gone by me in a blur. I started May determined to get some scrapping done, but then decided that actually, losing weight and getting fit was more important, so of course I tried to do everything.  This is what has happened in my life since I last blogged, and in no particular order!:

• I went to see Hangover 2 - seriously funny, and totally wrong. I need to see that again.
• I spent a day at Drayton Manor and let Cam talk me into doing three things I hate: queue for an hour, go on a scary ride, and get wet.  All in one go. I told him he was no son of mine.
• Bella started gymnastics. Super-confidently of course.
• I went shopping for bridesmaids dresses for my little - ahem - angels.
• I started running. Not particularly well. I actually thought my heart would explode out of my chest and land in a bloody pulsating heap on the ground but still, you know me, I had to WIN and be BEST and therefore I stuck at it and now I can run a fair distance without dropping down dead.
• I also started going to Zumba classes. This was a real challenge for me. But I did it. Then I did it again, on my own, and now I'm going three times a week and starting Bootcamp on Sunday. 
• I've lost 6lb and and am totally motivated to lose another 6lb.
• I went to the Crop and did some layouts which I was pleased with.
• We had two young girls from Korea and Thailand come to live with us for ten days.  This was fun, but tiring. We all cried when they went home.
• I had a night out with some girlfriends.  It ended ok, but the next morning was not good.  I've really cut down on my alcohol consumption, you see, and I just wasn't used to it!
• I helped out at school, and enjoyed that and wish I could do more of it.
• I bought a maxi dress and a jumpsuit but haven't had the chance to wear either yet.  Weather!
• We went to Aston Hall - again - on a lovely day and I wandered round imagining life in a home like that, hundreds of years ago.....
• I convinced myself I was dying, but actually I'm not. That was a relief.

Let me share with you, my latest layouts.  These first two have been published in The Scrapbook Magazine recently, so I can now show them to you.

This layout is using my April (?) gogo Kit and Sketchy Thursdays sketch 6.02. I have to buy those rosette dies when I have some money....

This layout is a scraplift from Theresa, founder of Scrapbookers Anonymous.  I've used Maya Mists on here, for the first time, and I can't recommend them enough - they're fantastic and I now intend to go out and buy every single colour, when I have some money.  Theresa's is the second one...

This last layout uses a Page Maps sketch.  I adore this photo of Bella. I want to get a huge print of it to hang in the house. You know, when I have some money.....

And finally, here are my children with the two girls who came to stay with us, Genya and Yuri.  They were really so sweet and the house just feels so quiet and empty now :(