2 weeks

2 weeks to go and the sold sign is up and the boxes are accumulating.

Yesterday was my last day at work with lots of goodbyes. Many of those that I work with are not just work colleagues but people I have formed close friendships with as well. It's at this point that the reality of WHO you are leaving hits.

I'm so glad that technology makes it so much easier to stay in touch over distance.. I'm going to need that!

4 weeks

Well, just under four weeks until we leave. Packing is underway.. Along with lots of cleaning and sorting and throwing! It's somewhat cleansing to rid ourselves of twelve years of accumulated junk but it's also been sweet going through old memories. We have an offer on our house but it's one if those "too perfect" moments do I am holding my breath until the sold sticker is in place!

Let the moving begin...

So after much discussion and a very busy few months we are finally on the market. Now the fun of keeping the house clean and tidy begins (not an easy task with seven people). We are hoping its not a long process but the market isn't great at the moment so we are prepared for a wait.



As for when and where to move.. well we have decided to move to where Brendon works, the small wheatbelt town of Westonia in WA, around 3 hours inland from Perth.

When we first considered this option we didn't think the kids would agree to it and because they are as much a part of the moving decision as us, we were prepared to accept that decision and stick with the original plan of moving to Donnybrook. However, much to our surprise they are all for the move... go figure! I think they miss their dad when he is gone and the idea of seeing him everyday again was what won them over.

Its going to be a huge lifestyle change for them.. no Macca's round the corner, no quick trips to Target or Kmart (the nearest is 3 hours away). Emma and Ethan will be going from a school with around 230 pupils to one that has 15 and the two older boys will travel 30mins to the highschool. Personally, I am looking forward to leaving the city and a much quieter life. I plan to take up my study full time and finish my degree. I'm also looking forward to not working for a while and being a full time mum again and pursuing a couple of hobbies that have been sadly neglected for the past couple of years!

It is going to be an adventure! (thats what we keep telling the kids at least...!)

Making decisions..

In deciding to move I knew one thing.. I did not want to move to a city. We wanted somewhere quieter and possibly somewhere we could have some acerage or at least a large block of land. I detest those houing estates with tiny blocks and big houses all crammed in together. They make me feel claustrophobic. So we settled on a little town called Donnybrook, about 30 minutes from Bunbury. It seemed like a perfect choice, rural, larger affordable blocks of land but still close to the coast and beaches. We spent a couple of days there checking out the town and the schools and decided it would suit up perfectly. quiet but close to a city and beaches.

So in September during our school holidays, I flew to Western Australia spent 6 days with Brendon checking out a prospective town to relocate to.



It was so nice to get some one on one time with hubby. It was the first time we had been away together longer than one night since we got married 18 years ago. The first night their we stayed at Scarborough right on the beach, took a lovely early morning walk and then enjoyed a QUIET breakfast together...ahh bliss!




We took a drive further down the coast to Bussleton and took a walk along the VERY long jetty there.



Then it was on to Margaret River which was gorgeous and reminded me so much of some of the beaches at home.



The last two days we drove back to Perth and caught up with some old friends and while it was nice, I only need to be in the city a few days, stuck in end traffic to remind me how much of a city girl I am not!

I left Perth feeling good about our choice and looking forward to getting a plan in action for the big move.

Change is in the air...

So it has been a while since I updated the blog. I've been busy, haven't touched my camera for most of the year and hence neglected the blog. But..there have been some big decisions and changes made in the past few months and as it turns out I have a million (ok, exaggerating) but a lot of pics on my iphone that need posting.... so I am going to start updating the blog, in order of events that have occured in the past few months (don't cheer too loudly Kris!).

2011 started out with the usual juggle of me working and studying at uni. Then in May, hubby decided it was time for a job change and after much decision making, took up a position at a mine in Western Australia, which just happens to be across a small ocean and on the other side of the country!

And so began his weekly flights back and forth, 8 days away and 6 days home, but we managed (kind of). Then, because our life apparently isn't exciting enough (lol) we have we to move the family to Western Australia too. We've lived in Tasmania for 12 years now and while we do love it, it has become obvious that we need a change and a new direction.

The downside to moving is that my dad is here, and my brother and his new family will still be here and I wont get to see my sweet little neice grow. Our eldest son will also be staying to complete his Electricians apprenticeship. Those aspects will be hard to leave but I am excited about what lies ahead of us.

Beautiful sunset