Just Us

Day 2

2012-01-09T07:32:00.001+11:00

Today saw us on the road around 8am with plans to go to Adelaide Zoo. We located the zoo and then had the problem of finding somewhere to park the 4wd and caravan, a constant problem when in the bigger cities.
By 10.30 we located a spot not to far from the entrance we began walking. Then the rain started. The the soaking downpour came. We made a run for it but we all got soaked through. We all decided we didn't want to see the zoo in the rain, wearing wet clothes, we could go to Perth Zoo instead lol. So it was back to the car and back in the road and on to Port Augusta.

I will say at this point that I am really proud of how the kids are handling this trip. When I say "we decided" I literally mean we all discussed something and made a group decision. We want the kids to feel part of this trip and that they have a say in what we do.

We made a couple of stops on the way and arrived at Port Augusta around 5pm. We had shopped for food in Port Pirie and sat down to a nice salad dinner.. We are trying to avoid takeaway meals and it really hasn't been too hard to do. Port Augusta is a lovely place and while we would have liked to spend some more time there we again all decided to gain some extra k's and travelled a further two hours through to Kimba.

Kimba is known as the "half way across Australia point".

Day 1

2012-01-08T19:02:00.001+11:00

We arrived in Melbourne late last night and although originally planned to drive to Ballarat we decided it was best for everyone to get a goodnights sleep and start fresh today.

We drove through to Ballarat and spent a few hours at Sovereign Hill. We all enjoyed panning for gold and walking through the old mining town.

After some lunch it was back in the car for the four hour drive through to Bordertown in South Australia. However, once we got to Bordertown and had some dinner there was a unanimous vote to keep driving and maybe make it to Adelaide.
We came close but instead called it a night, stopping at Tailem Bend just after sunset.. about an hour from Adelaide.

We travelled a total of 630kms in all and trimmed off a days traveling in the process!

Moving day

2012-01-08T18:42:00.001+11:00

It been a hectic and stressful few weeks but the day finally arrived. The house was filled with boxes.. Lots of boxes and I was a little concerned it wouldn't all fit in the shipping container .. But it did!! Tomorrow our journey across Australia to our new life begins.
The hardest part of all this has been all the goodbyes to wonderful friends that have been a part of our lives for both long and short stretches of time. I take comfort that technology will help to bridge the gap of distance.

2 weeks

2011-12-23T09:35:00.001+11:00

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

2011-12-12T07:57:00.002+11:00

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...

2011-11-29T18:51:00.002+11:00

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..

2011-11-19T09:29:00.008+11:00

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...

2011-11-18T21:15:00.001+11:00

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

2011-02-03T22:03:00.000+11:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T12:28:00.000+11:00

Proud mummy post

2010-12-15T12:10:00.000+11:00

Emma receiving an award at our final assembly.. Well done Emma on your hard work and commitment to learning!

I wish I had been able to get a better pic.. but unfortunately I was working in another part of the school at the time and was only able to dash in and grab a quick snap on the mobile from the back of the hall. A HUGE thank you to one of my work collegues who watched my little charge so I could see her get her award.

Moving on

2010-12-15T11:41:00.000+11:00

Zack is off to college next year. This week is his last week at highschool. Here he is, looking all handsome and grown up, ready fir his leavers dinner. Good luck next year Zack!

Happy Birthday to me....

2010-11-29T22:03:00.002+11:00

Another year older...

Woohoo!

2010-11-28T18:52:00.000+11:00

Uni is finished for the year and results are in and I am very happy! I finished the year with three distinctions and two credits. I have now officially completed the first year of my teaching degree. It took 18 months to do so and I still have quite a way to go but, I did it!! Only a few more weeks of work and then a much needed break till February.

Time to relax and enjoy life again, meet my family and enjoy some time with my hubby.

Almost there..

2010-10-01T21:43:00.000+10:00

When I am not working, this is where I spend all my time studying.. literally.. my family haven't seen me in months :p

I am so thankful for my extremely supportive husband who holds it all together during semesters, without him I could not possibly follow this dream.

Only a couple more week and semester 2 will be done and I can put my uni studies away till February next year!! After 18 months of study I am really looking forward to a long summer break.. bring it on!!

Dreaming of summer... sighhhh

2010-09-19T21:39:00.000+10:00

(and thankful for great iphone apps that scratch my photography itch!)

Winter

2010-07-19T16:33:00.000+10:00

I have had the winter blues, snowed down with work and study and cold dreary days its hard to find the beauty in this season, but if you look hard enough.. it is there.

10km

2010-07-18T16:42:00.000+10:00

Anyone who runs a 10km road race in the pouring rain must be a little bit crazy.. right??

My hubby did just that today.. well done hun!

Happy 6th Birthday!

2010-06-13T21:15:00.003+10:00

Emma celebrated her 6th birthday today. It is hard to fathom sometimes just how quickly my baby is growing up. You're a beautiful little girl xxx

and I just have to add this one... not wanting to share the limelight on her birthday at all..lol

A day out

2010-06-11T19:08:00.002+10:00

My beautiful girl

2010-06-10T20:59:00.000+10:00

Too some time out today to take a few quick pics, I really do miss my photography but for now it must take a back seat to my studies.

Ebony

2010-06-03T18:00:00.001+10:00

I've been very busy with work and study but am finally on semester break for a few weeks so got to take some pictures of my precious little niece. I wish I had lots more time for photos now!

Birthday boy.

2010-05-24T20:43:00.001+10:00

My littlest boy turned 8 today.. not so little anymore I guess!
Happy Birthday Ethan!

Bathroom renovation

2010-04-29T16:08:00.001+10:00

We've been busy this past two months tackling the renovation of our bathroom. Other than getting the floor recemented we have done it all ourselves. Originally we were JUST going to renovate the bathroom, then decided it would be a good time to create a separate entry to the toilet which currently shared with the bathroom. Of course then we decided if we going to tile both these areas we might as well go right out through the entry and into the laundry... isn't that the way renovations always go??!

Before

Gutted - we discovered pipes that had been slowly leaking over the past 5 years.

Back entrance and laundry with newly built doorway to toilet.

Progress
New and EVEN bathroom floor.

Relocated window and new bath.

Lots of tiles and new toilet.

Tiling and grouting was the most time consuming part of the whole job

Finished.. well almost. Door an d window frames still to go in and some painting.. but I love how it turned out.

New niece!!

2010-04-05T20:39:00.001+10:00

This week saw the arrival of my beautiful new niece.. Welcome to the world Ebony!!

Thunderstorm

2010-02-27T15:50:00.002+11:00

Ethan and Emma were out early this morning watching a thunderstorm that went overhead, from the safety of the deck of course!

A new chapter

2010-02-10T12:18:00.002+11:00

I am sitting at the computer.. the house is quiet.. ALL the kids are at school. They will all be at school everyday now. No lunchtime pick ups, no 2 days a week. All week. I delivered the eldest to his first day of school some 12 years ago and this year he headed off to college (Year 11). I have had children at home with me ever since. I was a SAHM mum for 10 of those years so this is quite an occasion.. a new chapter of our lives.. of children becoming increasingly independent of me.

I'm sure some would expect me to say I am sitting here with a box of tissues, a blubbering mess, but lets face it.. 5 kids.. 12 years.. I was VERY ready for this day to come. If anything I am sitting here proud of having raised 5 children who are confident and independent and who were excited about heading off to school and waved ME off without a tear. I was ready.. and so are they.

Emma's 5th Birthday

2009-06-13T19:15:00.002+10:00

Ethan's 7th birthday

2009-05-24T19:02:00.003+10:00

2009-04-30T18:48:00.002+10:00

Look who lost his first tooth!

Sisters Beach

2009-04-18T18:35:00.000+10:00

Today we took a drive to Sisters Beach. I haven't been here since my teens and I have to say its still as beautiful today as it was back then!

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T14:32:00.003+10:00

Wishing you all a Happy and Safe Easter 2009!

We spent a lazy day at home, while Emma and Ethan enjoyed an egg hunt in the garden.

A day out

2009-04-11T09:36:00.000+10:00

We took the tree youngest with us yesterday and went for a drive down the coast. It was a beautiful day and we had a nice time stopping by the beach and building sandcastles and eating icecream before heading back home.

Ethan discovered he has a loose tooth.. his first.. he is quite excited. Not that that is any reason to actually let mum take you're photo, so I had to sneak one.

Emma, on the other hand was a little happier to be in front of the camera.

Easter Bunny..

2009-04-06T22:32:00.001+10:00

2009-04-04T14:28:00.001+11:00

Loving this song..

Eric Hutchinson "Rock & Roll"

2009-04-04T00:20:00.004+11:00

I had grand plans to catch up the past few months of my blog, but honestly, it's not going to happen. So I am starting fresh from today. I've been challenged to do a "photo a day" for the month of April and its a challenge I need to get the camera out and taking pictures again..

MAKING time to do it instead of saying I have no time..

2008-12-15T19:52:00.001+11:00

There was absolutely NO WAY Emma was going to be in the picture. She would not go near him at all.. happy to watch from a safe distance..lol

So here is Ethan.. with the Bunnings Santa.. yep no fancy Myer Santa shot for us.

Picture courtesy of my best friend.. the iPhone.

Grade 10

2008-12-13T13:56:00.002+11:00

Highschool wasn't very memorable for me. I was shy and just one of those kids that you remember as being there.. but dont really remember them.. if that makes sense! I vaguely remember grade 10 and I know I went to the "Leavers Dinner" and I don't remember it being what a Grade 10 leavers dinner is today! Fancy cars, dressed to the nines, dinner at the casino...the whole works...! Wow! (I dont remember looking that old and sophisticated either!) Kinda makes me glad I am the mother of four boys and a girl and not the other way around ;)!

I had the wonderful pleasure of photographing Georgina the week before hand on a little location searching shoot and then her and her friend Nick before their big night. Both of them looked gorgeous and I hear had a fab night!

Down the river

2008-11-25T14:44:00.003+11:00

A few weekends back we were invited (along with about 20 others!) to join some friends on a river cruise to help celebrate a year of milestones in their family.. a 60th and a 40th birthday.

It was a lovely cruise, with a stop along the way for a bbq in the beautiful bush surrounds. The children were entertained on board with face painting using old aboriginal methods... including making there own paint brushes with some of the foliage from the bush and playing a didgeridoo.

Mell's big day out..

2008-11-19T12:58:00.002+11:00

I took the day off work today.. a migraine hit me yesterday afternoon and I battled with it most of the night, finally after pulling out the "serious" meds I was able to sleep but woke up this morning feel hungover and just plain tired. Its lunch time now and I am feeling alot better. So of course I decided to go through some pics and back up some files and realized that I haven't yet blogged my trip to Sydney! This was back in September, I am even further behind than I thought.. so here it is my girly weekend in Sydney with Kris and Leonie..

I left the artic chill of Tassie (ok exaggerating slightly there.. but not by much!) and arrived to a beautiful warm Sydney day.. boy did we pick the right weekend! Leonie picked me up from airport and we headed to Kris's.. but not before picking up some Krispy Kremes (we ate some in the car on the way but don't tell Kris ;) was a good thing we took the LONG way so we had time to dispose of the evidence hehe )

It was such a delight to meet Kris's gorgeous kids..

The very friendly J... ;)

The gorgeous Miss S.. fresh from dance class.

and sweet little Miss E

That night we went out to dinner with Jamie, Yvette, Lynny, Lyn and Ang from the June 04 Baby group.

Only took a few pics.. the food was too nice to miss out on ;)

The next day we headed into the city and checked into our hotel room and then hit the shops!

There was no way we were going to miss visiting the Lindt Cafe.. so much choice.. I need to go back again..lol

Then it was on the monorail and off to Darling Harbour where Kris and I terrorised poor Leonie with our cameras, where the seagulls terrorised us while we tried to eat our dinner and fend them off, a cruise on the harbour to the see the sites at sunset.

Then it was back to the hotel where we giggled (and choked) our way through cocktails.

had a GREAT time girls and can't wait to do the big 40's next year ;)~

A thief in the night..

2008-11-17T13:59:00.003+11:00

My garden is blooming at the moment.. My roses are a mass of blooms and I am enjoying being able to go out and cut a bouquet of fresh flowers for inside. The lavender is smelling divine. We have been harvesting silverbeet and broccoli from the garden for a few weeks now, there are a mass of rasberry flowers on the vines, just waiting for them to ripen up.

I picked my first delicious ripe strawberry yesterday. There were a few more, almost ripe, so I decided to leave them overnight. It appears something else has found before me! I went out just then to find them half eaten!!

Not impressed!! Looks like I am going to have to put some netting over them as I presume the birds have been eyeing them off as well as me!

Ahhh spring..

2008-11-07T22:20:00.001+11:00

I love this time of year..

Bad bad baaaaaaaaaad blogger

2008-11-05T13:33:00.002+11:00

Yep thats me.. I apologise to all those that take the time to visit, I have fallen very behind and need a kick in the .. you know.

So for all who have asked I will start catching up with the gnocchi recipe. As far as the gnocchi itself goes.. just googled homemade gnocchi and pick a recipe. The one I used I had to add more flour to etc until the consistency seemed right.. its trial and error.

As for the sauce... here it is, this is a big fave in our house and its so simple to make.

500g fresh potato gnocchi
1 cup light thickened cream
1/4 cup sundried tomato pesto*
150g chargrilled capsicum, finely chopped*
150g baby spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook gnocchi as per packet instructions.
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add cream and pesto. Simmer stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Ad capsicum and spinach. Cook four around a 1-2minutes until spinach has wilted. Stir cooked gnocchi into cream mixture and combine. Put mixture into a baking dish and top with cheese. Cook under grill or in oven until cheese has melted and is golden.
Enjoy!

*For the aussie readers I get these at the supermarket (Woolies). Pesto is where the pasta sauces are and the chargrilled capsicum is jarred and in the sauces and condiments section.
P

Gnocchi

2008-10-08T12:34:00.002+11:00

Yesterday, after someone told me it was easy to do, I attempted to make my own Gnocchi. It turned out pretty good I think for a first attempt. A bit messy to make.. well that could be just me, I am not the tidiest of cooks ;) Some pieces were a bit bigger than they probably should have been and were a little doughy in the center but it all still got eaten.

All cooked..

I made our favourite Creamy pesto and spinach gnocchi with them.... yummmm

Bon appetite

Tagged

2008-10-05T14:00:00.005+11:00

Mel tagged me in her blog so now I have to tell you 6 unspectacular things about myself.. hmmm.. so...

1. I love chocolate. Good chocolate. When I eat chocolate it makes me feel good, like mentally good... that works for me. (Of course exercising more regularly would probably have the same effect but lets not get picky.)

2. I like gardening. Love seeing flowers bloom, love eating what I grow. I hate wearing gloves when I garden instead preferring the feel of soil in my hands. Of course that is really bad if you are going for that manicured nails look.. probably why my nails don't look great.

3. I keep chickens. I don't just throw them scraps and take their eggs. I actually go out and talk to them... 2 to 3 times a day. Pick them up and pat them. They all have names.

4. I detest driving. Its not something I enjoy and I much prefer being the passenger. Most of the time.. depends who is driving.

5. I like grocery shopping. I don't like coming home and putting it away but I like going to the supermarket, comparing products, browsing the shelves for something new and amazing or tasty.

6. I cant eat m&m's without sorting each handful into coloured groups first. And then I have to eat one colour from each group. I don't consider myself OCD but this is one thing I just have to do.

So to tag 6 others.... Kris, Leonie, Lyn, Nerida, Susan, Jamie

On the way home

2008-10-05T11:33:00.004+11:00

we stopped at Zoodoo at Richmond. The kids loved it here where you could touch most of the animals and hop on the "Safari bus" and go on safari and get up close and personal (literally!!) with some camels, ostriches and a water buffalo.

First stop.. the Animal Nursery..
I wanted to take him home..lol

She has such a way with animals. They are really attracted to her and she is so gentle with them. I think she should be a vet when she grows up.

Pony race.. our pony was number 3.. and he won!

We'd like to thank the trainers and mum and dad and...

He was VERY interested in my camera

These little marmoset monekys were so tiny and adorable. Mum reminded me of a Furby (if you remember the 80's)although she looked kinda grumpy..lol. She had two little babies that clung to her back the whole time.

Off on safari ..
Big old cuddly pussy cat.... go on.. pat his tummy..lol

The camels were EXTREMELY friendly and just nudged right past you to get something to eat..lol

I was a bit worried someone was going to lose an eye :S

Check how tight they are holding those bags. Those ostriches would just take the whole bag and eat it.. paper and all.

It was a great trip and we are looking forward to our next little jaunt away.

Time to update the blog..

2008-10-04T20:51:00.003+10:00

My blog has been sadly neglected of late so I thought it was time to do a bit of an update..

At the beginning of the September school holidays we took the kids to Hobart for a few days for a bit of R & R. We stopped at the beautiful historic town of Richmond on the way.

The next day we took a trip waaaay down south to the beautiful Huon Valley area and visited the Tahune Air Walk. Of course.. being Tasmania.. and being a rainforest it.. well it rained. All day. It really didnt take anything away from the beauty of this area though and we plan to revisit this place again during the summer.

I love child friendly tourist centres!

48 metres up... eeeek

and then it was on to Hastings Caves.

Sometimes..

2008-09-11T23:01:00.001+10:00

they stop fighting long enough to realise they actually like each other ..lol

By Emma

2008-09-11T22:58:00.000+10:00

17th August, 2008

2008-09-11T22:44:00.003+10:00

Let it snow.. let it snow.. let it...

We took a trip up to the mountain to enjoy the snow. The kids (and us..lol) had lots of fun sliding down the hill on rubber tubes and building snowmans.

28th July, 2008

2008-09-11T21:12:00.001+10:00

Zack

11th July, 2008

2008-09-11T20:50:00.002+10:00

Jacob turned 11 today and we had a quiet celebration at home. He requested choc chip cheesecake for his "cake" so cheesecake it was!

28th June, 2008

2008-09-11T20:44:00.004+10:00

The word 'ouch" comes to mind but they seemed to be having fun..lol

13th June, 2008

2008-06-22T21:34:00.003+10:00

Emma is 4! She was very excited about her birthday this year. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday she said "Mum I dont know.. its a surprise!!!) lol Here are som pics of her day.

My other blog...

2008-06-16T16:52:00.003+10:00

Keeping it simple

31st May, 2008

2008-06-11T21:25:00.004+10:00

Ethan had an exciting day today. He got to go to his first AFL game AND he got to go onto the ground at half time and play a little game with the other Auskick kids. Wish I could have got some better pics but there was a huge crowed and it was hard to get a good vantage point.

This group were so funny. They were likeHawthorn's own personal cheer squad. One of the guys had bongos and they had this cool little chant thing going. All very enthusiastic.. well they were at the start.. it sort of died out towards the end as it became evident Hawthorn weren't going to win..lol

Sometimes..

2008-06-11T21:21:00.003+10:00

she takes my breath away.

24 May 2008

2008-06-11T12:17:00.003+10:00

Ethan turned 6 today! Wow 6 already. I like this age, not a toddler anymore but not yet big enough to know better than me..LOL All he wanted for his birthday was a PSP "like the older boys" so that is what he got. it was also Empire Day (fireworks night for us oldies) so we went bush with some friends and had a bonfire and let off fireworks.. lots of fun!

2008-05-18T21:58:00.003+10:00

Had a lovely weekend at our friends house (hey Kimmy *wave* thanks for a great weekend!). The kids were occupied, the food was great, the weatehr stayed nice for us and the scenery was just beautiful.. autumn colours in every direction.. a photographers dream and yet I only took a handful the photos the whole time!

2008-05-15T09:04:00.002+10:00

Jamie competed in the South Australian State Championships in Adelaide this past weeked and picked up a bronze medal in the U17 Double Mini as well as qualifying for two events for the Nationals. He won't be attending Nationals this year, instead aiming to qualify in more events next year. He enjoyed his first interstate trip away and came back with a greter confidence in himself. Well done Jamie, we are very proud of you.

Science fun

2008-05-13T21:44:00.002+10:00

On Sunday we took four of the kids to the museums new science exhibition "Phenomena Factory". There were lots of fun hands on exhibits and we all had quite a bit of fun.. except for the tunnel that made you feel like you were on a swinging bridge.. that just made me feel sick..lol

Those are thongs in her hands and you banged them on the pvc pipes. They made surprisingly good sound.

Learning what makes whirpools..

Posing... she's going through another "don't take my picture faze.." sighhh.

These whisper dishes were great. There was one at each end of a large courtyard and you could talk into be one and be clearly heard in the other.

and I have to include this one because I just love the age he is at. All day on Sunday he constantly remined the other kids that is was "mums day" and we have to be good for her and not let her do any work".... awwwww

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T12:16:00.003+10:00

I've been thoroughly spoilt for Mothers Day. I got lots of little goodies from the kids.. I love those gifts they pick themselves and make at school... hand the hand drawn cards are the best cards in the world in my opinion. I am a little embarrassed at the amount of chocolate I had bought for me.. I guess they know me well LOL!

DS1, who is in Adelaide atm remembered and sent me a text message bright and early this morning.. and I am in love with my gift from DH.. a pandora bracelet and charm that has "I Love You" on it. I feel blessed to have such a loving family around me.

Mothers Day always holds a little bit of sadness for me as I dont have my mum around me anymore and I always take a quiet moment to remember her and all she mean't to me. Hug your mums and tell them you love them when you get the chance.. even if it isn't Mothers Day.

Auskick

2008-05-04T19:49:00.002+10:00

Ethan started Auskick last Sunday and I took the "little camera" along to grab a few snaps of him in action. He's really enjoying himself. Today was his second week and they played a little mock game. He got to where a little shirt that had a C for centre on it. He was shown were the centre played and there he stayed there.. in one spot... the whole time..ROFL I told him that next week to run around with the other boys that had C a on..LOL

Learning how to kick properly...

..and putting it into action.

Yeah yeah, ok, I get the message.

Anzac Day

2008-04-28T19:11:00.002+10:00

This is a scan of a picture Ethan drew about Anzac Day

He was fascinated by Anzac Day this year. His teacher had obviously done a wonderful job of explaining to them what Anzac was all about. He was asking lots of questions about the soliders and where they died and did everyone die etc so we took him along to the Anzac Day Parade so he could get a better understanding of what it was all about.

Some days

2008-04-27T00:04:00.002+10:00

she drives me completely insane.. other days I could just kiss her all day long!

In death there is beauty

2008-04-25T21:49:00.003+10:00

Football fever

2008-04-24T21:31:00.003+10:00

Despite the fact that DH and I are far from being football fanatics, it appears a 2nd child of ours is developing an avid liking for the game. Yesterday afternoon I signed Ethan up for Auskick. A program for the little ones that teaches them the basic skills. As part of his registration he received a backpack, beanie, drink flask, lunchbox and his newest prize possession.. a little football! He was beaming from ear to ear when they handed it to him and has been kicking it round every chance he gets. Little does he know that when Hawthorn plays at Aurora stadium in May... the Auskick kids will be on the field at half time... now thats going to be exciting!

Sweet Little Gemma

2008-04-19T19:19:00.003+10:00

This is Gemma at 2 weeks old. This was my first experience photographing a newborn and it was a wonderful experience. Gemma was such a sweetie and peacefully slept through the whole session, making my job very easy. Thank you so much Kim for letting me have this opportunity!

12 weeks

2008-04-18T17:02:00.004+10:00

Remember this little guy?? One of the little orphan kittens HERE that I hand reared.

Well he is 12 weeks tommorrow! He is our new baby and very spoilt by us all. He is still a little on the small size but is full of beans, running all over the house, annoying our adult cat (who tolerates him from a distance..lol) and very affectionate. And even though he has a nice comfy sleeping possie during the day, when the lights go out at night, he is straight up the stairs and claws his way up on to our bed to cuddle up for the night. SPOILT!

Phil & Liz get married

2008-04-17T07:46:00.004+10:00

and about time too! Two soulmates that took a little while too find each other.

It was a pleasure to attend and photograph our friends wedding. This was my first time photographing a wedding and I enjoyed the experience. You knew a wedding between these two was bound to be fun and it didn't dissapoint. We had a wonderful time and it was wonderful to see these two finally tie the knot. May you have many many happy years together.

Mumma got a new toy...

2008-04-07T20:16:00.002+10:00

I've upgraded my camera to a bigger better model.... which probably isnt that exciting to some of you, but I'm excited.. and its my blog so I am posting about it..ROFL! I'm still learning all the new buttoms and dials but the quality is so much nicer than my old camera. Emma and Ethan stopped for 5 secs and let me get a couple of shots, other than havent had much time to really play (pout).

Foot ball

2008-04-07T20:05:00.003+10:00

Jacob is playing football this season and had his first game on Sunday! He really enjoyed himself, and THINKS they won..lol they dont officially score the young kids games so we are just guessing..lol

Jacob is the one on the ground in the red and black ..

going for the ball

2008-04-05T22:38:00.002+11:00

Hmmmm taking after mum perhaps?? lol

2008-03-25T21:22:00.002+11:00

Just a few pics from a trip to the beach the other weekend. Had a lovely bbq with friends while the kids splashed in the rock pools and swam. Making the most of the last bit of summer!

Unfortunate sign placement....

2008-03-21T17:50:00.002+11:00

I got a laugh out of this.

Doesn't get better than this

2008-03-13T22:38:00.003+11:00

This is my fave song atm. I love this band and the words of this song are so true..

All you want is
What you can’t have
And if you just look around man
You see you got magic
So just sit back relax
Enjoy it while you still have it
Don’t look back on life man and only see tragic

Kittens move out

2008-03-12T08:17:00.005+11:00

Well the kittens turned 6 weeks last Saturday. They are all gaining weight nicely, eating independently on their own and using a litter tray. Its been a long 5 weeks since I got them and for a while I wondered why on earth I was putting so much effort into these little things that weren't even mine to begin with but .. its so gratifying to see them now, all playful and lively and healthy.

So now its time for them to leave for new homes. Except our little Storm who we are all looking forward to pampering on his own. He still has a lovely affectionate nature and I know he is going to be very loved along with the rest of out animals. Ernie and Jess (the dogs) follow him around the house and keep a close eye on him.. its all very cute to watch.. especially when Ernie still HATES our other cat!

She is a little spitfire, already trying to jump to higher places, chases everything and likes to play tough..lol

This ones eyes are still not pointing completely forward and I suspect she has a lazy eye that will hopefully correct itself later. She's got a quiet nature .. except for when she is hungry.. then she lets you know about it!

Our little Storm. He is the explorer and you can usually find him under the couch or behind something unless he has crawled up under your chin for little smooches.

New girls in the coup

2008-03-11T22:03:00.003+11:00

Today we obtained four more chickens to add to the four we already have. Dame Edna.. who quite happily ruled the roost and bossed every one around is a bit taken aback by these new intruders to her realm.. One of the new girls is a little on the bossy side and the hen pecking begun moments after the new girls moved in. Power has now been divided.. I am sure they will all get use to each other soon.. and maybe a new queen will reign.. LOL

We have been warned that the white one COULD be a rooster.. so I guess I will wait until I am rudely awakened one morning to see if this is true.

So here they are...

the original girls...

.

and the new girls... can you guess which ones Emma named ..;)

and divided they stand...

Off to work I go...

2008-03-07T20:43:00.003+11:00

Well what a whirlwind couple of weeks its been. After 15 yrs as a SAHM I have now returned to the workforce. Totally unplanned.. the job sort of fell in my lap and then the care arrangements for Emma, just fell into place.. (friend one day, daddy one day and daycare the other day). So, I am now job sharing the canteen manager position as Ethan and Jacobs school. Someone is actually paying me to prepare and serve food.. hmmm.. haven't I been doing that for free for the past 15 yrs?? lol Anyway I am loving it, picking it up relatively quickly and enjoying the whole experience and the responsibility of "moving our canteen in a new and healthier direction".

The kittens will be 6 weeks old tommorrow. They are weaned and all but one will be heading out to new homes next weekend. honestly.. its been like having 4 little babies in the house again!! They are at the cute little playful kitten stage which is fun for the kids.. but I am ready to move them out of home..lol I will try and get some pictures of them this weekend. they are still on teh small side for their age but they seem intent on making that up going by the amount of food they are consuming!

So thats my little update. I am really missing taking pictures atm and need to make an effort to MAKE TIME to do it!

Big School

2008-02-20T13:58:00.002+11:00

Valentines Day saw the boys start the new school year Ethan beginning full time school! He's now in the main building with all the other big kids and goes 9-3 5 days a week. He's loving and has settled in really well. Emma is also enjoying having the house (and me) all to herself!

Kittens

2008-02-17T12:56:00.004+11:00

I've been sick.. the crawl out of bed only because you have to type of sick. So after a longer than anticipated break I am back to blog.

These are what have been keeping me quite busy in the past 10 days. I am handrearing four orphaned kittens. Their mother was killed when they were 7 days old and the owners who both work full time could not care for the kittens so I took four fo the six on. They are quite time consuming, feeding every 3 hours during the day. They weren't given the correct milk to start with either which caused them a few problems. They are now getting the right formula and are picking up except the little tabby who isn't feeding well but seems to be quite the fighter so hopefully she will make it.

and this little one we are keeping.. his name is Storm.

Tomahawk

2008-02-17T11:49:00.008+11:00

It rained the morning we packed up which delayed us about an hour and had us hoping it wasn't going to set in for the weekend.
Highlights of the trip:
~Being able to just sit back and relax and READ! I finished a book I have been trying to get read for some time and regretted not bringing another.
~Jamie and Zack enjoyed snorkeling around the reefs at low tide. Although Jamie did have a little scare when he thought he spotted a stingray and thoughts of Steve Irwins demise flashed through his head..lol (its wasn't a stingray, and Jamie is still with us in one peice)
~Ethan loved being able to ride his bike around with the big boys, and I enjoyed being able to let him without having to worry about traffic.
~fishing of the rocks and getting totally soaked by the waves crashing on them.. no really.. it was fun!
~Finally actually catching fish.. yay
~Early morning walks on the beach
~playing cards at night with the boys.. we don't do that enough at home, amazing what you do together when there is no box for everyone to sit in front of.
~Picking blackberries

This is why we got detoured on our last camping trip.. both sides of the road were just blackened.. fierce fire!

Ethan's preferred mode of transport..

Emma's preferred mode of transport :p

Our little patch of beach

Blackberries that were growing by the road, juciy!

From one of my morning walks

The not so highlights -
~B forgetting the tent pegs and making the hour trip to town to buy new ones.
~Jacob getting strep throat, requiring another hour long trip into town to see the doctor.
~Emma crying with reflux numerous times.. we still don't know what caused it.
~Packing up camp in THUDERSTORM and pouring rain and everything get soaked and muddy!
Storm at sea that quickly moved in on us the morning we left

Packing up in the rain.. ugh

Teddy

2008-01-28T22:20:00.000+11:00

When he was just a little baby dh and I bought him this Theodore Christmas bear in Myer. He quickly became attached and "teddy" went everywhere with us. It use to have alittle scraf that he would hang on to and carry Teddy around by. I remember when we first washed him and he sat patiently watching him dry on the line.. asking every few mins if he was dry yet..lol
I love that he still wants to sleep with his "Teddy"

Happy Australia Day!

2008-01-27T09:12:00.000+11:00

(Mean't to post this last night so pretend the date on the blog says 26 January 2008.)

Me

2008-01-25T22:42:00.001+11:00

After taking a little back step in photography (ie hardly picking up the camera at all for a few months!) I have been feeling the need to get back into it and to get more creative. Normally I don't show much of the more "arty" stuff here but have decided to start posting more. After all its part of me, and while others may not get it, it makes me happy :)

What the ??

2008-01-23T19:33:00.000+11:00

Hopping around the net today.. looking at random blogs, I found this...

Silicone Rolling Pin - Light Blue
I just hope that price is a misprint LOL!

Home again

2008-01-22T21:27:00.000+11:00

Last Thursday we headed off on a 4 day camping trip to the beautiful Musselroe bay area.
Day 1
All packed up and off we go...

First sign of a problem...

Bad fires mean't that we had to detour back and take a different route..

We eventually arrived and hour or so later than planned and got our camp set up. We take two tents.. the second is behind out main tent and is where the three older boys sleep. This was our first time camping at an unpowered, no water site. It wasn't as hard as I thought.. although the "long drop" took some getting use to..lol
We also learn't that you have to lock everything up to keep the possums out. We had one in our car eating some food the kids had left in there during the day and that night I heard the zip on the tent and discovered a possum trying to get in, cheeky things!

The older boys built a fire on the beach (as boys do)

and Brendon tried his luck with some night fishing.. (as boys do ;) he caught nothing..lol

Day 2
We had beautiful sunny weather and headed to the beach.

Day 3
It rained. It rained ALL DAY. We packed the kids into the car and headed off for a drive to a little nearby town for a few supplies and when we got back we found the boys tent wasn't quite as waterproof as it should be! We had to ditch their tent and move them all into our tent.. very cosy.. 7 people in a two room tent..lol As well as drying out some bedding by the fire. It was an interesting day to say the least..lol

Day 4
We woke to a dry although dreary misty day and decided along with our other camp mates to pack up and head home. Of course 30mins into the trip home the sun shone brightly.. ah well.. we still had a great time although it has taken me two full days to get everything washed, dried and thoroughly aired out ready for our next trip in 10 days (complete with a new and more waterproof tent for the boys..lol)!

The possums weren't the only friendly pest.. I mean wildlife at the site. The wallabies were very friendly and approachable. they would sit right beside you while you ate just hoping you would feed them.. something we quickly learn't to discourage the kids from doing!

Something we s[potted on the way home.

Stopping for an icecream on the way home.

Posers

2008-01-15T21:34:00.000+11:00

2008-01-12T22:42:00.000+11:00

Emma's been happy to have her photo taken lately so I have been lapping it up..

Today we picked some flowers from the garden..

and put them in her hair..

Why go for one when you can have two!

this is the action shot for the day.. both dogs going for the ball in her hand.. one with a height advantage.. take note of flowers still securely in her hand..LOL

Ethan on the other hand has become a little more camera shy!

Keeping cool

2008-01-09T20:21:00.000+11:00

The weather has been fantastic and we have been spending a fair bit of time cooling off in our little pool. Emma and Ethan's confidence in the water has jumped ahead leaps and bounds.

4WD driving fun!

2008-01-07T10:20:00.000+11:00

Back from our weekend and away and we had a blast. Lots of driving off road both on the beach and inland tracks. Jamie got to have a drive too and handled himself really well.. great driving experience for him. Even mum had a go and it wasn't as scary as I thought..lol

Here are a few pics and clips. One of us bogged! (Taken on Zack's mobile.. no idea why its in sepia..lol) Wasn't till we were through the other side of the water that there was a sign telling you which side to keep to.. helpful..for those coming the OTHER WAY!

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Waiting for lunch

Jamie on the PSP... we are CAMPING.. put it away!

Bit deep...

Our turn!

New Driveway

2008-01-02T10:13:00.000+11:00

Firstly... HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone and a thankyou to everyone who took the time to visit and leave comments on my blog last year. Looking forward to sharing more of our lives in 2008.

Now on to the driveway..just before Christmas we finally got the old driveway dug up and replaced.. YAY! Its so nice and smooth to drive and now we dont feel like we are 4wdriving up the driveway anymore..lol

A tight squeeze!

we have a couple of other projects on the go but I will post more about those later when they are finished. In the meantime we are off camping for a few days so i hope to have some real pictures to update the blog with soon!

Christmas 2007

2007-12-31T13:06:00.000+11:00

Well we had a wonderful quiet family Christmas this year. It was relaxed and fun and the kids were great. They were all thrilled with what they received and we barely heard a peep from them all day. Here a few pics from our morning.

Peas

2007-12-12T11:37:00.000+11:00

Fresh from my garden. Sweet and juicy! Picking and shelling the peas took me right back to my childhood.. helping dad pick the peas, sitting at the table with my mum and shelling the peas into a bowl...well, her putting them in the bowl.. me eating them..lol

Higher and higher

2007-12-11T09:28:00.000+11:00

Jamie competed in an interclub competition a couple of weekends ago and did well getting 1st and 3rd in his events. The exciting part of the day was he was selected to join the development squad which now means he is training for selection in the state team! All very exciting and we are all very proud of his achievement.

Here he is in action
1st place routine

3rd place routine

Cooling off

2007-12-06T09:52:00.001+11:00

Santa came a little early this year. Apparently he is going to be quite busy Christmas Eve so he got us (mum and dad) to pick this present up a little earlier. Which was very nice of him to do because its getting quite hot and the kids really needed something to cool off in.

Thanks Santa!

Cricket

2007-12-04T14:10:00.000+11:00

Early in November we spent a day at the beach with some friends. One of the highlights of the day for Ethan was getting to play cricket with the big boys. His excitement and enthusiasm was obvious and he surprised us all at actually being quite good at hitting the ball!

2007-12-04T13:51:00.000+11:00

Bit behind on my blog. November has been so busy as we begin the wind down towards summer holidays. I'm looking forward to a slower pace for a couple of months (and not playing taxi for a while!) I'm endeavouring to catch up the last month of what we have been up to!

Bridport

2007-10-30T08:46:00.000+11:00

Some pics from a quick visit to the beach a couple of weeks ago. It was just warm enough for the kids to have a splash and a play in the sand (Like it needs to be warm enoughf or kids to do that!)

Five minus one.. at least they are all looking at me.. Ethan was still working on his smile ;)

For Mum

2007-10-27T11:16:00.000+11:00

5 years today.

I miss you.