End of School Concert...

Timothy got up and danced too :)

Kids performing on stage...

Joshua dancing to a laser show :) Cool stuff :)

Joshua and Russell dancing...

Joshua receiving his Christmas gift (Book) from Miss Farrell...

More dancing...

Joshua looking good... but then I am rather biased. :)

Having a sit down after all the activities...

Last Friday, Joshua had his school's concert... What a lovely time we had as a family. The boys participated in the dancing at the end and Joshua had asked earlier in the year if he could dance with Dad this time... taking turns with me from last year... Russell tried to get out of it but he did it anyway in the end and his smile says it all. Fun was had. :)

There was not such a huge turnout this year as previous years, which I was surprised about but from what I could see the 14 kids and their parents were all there. :) Some extras supported the school as well.

We also had Lisa and the kids up for the night and James then stayed on for a couple of nights as well to catch up really well with Joshua. Was lovely to see them.

The night started at 6pm and all the children had worked so hard in the performances. One of them they choreographed all by themselves... Clever little people :)

I know that Joshua will miss his acting Principal next year. I had hoped that she would stay on as a teacher but on the night we found out that she is going to a school out west... Lucky them :) Thanks Miss Farrell for all your wonderful work this last half a year. Now we look forward to our new male Principal...

In the end Joshua was exhausted and was glad to crash into bed. A good sleep was had by all. :)

Cheers Damaris

Going for a ride...

Giddy up, Mummy :)

Our little chicks that our Pit Game Hen has at the moment, all three of them, lol, are doing really well. Mum is taking great care of them and I saw the funniest thing the other morning...

Went out to inspect how they had all gone after a night with a rather cool breeze. I hoped they had been warm under Mum. She was sneezing a little but hopefully that will get better with some tonic.

The babies were not only fine but look at the little yellow ball of fluff... Yep, it is on her back going for a ride. Had not seen that before. Mum was moving around herding the other two away from me as I got close and the third was up there walking back and forth... Balancing beautifully... :) Was so lovely to see the connection and bond...

Cheers Damaris

PS Click on the picture to see the baby on Mum's back more closely. :)

I got 10 yesterday... eggs that is...

My Parcel Pick-up yesterday afternoon. :)

So for the last few days have been giving the girls a bit of the old Dog biscuits soaked overnight in milk... Seems to be doing the trick. Yesterday I got 10 eggs. :) Happy Girl here... Hope they keep going like this as at the moment am not able to use any spare eggs for bartering as I have none...

They will get there I know. Has been dreary and colder again over the last little while but hopefully with the food and the shell grit that I make from their own eggs they will be fine... :)

Cheers Damaris

Soap making time...

My ingredients...

With Rolled Oats...

With Quick Oats...

This was my week to make sure that I did my soak making in time for Christmas. Just four weeks. I know... bit late as ideally the soap should cure for about six weeks. Four will have to do... This morning was the day... Joshua loved the smell of it.

This time I used a different recipe and am still chicken about using Lye... So I googled recipes without Lye and came up with one from 'The Notebook' that is easy enough even for kids to do it...

1 cup of Pure Soap Flakes

1 teaspoon of Sunflower/Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Rolled Oats/Quick Oats

2 drops of Essential Oil

I did two lots. One with Rolled Oats and one with Quick Oats so that I can see what the difference in texture is... I also used Sunflower Oil as that is what I already had. Had plenty of Soap Flakes from the last time I made soap last year. :)

So all you do is get the flakes and mix 1/4 cup of hot water with it, mix, put into microwave for 30 second intervals and stirring till smooth consistency. Then add the Oil, Oats and Essential Oil. Mix again and then put into oiled (I used spray oil) container. I used cake tins... Put aside with towel on top so it doesn't dry out too quickly and then just turn out after a day and then cut into whatever size you want. I will do square chunks as that way it is easier to hold in the palm of your hand. Then turn every day for the first week, then every second day till you use it...

Joshua asked at one stage if I was putting in the oats so people had something to eat while in the shower... Smarty pants. hehe

Will see how it turns out... Can't wait to use it. Now for Christmas all I have left to do is in the last week just before Christmas I need to make a whole heap of Fudge... Yummmm (Failsafe off course. :) hehe)

Cheers Damaris

Joshua feeding...

Joshua feeding...

Had him help me this morning getting the two bags of grain from my car into the shed... From there I put the contents straight into my grain barrels. I don't need to leave them out as I had room for them to go in as was running low. Also don't want to encourage the rats that we have in the shed even more...

So while I was doing that Joshua decided to sit down and get some grain and see if they would feed out of his hand. Sure enough they did. :)

Cheers Damaris

Happy Birthday :) To Me :) :) :)

A beautiful book from my Dad and Stepmum.

Beautiful candles from Margaret and her boys...

PJ's that won't eat my tree seedlings. hehe Thanks Margaret. :)

Booties for home. Thanks to Russell's Mum :)

Votive holder by Jamie Durie :) Yummm, love his stuff...

Tulip made from Polymer clay by Russell... with two tea lights...

$50 from Russell and the boys for plants. :)

Yep you guessed it. It was my Birthday yesterday... I was very spoilt. :) I baked a roast chook for dinner and a Pavlova for dessert on the Sunday night as I really wanted to get back on the straight and narrow from the Monday... (Yes am on a diet... the first in my life so to speak... Did try Herbalife before but can't swallow the horse pills this time around...) So far have lost 3.5kg in two weeks. Did well the first week, not so great the second but still a loss. :)

Back to my Birthday... I had the most lovely day. We didn't really do too much but it was lovely as Russell had the day off and was able to enjoy the day with me :)

Joshua had a Student Free Day but Timothy still had to go to school. We did spend the day mostly in Warwick as we had some things to get for our upcoming camping trip. I also had to attend the last of my course that I have been doing for the last six weeks. It is called 'Do as I do' and is about identifying your child's anxiety and how to best deal with it... Has been very interesting to say the least and has helped me allot even with my own anxiety...

So all in all here I am entering my 40th year of life and I can truly say that I am having the time of my life... How blessed am I??? Yes, I know I am very, very blessed...

Cheers Damaris

Quack, quack...

Snow White determined to get comfy. :)

So spotted one of the ducks, Snow White, going into the shed... What was she up to??? She is a very determined little thing and knew she was up to something... We found her going into the mower catcher and even though it was slightly on its side she was determined to get in there... Once in there she came out again a few times and got some straw laying around. Then went back again...

She did lay an egg this morning so am wondering if she is wanting to nest... Strange a little bit though as normally I have only had them do this after they have laid a few eggs not one. This is her first on in over a month. She laid a couple when she first got here but nothing since then... Time will tell.

She did eventually come out again and go on her merry way. She is a bit of a loner really and likes to do things on her own more than the other duck and drake. Though he loves them both. He certainly jumps them both plenty as you can tell by the feathers that are missing on the backs of both their heads. lol

So will keep an eye on her. She is currently busy grooming herself...

Cheers Damaris

Sun going down...

Yesterday afternoon I took these amazing photos as the sun was peaking out one last bit of the day... After we had had allot of rain. These shots were taken just inside the housefence near our front door...

Was wonderful to watch the sun dancing on the mountain sides. :) We are truly blessed to be able to live here :)

Cheers Damaris

Love to read...

Nova and Bailey joining me, earlier this week...

"I am watching you, mummy :)"

Nova really comfy this morning...

When I do my Bible reading in the morning I usually have a couple of doggies that join me :)

This morning Nova really got herself comfy :) What a cutie...

Cheers Damaris

Learning the recorder...

Joshua practicing...

Joshua has been learning with the recorder this year... For Christmas the two of us are going to play a Christmas song on our recorders for our Families... Can't wait. :)

Cheers Damaris

More Babies...

I spy a baby... The firstborn...

There is the Secondborn...

This week we have had our Pit Game hen due with her eggs... So far we have three chicks... :)

Cheers Damaris

What the???

Would like a regular lot like this please!!!

So here I am asking the chooks the other day... "Who wants to go to the Pig n Calf, cause most of you are not laying...?" There was no response...

At the moment I get between 3 and 7 eggs a day from 20 layers. That includes the Guinea Fowl and ducks as well... Am not happy Jan... Not happy at all... Come summer holidays if they don't do better I will be sending some off as can't keep feeding something that doesn't give in return... Sorry girls. Best get your act together...

Cheers Damaris

What a Comb you have...

This is one of my two purebred Longhorns... Isn't she beautiful? :) Her comb makes me laugh... It is the biggest thing I have ever seen... Poor thing flops to the side... I got them both off Mark and Rebecca a while ago.

Good layers those two girls... :) They are keepers. :)

Cheers Damaris

Happy Birthday :)

Happy Birthday Dad :)

Today is my Dad's Birthday. :) Happy Birthday, may your day and year ahead be blessed. xoxox

Cheers Damaris

Puppy love...

Bailey smoozing with Joshua...

Bailey, Joshua and Nova...

Dog love that is... Joshua loves having the dogs in his bed with him. Not that they sleep there at night time as he is not allowed to have them there... His nose causes enough problems without them adding to it, that is for sure.

Here he is kissing Bailey and hugging both... He does such a great job too. :)

Cheers Damaris

Dust baths...

Bruce and his girls...

I must admit that our chooks are pretty versatile when it comes to where they have their dust baths... Here they are using our mulch pile. :) All huddled together... :) Was cute to watch them put their heads up out of the hole as we came home the other day. :)

Cheers Damaris

Birthdays to celebrate...

Swimming time :)

Boys and their toys...

Eating time...

This month my family has five Birthdays to celebrate... My Sister-in-law, my Brother, my Nephew, my Dad and myself :)

So every year, seeing that there are so many of us in one year and just another excuse to get together we do so usually at Dad and Julie's House...

The pool off course is used at least twice that visit... My boys just love it and I enjoy watching them interact. They love their uncles that go in there with them as well... Always allot of hanging on going on. :)

A great time was had by all. By the time I got home it was 8pm but ohhhh so worth it :) Russell took his car separately and he ended up staying down with his Mum an extra night. Boys were good though once we got home everyone helped out with getting bags inside and had dinner really quickly. Then off to bed and ready for another week. :)

Cheers Damaris

Quack, quack...

Snow White the duck...

Was on my way back inside yesterday afternoon when I spied someone just beyond the bushes all alone... What a cutie... She talked to me and then went back to join the others. :)

Cheers Damaris

View from my hammock...

Timothy reading and Bailey 'listening'...

Even saw the moon :)

I love the new hammock. The boys are also getting a great deal out of it. Timothy and I were in it yesterday afternoon... No Technology Day :)

He was reading Ripley's and Bailey jumped in as well... Just to make things interesting...

Love listening to Timothy reading out facts... So much fun...

Cheers Damaris

Helping each other...

Lachlan, Jordan and Ethan having fun with the pool balls...

The trailer's new home :)

Bit of adjustment done :)

The new home of the generator...

My youngest Brother Chris needed a bike for his new job... Russell had one that he was not using and would fit Chris much better anyway as he was taller... Chris needed to get stuff sorted with his laptop... Russell knew how to fix it... Chris' mower at home is not working so well these days... We had one that needs a little adjusting and then should work fine for him...

We needed to move the camper trailer under cover... Chris helped us move it into a great position so it was protective from the elements... We needed tiles to go under the hot water tank as it was going a little lopsided... Chris helped push the tank while Russell put tiles underneath so it was more steady on its 'legs'... We needed the generator moved up to the house for the next lot of long power loss... Chris helped Russell with getting it into position and a 200l water container is its cover for now...

These things we needed to do together. To help each other and to both come out winners... Thanks Chris for all your wonderful help. Thanks for bringing the three boys out as we had a ball having them (and you off course) here...

Cheers Damaris

Shaving time...

Bailey, shaved and having a rest at my feet :)

I love it when I get to shave the dogs... I have always done it with Bailey and now with Nova as well. We have set of Wahl clippers and they have not let us down yet. The ones that we have you can even clip cattle with it... And horses... Not that I would but handy to know that they are capable. They have been worth every cent. Yes they cost allot for clippers but boy do they do their job. :)

I use it to cut the boys and Russell's hair as well of course. Saves us a fortune not having to go to the Hairdresser... I actually started doing it as Russell's mum used to always do his. The only time in his whole life he has gone to a Hairdresser was on the day of our wedding. lol

Then with Timothy being the way that he is I did it with him as well and then did all of them in the end as it was much easier that way. They only get crew cuts but will have to learn some sorts of techniques I guess once they want actual cuts...

So back to the dogs... I love to do them at the moment as we have had allot of rain and as I have mentioned before we currently have a huge amount of burrs... So with the shave off they came as well. Yay!!! Gotta be happy about that.

Russell and Joshua help me hold them when I get to the tricky areas and the bits underneath. Timothy does the hair cleanup. All of this gets done outside off course. No way that I would do it inside. Not that I can at the moment anyway as we have chicks in the bathroom. Don't want to give them any ideas... lol

So now they are done and over their 'trauma'. No they are not fussed on getting done but know that they feel so much better for it afterwards. :)

Cheers Damaris

Chicks update...

Babies nearly ready to be sent outside in one of the cages...

They are growing at an alarming rate... Last Saturday I ended up getting another little one about the same age as our six... It was a left over from a hatchery visit to a school and had no home so instead of it going to the RSPCA we ended up getting it. :) Believe it is a rooster though which means that he grows up and goes to the Pig n Calf... with the other two that I think we have.

Four hens though is looking good :)

Cheers Damaris