Melting moments...

Yum :)

So who do you think makes the best ones??? My hubby off course... Russell is soooo good at them. They involve allot of labour so not many get done at any one time. Oh we enjoy them though when he makes them. Just love them... Homemade is really best, every single time :)

Cheers Damaris

Josh's favorite flower at school atm...

This is it... He didn't know the name of it but was so excited about it I had to adjust my walk that morning so that I could take a photo of it... Lol... Irises... They always remind me of my Oma... RIP... They are everywhere at school at the moment. This flower he loved the most apparently... Told him that we had them at home... Doh, he had no idea. lol

Cheers Damaris

Bud is learning...

Josh with Bud on his shoulder...

Tim's budgie has been doing really well sitting on one's finger... Last week we thought we would give it a go and see how he would go coming out of the cage. Yep, he flew all over the place and did really well. He ended up on everyone's shoulders as well which was very cute to see... He is getting there... One of these days he will be able to be out all the time, as long as the dogs are away in the laundry that is or they would eat him that's for sure and so don't want that...

Cheers Damaris

Good Morning...

Sunrise last Sunday morning... Had to share... Was through some clouds but so beautiful :) Ahhhh, the serenity...

Cheers Damaris

Comfy???

Aren't I cute Mum?

Am comfy on your pillow Mum :)

Yep, the couch is OURS...

You think they are??? I do... lol

Cheers Damaris

Going to the dam...

My lovely new plants...

Wivenhoe Dam :)

Last Sunday was such a wonderfully beautiful day... 3 Support Workers went on a little trip with some of the ladies and gents that we support.

First we went to the Fernvale Markets... We then made our way to Wivenhoe Dam. There we had a lovely BBQ lunch and then desert as well as Birthday Cake as one of the gents had his Birthday that day as well... On the way home we had an ice cream.

It was a beautiful and glorious day out. Loved it...

Cheers Damaris

Sing-a-long 2011

Our little school... 8/12 performed...

Josh had the last opportunity, along with his school to enter this year. He is in his last year at Primary School so was looking forward to performing one last time... This is a get together where there are about 9 schools. They all perform two songs each and then the whole 350 odd kids get together on stage and perform a few songs as one...

This is the third time that Warwick has done this and I must say that this is the best performance yet... It was awesome... Josh had a great time too... Was a rehearsal day that took all day and then the performance was on that night... Maryvale State School did join in with another school and then some other extras joined in too so that they had better sound... Don't think they needed it but I am biased. lol

Was a great night out :)

Cheers Damaris

Met someone...

Kim and I...

The other day I was in Big W getting stuff and happened to run into one of the authors for 4 Ingredients books. I have them all and love them. I love to use them with the residents at work too... Kim McCosker is just lovely in person as well as on Facebook... Love her energy... She was there with her mum promoting the latest book for babies... And no I didn't end up getting it as I don't have any babies around me and don't intend to have anymore either. lol

Cheers Damaris

Decluttering...

Yep it was on the cards again... The toy box just had to go. The boys were not using it. It was only getting a work out whenever I had someone with kids over... That was fine but I didn't want a box around anymore just for those few occasions...

So I went to Crazy Clarks and look what I found... It is one of those plastic containers you put under your bed but these ones had different compartments. You can even take some of the slots out to make them bigger, which I did on one occasion...

Love it. Fits perfectly where I have it too. Got rid of the box which Russell can use in the shed and I have a nice and neat area. Now it is still used by kids but even easier to clean up afterwards. LOVE IT :)

Cheers Damaris

What the???

This is what greeted me when I was walking around at work one morning... Yep, the biggest worm I had ever seen... Wish I could have taken him home to put in my garden. lol

Cheers Damaris

Goats...

Tim holding one of the twin boys...

Fiona's two girls had their babies couple of weeks ago. One had twin males and the other had a little female... Josh actually saw the twins while the cord was still attached... Had just been born... He was so excited. So off course Tim had to go down when he got home from school and have a look and a hold... This one is our favourite :)

Cheers Damaris

What a magical shot...

Was walking the other morning and look what picture I took. Off course doesn't do the real thing justice but oh what a shot. Had to share :)

Cheers Damaris

New bits...

Nova enjoys the new Futon. lol

Very comfy :)

Well after five years the futon is no more... It has gone to another home where someone else can use it. Had plenty of life still in it but not for us anymore... I was over it... Well and truly... The dining table also had a crack in the table top from when we moved into the house which was now getting bigger... It also had to go. So the chairs went to a new home but the table is living in the shed now and Russell uses it down there :)

So we still needed to get a sofa bed of some sort as we don't have a spare room for guests... We found a lovely futon that also acts as a lounge. The lounge was a sale item... $700 off and all leather with all the warranty attached. Couldn't say no...

Very happy to have things rearranged and all the furniture fits in really nicely... Loving it :)

Cheers Damaris

On with it...

Somewhere to hang the hose as well as wash veggies :)

New chairs for the new dining table :)

Russell has left his Brisbane job now about five weeks ago... This has meant that he has spent allot more time at home. All of it in fact. This has taken some time to get used to but seeing I am gone two nights a week it is not too much of a drama. He is there when I am not and he works at Maryvale State School in the office 1.5 days a week... Totally sweet... Am loving the change and am very happy and content...

With Russell being home it is amazing how much has gotten done around the place lately. All those little jobs that need doing have finally started getting done. :) Woohoo... Now to keep that momentum going. lol

Cheers Damaris

What was he thinking...

My precious boy...

This photo was taken at my Mum's Birthday Party... I really love this shot... There Tim is lying in the grass looking at something... Wonder what he is thinking? I often wonder that... He is so stressed at the moment with school that he has even had six warts come out on his legs. They are just little at the moment but I know that if he doesn't have down time soon they will get bigger. Warts are the last tell tale sign that he is getting beyond being able to cope...

This weekend he is on holidays then for two whole weeks. He can't wait... He is going to Blue Care for six nights which he has never done before. It was supposed to be for four only but someone cancelled so we were offered another two nights... He is going to have a fantastic time. On the agenda are going to the movies, a car rally, the gym and swimming, fishing, seeing the Toowoomba Carnival of flowers, picnics... you name it he is doing it. And I am glad... He needs to get away from focusing on school.

He needs a break so badly and I am glad that he will get it... Oh how I worry about him that he is coping OK on the inside... If only I could help more... Wanted him to go to Disability Action Week Dance on Friday night in Warwick but he won't be in it. Shame I would have loved to have gone with him but he is not interested being around more people that are disabled. I can understand when he is so easily frustrated by them at school... Am very thankful that the break is coming up. :)

Cheers Damaris

Community Input...

The lovely Pam Burley came out on Seniors day with her friend Bette Bonney and after the celebrations a group of about 25 of us went back to the local Maryvale School of Arts Community Hall to see what sort of things we could brainstorm...

What did we want to see in our little community by 2030... It was a very interesting process and we were put into two groups. I was also amazed just how many times both groups overlapped in what we wanted to see in our community. So many like minded people. It was lovely to see... So glad I went and had given my two cents worth.

So glad that we have people like Pam around that do care for outer lying communities such as Maryvale. We are only 20 odd minutes from Warwick but still very much on the outer... Thanks Pam for coming and seeing us :) Really appreciate it :)

Cheers Damaris

Seniors Day, 2011

So many came to enjoy their Seniors Day out...

Games galore...

Plenty of food was had :)

This year it was held at Maryvale State School. There was so much food it was not possible to eat it all. There was such a great turn out... People even came from Allora and Warwick. Woohoo... It was so worth it.

All the kids had to make up their own games for the Seniors to do. They made up the games, made up the rules and had to print out the instructions on the computer even. There were 11 games in all that the oldies had a chance to play. And didn't they love it... They all had a ball. Was a little windy on the day but no one cared. It was so wonderful seeing the two generations interaction. I was so blessed to have been able to be there on that day. :)

In the end all the Seniors had to choose which game they loved the best and the one that one by a mile was Josh and Carson's... They were so happy to win... Everyone in the end was a winner though as they all tried their best and they all had a great time...

Well done kids for a wonderful day out for the oldies. :)

Cheers Damaris

Bailey's been very sick...

Some of his drugs...

He did lots of sleeping... No energy for anything else...

He went in to get his teeth cleaned... During the procedure he stopped breathing... They had to put a tube down his throat and do all sorts of things to get him to breathe again... I am truly grateful for that as I don't even want to imagine what it would be like without my little boy...

But he ended up with a really sore throat, he couldn't and wouldn't eat. He hurt his lungs as well as seen on the X-rays. He lost so much weight and was on four different drugs in the end. There were times when I really thought that we would lose him...

But he has come good. He is all better now and putting on weight little by little... He is back to the old cheeky boy I know and love. Thank God :)

Cheers Damaris

Making some noise...

Every Monday, Fiona comes up to my house with a bunch of kids... Her daughter Bec, Carson and Josh joins in too. They have their own little band going and are sounding really great... They are even performing at the end of year concert for school. Can't wait to hear them in front of a heap of people :)

Cheers Damaris

My lastest find...

Three cups in one... Woohoo!!!

I wanted a new cup for work. One that wasn't small. All the ones they had at work were too small and I wanted to get one that was bigger so that it would last longer and didn't need constant refilling... I had my mind set on a creamy colour one but all the ones that I saw had flaws in their paint work...

So the next best thing was to get one that had Margaret's favourite colour... Yep it's green... I love this shade of green and as soon as I picked it up it made me think of her. This is the reason that I got it. I don't take it to work. I took another one from home. This one I keep at home and whenever I have a coffee I think of my Margaret... Love it. :)

Cheers Damaris

A spaceship has landed...

In my kitchen that is... lol... Nah... It is our new convection oven... Russell has wanted one of these for a while and we also ended up getting the spacer for it so that we can put more in it... Works so well and does roasts really nicely... It is also really easy to clean...

Love it... And on top of that it uses half the power the oven uses. Win, Win I reckon. :)

Cheers Damaris

Kicking back...

Josh cuddling up to Uncle Phil :)

Loves his Aunty Lis to bits :)

One mother of a TV lol

Lis making Austrian crepes... Yummm

After Mum's Birthday bash we stayed at Lis and Phil's for the night. The boys loved their room as they had an enormous TV that they could watch DVD's on... Excellent timing for the four adults to catch up and chill... Also time for lots of cuddles and laughing :) Was like a mini holiday :)

Cheers Damaris

The couples...

Sandra and my brother Markus...

My sister Tina and her hubby Phil...

My brother Chris and his lovely Mary :)

Phil and my baby sister Lis...

Russell and I...

Here is a look at my Brothers and Sisters and their other halves... Plus Russell and I... All happy and all content... Just the way it should be :)

Cheers Damaris

My extra two sisters...

Mary and Sandra... Two treasures...

These two lovelies I have had in my family for a while now... I treasure them very much and am so glad that they are in my life... I love to learn from them and know that they accept me for who I am... Thank you Sandra and Mary. Love you both heaps...

Cheers Damaris

Mum's 60th :)

All of us together...

Mum's beautiful White Chocolate Mud cake that Tina made for her...

All the grandkids except one... Alex was on camp with school...

Andy cooking up a storm on the BBQ...

Kids having fun in the yard :)

Lots of piles collected :)

Tim giving Ethan a ride :)

My Mum has made it :) To 60 that is... On the day she wanted all her kids and their families to come to her house for a lunch... One long table accommodated all family and I must say it was a great time... The grand kids discovered a pile of pine cones in the end and that amused them for a while. Joshua set up a production line even. We all had to take some bags of them home off course. Work wonders with the fireplace. :)

All in all we had a great time and then also spent the night with my youngest sister Lis and her lovely hubby Phil. It was just after Russell had left his Brisbane job for good too so he was very relaxed and we took things as they came. Was wonderful...

Cheers Damaris