And one makes Threeeeeee...

Had one more chicky hatch this morning. It struggled to get out of the shell and did it backwards hehe

It's lovely and dry now and in with the other two, who are eating and drinking by themselves now :)

My trio Girls... Oh, I hope so but am doubtful... One rooster could stay but not more..

Blessings,

Hatching time...

Today marks three weeks in the incubator. What a looooong wait. Baha, it always is... Today, I got woken by chirping... One chick hatched during the night... Another chick hatched while I was at our local community morning tea... We have two drying off as I write... Two new Australorp chicks. Hope they're pullets. Out of the dozen only 4 where viable when candled, 2 were duds and six had blood rings which sadly means they died... 

I so hope that the other two hatch. Either way, I'm going on Monday to get me some day old chicks that will hatch this Saturday :) Australorp and/or Rhode Island Reds... Maybe Welsummer, or Ancona or Langshan... Soooo many to choose from. Think it'll be RIR and/or Australorp sexed day olds... Can't wait :)

Blessings

What the???

Yep, this is a real egg... Small and very lumpy... I used it last night for a semolina cake I was making for today's community ladies morning tea. Not much egg white but chokers with yolk... Poor chooky that laid it. I hope she didn't see it lol...

Blessings,

Cuddle time...

Twas time for cuddles and snuggles with my Jasper...

He loves the attention really... And I love his company...

Blessings,

Christmas early...

Last year technology items where given... This year we are donating to the Fred Hollows Foundation for 4 people to get their sight. We also decided that we would get season passes to three local theme parks again... Movieworld, Seaworld and Wet 'n' Wild! 

We got the season passes early as recently you could get three and the forth was free. Great opportunity to use our passes while it's the season for it :)

Wet 'n' Wild got a workout last Saturday... Even though it was jam packed with people, we scored a table and four chairs easily right in the middle. Was funny... Like it was reserved just for us and invisible to everyone else ;) Thank you Lord!

Had the best day spending it with my three men...

Blessings,

Banana Chips...

May not look as pretty as the ones from the shops but mine aren't deep fried or dull or preservatives. And that I'm happy about. Was so easy...

Cut bananas, dunk in lemon or lime juice, put on baking paper on tray and into the oven for 3 hours, turning half way through.

Great way to use up bananas that are getting old...

Blessings,

First for the season...

Saw this little one looking at me when I came back from hanging out washing at work the other night. It was after 9pm and I reckon it was happy that the temperature had dropped from the 37 degrees Celsius from that day... I know I was :)

Blessings,

I Am Macgyver!!!

Some clip thingy came off the hose end... Tim has devastated as he thought it was now a useless vacuum cleaner...

Told him not to worry... All would be ok. And it was! All it took was a shoelace. One that was too short and I had in the drawer for ages. Noice!

All back in working order once again. Gonna get loads more sucking sessions out of this baby ;)

Blessings,

Swallows are back...

They have their nest and they're sitting very diligently... Good parents to be :)

Spring has sprung!

Blessings,

My turn... No, my turn...

Two chooks wanting to lay at the same time... Yes, they did end up turning around... Awkwardly... ;)

Blessings,

A Double Beauty...

Love rainbows... This one was especially beautiful and right in the front yard!

Blessings,

New Initiative...

Our Progress Association asked the youth in our village a while ago what they would like to see happen in our community for them. One thing that came up was regular Movie Nights...

So Tim, Josh and a couple other local youths got together last week to start up youth get togethers... The first three will be movie nights. First, one for the younger kids and then one for the teens...

We are holding them at our local Hall. I can't wait to see how it goes. Food and drink have been purchased. Josh has been busy doing up the flyer for it. Movies have been chosen and we even have the projector all lined up. 

Hope it's a great success! We will see in two weeks ;)

Future plans include cooking lessons, changing oil in a car, disco to name a few! Love it how the youth are taking this on for themselves. Love supporting them...

Blessings,

Josh doing up the flyer for the movie night...

New Kombucha Container...

Been looking for over a month. My other container got a large crack at the tap. It started to leak, ever so slightly. So glad it wasn't a flood!

Anyway, I found a new container in Toowoomba last week! Took five goes but finally found one that didn't have sharp edges or cracks around the tap.

When I got it home, I also realised that this container was allot bigger than my last one! This one is 7 litres and the other was 4 litres. Good excuse to make up some more tea :)

I let the tea cool overnight and added it to the rest and left it to settle... Brewing nicely as I write :)

I love it how it works... Take a SCOBY or mushroom, add it and some original liquid to sweet black tea, put into a glass container and let sit out of sunlight for a week. Then consume, slowly to begin with and diluted with juice, if wanted. Top up container as needed. Tim still loves the Kombucha Candy I make. Great way of getting rid of extras also ;)

Blessings,

Tight ball...

Do you think jasper can get himself into a tighter ball??? Don't think so but you never know...

Blessings,

Date with Josh...

After his monthly shot, we got ourselves some calamari and drinks and headed for the Allora Creek for a walk... Was soooo beautiful to walk and talk...

Love how easy it is to talk to him, about so many things...

Blessings,

Blessed with a gift of Jam...

Was given a jar of homemade Strawberry Jam... This morning it was opened... Delish!

Thanks again Eric and Esther! X

Blessings, 

Bees wax candle...

Got this one a week ago at our school fete... Loving the smell of honey :)

Blessings,

More mulberries...

A not-so-ready one also came off the little tree... Yummy ;)

Put up just for you, Adam xo

Blessings,

Smallest egg...

Laid by the largest chook... Onya Gandolph...

My baby brother warned me that she laid really small eggs. Hehe... She continues to prove him right ;)

Blessings,

Timothy's Big Day... His Formal...

10 October 2014 was here... The day had arrived. Timothy went to school for the first two lessons and then I picked up both boys at first lunch. Timothy went to the Barber, for Vicki to do her thing. The end result made him look very smart.

Then, we went home and chilled for a while. Timothy nervously walked around the house in his new shoes... There was loads of joking around with Joshua! We tried our best to keep his mind off just how nervous he was. He was worried the entrance wouldn't go as he had planned for ages. He had even been getting into the other side of the car to where he had sat all his life, so he could get used to getting out and helping his partner out...

3pm came and it was time to get dressed in his suit. I'm glad that at this point the day was a little overcast, as he could have been very hot in his suit otherwise. We left home at 3:30pm. It was sad that Russell's mum Erica couldn't come as well but she was still sick and wouldn't have been able to cope...

At 4pm, Timothy and I went to Bryson's to pick up his buttonhole and Caitlyn's bracelet. Lyn had done a most beautiful job on the both!

4:15pm, Russell, Timothy, Joshua and I met Caitlyn, her parents Bob and Fiona and sister Tarissa, who was also the official photographer, down at the Condamine River :) Beautiful photos were taken all around and when Timothy gave Caitlyn her bracelet, he also gave her a pair of earrings, as a Thank You present for going with him to the Formal. 

At 5:15pm, we all went to Frasers Transport Depot to meet the couple's driver, Jeffrey, and take photos with the truck in the depot and at Lesley Park...

At just before 7pm, they made their  grand entrance. The truck got loads of cheers from the huge crowd. Tim even waved to the crowd as they arrived! Tim got out first, so he could do his gentlemanly duties and help his lovely partner, Caitlyn, down. He did a fantastic job. He guided her perfectly up the red carpet, and they had their photos taken along the way.

Then it was off inside the RSL's Kings Theatre for their Night of Nights!

The two families stayed in the main bistro area, as the theatre only had room for the approx 200 students. I do wish I had of gotten to have a Mother-Son dance though...

The food was fantastic, I must say! Timothy's too. He had ravioli for entrée, steak with vegetables for main and 'The Great Gatsby' themed cake for dessert. He overloaded on the free refills though with about 7 glasses of lemonade and some water. At the end of the night, he was feeling a little worse for wear. 

His case manager in the Support Unit, Mrs Jody Jarred sent me some sneak peeks from inside, that I so appreciated. He had a ball dancing the night away with Caitlyn, as well as his great friend Sam and many of his other friends. He was going for the 'Best dancer' prize but sadly, missed out. He said he did allot of yelling... 

On the way home at 11:45pm, he stated that the real thing was the best day of his life, so far anyway, and much better than the mock formal he had had at his year 11 camp! I would have hoped so.

I'm soooo glad he went. Originally, he wasn't going, then he was going alone, then Caitlyn asked him to take her and he said Yes. A number of the girls ended up pairing up, as there was not enough young men to take them all... 

So, now the first one is over... It has given Joshua a great insight to what to expect for two years' time, when it's his turn :) It always seems like an eternity to get here and then it's over so quickly. I mentioned to Timothy, many times leading up to the day and on the day, just to have a blast. To not take into account how others felt or what they were doing. To just dance till you can't dance anymore. Grin and laugh hard. Enjoy. It's your special night and it won't come around again. And he did!

I am in awe of just how far he has come. He inspires me sooooo much. He just keeps trying. Keeps pushing through. I am soooo very proud of him. Everyday at this point of his last year at school has been a challenge, yet each day he's achieving more and more. Many learn from you, Timothy, though you don't even realise that... Love you so very much, my very precious Son!

Blessings,

Timothy's buttonhole...

Caitlyn's bracelet...

Timothy and Joshua...

Russell, Timothy and I...

Tarissa, Joshua, Timothy and Caitlyn, with Bob sitting and Russell standing in the background...

Bob, Caitlyn and Fiona...

Timothy and I...

The massive crowd welcoming all Formal Students...

Caitlyn and Timothy walking the red carpet...

Caitlyn and Timothy walking through the Bistro and off to the theatre for their Night  of Nights...

Timothy's macaroon, that he was waiting for him at his table...

After a hard night of partying and dancing, the buttonhole was a little worse for wear...

Grade 12 formal photo...

Looking smart, my boy!

Blessings,

Formal Day...

Today is Timothy's day... Amazing that it's finally here... I'll get him mid morning to get a trim with the barber. Then home for dressing. Loving it all. Am a nervous mum though, I must admit...

So proud of him. He has come soooo far. He has achieved soooo much. He soooo deserves this night!

Blessings,

Burs...

Can't stand them. It's that time of year. Jasper keeps bringing them into the house. They are not only on the backyard this year but are spreading... Time to get drastic and get rid of them...

So every time Jasper comes inside, we have to frisk him and get them out of him. Paws, tail, belly and backside are the usual culprits...

Blessings, 

Mulberries...

Got a couple more off the little tree yesterday. Timothy and Russell's mum got them this time :)

Blessings,