Comfy...

Tim and I went out for a hour this morning... Couldn't find Jasper when we got back. Wondered where he was... Followed the snoring and found him on Josh's bed... He looked so comfy ;)

Blessings,

First Day...

Josh is doing work experience at The Coffee Club in town. So proud of him. He had a great first day too. I love how they make them feel welcome but even giving them a uniform shirt. So kind. Love their attitude. The owner is so lovely also.

Here's hoping he may even get a job out of it...

Blessings,

Movie stars in our town...

This morning Russell had trouble getting to school. There was a film crew blocking the Main Street in our village...

A new Australian Series called 'Wanted' is being filmed around these parts at the moment... They've been all over the place... Supposed to come on TV next year.

So Tim and I had a sticky beak! Steve that used to play Brax on Home and Away was there filming scenes at the local pub. They are then moving onto the driveway of the local shop and the run down old Petrol station up on the highway. 

Just a little bit exciting :) Got boring after the 5th take of the same scene... Glad we went and had a look though.

Blessings,

New weather station...

The other one was getting old. It was not accurate anymore either. Reading generally had a low degree of -41. Hehe bit off really...

We found exactly the same as what we had originally. Thank you, eBay!

Few days later and it's here. Russell and Josh put it up today...

Looks great and is back to doing the job it was meant to be doing ;)

Blessings,

Proud Mummy moment...

This is Josh's Graphics assignment this term. Ended up being published in the school newsletter! So proud of him.

Also wonderful that overall for the year he got an A!

Blessings,

Hail again... And flooding...

After a long shift at work, I tried to get home. The rain was pretty full on most of the journey. Got about 1/2 hr from home and noticed that there was a long stretch of cars and trucks in front of me. Must have been a couple of kilometres at least... I turned around once a police car arrived... Went to Warwick and had dinner.

Found out from Russell that Powerlines were down across the highway and there was no way to get home. The only other way was cut off in four places as the road was flooded. So I stayed and visited a dear friend. 

Came home and am so glad I left it as long as I did. Couldn't get into our village the normal way as the road was cut with flooded waterway. Got through the other way and proceeded with caution. Today, I was very glad that I had been at work. Our hail blanket would have been no protection for my car.

The hail was golf ball size... The largest we have seen here. All the chooks were safe, which I was glad about. Winds reached 88km/hr. Just nuts! All our plants are shredded, needless to say.

A close friend that lives 15 minutes away from us was not so fortunate. She lost 150 chooks, chook pens and all her gardens.

We are all safe though and that's the most important thing. So very blessed.,,

What a show...

Blessings,

Morning tea...

This is Timothy's morning tea... Yep, he loves his fruit... Luckily I have a huge fruit bowl that is regularly replenished...

Blessings,

High Tea...

16 of us local ladies went to Bryson's yesterday for a High Tea... It was a lovey way to finish the year off and was a lovely time.

Didn't get to talk to as many of the ladies properly as I would have liked but that's what happens I guess when you're all in one line...

The company was lovely and so was the food and atmosphere...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, ladies!

Blessings,

Hail!!!

Today, it was forecast for storms... And we got them.

We seemed to be the starting point and boy did we have some huge strikes and claps of thunder. It's still raining as I write.

Great for the grass :) and the tanks off course. We also scored hail... So glad that Russell and Timothy got the hail blanket on my car in time. So glad Russell's new car is in the shed!

Blessings,

Growing babies...

Two weeks ago today, we got our newest babies... Oh, how they have grown. No need for heat anymore. During the day last week we had three days of 38/39 degrees. Plenty warm. Lovely and cool for them in the bathroom.

Boy, they're getting noisier though. At least with no heat at night, they sleep mostly and are quiet then, mostly... Hehe

I am looking forward to them being outside in the growing cages... Together at first and later halved in numbers. 13 in one cage would just be too many. 

Tim does a great job feeding them and ensuring clean water is available... 

Blessings,

Growing up...

Loving seeing the markings coming out in the Barnevelders :)

Mock Formal...

Josh goes on his camp tomorrow and one thing they do there is a mock formal to teach them what to expect a little. At Tim's camp there were over 200 kids... At Josh's there are only 88 going... Tim had to end up having two dates at the same time. Josh will get one lucky lady. He's made a corsarge for his date. The theme is pink. So he made his buttons pink. Russell helped a little with the suit and it ended up really good. Did take most of the day though... I know he will have an awesome time. I'm looking forward to picking him up Thursday afternoon for a date to hear all about it!

Blessings,

Growing up...

What a day...

I truly love Birthdays... Usually, everyone else's... Today was my turn...

Had a lovely day. Homemade pancakes with 100% Pure Maple Syrup. The most yummy quiche for dinner and a Snickers Baked Cheesecake and ice cream for dessert... Extra paddy cakes and cake with candles with other treasured people in my life too. Yesterday, we had Chinese for lunch as a family. So many Birthday hugs at church this morning... So many calls... So many messages... So very blessed!

Love celebrating Birthdays... So much more awesome to do it over a week, off course ;)

Blessings,

Beautifully done by Russell...

Cheesecake served Josh's way hehe...

Tight Bundle...

Jasper knows how to make himself comfy in the corner...

This basket is the one that Russell uses for his clothes... Not tonight! He had a great sleep in there. Didn't move till it was really bedtime! Cutie...

Blessings,

Frogs galore...

I can honestly say I haven't seen so many frogs in one place in a few years... Was so beautiful to see the sight...

After our rain I was pulling out weeds and as I went to put them in our bin, I had a look through my collection of pots... And there they were! We have heard a couple at a time but I had no idea there was such a collection in the one place ;)

Blessings,

Five frogs...

Escape time...

Getting old...

Bruce is still going strong... The only surviving male from the quoll attack two weeks ago, Thursday... He's looking great for his age... Nearly nine years old now... Out of the eight ladies left, we are still blessed with three eggs a day... Such good girls!

Blessings,

Date with hubby...

I had won a $20 voucher for the local RSL about six months ago... Just never quite got there... That was till last Friday...

Yummy lunch was had and no dinner needed ;)

I love spending time with Russell and this was very special. We don't get a chance to go out alone allot. It's not that we don't spend time together, we do... This was mostly paid for and that doesn't happen often :) Very special treat!

Blessings,

Babies growing...

We've had them a week today...

They have grown so much. We did loose one Australorp last night, which was very sad... No idea what was wrong with it as it was growing really well...

Here's to the others growing more and more...

Barnevelder chick with Tim... He has such a knack with animals...

Godmother and son...

Last Saturday, my family got together and celebrated all the November babies... There are five of us...

Singing Happy Birthday is always interesting... Josh was so looking forward to seeing my baby sister. He gets along ever so well with her. Tim had made his special Bruffins just for her too... 'Twas a nice change to go to a family do and not bake... Reckon the boys can always do it from now ;) 

This photo made me realise that he's quite tall and still growing! Lis only has 4.5 weeks to go till she's due... So exciting. Another boy in the family...

It is probably the last time I'll see her pregnant too... Was a bit sad but a new stage in her life is awaiting her and Phil. Very exciting...

Blessings,

Candy...

Tim loves it... Kombucha Candy... Made some for him Saturday night... He even ate half a tray straight out of the dehydrator before it was even done...

So good for ya!

Blessings,

Overflowing...

We got another 8.6mm this afternoon... That tipped us over bad now the tanks are overflowing. What a glorious sound. Still wish I had more tanks lol

Blessings,

Muscle Man called Josh...

After his allergy shot Josh scored a band aid... This one was Snow White. Giggle material. Had to flex the muscles off course ;)

Blessings

New chicks...

I got onto the hatchery I usually use and as we lost all but one Australorps, I really wanted to replace our chickens as soon as possible. I was very happy to find out that a new batch of day old chicks were available Monday. So off I went there and got 6 Rhode Island Reds, 5 Australorps. I also accidentally added in 3 barnevelders as well... Hehe I'm so excited about the three Barnies... I love their feathers!

Tim is determined that this murder spree will not happen again... And I'm glad about that. We are in the process to find ways of keeping them safe...

Looking forward to their new future... Tim is over the moon... He keeps teaching them how to drink and eat. Hehe

Blessings,

Cookie Club...

Visited Lis over the weekend as we had Cookie Club again. It's a month earlier this year as Lis is due in early December... Still helped to put up the tree... Looked beautiful...

So much fun. Love seeing and feeling her belly...

Blessings,

The tree with Lis' packages on left and mine on right, ready for Cookie Club...

2 ingredient Macaroons...

Left overs for the family...

Lis and Phil... So close to meeting their boy! ;)

Belly growing...

Lis only has 4.5 weeks to go... I had the privilege of helping her organise her bedroom. Love to help. Love my baby sister...

Blessings,

Horror evening...

Last Thursday, I got home about 10pm after Homegroup...

Tim was waiting for me and told me that his chickens had been attacked...

Out of 28 chickens and roosters we had 9 left... 9 we found in the paddocks... Both Charlie and the other RIR rooster amongst them. 10 are missing presumed dead. 

Whatever it was, it went straight for the throat so they couldn't make a noise to alert anyone. It was raining so heavily and we had heaps of lightening and thunder. Tim finally heard a little commotion but by then it was way too late. Some say it was local dogs, others say quolls...

I reckon it was quolls as it looked like their blood had been taken through the puncture wounds. I don't know, all I do know is that it was horrible having to go and pick them up and put them in bags and into the rubbish bin.

Bruce and his girls were fine as they were on the top shelf on the house. Everyone that we got as chicks this time last year, only one survived... An Australorp...

It is so quiet here now... Just wrong. So glad it hasn't happened in a long time... Hope it doesn't happen again...

Tim is still distraught but has also leaned valuable lessons...

Blessings,

Rain, Glorious Rain...

It didn't look like allot on the radar and most of the wet seemed to be south of us but we've just had 22.4mm go into our tanks and into the ground! Woohoo...

4032 litres of rain, that is... That's fantastic!!! Desperately needed as we only had three rungs of water left in our tanks. Thank You, God!

Blessings,

Snorer...

Yep, Jasper was tightly wrapped in a ball on Josh's bed...

Such a cutie...

Blessings,

Harvest Time...

The Yacon has started to grow again after a spell during winter... The roots were so dense, I took three up to the house...

Will be used shortly... Many more on the plant... Have planted yummy sweet potatoes at the other end of the bed as well :) I was suprised to find so many fat farmers... The chooks loved them and gobbled them all up. Some where tiny in size, most were very fat and juicy! Must keep an eye on that...

Blessings,