It's a boy

Yesterday, there was so much excitement in our house. Missy our cow (or should I say Kayla's cow) was acting very unusual, we were all hoping it was time........................

As the morning went on, her behaviour got stranger. Our friend Bruce the cow man, must have known something, because he showed up, just to check on her. He confirmed she was definitely in labour and we would have a calf within 24hrs. We sat, watching and waiting. Just after 5pm her waters broke and we could see a hoof. There was much squealing and excitement. Bruce happened to show up minutes later. He calmed us all down with his experienced words of "It will be hours yet until it is born" He told us, he would be back at 8pm to check on her. More waiting and watching. Oh I could feel her pain. It was so hard to watch nature take it's course. Bruce arrived at 8pm and she had progressed a little bit. He told us if it hadn't come out on it's own by 10pm, she would need some help. We got everything ready and hoped that it would all happen on it's own. We all sat outside in the bitterly cold weather...............waiting. HOPING, watching!!! Bruce arrived at 10pm, the plan was to catch her and tie her up and then help the calf along. Bruce and Jordi went into the paddock, while I was on spotlight duty and the others were all looking. The poor girl was so exhausted they walked straight up to her, with a few quick tugs, the calf was out. It was a boy. Kayla and Jordi have named him Totum. Oh the excitement!!!!!
And here he is..................................


He is so gorgeous. We can't wait until Honey our other cow calves. She is due next month. We get to go through all the excitement (and pain!!!) all over again.

Lolly Christmas Trees and Lolly Wreath

You will need some wrapped lollies or chocolates of your choice, a foam cone, pins. Staring at the bottom of the cone pin lollies in and work your way up and around. Add any extra decorations

Lolly wreath

You will need a wire circle, thin wire or pipe cleaners, wrapped lollies or chocolates, tinsel. Attach the lollies to the wire circle with the wire. Wrap the tinsel around.

Chocolate Puddings

This is a very big favourite in our house at Christmas time. You will need Arnotts Royale Biscuits, white chocolate melts, jaffas and mint leaves. Melt the white chocolate and leave to cool, drizzle over biscuit and add the lollies. An extra pair of hand (or two or three come in hand).

These also made lovely gifts. I have recycled a plastic lid (off some dounuts from Safeway I think) wrap in cellophane and add a little decoration.

Chocolate Trees

Another super easy recipe, that we use all through the year. At Christmas time they are trees, Easter we shape them into eggs. At other times just balls and we roll them in coconut.

200g Arrowroot biscuits crushed
1 cup coconut
2 Tbs Cocoa
1 tin of condensed milk
Mix it all together. Wet your hands and mold into tree shapes. Drizzle with white chocolate and sprinkle with something pretty. We only had 100's & 1000's.

Gingerbread recipe

Gingerbread recipe


125g Butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup treacle
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups SR Flour
1 Tbs ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp bicarb


Cream butter and brown sugar. Add treacle and egg yolk, mix until smooth. Add to sift dry ingredients. Roll out on a floured bench. Cut as desired. Bake at 160 until golden.

Shortbread

Shortbread
2 Cups Plain Flour
2 Tbs RiceFlour
1/3 cup castor sugar
250g butter
Wizz it all in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Lightly knead together, roll out and cut. Sprinkle with extra castor sugar. Bake at 160

Chocolate Playdough

Chocolate Playdough
1 1/4 cups of plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup salt
1/2 Tbs Cream of Tartar
1 1/2 Tbs Oil
1 Cup of Water

Mix all dry ingredients in a saucepan, add wet ingredients. Cook over a low heat until it forms a ball.

Fun little Christmas gifts

Reindeer food
You will need some oats (Just the cheap no name brand ones) glitter and some small plastic bags. Mix the oats and glitter and put into the bags. I made my own labels and put this cute little poem on it

Sprinkle on the lawn at night
The moon will make it sparkle bright
As Santa's reindeer fly and roam
This will guide them to your home.


Reindeer Poo - a funny favourite with the boys. Buy any type of chocolate coated lollies or nuts. Put into bags or a glass jar.


Rudolph noses - A another cute one. Jaffas in a little zip lock bag

Christmas favourites

Over the next few days I thought I would revisit some of our favourite family Christmas traditions.

Candy Cane Reindeers

You will need some candy canes, pipe cleaners, fuzzy balls and some eyes. This is a great activity to do with the kids. Glue on the eyes and nose, twist pipe cleaner onto candy cane. You can shape the antlers with a pencil.

Documenting everyday stuff

Some pages on things I want to remember

Boy oh Boy

What do you do at the beach when you are bored? Dig a hole, a very big hole!!!!!!!!
Photos taken during the September School Holidays - Murrays Beach, Jervis Bay

Miss Klo

This page tells a funny story about how Miss Klo has been the tiniest person in her grade for the last few years. Well she grew this year ALOT!!!! She recently had school photos and came home so excited because she is not the smallest anymore, she is the 5th smallest LOL!!

Christmas Kangaroo Paw's

Well who would have thought that the $2, root bound pots of Kangaroo Paw would take off like they have. We have never been successful growing Kangaroo Paw, it's a funny plant. They don't like to be wet. Just don't tell that to our ones, because they are growing so well in very wet soil. The colours are pefect for Christmas - red and green.

What a dilemma

Yesterday was the official start to our count down to Christmas. I say official because the kids have been counting down for some time. Each year we have filled the advent calendar with little Christmas chocolates and started at 1 and worked our way to 24. This year all hell broke out, when someone deciding we should be starting at 24 and working our way to 1. Oh boy was there some arguing over which way to do it!!!! One wanted it one way and the other wanted it the other way. Santa almost had to be told, not to come to our house this year :)

Gingerbread Men Cards

These set of cards appeared in the September edition of Cardmaking, Stamping and Papercraft. I have used October Afternoon PP's and stickers.

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas

I love Christmas time, it's my favourite time of the year. For years I have been wanting outdoor lights. Each year I was told, next year. Well if you want something done, sometimes you just have to do it yourself. I bought 100 metres of lights and decorated the outside of the house. You can also see my two gorgeous reindeer. The plan is to have them outside but it's been wet and very windy. We don't want any flying reindeer just yet :)

The plan is to buy lots more lights and decorations. I would love to do all the roof line. Pssst I hope the man of the house is reading :) Love ya babe

Wade and Heather's Wedding

November 20th Sydney - On this day my brother Wade married Heather

Chris and I at the front of the church before the ceremony.

My family, from the left my youngest brother Brendan, his partner Nadine, my Dad, my nephew Ryan (Brendans son) Heather, Wade, my Mum, my nephew Joel (Brendans son) and us. If most of us look short it's because Dad is 6' 2"and my brothers are even bigger!!!

The reception was held at the beautiful Curzon Hall in Marsfield

A big thanks to my Dad for all the photos :)

Run

Now don't fall off your chairs, this is the second page within a few days. I have used some Bo Bunny paper for this. Also some of my favourite additions, stars and circles. This photo was taken at the school cross country this year. My boy is such a competitive little thing and tried so hard. The exhaustion and determination on his face is priceless.

It doesn't happen everyday

Zac was in a very rare mood, where he was happy to have his photo taken. This photo was taken at Green Patch, Jervis Bay during the last school holidays. Opa was so thrilled to have his picture taken with Zac.

I can't call my boy, a boy anymore!!!

This is why

Yesterday was a cold and wet day. There was no cricket on in the morning and I had plenty of things to do outside.......... but it was raining. So, we needed a change of plans.

I have been wanting to sort through all the kids albums and put them into some sort of order, for a very long time. It has been months since I have scrapbooked. Everyone has been asking me, why I haven't been doing any recently. WHY? Well that is a good question. For some time I was questioning why I was doing it. What was the purpose of it all. Why was I fighting my children to have a photo taken and spending so much time recording life's everyday moments. It wasn't until I pulled out all the albums and I started looking through them with the kids, that I realised why. We laughed at all the silly things they used to do. So many of which would have been forgotten. I then knew why, I was doing this. Why it was time to find that passion again and continue to hold onto and treasure those everyday moments.

Layouts to come very soon ;)

Finally an update

It's been awhile. Quite awhile. I have been getting into a lot of trouble!!!!!

So many of you have been asking for a blog update, well don't fall off your chairs, I am finally getting around to it.

Life has gotten in the way, which is not a bad thing at all. In the last month .....................................

We celebrated Zac's 14th Birthday.

Jarred and Kloe have both started Milo cricket on Sunday. Jarred has also started Basketball on a Tuesday afternoon. None of the others have played basketball, so I am asking lots of questions and trying to get my head around how the game is played. He just loves it. Jarred and Kloe are both still swimming on a Thursday afternoon.

Zac is enjoying his cricket. He trains of a Thursday and plays Saturday mornings. He doesn't like having to get up early on a Saturday. Once he is up he is fine. They have been doing really well and have either won or drawn each match.

Kayla has officially finished her two years of Cadets. The end of year Mass and Parade was held recently and she was thrilled it was OVER!!!! Kayla and Jordi celebrated their 12 month anniversary. And have recently celebrated their 13th. Jordi celebrated his 18th Birthday and a few days later, got his P's. He has a flashy red car, that can be seen at our house everyday :)

We celebrated Melbourne Cup day with sparkling apple cider. The kids thought it was so cool.

Speaking of horse races. Kayla's horse, she has a part share in, has run in a few races recently. Coming 2nd, 4th and the last one he lost his shoe and finished 10th. Such a shame as he was looking so good. He is due to race again soon.

We had a truck of load of mulch delivered which I spread on some of the garden. Shame we need about 100 more loads to finish it all off.

We have planted heaps of things in the veggie garden.

We had 45 tonnes of crushed road delivered for the driveway. Zac and I spread as much as we could. We are still waiting on the bobcat man to come and level it all out.

We sold all but two of our baby chooks. We wanted to keep 2 for ourselves. We ended up only having 2 rooster out of the 9, which was really good. We had a lady ask us for 2 dozen fertilized eggs too!!! Two of our other chooks decided to get clucky and sit on some eggs, so we have another 3 new additions.

Our cows are getting so big and heavy and I feel so sorry for them. Our friend the 'cow' man said they will drop their babies within the next few weeks. We are keeping a close watch on them.

When we moved into this house almost 4 years ago, we used our coffee table to sit the TV on, until we bought a TV cabinet. Now you can't rush these things, we finally bought a TV cabinet and coffee table.

Last weekend Chris and I went to Sydney for my brother, Wade's wedding. It was a super quick visit. We arrived late Friday and we were back home Sunday dinner time. We had a great weekend. I will share some photos as soon as I get them from my Dad (DAD I know you are reading this - I need the photos ;)

During the week it was sports day for Jarred and Kloe. Jarred was counting down the sleeps and Kloe would rather, there wasn't a sports day at all. Jarred insisted on having red hair.It was a really hot day and the day finished up early. The red team won, so I had two very happy children.



I haven't done any creating at all, Zip, nil, zero. Hopefully I will get back into it. Maybe when I can find another few hours in each day :)

I'm sure there is a thousand other things but at the moment that will do.

Thanks for popping by.