A Wonderful Wet Christmas............

I know we aren't the only ones that spent a wet Christmas....

But I have enjoyed the rain and yes the local flooding is exciting. Christmas day was a wonderful day here in the storey household...

I even got the men of the family working. Below is Chloe's boyfriend Damien who this year baked a ham for Christmas lunch. He put the rest of the boys to shame so then it was all the men in the kitchen carving and serving the Turkey,baked ham, roast pork and prawns. Quiet a competition to see who's serving platter was the nicest, sorry boys Damien won.
The new dinning room worked a treat...We had 16 for Christmas dinner and there was no worries about seating. My Mum and Dad ,Brother and sister in law didn't get here... They seemed to think they would get flooded in. I don't know why they would think that??

Below is part of my garden, for Christmas I got a river running through it, aren't I lucky.

Also a river running along the front of the house for the kids to go skim boarding in...We don't get this kind of presents every year.

O also all the bridges went under...This is the biggest flood we have ever had here Greg's Uncle Bill said and he would know.

Just as well my Mum & Dad and brother didn't come for Christmas then as they would only have got home yesterday...Our roads are so damaged that the back way to Toowoomba is 4wd only so I will be going to work the long way today...

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas..

Mandy

A Storey Christmas.............

Despite the 100mls of rain we have had here in the last weeks, and being flooded in a number of times....like today. Santa still managed to get here on Saturday for our Storey Christmas....Alanah seemed to like Santa a lot!!!! Having all Greg's family here for our annual family Christmas was a great night...Having opened the house up by pulling down the walls was a real success, as there was 40 plus people here and it was raining on and of yet there was plenty of room inside.
Jessica got home here from Roma on Wednesday, and on Thursday night we had our Christmas with her.. As you can see below though there are some missing...David ,Karen and Robbie are still in Charters Towers and won't be home until Christmas eve...I must say though that it was quiet with out Robbie....To quiet I am missing him.

The girls set the table in the new dinning room......We are still working on how we are setting this room up...

The table has moved a few times and on Christmas day we have to fit two tables in ...

Just thought I would put this photo in as it is a good one of the three of us..

Now how did this get in here???????hmmmmmm yes this is my much a waited for walk in robe... all fitted out.....and I'm all moved in, and yes it is all mine and No I don't have to share it....I just have to get the shoe racks put in for my (cough cough 50 plus) pairs of shoes...

As you can see I have had a busy week last week and I am sure every-one will have a busy week this week getting ready for Christmas.....

Blessing to all

Mandy

Early Morning...............

This morning I am awake early... As I sit out on the veranda I can hear our creek running from all the glorious rain we have had in the last three weeks.
What is the most amazing sight is the fog rolling in.....O.K so I am not often on my front veranda at 4.30 a.m so the fog is a novelty for me.....Greg always said that when there is fog it will be a beautiful day.

I hope so as
Today I am meeting my Mum out at Highfields for coffee and lunch, then home..........As The cabinet maker is coming this afternoon to install my walk in robe (I am doing my happy dance) Hey a walk in robe is reason for excitement.....also the rest of the pressed metal arrived yesterday so the ensuite can be finished (more happy dancing)

Tar..........Darrrrrrrrrrr..... ....
Williams bedroom gone and new dinning and TV room...Sorry about the photos but it is still dark inside....All the posts will come out in the new year when the builder comes and puts the support beams in the ceiling.......

So every thing is all coming together.....

I hope you all enjoy your day....

Blessings

Mandy

Christmas Lights and Renovations..........

This year I have been taken over by the desire to light up the neighbour hood...Two years ago most of our lights died so this year I wanted to get some new lights....Well where do you stop? I have Christmas trees at the front gate, on the tank and even one on the roof...see I have problems...

Lets look at some renos..

Below is the door way in the kitchen to the bedrooms..
All closed in....
That room is becoming my bedroom...Tonight I am sanding the wall down and painting it, it will look much better then...I love the big cheesy grin on Williams face.

More lights....this is the front gate...O! I found candy canes to, and these ones are lasting unlike the ones I keep putting on the Christmas tree...

Here is a sneak peak of my new bedroom...

The door to the right is the walk in robe, last night I got it painted and another coat goes on today sometime...By the way I DO NOT LIKE PAINTING....But I will do it as I have to, but let me say again I am not enjoying it!!!!!!!!

To the left is my bathroom....slowly getting there, still waiting on the pressed metal...aghhhhh.

See beside the window the wall is missing...Well pulled these boards out to close up the door way in the kitchen...This week the rest of that wall will come out..Now I do like demolition....

I hope you can understand all my renos, just know I am having a lot of fun and loving every minute of it....

Blessings to all

Mandy

Wet weather and demolition.......

We have had so much wonderful rain this last week.. All the causeways are over and we have had a few stranded cars along the way...One local girl had her car washed down the creek, it is a right of now. It was nice being flooded in all week end.
So with all the wet weather around we decided to get in and rip out a few walls. Above and below you can see there is a room in end on the corner, this is Robbie's room ....

This little room has been every ones bed room at one time, well now it is gone.

Below is the entry, and leads into Robbie's room.

All opened up.....

To rip this room out has been a dream for a long time, I can now see out the front and if any one is coming up the front stairs.

And yes it is back to being the dinning room again.

Below is the entry ,now you can walk from the front door around to the kitchen.....I love it, still along way to go but progress is happening.

Now all this was done on Saturday wait till you see what we did on Sunday.....
Lots has been happening so there will be alot of photos this week...

Lets call it reno week shall we..

Blessings till tomorrow

Mandy

Getting There...................

My pressed metal panels for the bathroom have finally arrived. I am so happy with them and the pattern I finally choose looks great, the name of the pattern in Magnolia.

We stayed up late last night and got most of the sheets on the walls, we are short a couple as we have had to waste a bit matching up patterns....Robbie and I have come up with a great idea though to use up the left over bits, will share about this another time. Like after Christmas.........

This week end should see the shower and bath going in and by the following week end the bathroom should be finished....

I am starting to worry though that all will not be finished by the time the kids get home for Christmas.....So it may be renovations, and Christmas all happening at once...I am still not even sure where the Christmas tree is going, but the children want to put it up this week end so I had better deceide.....FAST................

Well of to do the bus run

Blessings

Mandy

Happy Birthday Greg..............

This is the second birthday we haven't had Greg here....Fool that I am I thought it would get easier.Greg would have been 53 today....

Dam he looks good in this photo, still takes my breathe away when I look at photos, hey he was one spunky guy......
Happy birthday my darling I'm sure the angels can sing it better than me...

EGGS..................

Every day collecting eggs here is a adventure.....Sometimes Robbie comes in with huge eggs amidst the normal sized ones.....But this week we have been getting the tiniest eggs we have ever seen here at The Old Dairy. The are so darn cute , the boys show them to every-one that drops by.

We are getting 12 eggs a day out of 15 chooks, we are not sure which one has started to lay as we haven't got any new chooks since August last year. I remember this as is was the last thing Greg I did together before he went into hospital...So either one chook is a late starter or may-be there is a pigeon laying in there...haha...
We have had 80mls of rain over night....The pool is full to over flowing, not that you can see it well as the hedge is growing so well up and around it. I think I need to give it a hair cut...My drive way below is a pond, this is with the water draining away to the gutter....

I have spent the last 2 days watering because it got so dry, but now every thing will pick up,as they were all so thirsty. Thursday today so am of to work to do wages and then the bus run this evening, have been doing the run a little bit more lately so makes for a busy day..

Enjoy your day, as I am going to enjoy the rain.

Blessings

Mandy

Finds.............

I got this gorgeous cake tin from a little craft shop in Deepwater NSW...I had to bring it home with me way to cute to leave there all alone.We went to a school fate while in Armadale and picked up some goodies. The two bottles which look great with the sun shinning through on my window in the kitchen.

Last night the children and I danced for ages to some new records I got from the fate.

All in perfect condition.

Explaining that Abba is the original Mama Mia not the movie...Then one of them said that Abba doesn't sing as well as those in the movie....Truly there is no hope for this generation....

Blessings

Mandy

Photos, photos and look more photos....

Come on you new it was coming.....

Dropped the children off at school at 8am (it is illegal to take them at 7am), then I went to work and didn't get away until 10am....But then it was on the road....

And look at the road ... The most beautiful family there is. We have

Ash MacGregor, Stephen, Angie, Layla and Jeromy. Thank you my dearest friends for the best week end that I have had in a very long time...

I had wild flowers picked for me along the road.

Lots of gardens to see and admire....I think where's wally is hiding there....

The most loving, funny and brilliant children.....I miss them already....

This house is for sale.....well I am ready to sell up just so I can live in this dolls house...

or may-be this one?

Gardens every where you turn............

and then 15 min down the road this amazing water fall.....

Did I have a great week end.....YES

I ate to much, drank a little to much, jumped on the trampoline with my sweeties,.laughed so much my sides ached, was loved and pampered......

How was your week end?????