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?????

I'm going on a road trip.................

The face of Summer ..............

You know those times when they look so darn cute you have to show the photo. Yesterday this cutie pie and I went to open day down at the little local school. Now when I say little, I'm talking 25 children in all. Next year the children are all changing schools, Robbie is of to high school and Cassie is ready for a change. So next year will be a new start for them all. But back to William, he was so shy but once we got there he soon warmed up to the teacher. I am so impressed with this little school, it has 26 computers, a massive library(that's important to this family of readers) great classrooms..OK I fell in love with the little school. The main reason I am moving Will is they want to keep him back next year, not that I mind this as he is really struggling with grade 2. Being the soft child he is though it would do him more harm then good seeing all his friends move on with out him....At the Flagstone Creek school they are combined classes, so even though he will be in grade 3 he may be doing grade 1 or 2 work. I know this is the better option for Will.
This week I have managed to get the pool house cleaned out. OK it is a start, I would love to paint it all white in here, but I haven't got the time so we'll see. I can see it all pretty and shabby chic in here but I don't know how long pretty would last...

Of course the reason I won't have time is this morning I am going down to Armidale to see my wonderful friend Angie...Did I mention....... I....... am going, that's right folks no children..They are all staying home being looked after by my favorite daughter Chloe (she might read this so major sucking up here) Four days I am going away for, I am so excited that I was awake a 4.30 this morning, didn't think I should wake the kids that early so here I am doing a blog instead.

Now I am going out to vacuum the car, and then probably sit out there waiting for the kids to go to school so I can leave....hahahahaha. Dam I have to make breakfast and lunches first, then I'm sitting in the car beeping the horn. Do you think 7 am is too early to drop them off?????

Blessing

Mandy

Lifes Pathway....Where are you taking me?

The photo at the top of my blog is a picture of how my life has been.....I am crossing a bridge in life and I don't know where it will go...

Life is a journey and I feel that my journey is about to turn another corner...

As most of you know since I lost Greg last year I have been running our Auto Elec business in Toowoomba.

Going from a stay at home Mum to a working Mum has had it's challenges never mind also being a single Mum, as one lady bluntly pointed out to me....The most challenging is not having enough time with the children.

Well it looks like the business is going to be sold..

We put it on the market 2 years ago when Greg first got sick. Now though I am getting cold feet, it will be like losing another part of Greg all over again when it is gone.....I have always joked that just when I've learnt every thing about the business and start enjoying being there it will sell.....How true those words were.

I am thankful that I am a Christian and I know that life doesn't throw any thing at me I can't handle...most days that's all you have to hang on to...I also know I have a God that loves and cares for me......So why am I worried? because I am a woman and that's what I do..I do look forward to the days when I can spend more time with my younger children as Will is growing up way to fast. Robbie is in high school next year and Cassie in grade 10....

So........I am going to believe that what ever happens Sell or Not sell it will be the best path for the children and I......Hmmmmmm I think they call that faith....

Thanks for listening to my rambling

Blessings

Mandy

Garden Update............

Thank you for all the wonderful comments left yesterday...I had a wonderful day of nothingness(is that even a word) I did get the folding done at about 6pm as the children didn't get home until 7pm with pizzas...My life was complete at that moment...hey I LOVE pizza.Above is my over grown herb garden. In the middle is my Nectarine tree, not that you can see it for the Dill....
I got in and gave it a good weeding and planted other herbs that had been sitting in the bird bath waiting to be planted.

Then I moved on.....The budlia needed a good hair cut as did the Mulberry tree.Lots of weeding to be done here in this back garden still but I have made a start and a mess.

Now this morning I have to bring the trailer up and clean it all away.........

As I was wondering around the garden yesterday busy drinking coffee and making garden plans...I thought what a pretty area this is becoming walking down to the pool and cubby.

Hmmmmmm, not so pretty when I got there. So I decided it is time for a make over, some pretty plants out the front and hanging baskets for sure.....Now what about inside, I should give it a real make over.....



This is what I found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a mess! where to start! What to do?

So I did the only thing there was to do, I closed the door and went back to the house and googled Pool Houses for inspiration.............So the pool house is on the list of things to do, or as some may call in this house The to hard list.....

I hope you all enjoyed your Sunday where ever you are.

Blessings to all

Mandy

A Lazy Sunday...............

It's Sunday and ALL the children have gone out to Roma to visit Jessica. I am home alone.......alone ,quiet, peaceful, I think you understand...

So I should be making my bed......

Or even be folding all the washing that is clogging up my Laundry...
and I should really be up at the Local Hall helping at a working bee....


Instead though...
I think I will plant these plants that a friend gave me 2 weeks ago.
Then sit here and have a coffee and read a little while..

Continue walking down here.....

dead head a few roses

Then may be just may be I will make the bed and do the folding......

Enjoy your Sunday...

Mandy

Laying In The Sun............

Laying on the ground and looking up through the Jacaranda Tree is so therapeutic....In fact I love laying outside and watching the clouds in the sun......O.K I may be spending way to much time indoors at the workshop. The advantage to owning your own business is I can sneak off and blog. Next week I should able to spend more time at home, well that is the plan any way.
Every thing has arrived for the bathroom, this weekend we will be getting in and making a start on it. Today on the way to work I bought my paint. I am painting in Antique White USA and the trimmings in Chalk USA. I have never painted a wall in my life, lots of furniture just not walls. But hey how hard can it be, I am excited to start painting...So nights will be spent painting, I will start with the office, then walk in robe, then bathroom. I will leave my bedroom to last as then I should know what I'm doing.

More photos when I start to paint, now though I am sneaking away from work to go and do a bus run.....

Blessings
Mandy