Christmas 2017

Wow 2017 is nearly gone.....

Christmas has been and gone, the children have all packed up and gone..

We had a wonderful Christmas, wish I had more photos to share but I was having too much fun and forgot to take many photos. I know my girls took heaps so I will have to wait until they send them too me.

It was so lovely to have all my children and grandchildren here together for the first time in a very long time.

The outdoor bathroom got a real work out and is now a great addition to the farm here.

As you can see the tub fits 7!

Christmas day was very hot so lunch was set up inside.

23 adults

and 11 children

Now the house is too quiet with every one gone...

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas with family and friends.....

Mandy

Welcome Billy.........

This day last month I was on the road to go and be with

Cassie who was due to have her first baby..

Time flies

We welcomed William Reginald Robinson(Billy)

7lb 14oz on the 5/10/17 

Very proud and very tired parents.

William is a family name on Ben's side, we also have our William.

So Billy it will be.

Billy is number 11 grandchild...

Yep proud Grandma here....

Cassie is very lucky to have her eldest sister living only 45mins up the road.

So I also got to hang out with these ratbags while there....which was crazy and a delight.

 Grace turned 6 while I was there and I got to go to see 

her at school. Grace is my eldest grandchild Wow these kids have been busy

in the last 6 years.

October came and went in a blur what with going in and out to Cassie's, this month will

be much quieter I think...Lots of time in the garden and looking forward to all being together at Christmas...

Have a blessed week

Mandy

Around the house....

We have been busy catching up on odd jobs around the house.

This area between the tank and house is where we decided to keep the wood.

Cleaver husband made a gate under the house so the wood can be stored out of the weather and out of site, yet close for us to bring in.

Bruce hung some old stove doors on the house as this is the stove recess after all...and when

the gate is closed you wouldn't even know the wood is under there.

Bruce has also put irrigation to all the fruit trees, as this year with not much rain we

didn't get a very good crop of anything...

I just have to get in and mulch them all. It is so dry that we are spending a bit of money this year on mulch so we don't have to water as much.

Lots of work but worth  it in the end.

The geese do a good job of keeping it clean but they don't seem to like the marshmallow weed and it is a bitch to pull out...

A old bed we got from Chloe is starting to look nice now that the flowers are all coming out.

A play on Garden bed..

Mulch mulch and more mulch.

I have planted some grasses along the front of the clothes line deck to soften the edges

and pretty it up a bit. They will grow quite large and make a nice little spot for the birds to hide in.

Also been making some garden art....A large Angel.

Not a good pic sorry

Well it has certainly warmed up here now, Spring is here...

The vege garden has been planted up and seedlings on the go in the green house.

I will share that another time.....

Enjoy your week.

Mandy

Baby Shower....

This past Saturday we had Cassie's Baby Shower.

The amazing rainbow cake was made by one of her oldest school friends Jordan.

The party was a rainbow theme as this baby is a rainbow baby.

I had never heard of this until Cassie told me a rainbow baby is a baby you have when you have lost one before.

Her sisters did a great job of the party for her.
Jess was in from Surat Alanah from Dalby and Cassie from Glen Morgan.

Chloe didn't have to go far at all, just down the road haha

Below is Bruce's Daughters

Emma & Kayleigh

DIL Rachael on the left and Robbie's girlfriend Emma.

The only girls missing in the family was Karen and Phoebe.. 

Lots of friends came as well, and games were played.

Lots of presents to open. I think Cassie now has every thing she needs 

for bub...

We do love a good party here in the Storey household.

 With all my daughters home that ment Grandchildren.

Yep 8 out of 10 were here.

We missed Mason and Phoebe.

Grace & Abby thought Maddy was there own doll to play with.

Trying to get a photo was fun hahah.

Love this photo of Charlies face.

Uncle Will was worn out looking after his nieces and nephews...

See the crazy girl in the background.

Just loves a chance to show off that baby bump...

What a full on weekend...

The house is now cleaned but I am finding toys in some weird spots..

Christmas time and they will all be home again, plus a new little one....

Love having time to all hang out together....

How was your weekend spent?

Blessings

Mandy

GETTING READY...........

Things have been a little crazy in the last 2 years getting my business up and going and the last 12months moving it closer to the house.

Because I love what I do it doesn't seem like work at all.

I have noticed though I am not as prepared as I used to be. Prepared for what you ask?

Life and all it throws at you.

In 2011 we had the most devastating floods where people were killed, here stranded at our house was 16 people and we had plenty of food and produce to feed them.

If that same thing happened now and only 3 of us living here we would run out of food in 24 hours.

Yes I got off track for a while but am back on the path of being more sustainable and self sufficient.

Around 3 months ago we invested in 9 geese and 10 ducks...

The reason being was I couldn't keep up with the mowing and the grass in the food forest was knee high. Well they had that grass down within 2 weeks and I have not had to mow since...

We have a acre yard and no mowing...

 They are the quietest geese and will feed from my hand I am totally in love with these beautiful animals. They have the run of the farm but if I'm not on the veranda by 8am they are waiting at the bottom of the steps for their breakfast all 19 of them hahaha.

We now have 7 sheep both Bridget and Brenda had twins this year. We still have a little meat left in the freezer from last year. We will put 3 in the freezer and 1 is going to Cassie.

The piggies are growing and are doing a great job of cleaning the land for us.

They are both bound for the freezer as well. They are electric fence savvy and this way we move them to land we want cleaned up.

The glass house has been great for keeping plants in over winter and I love this room...

Sometimes on cold days I will go out there just to get warm and potter about.

We have bananas all year round now with the 6 different varieties we have.

The fruit trees are also doing well and keeping as in fruit we really only have to buy apples.

I have been a bit slack in the vege garden. Not much going on but herbs, plenty of herbs.

This is mainly because our daughter and hubby have a farm and they keep us in all the veges we need. I am getting ready to plant summer crops. Over winter we had kale, tomatoes and lettuce self seeding every where so were never with the basics.

With all the cabbages we get I have been making sauerkraut lots of it as we love it.

 Also making lots of pickles and relishes with all the gifted produce.

Back into bread making as well, I have started a sour dough and am 

making the first sourdough loaf today. 

We have our wood stove in and Bruce just needs to hook it all up and I will be able to bake my bread in it.....

As you can see we are getting there. I also did a big grocery shop this week and the shelves are full.

My main hindrance is I hate going to the supermarket, so getting self sufficient again will cut down on the times I need to go.

Do you stockpile? What measures do you take for natural disasters or just the fact that you are house bound and can't get out...

Enjoy your week

Mandy