Meet All My Children.....

Warning

You may want to

Sit down and have a cuppa for this post, as it is a photo overload....

Above is a photo of all my children.

Back L-R Chloe, David, Alanah

Front L-R Robbie, William, Jessica and Cassandra.

Not easy trying to get 7 kids to behave them selves for a family photo.

Above.

The women of the family.

Myself, Chloe, Jess and Grace, Cassandra and Alanah.

As you see no easy feat getting them to behave...

I know 3 boys that are very much in love..

In love with there niece that is...

See the look in Lachlans eyes.. I am sure he was thinking when are they going home so I get to hold my baby....hahaha

I remember being young with my first baby, do you? it wasn't really that long ago was it.

Below is David and his wife Karen..

They decided to borrow Grace for a family photo..I think the look on Gracie's face says it all.

So that was our week end at Roma with all my loves in the one place at the one time....

Missing them all already though.

Now for some exciting news...

I am getting a Japanese student Tomorrow for 3 months.

All has happened very quickly...I have had to have a big clean up in the kids old bedroom under the house for her..Sorry the above photo is so blurry.

It is a good size room down there and also she will have lots of privacy ( I am saying she as I don't know her name yet)

Bruce installed a vanity for my (below) as I think a girl needs some where to primp and preen.

All I need is some floor covers as it only has bare cement floors....

So there you have it just two of the things I have been up to lately..

I will explain later in the week about how come I am having a Japanese student for 3 mths...

Enjoy your Monday

Mandy

The week end..............

We had 3.... 16 year old boys from Japan staying on the week-end, so we decided to do the touristy thing out and around Toowoomba. Cassie at the Japanese Gardens...

We stared of at the USQ markets..I got some cheap plants and fruit and veg.

Then we went next door to the Japanese gardens. The boys really enjoyed the walk through here and William just thought it was a big game of follow the leader and he was the leader.

Then off to the Cobb & Co museum..Now folks if you ever come to Toowoomba this is an amazing place to visit... Well The boys and I thought so Cassie was bored.........

We finished with a picnic in the park and then home for a swim.....

A great day had by all.

I had to share this caravan with you....Must be the gypsy in me as I wanted to hitch it up and go travelling......sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Sunday we just spent time together talking and playing cards as they had to be at the bus by 1.30pm

How was your week end?????

Mandy

Dreamy Whites............

How are we all on this hot Thursday afternoon?

I thought I would cool you down with some cool, creamy, dreamy, whites.

Vases that I picked up ages ago from a thrift shop look a treat with carnations placed in them. Not from my garden though as it is to hot and nothing here is flowering.

This sweet rose is one of my favorite things. My daughter Jessica got it for me a couple of years ago and I am always moving it around. It looks at home with the flowers here.

And a sneak peak at the new curtains.....

They are nearly all up, I will get them finished this evening I hope. As you can see I am yet to paint these walls, but that won't be happening for a while yet. The new curtains have changed the look and feel of this room already.

I hope you enjoyed that quick look, I am of to do the bus run now. Tomorrow I am having 3 male Japanese students staying until Sunday, that was the motivation for cleaning the boys room the other day. Soooooooooooo busy ....

Blessings

Mandy

A very long week-end.....

What a great long week end we have had here in the Storey household.Let me start with Friday......Getting my hair done is not something I do often, I'm more one of those cut it your self type gals, but when I do, I do it well....Imagine fire engine red with blond foils...yep your getting the picture...I new when my Mum walked into the hair dressers by the loud ggggaaaassssppppp or was it muffled laughter still not sure....The rest of the day was spent shopping with the occasional " It sure is red isn't it Mandy" comment every time we walked into the sun...The evening was finished of with wine on the deck, what I call a perfect day....Mum stayed until Sunday Morning, then it was time to pick up the Japanese students....These girls were fun with a capital F, they fit right in with the family and we all had such a good time.Australia Day was spent around the pool and just enjoying the day. A nice roast and veges for tea to finish the day with and then off to bed....
Our Japanese girls left at 7.30 this morning to head of to Sea World then they head back to Japan at the end of the week..
Cassie, Robbie and Will started school again today, looking back over the last eight weeks of summer holidays we have experienced alot and grown closer together.They enjoyed their first day back at school though and I think I missed them more then they missed me.

Alanah's pass port arrived today(sob)so we have booked her ticket for next Wednesday 30th (sob,sob) One week that is all I have my girl for, so much to do to get her ready for this amazing adventure...Did I mention one week, my goodness she will nearly be there this time next week. I have told her she needs to start a blog so we can keep up with all she is doing over there...I hope she does.....

I have even managed to get some gardening done this week-end...and look what I found at the back of the chicken pen...My passion fruit vine heavy with fruit..

So now you can see why i haven't blogged for a while busy, busy...But life is settling down now and getting back to normal....if I new what normal was.

Well

I am going to see what you have been up to these last few days..

Blessings

Mandy

Meet my visitors......

First meet the girls...Yamane, Sarsuki & Orie

Now Meet the boys..... Naoya, Kazuhei & Yoshihiro..The girls went home Sunday at 8am and the boys got here at 11am...Yes it is crazy busy around here, but a good busy.We have a break for a few days then we get the next visitors' William spying on the boys in there room to see what they are up to. Never know what you can learn....

I thought I would show you my workshop and where I spend alot of my time these days. Now if you were thinking of a nice clean shop I am about to disappoint you.

Just a massive shed with my desk in a corner for the office. O and the fan is my air conditioning not real good for our hot weather we have. Work has been very busy which is good, and I am learning more every day..

Tomorrow we will be busy covering school books and getting them all organized...It won't be long and all the children will be back at school..Thank you for the wonderful comments and well wishes for Alanah...

Blessings

Mandy

A good day's work.........

Yesterday was a wonderful day to be out in the garden,

sunny but cool enough to just keep going without getting

to hot. I planted out alot of pots that needed

to go into the garden..mulched,mulched and mulched some more.

Pruned all of the natives.

I also brought alot of new saliva's home from Mum's that I needed

to pot up.

I am not to sure of the name of them yet as I have to

look them up. We always make sure we buy different ones so that way

we take cuttings and share them. Saliva's are such a beautiful

plant as they are so drought tolerant as well.

I was ready for bed at 8p,m last night, but their is

something energising I find about falling into

bed after working hard in the garden all day. Knowing that

I am making a better life for my family. Living a more basic life

is a freedom I don't take for granted. I know for many it is still a dream

and you are still working towards that life, every day brings you closer though....

I think I am going to have to move my vege garden.

I am finding already that the wind is doing so

much damage and the westerlies aren't even here yet. Things are

getting wind burnt....Where the vege garden is up at The Dairy was only

temporary any-way...I am just going to have to move it sooner

than planed.....

So the new plan is to have it up and ready to go for spring..

We were to be getting Japanese students tomorrow for

a few days but they cancelled coming to Australia

because of the swine flu.......

On there T.V is warnings about the epidemic of

swine flu in Australia.......come on I think there

is 2 people I don't call that an epidemic there

is more with the common cold.............

Any-way the busy week-end will now be quieter.

Soccer with the boys tomorrow,church Sunday and

lots of gardening in between.

Chloe is off to Roma to visit her sister for the week-end,

she is taking her boy friend out to meet her, so

they'll have a good time I'm sure....

I hope you all enjoy your week-end....

Whether it is Spring or Autumn...

Blessings

Mandy

A photo tour.......

You've probably been wondering where I've been since last Thursday?

Let me give you a photo tour.

Remember the Fig jam I was going to make?

here it is!!!!!!!! Only I didn't make it.

I went out to the garden to do some more wedding and fertilizing

and when I came inside here was Hubby making the jam......

O.K now I know he's bored!!!!!!He never cooks or does any thing in the kitchen

and here he is making fig jam......

Very good fig jam to I might add. He enjoyed doing it, may-be I could teach him to make soap

and other things for me and then I could spend even more time in the garden.lol.

Now on Friday, Bronwyn and I went to a day spa in Toowoomba.
This was a gift to us from some wonderful friends.
Here we are in our way out, I have some others that I will post
later in the week for a good laugh.

We were pampered.....the day started with a spa than sauna.
After this a stone massage, if you have never had one of these I truly recommend one.
They are amazing. After the massage we had a facial.
and finished of with a manicure and pedicure.
Never have I ever done any-thing like this, Bronwyn and I have decided
instead of giving each other b/day and Christmas pressies we are going to shout each
other to a wonderful day like this one.






We finished the day with going out for a meal and movie.

Saturday....
In the morning I had a fund raiser for the school, to go to.
This was a fashion parade and morning tea. Then it was time to go
home and pick up the family. Back to town for Williams B/day party at Scallywags.





There were 12 boys that came and they all had a wonderful time.
After Will's party Robbie had a party to go to at the bowling ally.
While he was there from 4p.m - 5.30 we went to visit
Greg's brother that lives in town as it was not worth coming home.

We got pizza for tea and were in to bed early after such a big day.







Sunday was Church and I had lots of washing and house work to
catch up on.

Monday we had four Japanese students come to stay.
Meet from L-R Ayana, Saki, Ayumi and Mayu.
We only had the girls over night, this was the shortest stay we have had.
They got here 11.30am Monday.




And they left at 2p.m today.
This morning I took them to Picnic Point for a Picnic
and a look around, then it was time to take them to Gatton to catch the bus.
They were a lovely lot of girls and we enjoyed getting to know them..


So.........that's is what I have been up to.
I'm of to pick the children up from school now.

Blessings to all
Mandy

Catch up day.........

The rain has been so good for the garden, here is the last lot of tomatoes I planted a couple of weeks ago. I have now planted out 3 lots a month apart. Hopefully this will keep me in tomatoes for a few months.

This type of vege gardening is all new to me. I think I may have mentioned before that before my Father in-law passed away I never had to worry. He was a tomato farmer and always had every other type of vege growing that he gave away to his family. Now I am having to fend for my self..





The Japanese girls all went home yesterday, lots of tears all around. I find that the students love being in the country and open space. I think we may take where we live for granted until you see it through other eyes.

Yesterday afternoon was spent up at the hospital. First we saw the doctor, and than Robbie had to get another cast on his arm, as they had only put a half one on due to the swelling. Don't you love the Christmas red he choose. Then it was down stairs to get another x-ray. Back upstairs to see the doctor again.......lots of waiting in between of course. The children where good with all the waiting. We don't have to go back until the 31st December, the doctor said that 3more weeks should be enough, so lets hope so.

After the hospital we went to target so Robbie could choose a new board game. He picked scrabble, they were up at 6 am this morning to play and are still fighting I mean playing scrabble. While in town they did their Christmas shopping for one another as well.

Remember the post I did on pocket money........well there is an update.........

After all my talk about Alanah not getting a part time job and blah,blah,blah well......ummm.....she got a job................Now in my defence it is not in town. She is working 3 mins down the road in the tomato packing shed. Alanah has worked there before over the holidays. This time though she is working full time 8.30 a.m -6p.m six days a week.... I drive her the 3mins to work and one of the neighbors drops her of on the way home........This is working for every-one. I'm not running around (I am back to doing my own baking though) she is getting some money around $400 a week which I think is very good for a 16 year old. It is long hard work with lots of people so she is learning alot working there....

I am seeing my elder children growing so quickly though. Hubby and I joke that we have two families the older ones and then the younger ones, well now I just have the younger 3 at home all day with me as the older four are all working two don't live at home any more. They are growing up to fast. I am taking each day as it comes and enjoying it, as they are growing way to fast.........

Today I have alot of house work to catch up on and hopefully if it's not to hot I will get out to the garden A nice slow day of good old fashioned work, that's how I like to spend my days.......

Have a great day every-one.......

MANDY

Stockyard Stichers Christmas Party...

Meet our lovely Japanese girls they are Mai, Aya, Chisato and Yuri........

They are enjoying a fruit platter for Breakfast........I don't think I told you that Friday night at the Christmas Barby I won the fruit box in the raffle. God is good to me...........There was mango, nectarines, grapes, pineapple and so much more too much too mention .......all Australia's best fruit. The girls loved it as did we....

We had our craft Christmas party up in The Old Dairy.

So of course I had to decorate up there.
Took one of the Christmas Trees from the house up,

put up some tinsel and other decorations

to make it look the part.

I was so thankful that it was cooler for our lunch today,

there was a lovely breeze blowing as well which was a blessing.

I set the table with the gold cloth a it went well with all the white.
Every-one brought lots of Christmas goodies to eat, as we talked about what we would like to learn to do in the new year. Lots of ideas thrown around
so it will be an exciting year I think.




We all had to make our gift this year.
What a great variety we had, from scarves to cushions and even decorated coat hangers.
Every one was pleased with what they received.

I just realized that there is dates on the photos boy they're out by nearly 2 years, I'll have to work out how to change it. Might not be easy as I don't know how I put it on.......







Tomorrow I have to have the Japanese girls in to Gatton by 8 a.m
Then I need to go up to Toowoomba to take Robertson to the orthopaedic surgeon to have a look at his broken arm.
Tomorrow will be a full day I think.

Well time to get the girls to bed as they are leaving early tomorrow.


Blessings to all and thanks for the comments as I read each and every one of them.



Mandy

What A Week-end

We had the Local hall Christmas Tree on Friday night,

and guess what........ we got rained out!!!!

I don't think to many people minded though as the rain was good. 30 mls we got on Friday night.

Santa came and we sang Christmas carols and the children had there bag of lollies from Santa.

Then this at the end of the night......

Yep you guessed it!

Robbie broke his wrist.

My poor little boy, one of the big boys got a bit rough with playing, it was only a accident though just boys being boys.

He is in alot of pain with it though.

The wedding on Saturday was a real heat wave as it was so hot and humid,

I felt so sorry for the men in there suits.

Below is David, Ross and Adam,the three boys were Master of Ceremonies

for the wedding, they did a great job!

This photo is for my No 1 son who had to fly home alone very early Sunday morning.
Karen is staying down now so I know that David is missing his wife.
So here son is a lovely photo from the wedding of you both.




Here is the Bride and Groom.....
The bride was stunning, the whole wedding was just lovely, and once it rained
every thing cooled down....






We got 27mls of rain on Saturday night, some of the local creeks came down
and some of the boys couldn't get home from the wedding.

We have had so much wonderful rain all week end, the place is so green its hurting my eyes.........

This after noon we are getting 4 Japanese students for a couple of days.
So today will be busy making beds and getting rooms organized for them.

I hope every one had as great a week ed as I did.
Blessing to all..........



MANDY

Good-Bye Hong Jung

Today Hong has gone back home to Korea, after being here for three weeks, he really became apart of the family. I think that it is a great experience to have an exchange student I would recommend it to all families.
We started about five years ago, we usually have Japanese students so it was a nice change to learn about a different country. At the moment our prime minister Keven Rudd is in Korea with there prime minister and we have been seeing it on the news. Hong thought that this was great.

Good -Bye Hong we will miss you and your funny ways.


My Mother in law has been trying to teach me to knit (the poor thing) I am not picking it up at all, for the life of me I can't work out how to cast on. But it will not defeat me!!!!!!! Truly all I want to do is make a dishcloth how hard can it be! My M.I.L is ironing now I think that she would rather do that then watch me knit.

My M.I.L suffers from Alzheimer's and comes to stay with our family quite often. It is in the early stages still, but it is so sad to watch such a capable confident woman become so dependable on others. My F.I.L. passed away June last year so she lives alone. There is plenty to do and see here and no time to be board I think that's why she enjoys being here.

Untill tomorrow,

Mandy