Crazy Weather!!!!!!!

Rain wonderful rain..........

What is it with the weather around here?

Yesterday was so hot and humid and muggy, well I don't do hot a and muggy.

To say I was in a bad mood most of yesterday is an understatement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then it rained.

I'm telling you as soon as the weather cooled so did I.

Maybe sitting on the veranda watching all the lovely water going into the tank

helped. ((((((Blast still haven't fixed the date on the camera. Really I only took these photos yesterday.Right I think I just fixed it.))))))

When I woke up this morning it was foggy and cool

complete opposite to yesterday.

I took M.I.L to town to do the shopping at 10 a.m and couldn't see a thing cause of the fog.

I also had to spend a small fortune on the pool. With all the rain you can see

that it is nearly the same colour as the grass.

We have our last Christmas party this Saturday night.

I am just about partied out....just about not quite.

Hope you all have a great week-end who knows what the weather will

be like for us in Toowoomba, every day is a surprise.......

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

Excitement In The House.

Big Brother is home for the week end. I know two little boys that

have missed there big brother and are excited that he is home for a couple of days. This is where I found them all this morning.

It was a late night last night, picked up David from the Brisbane airport at 10:45p.m and didn't get home till 1.30 this morning. Then of course the boys were up early to see David. And then it was the usual being boys stuff you know fighting wrestling the usual thing that boys do.

Cassandra cooked tea for us last night and did such a wonderful job.

She made pasties and a bright pink cake for desert.

She is getting to be quite the cook and loves to play restaurants. We had our meal on the veranda that she had set up with a lovely table and candles......

We have such a busy week end ahead of us.

Tonight we have our local community Christmas Tree and singing.

This is always a great night as the locals really make the effort to come. This has been running for as long as I have been here which is 21 yrs..

Tomorrow we have a wedding on, that's the reason that David came home. He is M.C at the wedding. David will be flying back home on Sunday morning at 6a.m.

Sunday I am meant to be going to the north coast for a memorial service, at the moment I am in two minds as to go or not. My grand father who is 87 wants me to come........But Monday I have to pick up four Japanese students that are staying here until Wednesday.

The memorial service doesn't start until 4p.m which means that I will have to stay over night and leave very early Monday to get back for the students.............

Are you getting the picture of what the next few days are like for me.

David has gone of to help the boys get ready for the wedding tomorrow, I will take lots of photos to share with you all. I am of to town now to do the grocery shopping as we are getting low on baking stuff. Then I must be up at he hall by 3p.m to get the bread rolls buttered and all the food ready, not just me........ there is alot of ladies that turn up to help.

I hope you are all looking forward to your week end.

I am, having my big boy home is enough......

Mandy

Tagged....

Well I am finely catching up on Tags and awards......I no not before time. Daisymum

Has given me the Marie Antoinette keeping it real award, thanks for this Daisymum.

I do try to keep my blog real even though my Son commented that I sound like a nice Mum when he reads my blog. I informed him that I am nice!!!.....thank you young man wait till you get home and I will show you nice...........

Now where was I ....yes being tagged.

Lynda from Remote Tree Changer tagged me and the questions were..

Six things I value....

My freedom to go to church with out fear.

My Husband.

My family.

That I am able to stay at home and not have to go to work.

Knowing that I am truly loved.

All my blogging friends.

Six things I don't support.

Racism.

Telemarketers arghhhhhhh

Schoolies

Abortion

Terrorism

War

I was also tagged by daisymum for six things I'm Happy about.....

All my family have good health.......

School holidays

My eldest son and daughter in law will be home this week-end

It's nearly Christmas

The rain

All that God has blessed me with ...........

I am to pass these tags on......if you would like to do them consider your self tagged........

I was also given a GREEN AWARD from Nicole at http://nicolestudio.blogspot.com.au for the life of me I can not work out how to link back, as soon as I work it out I will follow this through as it is a great meme.....

Thank you ladies for the awards and tags..

Mandy

A Simpler Christmas..........

I have finnished all Present shopping for Christmas......

I'm a happy camper....

I am very pleased with my self this year in what I have accomplished with

my shopping.

Let me explain.

I have spent $800 less then I have on previous years, and no one has gone with out a thing.

The one thing I have learnt since I started reading all of your wonderful blogs is

that leading a simpler life is............ more......

I have always hated the commercialism that surrounds Christmas, but in the last five or so years I have added to it. As i just went and shopped and got way to much for way to many people.

Not this year.

I now realize why I have spent so much money.....I was lazy....

No planning just crazed shopping. I have always been a list person, as in I had a list of things to buy for each person, but I always ended up buying more.

As I mentioned on a previous blog I have made a lot of Presents this year for the older children. I have enjoyed making these things. Each thing was made with that person in mind

and made with love.

Now don't get me wrong I'm not a super mum far from it. I have young children as well that like things like Xboxes and transformers ,,jewelery, make up........ I think you get the picture.

I have still spent a lot of money. I do have a lot to buy for,but this year I dropped all the extras.

I am only buying/ making for my 8 children, three parents and one husband.

I have made a couple of extra batches of soap and have been giving soap as gifts to teachers and any extras that will pop up.

How is all your Present shopping going..........

Are you buying less this year, I would love to read about what others are doing this year different to previous years.

Today the chidren are wanting to bake. I'm talking the little ones you know what that means, sticky floors, flour every where mess,mess and more mess.

I know! I should relax more but I hate a messy kitchen, but I love cooking........work that out.

Have a blessed day.

MANDY