Getting Ready For A Summer Holiday.

It has not been the best summer for Robbie having his arm in plaster.

He has been slowly driving me mad...which according to some family members isn't hard to do...

Tomorrow we go back to the hospital and God willing the plaster will

come off. Please pray that it does.

Then he will be able to go for a swim.

We leave for our summer holiday at the beach on Saturday, and I don't think

any of us would survive with that arm still in plaster!!!!!!

I love this holiday.........we tow the caravan to cotton tree and set up camp.

We are almost on the waters edge where our site is. I love the

relaxed atmosphere in the caravan park. Just swimming and lazy long

days. I have a bit of work to do around here first though.

David is staying in the caravan until he leaves on Friday so I will give it

a good clean out then.

I keep every thing I need in the van so all I need to pack in there is our clothes and food.

This year there will only be 3 out of 7 children with me.Less than 1/2 my family. I will have to learn to cook in smaller portions or we will be eating alot of leftovers.

Looks like today is going to be another warm day here. To all my overseas readers who are

in the middle of winter, keep warm ....

Getting Back To Normal.

Chloe, Alanah, Jessica,

Robertson, Cassandra, David and William. Here are all my children together on Christmas Day.

It's not often enough any more when we are all in the one place. Jessica has gone home to Roma now and David will leave for Charters Towers at the end of the week.

I am missing them all ready......My daughter in law left for a 3 week holiday to Europe on Sunday. How blessed is she? Karen has gone with 3 other teachers she works with. My son was not interested in going at all he bought a boat instead, he is his fathers son.........

I know that he will miss her though and I wish I was with her!!!!!!

This is a small glimpse of my lounge room Christmas morning. Smiles every where and lots of fun. We all enjoy giving presents to one another as that is the best part isn't it?

Below is breakfast out in the courtyard. My husband always makes a to die for fruit salad for Christmas. We had that with pancakes and ice cream washed down with champagne and orange juice for breaky. I know wicked but so nice.

Well Christmas is over and the New Year is nearly here!

I have cleaned the house and got all the washing up to date so I am very pleased with myself.

Now I can get the caravan ready for holidays...

Have a blessed day all.

Mandy

Did You Have A Good Christmas.

We did!!!!!!!!!!

Lots of laughter, food and family, what a better way to celebrate.

Here is our Christmas table all set and ready to go.

Look what I got for Christmas..........Marlie the mower,

isn't he handsome.

Boy is he going to be getting a workout around here and yes I have already mowed the lawn.

We had 15 for Christmas lunch. I had to bring an other table in. The family is growing
I had all my children, my parents MIL and my brother and his wife.
This was one of the best Christmases we have had as it has been awhile since my brother has been.






All the visitors left today so things will get back to a little
normal for a few days.
I am of now to do some catch up reading of my fave blogs.

Mandy

Storey Christmas Party......

We had our Storey Christmas on Sunday.

My husband is one of 10 children so it makes for a large family when we

all get together for Christmas.

7 out of ten families were there along with there

children and some grandchildren. There where 4 generations there.

Here I am with my girls.....

Cassandra, Karen, Jessica, Alanah, Me and Chloe.

It was so nice to have the family together,

I love being part of such a large family.

The children have lots of cousins to play with. So much catching up to do.

There was plenty of good Christmas goodies to eat and what would Christmas be without

water melon and a game of cricket.

Lots of pressies to open.

Grandma receiving all her presents as well.

Sunday was one of those days that you look back on when you get home and

know that it was a really great day.

Things have been busy here with everyone arriving home so my blogging has been a bit slow

but I'm sure we are all busy.

Today is lots of cleaning then tomorrow baking....

Only 3 more sleeps to go..........

Blessings

Mandy

6 More Sleeps.......

I have been experimenting with lights inside this year.

The end of our dinning room gets very dark down the end so I thought

that I'd put some lights down there.

I think it looks O.K need to put a few more decorations up yet.

I was thinking that I would like to see every-ones Christmas Table all decorated up for Christmas Day. Every-one get there camera out and take photos to post after Christmas.

I couldn't wait till next week to start my Christmas cooking.

2 new recipes Hard caramels and Chocolate Mallow Fudge, I just hope they last until Christmas week.

I have been given an award from Maree at On My Veranda http://mareew.blogspot.com/
It is

The Spirit Of Christmas Award.

What a great award to get as i do love getting into Christmas.

Here are the rules for this award. You must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award. The person whom you give this award to must also be a lover of Christmas. Link back to the person who you received this award from. List 5 things you love about Christmas and pass this award on to as many people as you like from 1 to 45. But please pass on to at least one person to keep this award going...

5 Things I love About Christmas.

1. Having family and friends around me. The more the merrier.

2. Christmas presents.....making or buying the right gift for the right person.

3. Decorating....love to decorate the house and tree.

4. Cooking....All the different things you make only at Christmas.

5.Party's.....What would Christmas be without all the Christmas Party's.

It is hard to list only 5 things I love about Christmas, but there is my list, now I want to pass this on to.

daisymum @ http://daisymountain.blogspot.com/

The vintage rose @ http://teapartyland.blogspot.com/

Cee Lew @ http://ceelew.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoy going and looking at there love of Christmas.

Now of to do some more cooking...shortbread I think today....

Blessings

Mandy

Summer Days..........

I have had a lovely morning out in the garden so far.

Still lots of weeding to do, but it is easy work.

While I was gardening the children where busy motor bike ridding.

Yes big children as well on small motor bikes.lol

Summer days leading up to Christmas are always long and lovely,

lazy days. Bar-b-que meals late tea times and cool nights.

Yep I love summer.

Yesterday I sat down and started on the Christmas menu's.

I am using this book this year that my son and D.I.L gave me for my b/day. It

has some great new recipes in it.

All the sweet Christmas cooking will start next week. The cake is made.

Hubby always cooks a turkey on Christmas day, so I am thinking of going with the

hot Christmas lunch this year, as we haven't done that for a few years. We tend to have seafood and salads because it is so hot.

Christmas eve all the family will be home so I think we might have the seafood for tea that night.

I have found a few recipes for Egg nog on google to make up for my Mum. If any of my readers have any great tips for egg nog please tell me about them. I'm thinking I should have a trail run first?

I am starting to get excited about Christmas, David and Jessica will be home on Saturday so they will have a week here before Christmas, it is going to be a full house this year just the way I like it..........

Blessings to all................

MANDY

Monday Madness

Cleaning is whats going on around here today..........Lots of it.
I even have the boys helping and they think there throats are cut.
Monday is always house work day.

We had a fantastic party on Saturday night in Toowoomba for a friend, it was his birthday retirement and Christmas party all in one.
We danced the night away till early morning, all the young ones left early, but us oldies kept partying.....Kids don't make them like they used to.........


Now your probably wondering why I have this photo.........Are you a Mother of teenage daughters? Well then you will understand.........

That's all the photos on my camera. What happens to the ones I take for the blog......who knows.
There is only smiling, posing teenagers instead....The one above was in with my photos and it is Chloe at work, now there wasn't just one photo...O no! There's about 20 of the darn things. Must have been a quiet day.............My girls read my blog and will have a fit when they see these photos........

Alanah went to a dinner party on Friday night , it was a formal dinner. I was trying to take some nice photos but they were playing up and doing terrible posses, so this is it........


I got lots of gardening done on Saturday no photos to show you though. There is so much weeding to do, I am getting up early and going out and getting a couple of hours done before it gets hot.........Today isn't hot though as it is pretty windy and alot cooler. Will be going out to the garden as soon as the house work is all finished.
Time to get back to it I suppose, now I've stopped for a break I don't feel like starting again.........


Mandy