Great Scotts

We just said goodbye to Tara and Greg (and Darwin) who have been with us since Sunday night. It was nice to spend some time with them this week. Bailey was very excited Tara, Greg and I walked Darwin to school to meet him on Thursday.

This afternoon I met Andrew at the Hawkesbury river with the younger two boys and he took them out on a friends jetski for a couple of hours. Afterwards Tara, Greg, Josh, Josh's friend and I met him at the river and we got pizzas for dinner. Tara and Greg treated all the kids to delicious ice cream... there's nothing like aunts and uncles for a bit of spoiling! After eating we said goodbye to Tara and Greg and they headed back to Canberra.

Bailey clearly enjoying all those artificial colours and flavourings!

I'm in love...

Our friends who live down the road from us have a horse stud. I drove past yesterday and saw their new foal, born that morning. It is so cute and wobbly on its legs. I had to show you all how adorable it is. I took these photos of it today. This is their second one born in the last two weeks.

This really makes me love Spring!

Every time I drive past I stop to have a peek at their beautiful horses. Linda, the owner said she saw me pull over the other day and thought I was stopping to help her catch the horse

she was after, until I drove off. I had to admit that I was oblivious to her, and that I was simply looking at the foals.

Catch up

1. Jordan turned 16. Thanks to all of you for cards/gifts. He had a nice day. Tara, Greg, Emma, Josh and Maya came over for lunch and then he had a celebration with the youth after the Bishop's Youth Discussion that night. Jordan also went for his learner's permit which he passed and is now driving me around...on actual roads! I am counting down the days until he can drive places without me. I just hope he is as excited to drive his brothers around as I am for him to.

2. We have just finished 2 weeks of school holidays. We had a house full of friends and various rooms not intended for sleeping in, became sleep areas. Bailey and Isabelle opted for the 'cubby house with playstation access' bedroom. They were quite irritated if anyone disturbed them.

Mitchell spent as much time as he could riding trail bikes with his friend Ryan.

Joshua, was at the river with friends for a lot of the time, hence no picture.

Jordan, Emma and Eloise (cousins) hung out in the hot tub (a little embarrassed when I brought the camera out).

I enjoyed my birthday with family and the boys promised to be nice to each other for the whole day! Best birthday gift ever.

Andrew was away for part of the holidays in Queensland and then in Singapore. Since arriving back he has had business visitors from Canada, so he has been pretty busy. After a week of spending late nights in the city, he invited Brad, his guest to come and stay with us. We hosted an office BBQ in his honour last Sunday night and then Brad stayed with us until Thursday morning. Tara and Greg and Greg's parent's visiting from the US are coming to stay with us this coming Sunday for 3 nights.

Never an empty house!

Our other news is that we finally sold our house in Emu Plains. We put it to auction and after the brilliant work of a smooth talking auctioneer, we came away with nearly the price we had wanted. Very lucky to get what we did though considering the economy at the moment. There is no cooling off period for an auction so we can look forward to settlement on 24th Nov without the fear of it falling through again. I'm so glad that is over. Now we can furnish our new house and start on the gardens.

On the weight loss front.. I have lost 3kg or about 7lbs. since my last blog. Still a few to go, but I have been running and walking more, eating less. Nothing like Summer approaching to get you motivated. Still a way off from feeling good in swimmers (does that ever occur ??), but feeling more positive. Jordan gave me a Nike +ipod attachment as a gift so I can check how far I have run and how many calories burned and it is a real motivator too. http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/

Finally, reluctant to mention football AGAIN but the boys had their end of year presentation and Mitchell was awarded a trophy for'Best back' and Josh was awarded one for 'Best Forward'. Both of them were awarded Club jackets and a certificate for playing 100 club games (awarded after 7yrs) this year. Bailey will be awarded this next year. Both older boys also got a second trophy for being grand finalists. They were happy. I am happy to be enjoying the off-season.

Bailey now plays touch football on Monday afternoons at Hawkesbury Uni, Joshua is running with me 3 mornings a week during seminary time and I take Mitchell and a friend to Penrith on Wednesday nights to do a boxing/cardio class.

Jordan runs on his own. We can't keep up with him.

Enough is enough!

I have decided to dedicate the next month of my life to losing the weight I have put on over Winter. Why do I do this to myself every year? I never remember the food tasting good enough to justify the weight I have gained. Pity I didn't consider that as I was stuffing myself with chocolate over Winter. As the weather gets warmer I find myself realising that I have to start wearing less clothing and exposing more of my 'not-so-toned' body.
So my plan is to let some things go. I need to give myself more time to exercise. I am looking at this as though it were a job and my focus every day is to be active. So, for the next month I am not going to let anything get in the way of me exercising every day until the weight is gone. The reason I am telling you this is so that I am accountable. Also, if you happen to visit me and find my house in a shambles; please realise that it is because I would rather the house a wreck than my body! I miss feeling fit and healthy and in control, so I am going to get serious and feel happy. I'll keep you posted.

Football finals

After a long, hard season Mitchell's team lost in their semi-final against Windsor on Saturday. Mitchell was pretty disappointed to be beaten by a team we had won convincingly against previously but it makes for a good challenge next year. For me, it means two evenings a week home, so that helped soften the blow a bit!


Exhausted after working hard all game.


Joshua's team have played so well all season and finished 2nd in the pool games. They had their first semi final game and won, so will go on to play again this Saturday in the next finals round. I managed to catch some action shots of Josh who scored 2 of the 3 tries during the game.

Josh's team mates congratulate him after the game.

The 'root' of the problem!

Well, after 3 weeks of painting, sanding and tiling we are almost finished our improvements to our house at Emu Plains. I have been missing in action on blogger because I have had such little time. Finally last week we lacquered the timber floors and I was forced to be at home until they were adequately dry. It was a much longed for break.
I spent my first day, Monday catching up on my V.T. and visited Doris Black for her 82nd birthday up in Bilpin.
Tuesday, I worked all day at the boys High school canteen (although the boys were off school with colds). Wednesday, Jordan arrived back and it was Andrew's birthday so on the way home from the airport we dropped in to say hi and grab a quick lunch before racing back to pick the boys up from school. That night we went to dinner with the boys (minus a jet lagged Jordan) for Andrew's birthday.
Thursday was due to be my first day home to catch up on EVERYTHING for 3 1/2 weeks. At 9.30am the power was turned off by the electicity company for maintenance on the lines! I had been unaware it was going off and was not prepared at all. Because we are on water tanks when the power is turned off we also lose our water as the pump is electric. So, I sat in my unshowered state and sorted through paper work, shivering as we had no heat. While sorting the paperwork, I found the notice in my pile of mail informing me of the planned power outage. Dishes, vacuuming, ironing all had to keep waiting. The power came back on at 2.30pm in time for me to have a quick shower and get out the door to pick Bailey up from school. The other boys got off the bus at 4pm, so I picked them up took them home for a snack and to change and then we left for training at Emu Plains. Just as we were coming into a busy Penrith at 5.15pm my car chose that moment to break down! It stalled and would not start. We were blocking traffic at the busiest time of day at the busiest intersection in Penrith. Fortunately some helpful men must have seen my pathetic looking face and offered to help push me accross the lanes and up onto the curb.
I called Emma and she came and took the boys the rest of the way to training. I called Andrew and he came and picked us up.
The following morning we left home at 7am to take Jordan and Mitchell to their regional athletics carnival. We dropped them off and then went and hired a car trailer and towed my car to the mechanic next to Andrew's work. I then drove over to our house at Emu Plains to check on the floors and give it a bit of a tidy up before the agent was due to arrive to take new interior photos. From there I drove home to get the boys. After dropping them back at home I drove 45 mins back to Andrew's work and picked him up.
Looking forward to an evening at home, Andrew and I stopped to buy some food to cook dinner for the boys and arrived home. I made dinner and dropped Jordan anfd his friend Darren up to my sis-in-law's house to go to a multi-stake dance.
Not long after arriving home, the wind picked up and we could hear things banging around outside. It was blowing a gale. I was praying that our roof was secure! Sure enough a few moments later we lost all power, including phone and water again. Jordan arrived home from the dance that night and told us he hand Darren had had to move a tree off our road so Darren's Mum could get through to our house.
By the following morning (Saturday) it was still not on. We decided to drive over to Emu Plains (40 mins) to have showers before the boys football started. On our way over we were met with a road closure near our house and saw what had caused the problem. A tree had come crashing through the power lines and a little further down the road was a power pole down.




We had to turn around and go the long way and there were branches and debris everywhere.
Arriving home after football aroun 6pm we were hopeful we would have power, but not so. We realised that our freezer had defrosted all over the floor and tried to clean up the best we could in a now dark house.
Meredith had kindly offered for us to go to their house and have pizzas which we did.
Finally, Sunday morning (after 36 hours without power) we heard the TV turn on. What a sweet sound! I am so grateful for electricity. I would have been terrible in any other era!
So today is the start of a new week.
Andrew is organising a generator, my car is being fixed and I am hoping to catch up on EVERYTHING I didn't get done last week!

It makes you realise not to take anything for granted.

Emu Plains home

Well, for those of you who don't know, our house sale at Emu Plains fell through. The people buying our house pulled out and forfeited their holding deposit because the sale of their house fell through. Annoying! Even more so because Emma and Josh had found a new place to rent, so now our house is empty. We don't know if it is worth putting new tenants in for a short term lease as we really hope to sell it quickly.
If we spend a bit on the place and do a bit of work to it I am sure it will have more people interested. Looks like I will have to spend the school holidays painting after all!

16 Years!

We enjoyed our 16th anniversary this past weekend. It is nice really because we kind of celebrate over two days because we were married in America. We celebrated the 27th (the date of our wedding) and the 28th (the date it would be in America). It is great for Andrew, because he has two chances to remember!

Having said that, Andrew surprised me with booking a night for us to stay at the Intercontinental in Sydney over looking Circular Quay. It was a glorious Winters day and the view was spectacular.

It was such a nice treat and fun to have time to ourselves and reminisce about all the great times we have had. Love you Babe!

Our Enrichment night

I am the RS councillor responsible for Enrichment Night in our ward. We have our night planned for tomorrow. The night is themed 'Thrifty and Nifty,' in an effort to help each of us become more self-reliant and save money and time. Who doesn't need that hey?

I made a poster with US dollars (because they are green), as leaves of a money tree. Jordan has already asked me if he can pick them off for his trip.

There will be 5 segments. I am teaching a segment on planning meals in advance to save on our grocery bills. I started a blog of our monthly recipes which I will be handing out tomorrow. Not all are there yet, but I am working on it and I know a few of you have requested these recipes previously and I haven't been very good at posting them. My recipe blog is called http://www.speedymeals.blogspot.com/. A list of our favourites if you need any ideas that kids will eat. I take no responsibility if they won't!

Cause for concern?

Isabelle is one of Bailey's favourite people on Earth. Fortunately they are cousins, live 5 minutes from us, go to the same school and share a primary class at church. This is still not enough time together for their liking. Isabelle came over to play the other day and they were playing 'spies.' It was funny to watch them playing around, but a little concerning to see them with their guns in such poses. Andrew captured the spy action on his 'not so covert' camera.

Happy Birthday Grandma and Pop Pop

Andrew's Mum and Dad share a birthday. We celebrated their day at our house on Sunday evening with a family dinner. Happy Birthday Granma and Pop Pop, we hope you have a great year ahead!

Flying High

For those of you who don't know yet, Jordan is going over to Utah from 12 - 28July. We have finally been convinced to let him go alone as a Christmas/birthday present. He is so excited. I wish I was coming too, but hopefully we will make it over for Christmas as a family. Jordan didn't want to wait that long. He also wanted to experience Utah in the Summer and catch up with some friends who will be out of school.

I hope you will all look out for my 'little' boy for me!

Sweet revenge

I am sure you all remember how Mitchell was punched in the face earlier this year by a boy on an opposing team. Well I was concerned that Mitchell was playing against the same team this past week. I was nervous that the boy would try to hurt Mitchell again. Part way through the first half Mitchell intercepted one of their passes and our team scored from it. It was all down hill for the other team from there and our team went on to win. It was great for Mitchell to see that he can win fairly and he doesn't have to resort to dirty tactics. I loved it!

Andrew had the camera on Mitchell right as he made the intercept.. I know it is very blury, but it was dark and they were moving very fast. Mitch is the number 7 reaching out for the ball.

Campground

Well, several weeks ago I was sitting in church when they announced that there was to be a Father/son camp at the Wilson's home.

That's nice, I thought. Andrew will have to take the boys to that.

Then I realised that we were the Wilson's and it was going to be in our yard.

Andrew is generous, if not a little forgetful and I didn't consider it a problem really, because being the Father, Andrew could take care of it.

Several days later Andrew announced that he would not be there as his work trip coincided with the camp.

So, on Friday night a bunch of boys and their Dads pitched tents down below. I was mildly concerned when the Bishop, (whose wife proudly proclaimed is a pyromaniac) came earlier in the day to set up a wire from the tallest tree down on an angle to the bonfire 50m below with the intentions of having a blazing fireball travel down the wire to ignite the bonfire with a combination of diesel fuel and kerosene.

To calm my nerves, Steve Krix, the ward's resident fire fighter, came by and hooked up a portable pump to our pool...just in case. Fortunately I am qualified in 'remaining calm' as my years of experience with my own brazen boys has given me adequate training.

I am happy to report that all went well. We had to leave for football at 7.15am and everyone was still there cooking breakfast on the campfire. By all accounts everyone had a good time.

A little weary

It has been a busy week and I have struggled a bit with Andrew away again. I think writing is therapeutic for me and this poem is reflective of how I was feeling.
I am sure as Mothers, you have all been there!

I am a little weary
from making all the meals;
I am a little weary
from all the boisterous squeals;
I am so very weary
from driving to the games,
with fighting in the car,
with teasing and calling names.

I'm just so very weary
with smells that shouldn't be;
with dirty socks and undies
and toilet seats with pee!
I'm sick of feeling weary
and of being a grumpy Mum;
I need a quick solution
before I come undone.

I know I could be happy
if the house was always clean;
if jobs were done with vigor
and they were never heard, but seen.
I'm sure I could be happy
if I had the weekends free;
No football, mud or washing
Just all the time for me.

But this life is a test
to see how well we do;
to raise our kids with love
and a little patience too.
So when I'm feeling weary
please let me always know
the mess, the noise and chaos
are there to help me grow.

Seeing red

I have told a few of you about getting our glass splashback up in the kitchen and promised to post pictures. Well here it is. It is hard to tell the true colour of the glass, as the reflection of the flash keeps on altering it. This picture also makes the cupboards look light pink which they are not. We love the glass though, as most of the house is in neutral colours and we really needed a splash of colour. This deep red really livens things up. We just need to get stainless steel covers for our power points and we will be all finished.

Intimidated

OK, put me in the kitchen and I am right at home. The same can not be said for the garden. I have decided that the reason I am 'agriculturally defective' is because I was over-exposed to it as a child.
Mum, Dad, you know what I am talking about! Sara and I were given the job to weed. Some may say this was a fair request, however we had to weed an acre of ploughed ground that was 'mulchless' at that point. Basically we had to prevent grass growing where grass would instinctively grow.

(This was taken by Karen in 1985 after I was told I couldn't come inside until my vege patch was weeded, despite the rain!)
Each Saturday we would start in the morning and did not stop until any green shoot which had dared to poke its head from the moist ground had been ripped by its roots and hurled on the waste pile. To start with, friends would come by and offer to help so we could play with them sooner. Eventually they stopped coming, realising it was a job that had no end!

It is amazing my social skills progressed at all.

I thought all this was behind me, however we were given two Jacaranda trees for Christmas by our lovely neighbours and my inadequacies as a gardener have flooded back to me in a wave of fear. The trees were in pots. They are still in pots four months later. I knew that to water them was a good thing so I put the smaller pots in bigger pots with water in the bottom. I have gradually watched them start to turn a bit brown.


Having an interest in psychology I have wondered if I am rebelling against my childhood and am letting them die on purpose, but I have dismissed this in favour of the 'ignorance theory.'

Knowing I am responsible for them and feeling guilty that our neighbours will ask after them, I read the label to see what I should do. It said to prepare the ground, somewhere moist but well drained?? I decided to drive to the nursery to ask their advice, knowing I am not good with growing things. (I should probably mention that Dad gave me a Bonsai tree for my Christmas present when I was 17, as he knew I loved anything Japanese. The Bonsai tree was about 60years old at that point, and after strictly adhering to the instructions, it died in my care after only 4 months!)
I asked a nice man in the nursery what I should do and what I should put in the hole. Surprisingly, he said to just put the trees in the ground and water them well. I was prepared to buy anything he told me, so I am glad he was honest, but if these trees die, I will be assuming he was negligent and there was some ingredient he should have told me about.

This is so intimidating for me. I have grown a bit attached to my trees in pots and I want something I plant to survive.

This is my goal for the little things.





By the way, thanks Mum and Dad for exposing me to the outdoors... I am sure that my distaste for gardening has contributed to improving my skills in the kitchen, so my family have you guys to thank for that too!

Geocashing with Emma

The kids are on school holidays at the moment and on Wednesday Emma and I took the kids to Rouse Hill Regional Park. It is a great park with lots of play areas, nature walks, a maze and bike tracks. It also had four geocash locations throughout the park. It was my first time geocashing and it was fun to hunt through the park and manage to find all four of them.

Not to be out done...

When Bailey and I were home alone, we decided to paint a feature wall in his room too. Fortunately the paint I used in Mitchell's room was perfect for Bailey's as well. It really finishes the room off and it looks a lot more like a boys room now.
Bailey and his monkey love it!

A busy birthday

Well, our little Mitch has reached 12 years old. Although he may look young for his age, he has always been very grown up. A day before his birthday, the YM were going away on a canoe trip and overnight camp. Andrew took two days off work and was going as a leader. Mitch was able to go because he was turning 12 during the trip. It was great to have Andrew go along with his 3 sons and it left Bailey and I some time together.

I used the opportunity of having Mitchell away to redecorate his bedroom as one of his birthday surprises. I painted, made decorative art for his wall and assembled his bed and new linen, a bedside table and a lamp to give him a more grown-up room. He has had our original bunk beds which were looking really old and he had been asking for a while if we could decorate his room.Mitchell is very in to dirt-bikes, but not wanting to have his room covered in ugly motor bike pictures I had to come up with a decorating idea which we could both live with.

I painted one wall navy blue and then bought some blank canvases and painted them a base colour of the other walls. I then went to our local motor bike shop and explained to them what I was doing. They were super helpful and I came away with two tyres (free), which was great as I was hoping to keep to a reasonable budget. I painted the tyres with black paint and then rolled them over the three canvases to give a tyre mark. I got covered in paint, but I was really happy with the result.

Anyway, I had planned to hang one tyre on the wall and had bought cork board to fit inside it as a pin board for Mitchell, but Andrew was concerned his room would look like a pit stop and was also nervous about drilling holes to hang a heavy tyre on our new walls so we decided against it. I had it finished just in time for them to arrive back from their trip by 3pm. I waited in the room with the camera for Mitchell's reaction.

Before bed time though, Emma, Josh and Maya came over for dinner and cake. It was a fun night, but after racing to get it finished in time, I was ready for an early night too.

Andrew managed to get a shot of me with my phobia about blowing out candles... yes I am a germ freak! I hate birthday candles on cakes because I think it is disgusting to blow (or in some cases spit) all over a cake that everyone else then has to eat.

All trying to claim the biggest piece...

Mitchell is well aware who has that priveledge!

Josh and Joel (Mitchell's friend) showing a little more patience.The end of a big birthday. Mitchell was really happy with it and even wanted to get to bed early to sleep in his new bed.