The Silly Season is definately here.....

Well firstly I must say Merry Christmas (although I am a few days late).

I cannot believe that it has been so long since I last posted and wow! so much has happened.

The fat man in the red suit with the jolly laugh definately came to visit us and as usual the children (including the big kids) were spoiled rotten. Alex hasn't stopped dancing to her cd player and Oliver is enjoying his skateboard but is taking it cautiously.

Both Noel and my families came over to celebrate lunch which was just over the top food wise. At least I can say that we don't under cater but I am so over left overs now. I am on the verge of throwing it all in the bin and munching out on a huge salad!! I don't want to see turkey for a while that is for sure!! LOL!!!

Today is my brother in law's birthday. For a change Jamie has decided to do something - we were all shocked. Normally we end up just popping in to their house to deliver the birthday wishes or they have a family bbq but this year we are going to the local pub for lunch. It should be good as the Riveria has a good meal and a play ground for the kids. Woohoo...

New Years is fast approaching also but at this stage no major plans have been set in concrete. We have been invited to Mat and Annie's caravan up at the Basin (near Shepperton)and we also have discussed having a quiet one and staying at home. It is just too hard as you get older!!

Partying isn't the same or am I just becoming a boring old hag??

My mam is here... yippee

Well once again I am spasmoticly posting to my blog. Sooo much is happening and I fear it is only going to get worse.

Last night we spent the evening at my sisters house as my mam has arrived from Brisbane. She is staying here until the 24th January. What a hoot. I love being with my mam - she makes me feel special and the kids just adore their grandma. I was so excited at work all day yesterday about her arrival that most of the drivers asked if I had won the lotto!!

As you can see by the time of this post it is really early but couldn't sleep. Plus I have something in my eye that I can't remove even with saline wash.

Must keep pottering.......

PS Claire cooked a really and I mean really yummy roast pork dinner and I must say I wasn't that good points wise but geez it was good. Need to do exercise this morning for sure.

The girls from Sydney

Well I must say that I have had a wonderful weekend.

I have just cemented my friendship with two wonderful women that I have known for months now but only on email and posts to the Weight Watchers Forums. Kerry and Stacy are two beautiful, intelligent and fun women and I have just had the pleasure of them staying in my house overnight. Yes they flew down from Sydney and stayed the night. It has been a truly fantastic 36 hours.

Kerry is a very knowledgeable lady who can carry an interesting conversation and even had Noel enthralled as he too found her to be very intriguing. Her background is a little different to that of mine and Stacy's as she is not married and has no children (not that that is a bad thing). She has a beautiful nature and was the instigator for this whole trip.

Having a beautiful nature is also a very noticeable aspect of Stacy, who has the ability to draw people towards her and had my kids eating out of the palm of her hand most of the weekend. I found her to be so calm natured - a trait that I am definately jealous of. Stacy, who is a firefighter and like myself spends her working hours surrounded by men so she understands my work woes and she too is very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. One amazing thing about Stacy is the fact she is so motivated when it comes to exercise - it blew me away. She got up this morning after a non WW menu evening that saw points blown out the window by food and copious amounts of alcohol to walk what we calculated to be 2kms.

Both women are absolutely wonderful people and I feel so privileged to meet both of them. This was such a undescribable experience and I will treasure the memories for a long time to come. Now I will have to plan my flight to Sydney for another weekend.

In the meantime we have made a pact - a pact to keep on the straight and narrow from here on in. We are going to relay our point intake, food and exercise completed to each other - Stacy has organized to follow an exercise plan and I believe that we are all going to do our best - I know that I am.

Tomorrow is my visit to the specialist regarding my gallbladder so will sign off now and chat to you all after my appointment. Crossing fingers on good news.

5kgs gone!!

Well I made myself quite happy today. I wasn't going to go to my Weight Watchers meeting tonight - in fact I wasn't going to go again until the New Year but I thought to myself I must go as if I don't I will probably go right of the rails.

I am glad that I went. Tonight I lost 0.7kgs making my total weight loss since starting at Frankston 5kgs!! Woohoo and I am excited about that achievement.

Now all I need to do is sort out my gallbladder problem and all should be sweet!!

Better fly lots and lots to do with my two friends, Kerry and Stacy, flying in on Saturday from Sydney. They are staying at our house which should be a scream as we have never met!!

Chat soon!!

Talk about rain!!

Wow where did all that rain come from? Isn't it meant to be summer?? I suppose we shouldn't complain as we actually need it.

Work was dead boring - rain also means no trucks and no trucks means nothing to do. I even had a few games of solitaire on the computer and I find that outright boring. Oh well I did manage to get a few more things done towards Christmas and the New Year.

Definately need to pull my finger out though and get out for a walk with Vicky - did you hear that girly? Read your comment and totally agree with you - WE NEED TO IT!!

Nothing much else to report tonight - just pleased that I have managed to post two nights in a row!! WOOHOO!!

Oh by the way I have been informed by Oliver that there is only 19 more sleeps until Christmas!!

The start of a new week!

Well another weekend has come and gone. As per usual I have managed to avoid getting anywhere near my blog.

Noel's parents came over for lunch yesterday and it all went well. We had the usual Sunday roast and it was enjoyed by one and all. We had a great afternoon together. Noel's mam and dad have been using the internet to book a holiday for them and the kids in the first week of the school holidays next March. We also spent a great deal of the day planning food, etc for Christmas Day.

Work today was boring - it was a union RDO so therefore there was not as many trucks coming in and out of the quarry. I managed to organise a few things for Christmas and for January. We have so many things happening in the next few weeks it seems we are already booked out until March.

Spoke to my mam today. She is really looking forward to arriving next Tuesday. I avoided the topic of my sickness and completely forgot to mention my appointment with the specialist on Monday. She has lots on her mind and I have no need to worry her at the moment. Not so sure however how her plans for spending Christmas day at our house is going to effect Claire and Jamie. Oh well I suppose only time will tell.

Health wise today I have felt okay. Not wonderful but on the other hand not yucky. I have decided to concentrate on changing my diet - you know the whole lifestyle change thing and tonight I have even managed to have an alcohol free evening. Quite an achievment for me as most nights I pour myself a glass of wine when I walk in the door for work and picking up the kids! I am actually proud of myself.

Anyways will stop waffling on now.

~*JO*~

Missing two front teeth!

Wow what a day yesterday turned out to be.

Oliver came home from school missing his other front tooth! Now both are missing and everyone is singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" to him.

Kerry rang and we chatted regarding the upcoming trip down to Melbourne to meet each other. I am getting a little excited about meeting both Stace and her so cross fingers that will all go well.

Had a really good phone conversation with my sister, Claire, regarding Christmas and Mam coming down to Melbourne. Sadly we have managed to organise her whole trip with babysitting requirements, Christmas functions, etc. But she will enjoy spending the time with the grandkids and go with the flow.

Now for the result of my "second opinion". I came out of the doctors with a better understanding of my situation and must admit feel quite relieved. But I do not have gallstones (thanks for the first diagnosis, Doc!) I actually have an inflamed gallbladder. The doctor I saw yesterday, one that I like, said that the surgeon will discuss all options with me and I would not necessarily end up in hospital by the time of the appointment. Which funny enough was one of my fears. He also said that there may be a good chance of conservative healing but this would only happen if I was prepared to diet, exercise and reduce my alcohol intake. Something I am trying to do to lose weight anyway!! So I am now prepared to go to the appointment with the surgeon - open minded - on the 12th December.

Better fly as I need to get off to work and get the kids to school.

At least I am smiling a little this morning!! :)

Getting a second opinion?

Well as you can all probably tell I have had other things on my mind and have been missing my blogs quite regularly. Sorry.

I visited the doctor the other day as posted and found out I have gallstones. Well now that this great news great news has sunk in and mentally I am learning to live with the idea that an operation may be the only way to fix it - I can't help thinking that there might be another form of treatment rather than surgery to remove my gallbladder. Both Noel and I have heard that there are other options but the doctor seemed very adament that the surgeon would remove my gallbladder!

Needless to say I am having an RDO today and I am off to get a second opinion before my appointment with the surgeon on 12th December.

Yes the 12th December - what a wonderful Christmas present!!

Will post again later and let you know the outcome!

Gallstones!

Well I have found out what is causing me pain, nausea and sadness - Gallstones!

I went off to the doctor this morning convinced that I would find out I had some sort of terminal disease and I would need to work out how to tell the kids I was dying. Noel knows how worried I have been for the last few days since having the ultrasound on my abdomen done and took the day off work also to accompany me to get my results. Needless to say I am relieved!

But what does having gallstones mean? It means a visit to the specialist to discuss my options regarding removal of the gallstones. The most common result according to my doctor is to have my gallbladder removed. Surgery!! That is something I am not jumping over the moon about but I suppose the bottom line is that I need to do whatever it takes to make me healthy and well again, right?

My appointment with the specialist is 12 December - great early Christmas present and then depending on his opinion I suppose I will be taking a trip into hospital to have an operation. I am guessing by my doctor's very strong feeling about what would happen that surgery is going to be the only option. Even Noel seemed to think that he was very sure I would be having my gallbladder removed.

At least now I know what the problem is and it is just a case of wait and see now. Unfortunately I still don't feel much better!

Emergency Department and still feeling ill....

Well all has not been well in the Murray household. The worst patient in the house is not well. Mam Murray (me) has been suffering major pains and nausea in my belly since Friday evening which I thought it may have been that time of the month related! But instead the yucky feeling have continue and led me to head straight for Frankston Hospital Emergency department after work Monday evening as my doctors was fully booked.

Thankfully I managed to get and seen to quite quickly. Was inside the walls of emergency and preped for a bed faster than usual much to my relief. The doctor gave me some fluids and some pain medication. I must admit I felt wonderful and by 9.00 o'clock was given the all clear to leave. Great I thought - but what is wrong with me?

Bloods were taken and tested and they all came back good with no abnormalties. An ECG was done and the results was good also. It was put down to Gastro and that I should be alright. I was given some pills for nausea and some for pain.

But here I am sitting at home after finishing work early today due to feeling exactly the same as I did yesterday. I have managed to have a sleep but the stomach is telling me it is still not well. I have made an appointment with my doctor for Wednesday morning and will see what he has to say. Obviously something is not right!!

Everyone else in the house is fine - noone displaying the same symptoms - thankfully. Will let you know how I go. I hate being sick and worst of all I get angry as I feel guilty being sick and asking Noel to do more than he already does. I love him to bits!!

Bye!

Another week gone.

It's funny how the week is officially Sunday through to Saturday by most peoples calendars but in the world of Weight Watchers it from scale night to scale night so in my case it's Thursday today so another week has past. Once again it has passed by rather fast, leaving me wondering where does all the time go but I have had a successful week weight loss wise with a loss of 0.8kgs. I am really happy with that and I have nearly lost all of the 1kgs that I gained after the camping trip.

Oliver lost another tooth tonight - that's two teeth this last few days. He lost one on Saturday night whilst staying at Sean and Vicky's. Tonight he pulled his tooth out just minutes before his swimming lesson. Needless to say with all the playing he did with the empty tooth hole it didn't stop bleeding and he was told to get out of the pool. So he did not finish his lesson!! Alex did really well in her lesson and as she has done the last few weeks headed straight for the deep pool as soon as she had finished with the instructor!! I think she is just about over the class she is in.

The computer age

My aunty has hit the email world... yep she now has a computer and I must say she is quite excited about it. And I think it is wonderful She is 66 and I am sure she will have no problems with email and the internet. It was actually quite weird to recieve mail from her. Now all I need is to organise a computer for my mam and all will be up to speed. I actually have a hard drive here (sitting under the desk d0ing nothing) so all I would need to organise is the screen, keyboard and mouse. Then she would be set - I have no problems in transporting it to Brisbane.

Will ponder these thoughts somemore.

Kinda trivia night

What a fun night we had last night.

Seaford Kindergarten's annual trivia and auction night saw us have quite a few laughs not to mention purchase a few good items at great prices. Mat and Anne Marie picked us up and after a quick drink with them we we on our way to the kinda. (The kid's are staying the night at Sean and Vicky's and not returning until 4pm today).

Unfortunately Claire, my sister, and her husband Jamie didn't attend last night as it was Jamie's fathers birthday dinner. They were off to Via Mare in Frankston.... geez a little bit of jealousy snuck in there as I loooovvvveeee that restaurant.

As per usual Ms Smiths table won but this year we came 4th - probably the best we have done and there were only the 6 of us compared to the 12 of them. As usual there was the Treasure Hunt or the Handbag raid which we did really well on and the other mystery round was a list of 20 song lyrics to which we had to name the artist and the title. We did okay on this and came out the winners. Some of the general knowledge questions were not so general and the sports, Australiana and Tv of the 90's questions blew some of us away. The music round was all classical and drew quite a lot of boo's from us and fellow tables!! Oh well.

I am now the proud owner of a Kenwood Steam Mop, 2 children's passes to Sovereign Hill (which I paid $1 for) and a beauty voucher to the value of $ 25.00. Not to mention I am going to get a full set of permanent french nails done (valued at $50) and I bid $15 for them. There was nothing that took Noel's interest greatly and the few things that did he was outbidded on.

Roll on the Trivia Night at Kananook next year as I have managed to round up a table full - Mat and Anne Marie and Yvette are keen. I also know that Anne Marie wants to come to the Kinda night again as she has vowed that she will keep playing trivia until she beats the Smiths!!

Mat ended up staying the night at our place - Annie went out after the trivia night with her girlfriend. Mat is the foreman at my work and I am glad that I get along with him well. He is only the second person I have ever worked with that I have allowed into our personal life and the times have been good! Noel and I get along with him and his wife, Anne Marie, really well - which is amazing considering I spend five and half days each week with Mat at work.

Better fly and organise breakkie for the boys..... fill you in on the rest of the day later.

7 Thursdays until Christmas

Right the party is over - there is only 7 Thursdays until Christmas so that is 7 more weigh in's and I have decided to make the most of them!!

My camping trip brought on a gain of 1kgs which I actually thought was fantastic considering what I have eaten not to mention what was drank!! LOL!!

So what does 7 weeks actually mean? I can feel a challenge coming on..... okay here it is. I am going to challenge myself to lose 5kgs in 7 weeks.

Doesn't sound too hard but here we go with the excuses... christmas parties and functions!! Yes unfortunately before the fat man in the red suit comes to visit we all tend to celebrate quite a bit not to mention all the celebrating we do afterwards.

But I am sure if I focus on this I will do just fine.

Now on the home front spent the day washing and still putting things away from camping. Yuk but someone has to do it I suppose. The kids stayed home also today as they both had an awful nights sleep. So it is back to normality tomorrow (what ever normality is?)

Bye for now.

PS Great work again this week Vicki - another 0.5kgs down.... Well Done!!

Home Sweet Home

We are home!! Yippee - although our camping trip was fun and enjoyed by all four of us it was great to drive into the court and see our house. Electricity, running water, fridge, etc, etc.

I will give you a little insight into our adventures over the last 5 days..... grab a cuppa this could be long!!

Friday:
On the road pretty much as planned 5.30am and off for our 2.5hour drive to Snobs Creek. Got there everyone excited and the campsite was empty which was a bonus! Set up camp, got the fire going and started bush life. Weather overcast in the evening with a little drizzle but at least it was nice while we set up camp.

Saturday:
Had our first shower. Noel has made a shower unit up that runs with his engine. It has a pump and a heater exchange and is bloody fantastic! Alex must have got something in her eye at some stage during the morning as all of a sudden she was bleeding from her eye and nose. Off we went to Alexandra hosipital to see the doctor - who I might add was very vague - but reassured us that is was just a blood vessel that had popped probably due to getting something in her eye. We were told to just keep an eye on it. (No pun intended there) Had a look around Snobs Creek and visited the Snobs Creek Discovery Centre, which was very interesting. The kids got to feed some trout and chinook salmons, we learnt a bit about the breeding process and then in the aquarium section of the centre we were all able to touch baby brown trout that were no bigger than an inch long. After that it was back to the campsite. The weather was crap - drizzle on and off making it really miserable in the camp and all of us went to bed by 8.30pm.

Sunday:
The weather has cleared - yey! Another day of adventure - a little bit of exploring some tracks in the 4wd. Some were a bit hairy especially as we had the trailer in tow as we were meant to be looking for firewood. Went to Thornton as the primary school was having a fete. Not much there - the kids got to have a pony ride and a bit of time in the petting farm. They were also having a fireworks display in the evening so we headed back to camp for dinner only to return back to the school yard for dusk. The fireworks were great and a well organised show. Noel and I were surprised and it obviously cost the school a bit of money. Just as we were leaving Oliver and Alex were mucking about and chasing each other. I was caught off guard as I was getting up of the blanket we were sitting on as the next minute I looked up and Alex was running towards me like an out of control freight train. Crash!! The top of her head and my nose colided BIG TIME. It hurt and the next minute blood everywhere.

Monday:
Woke up a little puffy but no black eyes thankfully. Spent the day driving around Eildon Lake and exploring other camping areas. None as good as the spot we have found although the area is very popular. On the way back to the camp site we stopped and had a look at Snobs Creek Falls. The walk down was okay considering the warning about the steps being uneven. The falls were magnificent. Both Noel and I agreed that the were about the nicest falls we had been too and I must admit we have been to quite a few waterfalls. A 12 year old girl, Elisha Ross, lost her life there by slipping on the rocks in 1990. A little memorial placque was there and it was quite moving.

Tuesday:
We decided to go for another snoop around the forest in the 4wd today. We headed to the start of the Big River camping area and took it from there. Another well mentioned camping area that we didn't think too much off. Very crowded and the bush was fairly thick. Most of the campsites looked dark due to the mass of bushes surrounding them. I like the bush camp idea but need plenty of room and light. Noel was feeling fairly tired today so asked me to drive. OMG - he was letting me drive his baby!! Normally I don't get near the steering wheel whilst we are trekking. So Melbourne Cup Day 2005 I did my first 4wd track. At some stages it was quite howdy doody but I enjoyed myself and Noel said I did well.

Wednesday:
Time to come home - packing up is always harder. I suppose it is because everyone is tired, aching and sore. We left the campsite at 3.30pm and headed back to the normality in which we live. Got home at 6.30pm and unpacked the trailer.

Now I face the day with a huge amount of smoky washing, two kids that are full of colds and not going to school/creche. I was meant to go back to work today but I am doing the right thing and staying home with the kids (hard decision that one).

It is strange that the kids and I were soooo looking forward to sleeping in our beds but had the worst night sleep. Oliver kept sneezing and crying, Alex kept stirring and coming into our room only to be sent back to hers and I couldn't keep asleep with the heat. Wow what great weather it has been for the last few days but I must admit that at 4am this morning it was good to hear the rumble of thunder and see the flashes of lightning.

Tonight I face the scales - my points guides went out the window on the way to the camp site and I will be totally honest and say that I haven't given them a second thought all weekend. I hopped on the scales when I got home last night and they didn't seem to bad although it is the WW ones that count.

Better fly and get started on my jobs for today. Mind you I could just curl back up in bed. Maybe the kids and I will sneek in an afternoon siesta!~!~!~!

It's nearly holiday time....wooooohooooooo!!

Well the trailer is almost packed only a few small things to go in like clothes for us adults plus the food and drinks!! Cross fingers that we will be on our way by 5am like we have planned. May need to get up at about 3 am but it will all be worth it when we get to the camp site, set up and then sit and relax that is after we collect the firewood, get the fire going and work out what is for tea!! But in all seriousness Noel and I are so looking forward to this break. We haven't had a good break since April and that seems like it was so long ago. And I know that the kids are anxious to get there also.

Lots to do in the State Forest besides staring into the fire!! Hopefully I will get to do some walking but there is also four wheel drive tracks to explore, animals to spot, I know that down the road from the campsite there is the Snob's Creek Waterfalls so that will be worth a look. With a bit of luck we will find somewhere to throw in the yabbie nets to get a good feed! Not taking the fishing rods this time but I might just have to use my powers of pleading and venture to the trout farm to catch my favourite fish!! Yummo!! But before we know it it will be time to pack up and come home.

So the next time you will hear from me will be at least next Wednesday evening when we return to civilian life and pry ourselves away from the bush. I will return from my relaxing bush retreat knackered with two feral children that are black from bushlife and who have a large case of television withdrawal symptoms and everything smelling of smoke!! Sounds great and I can't wait!!

Oh before I go - big CONGRATULATIONS to Ms Vicki - great loss this week girl. Keep up the great work. I will definately miss our walks and our chats this week. (I am going to try and be as good as I can while I am away - LOL!!)

Bye for now and I hope everyone backs a winner on the Melbourne Cup!!

Sooooo much is happening......

I know that between now and January 1st 2006 is going to fly past and if I procrastinate tooooooo much I am going to miss heaps!! To be honest I cannot believe it is nearly the end of October which means only 61 more sleeps until the fat man in the red suit blesses us all with his presence (including the wrapped variety)!! OMG that is not many sleeps at all!!

The camping trip is coming along nicely and I will be the first to put my hand up and say I was in a much better frame of mind this morning... at least we know where we are going so it is full steam ahead on that topic now. So roll on Friday I am ready to pitch tent and relax!! Like as if!!

Had a wonderful phonecall from my friend Kerry, who is in Sydney, today and it really brightened my day. Stace and her are planning a trip down in December for a girly weekend and they are staying with us (I wouldn't have it any other way). Can't wait to hear what they both plan when they get together this weekend.

The goods news was coming from all angles today. A message on my answering machine to tell me that my girlfriend Trinity's little girl Willow was home from hospital finally. Willow was born at 27 weeks (yep 13 weeks prem) and weighed 785 grams at birth. She has done really well and battled all the odds associated with being soooo early and wooohooooo she is home. I can just imagine how happy both Donovan and Trinity are. It is just a shame that they now live in Queensland and I can't be there to help out.

Logging on to the Weight Watchers forums I see that the Muskerettes are starting to be a force together once more with the exception of Rhiain who has disappeared without a trace. I will try and call her tomorrow to make sure all is okay. Julz is doing well with her pregnancy although she may be out in her dates by four weeks unless she is having a huge baby!! LOL!! Gina is not far off embarking on her journey to the east coast and I am really looking forward to catching up with her once more.

I think it has been decided within the family that Christmas will be spent at our house. I really don't mind as most of you know that I enjoy entertaining. So it looks like roast turkey with all the trimmings and christmas pudding for lunch and possibly a seafood dinner. I am glad it is at house acutally as I know what is happening and our kids don't have to go from house to house to ensure that all the family is seen. Both Noel's family and my family will get together for lunch.

Oh well better fly I still have lots to organise this week before Friday......

Finally - the right camp site

Geez after 3 weeks of driving around various state forests, national parks and basically anywhere that resembled bush and had a river/creek close by we have finally found a camp site. We have been planning to go camping for the Melbourne Cup Weekend for the last 6 months or so but until today unsure about where we were going to pitch the tent.... but today we found the right spot.

Sounds silly I know but there were severeal requisites for the "Right" spot.
1. Near water
2. Fairly isolated - didn't want to be surrounded by people especially yahoo's
3. Grassy not sandy/dirty

Call us fussy if you wish but we like to be comfortable and once we pitch tent we are there for 5 days so why shouldn't we get the right spot? All the truck drivers at my work are picking on us for being "too fussy" and saying "you should just go and camp - campings all about taking the rough with the good" but everyone has there standards. I have been laughed at by blokes that just throw out a swag once they have found their destination to a bloke that although he agreed with the others actually goes to his onsite van that is fitted with a tv and dvd player... right like that is roughing it.

But we are off to Snob's Creek next Friday and will camp there until the following Wednesday. There is the creek running right past the campsite which will provide the water for showers and dishes etc. Not sure if it is drinkable but will take water in with us. The site is not accessable by normal car only 4wd and is set quite a way from the main road. Cross fingers that we will be the only ones heading for the site this weekend. It is big enough to fit maybe two camps on there but it would be nice to be by ourselves.

Well it is now past 10 o'clock and I have been up since 5am as I had to work this morning - so the bed is definately the next thing on the agenda!!

A small loss...

Well what a last 48 hrs... my posts are becoming as eratic as my moods LOL!! Actually I am not that bad!!

Doctors yesterday brought good results all round. The GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) came back normal and in a healthy range and my blood pressure was perfect. Needless to say I left the doctors beaming and having a new outlook on how my day was going to go.

Alex enjoyed her last session at the primary school for this year. The next time she will participate in a classroom activity is when she starts her first day next year. They had rabbits in the classroom and all enjoyed playing with them. Us lucky mam's had tea and coffee with the principal, vice principal and one of the prep teachers in the library.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning the house for Aunty Maggie's visit. We then went to Frankston to meet up with her but she was late - as usual! Unfortunately she has been like it forever!! My mam and dad used to tell her dinner was an hour early just so she would be there on time. Even though our dinner was late the kids did really well and the whole evening was over before it seemed to begin.

Back to work today - quite a busy one as I was preparing for my assessment training over at Bacchus Marsh tomorrow. I have another 2 hr each way drive to look forward and then two competency assessments to complete. With luck I hope to leave there before 3pm or I will catch all the city traffic and be really late home.

My first week's weigh in tonight for my fresh start and I had a small loss - was hoping for more but as Vicki said 'a loss is a loss'. I definately need to focus more over the weekends although I was proud of making myself accountable this week.

Going now as I am dead tired and need to syke myself up for the morning.

A Rostered Day Off!!

Well today I have a rostered day off but I can tell you right now there will be no relaxing for this little chick!

The washing is already on the go, the herbs and plants have been watered, the kids are still snoozing so they must have needed the extra sleep.

What else is in store for today?

I have to take Oliver to school and then I am off to the doctors. I am going to get the results of my Glucose Tolerance Test today. Not sure if I am anxious or not at the moment. But I have decided not to stress about it until I am at least sitting in the waiting room.

Alex has her final orientation session at the primary school and that is 12.30 - 1.30pm. She is soooooo excited about going - hasn't stopped nattering about it all week.

5 o'clock this afternoon I am picking my aunty up as she is coming for dinner. Aunty Maggie is down from QLD for a couple of weeks so it will be great to catch up. The kids are looking forward to it also. Roast lamb and all the trimming (low fat version of course) is on the menu.

So needless to say inbetween the doctors and school and school and Aunty Maggie coming I need to do some serious cleaning around the house - yes that mini hurricane has been through again!! LOL!!

By the way isn't the new prince of Denmark absolutely cute... and Mary well she looks radiant and calm - I am not one bit envious of the sleepless nights ahead! Mind you I am sure she has plenty of hired help.... unlike the real mother's of the world.

Got to fly now... busy busy busy.

Missing in action

Well unfortunately busy lives mean something gets missed and as I try to sit down to blog last thing at night I am finding it very hard to stay awake when I sit still without falling asleep in our lovely office chair... too comfy that's for sure. Just ask Noel how many times he has got and up and found me asleep at the computer!!

So what has actually happened since my last blog:

I went to my first Thursday night WW meeting as a member - it was definately different to sit amongst the members and just listen. Previously being a recorder I missed a lot of the meeting as I was balancing all the money and products etc. The scales weren't toooooo horrible to me although I did have a gain of 0.5kgs! That could be just the difference in the scales as I felt that I didn't have a bad week - oh well onward and downwards from here right. As Cheryl used to say "I hope to see less of you next week" - LOL pretty corny really!!

Friday found Vicki and I walking again - amazing we kept up the pass for all 4 kms and shaved a minute of our previous walk... doesn't sound like much but to us it was a HUGE achievement!! Mind you legs were killing me all night and well into Saturday.

Sunday was spent tourning the country side once more in search of a camp site that is remote but accessible and safe for the kids. We found one but it is bang smack in the middle of nowhere and obviously gets used quite a lot judging by the last fire area. Not sure as to whether we will risk driving all that way on the Friday only to find it occupied and we aren't close to any other sites. Food wise for Sunday - let me put it this way - YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!! LOL!!I suppose it wasn't too bad - I did have a salad and cheese roll for lunch with watermelon and yoghurt afterwards. But that is all I am admitting too!!!

Monday morning - I am rushing to type this madly as we have to leave for work and school soon. Back on track though and will follow my menu planner to the letter. Will need to walk two nights and exercise in the mornings to have a good result on the scales this week but I am sure I can give it a good go!!

Better fly one child has appeared from the realms of dreamtime.......

I face the scales tonight!

Well tonight is the night. I am going to my new (actually old) Weight Watchers meeting and starting a new weekly cycle.

Tuesday still seemed weird - you know not rushing around with kids, getting changed and getting to the church hall is Seaford to set up for our evening meeting. It will be definately different to go tonight, pay and sit for a meeting. I am quite looking forward to it. Going with Vicki will be good also as we can give each other a little more support than just being walking buddies!!

It's all about making myself accountable and I am sure 200% that if I focus hard enough I will be able to lose the extra kgs that I am carrying, bring my BP undercontrol and get on with a long enjoyable life.... right??

Only the scales will tell.............

Geez it's good to walk!!

Well never thought that would actually come from me - but honestly it really was good to walk! Vicki and I haven't walked since last Monday but it seems like an eternity. As I am sitting here I can still feel the soles of my feet and most of the muscles in my legs are still feeling all 6000 odd steps - but no pain no gain right?

I am still looking forward to a fresh start with a new Weight Watchers meeting on Thursday however I am worried that there will be a difference in the two sets of scales. I know that the Frankston meeting uses digital scales whereas the Seaford meeting used the old fashioned scales. I prefer the older ones as I believe they are more acurate but we do have to keep up with technology.

Speaking of new technology roll on the space age of the Jetsons where you press a button and your meal pops out of the machine on the wall, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner not forgetting the snacks!! LOL!! I still have to cook dinner for Noel and I - thankfully I fed the kids before I left for my walk.

Better head towards the kitchen.

The weekend is nearly gone....

Well once again the Murray family have faced a busy weekend.

I am sure that we all enjoyed spending our afternoon at our friend's house, Dave and Kelly. We have know Dave and Kelly for what seems like a lifetime - I am sure it would be near on 9 years now. Oliver wasn't even born and their boys, Jamie and Matthew, were only little tackers. Cannot believe that Matt turned 10 today and that Jamie is starting high school next year. The food was great - roast beef, potatoes, salad, gravy etc... I even spoiled myself and had a piece of cheesecake and some trifle!!

Back on track tomorrow... Four more sleeps 'til I return to the familiar St Luke's Hall for a weight watchers meeting!! I suppose a little like going back to an old stomping ground. Must good food and exercise wise for the rest of this week.

Time for sleep - I want to be up early to do an exercise DVD!!

Bye...

PS Dave's brother Jason and his wife, Nereda, had a little girl this afternoon!!! It's their third child and the first two were boys. I am sure that the whole Nagel family were happy when they heard the news!!

Call me Ms Forgetful!

Geez at night when I am soooo tired I generally crash out before I do my post. Especially yesterday when I was up at 5am to go to work. I worked until 12.30pm and then spent most of the afternoon walking through Frankston looking for 3 birthday pressies...

I am enjoying exploring the new shopping centre (stage 1 anyway) and this week have splurged on a few little goodies for me and the house!! Even started the christmas shopping by putting a layby on of clothes for the kids. OMG it's only October and I have made a start - wooohoooo mark it on the calendar.

Today, overcast again, and we are off to a BBQ in Pakenham with our friends. It's Matthew's birthday but we will also celebrate Dave's, Jamie's and Kelly's as we have/will miss them. I didn't pre-empt buying Chloe her pressie as her birthday is in December and I am sure we will catch up by then!!

Well got to go and get ready for our outing... will let you know how it goes.

Ten Pin Bowling!

Work today sucked!! Bigtime! I think it was more the fact of returning to work on a Friday of all days. Thankfully it is over now.

Anyway the exciting news for today is that Oliver has gone back to league ten pin bowling. He missed last season but played the season before and is very proud of his trophy which has a special place in his bedroom. Kyle, his cousin, is playing also and their team name in the Ankle Biters League is "The Gutterball Cousins" - they chose the name between them! I didnt' get to the alley tonight as work held me up but according to Noel and Claire they had a fun session and both played well.

Another quiet night for Noel and I as the kids are at their grandparents. Both of us are working in the morning. Dinner tonight will be Fish Parcels - very healthy and easy to make.

Off to relax in the quiet - it's amazing what the dishwasher and the washing machine sound like when the kids aren't screaming at each other or arguing!! LOL!!

Glucose Tolerance Test....

Well for a simple blood test 4 hours in a waiting room is an awfully long time! My appointment was for 9am but the horrible girl on reception decided not to listen to the fact that I had an appointment snapping just take a number off the wall and wait your turn!! Put me in a bad mood straight away. Needless to say at 10 to 10 I finally went in to the sister and she was angry at the fact that I hadn't come through straight way - especially as I had been fasting. The lime glucose drink was as disgusting as I remembered it from both pregnancies as was the hour long wait between the next two blood tests! I left pathology at midday.

Funny though how the next four hours just disappeared. Before I knew it I was picking the kids up from school and rushing around the house preparing dinner. Off to swimming was next on the agenda and finally at about 9pm I sat down to relax only to fall asleep.

Back to work today.

A visit to the doctors! What now?

Noel and I went to the doctor's yesterday. Noel was getting his test results back from last week's visit to the doctor and I required a new prescription for my blood pressure tablets.

All was going well - Noel's results were very good and most were well within the good range (you know cholesteral, blood sugars, kidneys etc.) which is excellent news.

My turn!! Got my prescription and had my blood pressure checked. It has gone up! ?! 135/90 - maybe I was stressing about Noel's results, who knows!! Next the doctor decided to have a look at my last blood test results and notices my glucose (blood sugars) were to high!! "Great " I thought to myself.

Needless to say I have been fasting since last night and I am off to pathology this morning for a two hour GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test). If you have been pregnant you know about this test. Firstly you need to drink this full bottle of sickly sweet horrible lime tasting liquid and then you wait for an hour. Boredom sets in after about 30 minutes!! The first blood test is taken after an hour is up then back to the waiting room for another hour before they take the second blood sample.

Better go and find a good book to take with me.....

I am sooo excited about today! Hopefully something good will happen that I can post about tonight.

Seaford Weight Watchers has closed.

Tonight was the last Weight Watchers meeting to be held at Seaford.

According to Weight Watchers they will review it again in January but that seems so far away. Although I am sadden by the closure and the fact that I won't have the regular contact with the members I am looking forward to the new beginning.... I am going to become a paying member again and start making myself accountable for each week. Needless to say I am going to tag along with Vicki to the Thursday night meeting at Frankston and I am sure that having a buddy to go with will do me the world of good..... are you ready for a tag team effort Vicki? LOL!!

I actually showed a loss of 0.1kgs this week - yeah.... I honestly haven't been good and as for my will power - it's gone into hiding and although I have searched high and low haven't been able to find it. Tomorrow is another day and a NEW day.

Noel and I are off to the doctors in the morning... Noel's blood test results will be back and I just want a new blood pressure tablet prescription and a check up. Noel went to the doctor's last week for peace of mind and asked for a blood test to check all the usual - cholesteral, blood sugars etc. I am sure that he will be fine.

Off to bed now... have a great night all.

Back to school...

Back to school today for Oliver and after yesterday's adventure he really didn't want to get up early but I am really proud of his efforts. It was really good to see him back in his uniform.

So now for me and the kids it is back to the routine of getting up early, making lunches, dropping Oliver off at before school care and then Alex off at creche. And of course picking them up in time in the afternoon. Thankfully Alex will be at school next year and it should make the mornings a little easier at least. Love them both dearly but they are soooooo hard to motivate some mornings!!

Alex took her lunch box to creche for the first time today - it is part of school preparedness!! She was really excited and it couln't go in her bag it had to be carried for the world to see. She is very proud of the fact it is off to school next year.

Another walk with Vicki tonight - 4kms! My legs aren't as bad as they have been - obviously I am FINALLY getting used to it! Work was really boring except for all the truck drivers, who also double as bush bashers, discussing our family adventure yesterday - lol - they were amazed at the tracks that we took. Several of them were familiar with the track dubbed the "narly" one!!!

Nite all.......

Nearly 600kms!!!!

Instead of spending the day yelling at the kids for arguing over silly things "he's got my toy" or "give that back" not to mention "I'm telling on you!" Noel and I decided to pack the family into the 4wd and head off in search of our campsite for the upcoming Cup Weekend. We have put in our annual leave and are looking forward to the 5 day break BUT at the moment have no idea where we are going to set up camp.

To cut a really long story very short - nearly 600kms and we still don't know where we are camping!! LOL!!

However we did find some great off road tracks up near Walhalla and Licola. We had a picnic lunch at Aberfeldy Bridge which was so peaceful right next to the river. Wildlife was abundent on this trip, to the kids enjoyment, as we came across a Lace Monitor, Echidna, Kangaroos, Fox, Rabbits not to mention a few road kill victims!!

One track, Boguane Gap Track, on the map seemed to lead to ideallic riverside camping and caught our interest. Meeting up with other bush bashers upon starting the track it was described to us as a "narly" track. Noel and I looked at each other and thought we are here now might as well have a look! Geeez narly, in my opinion, wasn't the correct word. I think I would have bought "outright scary" in my description. The kids were scared while we were climbing up at one stage and I must admit I burst into a fit of uncontrolable laughter once we reached the top - I think it was out of relief!!

As it was sooooo late dinner wasn't the lasagne we had planned on but instead we stopped and had a chinese meal in Traralgon which was yummy. The kids both ate really well and as we were leaving a nice lady from a table near us commented on how well behaved our kids were. Blushing I thanked her and explained they had been sat in the car all day and I had quite expected them to misbehave but was very proud of them!! And we still had to drive back to Frankston. We left the restaurant at 9pm!

Anyway we have literally walked in the door, the kids are now tucked up in bed after sleeping the last 2 hours in the car, the car has been unpacked and everything put away. Sorry about not walking Vicki but I will chat with you tomorrow....

Needless to say I am off to bed now. I am absolutely shattered!!!!!!

Busy Busy Busy

The house of Murray was busy today - not busier than usual but none the less an enjoyable day was had by all.

The last 24 hours disappeared fast as usual - funny how Saturdays and Sundays just past you buy whereas Monday thru Friday drag like there is no tomorrow!!

I worked half the day today starting at 6am (yuk) but with end of month I was determined to get out of the office by lunchtime. Noel stayed with the kids as there was no work due to an RDO yesterday.

After shopping, cleaning and preparing for the evening ahead the house become a buzz of excitment. We were ready for to have a bbq with a new family. I have been walking with Vicki, as you know from previous posts, and we decided it was time to get the two families together as the kids were anxious to meet each other. Without fail after every walk I got asked "when can we meet the boys?" LOL!! It was nearly time. Oliver and Alex kept peering out the loungeroom window, jumping on the trampoline (which is out the front) with anticipation. Noel and I knew when they had arrived by the squeals and yelling only my two could make.

The evening went well, we had a yummy bbq which I am sure was well within our points for the day. I had saved some by having a small breakie and lunch. I maybe had one or two many wines but it was Saturday night. We ended the night with a fire box - that was great. We haven't had one for a while especially during winter. The smell of the wood burning just brought back memories of sitting around the campfire and just relaxing underneath the stars... lol... won't be long until we will be off camping again.

As a family we enjoyed ourselves last night and hope The Knox family did too!!

Not sure what the day holds for today... let you know tonight!!

The chocolate machine...

The only way our kids get excited about going shopping is the thrill brought on by the chocolate machine. You know the one that is conveniently positioned outside the supermarket, costs $1 or $2 and if luck is on your side you walk away with a chocolate or two. If you mention "who wants to come to the supermarket?" nine times out of ten our kids ask "Are you going to Bi-Lo?" I believe that they had a trip to Bi-Lo today!!

Noel had an RDO and I left for work leaving him and the kids asleep. It is good for them to spend a quality day with Noel as he works very long hours also. Today was spent with Noel going to the doctors for a routine checkup, visiting my sister so Noel can do something mechanical to her old car, getting some hair cuts and obviously the highlight of the day was the chocolate machine!! Apparently luck was on their side as they have been boasting about having chocolate today.

Vicki and I walked again tonight - another 4kms which I will say we completed faster than normal!! We have set a goal for ourselves regarding a special night out for dinner at the Ling Wah..... we have to lose 10kg before we go out to a fab chinese meal KIDLESS!!

Noel has spoiled me - he has cooked a wonderful dinner. We are having Osso Bucco - yum - and it smells delish. And yes it is a WW recipe!!

Ciao - bon appetite my dinner is ready!

Recipe - Osso Bucco

4 lean veal shanks
1 tbs seasoned flour
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 stick celery sliced
1 carrot sliced
1 tsp garlic minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 x 400g can crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbs tomato paste

Toss the veal shanks in the seasoned four. heat a large flameproof casserole dish and add the oil. Brown the veal and add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook until soft. Add the garlic, white wine, tomatoes, stock and tomato paste. Stir until well combined. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Serves 4 /3 1/2 points per serve.

Enjoy!!

Roast pork and crackle........

Okay it is confession time!

I got home from work last night and cooked a really yummy roast pork dinner. The potatoes were roasted using cooking spray not oil and the only bad thing that was cooking was the crackle on the roast itself plus the extra piece of crackle I had added. As a family of crackle lovers, I knew that I needed to cook the extra piece even if I wasn't eating any.... I was determined.

Anyhow a hour or so later, the smell filling the house was delish and several wines had been consumed!!

I FELL APART - I GAVE IN.

It wasn't that the temptation was too great (maybe a little bit). I honestly just wanted to eat it and I wasn't going to sit and watch the rest of the family chomp away!! To make matters worse I managed to eat a few extra potatoes drowned in a gravy (used the meat juices and a little fat) along with a massive piece of crackle.

Feeling sick and ashamed of myself, I went to bed and watch "You are what you eat" and sooked!!

But sore belly and I can't sleep.... yawn


Big shout out to Vicki - way to go this week 2.3kgs is a great outcome for all your hard work.

Sibling rivalry

The wind has been blowing for most of the day with rain scattered here and there of varying strengths. At one stage the weather radar looked like a kids colouring book with no colours staying between the lines. It was quite dark at Harkaway for most of the day so being indoors staring at the computer screen wasn't that bad afterall except for the workload!!

Braved the elements and walked again with Vicki!! Legs definately hurting tonight and by the three lap I was absolutely knackered!! LOL!! But we kept walking and completed the 4th lap of the park. Just as I dropped Vicki back at her house it started to rain - so the timing was right!! The walking must be doing us both good as a car full of lads drove past with one yelling "Show us your tits!!" Idiots!! We must be doing something right with this Weight Watchers thing!! LOL!!

Alex was so excited going to creche today as it was the day of "Wild Action". An incursion where reptiles are brought to schools etc to educate children about animals that are not commonly seen. Wild Action were at the creche last year and Alex remembered what happenend that day therefore she was very eager to get out of the house this morning. I must admit it makes it a lot easier when your child actually wants to go off to school!! When I picked her up from creche I was shown a photo of Alex holding a snake with the biggest smile on her face and not looking the least bothered as to what was there in her hands. She was chatting away at an incredible speed about all the animals and this and that.... wow she must of had a great day.

Oliver returned to our house tonight after yet another sleep over at Aunty Claire's - she is very popular at the moment!! Oliver enjoyed himself and hasn't stopped talking about everything since we came home. He sounded like he had quite an adventure today including a stop at Hungry Jacks for lunch which he quite proudly told his sister about.... grrrrrrr!!!!

Then it was on for young and old.......................

The walking is working

Weight Watchers tonight and I know that walking is definately a way to go......

After a 3 walks with my new friend Vicki (1 was 3kms and the other 2 were 4kms) this week I lost 1kgs and that is just wonderful - especially as I did have a big weekend food and alcohol wise. Afterall celebrating cannot be done lightly, right?? Anyway I am still smiling from the loss.

New promise to self..... must stay within my points, go for another 3 walks (hopefully) plus do other exercise this week.

Noel's sister, Clare (yes another Clare - we both have little sisters named Claire/Clare) was meant to be flying into Melbourne this weekend but plans have changed - so needless to say Saturday night is off. Clare had plan to stay with us on that night and that normally ends up with us all being trashed but LOL we do enjoy ourselves. Unfortunately the next time we may see her now is at Christmas time but in all honesty it is not really that far away.

Won't be long before the fat man in the red suit comes to visit.... LOL!!

Out like a light....

Once again I managed to not post... this is becoming a habit!!

After eating dinner later than usual I sat on the couch and you guessed it fell asleep!! Noel once again managed to wake me up and aim me down the hallway towards the bedroom.... hence why I am blogging at 6.30am!!

Anyway......

Yesterday was a draining day at work mentally with the feeling of being a telemarketer after calling all of our customers to inform them that one of our products had run out... stop supply until Thursday. Many took it well but there were a few that were just painful about the situation. I swear they think that they are the only ones that buy rock of us!

Got home, organised the kids dinner and the minute Noel walked in the door I walked out. Off to pick up Vicki for a walk - not divorce!!

Strange walk last night as I don't think I had ever walked in the dark for exercise purposes... many nights walking home from pubs when I was younger though. But it was really good except my sights were focussed more on the dim shadows of the park than actually making eye contact with Vicki as we chatted away madly! But armed with my Bonus Buddy, a pedometer, it was noted that we walk just over 4kms - geez didn't think 4 laps of our park was that long... my legs definately feel it this morning.

Off to Weight Watchers tonight - it is the second last meeting for Seaford. Oh well I am a little sad about it but I am looking forward to going to the meetings with Vicki now on a Thursday night.

Better fly must get ready for work etc etc.......

Happy 12th Wedding Anniversary!!

Happy 12th Wedding Anniversay!!

Wow who would have thought we would survive being together for so long. We sure have had our share of ups and downs but I know that we wouldn't change the last 12 married years for anything. Sounds corny I know but no matter what is often said in jest we love each other.

This morning was romantically spent still cleaning up the place for our family to come over. Mind you the place doesn't look much different than it did yesterday especially after a hurricane of 5 children aged 7 - 1 spent the afternoon playing!! However I got a wonderful card from Noel for anniversary - actually reduced me to tears. It wasn't the card, which was really nice, it was what he wrote proves that he is a true romantic at heart!!

I think everyone enjoyed themselves. It must have gone well as every one left by 8pm!! And they arrived at 2p.m. ! Packed with plates of food we thanked them for coming and I must admit I enojoyed myself today!! It was wonderful to spend the afternoon with family especially my sister. It was a really good time for us both and she even left with Oliver tonight so he gets another sleep over - lucky him.

Didn't walk today but I can say that my legs can feel yesterday's efforts. I am proud that I have been making the effort to walk and it is great to have someone to walk with - hey Vicki I know that you are reading this!! Cross fingers that we will be able to pace around the park on Monday after work. I found my bonus buddy so I will see how many steps I do in a day now.

Until tomorrow.............

Grand Final Day and no interest...

Well today was Grand Final Day and as a family of St. Kilda supporters I must say that we weren't at all interested... funny really as in 1993 we weren't interested in who was playing either as we got married on the day of sporting celebration!! Can't even tell you who was playing that year. This year the Swans (Sydney) won... roll on the 2006 season. Carn the saints!!

Things that were on my mind today were my sister, Claire, planning tommorrow's family get together, wondering if the house would ever be clean enough and I had a few fleeting, thoughts okay they weren't fleeting at all, I admit, about Noel's brother and his wife.

Okay grab a drink this may turn into a long one!!

Claire is my little sister, she is 6 years younger, and it is only as we have grown up that I have learned how much a truely beautiful woman she has become. She is so accommodating for everyone especially me. If I work and need help with the kids she is there. Unconditionally she has both of our children when we ask and it never seems to be the wrong time or a hassle even when she is dealing with 3 boys of her own. I think the way that she is much loved and liked by all that meet her is very deserving and selfishly, I believe that I am truly jealous of her as a person.

The house never seems to stay clean no matter how many hours go into cleaning the damn place. The strangest thing is that we are only home about 25% of the week. We are both at work full time, Oliver is a school and Alex is at creche for the same hours as us and yet it is like a hurricane has gone through the house each week without fail!! Why?? No rest for the wicked - isn't that what they say? There is obviously a conspiracy happening somewhere!!

Tommorrow is officially our wedding anniversary - 12 years!! We thought it would be wonderful if we could get both families together, have a meal and chat - you know nothing formal at all. We almost succeeded as we had confirmations from both my sister and Noel's parents but a phone call last night confirmed that Sean and Vicky were NOT attending a family do AGAIN!! To be honest I am at the point of not even bothering to invite them. There always has to be a reason, and I mean a good reason, for them being invited and then it is still iffy as to whether you get an acceptance. The majority of the time and sadly for Sean, he turns up by himself. Maybe it is because we didn't give a good enough reason (we didn't come out and say it's our wedding anniversary!) however we mentioned discussing Christmas BUT we all know that Vicky has an issue with spending too long at a family function on our side of their marraige. This is starting to sound bitchy but I will be the first one to put my hand up and say that I am really get sick of her antics - and I also know that I am not the only Murray who is. I had better stop here.... To be honest I don't think Noel will like this post!!

This evening I went for a walk with Vicki, my friend, amd we actually did four laps of the park instead of the three we have done previously.. and it was wonderful - I feel great this evening.

On a brighter note - it is our day for celebration tomorrow and I am sure that it will be a great day overall. A bbq is on the menu (yum) plus if the weather stays nice maybe the kids can all go to the park behind our house for a while - but the major plan is just to relax with our family.

Told you it was going to be long - hopefully you didn't fall asleep reading...... I have brain drain now so I am off to bed!!

Peace and quiet but it's wonderful

The kids are at my sister's house tonight for a sleepover and needless to say that our humble abode is so quiet. Not that Noel and I did anything special whilst the kids were not here, it has actually been an enjoyable evening. We did nothing - watched a liltle TV but that was about it. LOL the Murray's had a boring night!!

I shall leave it at that for tonight..... short and sweet .

Will chat to you again soon

PS Although silence is golden I do miss the kids!!

Oh what a night

By the time work finished I was well and truly over it!! We had a very busy morning but a really slow afternoon. There are so many things that I am focussing on at the moment and work is definately not on off them!

It is our wedding anniversary on Sunday and we are planning on having the family over to join us for the day - not celebrate as that is just too formal - we will cook a late lunch or early dinner and just plod on during the afternoon. My sister and her family plus Noel's mam and dad will be coming over and with a bit of luck so will Sean, Noel's brother, and his wife Vicky therefore it should be a great afternoon. We have not really planned it to be an afternoon of celebration (we haven't organised a band to play... hehehehe) it is really just a family get together. To be honest that is all we both want - you know to spend the aday with people that are close and enjoy the day without all the hype..... So it is 12 years this Sunday - and yes we got married on Grand Final day in 1993!! Can't even tell you who was playing!! I just asked Noel and he said maybe Essendon and Carlton but he isn't 100% sure. Not that is matters as the 25th September 1993 was our day - not 44 men running around chasing a leather ball.

Talking about football I cannot believe that The Footy Show has the right to start early and I don't get to watch "You are what eat!!" I love the show - infact 9 times out of 10 I get really motivated after watching it and end up having a wonderful week.

I had a call from Vicki this evening - it was her 1st weigh in tonight and although she has noted a change in her overall cms the scales weren't as friendly.. in fact there was no change weight wise. Maybe the additional exercise and the change to her eating plan plus the fact that she has also given up the fags (for which I am really proud of her) has had a balancing effect this week. I am sure that next week will be a different story as far as the scales go!! Cross fingers on the Melbourne weather tomorrow as we are planning another walk so that means another chat - yey!

Well tomorrow is another day and I am off to bed now....

Where did that 24 hours go?

Talk about a blink and missed it situation. That's pretty much what happened when I go home.

Most of the day it was rush rush busy busy. Before I left for work I managed to do my 25 minute Core Secrets DVD using the fitball.. it is actually an exercise program that I like. As usual work was busy but I spent the day in the office and not in my weighbridge so therefore working with the manager near by I had to look like I was working... lol!!! Finished work and rushed home via the shops.

Finally the time had come to meet with Vicki to go for the walk we had planned. The excitement has been building for some time now and like I have said before it seems like we've know each other for years. We walked and talked about everything and anything for an hour. Well Vicki, you made the walk memborable - thank you for taking time to meet with me - I am sure that we are going to become close freinds. Many more walks to come I hope.

Got home, started on dinner and Noel came home with the kids. It is like they were away for ages not just one night - I am sure that they have both grown. We got them organised for bed, ate dinner and then watched Spicks and Specks. I then proceeded to fall asleep on the couch - Noel swears it is my second bed as the minute I sit down on it I am asleep!! LOL!!

So needless the say another day has gone and I missed my post.... shame. But this will make up for last night - better late than never.

Chat again tonight.

The house is so quiet????

It's too quiet.... no fighting, no sooking, no whinging..... it is just so strange!

Our house is so quiet at the moment as both of our children are at their grandparent's house for a midweek sleepover - got to love school holidays!! While I am sure that both Noel and I will enjoy the quietness and relaxing atmosphere that our home has for a change it always makes us both question what we did before we had the children? Our life always seems so full but nights like tonight, although enjoyable, are just outright weird!!

Saying that, I could just run through the house naked and see if that changes the atmosphere any!! LOL!!!

I have just returned from my Weight Watchers meeting where I recieved two dissappointments. Firstly I put on weight this week - deep down I knew I had, I could feel it, but still seeing it on the scales is horrible. Secondly we were told that Weight Watchers had finally decided to close our meeting due to a lack of numbers and a lack of sales... yes like everything in this world it is down to the dollar value of the exercise. NOT the fact that we are doing the community a service and actually helping people lose weight and lose weight correctly. Geez couldn't put that into the equation!! Bottom line definately money talks.

Vicki, if you are reading this, I hope all went well with Jason.... my thoughts are with you both.

I had a boring day at work today filled with endless paperwork and a computer competency that seemed to take forever to complete.... not to mention bored me even more to tears.

Off to make some noise.........

Rain Rain Go Away...

Well as usual the weather here in Melbourne turned for the worse. The few rays of sunshine we received in the afternoon were of course short lived and as I was nearly home when raindrops appeared on the windscreen. "This is all wrong" I remember thinking "I am meant to be going for a walk tonight and more importantly I am meant to be meeting Vicki!!" It wasn't meant to be. So a few emails later and we have prosponed out long awaited meeting until Wednesday night.

Dreaded rain... absolutely spoiled my fun!!!!!!!!

Work wise my day was rush, rush, rush. I am facing a week full of month end procedures topped with an assessment that I am required to complete for my Certificate IV Workplace Trainer Assessor that I am attempting to successfully pass. Today I did one assessment on a fellow workmate that I have had to write, trial and assess the lucky candidate on. I have two more assessments to complete before I submit my work for my assessment. I have been chosen to complete this course through work and to be honest do not want the hassle of failing and dealing with management. I think I should do okay!!

School holidays have begun and Oliver is at his grandparent's house for the next few days. Alex will be going there tomorrow (Tuesday) night for a sleepover. It is amazing how much you miss your child when they are away from you for just one night. I miss Oliver not just because he isn't here but I miss just talking with him and being able to cuddle him when I want to. He will be having a ball with his grandparents and not even giving us a second thought.

Although both of us miss the children when we are apart Tuesday night will be different for us all. Normally I attend the Weight Watchers meeting where I am the recorder (money taker) and have been for some months now. Noel gets to spend quality time with the children whilst I am working at the meeting. So as both the children are at his mother's house tomorrow night the night is sure to be something different. Saying that I am sure that nothing exciting will happen except maybe get a head start on the housework.

It is our 12th wedding anniversary this Sunday. Nothing has been planned to date but we have tossed around the idea of having a lunch here with just the family. Will see what happens.....

But at the moment I am too tired to think about it and will say goodnight!!

What time is it?

Sunday - a day our family spend together.... well almost! I spent most of the morning in bed - infact I managed a sleep in until 11.15am which is just incredible and still, now at this time of the day, cannot believe Noel left me there.

Mind you as soon as I opened the bedroom door reality hit me in the form of two children!! Not even a 'Good morning mam' was heard before I was bombarded with questions... 'when are we going shopping?', 'remember you promised me a surprise last night' and so forth. I was very tempted to close the door again.

To explain further - last night Oliver's wobbly tooth fell out with a bit of extra help. It had been wobbly for what seemed forever and to be honest I was sick of seeing him play with it. He always had his fingers in his mouth wobbling it and also manoevering his tongue over it as his own personal form of amusement. I had happen to say that if Oliver pulls it out I would buy him a long awaited Tamagotchi if his tooth came out tonight. Needless to say that, with a bit of gentle parental coaxing and a twist of the tooth from Dad, Oliver managed to pull his own tooth out!!

The rest of the day was spent at Noel's parents house. We went up for an early dinner - it was good to spend time as a family. We played bocce, the european bowls game, chatted and enjoy a lamb roast with all the trimmings. It is good that now as adults we can sit and spend quailty time with our elders without thinking that it is the worst thing in the world. Now I only need to convince my kids!!

My first day is nearly over.

Just to put an end to my first day as an offical "blog".

The afternoon went quite fast with Oliver going to one of his friend's houses for a few hours to play whilst Noel, Alex and myself did the shopping run. As usual just as we got out of the car in the carpark the heavens opened up and you guessed we were parked so far away from the door.... incidental exercise!! Running to the shops Alex was yelling "it's like being in a big shower!!"

After food shopping we went to a few camping stores as we are looking to buy a new tent for camping on the Cup Weekend (early Nov). There are so many to chose from, so it is a really hard decision. I think we have narrowed it down to 2 designs although there is actually nothing wrong with the tent we have we just want a bigger one. You can actually go mad in those camping stores and buy everything including the kitchen sink if you really wanted too!! Not sure where we are going this trip but it will be somewhere in the bush!!

I have to confess I would never have set up this blog (although I have thought about doing it for some time) if it wasn't for inspiration received from others especially a new friend named Vicki. It is like we have know each other for years but to date we haven't met or even spoken. However we do plan to catch up Monday for a walk in the evening - if this rain ever goes away. So thankyou Vicki! You have already become an inspiration to me and I wish you all the success in your weight loss journey. We can take all those little steps together.

So I will goodnight to you all as I need to get dinner ready so the kids and I can sit down and watch "Wizard of Oz" tonight - yes another musical!!

The very first post.....

Well hello world!

This is the first post in our blog and I must admit it is very exciting for me.

Where to start? hhmmmmm

Grab a cuppa this may be a long one! hehehe

As mentioned the Murray family is made up of me, my husband Noel and our two children. Oliver is 7 and still coming to grips this morning with the fact that St. Kilda lost the prelim last night. Alexandria, our little princess, is 4 years old and turning 14, with a corker of an attitude towards life and keeps us on our toes. Noel and I have been married for 12 years on the 25th September - less for murder he keeps saying. LOL!

Noel and I are both British born and immigrated as children. I was born in Caerphilly, Wales, and have been in Australia on and off since I was 2 whereas Noel is originally from Manchester, England, coming out when he was 14. Our boy was born in Frankston hospital in a whirlwind 2 hour labour and emergency caesarean whereas Alex (yes we call her Alex) was stubborn even during labour and 40 hours later came into the world at Auburn hospital in NSW.

Currently I am working full time at a quarry as an administration assistant and a weighbridge operator. I am also a Trainee and Assessor which adds a different angle to my days on occasion. I enjoy it and everyday is different which I suppose makes the job easy to come to. Noel is a refrigeration mechanic and works long hours also... Bless him. Oliver is in grade 2 and Alex attends full time creche at the moment - but it's preps for her next year.

One of the major challenges I face in life is my weight - the fact that there is too much of it of course. So you will probably read quite a bit about the challenges that I face and how I overcome them (cross fingers). But with the support of family and friends combined with my desire to be a happier and healthier person I am sure that I can do it.

Well there you have it - a little insight into our world.

Bye for now.