Burgers for lunch

During our tour of Canberra we went to Grill'd for lunch in the City Centre....  we only wanted something light but obviously that's not really available here.

 

I had the "Hot Mama" beef burger.

 

Grandma had the "Almighty" beef burger.

A favorite haunt - Hastings....

When we don't really know what to do we tend to find ourselves climbing into the car armed with a picnic basket and heading down to Hastings for fish and chips and generally a walk along the pier to blow away the cobwebs.

We got to eat the fish and chips......

But it was too windy and somewhat chilly so we didn't get to go for the walk along the pier.

Homemade Hamburgers

Lunch today was homemade hamburgers.....

Mam marvelled at the size....

Was a little concerned with getting it all in her mouth!!!!

But gave it a good go..............LOL!!!

Catching up... so much happening!!

As everyone knows it's never dull at the Murray household.... so without rambling on too much I will give you a quick catch up post.

On the 30th July Anthony, Rachel, Ellis and Ffion arrived from Oman.... there has definitely been excitement in the air about this as the last time I saw Anthony we were 18 years old and we were in Wales.... man soooo long ago. They arrive in Melbourne very late Thursday night so it wasn't until Friday afternoon they made their way to Frankston.


They stopped for dinner. We still had some seafood from my trip to Lakes Entrance so we started with a seafood platter followed by beef curry and rice.

Rachel peeled her first prawn!!


The kids all got along famously - it was like they have known each other all their lives!!!! In fact we all had a great evening the first night!!!



Saturday night, Clare's birthday, we celebrated again in honour of her birthday of course!! Anthony, Rachel, Ellis and Ffion along with Jamie and the boys came for a Turkey dinner. Being July I guess we could have had a "Christmas in July" theme but once again in was brilliant to have the house full of family.



Sunday saw the final round of the 2010 junior football season.... both kids played well but sadly Oliver's team lost and therefore are not in the finals this year. But football is far from over with the four next Sunday's consumed by the Finals which Karingal is hosting again this year.



My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Grandma is here.....

Grandma arrived on Tuesday night. We have been expecting her for some time now as this trip has been planned with a special purpose (something I still cannot mention on here just yet!)

Anyhow as usual the first cuddle is always the nicest as it's been some time since we saw each other. In fact it was in January and due to the family situation (with my sister) that visit didn't go down to well at all - a lot of yelling, arguments and crying!!! This visit is definitely going to be a hell of a lot better.

As with every visit the first thing that always gets planned is a family dinner. So Jamie (my brother in law) brought around the four boys to have dinner with Grandma.

It's always wonderful to see the beaming smile on mam's face when her 6 grandkids are together and with her. I know she does miss it when she is up in Queensland.

These two are the best cuddlers and very very cheeky boys.....
Wesley (6) and Angus (3)who had to sit either side of Grandma!

These four love getting together and are as thick as thieves....
From left to right ~ Alex (9), Stuart (10) Oliver (12) and Kyle (12)

Mam made a delicious lasagne which we served with garlic bread and a fresh garden salad but it was the quality family time that was the highlight of the night.

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Menu Plan Monday (17th July - 23rd July)

Once again I am behind the 8 ball with posting up our weekly eating plan. And to be perfectly honest we are facing a few huge weeks in the Murray household.

Last Friday night we had our friends Nazz and Steve over for dinner. We had a Mongolian Steamboat and it was enjoyed by all. There was left over meat and vegetables so we had another one on Saturday night.

My mam arrives today and then all the family/social events will start up for the next 3 or so weeks.

Anyway this is what I have planned for our menu this week:

Saturday ~ Mongolian Steamboat

Sunday ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise and Fettucine Carbonara (dinner at the footy club presentations sponsored by Frankston Pizza House)

Monday ~ Fish and Chips
Tue ~ Mooloolaba Chicken, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Steamed Vegetables

Wed ~ Lasagne, Garden Salad and Garlic Bread

Thu ~ Chilli Prawns with Steamed Rice

Fri ~ Chargrilled Pork Cutlet on Rosti with Steamed Vegetables

As you have probably gathered by now, I LIVE for menu planning! By menu planning it ensures that we have a weeks worth of meals organised which is especially useful Monday through Friday when there is not much of the day left after finishing work, picking up the kids from school and having to deal with the tasks of homework, clothes washing, showers, etc., and to do without the hassle of worrying WHAT we are cooking for dinner each night. Honestly if I left deciding what’s for dinner until I go home we wouldn’t eat until midnight!!

I know that our week starts on a Saturday but that’s just for the ease of fitting in with my grocery shopping which is normally done on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon. As usual more great menu ideas can be found at Menu Plan Monday over at I’m An Organising Junkie, don’t be shy pop over and have a look at other’s menu plans. You never know you may just find something different to have for dinner.

Some recipes for things we cook can be found over at our cooking blog, A Dash Of Flavour, normally posted after they have been cooked or just click on the links for each meal when they appear.

Happy cooking,

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

It's beginning to feel a bit like Christmas....

Not too many days left now before the jolly fat man in the red suit comes to visit all the good little girls and boys..... and boy are my two kids getting excited.

Mam arrived safely on Friday afternoon and as usual it's great to see her! The kids came to the bus stop to pick her up and I love seeing her face when she gets of the bus and looks at the children, assessing how both of them have grown and changed since last time.

Saturday Mam came to work with me, yes she arrived just in time for my work breakup and as in Harkaway tradition we had a spit roast and some salads on site. Not an overly exciting breakup but hey, that's what was organised, it was free so no complaining should be done!

Jamie brought the boys over for dinner on Saturday night and for Grandma's all important catch up with the boys.... she was really pleased to see them. Although, in true kid fashion, they played together most of the night and didn't really bother with any of the adults, I am sure she had fun and was grateful to see them considering what has happened this year.

Yesterday, we went shopping and I can proudly say we are almost done with the Christmas shopping. Most presents are wrapped also which is a fantastic thing with only a few more that we brought on Sunday to go. So I have gone from being VERY disorganised to almost on top of it!! Woohoo!! We also went out for dinner to Quality Wok, in Frankston, Mam's treat - so once again no complaints!!

Noel took Mam to the doctors today as she needed to get a Victorian referal to MIA (Melbourne Imaging Association) as she needs to have an ultrasound on her liver. I am quite concerned with this and I am praying that it's nothing serious........ she is having the ultrasound in the morning and should be able to access the results on Thursday.

I am off to Weight Watchers tonight so it should be interesting what the recent food fest I attended shows up on the scales!!! Oh well it is the silly season..... lol!!!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Happy Birthday Mam....

~~ Happy Birthday Mam ~~

We hope you have a wonderful birthday!!

One week on......

Well I definately cannot believe it's been one week since Mam and Clare left to go home. But besides the house being quieter we are slowly getting back to normal and back into our routines.

This week has been busy to say the least but I would have to be honest and say no more than the normal.

As usual Sunday was a day filled with football and football canteen. The Under 11's lost again, which is a shame as they haven't had a win at all this season so far... cross fingers on the up coming weeks. I am slowly trying to detatch myself from the canteen. It is very hard considering I do enjoy it but there are never enough volunteers to help out with serving, cooking and cleaning. They are all happy to buy the food but don't dare ask them to give up their precious time watching the game!

I have handed out the invitations to our upcoming "How To Host A Murder" Dinner Party on July 4th. It was good to see some of the faces when they read their invitations and worked out which character they were playing and I could just see the cogs turning over regarding a costume etc. I cannot wait until that night - I love these dinner parties. The whole night is a lot of fun with dressing up and getting into character, enjoying a good dinner and working out who amongst you in the murderer!

Alright so the big focus for us this week is "diet", well not so much a diet but a lifestyle change. I have been trying to lose weight for what seems forever but as of this morning Noel, too, has decided that the time has come for him to shed quite a few kilo's and it will definately not do the kids any harm to go without lollies, crisps and takeaway for awhile. I have menu planned the next week so there are no excuses for a healthy dinner each night and will plan on making healthy lunches for us all every day. So cross fingers... day one here Noel and I come!!

Another weekend over.....

Yes that's right another weekend has come and gone....

Friday night we went out for dinner. We went to Noel's parent's house which was a nice change although I was (and still am) tired from the week before. It was a nice meal, a roast lamb dinner. It had been quite a while since we have had a roast lamb dinner - 24 hours in fact. Yes that's right. We cooked roast lamb for dinner on Thursday night as Vera came over. We didn't have the heart to tell mam and dad so we all just ate up with Oliver and Alex giggling at the table with the thought that we were being sneaky by not saying anything!!

Saturday I went to work whilst Noel went and had another doctor's appointment about his foot. He does have a heel spur and recieved a quarterzone injection to help ease the pain as well as some treatment options.... I think this is going to be a long road. Mam went with Noel's parents to the Red Hill Market. She had never been before. It's only on the first Saturday of the month I think and to be honest I have never been there either. Plus I think it was good for mam to spend some time with others... she has been stuck with us so far this whole visit and unfortunately I haven't been able to give her my car like I normally do. In the afternoon Mam, Oliver and I went shopping for a printer for the Football Club, new runners for Oliver and of course the groceries.

Sunday morning brought Round 3 of the football season. Oliver played at home again (that's 3 weeks in a row now) and they lost. Infact as a team, they just seemed to be misfiring... there definately wasn't a spark there and they were beaten drastically!! Dean, the coach, was suitably unimpressed and told them all so after the game! I believe they are in for one hell of a training session on Tuesday night!!

Off the field showing great form!!

Hopefully my days of being fully involved with the canteen are coming to an end... I am a little saddened by the fact that it's physically impossible for me to be fully involved as I really enjoy the time I spend in the canteen and love the whole catering/hospitality side of things. On the other hand spending the full day up at the club as well as working full time it's once again starting to take it's toll on not only my health (I have been tired for about 3 weeks now) but also on my emotions. I know I have been quite irritable and snappy this last week but that probably stems from the tiredness not to mention all the emotional stress from all what's going on with my sister amongst other things!! Cross fingers it is effective as of next week as I am looking forward to spending Sunday's with Noel and the kids!! It's something that I need to do.

So I do apologize to you all.... hopefully I will be back to normal soon!!

Not a happy camper......

Yep that's right - Jo is not a happy camper at the moment!! :(

What's the problem you ask...... my camera has broken!! Just won't work!! OMG it's like I have lost a piece of me!! What is one to do now??????

Okay, after I had my little sook about my poor piece of digital technology dying, had a bit of a panic about the future without it and then pulled myself together I started to actually put a plan together as to what I was going to do!!

• Start looking for a new improved camera (obviously)!!
• I have dropped hints that it could be my mother's day present!! Bad me....
• Might tell Noel that it's half his birthday present (which is only next week anyway)
• Camp next to letterbox waiting for cheque from government stimulas package!! LOL!!
• Use my fandangle mobile as a camera for now (considering it's a new nokia it actually takes quite good pictures!)

Well it's Thursday already and this week has just flown by. Must have something to do with not working Monday due to the Public Holiday for Easter Monday. Actually I cannot believe its nearly another weekend. And a weekend that is overbooked totally already!!

Saturday afternoon we have a date in the park (2pm) with my sister and our nephews. I will be great to see the kids playing together as that's a rare event in itself. I am not sure how things will go with Claire and I - this in itself is bothering me a little, well actually quite a lot. Surprisingly it was her idea to get together this weekend so that caught me off guard when you consider the last few years of minimal contact. But doing the right thing I decided to make the effort so only time will tell. It will not be a good thing if she isn't honest or if she brings "him" with her..... "him" being her new man that nothing is going on with! ggggrrrrr!!! (Long story for another day but I am sure you get where I am coming from!)

Sunday brings our first week of the junior football season. Oliver played a couple of weeks ago but that was a practice match with Cranbourne Junior Football Club and that went really well. With Alex's wrist broken we don't have to up the club at the sparrow's fart (her matches will start at 9am when she gets back to playing - so that's 8.30am up the club) whereas Oliver's matches don't start until 11.40am. Then of course there is presentations up the clubrooms from 5pm... there goes our Sundays for the next 16 weeks!!

On a really good note, I have managed to change Mam's flights so she is now going home on Monday the 11th May and staying for Mother's Day on the Sunday... woohoo!! It has been quite a long time since we have spent a Mother's Day together so I am really looking forward to that!

And then on Monday it's back to school and my beloved routine!!!!!!! Yay!!!!

Saying goodbyes....

I hate the fact that Mam lives in Queensland only because I hate saying goodbye. There is never a brave or strong way to say it.... even trying as hard as I can there is still always a tear or two or at least 5 minutes blubbering in the car.

This morning was no different!! After stalling to leave for work as long as I could I had to leave. By this time I had said to myself so many times to keep happy, but that last cuddle and expressing my thanks once again reduced me to tears, Mam to tears and even Alex who had got up to wave me goodbye.

Mam is returning to Claire's today and she will be there now until she leaves on Wednesday. Unfortunately due to the situation with Claire it means that I won't see Mam again before she leaves (incidently I spoke to Claire yesterday and told her I want this fued thingy to stop - she said she would call me soon!)

So the house will once again be quiet tonight.... the kids are back with Mam and Dad for another week of school holidays and they will return on Friday night at this stage. Bring back school I say (the kids wouldn't agree) and bring back our normality!!

Happy birthday to.....

Cannot believe that it's my birthday already, meaning that 8 days have already flown passed this year!! Being at work on your birthday sucks especially when it's dead quiet but it's paying those damn bills, right?

So far we haven't done a great deal as far as school holidays etc go but both Noel and I came back to work on Monday.

My Mam is babysitting the kids for us this week and so far they all seem to be having a ball. Tuesday they all went to the beach and saw the sand sculptures and "The Blessing of the Waters" by the Greek Community. Didn't know that was on but it added an extra element to the day for mam and the kids. They all got sunburnt!! BIG TIME!! I think they will be spending today at home, just like yesterday in recovery mode!!

Sunday we did go to the races and that was great fun. It was all the family as usual which was great and good to see to see Sean and Vicky again. Christian, being older this year, was fascinated by the horses and it was good to see face his face when the horses were near our area. (Being a member we got to set up our area right next to the race track, so brilliant view of all the races.)

Here is Mam and Sharon relaxing and from the look of it studying the form guide. Some of the races are hard to pick especially when there can be four horse and the TAB is only paying 1st and 2nd! We have even witness a two horse race... can you believe that? Only at Balnarring!! (It was a beautiful day, not too hot and thankfully not raining - somewhat hard to believe for Melbourne!!)

Relaxing inbetween races is some more of the family. Sean (white t-shirt), Mam and Dad, Christian, Oliver and Tom are keeping in the shade and having something to eat. One good thing about the races is we are never short of food or maybe that's a bad thing, everyone brings something to share so we don't have to buy food from the overpriced food vendors down there. This year we took our weber and had some lovely roast lamb with salad and bread rolls, not to mention dips and nibbles, and satay skewers. As I said lots of food!!

Of course there are no photo's of me (I think Mam might have taken one but we will leave that on her camera ... I like to hide behind the camera but who know's maybe one day I will come out from behind it!! LOL!!

But I do have this wonderful photo of my cheekyboy.... Oli!!

Off out for dinner tonight to the RSL with Noel, the kids and our parents. I didn't want a second "birthday" event but I had no say in it really!! It should be a good night and hopefully we will all get a good meal like we normally do, mind you saying that I have to make a good choice food wise! Especially now I am back on my diet - I must be good!

At this point in time nothing major has been planned for the rest of the week or the weekend. But then again, knowing us, things will change - as they always do...

A few days into 2009 and all is well.

After surviving what turned into a huge New Years Party at our house, finishing at 3am I might add, all has quietened down and we are regaining what some would imagine to be normality. HA!!

The house is starting to resemble a home not a party zone with the Christmas Decoration due to come down on the 6th of January (as I said before that's our Christmas tradition) so only a few more days before they are all locked away for another 11 and a half months. I find taking the decorations down quite sad as I just love the thought of Christmas but I make myself feel better by telling me that I have another 11 months to plan the next Christmas for the family to share.

Sean and Vicky came to pick up Clare (she has stayed since New Years Eve and that has been ace). It was sad to see her leave knowing that she was flying back to Sydney today and we wouldn't see her again for awhile. Clare is a fantastic person to be around. Bubbly, funny and so spontaneous. A good drinking buddy also.... OMG did we all drink these last few days! But more importantly she's a unreal sister... we have both dropped the "sister-in-law" tag and just refer to each other as sisters.... and yes if you haven't guessed she makes me feel like a special person.

Mam is still here - now newly nicknamed "Ever-ready" as she is just always on the go and forever pottering. I think we will have to nail or tie her down just to get her to relax but it is still wonderful to have her here (even if we have had several words due to my selfishness). I am going to miss her terribly when she eventually goes back on the 21st January. She will be with us most of the time until then as she has put her hand up to babysit Oliver and Alex while Noel and I go back to work on the 5th.

Today we are all getting ready for the Balnarring Picnic Races tomorrow. Another huge day but it will be enjoyed as it is every year. Most of the family are going and this year we are taking the weber and cooking a leg of lamb to have with salads etc. There is always a beavy of food, normally too much, but it is such a wonderful day and the kids have a ball. Christian will be old enough to understand the horses this year as he was only a baby last year and now that he is walking I am sure tomorrow will be an interesting day for us all keeping an eye on him. We get to the Races early so we can get a really good possy and set up our shelters etc. It is a great day but a huge effort getting everything organised. What do they say - no pain no gain?

Oliver and Alex are having their first sleep over for the year tonight. They are off to Tom and Sharon's. As Sharon is also coming to the Races she will bring the kids down with her. Hopefully they will be good for Sharon and not turn into prize dickheads.... Noel will be reading them the riot act before we take them up there. They get so excited going somewhere else as normally, with us being the entertainers, we have everyone come to our house and that includes the kids friends. Must make an effort to change that this year.....

Oh well better fly as there really is a lot to do.

The feelings of a Friday especially this Friday...

Okay so work is nearly over for the day.. have to kill 15 minutes and look busy! So no better time to post an update for the weekend.

Feeling rather emotional most of this morning - due to the fact that I am longing for that mother/daughter hug, drained from a week of Noel doing night shift and then there is that always nagging problem of my sister in the back of my head. Why can't I shift my thoughts? hhhmmm seriously need to work on that but then that would involve thinking about it....

Anyway this morning after speaking with Mam I have resigned myself to the fact that we wouldn't be seeing her until Tuesday evening. She had decided the right thing to do would be to spend time with Claire and her family. Heartbreaking as it was, I had to accept this fact considering big mouth here actually planted that thought seed the other day as a nice guesture only to ponder whether if the situation was reversed if Claire would have the same care factor as me... definately not is the answer I came up with!

But then the whole situation changed when my mobile rang and it was Mam. Considering the fact that Claire had made plans that Mam didn't want anything to do with so was ringing to ask if we could scap plan #1 and if she could come over to our house for the weekend? Like as if she had to ask at all!! Needless to say once I finish here at work I will be driving to my sisters, SMILING of course, to pick up Mam and take her to our happy (a little bit messy I must admit to) household.

The kids are going to be really excited to see Grandma again.. they asked about her last night so it will be great to see their faces light up when she walks in the door tonight.

Speaking of tonight we will be off shopping just the girls.... Mam, Sharon and me. So that should be an adventure in itself. Then its work for me in the morning and then my work breakup on site. This year it's a pig on a spit, bbq and salads etc. Afterwards better get to cleaning and decorating our outside area for Christmas day and ensuring everything else is in place for next Thursday.

But the best thing of all this weekend is Mam will now be with us until Monday morning....

Grandma arrives today.....

Cannot believe it's the 18th of December already. I just knew December was going to fly by and it has....

.

My mam arrives today from Brisbane. It seems like only yesterday I found out that my uncle had purchased her fares for her as her Christmas present many weeks ago and he was still in Wales then. He's up at her place now but not coming to Melbourne for Christmas. He has made many friends up on the island so that's where he prefers to be.

.

I am excited that Mam is arriving today. It has been too long since I saw her and I can't wait to have one of those mother/daughter hugs that are so special and it doesn't really matter how old you are!

.

Although I am excited, I am also sad. The reason I am sad is I am not sure when I will see my mam. As it's a Thursday today she will go straight to Claire's. That's the deal we all have when she visits. During the week, when we are working she stays at Claire's as Claire doesn't work. Then she comes to us on the weekends, normally on the Friday night and then goes back to Claire's on the Monday morning. This time I am not sure whether we will see Mam on Friday night. As Mam is spending Christmas with me and my family I actually suggested to Mam that she maybe stay with Claire over the weekend so she has some family time with them.

.

Plus there is the small fact that Claire and I still haven't spoken since I told her that I wasn't going to pretend to be happy families anymore. In fact, she hasn't acknowledged the SMS I sent after the last phone call. This is my text that I sent to her on 5/12/08:

"Forgot to ask when we were talking today - why? Why don't you want to associate with me or my family except for when Mam is here? Why don't you want to spend anytime with us? I suppose the overall question is - what have I done? Tell me please! Don't want to continue the way we have been. Would really like to resolve this and move on as a normal family - not a "special occassion" family. I really hope you will contact me soon but it's up to you now!"

Not too harsh I hope, just something I needed to do. The text, I suppose, was a condensed version of the letter that I sent her back in September by registered post that she didn't bother to collect from the post office and it was returned to me!!

.

Needless to say - I have heard nothing. I have had no reply. I am obviously not worthy of any form of explanation or even acknowledgement. I one sense, it confirmed everything.

.

Oh well, although it's eating me up inside I must not let it ruin Christmas for my family... so back to thinking happy thoughts!

Finally I was strong so why do I feel like shit?

After picking myself up off the floor on Wednesday because my sister rang me to actually thank me for my nephew's birthday card that I sent, we had a little chat and then she asked if me and my family would like to go for dinner at their house the night that Mam arrives. Now that pissed me off.... here we go again "happy families" because Mam is here! I told her I would see and get back to her.

Anyway after mulling over my options since Wednesday I finally made my decision.

I rang her this morning. It was hard as I tried to be strong and sound positive whilst holding back tears. I thanked her for her invitation, told her that we would not be coming because I don't want to play "happy families" anymore just because Mam is visiting when she cannot be bothered to contact me any other time of the year and basically that I have given up trying to invite them for dinner, etc. I did say that I wished more than anything that we could be friends and even sisters.

All she could say was "I know what you mean"!!!

I suggested if she wanted to discuss this just the two of us could go for a coffee if she wanted to.

The phone conversation ended with "will talk to you later" then the dial tone! No goodbyes just a hang up.....

I know that something needed to be done as I cannot continue with all the heart ache and the hoping that the situation will just miraculously change one day and we will behave like a normal family again.

In a way I think I may have acted selfishly and put my feelings first but it hurts to know that she is so close, wants nothing to do with me, doesn't want to interact with me or my family and only contacts me for special occasions (birthdays etc.) or when Mam is down visiting hence the "happy families" label!

Not only do I feel sorry for me though.... it's not all about me! I feel sorry for the 6 kids involved. My kids don't know their cousins and their cousins don't know them!!! They are going to grow up not knowing each other and that is really sad!!!

The only thing I regret about the phone call is that I didn't ask her what I did to make her not want to associate with me or my family?

It's not going to change, I know that now.... and although it hurts I must get on and enjoy my life!

The final day of 2006

Well I must admit I have spent the last few weeks enveloped in a very hectic lifestyle. A lifestyle that honestly has required 30 hours in each day and not the allocated 24.

Work has been busy with breaking in the new boss and I also found myself travelling to other sites in the country and interstate. So not only am I still working full time but now jet setting and staying in motels... oh what a life!! Thankfully Noel is ever so supportive and capable of coping at home by himself.

We all enjoyed a wonderful but quiet Christmas - as usual the kids were spoilt not only by Santa but by their parents and their grandparents. The day all went well and I do believe all of our visitors had a good time.

As for New Year it is going to be a quiet one. My mam is staying with us and everyone else has plans. The city looks as though it is going to be the happening centre but I think we have all decided to keep well clear of it. Frankston doesn't look at though there is anything on at all.

Both Noel and I have decided that 2007 will bring change. Change in many ways especially with our weight. Both of us really need to lose some kgs and have agreed to help each other out. We need to also cut down on our take aways (a godsent for working families) and also to cut down on our alcohol intake, which has gotten way out of hand.

Bottom line - 2007 is going to be a better year for the House Of Murray.

See you then.......

Jo

Time flies when you're having fun.....

Cannot believe it has been nearly another month since I last sat down and posted. Wow where does all the time go?

For me, it is working full time, spending as much of my spare time with the kids and doing the occassion bit of house work, shopping, cooking, etc, etc. I am sure everyone knows where I am coming from.

Work at the moment is very busy with a new manager on site, training off site up in the country quarries and with the warmer weather approaching more work is being done so the trucks and the weighbridge are getting busier. I made a few trips to Carisbrook, near Bendigo, for training where I stayed a few nights. I have a few more similar trips in the pipeline prior to Christmas so I will well and truely need a New Years Break.

The kids are getting excited with the fact that Christmas is coming... not long now. I still get amazed every year at how early the Christmas decorations are put out in the shops. You nearly spend half the year looking at Christmas stuff and then celebrate it for just one day!!

Alex lost her first tooth on Melbourne Cup Day and was pleased when the tooth fairy left $10 in exchange for her little tooth. She looks really cute without her tooth and I think she is wobbling every other tooth now.

We all went to the Melbourne city a couple of weekends ago when Noel's sister Clare and her boyfriend came down from Sydney. It was great to see Clare again and to meet Ray for the first time - hopefully as a family we didn't scare him too much. The day was spent at AFL Hall of Fame, a really great place to go even if you are not a mad footy supporter. It is a musuem as well as an interactive environment, similar to Scienceworks, and it kept both the adults and the kids interest all day.

Claire, my sister, is due to have her 4th child on 14th December. I wish my relationship with her was better but I need to remember that it is a two way street. There is no closeness that I feel sisters should have which upsets me and I know it upsets my Mam. I have to be honest and say that I have given up ringing in hope of normality and actually being like sisters as my calls often go unanswered and not returned. Just when I think all is lost she rings me out of the blue. It made my day to actually think she was thinking of me. I appreciated the fact that for once she has made an effort. That was last Tuesday - suspiciously I am going to wait to see how long it takes for the next phonecall to happen. I hate myself for thinking like this!

Mam is due to arrive in Melbourne soon. She flies in on the 12th December and I am really looking forward to seeing her again. My uncle Griff and his partner Julie will be with her as they are coming out from Wales for a holiday. I haven't seen Griff since I was 18 which is 17 years ago now. Needless to say I think this Christmas will be really good with both families and the added overseas relations.

Well as you can see we have been busy and I am sure it won't slow down this side of Christmas..... oh well!!

Geez it took me awhile to come back - but here I am!!

On reflection what seems like a lifetime since my last post is in reality just a blink of the eye... where has the time gone?

I am not going to begin to capture what has happened over the last how many days, weeks or months. I'll just start again from now.

Work is taking me everywhere. Last week I spent two days in Carisbrook which is 10kms from Maryborough. Although a nice place once again I found myself in the middle of nowhere. I really enjoyed myself and I am planning to go up there soon in the near future to complete training.

The kids - well as usual they are growing by the minute and their mannerisms are changing just as fast. Both have similar characteristics but Alex is far more dominent than here older brother Oliver. Both are enjoying school and doing well.

Noel is looking for work and has even starting reading the WA jobs - a little scary as we still haven't unpacked all the boxes from our move to Sydney and back... but if it is to be it will be another new adventure for us all.

Mam rang me today - she is doing well and on a golfing holiday. I am really happy that she has found her niche in the world. It is great to hear the excitment in her voice when telling me things that are happening in her world at the moment. I suppose deep down that is how she has sounded with me for so many years. Always happy at my achievements and there to support me. I love her dearly and only wish that we lived closer.

Will sign off now as it is getting late and I had better go to work tomorrow.

~*JO*~