Meet Murphy

This is our new puppy Murphy. He is a pure bred Staffy. He is 8 weeks old.

He has been accepted into the family enthusiastically!!

Below is Jory helping Kuta to know that he is still loved and to introduce Kuta to Murphy.

Here is Murphy getting to know Jory a bit better by sniffing his butt!!

And the funny thing about it is Jory has no idea!  lol

And another sniff just to make sure he's friendly!

Below Murphy and Kuta test the boundaries with each other.

And Kuta lets Murphy know that he has been here for 16 years and under no circumstances will he be walked over by any furry little puppy. Kuta is the boss of the family and that's how it's staying! LOL.

And below you will see Murphy sneaking off with one of Jory's socks! Oh well, we already have about 50 odd socks in the basket, whats a few more?!!

Under the bush for a chew!!

Now Murphy is quite a calm little dog for being a puppy. At night time we let him in and after a few-minute sniff-around he settles himself down for a sleep at someones feet. Below it's Chey's but it's usually mine or Heaths (cos he knows we are the bosses).

Now it is interesting that we got a staffy . . . . and I'll tell you the story about that!!

First I want you to know that most people think that dog owners get a dog that is like them in some way or a lot of ways.

I am starting to believe this because it was Heath that wanted a Staffy and Murphy is basically his dog (though looked after and cleaned up after and fed by the whole family!! go figure!)

But if you think about it Staffy's are . . . . .

Very Loyal

Quite Good Looking

Short and Stocky

Extremely Strong

Very Intelligent

Protective of its Family

Intimidating when Required

AND

A little bit BOGAN!!!!

Sound like anyone else you know??

Just a thought . . . . . . . .

Oh and check out the little goatee thing under their chins!!! :-)

Coincidence???

Creative Boys!

Most of the time in our house we try to encourage imagination and creativity! I believe it fulfills an emotional purpose to create something. I believe this because i can remember the feeling of it when i was a kid. People can sometimes 'box in' what is seen as creative. So i say there are no rules. You should create what is in you that you want to let out, express or make physical a feeling you have inside! Anyway, enough philosophy . . .

Every night once all the daycare kids have headed home i head to the kitchen to make tea for everyone. This is when Asha (just like every other under 3 year old child) becomes whiny and gets under your feet while you are trying to rush around. Don't get me wrong, i love it when he wants my attention but sometimes kids just have to do what we want!!

So it's Chey and Jory's job to take Asha to play either outside or in their room or anywhere that is safe for him to play and occupy him while i get (most of) tea organised.

But Thursday night things became unusually quiet (which every parent knows you should investigate - just in case!). The boys had 'created' this . . . .

What is it i hear you ask??  "A barrier" i was told from the other side (of the barrier, not the dead!).

Every available item had been used

And some cheeky faces were peering over

There was even a snake . . .with fangs!

And a view from the other side.

So i let them continue . . . . they seemed happy . . . . and it's good, clean fun  . . . . And they weren't fighting!

And it was creative . . . And imaginative . . . And i can remember when the girls used to do similar stuff.

I just told them that everything had to be put back where they got it . . . .And surprisingly . . . It Was!!

And on a cuter note . . . . this is Asha's latest thing . . .

He climbs up on the couch with the boys and watches TV!!

It's too cute.

Dummy and all!!!

Oh and notice the Wii remote in his hand. . . . he pretends to use that too!!!

So I want to be reading this . . . . . .

So i want to be reading this book!! I really need to get it finished because I'm meant to be reading . . . .

THIS!!!! (for Uni)

and THIS!! (for seminary)

and i could even spend some time laminating THESE!!! (also for seminary)










So I'm desperate to finish my book. As you can see it is called 'The Brave' by Nicholas Evans. It's really good and i have previously read 'The Horse Whisperer' and 'The Divide' also written by him. I highly recommend them both ( actually this one too ).  I want to finish it fast because i know that although i LOVE to read . . . . . This is the last book (of fiction) that i'll be reading this year!!!



It's not that i don't want to, it's just that as well as Uni and seminary I'm also spending alot of time looking after these little rascals!

And i also don't want to neglect this little cherub (especially while he is so little!) not to mention my other 4 awesome (and in need of their mother) children!!

I'm not really complaining about my busy life (after all life is about choices and the pro's, cons and balance of each). It's just that this year my sink is destined to continuously look like this. . .

And my bed to continuously look like this . . . .

AND LETS NOT EVEN MENTION MY PERMANENT WASHING PILE!!!!!

(and the varying degrees of washing in my house! - dirty, sorted, in the machine, waiting to dry, drying, waiting to be folded, folded, put away and the given up on ironing pile!)

And then what do i do with these chicken breasts for tea? or any other half defrosted lump of meat nestled on my bench, mocking me and awaiting inspiration.

And and some days i feel Jealous (jealous) yea even jealous! of all my non working mum friends out there who can go to Uni and/or the Gym or sew and cook and spend time with their kids and not plan, clean, prepare and plan!!! for work every day! and who's husbands come home at normal hours and not somewhere between 7pm and 10 pm every night!!! so that by the end of the week you feel like a single parent . . . . Whew!

But you know what ?

I am grateful to have read three novels while i had a 4 week BREAK from work

I am grateful for the opportunity to attend Uni when for many others it is just a DREAM

I am grateful for my role as a seminary teacher as i know GOD is showing me that i have more time than i know in my life and the knowledge is something i need

I am grateful for my job as it brings me the JOY and innocence only little children can give every day and I know so many people would love any job

I am grateful for my 5, well bloody fantastic, children because they are my greatest GIFT

I am grateful for my dirty dishes because it symbolises the FOOD we have had to eat

I am grateful for my un-made bed because it reminds me of the COMFORT and warmth i feel every night when the wind and rain whistle past and i think of those huddled in doorways praying for their life to change

And i am even GRATEFUL for the never ending, never changing continuous pile of washing (because it means we have ample clothing!) And i am especially grateful for my absentee HUSBAND because when i do see him (lots on weekends) i know that i am not a single parent and that many other parents struggle every day on there own.

So thank you God for the BLESSINGS in my life

They are in disguise but I really appreciate them :-)

Christmas Day 2010

Ok, So i havn't blogged in quite some time!! This is because we are coming to the end of probably the most stressful year of my life! It was a really hard year and at times i really felt like i was going insane - literally. I guess it's because i had a new baby to take care of, only taking 8 weeks off when i had him, working over 40 hours a week and organising 5 children with a husband who was working (AT LEAST) 12 hours a day!! So i've felt like a single parent ALOT this year.

But i'm not here to whinge, just putting it out there. I like to self analyse and this is what i've come up with. I love my job, it's a good one to have . . . but i'm glad the year is over and while i won't have any pay until Feb i am happy to be taking 4 weeks off work!! I start back on the 24th Jan. . . . . . .

BUT! . . . . . With some changes . . . . . .The first one is - I have new hours.
Instead of working 7.30am til 5.30pm i have changed things around so that i'm not starting until 8.45am each day and finishing at 5pm! It may seem like a small change but i tell you having 1.5hours extra in a day without daycare children will make a huge difference. The second change is - i'm hiring a cleaner! Well hopefully. . . I havn't actually found one yet but my plan is to get someone to come in on a Friday for a couple of hours. So if you know of anyone in the area, please pass them my number or me theirs.

SO, to Christmas Day. We started off the day with the kids checking out their stockings (which they are allowed to do without us being there) then they check out each others!!

We then ventured to the lounge room to open the pressies under the tree. Now when i was growing up we didn't really have any traditions or formalities to follow, Heath and I have kind of made it up as we've gone along. Some things have changed over the years since the girls were little and some things have stayed the same. The only thing we've changed recently is that instead of all the kids 'going for it' with their individual pile of pressies, we now give them out one by one. Mainly so we can all see and appreciate what the gifts are.

Anyway, this year we decided to let Asha have the first present to open. He enjoyed the ripping part and seemed to like playing with the toy inside.

Eventually we got to everyones main presents - and there were smiles all round! Jory with his Mega ramp

Chey with his little TV for his bedroom

Morgan was very very surprised as you can see to receive a ghd hair straightener (top off the line, salon quality hair straightener for thiose not in the know!)

And Makayla received numerous accessories for her digital slr camera. This is the tripod/monopod.

But this year was a little different and the kids ended up getting a bit more than usual. This is because AFTER i had organised, paid for and picked up all the main pressies HEATH decided it would be a good idea to buy thm all motorbikes!! (Well Jory's is Chey's old one repaired And Asha's is a little different from the others and was from his big sister, Makayla).

Here is a pic of them all on their bikes just before getting going on them. I must add though that they were all totally shocked to see the bikes and Morgan even burst into tears!!!!!

How cute is Asha on his little bike!?


So we headed to Heaths parents house for a Christmas lunch. Both of Heaths sisters, Carmen and Nadia, were there with their children, Preston, Phoebe and Ella. Nadia's husband, Aaron was there too and it is probably going to be the last time we will all be together for Christmas as Heaths parents are hoping to sell up, buy a caravan and head aroung Australia sometime next year. His youngest sister, Nadia lives in Qld now and i doubt she will come back for Christmas again.

Phoebe and Ella

Me and Asha at Christmas lunch


Chey, Jory and Asha with Preston

After lunch we headed out to Meander to my dads house. We wanted to breathe some life into the place as there hasn't been a Christmas held there in ALOT of years! Also, my dad only goes there on weekends as he lives in his Launceston house during the week to save on travelling.

Asha at Christmas Dinner in Meander

My Dad, James and his partner Orn. My Nana and Papa (my dads parents) Margaret and Jim.

Nana and Orn had set the table nicely and had organised everything which was nice because we usually have it at my house and it was a nice change.

I really loved being there again and reminded me of what a lovely house it is. It did remind me of my brother, Stuart though and i had a peek in his old bedroom while i was there. I'm sure he was there in spirit and i bet he was pleased to see us all there together again. Although, dads very very old dog wolfgang died this year so his presense was also missed.

This is everyone watching the film we took of the kids discovering their bikes (and yes there is really proof of Morgan getting very emotional)

We had such a great day which wouldn't be complete without some 8-ball in dads pool room.

Chey somehow managed to beat Dad, which is surprising as dad has played competition for years and ended up in the Launceston final a couple of times (one year my dad and my brother Stuart played each other in the final and as a parent i'm guessing my dad felt like he had won either way. My brother won that match though). Anyway, good old grandad!

Chey taking his shot










And checking out the next best move.

We stayed out there talking until really late and didn't get the very tired kiddies into bed until around 11pm. But it was worth it to have such a lovely Christmas day!!!

My Crazy Kids

Ok, So before i do my post about Makayla (i'm going in order of age) I want to share this pic. It is one of my favourite photos of the kids. It was taken on Heaths iphone (hence the poor quality, its no SLR!) We were trying to sneak a weird photo on to his phone so he would get a surprise when he went into it at work.

I just said 'everyone do a crazy face' and viola! this is how it turned out. I love how candid it is. It's so cool and natural. And it does show how crazy my kids really are. Heath still has it as his screen saver and it cracks me up whenever i see it.

Unfortunately, it was taken before we had Asha so he isn't in it but i guess that means we'll have to try for another one when he is old enough to be able to pull a crazy face. (he does pull crazy faces - he just doesn't mean to!) Anyway - Enjoy!!