mmmmmmmmm. Home made bread.

JoAnn put a recipe on her blog for some home made bread. I wanted to try it because it didn't need any kneeding. I am not very good at kneeding. I started it yesterday and have just finished it. It has been a hit. I took some photos of the childen having a try of it.

So here is finished loaf and Christopher enjoying a piece.

Tom also enjoyed taste testing.

It is a nice loaf. I think I will try it again with some basil and cheese. I might even try a loaf with some wholewheat flour. Thanks JoAnn for a easy bread recipe.

some photos from my phone camera

Sam just showed me how to upload photos from my phone camera to the computer. Here a couple that are really cute.

First we have Amelia and Christopher at last years Christmas Padgent party. Every year we have a padgent through the town where lots of different business and community groups put a float together. They drive around the town wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. At the end of the parade Father Christmas comes and waves to all the adults and children. After the padgent we have a party in the town square. All the rides are free and the children can see Father Christmas to tell him what they would like for Christmas. Every child is given a bag of sweets from Father Christmas. The photo of Christopher and Amelia show them on a merry go round. This was Christophers first ride. He loved every minute of it. He laughed and clapped and waved everytime he went past us. I thought he wouldn't want to get off but we didn't have a problem with it. Ever since though everytime he sees a coin operated ride at the shops he wants to get on it.

This next photo is Tom having his first go on my sewing machine during the school holidays. They were all very enthusiastic about learning to sew during the last holidays. Brigette, Tom and Amelia all made a cushion.

Finally, here is a photo of Christopher at the local pool last year. This was a favourite place for us all to go this last summer. Chrsitopher loved this big pool. He would get all excited everytime we said lets go to the pool. Now the pool is closed so he will have to wait till next summer to go again.

ho hum.

Well after the easter holidays and lots of take away I have come up in weight again. I thought I would be around 70 but it is 72kg. I go in cycles. I work really hard at eating well for a couple of weeks. I get down to 68 and then I don't watch what I eat so much. It is frustrating that it takes only half as long to put the weight on as it does to loose it.

So I have a new resolve. I really want to get my fitness up so I am going to do running. One of the girls at dcf did a couch to 5km running programe and I am going to try this one too. Tomorrow is pay day so I will go down and get a good pair of running shoes. I will also buy a stopwatch. So my exercise routine will be walking on Mondays and Thursdays and running on Sunday Tues and Friday. Saturday and Wednesday will be my days of.

As well as the exercise I will be looking at our diet. We really don't eat enough vegetables in this house so I am looking for new ways to eat them that the aren't so bland or plain. Any suggestions most welcome.

I got this in an email.

A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
and see who had come to pray. Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle, The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in a while.His shirt was kind a shabbyand his coat was worn and frayed, the man knelt, he bowed his head, Then rose and walked away. In the days that followed,each noon time came this chap,each time he knelt just for a moment, A lunch pail in his lap.
Well, the minister's suspicions grew,with robbery a main fear, He decided to stop the man and ask him, "What are you doing here?" The old man said, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour. Lunchtime was his prayer time,For finding strength and power. "I stay only moments, see, because the factory is so far away;as I kneel here talking to the Lord,This is kind a what I say: "I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY." The minister feeling foolish, told Jim, that was fine He told the man he was welcome To come and pray just anytime. Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks."He hurried to the door The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before. His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there. As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer: "I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY." Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come. As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry some. At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill. The hospital staff was worried, But he'd given them a thrill. The week that Jim was with them, Brought changes in the ward. His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward. The head nurse couldn't understandwhy Jim was so glad, when no flowers, calls or cards came, Not a visitor he had.
The minister stayed by his bed, He voiced the nurse's concern: No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn. Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and with a winsome smile; "the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that in here all the while everyday at noon He's here, a dear friend of mine, you see, He sits right down, takes my hand,Leans over and says to me: "I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP,AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN. ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY, I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY." If this blesses you, pass it on Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. May God hold you in the palm of His hand and Angels watch over you. But for those of us who are already His, He not only holds us in the palm of His hand, but has engraved our names there, and we are continually in His sight (Isaiah 49:16) Please pass this page on to your friends & loved ones. If you aren't ashamed. Jesus said, " If you are ashamed of me," I will be ashamed of you before my Father." If you are not ashamed, pass this on. But only if you mean it. Yes, I do love God. He is my source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning each and everyday. Without Him, I will be nothing Without him, I am nothing but with Him "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me." Phil 4:13 This is too good not to share - So this is me ... Just Checking In

Happy Easter.

My friend Di and her family came to stay with us for Easter. It was nice to have them and return some of their hospitality. Everytime we go to Adelaide they put us up. The Easter ceremonies were very nice. We didn't make it too the stations but listened to them at home. I find it very sobering to reflect on the stations of the cross and to reflect on what both Jesus and Mary went through. The passion of our Lord was also very sobering. The song behold the wood of the cross just about brings me to tears.

Happy Easter too all my friends and visitors to this board. I pray that many graces are yours from the risen Christ.

Therese.

Seeing God in our trials.

Our fifth child Tom is a insulin dependant diabetic. He was diagnosed when he was 14 months old. At the end of that year I wrote an article about it for our parish magazine. I keep on loosing my copy of it so thought if I posted it on here I would have it for a long time. When I wrote the article I really tried to look at what good had come out of the situation. It was hard to find good especially when you feel so down about something but it has been a valuable lesson to me. I think of the words of St. Therese. God doesn't send a trial until we are strong enough to deal with it. We also need to see trials as a compliment. It shows that God thinks we have a strong faith.

Seeing God in our trials.

Our son Tom was diagnosed with diabetes early this year. This was a time of great trial for both Steven and I, but also a time when we were able to see God working miracles in our lives. In January of this year we moved to Millicent from Adelaide. Not long after our move, Tom became sick. At first we thought he had the flu. It wasn’t until he was admitted to hospital that we realized that the problem was more serious. He had become seriously dehydrated even though we had been maintaining his fluids. His body had started to shut down with blood being directed to his vital organs. His hands and feet were blue and always cold.In the hospital they had to establish a drip for Tom to re hydrate and to get some blood to test. As he was so dehydrated they had trouble finding a vein. Tom was in a lot of pain and I felt totally out of control with the situation. Once the drip was in and they had collected some blood, I left Steven with Tom at the hospital and went home to the rest of our family. I went back to the hospital at 3pm. The blood test results were back and we knew that Tom had diabetes. I was told that he would need to go to Adelaide for treatment and that the flying doctors would be taking Tom with a team from the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. When the team arrived from Adelaide to retrieve us, they had some test to do before we could leave. I felt both frightened and overwhelmed at all that was going on around me. Most of all I felt totally helpless and unable to do anything to help Tom who was very distressed. Once all the tests had been done we were flown to Adelaide. We arrived at the hospital late in the evening. I was very tired at this stage but still needed to talk to doctors. I wanted to get Tom settled for the night before I went to bed. The doctor on duty came and talked to me about Tom and what symptoms he had had in the lead up to being admitted. She also explained what treatment they would be giving him and what tests they would be doing.The first thing they had to do was establish another drip line to get fluids into him. They were still having trouble finding his veins. I held his arm still while they tried to find a vein and prayed like I have never prayed before. All the while Tom was looking at me and screaming out in agony. I can still remember the way he looked at me and seemed to ask me why I, his protector was helping these people do this. He couldn’t see the whole picture. He could only feel the pain that he was in. He didn’t realize that if they didn’t get a drip into him that he would die. I felt as if I had betrayed his trust. After trying to get the drip in the arm several times and failing they decided to call in another doctor who decided to put the drip into a vein in his head.Tom was kept in intensive care for 48 hours. He was monitored by a nurse at all times and received treatment to bring his sugar levels back to normal. We were then moved onto a ward for the rest of the week. Over that week I received training on how to treat Tom’s diabetes.Through out the week that I was in hospital with Tom, I had a lot of time to both pray and reflect on life. The most important thing God revealed to me was that when we are in pain and it seems like he is not there, he is with us but cannot stop the pain, just as I was unable to stop the pain for Tom. When it feels like God is betraying us, he isn’t, but we cannot see the whole picture, just like Tom couldn’t God also makes these times easier by looking after the little things. It happened that my brother was down for the weekend. It couldn’t have happened at a better time. He was able to look after the other children while Steve and I were at the hospital with Tom. Also Fr John was at the hospital before we left and was able to anoint Tom. As my brother was down for the weekend he was able to take Brigette back to Adelaide so that my parents could look after her. Steven was very supported in Millicent with several people looking after the boys and Madeline and others having them out for tea. After I got home with Tom, people were still bringing around meals and helping out with general household chores.When we have trials in our life, it makes us pause and reflect on the more important things. It also made me realize that I cannot do thing on my own. Steve and I were both very grateful for the support that we received from the parish and school community. We felt very glad that we were a part of it and that people were so willing to help and make the load we had to carry lighter. Tom will have diabetes until they find a cure. This is a big thing for a little boy to live with. Just as Steven and I help him with it, so God does with big things in our life too. Whenever trials come our way it is always easy to see the things that God is not doing. The challenge for us all is to see the things he is doing.

the diet continues.

Just after Christmas I jumped on our scales and was shocked beyond belief to find that my weight had ballooned up to 75.6 kg. Before I got pregnant with Christopher I was 63 Kg. After I delivered him I was around 68/69 kg. When we moved and started eating more take away (because life was so busy with renovations) I went up beyond a weight I never thought I would be. So the shock made me re evaluate my life and my life style.

I have cut back on all junk. I rarely have take away now. I am trying to eat more vegetables and exercise regularly. Yesterday I got onto the scales and found that I have got back to 68 kg. My goal is to be 63 kg by the end of the year so I only have 5 kg to go. Yah for me. It was the encouragement I needed.

Lent

Lent is nearly here.

So I am thinking that I will give up coke zero for lent. I drink it a lot so I am going to drink water instead. I also am going to pray the rosary more. What are your plans for lent?

Big weekend.

Aussie Coffee Shop

On Saturday christopher will be two. I cannot believe how fast he has grown up. We will probably have a cake and a special meal for lunch. I am not really sure what to cook for him but will come up with some yummy treat.

We are also having our house blessed. We have a new priest in our parish. He will come and bless our house and have tea with us on Sunday night. We are looking forward to spending some time with him and getting to know him a bit better.

Changes

Changes

We have had a few changes over the last couple of weeks. While we were in Adelaide my mil and fil gave us a new kitten. I didn't really think I was a cat person till I bought this cat home. She is gorgeous. She loves to interact with people and play with them. The first few days we kept her in the house full time. She moved out onto the verandah to sleep two nights ago. She didn't like it the first night. We could hear her miaw through our bedroom window. When I got up the next morning and opened the door she dashed in.

I wasn't to sure how she would take to our dog Pepper or how pepper would take to her. Well they certainly are not best friends but they tolerate each other well. Maybe with time they will become better friends. We have called the kitten CC which is short for Clever Cat.

We have had some changes in our parish as well. This weekend we were all very sad to farewell Fr Peter from our parish. Passionists have been looking after our parish for 26 years here. They will no longer be a part of our parish and we have a new diocesan priest called Fr. Paul. It is good to have some chnage sometimes but we will all miss Fr Peter. He really did care a lot about our children and making them feel welcome in our parish. He was very good with the youth and interacted well with them. We wish Peter all the best as he moves on. HOpefully we will be in touch from time to time with him.

Back to school.

Back to school

The first week is over and as my dear friend Leah would say, tgif. We have a big weekend too but I won't have to rush around the house each morning like a headless chook and get the children ready for school for the next two days. Maybe I can spend some of that time sleeping in or catching up on the folding or even spend some time on dcf.

The week has been good I have started a new mrol (mothers rule of life). This is simply a daytime schedule that helps you plan your prioroties. The morning routine for each of the children has gone well and the evening too. I have had a few interuptions to my days so haven't quite got the daytime that the children are gone running compeletely smoothly yet. My aim is to have it all running smoothly by week three of this term.

Steve's sky dive.

Steve had his jump last Saturday. We thought it would have been cancelled at first because of the cloud cover. They were able to go ahead though because the cloud cover was light.




He liked jumping out the best. He had to cross his arms over his chest so that he couldn't hold onto the door when they had to jump.



Hope you all enjoy the photos. I think now that Steve has done this, I would like to do it too one day.

6 days to go

6 days till Steve has his tandem jump. 5 days till our wedding aniversary. We are also in the last week of school holidays. Steve will have two days this week on Wednesday and Thursday so we really only have two days left all together. I really like the holidays but I am also looking forward to starting a new school year. I have looked at my mothers rule of life and will be changing a few things. Christopher will miss everyone once they go back so I am hoping to have a few more social activities for him this year. I hopefully will take him to kindy gym and playgroup.

The holidays continue.

I have been making the curtains for our lounge/dining room. The weather has been warm so we have also spent a bit of time taking the children to the pool. It is a good oportunity for Steve and I to talk without the children sitting on top of us.

It is nice to have the children around and not have to rush around the house in the morning getting ready for school. I have been staying up to late though.

Today it is only 10 days till Steve goes for his tandem jump. Hopefully I will have some pictures to put up here once he has done it.

Holiday fun.

We have just got back from a three day stay at the beachside in Port Hughes. Port Hughes is a small country town on the South Australia Yorke Peninsula. We had fun swimming every day and spending time with our friends the Cipa's. The only downer was sea lice. Several of our children got biten by them we think. They would be swimming in the water and feel somthing sting. They would look and see little bite marks that were red and sore. The first day we didn't get bitten by them but we did on the second and third day. It was nice to get away but it is also good to be home.

The children and Steve have three weeks of holidays left. We are all looking forward to sitting around, going to the pool and taking it easy. Steve will finish of a few more jobs around the house and I am going to do a bit of sewing for the girls and house. I am sewing curtains and matching lounge covers for our lounge. I am really looking forward to finishing of the loungeroom.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Aussie Coffee Shop

Thanks so much to Judy for sending me a reminder to post here again. Life has been unusually busy. I have been thinking about my blog but just haven't had the time to post.

4 weeks before Christmas we had a Christmas pagent. After the pagent the children can go to Gladstone Square and have free rides and see Santa. There is also some bands playing and our Mayor speaks. My children all had a fun time and Christopher went on his first ride.

We have put up Christmas lights this year for the first time. It looks really good. I can say that without being to bigheaded since Daniel and his friend Madison put them up.

We had Carols by Candlelight the weekend before Christmas which I really enjoyed also. Thnis is the first time we have taken the children to anything like this. I think it will become a regular event for years to come.

Christmas day was full of lots to eat, wrapping paper all over the floor and fun together as a family. The day after Christmas we went to Steve's parents shack and stayed for two nights with Steve's sister, Joanne. She has three young boys and my children all enjoy staying with them and spending time together. After this we spent a couple of days in Adelaide catching up with friends and family. It was a nice week but it is good to be back home.

New Years has just past as I have written this post. Today we celebrate Daniels 15 birthday. Happy Birthday Daniel. I hope you have many more.

Happy New Year to everyone. I pray that God will bless all who read this blog in 2007.

It has been a while

because life has just been hectic. Steve has just about finished the lounge/dining room but we don't have photo's yet. I have some before photo's but I don't think they have been put on the computer. We are getting a new lounge suite for the lounge so the room looks really big at the moment (since we don't have anything in it). We will do a quick day trip to Adelaide next weekend to buy this.

On a sad note this week our craft group found out that we will not be able to meet at the place we have been. WE are having a lunch together next Monday. After this we think we will meet in each other's house. Christopher will miss the creche I think and I will miss the group. I am sure there will be many people that will be too shy to come to other peoples houses but life still goes on.

Since the main living area's are close to being finished Steve's work will slow down a bit.

Steve has had his 40th.

This weekend we will be going to Adelaide to swap over the bench top. Steve has put in the sink and dishwasher so we are using the kitchen fully now.

Having the kitchen in has been good. I don't have to run from one end of the house to the other looking for some utensil. STeve has moved onto the lounge dining room now. I will take some before and after shots of this too.



As you can see from my last post it has changed quite a bit.

Steve had his 40th birthday three days after my last post. We went all out and bought him a tandem sky dive. He was going to do his jump this weekend while we were in Adelaide but the video guy isn't available so he will wait a bit longer.

My daughter Brigette would like a puppy for Christmas but Steve doesn't really want another dog. We may have to compromise on this and get some other pet.

Kitchen nearly finished.

The kitchen is about three quarter's complete. Steve justs needs to put up the wall cabinet's and install the dishwasher. The electrician is coming on Friday to put in the oven and cooktop. We had a small mishap with the kitchen. We ordered 4 bench tops and when Ikea put our order together they put in 3 white ones and one stone colour one. We will have to go back to Adelaide to change it. Steve also made a mistake with the cover panels. We got 5 small one's and two long ones. Steve opened the long one's first and thought that he had to cut them to size. We are going to see if we can return the small ones and get two more long ones. Oh well. We bought floating floor boards for the lounge dining room today so this room will be the next project we will do.

Steve's birthday is three days away. I cannot wait to give him his present.

We had a great time with Di and Mark here. We went on Pitchi Ritchi Railway on Saturday. On Sunday we went for a walk around the arid lands. On Monday Di and I took the girls and Christopher and Alexander to Whyalla for shopping. We had lunch by the foreshore and the children played on the playground.

I have started our christmas shopping. Hopefully I won't forget anyone and won't have to do a last minute dash to the store.

The holidays are here.

The children and Steve have two weeks of school. We are getting our new kitchen in. Yesterday Steve painted the room and today the tile layer is coming to lay the tiles. Steve is going to start putting our kitchen cupboards together today too. I cannot wait to have my new kitchen.



We are having my girlfriend Di and her family stay this weekend. We will be going on Pichi Richi train ride and going to the Arid lands gardens for a walk and lunch. It will be great to have them stay with us.




Yesterday was my 40th birthday and the children bought me breakfast in bed. Steve bought chinese for tea on Saturday night and we had a nice time alone once the children had all gone to bed. Steve will celebrate his 40th in two weeks so once our kitchen is finished we are going to have a party for our birthday and a housewarming party.