Christmas outdoors...........

Charlotte takes her first drive around the backyard.

We also received a new basketball ring and basketballs for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa McDonald. I'm not excatly sure who is enjoying the present more, Jason or the kids. Cause Jason originally set the ring at the highest so he could play! But the kids had no chance of making a basket!!!!

Now the kids have a go....

Merry Christmas!!!

Up, Up and Away.............

Look what we found in our backyard this morning! As part of our christmas present from all the grandparents, we were able to purchase a huge trampoline that can take the weight of everyone at once! It's huge and it's one of the only things they do outside of late apart from the new basketball ring as well. The kids love outdoors time now!

Daddy getting excited!
Charlotte gives it a go. Yeh!

Too tired now, just relaxing!

Christmas is here!

Well Christmas morning was quite respectable this year with the kids getting up at 6am - better than I thought! We'd gotten to bed at around 1am Christmas Eve so we were alittle deflated inside! Merry Christmas from Jason, Brooklyn and Jacob - showing off some pressie! We have to put a sign in our yards these days to alert people that we are using tank water on the water restriction days otherwise our neighbours can call the council. So I found a nice one to put in the front garden!
Playing a game of Whack the Mole! Charlottes ready and we're getting the batteries in!

Yeah! Charlottes upgraded to a trike now! She got her new sunhat as well!

Jacob's favourite present was from Roary the Racing car. He has a remote control and Jacob runs him up and down the hallway!

Brooklyn's into her footy team - Melbourne Demons, ready for next season!

Merry Christmas to everyone. We love you!

Happy Birthday Brooklyn and Lauren!

Both Lauren and Brooklyn celebrated their birthdays this weekend at Nanny's house. Brooklyn turned 7 on Sunday and Lauren turns 22 on Thursday the 18th. We had all the family around, notibly absent was Tara (and we can forgive her for just giving birth to my beautiful neice....hehe). It was a fantastic evening of fun, food and presents of course. I made a fantastic chocolate ripple cake for the birthday cake...a family favourite!

Presents time!

Sorry forgot to rotate the picture....Brooklyn finally got her hot pink fishing rod ready for summer fishing with Dadday over Christmas!

Welcome Maya Lori

I'd like to introduce my newest neice, Maya Lori Adams. Maya was born to my sister in law and brother, Scott and Tara on Friday 12th of December, sister to Madison and Megan!

She loves to suck her thumbs alreay! She is the spitting image of Madison when she was born.
Brooklyn loved to have a hold.

Eager cousins!!!!

Not a flattering photo of me but I'm proud to put it up anyway, I'm hunched over! Welcome Maya!

Christmas blog fun!

Well I got tagged so here we go...........

On the 12th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me..."

1 Embarrassing Moment : I was singing with my preschool class a few weeks ago. The Cd was broken so I decided to try and sing it myself. Anyway, through the song you are supposed to repeat the song at least 3 times. So I ask the kids "Okay shall we do it again now?" really excited like. One of the boys turns to me and says and I quote "No, let's not do that again!" My assistant though it was hilarious - guess I will never make money from my singing!

2 Best Friends - Well, they would have to be my sisters Courtney and Morgan, but could also be my sister in laws - Tara and Lauren. I'm pretty lucky

3 things I buy regulary - Milk. bread and bleach!!!!

4 Places I want to go - back to the US, England, to the beach and to the country!

5 Goals for the upcoming year - To extend our carport, to build our deck, to pay extra off the mortgage, to lose some weight and to get to the temple more often!

6 things people don't know about me - I love country music, I don't like the

dark, I hate the city, Rockmelon makes me gag, My favourite show is Brothers and Sisters.

7 Things I would never say - Chocolate is bad for you, No, I'm not a fan of Christmas!, You stay up as long as you want, The bigger the shed the better, Yes dear you can build a miniture railway threw the house like the RACV ad!

8 Things I love about the christmas season - Being with family, eating myself stupid, opening presents with the kids, Putting the tree and lights up, Jay has 3 weeks off, having our traditional christmas family devotion, summer vacation and eating myself stupid again!

9 Things I say to my kids - Don't hit your sister/ brother, Clean it up, Bathtime, Eat your dinner, Leave them alone, Are you finished?, I love you, I'm proud of you!.

10 things I do alot - Eat, Clean, cook dinner, do washing, blog, scrapbook, watch movies with my hubby, do paperwork for Kinder, watch my kids play and ring my mum.

11 Things I would rather not live without - Jason, my kids, My home, my family, my toothbrush, deoderant, my scriptures, my camera, my computer, the temple and the Holy Ghost in my life.

12 people I tag - I'm not sure if I know 10 people who have blogs but anywho here we go - Courtney, Mum, Marybeth, Dancia, Kelli, Ashlee, Michelle S, Catherine, Sandy and anyone else who can be bothered! It was fun actually!

Mooroolbark Ward Christmas Party......

Well Mum has been called to Ward activities committee and has a great team to work with and threw a fantastic family Christmas BBQ at the chapel last weekend. My Dad (in the black Bah Humbug hat!!!) is also on the committe and was in charge of his team of merry men cooking sausages, patties and chicken kebabs for about 300 people. Our Bishop (in the green shirt) was a great sport. He has his four boys in Primary and loves to organise family ward activities! When the rained stopped there were even rides on Dad's lawnmower that had a specifically designed trailer to carry Santa and the children around the grounds!

There were crafts for the younger children as well in the Nursery room. It was great. We have 35 children in our primary and currently I am serving as first councillor in Primary. I love it. There were letters to Santa to write, paper doves to make, necklaces to make, face painting and crafts to paint, all run by fantastic YSA and YW's. Here Brooklyn patiently waits her turn after Megan to paint!

Aren't they angels with their dinner! Charlotte, Jacob, Madison and Megan!

Chow time! The hords line up and fill their plates to the limit. It was fantastic. The meat was beautiful and it was great to see all the salads the sisters had made. I made a potato salad and their were at least 5 others that were better than mine!

Dinner time!

Aren't they pretty. From R-L my sister in law Lauren, my sister Courtney, Lauren's sister Courtney and my sister Morgan. Confused yet? Well they look pretty anyway?!?!?!

More photos to come - cause Santa arrived after my camera died!

Brooklyn's High School Musical Party......

Brooklyn invitied 2 of her friends with her this weekend to watch the premiere of High School Musical 3 for her birthday. We had a birthday sleepover as well and it was a blast. It was all Brooklyn could talk about for weeks.

Brooklyn's first sleepover with friends Aleisha (L) and Olivia (R)

We couldn't get enough of High School Musical 3!!!!!!

The girls ate us out of house and home before the movies and then it was off to the local cinemas, picking up another HSM fan in cousin Madison on the way!...... (Jason stayed with our other 2 at home and I had Mum, my sister Courtney (a 21 year old who still loves HSM) and my sister in law Lauren come and help with crowd control)

And so the party continues at home afterwards with cake and more lollies........

After sweets, a few games are played........

and in the morning the craft comes out!!!

Happy Birthday to Brooklyn! ( even though her real birthday is next week!)

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

Jason 'Wolverine" McDonald takes on the massive job of carving the Turkey for dinner. We had Thanksgiving on Sunday this year as Jason was still at night classes. So it was a beautiful day! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who visits here!

Jason had the job as always of carving the 10 pound turkey. We tried a new type of turkey this year and will definately be purchasing another one. We also had green bean casserole, yummy corn, mashed potatos, sweet potato, carrots and even a pumpkin pie. We also added the family favourite of chocolate ripple cake and apple strudel for dessert!!! MMMmmmm!

The meal was delicious. Somehow I always seemed to be snapped with my mouth ful so sorry.

This was supposed to be the kid's table, which it was until the children finished and slowly took off to play without be noticed too much by either Dad!!! HEHE!

It was a nice warm day so we set up on Mum's back deck again this year!

Here's the rat pack - Brooklyn, Jacob, cousins Megan, Madison, family friend Tiana and Charlotte! Butter wouldn't melt in their mouths!

Not sure if this was the best way to end the night but you can't help relatives. Here is Lauren (Simon's wife) and Scott having some fun with the kids before sweets! Yeah!

Grandparents Morning at Preschool

Jacob and his cousin Madison had Grandparents Day at kinder today. They had the opportunity to show off their work and their acheivements at kinder!

Nanny Suzie giving Madison a push on the swing.

Jacob at kinder showing off his skills! (3 year old preschool) Jacob and his cousins squish onto the tyre swing.

Jacob and charlotte with cousins Madison and Megan



Cousin Madison and my sister in law Tara

Poppy David builds a sandcastle with Madison and Jacob in the sandpit. Poppy stopped by in between his work commitments.