Footy Day at Preschool......

The kids had Footy Day this week at preschool to celebrate Footy finals that take up most of September!Jacob follows in his father's footsteps - if you notice, Jacob prefered to bring a basketball than a football to play with at preschool!

Most of my family tends to be supporters of a red and blue team called Melbourne Deamons. They finished last on the ladder this year and therefore received the "Wooden Spoon" for comming last. Hence, my granpa used to play for Hawthorn in the 50's so he barracks for brown and Gold Hawthorn Hawks. They are still in the finals so the kids wore these colours.
Traditionally if one was to go to a footbal match at the big stadiums, you would be rugged up with hat and scarf, drinking from a thermos and eating a meat pie or sausage roll! So that's what the kids had for morning tea!
Then it was time for some handballing practise! Go Jacob!
Go Madison!
Footy Season is nearly over! Yeah, then onto the cricket and tennis! Does it ever stop!

Go the Deamons!!!!! Better luck next year!

Postcards from Melbourne! Brooklyn's School concert....

Welcome to Brooklyn's school concert for 2008!

Postcards from Melbourne. It was written by one of the teachers and is about space aliens crash landing on Earth in Melbourne and reporting back to their home planet all that they learn about Melbourne! It was really good actually!
Brooklyn's Grade 1 class were trams. The aliens used the trams as a time travel machine to visit all the places in Melbourne. Brooklyn is in the front, 4th from the left. Isn't she cute?

We roamed all around Melbourne and performed about all things popular here! Here are the children at the Melbourne Cup (horse race!). It turns out that Melbourne is the only city in the world to declare a public holiday for a horse race ever since Pharlap in the 30's!!! Bit of trivia for you there! Anything for a day off I think! Hehe! (We normally choose this weekend to go camping and don't even watch the race!
Of course we had to include the traditional Australian Rules (Aussie Rules!) Football boys. From the picture I can see some Hawthorn colours, some Geelong, Western Bulldogs, Collingwood and Richmond. No Melbourne Demons! (red and blue colours!) Bottom of the ladder this year probably why, there's always next year!
Here we are at Ballarat for the Goldrush of the 1800's. We went camping here 2 years ago (about 2-3 hours from Melbourne) and went to Soverign Hill Park! Did some Gold panning! Apparently brought alot of immigrants to Melbourne! Was alot of fun!

Cubs Campfire Cookout!

Here in front of a captive audience, Jason invitied the cubs over to our backyard as part of a cooking rquirement for boys to acheive their Boomerang awards. The boys had to demonstrate fire safety and use the open fire to cook a fantastic meal for each other to share.

Jason and the boys cook up a fabulous beef stew with potatoes, carrots, onions, peas and corn in the dutch oven! Topped off with a nice warn hot chocolate and toasted marshmellows!!!! MMMmmmm!

The smoke seems to be getting a bit much for some of the boys but they had a blast!


Jason made the stew from the dutch oven recipe books he has. Well he didn't make it the boys had to make it all themselves with some guidance as part of their Silver and Gold Boomerang requirements!
What a great night!

Father's Day at the family's.

Well Father's Day was a bit of a chilly day so we broke out the fire pit for a bit of a treat. Everyone's a scout so it was heaps of fun! We had lunch after church with my family and brother's and sisters and their fams so it was a big feast!

Daddy and his boy!
My brother Scott on the right and family friend Scott W on the left man the BBQ. Getting there attention for a photo was easy, I only had to say "Hey Scott!" Hehe!
Relaxing in front of the fire - Dad, Jason, Morgan and Courtney!

Happy Father's Day Daddy!!!!!

Look at all those smiles! Well it's early in the morning and we're about to have presents and pancakes and as you can see everyone is excited, except Charlotte wanted no photos.

Of course, there were plenty of helpers to open presents!

I just thought this last photo would be a prime example of the manners we're trying to instil in our children when they eat! NOT!!!! We enjoyed some great pancakes and syrup before church (we're fasting next week!), but Charlotte was a little more relaxed during her pancakes.

Happy Father's Day!!!

It's Father's Day here in Australia on Sunday so I just want to say a big Happy Father's Day to my Dad. I love you heaps. I also need to say a great big Happy Father's Day to my loving and ever patient husband Jason. I don't know where I'd be without him. He is such a loving and caring and compassionate man and I'm so greatful to have him in my life and for his wonderful example to our children. They simply adore him and want to spend every minute with him. I hope it continues!!!!

I found these cartoons and thought you might like them!!! They made me laugh!

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there! Hang in there!

Charlotte loves her Dad!

The other night Charlotte climbed into our bed and was mucking around whilst Jason and I were doing the dishes and cleaning up. When we were finished we went back into the room and found that she had climbed up and got Jason's hat that he wears all the time. She then fell asleep. Isn't she cute!! Her Dad is never without a hat and now the kids love hats!

Off to the model train show!

We finally had a Saturday to ourselves this weekend so we decided to take the kids into the model railway show that was in town, in the city for the afternoon. We live about an hour out of the city. Clubs from all over Melbourne showed some great displays, they had some great second hand stalls and Jason got some fantastic ideas. Suprising we also saw our stake president and our high councilman, plus other church members there!!! Must be a great hobby. There was a clear absence of any women, with the population at the displays being most retired men with their club jackets. Jason wants to be one one day - he can't wait to retire and play trains all day!!!!! Jacob does that now!!! He plays with his Thomas track daily! I have no idea what he'd do without it!

One of Brooklyn's friends, Talmage, from Primary who also loves Thomas the tank engine!
Charlotte couldn't have cared less and slept on the way there and the way back!

Cheese!
The kids actually got to drive this one themselves. The Thomas the Tank Engine set up! It was great. They all had a go!

This circus display was fantastic! we sttod there for ages, even had little people on the trapieze and in the big top!
It was a great afternoon! It's nice to set time aside to do something together every now and then.

Brooklyn's Olympics

Brooklyn had her school Mini Olympics a few weeks ago. I'm so slow with the pictures but here are a few happy snaps! She was assigned a country and I think with a little persuasion of her own I think she was given USA. So here she goes!

She came second in this race!! YEAH!!

They had Australia, China, Italy, Germany, Japan and USA as country teams to choose. Grades Prep (kindergarten) through to Grade 2 joined in! Had a great day!