Jasonville Express!!!

Jason was lucky enough to receive a Christmas bonus this year from his boss and wanted to know if he could use some of it to finish his track for Christmas. For the last few years Jason has wanted to create a Christmas village with a traintrack and station running through it. Well this year he finally acheived it.

With his Christmas money he bought some secondhand track and secondhand locomotives and carraiges from his local model train shop. He brought home some white wood cutoffs from work and constructed a layout with tunnel. He has mounted a powerboard and system at the back ready to gradually add more street lights and houses throughout his village. At the moment thisis just the beginning.
Jason wants to add white snow features and grass and trees, people,shops and houses but for now we are lucky to have it still look fantastic. We have it run slowly above the television each night. Jacob loves it and Charllotte is fascinated with it. All for way under $80, (he's clever when he puts his mind to his trains)


Look for changes and developments next Christmas! It's a work in progress! I absolutely love it. This is one of the reasons why I love him! He's so clever. And brings so much joy to the kids with his passion and skills.

Our Christmas Eve !

We it's Christmas eve again and the McDonald and Adams familes got together for the annual family Christmas devotion presented by Jason. Jason's Dad sent him a copy of a scriptual account of the Saviours birth that the McDonald's used to share as a family growing up. Well with the help of Sarah, Jason has reproduced the devotion along with hymns and presents it each year with Sarah and tara's families. Pizza and sweets are enjoyed by all before reading from the scriptures and putting our voices to good use. Even Brooklyn was able to read a verse this year. We had about 18 people in total including the elders, who thoughrouly enjoyed the experience. This was followed by some great visits to some local christmas lights and amasingly this house was right around the corner from us! I would hate to be their neighbours! Just kidding

Our McDonald Christmas 2007

It's early morning Christmas day and everyone is excited to see what Santa has left. They look so angelic as they patiently wait for the word to start ripping things open.

Yeh Charlotte got a bike!!!! She was so excited to ride it up and down the hallway.
Daddy get's his new potato chipper to use with his homegrown potatos!
What else can Brooklyn find?

Family Day Care Christmas Picnic

Brooklyn Madison and Jacon wait patiently for Santa
Charlottes not too sure just yet....
Okay that's better!!!
Megan visits with Santa with the help of Poppy (Sarah's Dad) whilst Madison watches!
Don't you just love Santa!

It was that time of year again where my mum's work (she's a family daycare worker) had their Chirstmas BBq in the park. As usual it was a warm day but the lure of Santa Claus was too much for some children. Our kids spend some time each week with mum whilst I have studied and now will work. (Mum helps with the bill, isn't she great!) their cousins also spend time with mum as Tara works 2 days a week as well. Anyway it wastime to let our hair down and play. Santa had a special present for each child and most loved to go and collect it from him. Charlotte and Megan perhaps needed the security of their nanny and Pop at times. After a sausage in bread or 2, it was off to play in the playground! It was a great day and a great way to end a great year with the council family Day care service.!

Let there be light.

We could finally put up our lights this year. They went up relatively easy this year but when several went out at once Jason made a trip especially to pick up a $5 light bulb tester (which he proclaimed to be the greatest thing invented on the earth at that particular moment in time) The photoes arn't very good but we were proud of ourselves. Our lights had nothing on parts of what I saw when we were over there 3 years ago but each year gets bigger and better. We love the movies "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and "Deck the Halls"

Ready for the silly season

Here is Charlotte as she gets ready for the silly season. Her head is finally big enough to fit one of our Santa hats....

Brooklyn's 6th Birthday party with her school friends

We had about 20 kids from Brooklyn's class around to Brooklyn's Nana's house (ours is way to small) for Brooklyn's birthday. IT WAS MAD! Not sure I'll do that agin in a hurry. We had a Haiwiian beach party, even though it rained. Brooklyn's auntie made birthday cakes in the shape of flip flops and we played games like limbo, pass the parcel and had a treasure hunt in Nana's garden. We had frogs in a pond jelly cups and haiwiian pizza and much more. Brooklyn got a stack load of presents. It's funny though, I've spent all this time being selective of the types of Bratz dools she gets (she's into Bratz) and the main theme of her presents were all Bratz and some interestingly dressed ones at that! Oh well she loved them. And she knows! Next year I think I'll take 2 or 3 girls to the movies I think. What do you reakon? I'm exhausted just writing this!

School Christmas Dress up

Brooklyn's school had a christmas fress up day in December to donate hampers to Anglicare. Anglicare distribute food, clothing and items to disadvantaged families around the local area. Brooklyn decided to go as a Christmas angel. We made the headband ourselves and adapted an old fairy costume into a gorgeous angel. Isn't she lovey!

Smile, Charlotte!

Charlotte has begun responding to our cry's of "Smile", "Say Cheese" Let me show you.....



Isn't that a stunning smile?!?!?! It is so funny to watch we took millions of photos just to see her smile!!!!

Well, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It's that time of year again and even though traditionally in Australia we don't celebrate Thanksgiving, we have adopted the celebration ever since Jason was adopted into the family 7 years ago.

Charlotte waits patiently for the food!

Sarah's Dad and Nana Nancy, with family friend Scott.

We had Thanksgiving dinner on the Sunday night after church this year because Jason was busy with the Cubs on Thursday. Here he sits at the head of the table having given his thanks and carved the turkey for everyone.
Sarah's mum (Sue), family friend Lanor, sister Courtney, sister Morgan and brother Simon. Hope gave me the table cloth we use every year cause as you can guess, we have no Thanksgiving decorations to buy here.
We invited the 4 elders to dinner and made them feel right at home with the green bean casserole, fried onions and pumpkin pie. 3 of the 4 elders were from America. 1 even from Chicago, he loved chatting with Jason!
Gotta have the kiddy table. Here is Jacob, Brooklyn and Charlotte with their Auntie Tara.
My old school vintage turkey decoration I bought off ebay for $3!!! I tell you, you can buy anything!

Hope you all had a happy and safe holiday!

Love the McDonalds