Farm dog!

You know you live on a farm when you find lying under your washing line bones that look like this:

Our vicious (insert cuddly), scary (insert friendly) watch dog spends his days guarding the house...

...well the little bit that's closest to the water tank..

...all in a days work for a farm dog (& his right hand cat)!

I'm so sorry

After rereading my last post I'm so sorry that I wrote those things. Although my feelings were entirely genuine (although probably accentuated by the fact I had been unwell most of the week), I really shouldn't have burdened anyone but God with them. I've considered removing it many times, but chose not to as I do want my children to know that life isn't always easy, but there is one whom you can rely on no matter what you are going through or how you are feeling. During times of trial (of just plain weariness) one of my favourite passages is:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish it's work so that you may be mature & complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 (NIV)

Please know that I think this is a beautiful piece of the world & feel privileged to live here - even during the hottest summer days (thankfully we have air conditioning!). Ever since I was a girl I remember dreaming about living in the country & the fact that God fulfilled this dream is still amazing to me - so I get so disappointed with myself when I give into times of depression - especially about such a blessing.

Let me encourage you today - I have no idea what you are going through & it may be something tiny like being a wee bit homesick or it may be a major trial - that God is there waiting to share the load with you.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" James 1:12 (NIV)

As Grannysaurus pointed out (thank you so much for your wise words)- trials on earth help us to look towards heaven - the ultimate home where we will truly belong!

I'm dreaming of a green Christmas...

Just like the ones I used to know!!

I didn't know that after almost 2 years I would still feel so homesick for what I've always known. You know how much I love living here, but it just doesn't "feel" like home at the moment - I mean with summer the humidity should be getting higher & the storms should be coming more & more frequently & everything should be beginning to grow at a tremendous rate (& did I mention be lovely & green). Everyone migrates to the nearest shopping centre/pool/ beach ...but not here. Here everything dies in summer - there is little rain with no humidity & everyone stays inside as much as possible in their air conditioned houses - due to necessity because the sun is so scorching hot that it will wilt you in the 10 minutes it takes to hang out a load of washing. Instead of the children playing outside most of the day, they don't want to go out the door because "it's too hot, Mum".

Oh how I long for green...

Oh how I long for the beach...

Oh how I miss my old garden that would just grow & grow..

How I used to love Summer...

At least we have a nearby pool.

I wonder if it will ever get easier?

Harvest 2009

The day began like any other Sunday.

A relaxed morning, cooked breaky, Sunday school run & then church..

but when we arrived home, we had a message on the answering machine from our neighbour saying to "call him ASAP" on the UHF.

He was ready to harvest our barley paddock!!!

Now you may remember that way back in May we planted 80 acres of barley under sown with clover. The object of this was to establish pasture while still getting a harvest.

Well our 35 acre paddock "Venz's leg" grew up rye grass with the barley - this took out too much nutrient to get any grain in the barley...so we made that into hay.

The 20 acre paddock "Maloney's rest" had such poor yield that it wasn't worth attempting to harvest anything off it (this is right up on the iron bark ridge, so the soil is poorer quality & quite rocky).

But in "Harrison's Strip" we got 25 acres of beautiful barley - praise God!

(Kinda sounds like the parable of the sower doesn't it!!)

This is our neighbours "new" header - it sure is beautiful to ride in- lovely air conditioning & nice & roomy ( in fact when I went for a ride Ellie & Jud also came along & there was plenty of room & a very patient neighbour!)

Probably another month before we harvest the 50 acres of triticale!

Sandra's giveaway!!

This beautiful lady:

is having a giveaway on HER BLOG!!

Sandra is one of the nicest people I know - she's even nicer in real life if that's possible. I was blessed enough to work with her many years ago (well 6 to be exact). She's having a lighting giveaway on HER BLOG, so go & check it out! You'd better be quick however because it's finishing on the 11th!

This photo was taken 9 years ago - look how young Dave looks on the left! Some people from our work did the BV100 - a 100 km kayaking "race". It was so much fun! We (being radiographers) dressed up in some scrubs as our teams costume! Ahh those were the good old days careless & child free, complete with inexperienced rowers & leaky, sinking kayaks! LOL!!

Glad over chocolate slice rescue!

Kimmie from over the moon with joy has started the Glad game after reading Pollyanna to her children (I always loved that book when I was younger)!

I enjoy joining in because I need to keep a proper perspective - it's just so easy to look at the not so nice things & forget about the nice things. So that's what the glad game is all about finding the nice things in the not-so-nice!

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On Wednesday I was on the telephone to my sister while hanging out the wet washing on the washing line out back ( I always try & do something while talking on the phone - I often do washing/cleaning/ baking - I've even done preserving before - you should try it next time you have a long phone call! )

Anyway when I walked inside I went into the kitchen only to find two sweet innocent boys...

Any guesses who they are...

Awww aren't they sweet there feeding Ellie's babies porridge!

Yes those two

With the hot oven open, a pot holder in one hand each & a spoon in the other hand each...

Eating the chocolate slice while it was baking straight out of the oven!!

You can imagine how frustrated I was (while my sister & then mother laughed their head off!)

So onto the glad game..

* Well obviously I am glad they had the good sense to use potholders & not get burnt;

* I am glad for a teachable moment (discipline) over an area I would never have thought of before (I mean who eats straight from the oven - straight from the fridge I've heard of - oh & disciplined over before ( these two add character lines to my face & grey hairs to my hairline!!LOL))

* I am glad they didn't eat all the chocolate slice & I could cover up the evidence with icing (OK I may have been having chocolate cravings!!!)

* I am glad for providing my sweet sister & darling mother with endless amounts of entertainment!! (Because what else are nephews/grandsons for if not providing entertainment!)

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If you would like to join in the glad game go & visit KIMMIE (who has such a beautiful heart for God)!

Yesterday & Mum-me's giveaway!

What are these little cuties up to?

Celebrating Melbourne Cup of course!!

Since reading a true story about a jockey who rode in the Melbourne cup, there has been many questions about it. You can only imagine the excitement here when I told them that yesterday was "Cup Day" - yes the race that stops a nation definitely stopped all here at Sunnyside. Of course I don't like the betting side of things - it's sad that something so innocent as a horse race has been turned into such a big money marketing business. However when you remove all that you have something that is uniquely Australian - a race of the most beautiful horses from around the world & the best jockeys we have to offer! It was so nice to see an Aussie win!

Eli was especially proud of the big white "aeroplane" on his hat (yeah - you do need to use your imagination)! Do you think he takes after his father or what with his aeroplane infatuation??!!??

In the evening we went outside to enjoy the beauty of the rainbow after the rain we had, but as we turned to the west we were greeted with this...It was so bright it reminded us of a bushfire, but it was just the sun going down behind Churchill Forest!

What a lovely glimpse of God's beauty!

Now let me point you over to Mum-me's blog - Our Aussie Half Dozen who is having a giveaway of a buysterrugs rug. I checked out their website & let me tell you there are some lovely ones (I sure have many places in this house I could use one! (pick me, pick me!!LOL)! It is only open to Aussie's though, so if you live in this beautiful country head on over & enter & while there enjoy her entertaining family & beautiful pictures - she has a lovely blog!!!