Happy Autumn!! - family news!

(Zai needed a family photo for class & so we positioned the camera on the top of the car & set it on auto - we tried countless, but all cut the top of Dave's head off - this one was my favourite though as most of us are smiling!)

I cannot believe that March is here already. Where do my days go? It seems that every year goes a little bit faster & this year is flying by. Last week was particularly busy with not enough time to get everything done (well that's how it felt anyway). Oh & I have another baby - well actually I had 3, but as is the way with poddy lambs - 2 didn't make it. It is expected & that's why I try to not get attached for the first month (it's awfully hard though as they are just SO CUTE!!). So far this one is thriving, although you never hold onto them too much as they can look perfectly healthy one day & the next be gone.


(I'm sorry for the blurriness- I could only get a moving picture because as soon as he saw me he came running!)


You can tell it's autumn in our household because yesterday Zai pulled out his Auskick video, put on his guernsey, shorts, socks & boots & started dreaming about the coming Auskick season. (Auskick is the children's version of AFL - Aussie footy) Ellie decided last night that she wanted to play Auskick as well - I told her that she had chosen ballet for her sport, but she said she'd stop doing it. We quietly informed her that we consider Auskick much too rough for our daughter to play - we are big believers in treating different genders differently. (I don't even like it when Zai's getting tackled, let alone our girl!)


(This pic is from last year when he first got the outfit in July - he looks so much bigger now!)

As for me it's the time of year to start thinking about my winter vege garden. I'm hoping a winter one will be more successful than my summer one that was a dismal failure due to lack of water. Dave borrowed a ripper (that attaches to the tractor) & has dug a pipeline from one of the dams so we can pump water directly from that so finally we should be able to have water for a true garden (our home is on tank water & this year we didn't have enough to supply the garden - but we are very thankful that so far we haven't had to cart water for our own needs- God's provisions are perfect!) I'm dying for some green grass though!!!! I've also been making jam & canning peaches (I'm not too good at that though - does anyone know how to get them with no air in? - I can get them vacuumed sealed really well after the water bath, so I'm assuming it's when I'm packing them.)


(Here is the results of a busy, but fun day!)

We finally got a referral for Ellie to the specialist - the closest pediatric urologist is in Canberra, so in 2 1/2 weeks we will be traveling there (it's almost 3 hours away) & hopefully they can do more than just prescribe dose after dose of antibiotics. (She has been on & off antibiotics since she was 3). Ellie also has a birthday coming up in March - can't believe she's almost 5!!!

The twins had their last speech therapy appointment the other week - the speechy has stopped them as she now says they are ahead of their age - which is wonderful considering how far behind the pediatrician placed them mid last year!!! They are certainly coming out of their skin lately & will chat for ages (in fact sometimes it's difficult to get a word in edgewise). It is so cute to hear them discuss different things.

(I just took this pic of Eli before - how cute is he??)

Dave is starting to think planting - this happens generally in June,but as soon as the weather starts to cool the planning begins - however before he does that he has to sell our triticale from last year that's sitting in our silo - we've been watching the grain prices very closely waiting for them to rise which they are finally starting to do! Dave's thinking to try experimenting with different types of fertilisers - & to plant 110 acres this time! - these plans could change depending on the rain etc. He's still going to plant trit though! He also has some big days coming up at work although he still LOVES it!

(Just a random pic of our cows from today- Whitey is on the right!)

So that is all the family news for now!
Hope you all are doing well. What does the change of season make you think about?

** Bad mother alert.... the picture above is actually Jud, not Eli - since he woke up an hour ago I've been calling him Eli - last night I cut their hairs & now I've mixed them up - something I haven't done for a couple of years... OOPS!!!**