Merry Christmas 2013

More of Christmas 2012

The tree survived the kids this year :)

Yes I have matching stockings (I even bought a couple extras just in case) lol

Our yummy Christmas feast

My family enjoying our Christmas lunch

Handmade goodies decorated the table this year

Our Family Christmas Photo 2012

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours :)

(Silas 6, Jaidon 16, Braith 1, Livia 12, Kaydence 3, Aliya 8, Danion 8mths and Callum 13)

Some of Christmas 2012

The cookie that survived the food processor intact!

Callum and Jaidon figuring out the right size of the snow drops

Aliya concentrating on creating the perfect ripple cake :)

Livia waking up Kaydence it took several goes to convince her that Santa had delivered the presents :)

And so the present unwrapping begins

Danion's very 1st Christmas

The end of a successful Christmas day for Braith, especially when a truck feels comfy enough to sleep on!

My fat cat Tonka in the perfect post Christmas pose

2009, 2010 and 2011 Christmas Santa Photos

I came across some old Christmas Photos and couldn't resist sharing how much our family has changed over the last few years :) As you will notice Jaidon is not in every photo, that is because we have him alternating weeks ie before/after Christmas Day on the Christmas holidays over the years....

I can't wait for 2012 Christmas Photo because Jaidon and the newest baby will be in the photo :) All of our 8 children together :)

Post Christmas Pea and Ham Soup

Each year we buy a ham from the local European Small Goods as they have the BEST hams around!! They smoke them on their premises. You have to pre order them and show your licence to pick up the hams!!

We always use the left over bone to make pea and ham soup and buy fresh crunchy french stick smeared with lashings of butter to have with it.




In our soup we use yellow split peas (2 bags washed), celery, carrot, turnip, parsnip, swede and onion which is finally peeled/grated/chopped and added to a big pot of water. We cook this all day then take the bone out and blend til smooth. Delish! I also made some pumpkin soup for those who declared they didn't like pea and ham (Aliya, Callum and Silas) but Aliya even decided to have a bowl anyways :)


This was the last of the pumpkins from our very own harvest! We already have vines growing for next season!

Merry Christmas Everyone

A very Merry Christmas from my family to yours, I hope you had a blessed day with your loved ones .

A day of Christmas Craft :)

Today was a day of entertaining kids so that they didn't drive me up the wall :) I find that structured 'organised' activity stops them from squabbling with each other and constantly nagging to use the computers.





We made chains (with the dreaded leftover brochures that the kids deliver), while singing along to Christmas songs. Callum (no picture allowed to be taken, too cool you see) made Christmas biscuits to decorate (job for tomorrow) and he also organised the kids to do some Christmas coloring ins and word searches. Callum then decided to make lunches, fresh egg sangas (run out of lettuce lol) since the dodo birds are laying so well atm.





It was a fun day, no pressure to be out and about. The kids had minimal tiffs which were resolved quickly :) Since the kids behaved so well, the big kids were rewarded with computer time, and Mumma was rewarded with quiet time as both the little ones went down for a nap together :) YAY for me :)

End of year kindy breakup for Silas :)

Its amazing how fast this year has come and gone!! It seems like yesterday I was sending my sweet and gentle, but always cheeky Silas off to Kindy! At the break up the kids participated in a Nativity Play and Silas was a Inn Keeper :)

We then sang Christmas songs and the kids presented the parents with a present (a 2012 calendar) and they were given a gift from the centre, handmade costumes, Silas got a cape and mask :) Very cute and well thought out :) I think he was more excited to be giving me his present then getting a present for himself!

We then feasted for lunch and Silas said his goodbyes to his friends (though some he was seeing for his b'day party on Saturday)

His most talked about mates Josh (who Silas includes in random stories so much that people think he is an imaginary friend, and Ella who took a interest in his pokemon card obsession).

And of course little brother Braith joined in with feasting, 1st icecream in a cone and lots of other foods the kids were sharing with him, lucky for me we don't have food allergies :)

Its starting to feel like Christmas!

I love love love Christmas! I love Christmas decorations, Christmas songs, Christmas houses all decked out with lights, wrapping presents, decorating trees (we'll have 2 this year) and of course Christmas food!!

This year I decided to get our family Christmas stockings! There was a lady selling some really cute ones at Si's kindy and thought for a grand price of $4.00 each that they would be perfect!!

And yes I bought all the same, there was only a choice of 2 colours and to save the drama I bought all the same :) and yes I did think ahead, buying one for the baby to be and the baby that might be :) Crazy, yes I am sure some think I am! lol!

Handmade Xmas Gifts

Well I was reading a discussion on CQHS about making christmas gifts. And you know what? I've never really done the homemade thing, not that I've not wanted to just that I've been a bit slack in that department lol!

But now I'm thinking, why not? It could be a lot of fun for me and the kids :) There has always been a few things that have caught my eye over the last few years that I think will make neat gifts!

Cowgirl Cookies


Bath Bombs


Garden Stepping Stones

This is just a few things that caught my eye while googling homemade gifts! There is so much out there!! I can't wait to get started :)

Xmas trees and Kadee........

I think the picture says it all!! :)