Our last days in Toobeah

I had my last "town day" yesterday. It was lovely and a bit sad.

Here are a few of my treasures from the day - given to me by some special people.  The card and box of "uplifting messages" are from my dear friend Tracey. They are Kate Knapp from Twigseeds - if you haven't seen them GO and have a look! Divine drawings with special words.

The Babushka dolly necklace is from my friend Jodie at Nutmeg Home. She is gaga over my Monty and we shed some rather large crocodile tears yesterday.  Marn gave me some lipgloss (with my body double on it) and some pretty soap to wash away the sweat from moving!

I will miss these girls more than words can describe. We all have rainbow necklaces now to remind us of our friendship.

This is a stack of some ULTRA special little people.

Richard (Tracey's husband) reckons there were a few rivers flowing from our eyes yesterday.
He was right.

Elsie May - Baxter said that he wanted to marry her on the way to the party.

The happy drinkers - My Mr. and Steve (Emily's Mr.)

Ella has been sampling the goods, eh?

Em & Skye Annabelle - LOOK AT THOSE CURLS!!

Busy little Izzy.

Bushed from the party.

We're pretty busted around these parts - and have some enormous days in front of us - so I will say goodbye for a little bit while I relocate my life and family to Victoria. Anybody want to drive 2 toddlers and a teething baby 3 days South for me?

Until next time.

xx

bitter and sweet days.

We had a bloody awesome day yesterday.

Celebrating life with some amazing people.

Sharing memories.

Making more.

(wait till I post the pic of the Mr. sleeping next to the campfire with a log for a pillow)

We take with us a little bit of these people and will hold some wonderful memories with them.

xx

P.S. yes, that is my classy friend, Sal Beaton up the back.

She can look forward to paybacks on that one

;)

Cheers.

This is a bit of a random blog - and I don't have the brainspace to put any pictures up at the moment..

A friend of mine passed away yesterday after several years battling with seizures and extremely hard times with a tumor in his brain. He was a mountain of a man and although I am glad that he is not suffering anymore - his broad smile will be missed. 

He passed away on the 1 year anneversary of my friend Janette's funeral.  That day was the last day I saw Roy. He was doing it tough. It all seems a bit unreal at times.. it has taken me a long time to get over Janette passing away. She was like a second mother and I get pangs of sadness whenever I'm in Brisbane. She was THE most graceful and gracious and generous woman I have ever known.

Rest in Peace Roy.
Rest in Peace Janette.

Packing Packing Packing and trying to get it all organized. The kids have been little treasures really with their home in turmoil - the big kids "get it" and are excited - and Monty.. well Monty is just Monty - happy with anything, really.

On a lighter note - I got a parcel in the mail yesterday from the fabulous Vic from Punky's Mamma.  She re-gifted me a red handbag. You all know my obsession with red - and she's just added to it. She also sent a lovely note and a couple of sachets of Chai tea. I have gobbled up one of them this afternoon - iced.  Many thanks, Vic. Unfortunately the red bag has to go directly into a box with the other ones for now...

It's so humid in here we could really breed butterflies and grow the most exquisite orchids ever. It is also making all of the packing boxes a bit - well.. soggy. So we are using lots of tape. Just a note here to anyone EVER moving - get yourself a flash-bang tape gun.
You wont regret it.

The movers will be here one week from tomorrow.
Crap.
Gotta GO!

Mates

This is my mate, Tracey.

We met almost 4 years ago at Mothers Group with Baxter and Elsie.  We hit it off right away and have shared many special memories thru laughter and tears.  She always helps me out with the kids in our little Catastrophes - when Nic was in hospital with his back, when I went into prem-labour... or having a massage!

We share a huge passion for all things incredible for our kiddos - especially our girls.  With lots of "Oh My Gawd's" and "I must have that's"...  She has an incredible sense of Country Style, is a very hard worker - night duties as a nurse - I don't know how she does it. She has 3 wonderful children whom I adore. Baxter wants to marry Elsie one day.

Our men had a "manly night" at the Nindigully Pub on Friday night - so we swapped it up and had Chick's dinner out on Saturday. It was filled with laughs and a couple glasses of red. And a few moments of sadness that came up for my leaving.

Then she made me and my family a yummy lunch on Sunday and we went to an antique auction then the pool with the kids. I really enjoyed my weekend with my lovely friend.

And will miss her dearly when we leave.

But we're not talking about that right now. 

home kill

This doesn't happen in too many people's sheds these days.  Home Kill. We have just spent the morning putting an Angus/Jersey Cross heifer into the freezer.  We have a fella come out and cut it all up in the shed and I pack it away in the freezer.

 

look at that beautiful yellow grassfed fat! Osso Bucco, Rib Fillet Roasts, Heart, Ribs, T-bones, Mince, Sirloins......

A bit trimmed off for dogs and such..

the 100+ year old Sausage maker and some swift hands at work.  We made Pumpkin & Fetta gluten free sausages this time. Roger made Chipolatas (wee ones) for Gretta.

.....and what does one do after all that hard work???

Goes home and has EYE FILLET for lunch.

No veg.

Just meat in butter with a dash of S&P.

There's a bit of life-force behind that!

offaly good!

Liver with sage grilled onions carrots and celery

Fresh liver is a funny thing for me. As long as Nic does all of the cutting and actually places said liver fillets in the pan - I love it. If I touch it raw - it will give me the heebie-jeebies and I wont enjoy my meal.  This blend with the sage is really really good. The only thing I forgot to do was to soak the liver in lemon juice first.. which draws out impurities and improves the texture.

melt a large amount of coconut oil and butter in large skillet. Slice up onion and sautee gently while you slice up a stalk of celery and grate some carrots. Add to pan with 1T dried sage. Let it all start to soften and scrape to one side of skillet. Add more butter and coconut oil and add thinly sliced liver that has been dredged thru flour (I use spelt). Do not over cook - just till blood rises to top then turn over and finish cooking.

 

spoon the saged onions over top with a fresh side - we had fresh pear tomatoes (I am obsessed with these little sweeties).  I gave the kids tomato sauce and they devoured all of their liver and loved it.

So good - full of Vitamins A&D and essential fatty acids copper, zinc, iron and antioxidants.

Get it into ya!

big airplane!

image here


We're Booked!

My family of five is booked to go back to the states in May.
It has been more than 3 years since I've been back to see my family. Too long.

They all have 2 new people to meet (except mom & dad - they came to Oz last year) and Baxter was only 9 months old when we went last. That was all a little bumpy, but I hope this time I am a more resiliant mother and won't have any children teething (FINGERS CROSSED!) with plenty of Organic food and raw milk for us to eat and lots of memories to make. 

Of course we will have some farm tours too - to keep the Mr. going.  Our 7th wedding anneversary and my first Mothers Day with my Mom in 7 years(!) Train Museum's, meeting my niece and a new baby and 4 cousins for the kiddos.

Looking forward to it all.

P.S. we're on day 2 of not packing a single box. I may need to enlist some helpful friends!

Mommy & Moo Mondays

Mommy & Mooey Mondays are back! Except that we have another little "M" to join us now... He is down at the shed with his daddy, however, so it's Moo's masterpiece time.

Enjoy your day too.

parfait on a tree, anyone?

Changing this little man's nappy is now like trying to nail parfait to a tree.
He arches his back, flails his arms, buckshots his legs and grabs hold of anything in reach. I do believe that he is part heffalump. But 100% delectable. ...and yes, that's him standing up.

this is the daddy dogpile. they are all over him when he gets home from being in the yards.
Do you think they're attracted to eau de parfum de warthog?

"I don't like what the humiditiy is doing to my hair! ROAR!"
This is actually herself being a lion in the nuddy noo nar. Frightening. V. frightening.
...but most frightening of all is what the humidity is doing to MY hair. Oh well - the packing boxes do not mind if I look like Medusa.

our next residence!

Here is the house we are moving into in a couple of weeks.
v. excited and have found yoga all over the place there, and retail therapy galore.
Will probably have to use some restraint there for v. excited thought # 2.
But will dive in with reckless abandon into v. excited thought #1.

P.S. I have stopped whinging and have started packing. Game on.

"Bulletproof" from La Roux is keeping me going from triple j's hottest 100. Thank God I have good internet again. sigh.

overwhelmed.

My goodness. We have a lot going on at the moment..

...We are moving to Victoria at the end of the month (!)
...We are sorting out details to our future lease/buy on the Organic Biodynamic Dairy
...We are trying to sort out a "solve it" solution to Lawsons Angus Queensland
...We are trying not to get sad about saying goodbye to our dear friends and community yet
...We have 6 month old waking us up out of habit in the middle of the night for a scream.
...a cattle beast to put in the freezer.
...I have a 6 month old baby biting my boob with his 2 sharp little teethies
...heaps of accounting details to get thru
...many many boxes to pack
...we are booking tickets to the States in May
...combating a flea outbreak with our dogs
...dodging toxic spray-trucks that run rampant around these parts..

......oh yeah - and there are three children with their childhood's being created as we speak. I need a kick in the arse to make sure that it's a pleasant one for them by being present to their little selves.

however, I am glad to have my internet back on good speed - enjoying my TripleJ fix once again - and I've got my camera charger back, so will finally get back to taking some pikkies.

Ironing, blogging and hairstyles are definately on the back-burner at the moment.

back to it..

My big boy is back to Kindy this morning. It will be nice to have the little miss and himself away from eachother for a couple of days a week.. They seem to be tired of eachother, but I bet when he comes thru the door this afty - they'll be best mates again.

I've always said that distance makes the heart grow fonder.