Happy Anniversary Baby

Yesterday we celebrated twelve months since Bubba stepped off the plane in the this wonderful Country. He caught the train and arrived to Quirindi, NSW in a mix of heat, nerves, anxiety, frustration, wonder, bewilderment and excitement. Bubba blogged about his arrival here all those long twelve months ago here

So much we had planned and thought would happen has changed or fallen over but at the same time things we never dreamed of, or ever saw possible for our family, have become a reality. There have been lots of doors closed that we didn't see needed to be, and others that we knew needed to be weren't sure how to do it. There have been doors opened that we have been trying to open for years but couldn't quite reach and other doors that have only been able to open once others were finally nailed shut.

It has been a long road but we are thankful for EVERY minute of it, for EVERY person who has made it possible, for EVERY bit of help we have received NO matter how big or small it was it ALL helped. We are thankful for ALL the PRAYERS and THOUGHTS that everyone has given us over the last twelve months. For every new ADVENTURE and STRUGGLE we have been through.

What a twelve months it has been and here's just a few memories....

So here is a toast from Bubba's Facebook last night:

'Well i have survived 12 months in aussie today. Its been an awesome time one of the best jobs i've done seen my kids grow alot whilst here and of course my rock of a wife who has been so strong and has held this family up. Love to you Jess. And cant forget all the great friends we have met. Roll on another 12 months.'

When I asked for the champers I was told I hadn't been here twelve months yet and I had to wait my turn. Men. Huh! 

The Farm

A few weeks ago we left our five bedroom, 3 bathroom, study and two living spaces to move to a 3 bedroom house.
Why? Because:

1. The landlords put the house on the market without us being notified until months later when first we saw it advertised and then second a for sale sign was banged out front.
2. The house was in need of some TLC and the landlords weren't prepared to come and do it. Whether they were too busy or it wasn't a priority I'm not sure but it didn't help us.
3. It was cold! Seriously it was colder inside than it was outside. Great in summer, not great in winter.
4. My health has been under some serious testing these last few months. Constant migraines and absolutely no energy are just the tip of the symptom iceberg and I just couldn't cope with up keeping a house of the size any more.

So we have down sized and country lifestyles instead. We now have a far more manageable house size and around 3 acres of land - which is so in my dream world of sheep, chickens, pigs, cows, ducks, dogs etc, etc.

I am totally smitten by peace and quite and fresh air. I said to Bubba the other day that life is just to great here to go back to city. I actually don't think I could handle it anymore. I was so made and designed for the country lifestyle. I can't wait to get our animals and gardens happening and enjoy the fruit of our hard work out here.

I have been through numerous tests and am ongoing multiple testing for my health at the moment. I have had upteen blood tests to test for everything under the sun and have started down the path of CT and MRI scans to rule out, or find, anything that is affecting my brain.

My CT came back clear which is a relief but my doctor is amazing and is doing everything he can to get to the bottom of my health concerns so that I can get back to enjoying a normal life. I am still awaiting my MRI results as I have only just been to the John Hunter hospital to have these done.

It is so nice to sit out in the sun and enjoy our new views as I try and escape what has become my normal for now. I try to do every day with as much smile and as much energy as my body will permit me as there is no point sitting around crying and feeling sorry for myself.

Most people wont even know the load I deal with daily as I'm not one to moan about my circumstances when I know there are others out there dealing with their own stuff and often much more.

The rural church that is in front of our property.

We are blessed with an abundance of fruit trees at the farm. We have oranges, lemons, limes, apple, apricots, grapes and passionfruit that I can so far identify. We are looking forward to getting our own vegetable and herb gardens up and running and enjoying the freshness of home grown.

Another biggy that I am trying out at the farm is to eliminate as many chemicals from our lives as possible. One of the reasons I am having so many tests right now is to rule out any serious illness or life threaten diseases before we move onto the path of environmental.

After doing a lot of research, thanks to a good friend over here who dealt with very similar symptoms and lack of enjoyable life, we are looking at a possibility of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity which will usually lead to Chronic Fatigue. There is a very good reason to believe that all the hype around the Paritutu Dioxin Dump in New Plymouth, New Zealand, is a little more true than the so called "government research" would say ( You can read more here and here to get a better picture). This would account for a Mutliple Chemical Sensitivity and why I never had migraines, among other symptoms, until the last three to four years when I moved into a property in this area.

We are very glad to have found somewhere that we can be chemical free and have found an amazing doctor who is open to working with an environment specialist to work through this, providing that the can't find any other medical reason for my symptoms.

So for now we will keep working on why I have the symptoms I do and hope to get to the bottom of it but we are doing everything in our power to try and eliminate the stress that my mind and body are under.
So welcome to our farm and we hope to be a little more chemical free and self sufficient everyday that we are learning more about how to go about it. 

Happy Red Nose Day - minus the noses...

In support for Red Nose Day the kids school, DPS, did an end of term red themed fun day. They do some really cool things to support charities and the community and this is just another example of Quack and Jaybugs lovely little school environment.

Here are a few pics I snapped before the kids hit the bus this morning.

Please note my goofy-ness is to prove to the children that a good cause must be supported!

Red Nose Day supports and raises funds for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and supports families and communities in the desperate time of need when SIDS occurs.

A new way of life - Buses

So its Saturday night and you've let the kids stay up late to watch Babe on 7. It's a great little movie, I remember it from my own childhood. And its over. BEDTIME.

Tucking in Miss Jaybug with a gentle reminded that tonight you have stayed up later than usual so it would be a brilliant idea to have a sleep in in the morning. I am met with a "Yep Mum, I will."

Next is Squeak. Okay so he is two but I still remind him and hope it sinks into his little growing mind. "No getting up early, you need some extra sleep". Hmmmm well hopefully he got it.

Quack is now sharing bunks in our new house (another post, another time) and goes to bed around 15 - 30 minutes after Squeak. So I get to be entertained with 17 Again. Its so wrong that Zac Efron's eyes are so mesmerizing.... Quack heads off to bed and receives the biggest encouragement of all. "ou have exceeded your bedtime by almost two hours. In the morning it would be a wonderful help to Mum if you would have some extra time in bed and not get up at the crack of dawn".

So its Sunday morning and it's 7am and..... the kids are all up fighting and screaming! Yep another failed lie in.

So roll around Monday morning. Bubba has to leave for work at 6am and that hideous 5.30am alarm goes off. Although I have been awake off and on for the last hour with the presence of a small person in the bed too. I drift in and out of sleep. I hear Bubba in his truck and hear the truck heading down the road.

Squeak rolls over and ARGGHHH!! "You're all wet!" "Did you wee my bed or your bed!"
Upon further inspection it turns out it is indeed my bed that is wet. Strip the bed, towel down for now - I'm not getting up at 6am when other children are sleeping. Duvet and sheets back on. Squeak striped and changed and back into bed.

All this activity must have invited the warmth of sleep again. Next thing I know Quack is racing down the hall and bursting into my room, ripping me from the comfort of soft, warm, pleasant sleep.
"Mum it's 8 O'clock!!!"
ARRRGGGHHH

The children now catch a 8.20am bus 2.8km from the house. So usually we would be up around 7am and all ready and chores done by 8am. But today it seems the sleep in advice of Saturday night has finally sunk in except it is now with consequence.
I am racing around throwing uniforms at children, cereal into bowls and lunch into lunchboxes. I look over at the mircowave and discover our dodgy clock from The Reject shop is once again losing time! Its 8.22am!! Not 8.12am as the big red clock shows. (Note to self BUY NEW CLOCK)

So everyone runs screaming to the car - whilst I attempt to run a brush through Jaybugs mop. We are fling down the driveway and along the road when I see the first of the cars. The ones that belong to the other bus kids. I had been trying to convince myself with this lovely morning frost and fog that the bus would be driving slower and therefore we would make it.

Then the second car - fudge.

We arrive at the bus stop and no children or bus. Its okay Mum can still save the day! We will make it to the next stop. Off down the road again and we find the bus pulled over and we wiz in front, jump out making huge gestures to the drive to wait. Thank God for a good humoured bus driver. He is laughing as the kids make it to the bus door. I begin on my journey back home waving thankfully to the bus driver only to pass a second car with a DPS student also heading towards the bus!

So what, I hear you all asking, does sleeping in on a Monday morning and missing our bus look like!

Please note in my defence there is a load of washing pegged to the line and another currently washing...

Things I'm loving

Lots of rain has meant having to find lots of inside things to do. So I was extremely happy when our consignment was delivered. Read more about this here.

Kids starting school again and their super cute uniforms. Read about Jaybugs first day of school here.

 

Spending one-on-one time with Mr Squeak - making triple choc muffins (sadly from a box as I don't have my baking supplies up to stock yet) and loving my kids Tupperware range

Very proud of himself

Picking up online bargains - Pumpkin Patch dresses that I would have never paid full price for as the prices are ridiculous but at $20 each I am happy to buy two! These are available on both NZ and AUS Pumpkin Patch online shopping sites

This is my Favourite!

Family outings again - when the rain stops we can do more of this....

Getting to catch up with good friends - Helen (from over at OneTrickPony) and her beautiful family which is about to have two new additions any week now.

So even with having the flu, lots of rain, everything is flooding, feeling homesick and Bubba having to work away from home. There is still plenty to be thankful for.

Linking in with PaisleyJade for Things I'm Loving Friday.