08 Jan 2011 Hi all!

Here am I, back again.
It seems the hot weather started while we were gone. Its currently 35 degrees, and I'm hot, tired and grumpy, but don't pity me, pity the poor mugginses that live with me, lol!
Well, the holiday was very relaxing, and I swear I've put on about five kilo's, but then the baby has moved further down too, so even though my legs and arms are thicker, from my vantage point I can tell my self I'm thinner because I can see less belly, lol!!
My brother Tim set up the caravan beneath the huge oak tree next to his, with hot days in mind:


Each day passed quietly with us not surfacing for brekky till about eight, and we would all roll out of our beds, and I would take the three inside to choose their breakfast while Daddy turned Phebe;s bed into a table. They all looked so cute as they stared into the kitchen cupboard at all the different cereals, only to choose the same thing each time, LOL!! Cocoa Bombs were the general favourite.
The days were passed in a sort of a quietly social blur at the house, talking to different people, helping mum with the washing, or the cooking or some sort of cleaning.
Lunch happened at the usual time for the children, 11am, and they ate it in the caravan, then when they were done Malachi trotted inside the house with a load of dirty plates and/or cups, and the proceeded to play his nintendo 64 in there, often with the aid of an Aunty or Uncle, while Phebe was put in her brothers bed, and Hadassah, well, it depended on how tired she was as to wether or not she was put down to sleep or sent inside too. Michael and I usually then had our lunch quietly while watching a Psych episode.
Dinner was also eaten in the caravan, after baths, and then there was a short time of play before we had our crew brush their teeth, and bundled into bed at 8pm (ish) for story and Bible reading and sleep.

Christmas day was a lovely affair. My sister, Miriam, had invited a family out, and we had a great time all together. First we opened the presents, then we ate, then we talked, then we walked aroung the yard, the we talked some more!


I went into Lakes Entrance and Orbost each a couple of times, but I only went in with Michael once, because neither of us wanted to leave our crew alone with my family for too long, as my children can be quite a handful, but this was fine, and every time I went into town I brought something back for him, so he didn't miss out on much, and I got to spend a little quality time with Mum and my sisters :)
The other thing that happened while we were away is I had my birthday, and Mum made me a lovley cake and I got some presents! It was really sweet, even though it had been an especially hot day (I think it topped 40) and I was hot and a bit grumpy, but fortunatly every one was very understanding, and the cake was superb! Best of all, Michael actuallt got some footage sorted out in utube which I can share with you guys, so you shall see my in my grumpy spledour, LOL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOsyqN1RbkE&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpXFxuRdYlc&feature=player_embedded
If for whatever reason you can see the utubes let me know, and I'll see if Michael can fix it for me!
I managed to get a photo of the whole family minus Ben, who had to go home the day before, just as we were leaving:

On the way home we had lunch at Bairnsdale, and managed to get home at 3ish. 9And discovered that Cliff had finally managed to organise the fencers and we had a lovely new fence up, yay!!)We quickly emptied the car and then I ducked back out again to buy dinner and milk for brekky (we had taken the contents of the fridge and freezers with us and any other perishables so we could turn the power off while we were gone, the result of this, naturally, is that we had to buy more food when we got back!), but it was so hectic that the children were not in bed till 9.30, and Michael and I didn't make it to bed till 11pm!!
Then yesterday I went out again to do a proper shop, and when I got home I was soooo tired, but I still had to put the clothes away as we were running short on a couple of things, so last night I was still up till about 11pm.
I now feel like a zombie, but it is all done, and we are settled back in again, with the exception of te telephone, which did not like being unplugged for two weeks and is playing silly buggers, and so I can sit back, and enjoy the memories I have gathered.
 Miriam is 8 years younger than me (so does that make her look old or me look young, LOL!!!!), and she is actually two inches shorter, but when I am thin we are hard to tell apart on first glance hehehe! I have also recently discovered that our voices are very similar, only I have an American/Scotish accent, and she does not (goodness knows where I acquired it!).

I realised after  posted up that Miriam was not in the group photo either, but she had gone to work early that morning, and as I mentioned, Ben had gone home a few days earlier, but she is our red shade too, or maybe just a wee bit lighter . . .
Yuh, I try to get a group photo done whenever we all get together, but it doesn't always happen, lol!
I love being home! home is great! And  I appreciate it more at the moment because just before we left I met a nice family that are new aquaitences of my parents, a family of eight, and the mum is pregnant, and about four weeks ahead of me, and they are in the middle of moving - AURGH!! I don't know how I'd cope with that!!

We-ell, with the heat you sorta take moment to moment, and try not to take your feelings out on everything that moves, lol!
That would be my 22 (? 23??) year old sister, Miriam, who is gorgious! But sadly not married yet, though I am putting the pressure on! I want to be an Aunty, darn it!!
Yep, that voice would be mine husband. I gave him your compliment, and he said his voice is too naisally, and I told him not to be snotty about his compliments, and then he accepted it!
Let me see, I should have a photo of him some where . . .

Der he is! Eatin' cake!
 I'm shocked that I'm finding it such hard yakka with it only being in the mid thirties, and worse that Michael is complaining so loudly about it!! But at least summer is finally here, and its even cooled off that the moment with some big drops of rain!