tropics meets bush

The Hardwicks arrived at Muckadilla to be greeted with muddy roads and flooded creeks. The heavens opened and down cane the rain. The dams are now full! Have a look at the sights of our afternoon walk.

What fun we had!

Party at the creek

Here are Kimberleys friends on Breaking up day at the local creek. Doug took the generator and the flood lights. It was better than wet and wild. Can you spot the croc? only joking Thirteen kids - going to six different high schools

I forgot to tell you about the cousins catch up in town. Couldn't control Chole and Leetice ...a picture says a lot

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kimberley graduates

We've had our last day at primary school . Kimberley got dressed up for the graduation concert night. T C and Chloe arrived at the finish which was a nice surprise for all. Kimberley is looking forward to high school and looks rather formal in her new uniform. She is looking forward to the new Apple laptop which is part of the booklist for students entering TAS. Mitchell has a $200 calculator on his. Mitchell got a straight A report card which was pretty exciting. Kimberley got all A's with the exception of Art and Music!. So there you go Nell it must have been all that footy training with Mitchell that scored the A (in the practical side of PE!)

Getting the camper trailer ready to take off on Boxing Day - Doug wants to head to Longreach - a very cool location for the middle of summer. Went to Mary's today to make a big plum pudding. We multiplied the recipe by 6. She also gave Mitchell lessons in brewing ginger beer. Th elast brew saw a bottle fly 20 feet! the man in the home brew shop told her to reduce the sugar.

Doug is about to sign a contract on a new shed for the farm It will be 30 x13 metres and 5 metres high. We will shift the old sheds further awya from the house when it is done. We are going to Dougs Mum and dads for christmas day. Robyn, Lindsay and kids will join us as well as Brett and Glenis. This is the second time in 20 years everyone has got together. Found out the other day that the council have an interest in heritage listing Chloes barracks . This is the forth thing that has happened to the farm since we have bought it ...everyone wants to take some rights off you.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas....in all parts of Queensland..wish we could all be together once more

Aunty Merryl

hey

5 more days!

5 more days of school! YIPEE! This year has flown by so fast.
I can't believe I have spent 2 years in Cairns!! 2 years living SO close to my beautiful relatives!? I have so much to do in this next week...pack and move classroom, tidy up house, pack bags, finish making presents for teachers, make kids presents... all while still finding the time to teach! Leetice flies up Wednesday and we'll drive down on the Sunday or Monday. I can't wait to spend some quality time with her in the car for 2 days straight!? Hope everyone else is enjoying this exciting time of year:)
Have to share, this was very cute...from the mouths of babes, "God has more magic than Santa!" It was nice to hear that at least one of the kids knew that!

Up, Up and Away!!

As in Ever has taken her first steps!! Mum, Dad, Chels and I were witnesses to the big event where she took about three steps a week ago after much coaxing! Pete missed it but we got it on video for him. Today she has spontaneously gone for little walks about 20 times today and she's getting more and more adventurous!! Watch out world!

Short Family Catchup

Janine arrived home early in the week and we enjoyed having both girls home together even if it was overnight. Lauren arrived late Friday night with her friend Anna and the 3 girls checked out what's been happening in the paddocks. It was an interesting experience for me to see the process the girls go through getting dressed up in their finery. They were heading to the Roma Races with the main aim of catching up with school friends who live far and near. I'm not sure if the horses got a look in! Hopefully we'll get more time together at Christmas.

hey cousins...and aunty merryl.
finished exams!!!! woooo..... So good to be heading home.
Soon heading off to Coonabarabran for 2 weeks placement then Canberra/Sydney for a week and then work awaits me when I return home:(
Hope everyone is going super!
Janine:)

Cunningham News Report

No news.


Just kidding! Had a fantastic birthday last week...every single present I got was awesome! I got the 'Glee' soundtrack (only the best show on television for those who don't know it! Watch it 7:30 Thurs night!), a book called 'The Crafty Minx' which is all about making homemade goodies like bags and toys, the next Killer bunnies set (cousins - if you havn't played this game you should! Super fun!), a sandwich press to replace my overused jaffle maker, aaaaand....my favourite thing....a Christmas tree! Have had a $12 tree from Big W since we got married and the poor old thing was looking very, VERY sad...so now I have a big pretty one! And it's up already!! Pics to come! Also got a visit from Nanna & Poppa with a mango (yum!) and a bunch of pink carnations!

Yesterday I thought I was going to Mum & Dad's for a quiet morning swim when about 25 of my closest friends decided to pop in for a pool party! Sneaky Pete! Was a wonderful time!

Ever still not walking...being quite stubborn about it! Starting to say a few words though..she picked up my mobile this morning, held it up to her mouth and said 'grandma' and then 'hello'. So we gave grandma (mum) a call and she said 'grandma' again! Speak of the angel...I hear her waking up from her morning sleep...mummy duty calls!

News wanted

Aunty Merryl would like to hear news from the nephews and neices out there. Aunty Janelle would like me to be on Face book . I have decided not to go there yet.

kenny road happenings

Hello everyone. We have just had two inches of rain in 30 minutes. ..and Chloe came to visit in the middle of it. Doug had 60 men for breakfast a couple of Saturdays ago and they got the D8 out and started digging a dam. It will probably have a lot of water in it soon. Kimberley got a young Cassowary award for making a butterfly farm at the school. We went to a flash dinner on Saturday night to accept the award. She got family pass to Harleys Creek , 2 of us on skrail and a family pass to the Daintree Discovery centre all in the same week as Grandad getting a letter from Canberra asking why he has cleared Cassowary habitat at Daintree. Poor Grandad, he then got a letter (like we did) outlining new fertiliser and chemical requirements for our farms so we don't kill off the Graet Barrier Reef. Then he got a letter fro Main Roads informing him of further resumption for Main Road purposes. He is not having a good month! The tilers are here doing the wall tiles in the new bathroom. Everything is getting busier in the lead up to Christmas.

Thats all for now Merryl

Kisses for Daddy

Ever turns ONE!

Here comes a tonne of photos for those who aren't on facebook...oh, that's right, it's just Aunty Merryl! Hee - I'm happy to do it! It was a really fantastic day, kind of, but it was. I know that's confusing so here's the story...the party was going like a dream - kids were playing, adults were mingling, the atmosphere was wonderful, old school carousel music was playing, painted ponies were delighting! We cut the cake and made some little speeches (thank you God for letting us have that moment) and then sat down to open the presents - shriek, followed by a gut-wrenching mothers cry, and someone exclaiming 'he's having a fit!'...panic! One of Ever's little friends, about 18 months old, was on the ground having a fit.

Thank you God that Jenny Ridolphi (Challenor) was at the party and leapt into action stations, very calm and very in control, she took care of bub and distraught Mum. He was taken off to the RBH and after few rollercoaster days for the family, he was declared well. But boy, did he give us all a scare!

So it WAS a fantastic party but it had it's moments. Ever had a ball though and so I declare it a success!

Bondi Vet

This was my brush with a C-Class celebrity! I think we make a good couple!

Dust, Glorious Dust

This was taken at 6.30am 2 days after the main dust storm wafted over. The sun looked like a silver ball in the haze. This is a contrast to Teece's clear skies in Canada.

O Canada

Here are a few photos of my trip to Canada.
For those interested, we flew to Vancouver where we spent 3 nights, we then began our driving journey. We drove for 5-6 hours to Salmon Arm where we spent 1 night. The following day we drove for about 4-5 hours to Lake Louise, we spent 2 nights here at the Deer Lodge. Our journey continued to Banff again we spent 2 nights. I absolutely loved Banff it is a lovely tourist town amongst the rockies. The town is full of Aussie's and Kiwi's working but it was still lovely. Following our stay we drove about 1 hour to Calgary. I didn't really enjoy Calgary, there didn't seem to be much happening there, have now been told that Calgary is only worth going to during the stampede. After our 2 nights in Calgary we then flew back to Vancouver where we had 1 more night before flying back home.
I absolutely loved Canada and I'm now planning my next trip O.S. the toughest decision is working out where to go!
Cheers!
Leetice

New Look!

Hey family...you HAVE come to the right place! I just thought I'd change up the look of the blog...nice and fresh don't you think?

Reunion at the Spit

The Clan


Ever showing off her skills for Great Nanna & Poppa

Swimming with Great Aunty Merryl

Cousies!!

The boys

Instigators!

Having some morning tea and cuddles

Halfway to the main beach!

Aunty Janelle!!

Wet but still smiling!

Bathing beauties

Chillin in the sand

All tuckered out

Walks with Great Poppa

What a lovely day we had! We missed all those who weren't there! A few hours on the old Walton stomping ground at the Mooloolaba spit..then up to the park area for a delicious lunch.