3 Days old!

Ever Arabella Cunningham

Born October 21, 2:21am, 6 pound 13, 50cm. Absolutely gorgeous!

NEW COUSIN

Can't wait to see a picture of the new little cousin.......

Baby C's Room

You probably can't read this very clearly but it says...
'They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendour.' It's from Is61.

Stalk design and creation by Mrs Chelsea Koch...(just giving credit where credit is due!)

And yes Aunty Merryl...those are fairy lights on the ceiling!!

Emerald - here I come

Hi all,

Just thought that I would let the family know that I am moving to Emerald on the weekend. I was originally going to be going back to Toowoomba for work, but then they asked me last week if I would prefer to go to Emerald, and I said why not. So it hasnt given me much time to organise things, mainly accommodation, which is really scarce up there due to all the mines, but I think I have somewhere to stay, at least for a little while. I'm not sure how long I will be up there for - apparently it is a 'wait and see' game. But it should be really good, as I will be able to get a lot more experience with different property types up there and work with a really good valuer, so that should be something. I will let you know in the next few weeks how it all goes. Love Lauren

Way Up North

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I posted some pictures.

Had fun with Nana and Poppa while they were up fishing for Tilapia. The school ran a competition over the weekend of Kimberleys birthday.

Mitchell got a motor bike for his birthday and Christmas and birthday and Christmas and birthday and Christmas!

Went to Mount Surprise on Monday Night for something different.

Mitchell is off to his 3 week school camp straight after the holidays....I think I may miss him.

Kimberley went on her 3 day one just before the holidays (Dolly didn't go!)

Looking forward to being a great Aunty....dont forget everyone...what you do for one you do for everyone!!!!

Love the second last child

Mother of the last grandchildren

PS Don't forget Anna to get someone to post some photos of little Richie as soon as he is born. We want to be able to goo and gar in the north.

3 and a half weeks to go!

Took some preggie self-portraits last week that I thought I'd pop up for you.

I am feeling really good at the moment. Baby has dropped so I'm pretty uncomfortable but nothing unbearable. I had to get my wedding rings cut off last week because all of a sudden my hands and feet have decided to swell...I was out shopping with Mum (quite strenuous activity as you know!) and realised my hand was sore...I looked down and my poor old ring finger looked as if it was about to drop off!! So off the rings came but my finger still has the telltale indents!

Grandpa came around today to put the cot together in the nursery so we're pretty much all ready for the big arrival! Forgot again to bring a photo of the nursery to put up (we don't have net at home so have to come to Mum's every time I blog). It's looking really great.

THE Baby Shower

For those aunties and cousins who couldn't make it I thought I'd give you little pictorial overview! I had the best day...Chels and Mum did an amazing job!!

christmas list

Hey family, it's that time of year again and we need to put out that Christmas shopping list so you have time to buy that special gift for the loved one you have been given.  Yes, it's aunty nelle's time to get it together, cause she needs all the time she can get to find that special gift.  So here it is. maibry buys for geoff

graham  -  janelle

lauren - chelsea

janine - chloe

geoff - merryl

lyndal - leetice

anna - doug

pete - kent

dean - graham

chelsea - lauren

steven - kerry

doug - nana

merryl - anna

kerry - lyndal

janelle - pete

chloe - maibry

leetice - poppa

kent - dean

mum - steven

poppa - steven

Hope that is everyone - baby Cunningham gets a category all of it's own.  Can't wait to see whether we have to buy boys or girls things...........

My Little Boy

Here is a picture of my little boy after I gave him a new haircut!
Leetice

31 and a half weeks!

8.5 weeks to go! Scary!! I started having a little panic when I asked Nanna last week who her biggest baby was...Dad of course! I then remembered I was the biggest baby of our family too! These 2 facts, along with every second person telling me I look 'big', prompted me to ask the dr this week whether he thought our baby was going a big one..he assured me it seemed very average size...praise the Lord!!

Pete and i have started ante-natal classes at the hospital and yes, we have seen THE video! I had prepared myself for Pete to faint (he's not real good with the sight of blood) but he watched it all and wasn't even white at the end of it! Got to have a suck of the gas in last weeks class which made me a little woozy. Have decided I'm not going into the birth with any real set ideas about how I expect it to go and what I'm going to do. We'll just go with the flow!! (Although the more I hear about epidurals the more I don't want one but hey, if I can't take the pain, I can't take it!) We're learning lots of really good information...I'm just hoping it doesn't all fly out the window when the action starts happening!

We had a bit of a scare last week with a trip to the hospital. All is fine and baby is fighting fit. Got to see the birth suites which are pretty nice - not as sterile as I thought they would be. They have a big bath with pressure hoses to put on your back (like a spa which Pete can hop in too...although they do specify they prefer the husbands to wear togs!), fit balls, massage oils, cd player, lounge chair, tv and other stuff. Sounds like I'm gonna have a ball!! Ha!

I finish work in 2 and a half weeks..not that I'm counting or anything. I'm just doing short shifts now so I'm not on my feet all day. The cradle and cot are nearly finished being painted. Now we just have to figure out how to put them back together again! I'll put up a pic when the baby's room is finished.

A big thank you to Great Aunty Merryl for the beautiful crocheted booties!! Baby Cunningham's cold little feet can't wait to get into them!

Me & Mitchy Moo

Found this the other day tucked in my bible! What a little cutie! I think I was about Mitchell's age now in this pic.

News from the NOrth

Just got a new camera as the screen on my old one went blank. I haven't downloaded any photos to share with you. Kimberley is pleased that the stray cats in the shed at Edmonton have had kittens. We had to pay a visit today before they disappear. Mitchell is getting ready to turn 14. He is heading off to Lazer Tag with a few friend sto celebrate. He has nearly overtaken me in height and is up for another pair of new school shoes as he is out of the ones I bought 3 months ago. Doug is busy planting with his 74 year old boss. Thankfully we are not planting for many others this year. The Powerline Towers are being contructed between Cairns and Innisfail (ugly) . We have one on the farm. Chloe had a jewellery party the other night at a teachers aide from White Rocks home. I was the cashier....took lots of cash...still lots of jewels left.
Thats all for now. Love Merryl

These are a few of my favourite people................

Thought you might like to see some of Kerry's new friends.  It's incredible who you rub shoulders with.  Even Aunty Nell got to sit in a VIP tent!!!!

Arnott I Beautiful!

I thought you all would like to see my new uniform!!! Earmuffs, hairnet and steel capped boots...these are the precautions that I have to take to ensure you don't get hair in your scotch fingers!

I had a very busy first week at work, I am stationed at the far end of the factory for the next few months...which means I do quite a bit of walking back and forth the length of the factory each day(which might not sound far but I seem to walk past the 76m long ovens about 6 times a day)! So I'm hoping I won't have too much trouble walking off the weight gain that will occur from the unlimited biscuits policy! My biscuit count is approx 15 after 5 days...it is hard to pass up the free bikkies in the smoko rooms, and a fresh Ched hot from the oven!

I was suprised to find I had my very own desk, computer, phone, and phone number...they might actually expect me to do a few things around the factory! Hee Hee...my job has actually been quite interesting so far and I already have my first project that I am keen to get stuck into.

The full-time hours are really hard, I could fall asleep at 7pm if I let myself (or rather if Steven let me - he was not impressed when I came home the second day and fell asleep at 530!)

and the rain came tumbling down ...

Our visitors arrived as the clouds started gathering and the next morning the early drizzle got serious. We've never drafted sheep in the wet before and have no desire to do so again! Wayne and Marie arrived in the yards just as the ear tagging was being done. We were hoping to truck these sheep away on Thursday but it was not to be. Unfortunately the rain didn't stop for a day or so, so they didn't get to see much of our outback paddocks. A walk to the dam in one direction and down to the creek in another, was as much as we could show them and then finally the sun started to peep out Friday morning. The car and caravan got bogged not far from the house and after getting a tow from our trusty Toyota, they finally made it out onto the road. I believe they experienced an 'exciting' trip along our wet, greasy road to the bitumen near the highway and it was good to hear they made it out without any other problems.

These are a few of my favourite things...

Wow! Week four already! After this, 6 more then holidays... yipee!
School is wonderful, new group of kids and haivng a fabulous time.
I have another jewellery party coming up, this will be number 3. Its at one of the teacher aides places. She had a party there last term, so I'm a little worried as everyone wants to see new 'stuff'. For the next few weeks, every spare moment will be devoted to making jewellery to 'stock up' my supplies. So far, I've made a great start, 30+ necklaces in 4 days! Who knows how many more... though whatever I do, it won't be enough. Whatever I don't make, they will want...but that's just how it goes. I'm planning to have another jewellery party out at my place in term 4 'showcasing' the Christmas collection. I just have to come up with what will be in that collection... Sometimes I think why bother, because it can be so stressful.. but I enjoy it, and if I keep making it, I will always have a growing personal collection of jewels!

18 years young

Janine and her friend Anna celebrated their 18th in style with a combined party at Anna's place north of Roma. School friends from near and far with some uni. friends joined them and they kept warm by moving between the outdoor drum fire and the gas patio heater in the shed with some dancing in between. They were all still going strong when Graham and I left at 1am. When we returned for breakfast the next morning most of them sitting up to the table bleary eyed and tucking into bacon, eggs and sausages. It was a birthday to remember!

Fancy an Arnott's Biscuit anyone?

The job searching is over...before it really even begun! About 6 weeks ago I submitted my first and only application to Arnott's Biscuits at Virginia for a graduate position and just yesterday found out that I got the job! Yes I will be learning to make the dough! I will also be learning about all the machines and the different sections of the factory floor...the job is a 12 month training program in which I will rotate through various sections of the business including finance, HR and quality improvement. I am really excited, I think it will be really interesting and challenging. The aim of the program is that I will become a Team Leader at the end of 12 months looking after 10-15 people on the floor.

I had a factory tour on Tuesday and literally got my hands in the dough - fortunately for you all we threw those pieces of dough out once we'd had a squeeze to test the consistency!!! I then proceeded past the 75meter long ovens and grabbed a hot freshly baked choccy biscuit to taste - not bad at all!!! I am a bit worried because they say everyone puts on about 5kg after 6 months of working there! I HOPE NOT! I have 3 more weeks holiday before I start my first full-time job on the 4th August!

Life House

Hi all! I just thought you should know that the Walton's, Koch's and Cunningham's have all up and left their old church and now attend Life House Christian Church...(that is, we have officially changed our church name)!

Yesterday, and all last week Steve, Pete, Anna and I spent hours working on special celebrations to bring in the new church name yesterday and we had such a lovely celebration...Steve edited some special video clips up (a favourite hobby of his), Pete and Anna structured the service, and we arranged confetti cannons, a church family photo, a special toast to the new church (Grapetiser of course!) and a ladies bake-up resulting in a sweetilicious supper. (For the record, mum's cooking...eh...how do good ladies say this?...ermmm...kicked butt!)

Praise God, for everything went smoothly and we had a lovely memorable time - there were a lot of technical things that could have gone wrong!

maggie island adventure

Here you go Aunty Merryl... this is just for you!

After both of our exams, Lauren flew up with our friend Kaitlin from Brisvegas after spending a day and night there. I showed them round lovely Townsville, went up Castle Hill, ate the yumiest icecream in the world and we spent an afternoon on Magnetic Island with a friend from uni aswell. We hired out bikes, went swimming and watched the beautiful sunset. awww. and ate pizza. yum. And the most exciting part was riding the bikes down and up very steep hills with only the moonlight to guide us!! Then on Sunday we roadtripped to Emerald and stayed with my friend Sara before going back home the next day. I love holidays!! Here are some piccies... Love Lauren and Janine

holiday happenings

hello everyone,

Nana has asked for a photo of the house under construction. We have been waiting for the roofing contractors to arrive all week. Apparently its Friday they are coming ..ther goes another $1000 in scaffolding hire!

Mulgrave Adventures is going well. Our artist did 19 of these figurines to hang all over the church - each was doing a different sport - really clever. Tomorrow is the last day and the killer fun evening that follows.

Hope to hear from the western queenslanders soon on the blogger.

Love to all

4 more days to go!

Yipee!

School's out forever! (I hope)

Here is a picture of me at uni! Unfortunately I couldn't resize the picture - I am in a black coat on the left of the picture sitting in the second back row (close to the escape route in case the lecture is boring). This picture was taken at the request of my Purchasing and Procurement lecturer in our last class...this is not a common occurance, in fact I'm sure there would be some QUT policy about the inappropriateness of this lecturers request! We all sat there and smiled for him anyway and he posted it on our website for us (very strange as you can see by the picture we were not a friendly class - just about everyone is sitting separately!) I am grateful to him however as this is the only picture I have of me at uni!

Well tomorrow I have my last uni exam and I'm getting pretty excited!!! I will have completed a Bachelor of Business (Management)/Bachelor of Arts (Society and Change) in 4.5 years and I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking my head down and finishing it...there are a lot of other things I would have liked to have done in the past 4.5 years!

After my exam tomorrow mum and I are heading out to buy some business attire so that I can hit the upcoming job interviews feeling and looking good! Exciting times ahead!

Cousin Fairy's

Here are the two northern cousins making fairy floss for the school fete.  A little bit of cousin bonding!!

Then A.M. & U.K. helped out!

7 days to go!

Yipee! 7 school days to holidays. Bring it on!

Update from the C's

Well I'm 21 weeks now and little Cunningham jr is going crazy doing all sorts of backflips and karate kicks! Listened to it's heart again this week and the dr said, with raised eyebrows, 'active baby!' Must take after Aunty Nelly!! Been a bit sick this week so finally conceded to take some anti-nausea meds from dr...they're not working...oh well!

Pete is working hard at the courts...well, working long anyway! He is looking around for another job that might pay a little better for when the baby comes. I'm working at Myer and semi-enjoying it. My work-mates are lovely and it's good to be the first to see all the stocktake sale bargains!

Was over at Pete's mum's house this week and she was telling us how she always looks out for the nappy bargains for Pete's sisters...Pete asked how many nappies you go through a day and nearly fell off his chair when she said 'about 10'. It was hilarious! He reckons you could stop that by not feeding them so much...mmm I think I have a bit of work to do before bub arrives! Love to all!

Henry Winston Photos

Sorry there weren't any photos with my last blog, I had trouble posting them. Yes this means a dog at Christmas dinner, but does not mean we're eating dog! He's done very well in his first week at home, and has hardly cried. Mum and Dad got to meet him on their way through to Cairns. Here is a couple of photos of him, one of him just lasing around, after his first bath, and with his 'cousin' George Bailey (Kym's dog).
Chat soon Leetice

Mumma mia!

As requested by Aunty Merryl...here is a side profile of Anna - now at 20 1/2 weeks.

I'm a mum!

Hi everyone,
Had to tell you all that things are going well here in CQ, so well in fact that I have a little baby boy! His name is Henry Winston. He is a little Maltese cross shitzue. He is very excited to meet you all at christmas, hopefully he will be toilet trained. Chat soon.
New Mum, leetice