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Rugby

Aunty Janelle,
This is the moment you have been waiting for. He got tackled and he ttackled and he survived. What a man!
Posted a photo of the 50th anniversary for you also
Merryl

Wet, wet and wet again!

I know everywhere in Qld is getting rain, but thought I'd share what we've been experiencing out here. We got 6 inches in 24 hours, an event Graham has seen only once before out here. We got out of the house yesterday and walked to the creek through the mud, water and long wet grass. It was a site to see. Merryl, the gully behind the house came up again looking more like a lake across the paddock. We've had our yearly rainfall in the last 2 and a bit months which makes getting around the place nearly impossible.

There was a fence (floodgate) across this creek,

but that will be a job for a fine day

This was taken before this last lot of rain.

I'm sure Nanna has caught you all up on my 'situation' of the last couple of months but here's an exert from another blog I write that will fill in the details.....

Ouch! 3 months! I'd like to say that 'I can't believe it' but it's been a very real and a very long 3 months. My last post was written the day before I discovered I was pregnant with our second bub and it wasn't long after that that I became too sick to haul myself from the couch to the computer. Well, from the couch to anywhere really.

I decided though that I wasn't going to revel in the sickness...no, I would soldier on. I recalled the times when we were deep in the infertility journey when trying to get pregnant with Ever, and what it would do to my heart to hear the multitudes of pregnant women around me complain about their ailments...jealousy, devastation, resignation. And so knowing there were some around me going through that journey themselves, and not knowing if there were others privately carrying that burden, I decided I would be resilient and at least publically carry on as per usual. Also, there is nothing that irritates me more than 'attention seeking' which I think is a too common 'side effect' of pregnancy!

For a while this worked pretty well and then the clock struck 2010....uh ohhh....NOW I was feeling it. I was pretty prepared for the 'morning' sickness since I'd experienced it pretty badly with Ever until 32 weeks...when I say prepared I mean expecting it....hoping against hope and praying fervently that this time would be different but in my heart of hearts expecting it.

While still trying to maintain my 'I'm good, nothing to complain about...see look at my smile' public face, I was having my dear Mum look after Ever a couple of days a week and Pete taking semi-regular sick days to help out. As if the actual physical effects of the morning sickness aren't enough I was soon feeling terribly guilty about not being able to care for Ever. At the start she would cry every time I vomited...these days she hands me a tissue to wipe my mouth! Who's the mummy again?

January saw me gradually getting worse, with a bout of gastro topping it off....oh, that was a week I'll never forget! And then there were the two wedding photography jobs that had been long ago booked...shudder. Vomiting at a wedding just ain't right.

Then February....oh february. Suddenly it hit...oh no, another bout of gastro! But this time it was continuous vomiting all day long. Mum was practically living at our house, not only looking after Ever but playing nursemaid to me. At this stage I literally could not change positions on the couch without the threat of throwing up and was seriously considering attaching a ribbon to my friend the bucket turning it into something like an animal feed bucket...partly for convenience, partly because I no longer had the energy to carry it when I needed to relocate. After a few days of this, I started to think it might not be gastro and after a week my desperate Mum and husband convinced me to go to my doctor. I hadn't wanted to go because I just felt too sick!!

After being at the doctor for all of 30 seconds and telling the tales of the last week, she was on the phone booking me in to hospital with hyperemesis gravidarum...which is basically excessive vomiting during pregnancy which occurs in about .05% of pregnancies. I almost cried with relief when she suggested I go straight away! And then came the best 24 hours of the last few months!! A drip to rehydrate me, anti-nausea meds so i could eat something, a room to myself to rest and a good dose of tlc....heaven must feel like this!

After coming home Mum looked after me for another week while I got my strength back AND we managed to organise the house. Ok, she organised the house while I sat pathetically in the corner telling her where things were supposed to be. This might sound like a little task but think about what would happen to your house if you were basically confined to the couch for three months...yeah, disaster! Don't get me wrong, Pete has been so good...doing all the cooking, shopping, washing and parenting while also 'bringing home the bacon' to put it plainly. However, all non-essential cleaning and tidying had fallen by the wayside....thank you, thank you, thank you to my supermum for overhauling Cunningham headquarters!

That brings us to last week where we had cleverly booked a holiday up the coast outside of crazy kid time...I mean school holidays. We were a little bit hesitant to go, fearing it would just be the same thing, different couch, but decided that even if it was only a change of scenery it was worth it. Turns out, with the help of my industrial strength anti-nausea magic pills and a beautiful view, we had a most enjoyable week! More on the holiday later. But to top it all off we arrived home to not only an organised house but a beautifully clean house thanks to the cleaning fairies Mum had put to action! Ahhhhh........

more photos please

Aunty Merryl wants more photos of family activities

first day of high school

well here is the photo some of you have asked for. Kimberley has had a little bit of a shock at high school. Most nights she has between 1.5 - 2 hours homework each night...a bit of an overkill for her mother who has to encourage her the whole way. She is enjoying her new apple computer. She has met a couple of girls she hangs out with. Tomorrow night they have a social for year 8. The big news for Mitchell is that we have given in and he is going to play Rugby for school. I don't want to be around when he gets squashed! Kimberley is going to play Netball with school. Hope you like the picture

My trip to Vanuatu

A big hello to all my family,
I just thought that I would put some pictures up of my recent trip to Vanuatu. My good friend from Emerald decided to get married over there, and I thought that was a pretty good excuse to go overseas, and sounded like a good place to go for my first time overseas. We headed over there on the 3rd of January, and stayed for 6 nights. I traveled with 2 other girls and had a great time, the country is beautiful and the people are lovely.

Happy new year to all our dear family and best wishes for 2010. Love Poppa and Nana

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

'

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