We went on a train ride on the weekend. From Melbourne to Castlemaine, changed trains then onto Maldon for lunch and a walk aorund.

Our train was 2 beautiful old steam engines with 11 carriages behind them. The scenery was pretty in places. It was a long day. Longer for B1 as she worked in the buffet car.

Now i don't usually give a company a plug on my blog, but i will for Steamrail and not just becasue my good friend works there lol.

If you want to experience all that a steam train has to offer head to www.steamrail.com.au They are nothing like Puffing Billy. They run packaged trips often and for the price of them, they are well worth it. The amount of time, effort and sometimes hair pulling out moments the workers and volunteers go to behind the scenes to make the trips run smoothly, is something you need to see for yourself to appreciate it all.

The photo below was taken by a 14 year old lad. He was one of the many photographers dotted along the line trying to get that special shot. Actually, we saw him scampering all over the place between Melbourne and Maldon. Enthusiastic! We were in the 3rd carriage ;)

Photo credit - Henry Owen

Until next time
~x~

B2 celebrated her 11th birthday on Saturday and again on Monday.

Lots of presents, loads of fun and best of all was the family and friends who helped her celebrate.

Until next time
~x~

We've more new additions to our animal family.

1 is for the freezer, yum! The other we're still debating wether to keep her or pop her in the freezer too. I'm leaning towards the freezer as i know how big she'll get and we don't really have the room for her when she's a grown adult although it would be nice to keep her. Either way, i have around 5 months to make my mind up lol

Met the new girls, Jap (just a pig) and Sulky. Sulky earnt her name because she got the sads on when we put her in the trailer. She kept side glancing at us as if to say 'why have you taken me away from my siblings?' She's still doing it lol. Jap got her name because any animal we have who is destined for the freezer has to have a suitable dinner name so the kids know not to get too attatched. We tossed around some other names such as pork chop, spare rib, yumyum but decided Roasted Just a Pig will go nicely with Roasted Just a Pumpkin lol

Until next time

~x~

B2 is in her element now we have brought her pony home from the farm. We're 'agisting' it in a vacant paddock next to our home. I didn't want him in the backyard lol

I haven't seen Spirit the pony for nearly 2 years. He's been at the farm with the other horses and being looked after by the various tenants. The last time i seen him he was a little jittery and really wouldn't come when called unless there was a treat on offer. Now it's like he's a totally different pony and i owe my thanks to the lovely young lass who's been caring for him for the past 12 months. He comes when called. Doesn't flinch at loud noises. Is rideable with a lead rope, although he was always rideable but had a tendancy to be a bit wild.

B2 hasn't left Spirit's side much over the weekend. She quickly does her chores, feeds and has a brief chat with the other animals then she's out in the paddock playing with Spirit 'til it's dark. She even shares a carrot or apple with him! She's always been a horsey lover. Using anything and everything she could to put her saddle on and pretend she was riding lol

We took B2 and Spirit for a walk yesterday. Will be good to see her riding him on her own when both horse and rider have confidence with each other.

Looks like Spirit is smiling in this one :)

Until next time
~x~

I cleaned out the fish tank (the water was used on the garden) and then arranged the pebbles nicely on the tank floor. Some would say i was bored, other's, just being fancy lol Either way the fish are happy.

Until next time
~x~

I've been rabbiting on about my new kitchen cupboards for some time so it's about time i showed you what they look like.

I'm not 100% sure they will stay in the position they are in. My interior decorator (my mum) can't visit as quick as i'd like her to, so i've had to rely on my own skills. Yes it's my house and i will have things how i want them but i always value my mum's opnion. Her house is beautiful, featuring in a few home and decorating magazines so as far as i'm concerned, she knows what she's talking about when it comes to turning a house into a home ;)
My new kitchen cupboards (from the Fleur range) were cluttering my home as we'd picked them up from Geelong over a period of a few weeks (i still have more furniture to come!) so the man of the house and i have arranged them to where we think they will serve their purpose well and i've started filling them. If mum has a different and more useable idea then i'll move them. it's easy done lol I only have 3 walls i can put them against, the joys of living in such a small space!

There are some modifications that need doing. My builder, aka my dad will be taking charge of these. I need a cupboard built around the oven and a bench on top where the stove top will sit. The cupboard that the tv is sitting on will be where the sink goes. This requires cutting a hole for it and i'll loose the use of one drawer but the cupboard (cheaper than the original ticket price as it's damaged) was purchased with this in mind. A corner cupboard or something similar is needed between the two cupboards on the left hand side of the 3rd photo so it becomes more enclosed and we can't see what's happening in the little passage way we have now created behind the cupboard that leads to the bathroom.

It's a huge work in progress but i can see it will be just perfect when it's done :)

Until next time
~x~

Hmmm. What to blog? I guess i just want to say Hi, i'm still here ;)

It's been rather quiet around here the past few weeks.

The munchkins are on school holidays. B1 spent the 1st week of the holidays at a friends house near Melbourne and had a fantastic time.

The man of the house spent near on 2 weeks trucking around QLD.

I had a birthday as did our little neighbour so we celebrated with a bonfire and neighbours.

It's been raining on and off, more on than off lol The garden is drenched but flourishing, both vegie plants and weeds.

The animals are happily waddling around in mud and eating more grass then their tummy's can hold.

School resumes this coming Monday. As much as i love having the munchkins home and enjoying their love and laughter i am looking forward to having the days to myself again. I think because we didn't have a family holiday or just a weekend away together, and the weather hasn't been favourable, we're over being in confined quarters and the munchkins are wanting to see all their school friends.

Until next time
~x~