Hypothesis

A few days ago, Mike and I were chatting about how much hungrier our daughters are when they spend time on the computer.  So I raised the hypothesis that playing on the computer makes one hungry!

I have watched for a few days; the more time they spent on the computer the hungrier they became!

Today, we took them out, went to the playground/dog park and when I asked them if they were hungry, they said no, not really!

So in conclusion, I’d say that we were right!  Playing on the computer makes one very hungry and on the flip side, being outside in nature makes you not so hungry. 

 

PS:  Just a little aside, we had lunch from the cafe today which may or may not have had an effect on our study!

Blayney Show Roundup

What a fun busy day it was at the Blayney show 2014!  The older girls always wake early on a show morning and insist that I get up and make coffee!  It was still cold and the grass wet with dew when we took them (the dogs) for a walk and gave them a brush.  By the time we got over to the first competition at around 10am everyone was shedding layers!
After filling in the paperwork, signing to say we would not sue the show society if something went wrong <insert rolling of the eyes> we went in search of some shade to wait for the rest of the competitors to be ready.
Finally our time for competing arrived, and the girls and the dogs did great!  As we watched the Best Tricks I was thinking to myself “Now if the judge is anything like me (which I hope she is) she’ll have Freya first, Sparkie second and Tess and Lassie third equal!  We had to wait till all classes had finished before waiting another 10 minutes for the judges to decide on winners.

Our patience was rewarded when the judges came over and awarded Freya a first, Sparkie and second and Tess and Lassie third equal!! 

Jasmine and Sparkie

Jessica and Tess

Chantel and Freya

Chana and Lassie

At 2.15pm we headed over for the dog high jump.  This is the first year the Blayney Show has run a dog high jump so we didn’t know what to expect.  We watched as they set it up and realised it was a vertical jump as apposed to one on a slight lean that becomes more of a dog scramble! 
The dogs have often competed in “dog scramble” so we were a bit nervous as to how they would perform with the vertical high jump.
It was blistering hot, and there were quite a few other dogs to run but it was worth it.  The dogs did great!  Freya was the first to give up, followed by Sparkie who decided it was too hot to jump (she was right!).  Tess and Lassie kept going, surprising everyone!  Finally it was down to Tess, Lassie and one other dog. Both Tess and Lassie cleared a height of 174 cm, but the other dog cleared a height of 202cm (a new record!)  So once again Tess and Lassie shared a place, this time a second place!

So the result table looks like this:

Sparkie: 2nd in Speed Sit, 2nd in Tricks.

Tess: 1st in Speed Sit.

Lassie: 3rd in Speed Sit, 3rd in Best Biscuit Catcher.

Freya: 1st in Tricks.

Tess and Lassie got 3rd equal in Tricks and 2nd equal in the High Jump.

Total ribbon haul: 10, and 16 bags of dog food!

There are lots more pictures on our Superdogs Facebook page.

Blayney Wind Farm and Carcoar Dam

Blayney wind farm is set up overlooking Carcoar Lake and Carcoar Dam.  The fifteen windmills were built in 2000 at the cost of $18 million and will reduce the Carbon Emissions by 400 000 tonnes over a 20 year period.

 

Although at the time of construction it was the largest wind farm in Australia is has now been superseded by several other wind farms as they increased in popularity during the 2000’s.

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Carcoar Dam, built in 1970 is a great place to free camp.  With ample space, some with shade, a free BBQ and flushing toilets it makes a great place to check out the local areas such as Blayney, the historic town of Carcoar and as far afield as Bathurst and Orange.

From the camping area you can walk to the Dam wall and cross the two lane bride (with footpath) and explore the other side of the dam.

 

Water is continually released from the dam “for irrigation purposes” although we were told it actually is diverted to a gold mine.

Closer to 50

Trigger Warning

Been thinking a lot about life lately; I think when you are closer to 50 than 40 you start to realise that if you want to do something in/with your life you better get on with it!

Three years ago, all was well with my world, then for the first time in Michael’s life he got asked to leave his job!  Not only was it his job that we lost at that time (Nov 2010) but also the house that we had just moved into 8 weeks previously.  We had made plans to stay with this job for a minimum of 18 months.  We’d talked about what we wanted to do, achieve while settled in one place.  Then, just out of the blue, and through no fault of our own, we were told we had 2 weeks to leave! 

Two weeks later, found us all packed back into the bus, and heading out on the road again feeling very dejected, lost and alone.  We had no direction, no desire to travel anywhere or do anything.  Oh and we were 4 months out from having a baby!

We drifted south to escape the heat and settled into a showgrounds with good rent and constant power, toilets and showers.  We once again had something to look forward to, we had a purpose. All was well again!

Then …. March 12, 2011 happened!  We welcomed our 8th child into this world at 9am and farewelled her at 10pm the same day.

Once again life was spinning out of my control.  We once again were drifting with no direction.  I tried to focus on keeping everyone together with some success.  I was falling apart though! 
For the next three years I have battled depression, looking for a direction for me, for my family.  I’d set goals, start out well for a day or two, then sink back down again feeling worse for not having been able to stick to what I wanted to do.

This year I have started listening to motivational speakers, like Zig Ziglar.  I have started reading motivational books.  I haven’t got back to the Bible yet, but I’m getting closer.  It is amazing how much better I feel.  I feel that I now have a purpose!  I have a direction!  I can be anything I want to be.  I feel a power within that I have not felt for a very long time.  I have started exercising again.  Started waking up and actually wanting to get out of bed!

I have set some goals, just short term goals, like, goals for tomorrow!  When I reach that goal it encourages me to set a goal for the next two days.  It’s just one small step at a time.  The last three years have passed me by, I’m glad I’m seeing that now.  As I get older, I can’t afford to have life pass me by any longer!  I plan to get up and take back what the devil has stolen from me.  Take back my life, and live the life I want to live.  Live the life I was destined to live!
 

Hold On

by Rapture Ruckus

CHORUS: [x2]
You Gotta Hold On
Help Is Coming
You Gotta Hold On
You Going To Make It Through The Rain
Through The Rain Through The Pain
Through The Fire And Flame

The Same Name I Cling To
The Same Name That Remains Forever
The Name Above All Names
Above Death And The Grave
The Name That Cures Cancer
And Gives Strength To The Lame
The Same Name That Came And Shattered My Chains
The Same Name That Will Come And Do The Same Again For You
He's Going To Come Through
Yes It's True
Jesus The Only Name That Will Pull You Through

CHORUS [x2]
'Cause He Said He'll Never Leave Us
Nor Forsake Us Man And That's The Only
Word You Need To Hold To
And You'll Never Be Lonely Homie
I Know I Ain't The Only Person Out There Hurting
Who's Flirted With Thought Of Ending It All
But Been Averted And I Know So Many Out There Who Have Had It Much Harder
They Got No Food In Their Bellies
Got No Mothers Or Fathers
So Many Questions Out There That Need Answers To But Even If It Comes Down To The Final Hour
Man He'll Still Come Through

CHORUS [x3]
If You're Waiting For A Miracle
You Gotta Hold On
You Gotta Make It Through The Rain

CHORUS [x2]
Bridge: [x2]
Through The Rain
Through The Flame
You Are The Name Above Every Name
Through The Rain
Through The Flame
Jesus The Name Above All Names

Three Years On … Hang on!

(Trigger warning)
Almost three years ago we bought our 8th child into the world.  It was going to be a joyous occasion … but sadly she was born not breathing.  They revived her, got her heart beating, but there was no brain activity.  She spent 11 or her 13 hours hooked up to every tube and wire there was.

On consultation with the doctors who informed us that her heart was so weak that it could give out at any time, coupled with the fact that she had no brain activity we made the gut wrenching decision to remove life support. 
After removing all the wires and tubes, dressing her and wrapping her in a blanket we were all ushered into a small room where we could be a family of 10.  We all got to cuddle her and say our goodbyes.













Now three years on ….
We are still a family of 10, but one is now forever with Jesus.  It is still not easy, it still hurts like xxxx, I still shed tears, the pain does not go away!  You learn to deal with the pain, you learn to work through the pain, you learn to live in the here and now; not the past or the future.  Not a day goes by where I do not think of her, wonder what life would be like if she were here now.  Wonder what would she be doing at three years of age.
I thought I’d never be able to pick up the pieces of my life and carry on.  I thought I’d never be able to look another new mother in the eye and say congratulations (that one is still hard).  I thought I’d never be able to smile again, never laugh again, and never live again.
But, I can!  It is a choice I make on a daily basis.  I have seven living children who need me here and now.  I want to be there for them, in the here and now.  I choose to smile, I choose to laugh and I choose to live again.
I’ll never forget Serenity and the way she changed our lives in such a short time.  I carried her for 9 months on the inside, enjoying the kicks and movements.  I held her for two short hours on the outside, bathing myself in her sweet smell her beauty.  All too soon she was gone.  Our lives will never be the same.  We know tragedy, we know death … but we also know we are strong, and we can get back up again and carry on.
 

Hang on

 by Michael Whitaker Smith;Wesley Ivan King;Matthew Bronleewe

I'm so stubborn, it's how I got here
So alone, feels like forever
Wanna swim away and breath the open air
But I feel so afraid, then I hear you say

Hang on when the water is rising
Hang on when the waves are crashing
Hang on, just don't ever let go

I'm so hungry, how can I stay here?
Starving for what I hold so dear
Like a hurricane it takes everything from me
Wake me from this dream

Hang on when the water is rising
Hang on when the waves are crashing
Hang on, just don't ever let go

Hang on when you are barely breathing
Hang on when your heart's still beating
Hang on, just don't ever let go

Three days, thirty years
So hopeless, doesn't matter
Don't say it's too late if you blink your eyes
The sun is rising, the sun is rising, oh

Hang on when the water is rising
Hang on when the waves are crashing
Hang on, just don't ever let go

Hang on when you're barely breathing
Hang on when your heart's still beating
Hang on, just don't ever let go