Mental Health Week

Mental Health Week is an annual national awareness event held every year to coincide with World Mental Health Day, which is held on 10 October each year. Mental Health Week aims to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the wider community. Local and regional Mental Health Week events organised by local groups and communities contribute to reducing the stigma associated with mental ill health and offer a platform to engage the community in dialogue regarding help-seeking behaviours and mental health promotion.

Now that is the official take on Mental Health Week and all of it is so vital so that for us or those that we love can live life to the fullest. Check out our story and how mental illness has effected our life.

Missionary Farewell

Well we are now down to 10 days and counting. I am starting to feel a little teary when I think about Dan boarding the plane Monday week for 2 years. We had his Missionary Farewell on Friday night and we had a blast. Nacho's was on the menu and I have to say that was a perfect choice for 150 people. I cooked 15kg of mince, made 175 cupcakes, made a cake like a missionary badge and wrote it in Albanian. Now that was the hardest thing I have to say. We had 20 bags of marshmallows for the bonfire and 2 jumping castles.




Thats him sitting down around the bonfire,looking at me strangely.

Everyone kept asking what they could bring so we put on the invitation to bring a packet of his favourite chocolate biscuits. he ended up with quite a stash to keep him in chocolate until he leaves and then some to pack in his suitcase and for us to send in those all important care packages. He also received Euro, US dollars and AU dollars from families in the Ward. Dan has bookmarked on my computer all the places that take care packages of donuts etc to the MTC. We watched the best documentary inside the MTC called The Army of Faith. It was filmed this year, so it's all current and now Dan can't get on the plane fast enough. All that American breakfast cereal had his mouth watering. Show this to your kids.

We have almost everything in the handbook and he is off today for his last injections. He gave the most amazing 'last talk' at church and will be set apart next Sunday as a Missionary. No now I'm getting teary again. I really will miss him. Lucy (5) has plans that he has to take her to the movies before he leaves. With only one week not sure about that.

We have always planned and prepared for this day and even when its here I somehow just don't feel ready for it. But look out Albania here he comes!

Science Morning

Growing crystals never gets old does it. The wonder of their beauty when they form, the rainbows that you can see in a single crystal. The fun of watching them grow over several days has been great. I love it.

Maddie received a Crystal growing Kit for her birthday a few weeks ago and we have been able to spend time on it this week. This kit is well paced. You do one experiment then with the results and left over solution from that one you start another. I love that otherwise I could see us there all day doing one experiment after another.







As we only have 1 kit and more willing hands, so I pulled out an old science book that I use. Bubbles Rainbows & Worms by Sam Ed Brown. Oldie but a goody I would say.

Growing Crystals

WHAT YOU NEED; Charcoal Briskets, salt, ammonia, bluing, food colouring. (bluing is that old fashion cloths whitening product and an essential ingredient)


WHAT TO DO: Use an old pie pan or shallow glass dish. break up charcoal & put in pan. Add to the charcoal two tablespoons each of water, salt,bluing & ammonia. As the liquid evaporates, the chrysalis will begging to grow. You may add colour to this garden of crystals by adding a few drops of food colouring to the dish. you can control the size of the crystals by the amount of liquid solution you add.

Explanation Crystals are formed as the solution of salt, bluing, ammonia, water, and charcoal evaporates (passes from liquid to gas). Different solutions form different shaped crystals. the structures of the crystals are determined by their chemical content. Children may observe the shape of the crystals with a magnifying glass.

School Holiday Fun

I love the September school holidays. The weather is beautiful so there's always something to do. Yesterday we spent the day at the water park and had a wonderful day, swimming & riding the wild rides. As you can see above, I had a little visitor at my spot who even smiled for me.

The Spring Garden

I love not having to stress in the morning. With Jess being the only one that has to be out the door by a certain time its nice for Maddie & Lucy & I to just mooch around on these beautiful mornings. We really should be on a farm. Well maybe not me but everyone else in the family. I love being able to start our lessons when we are ready and just being able to make the most of the beautiful weather.

We've all been spending time in the garden lately as the girls love to garden. I wish I didn't have a propensity for killing every seed I seem to plant, however the girls are having much better luck.



I planted a heap of seeds in the vegetable garden but alas we got a tone of tomatoes, amaranth and 3 radishes which Lucy has now 'harvested'. Not the bounty I was hoping for.



I have retired and will now just be on the support team in the garden. I must have dropped a seed on the ground outside the garden bed and you know it has grown into a beautiful bean plant. In desperation I got Mark to but a bit of fencing around it so as not to leave me totally disheartened. Not even Maddie's scarecrow helped my seeds along.



Ever since we visited Poppy in Victoria the girls have had a total love affair with roses and pretty flowers. My dad is an amazing gardener, a skill I didn't inherit unfortunately. I love how they tend to these flowers every morning carefully weeding and watering. I will leave you with a few pictures of the latest blooms from their flower garden.

I Love Queensland In The Spring

It makes me what to buy school supplies. Well it makes my husband want to buy me a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils. Clearly You've Got Mail is my favorite movie and my husband was so cute and bought us all home these bouquets of sharpened pencils. Well I got a bigger bouquet of supplies which I love. He is sooo cute and everyone was up early this morning drawing with their new pencils. I love spring, oh and my husband!

Family Photo's

Our family had so much fun with this photo shoot. We decided to take the kids pets with us and now we're sure glad we did because Rosie the Guinea pig passed away on Friday. Maddie just loves the photo with her and Rosie. During the shoot we also had some very friendly chickens join us on the rug. We were at the Fulcher's place for the photo shoot because no one was game enough to be out at the botanical gardens or anything. All the kids seem to think that the Fulcher's is just like being at home. If you went there you would too. Beautiful Queenslander house on rural acreage and friendly chickens as well. Mind you, Kim has a library that anyone would be envious of. Her eye for good children's literature is amazing.

Anyway it was nice to just feel relaxed and have fun with all the family.



We decided to have a family photo shoot before Daniel leaves to serve his Mission in Albania because those boys never come back looking quite the same. Also James (son in-law) is also going to be deployed with the army. In fact tears are flowing already as there has been a change of plans and as of yesterday we are so glad that we didn't leave it any later. We figure in 2 years no one is going to be the same. Jessie will be a teenager, I could be a grandmother!



They sure do grow up all to quickly for my liking but I do love having these beautiful photos.



This is Marks funny old ute that I wouldn't even get in but when the kids where younger we always went on driving holidays around the place jammed into the hilux which was just as rugged as this one, so it was like old times all crowding into dads ute. I honestly don't know how Alana survived us on this shoot.

Under Contract!

Ashleigh & Matt are finally 'under contract'. This is major exciting! The great Australia dream has been slowly slipping past many of the young ones but much to our joy they are on their way. I might add in fine style as well. This house is awesome! Plenty of room for the snakes, shingle back lizards, rats, dogs and cat.






Lucy is totally sold on her sisters new house because it has a toy room. She doesn't get that the toys will all go before Ash moves in , I think she may be up for a little disappointment. Me on the other hand are totally in love with the kitchen. Matt and Ash always niggle each other over who's turn it is to do the dishes. Problem solved and who wouldn't want to keep this kitchen clean and tidy.




For the boys, the shed out the back has a big work bench and is totally powered. Matt is a very clever boy. He makes fantastic snake enclosures and restores VW cars that he shows, so to have this great shed is perfect for him.



Downstairs is awesome as well. the man that they bought the house from was a builder so he has done a fantastic job on finishing everything off really well. The office and playroom will become a home for Matt's lovely mother. She has been a widow after loosing Matt's dad to cancer when Matt and his brother & sister were babies and she has worked hard to raise them on her own. Dedicated her whole life to her family which is amazing. Not only did we get Matt who we love but his mum is the perfect 'mother in-law'. Ash loves her to bits and is more than happy to have her with them.






Needless to say we are all bursting with excitement at the news of the last week. Ash & Matt's house, Dan's mission call to Albania & Cait & James are off on their first overseas holiday. I love having a big family, it sure is a blessing.

Daniel you have been called to serve in....

The Albanian Tirana Mission!!!! Now this is followed by screams and where is Albania? Yes we are VERY excited. Poor Dan had to wait for all his sisters to arrive and his Nanna. He held it, put it down, played with the ipad, paced the floor. Finally 3 1/2 hours later, everyone arrived and he could open the letter.



Dan has been planning, praying, preparing for his Mission for many years now, so this is just such a fantastic time to be finally holding this call to serve the Lord as a Missionary in his hand. The stress of waiting was getting to him. Volcanoes holding up the mail didn't help this either.




This would be us all saying Albania. Lucy is holding the fish she caught yesterday just so that she wasn't left out of all the excitement.

Winter Holiday's Australian Style

Well semester 1 is all done now and its time to kick back for the holidays Australian style. Of course what do you do during winter holidays in Australia you ask, well we go to the beach. I love the weather this time of year. The days are mild and the skies are blue.


We headed off to our local beach because the girls had been itching for a swim. The day was so so lovely. We climbed the rocks, rode scooters around the paths and built sandcastles until sunset. It was such a great day.


I love our Brisbane weather! As usual I had plans of keeping the school work going through the holidays but when we all wake up and see such a beautiful day we just head out and do...