Hard working husband.....

Do you think that my title is the start of some corny joke????

No, it is the truth... Jack just had two weeks off and on top of going away to SA, he had a little house blitz.... He headed back to work today, with his drivers license back. I don't think that I have told you all about Jack driving 127 kmh on the way home from Echuca and losing his licence for 28 days - sort of forced him into a couple of weeks off. I think it has slowed both of us down!

Our house??? We sold a beautiful restored 100 year old homestead style house a few years back with a dream to live out of town... we got our dream but we had to half the size of our house. Our home now is a 30 year old 'transportable' (No, not a caravan) but a house that arrived here on the back of two semi's... it is a really comfortable house to live in. Easy to heat and cool (Our old house was impossible to kept warm..) We had NO garden at all when we moved here. The house had a real 70's feel to it, including the lime green curtians in the kitchen with blue light shades... we but have slowly brought it all up to speed and this year we are tackling the outside of the house. Just after we moved in here we removed 8 semi loads of rubbish from around the outside of the house. It was a mess... so even through we still have a long way to go we have achieved a lot

Back to the hard working husband....
First Job ... replace section of back path. Due to very unfavorable septic tank issues... a section of our back path went last year... so that was replaced and I am afraid that I was the lacky that was yelled at.. Poor Jack tried his hardest not to yell at me for doing something wrong but concreting in hot weather is hard work!!

So that little job was done before we went away...

Then the painting. The house was only painted prior to us buying the property - so nearly two years ago, but they painted all of the windows and doors etc mission brown. Now, please don't get me wrong... but out of all of the colours that you could chose from, mission brown isn't really my cup of tea. We have painted EVERYTHING this same shade of green. It used to be called Rivergum green and I think it has been changed to Wilderness?? It s a colourbond colour... new fence is also that colour.. that job was also done before we went away....

Next job wasn't really planned, but Jack was going crazy on one of those hot days last week and he took to our driveway with a pick... digging up the gravel put in a garden bed. The finished product look fantastic... even if I do say so myself!

After all of that.. no wonder left for work today with a smile on his face!! I think he was looking forward to a break!!!!

We are home...

Emilie and Laura in the Zoo Mobile... little hugh had his pusher for a ride!!

How is that heat??? We arrived home, a day later then first expected. It was just too hot to continue pulling the kids through the heat, so we spent another day in Paringa with Jack's parents. So home late Wednesday and just catched up jobs yesterday and finally had a chance to pop in and update now!!

First of all.. WW update.. another loss of 300 grams - so now weigh 67kg. Very happy with this as I would have also been holding a little fuild when I weighted last night - it was still 38 at 6.30 last night. So.. it goes with out saying that I pretty much behaved while away! I chose very wisely and the only time that I would have gone over my points would have been the last couple of days home with in-laws. No excuses... just ate more!!!

We had a FANTASTIC time in Adelaide... Emilie hasn't stopped talking about it since! Loved sleeping in the tall building.. first bus rides... first time to the Zoo... they where so funny. Spent a little time in Mildura on the way home and I am so impressed with the new shopping centre... has everything!

Talking about shopping centres, at the WW meeting last night the weigher was telling us how in the hot weather she has seen mothers walking there babies in prams through the shopping centres when it has been so hot... so just a little tip for some... too hot to walk outside.. cut laps of your shopping centre!

A bit annoyed wiht WW at the moment - we haven't received of Eat More, Think More books - they just haven't sent them to our leader!! So I think I am going to ring to complain!! Maybe that will get them in the mail!

Mother in law is talking about joining... I really hope that she does. I think I have said before that she did WW in the 80's when it was really hard.. so I ithink she will find it a hell of a lot easier!

I went frock shopping while away and fell in love with a coffee coloured dress.. little hard to describe.. so I will post a photo shortly... but Mother in law brought me some new shoes for my birthday to go with it!! Very spolit!

Didn't really buy much else... Jack a pair of Rodd & Gunn jeans.. kids a few bits, but it really just was a holiday. Once (3 sizes ago) I would buy anything just becasue it was on sale.... even if it didn't really fit that well... but I think I have a different approach to clothes now.. they NEED to fit!! And maybe I don't need as many clothes!!

As you would all know (if you turn on the TV) we have very bad bush fires in the Grampians. Jack was called up to go today (CFA member) but they called him late last night to say to hold off and will be needed over the weekend... so will just sit and wait and pray for rain. Ester.. hope that your family property is safe!!

Hope everyone else is great! I will get through all of blogs today to back read... so much can happen in a week!!!

After reading Phillipa's blog... i discovered that I am a Espresso... !!!

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

It's holiday time....

Edit 7.30pm - Weigh in 67.3 (500 gram loss)

I haven't actually started packing yet.. But I am thinking about it. Won't have to take too much stuff as I can wash at both the apartment and at the in-laws - so just enough! Will pack once the kids have gone to bed tonight - final clean of the house - pack the car - pack car snacks, leappads etc then go to bed. Adelaide is about 5 hours from here - so we are planning to leave 5.30 - 6am - just putting the kids in the car in their PJ - then stopping at Bordertown for breakfast - sometime.

Before all of that tonight - I will slip into town for a weigh-in and fuel up the ute. As a said earlier I will be swapping back to points this week - being away and I imagine that it will be easier - but I am so looking forward to tracking again. I sort of miss it! I have felt so flat and tired all week - that I found that I was eating to keep awake, so time for a change and hopefully I will get my sleeping back into some order!

Other new?? My best friend, Monica had a baby girl yesterday morning! She was due on my birthday (7th Jan) but little Charlotte Jean arrived 11 days late, but very quickly and is HUGE 4.2kg (My first was only 2.2kg) but she is beautiful, has olive skin and dark hair. Mum is tired, but well. Emilie and I went into the hospital at Horsham to visit this morning. Emilie and I had lots of cuddles and Monica's other daughter Olivia was there so the girls had morning tea together!

Monica and I grew up together, on the same street, 5 houses down. Monica is 11 months younger then me, so I was a year above her a school. Not many people can say that they have had a friend since they where both in nappies! We have never had a fight, argue or anything. We are very different people and have different ideas and principles in just about everything, but we just both accept each other for what we are!

Jack has finished with the 'mission brown' mission and it look great. Amazing how a coat of paint can transform the look of a house. It doesn't look like a 70's home anymore.. more like a beach house... very fresh and summery!

I haven't had a lot of time to look through blogs this week... but have had a quick flick through some... so hello everyone anyway. I might post while at my in-laws... so you might get a holiday update, maybe even with a photo (if I remember to bring my USB cord!)

Clothing optional????

It has only now just dawned on me how much time my kids spend with no clothes on... it's too hot for clothes, they got wet or dirty... I have a heap of reasons for the lack of clothing.. but little Hugh (1 year old) has a tan that we will would all love to - even without visiting a tanning salon! - But bless his little heart, the only 'tan line' that he has is between his little butt cheeks - white as white there!!

In out photo albums (we have LOTS of photos) most the kids are either half naked - or simply as god made them -butt naked! I am sure we are scaring them somehow and they will need to seek professional help when they are older - or little notes sent home from school asking the child to refrain from undressing while at school - but for now the kids seems to love it!

Eating this week has been funny... I have been so tired - so I find I am eating to stay awake - but exercise has been good. Walking most of the time! But I had a little Nanna Nap today!

Jack has nearly finished painting out all of the mission brown and I am VERY pleased with the difference it has made to our house - will post photos when finished!

My kids go back to day-care tomorrow - yeah - and I am having lunch with a friend for her birthday in town - then having my eyebrows waxed before we head off to Adelaide on Friday morning.

Anyway.. Must go and prepare tea.. I am going back to Points after this weigh in - A little hard being away from home to eat NoCount - looking forward to going back - there have been so many recipes in the new handouts that I have been itching to try out!

Lastly... Just a big hug for Karen.. Just letting you know that we are thinking of both you and Jude XX

So much to do....

I have soooo much to do and lack any motivation whatsoever...
Jack started his holidays - two weeks off and we are going to do so mcuh and it is day one and can not find any motivation to get going..... Little Emilie has been sick (high temp) for the last 24 hours - so I was up at 2.30 this morning giving her a cool shower to try and cool her down... so I guess I am a little tired.
What do I want to do....
- Clean out ALL of the cupboards in our house. A spring clean - there is that much stuff crammed into our cupboards and we lose half od what is there - so time for clean out and throw out what is not used... so that is today and tomorrow...
Then, we are going to paint out all of mission brown on our house. Jack painted the roof last year to that Rivergum or wilderness green - so all of the other brown need to go. Put before that can happen.. we have to concrete a section of our back path, and replace some barge boards from around the outside of the house...
But what is more exciting is that we are going to Adelaide for a few days.. leaving next Friday. Jack has a lot of family in Adelaide, including his brother so it is about time we paid a visit. The last time we went to Adelaide was when laura was only 9 days old. Jack' sister Theresa flew in from Zimbabwe with her new baby and husband - so we went over to meet them all... We have booked accomodation right in the CBD... A 2 bedroom appartment suite and we got a BARGIN - usually $430.00 a night and we are going paying $149.00 - 5 star - so very much looking forward to spoiling the kids while away!! We will come home through Paringa (Near Renmark) where Jack's parents live (Right on the Murray River) and will be back around Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week. Cant wait...

But before any of that can happen.. there is a list of jobs a MILE long... so I guess I should get my bum into gear (Bit of a laugh.. it's nearly 5.30 and time for tea---wasted the whole day!)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!

Weigh in and a loss...

Even with my birthday dinner and all of the little BLT's (Bits, licks & Tastes) this week I still managed to lose 400grams - so weight is now 67.8kg... So I really don't think that the past few weeks have been that good on NoCount... so this week is going to be FULL ON NOCOUNT - no eating out.. no little BLT's... full on planning - just to see what the difference.

My movements have been good this week with my walks almost each day (one day off) - so will continue with this - but I have also starting doing some 'tummy time' - this makes me laugh when they call it 'tummy time' - thats what everyone refers to babies - when they are little and you put them on the tummys to make thier little neck muscles stronger....

A little 'feel good fuzzy' happened at the meeting tonight. Apart from HEAPs more people there again - a friend showed up there tonight and joined, never been a WW before, and she joined beacuse of ME - I saw her in the supermarket the other day and she asked me what I have been doing and proudly told her about WW and the new program... so she must have thought about it and she turned up tonight...so happy for her!!

Lots of people have been losing between 1.5 -to 2.5kg on the noCount - so I guess that more people are NoCounting at the meeting then the points program...

The only concern that I have at the moment with NoCount is that I don't stop eating soon enough... quite often I finish my meal and I am over stuffed... So that is my commitment for the week... not to over stuff...

I have been busy the last couple of days... just running around doing jobs... some for work.. some for the kids (took them to see Chicken Little... thanks for the recommendation Leighann!) and today was spent running around for Jack (Drove up to the Mallee to look at paddocks and then popped in to see my grandfather at Hopetoun)

I have booked in to the hairdressers tomorrow to have all of our hair cuts (Me & the kids) - so apart from washing - that is tomorrow....

I am so happy that everyone is home from their christmas breaks safely... I am still working on what I want to achieve this year - so hard. Most things that I come up with really aren't long term goals.... Will have to think harder...

What does an old 29 year old look like??

I still haven't mastered this photo thing..... so the photos are first!! The first photo was taken christmas day 2004 - I didn't think I looked too bad - but here taken saturday night 18kg lighter (with my handsome husband)...

I had a great birthday - thank you everyone for your birthday wishes... Went out for tea with Jack, My Mum & Sister and had a great night. I don't know what the best thing was about it - Going out with no kids... a beautiful meal... great company... a clean house to come home to... or that the kids played up for their babysitter and he didn't get them to bed until late and the slept in until 8.30 (the boy still got up early...) So all in all - it was a great day!

Eating wise was also ok - I have walked each and every day this week - I am going to lose that 200grams that was gained the week before! I am still on NoCount and finding it still ok.. but I was caught out yesterday! Went to Skipton to have a look at a ute for Jack (early mid-life crisis - looking for a HX holden ute - like he had when we was younger...) and went to a pub in the middle of nowhere and I ordered the chicken fillet - thinking that it was just that - a chicken fillet.. but it turned out to be a deep fried crumbed little number - I still ate it - but it is the first time that I have ordered something and it turned out to be not what I expected... so I guess a lesson learnt!!

The guys have just left - after installing or Split System A/C - so bring on the hot weather so I can test out this little baby!! Hugh loved them - he sat out the front and ate smoko with them - they feed him biscuits, so I guess he wasn't going anywhere in a hurry!

All three babies sleeping at present - once they awake we are heading over to Murtoa for me to do an inspection for work - (I have gone back to work casusally - property manager for Real estate company - just doing out of town inspection etc - kids come with so it is't too much!!) so once that it done the day will be nearly over. I didn't get out and walk this morning..so it will again be a evening walk. Jack got me an MP3 player for my birthday so lovng walking at the moment. I went through all of my old Cd's the other day. You know how record company release those one hit wonder albums where they get the one and only hit a band might had and put it on one cd - well lI think I have the entire album of most of these one hit wonders... Frente! Arrested Development.. the list gets more and more embrassing (if that it possible)... so I have loaded up the MP3 player with all of these songs and I walk on my merry way! So with my pedometer and MP3 player - walking has become quite high tech for me - considering that when I started WW I didn't even own a pair of sneakers anymore! (My feet have become an entire size bigger since having children - I now have tranny feet - only transexuals and me have size 10 feet !!!) So a lot has happened since Sep!!

OK - better go adn hang out another load of washing... have a great day!!!

Weigh in day....

8pm Edit - Just had weigh in and gained 200 grams - happy:) - Would have been 30 people there tonight - amazing!! Lot of people with goals set for the year - Good luck to them!!!

Starting this post while I have time... will edit once weigh in results are in. Again.. not sure how I will weigh. I don't weigh from week to week... so I feel like I should have gained, TTOM and all but I have still walked my 50,000 steps - even with two stinking hot days... so will have to wait & see!

WW eTools?? Anyone else signed up and cancelled like me??? For $39.90 for three months it just not worth it. I was a little dissapointed, I have to admitt! I love my computer and if I can do anything on the computer, rather then by hand I will so I was SO looking forward to it being released... but I really feel it is crap! What do other WW's think? Am I missing something??

Our new pet is MIA - Jimmy was taken out to the sandpit eariler by Laura and is yet to return! Hope he is back before night fall! Poor little pussy cat - the kids are a little to rough with him and he is hiding (I hope!!)

Otherwise everything is fine - the kids are settling back into their rouitines again, after a busy couple of weeks - all having a little nap at present, including Sophie.. a friends little 2 year old... so four sleeping babies.

I have been chasing our the guy who is going to install our R/C Air Cond and he will be here Monday morning... to you can almost be assured that it will be cold all of next week and I won't get to use them! We have an Evap coller at the moment - but it is on it's last legs - so we haev decided to go for a Split System to get the heater as well. During winter we have a great wood heater - but some days we just need a little heat in the morning - so hopefully a split system will help on those days..

It is my birthday on Saturday... 29 years old !! I can't believe sometimes how much I have crammed into my years... at time I feel 40 - but not even 30 yet. Jack, my mum and sister (Her birthday next week) are I are going out for tea on Saturday night - babysitter coming to look after the kids, so looking forward to a great night out!

So I will post this - but I will edit it once I have weighed in - Might not be until tomorrow - I think Jack wants to go and get Pea Straw from neighbours tonight - opportunity for burn more points:)

I really need some sleep.....

I think that the excitment of the past two weeks has finally caught up with me and I feel buggered! Woke this morning with a head ache and even with some pain killers.. it is still there!!

Had a great NYE at the neighbours - it was so HOT and the kids where great. They didn't get to bed until late (2.30am) either - so a quite few days since!

I have been reading up on everyones blogs and some of you have great plans for 2006 - I have throught hard about what I want to achieve this year and I am a little unsure on I am going to set as my goals.... so will sleep on it for a few more nights and will post once I know!!

Eating has been ok - ate a bit NYE and also had more to drink then I usually do... so the scales will be a surprise. I also haven't walked as much as I would have liked to - but it was 46 here over the weekend - not fit to do anything - let alone exercise....

"A girl running" - (Sorry - I haven't worked out how to link..) is starting her own challenge to be able to run again starting from the basic - I tried last night - but 2 mins of jogging seems like forever.... I would like to be able to run a few km's - never been able to...

Also... like to say a big HELLO to a new reader.... my husband Jack... Hi sweetie..xxx -

So signing off after not telling you much - but welcome back everyone who has been on holidays and hope that you all had a very safe trip!!
Later xx