Plodding Along

Hi Y'all,
Hows it going in your necks of the woods? Broken Hill is going just smashingly for me and my family.
The boys are loving thier environments (school, pre-school, home etc).
I have almost settled into my new house. Ben brings stuff over for me every other day, so slowly building up each bedroom with our belongings.
Work is going ok. I got the results from my phsycology test the other day and i was very pleased with my rankings, scores, comments etc.
Nothing much else to report for me.
I hope everyone is doing fine - happy, healthy, smiling!
Talk soon,
Jes

Baby's Big Day Out

Happy Mother's Day all you Yummy Mummy's out there!

I nearly had a tragic Mother's day, it was however a very thankful Mother's Day.

Riley slipped out the front door on Saturday afternoon. We only moved into the new place on Friday night! Mum and Nan were visiting and Ben came in and said "where's Riley"? We all started looking for him and we went out the front, looked left and right, then back inside for more searching. Back out the front a couple of times then Ben decided to head down the street for a look. I saw a young girl across the road (out front of hospital) and i saw her pointing. We yelled out to them and asked what she was pointing at and she motioned a little kid. So, i bolted (in the opposite direction to Ben) and got to the corner. I looked back at the girl and threw my hands in the air (like "where now"???) she pointed and i ran. I was running down the road yelling out to Riley and all the while thinking "he wouldnt run off - he is probably at home - holy crap where is he" then in the distance i saw a little boy in a red shirt standing on the corner of Williams street. Note to non-Broken Hill goers, Williams street is the major truck route. So I yelled out again and he heard me and started running back to me. We ran towards each other with arms open. I started crying and carried him back to our corner when a worried Lewis, Ben, Grandmother and Great Grandmother were anxiously waiting.

I was beside myself really. Later that afternoon Ben was visiting a mate and i was drinking a coffee and the boys were playing in the sandpit with the dog. I was sitting down watching them and i couldnt stop crying. I am so thankful that the little girl pointed me in the write direction, i am thankful that Ben asked "where's Riley" and i am just thankful that my little babe is ok.

I dont like to think about "What if's" but sometimes you cant help it. God love me, I am all teary again.

God bless my little boys.

The boys at the park the other day.

Lewis in his school uniform.

Happy 30th Ben for last month! Here is the cake I got him. That plaque was made completely of chocolate (yummy).

Everyone (including his Mum, Dad and family forgot his birthday). He feld sad enough for turning 30, and not a single phone call. Poor thing. Hope the birthday cake made up for it. Me and the kids remembered of course!

I've Moved!!!

I am in Broken Hill (got here Saturday) and I start my new job tomorrow.

Riley started day care today - very sad to drop him off at a new place, he will be right god love him.

Lewis is on school holidays for 2 weeks, he is in Cobar with Ben at the moment and going to the cobar show this weekend then he will come over to me.

I am living in a house provided by my company and the owner of the house (and they live next door) is an old family friend that we have known for years. He is a caterer and dropped me over some rissoles and salads last night. He will probably keep me well fed while i am here LOL. His daughter Cassie lives on the other side of me and is Jen's long time friend and has a new baby. I just love babies, so i might pop over for a visit soon and get cl cl clucky LOL.

I have no idea what to do today without Riley... hmmmm sleep.. ha ha ha.

I have to go for a wander in a minute and buy some smokes. I have a drive-through bottle-o on the corner, a doctor across the road, a park, a chemist and a few other shops up the road.

I am pretty far away from mum & dad's, but they are only a phone call away :)

Best go and do something zzzzzzzzzz just kidding, i might go down to mum & dad's work for a sticky beak.

Love and new beginnings,
Jes

Pictures of our house

Here are some pictures, as promised.

This is our entertainment area / patio before the renno's.

This is the area after.

This is the other end of the patio before.

This is the other end after (skews the mess).

The front yard before.

The front yard after.

The kitchen before (not entirely the beginning, but oldest pic I could find).

The kitchen after.

The dining room before (looking from the loungeroom).

The dining room after. The walls still need painting.

Now for some recent pics (without the before shots).
The doors we put on out the back in the patio.

The front of the house (showing the patio area).

The bathroom.

Kitchen / Dining.

Out the front (note house been rendered).

Back yard.

Loungeroom (facing the main entrance) dog kept getting in the shots LOL.

Master bedroom.

Another of the kitchen.

Lewis's room.

Riley's room.

Laundry.

If your happy and you know it, clap your hands

Clap Clap

Yeah, yeah!! thanks for your comments by the way - glad to know you drop in every now and again.

I have some great news.... I got the job i wanted in Broken Hill. I dont know if i am happier about the job, going to broken hill or just getting out of this shit hole. LOL doesnt really matter now does it?

So, the job you were asking...

My title will be Training & Development Advisor with Bemax (mineral sands resources) based in Broken Hill. There is a mine site (Ginko) about 2 hrs away (Pooncarie) but i will only have to visit the mine 1 or 2 times a week (day trip).

Bemax have apparently won tonnes of awards for their training departement - but i think i can work to their expectations (hope so anyhow).

The work is still in the mining industry, not hardrock / underground (which is what i am used to) but mineral sands like titanim and other minerals that are brought back to broken hill mineral seperation plant to be treated. I am sure i will be an expert before you know it.

Mum has been busily looking for houses for me - Bemax will put me up in a house for up to 14 weeks, so that should be plenty of time for me to find a house to buy, sell my house and settlements etc. Ben is almost finished our house and i promise to look for some before photos and post a heap of comparative pictures - we have done so much to the house, you would barely recognise it.

I have been having a lot of dreams lately and all of them, very subtly are telling me things that i really need to be aware of. Leaving cobar, moving, friends, family and other matters that fill my head with worry.

So i feel very clear that this is where i am supposed to go - even the date that i am supposed to start (14th April) have very strange, yet amazing significance for me.

Ben is staying in Cobar - hopefully getting his job at the CSA.

So Lewis, Riley, Puppy and i will move house next week (most probably Thurs / Fri) and i will start work the following monday.

I feel like a bitch, because all i want to do is tell everyone that i know to get F&%ked and start all over - ha ha ha. I have felt (particularly with in-laws) that i have only ever been spoken to when they want help with something - noone drops in for a cuppa or rings me for a chat.

Nearly 30 years old and i have not a friend to speak of - but, i have 2 beautiful sons, a wonderful mother and an amazing twin - what more do i need :)

None of the in-laws know that i am moving yet, i will tell them soon.

Happy Easter / St Pat's Day

Hi All,

We are all fine and dandy. I have a couple of pictures of Lewis' Easter / St Pat's Day at school the other day. We had a child - sized akubra (spelling) and I added fluffy rabbit ears to the side, a fuzzy tail on the back and a rabbit face on the front. Pretty boring I know, but he loved it and it was a chance for him to wear his cowboy boots to school :).

The next one is a side view of our creation.


This is the swing set I put together for the kids (am I clever or what?) kidding - Ben helped (minimally).

Last pic is Riley & Bradman last weekend at Mum's house. * Pic stolen fair and square from Taylor Talk *

I had a phone interview for a job today and 3 hrs later they called me back for a 2nd, face-to-face interview. I am so nervous and worried and scared, but i will get over it.

Wish me luck!

Oh - give me a "Yeah Yeah" if you still read me - no point writing for no one eh?

I'm Back

Hi ho, sorry it has been so long... no excuses really.

I have a stack of pictures, dont know how long this will take because i have the wireless broadband and it is not that quick.

Oh.. if you didnt know, i am back in cobar (joy) and renno-ing our house so we can sell it.

Here we go...

In no particular order...

My 2 big boys riding their bikes.

And again

My goreous pup. Literally 1 second after this was taken, Lewis ran him over on his bike.

Riley "helping" me bake a cake.

Riley riding his bike.

Riley painting the house.

Lewis "helping me bake a cake"

Lewis on his bike.

The boys helping me blow out my candles on my last birthday.

Riley's 2nd birthday (pictured Aunty Leisa and Nan)

Riley playing with presents at his birthday.

Riley eating a cup cake looking very worn out.

Finaly Riley crashed out after his party.

Ben playing with the kids.

Again. Uncle Ben... Kin of the Kids.

Riley on his Christmas present - Ca-chow.

Lewis on Riley's Christmas present.

Ben on Riley's Christmas present - he HAD to have a go LOL.

Me, the kids and the dog at the great Australian Bight - travelling back from Perth.

The view from the lookout at the Great Australian Bight.

The Flinders Ranges.