Lightening Online

Today is our local show.  It’s a small show that can sometimes be lacking in excitement but provides a good opportunity to catch up with people.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to feel up to going but thankfully I’ve been feeling a little better.  It’s nice to be able to go as a family.

Lleyton and Farmboy are playing in a Volleyball competition and Trailer Boy is looking forward to the big bike race.

I’m feeling a bit bad that the kids haven’t entered anything this year.  Time seems to have just flown by and we just didn’t get organised in time.  Hopefully next year I’ll do better.

Anyway, providing I remember the camera, I’ll have some photo’s for you later.  I’ll add them to this post either tonight or tomorrow so please come back and check.

Update:  Here we are with some photo’s and update about our day at the show:

Our show committee outdid themselves this year with attracting lots of stall holders and some decent rides.  It’s so hard in such a small rural area it’s hard to attract these types of things.

The day was beautiful and the numbers looked to be well up on previous years.

Trailer Boy was so keen to go in the bike race but when we got there, he suddenly went shy and decided he didn’t want to compete.  They had to ride around the outside track where horses were working in the middle and he was scared of the horses.  I think he’ll be more confident next year now that he’s seen how it all works.

He did, however, have a small ride on his bike (away from the horses).

Trailer Boy on bike

The Dodgem Cars were quite popular and we even had to line up to have a ride which is great because there’s a higher liklihood they’ll come back next year if their takings were worth their while.

I balked a little at the $7 per ride charge (yeah, probably normal for the city but high for what we’re used to out here). However, with 2 in a car, it didn’t work out quite so bad.

Lightening with Lleyton on Dodgem Cars

I told Lleyton I wasn’t getting in the passenger seat when he gets his Learners Permit!!!! He had a great time though. As did Singstar Princess:

Dodgem Cars

Trailer Boy wasn’t quite so sure to begin with but he did have a go later in the day.

Lleyton and Farmboy sweated it out in the Volleyball competition and ended up coming 4th.

Lleyton and Farmboy Playing Volleyball

I love that they have simple things like bike races and beach volleyball that gets everyone active and involved. These are the activities that have really kept our show going over the past few years (without them I think it would have died).

I also love that many of the proceeds of the day go to good causes. Lunch was put on by a number of community groups as a fundraiser and this Hurdy Gurdy ride raised funds for the Flying Doctors:

Fun on the Hurdy Gurdy

This slide ended up pretty much finishing off the money we’d given the kids to spend. Lleyton went off with friends most of the day while the younger 2 stayed with us (but still had a budget).

Lightning McQueen Inflatable Slide

It certainly wasn’t a cheap day but much cheaper than the times we’ve gone to the Adelaide Show and it only comes around once a year.

Now we’re home, filthy and tired and all inspired to get more organised next year so we can enter some things in the pavillion.

I hope you’re all finding a reason to smile this week. Please feel free to add a link to your Smiley Saturday post below.

It’s been a nice “normal” week this week. Less trips into town and life is starting to find it’s own rhythm. After such a busy start to the year, I’m really appreciating the slower pace.

A few of our smiley moments this week:

Sunday

An opportunity to catch up with old friends at a Thanksgiving Service for our friends baby who was born 5 weeks early AND had multiple complications in her first months of life. They spent over 2 months in Adelaide with her. A scary time with a wonderful outcome.

Spending some quality time with Farmboy over a cuppa - our weekly Sunday afternoon ritual.

Monday

Singstar Princesses enjoyment of her new dance classes. They apparently got all the way through the first dance this week. It’ll be performed at the end of year concert along with the other dances they learn this year.

Starting to get some of our finances back on track after a bit of a “wake up call”.

Tuesday

Positive parent-teacher interviews and that they brought us one step closer to our “big trip”.

Wednesday

Shearing went well and Farmboy had some great conversations with a close friend.

Thursday

The beginning of the football and netball season. In particular, Trailer Boy getting all dressed up in his “football clothes” and heading off to training with big brother and dad. Twas very cute.

Friday

Trailer Boy absolutely losing the plot with laughter over his new reader (Just as I finished typing that sentence, he came into the office with said reader wanting to read it again - how’s that for timing?). I love it when my kids get so much enjoyment out of a book. I’m really hoping I can get his reactions on video - it’s such a genuine belly laugh. Very contagious.

Taking a walk through my garden and discovering half a dozen butternut pumpkins on the plant that not that many weeks ago looked like it was dead.

Enjoying a meal cooked and served by Lleyton and realising there are some real bonuses to my kids growing up.

Laughing over a fun board game with Farmboy and the kids. It’s been a while since we’ve played a game together so it was good to get back to our “Friday Night Family Night” routine.

Saturday

Having fun with the Ultimate Blog Party! I’m meeting new friends, finding new Twitter pals and discovering new blogs. The atmosphere is awesome and so much fun to be a part of. I’ve never participated before so it’s all a new experience for me.

Happy Smiley Saturday

I hope you’re all finding a reason to smile this week. If you have a Smiley Saturday post to share, feel free to link to it in the Mr Linky box below.

Well folks, it’s Smiley Saturday time again and what better topic for a Smiley Saturday post than a blog party???

I’m a party girl at heart. I guess that’s why I enjoy throwing my kids party’s. When I was a teenager in Girls Brigade, I even chose to do a unit called “Party Planners” which was all about
learning to throw a good party. I had a lot of fun and an excuse to throw a party (practical experience of course) as well.

There is something about a party that gives us all a reason to smile. A celebration. Good food and friends. Perhaps a chance to network, make new friends or deepen current friendships. A temporary escape from any current struggles we might be facing.

The Ultimate Blog Party, hosted by 5 minutes for mom is a celebration of blogging. A chance to meet new bloggers and blogs. To mingle, network and form relationships. At least that’s my take on it.

To make the party even more attractive, there are PRIZES on offer for participants. It’s going to be lots of fun and I’m planning to try and visit as many participants as I can throughout the week.

If you’d like to join in, there’s still plenty of time.  The official party starts on the 20th and runs for an entire week.

Welcome to Blog Party Visitors

If you’ve come here via the Ultimate Blog Party link, welcome to my site. I’m a SAHM to 3 school aged children. My husband is a farmer and we live in rural Australia (on a farm - naturally). This blog is an eclectic mixture of posts that make up my thoughts and experiences as I tour through life.

Smiley Saturday is hosted here each Saturday and started from my desire to make people smile. There aren’t too many hard and fast rules when it comes to what to post in your Smiley Saturday post. It could be a reflection on your smiley moments for the week or it could be a video clip, joke, funny photo or anything that might make your blog readers smile. Usual “meme/linky rules” apply. Link back here in your post and include a link to your Smiley Saturday post in the Mr Linky box provided.

If you’ve come to visit as part of the Ultimate Blog Party, please take the time to leave a comment as I would love to return your visit (and feel free to leave a link in your comment direct to your party post).

For My Regular Readers

Are you a party fan? Do you like throwing parties or are you more of an “attendee” type of party gal/guy? What’s your favourite kind of party? Do you have a favourite party tip to share? I might even write a post for next week on my own favourite party tips.

Happy Smiley Saturday everyone!!! Let’s all “party on dude!”

PRIZES

To make the party even more fun - there are some AWESOME prizes on offer for participants. Who doesn’t love a giveaway? Lucky for me, there is a category for International Prizes (it’s refreshing to see that those of outside of the US haven’t been forgotten. :)).

So, my pick of the prizes are:

INTL 23 – Blog Makeover BLOGGER platform only
Provided by: Busy Mama Blog Design
Prize details: I will provide a complete blog makeover – header, backgrounds, and signature line included. Also includes up to a $6.00 kit of your choice to use in building your blog. ($55.00 value)

INTL 19 — $130 Sponsor spot on Tip Junkie
Provided by: Tip Junkie
Prize details: Promote your blog, company, and/or products! Tip Junkie would like to donate a $130 Sponsor ad button which is equivalent to 2 months free advertising.

INTL 61 — $30 Gift Credit to Amazon.com
Provided by: Robynn’s Ravings
Prize Details: Happy shopping at Amazon.com!

INTL 57 — Six months of sidebar ads for MomAudience - a brand new marketplace for moms launching April 1 ($125 value)
Provided by: Beverly Coggins of 1-2-3…Get Organized
Prize details: MomAudience brings together moms, mompreneurs, and mom-appealing businesses through weekly emails showcasing new blogs, new products, new social networks, etc. Listings are free. Your sidebar ads will appear on each email for six months and will be archived on the Mom Audience blog. Don’t miss out - more info click here.

There are so many to choose from - I’m glad I’m not responsible for divying them all out at the end of this party!!!! :)  Really, I’d be happy to win ANYTHING - particularly any of the blog makeover or blog advertising offers.

It feels a little strange to be composing a Smiley Saturday post when today is Poppa’s funeral. Still, funerals are more than tears and sadness and saying goodbye. They are a celebration of a persons life. Since my post about Poppa’s death, I have found out that he had 32 great grandchildren so I wasn’t far off with my 30+ guestimate. Quite a legacy isn’t it? And there are more on the way and likely to be more in the future. I guess that’s to be expected when you have 17 grandchildren.

I was asked about showing the photograph I mentioned of the 4 generations. I don’t have the one of when Lleyton was a baby on the computer (we didn’t have a digital camera back then) but I did happen to notice this one that has the 4 generations in it also and was taken about 12 months ago:

The kids are looking forward to catching up with cousins and second and third cousins as well. And they’ve been asked to sing “Jesus Loves Me” at the Thanksgiving Service as well (with the other great grand-children). I’m sure it will be a very special time.

If you’d like to join us for Smiley Saturday this week, simply write and publish your post with a link back here then add a link to your post in the Mr Linky below.