midweek photos...

january...1st official midweek/wednesday for 2011 already and here i am taking the time to blog...yay me!!! anyhoo it is wednesday...it is the 1st week of january and it is 2011 and while watching the zoo on tv i thought i would grab a moment and ramble on about nothing much and add some more photos as well.

hubbies watering the front garden, steph is watching the zoo on tv as well, isaac is on the laptop, grace is getting ready to head out the door and lance is keeping busy too. the dogs are quiet for now, little puss is sleeping and itty bitty kitty aka tilly is going totally crazy chasing anything that moves in sight...ahhh such is life hey?!

seriously though it's not always like this and this afternoon was quite different with lance close to major meltdown mode and having to tip toe around the house on egg shells......ahhhh yes this is what is normal for our family and another little glimpse into the turnbull household and life as we know it well.

i'm quite happy today as i've cleaned up the office area and although some filing needs to be done and more official BAAG business needs to be sorted and dealt with, there is no hurry to have it finished tonight. i'm also keen to get some much needed scrapping done over the next few days as i want to start scrapping the 2011 calendar i purchases last year.

well that's about it from me for tonight...enjoy the little update and the photos posted below which i took on boxing day of old heritage landmarks etc etc down town eaglehawk.

 not quite a heritage shed out back of the old court house

view of door - old log cabin lockup

 love the old post box and love the detail in the above photos 

outside wall of old log cabin lockup

 old court house

space in between 2 old buildings - town hall and mechanics institute

over the next day or 2 i'll post a few more photo's from this shoot so until then be happy, hugs chris xoxo

it begins...

yes the holidays for me have finished and i'm back to the daily busyness of appointments, meetings, catching up with emails, web updates, newsletters (all on an official status) and so on and so forth. kids are still on holidays which is nice but now i'll need to juggle and balance my time on my pc with my youngest because he is right into runescape and is using my pc for his gaming at the moment. so i'm updating my blog early this morning (tuesday 4th jan) before the kid wakes up and grabs my pc for the day. once he's on, it takes a little bit of persuasion to get him off.

i am hoping you all enjoyed your christmas and new year and guess what...it's all over for another year....wow how fast did the time go? anyhoo my wish to all is that 2011 is a good year. i know that 2010 was a pretty tough year for many of us and that includes our family. not only is it important to have a positive attitude to help things along but i believe it's important to keep harmony and balance in your life so we can manage the day to day difficulties we face.

so from me to all of you...i wish 2011 a prosperous, happy, rewarding, balanced and wonderful year full of inner peace and calm and that every day you find the good and positive in all that comes your way.

just a few pics i took of our christmas table decs. enjoy!! wishing you health and happiness, hugs chris xoxo

post christmas joy...

as quick as it arrived, christmas has just as quickly gone for another year. how was your christmas? ours was quiet...we have been desperate to do that for the past few years and this year we finally achieved it. however it wasn't without some angst as this year's festivities were different this time to any other year and no matter how well we prepared the kids, it doesn't always work out as well as one hopes. however we survived and we're all still intact...complete with our sanity.

2 days before christmas was grace's 18th birthday and although it was celebrated at home very quietly and went as well as it could be it was sad to know that we couldn't do more. we don't or can't do things that many other families can or do...grace misses out on so much because of the needs of our other 3 kids and as a mum it can really get me down to know the truth and realise our reality.

as a mother to 4 teens and full time carer to 3 of them with autism i find tim and i sacrifice so much and miss out on so much more just to be able to manage on a daily basis. anyone who thinks it's an easy call being a parent of 3 kids with special needs obviously couldn't be further from the truth. it's tough....in actual fact it's sometimes beyond comprehension and it's increasingly overwhelming. for those that think as they get older and become adults that a) autism and certain other disorders simply stop and they don't have it anymore or b) they get better....really have no idea. i have been told by people who don't know any better both of the above and sadly they are both misconceptions and couldn't be further from the truth.

anyhoo it's obvious i needed to vent a little as the ramblings on in today's post have gone that way. the beauty of being able to 'journal' is the beauty to be able to do so straight from the heart.

so with new years just around the corner how will you be celebrating? for our family once again quietly and ferrying a couple of kids to and fro with their plans but it will be quiet here for the most part. do you make new years resolutions? for me no....certainly not like most people anyway. i'm not one to mention i'd like to lose weight or spend more time following my passions, earn more money, give up bad habit's etc etc because for me it's very different and it's all about achieving those things that many families and individuals take for granted.

in the new year i'd like to think that my youngest son isaac who is 15 may finally be able to have help with his anxieties so we can manage to take him down to a shoe store and purchase a much needed new pair of shoes. with careful planning and serious help and support i am hoping this can be achieved. i'm also hoping that the next 'phase' with a new service provider for our family (st lukes) will help our family achieve the small requests made to them and that they can help the kids with their needs. disability client services - department of human services have seriously let our family down and we have asked them to now leave us be and close our files.

so as to setting, making or wishing for new years resolutions i hope for those of you that set them, make them and or wish for them that the new year is a fresh start, a new beginning and at least some of those resolutions come to pass. my wish for all of you is with a fresh start and a new beginning to a new year comes peace, joy and hope.

i thought i'd leave you with a few photo's of the gorgeous grace on her 18th. there's a couple more pics to come but i need to get them off her flash drive and edit them so this lot will have to suffice.

of course grace is totally gorgeous and that smile of hers is beautiful. those braces are doing their job and well. ok hugs and ciao xoxo

merry christmas...

i can't believe that it's christmas eve here already with santa arriving  tonight bearing gifts for all those who have been good. our weather has finally decided to give us a summer jolt and from what has been quite cold and wet rainy weather, we've been hit with a little heat wave for the past 2 days. tomorrow sadly won't be a white christmas here but it's nice to think we may have come a little close to it for this part of the world.

i would like to wish you and your families a very merry christmas and a wonderful holiday season. i hope you have a wonderful day spending it with loved ones and that peace and joy be upon you all. may god's blessing fall upon you richly and you all stay safe over this very busy period. 

 

yep that's our cheeky itty bitty kitty in the bathroom sink and as you can see she's quite comfortable....lol. merry christmas to all of you, hugs chris xoxo

happy 18th birthday grace...

although this post is one day early i realise tomorrow (grace's 18th) i simply won't have time to blog so it's happening now. yep the girl grace turns 18 tomorrow...can you believe that? 18 i mean where have all those years gone? and the fact is she has really grown up as well and perhaps that's because it's the normal neurotypical way.

so i just wanna say one thing...happy 18th birthday grace, wishing you a fabulous day, knowing that from here on it can only be forward and so very proud of what you've achieved under the incredibly difficult circumstances our family has endured and still does. we're proud of you, we love you and we are so incredibly thankful for you being in our lives. enjoy your birthday girl! xoxoxo

so the 'silly season' is with us again and i'm all done...yep the gift shopping and the food shopping is all done. as for thinking i would not be organised this year i am and the gifts were wrapped tonight and are already under the tree waiting for xmas day to adorn us in all it's brilliance. i've even organised the menu and will start the cooking and baking friday and then once xmas day is here it will just be a matter of sitting down and celebrating with family.

anyhoo i won't keep you long tonight, i'm a bit pooped myself as it's been quite a busy week but i will leave you with some photo's for you to enjoy.

oki doki all updated for the night, till next post, take care...hugs chris xoxo