The Show Ball

It was our towns show ball here on Saturday night. It was a great night and all the Show Queens & Princesses all looked lovely, they had put so much effort in over the last few months.

 Ds partnered one of the show princesses, she of course looked beautiful & my son most handsome

if not just a little James Bond'ish don't you think?

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend, we had  friends visit and with 10 to lunch on Sunday it was lovely. 

Caroline xoxo

Left holding the baby.......

This new "gramps" was worried about holding Emmalyn.

He'd never held a newborn before.

Then I think he looked at her and his heart melted :)

Now it's all o.k & he knows she won't break. lol!

Thankyou darling,  I know you're going to make the most fantastic gramps just like you did as a Dad when you bought my children up as your own. I love the way Soldier Boy hugs you & tells you he loves you (several times) everytime we all hang out together, now his own daughter will feel that love to.

Had a great time this afternoon hanging out with Soldier Boy & Dil.  Dil is doing so well and is being an awesome new Mummy.

Love granny xo

Welcome Baby Girl

 Emmalyn Jane

 8lb 6oz

Love Granny xoxo

Soldier boy comes home

Told you all last week I'd have some very exciting news..........

Soldier Boy had a quick & unexpected return home from his overseas deployment, Dil had a few baby problems and the Army very compassionately made the decision for his deployment to be terminated.

 (as if any of us are complaining)

For a family that were all struggling with the fact that he wouldn't be here to see his first born arrive,

nor see her until she was a few months old we are absolutely thrilled to have him safe home to our own terra firma.

No one told the "little poppet" that S.B was coming back, only that we were going to the airport to welcome some other soldiers home. She couldn't believe her eyes when he walked through those airport doors. Neither could we AND we knew.

Greeting his little bubba,

 he never expected he would see his wifey (as he affectionately calls her)

still pregnant.

                                                           He said to me "she's huge MUM"

I could have slapped him around the ears, (jokes)  if I could have seen him through my tears.

Yep, definitely Bro's & definitely happy.

Mumma and Soldier Boy.

Unfortunately Darling daughter wasn't here to see his safe arrival home, this year has probably seen her not make the wises of life choices, but then sometimes being 18 (or any age) can be hard.

 As long as she realizes her family are all still here when she needs them and we all love her VERY much  :-)  ENOUGH SAID!!

and of course you can probably all guess what my next post is going to be about......

it's so exciting!!

Caroline xoxo

(A relieved MUM)

For today....

Soldier Boy's Birthday

As Soldier Boy isn't here to celebrate his Birthday we  thought we would all get together & celebrate it for him. For obvious reasons we thought we would do the "Aussie + Army theme. 

We all had a ton of fun with lotsa yummy food & cake. We even set a place for him with his photo so he could "join us". 

Everybody got groovy Aussie party favours.  D.I.L & I got super sexy make your ears sore Australian Flag earrings (courtesy of our local dollar store) While we all looked simply stunning  in our stylish Australian party hats.

A good night

Caroline

Lemon Chicken Slow Cooked

and the slow cook deemed to be the essential part. I think this young rooster may have run around this place for a little to long before anybody got around to catching him-he was full of free ranging flavour though.

Into the slow cooker he went along with salt, pepper & bay leaves. A good dousing of white wine & then a glass for moi. Some leeks that I picked up really cheap out of  the throw out section at the supermarket (does nobody cook in my little town anymore) & lots of  homegrown lemon & limes that "The Man" bought home from one of his thoughtful clients. Squeezed some of the juice out of them, then threw the rest in skin 'n' all for a bit more lemony goodness.

Oh by the way !!! I was not to poison any of my little family by using the lemon skin as they were homegrown chemical free :-)

Have a lovely weekend
I'm REALLY going to....tell you why next week!!
Caroline

Dear Granny

Please spare a kind thought for my granny (or a prayer if that's something you do) She's had a bad fall.
Luckily she wears a carer alert and when she fell she was able to activate it so was able to get help quite quickly.

Granny is 88 and still lives by herself. She is pictured here with her great granddaughter (my daughter)
on Christmas 1993. This October my granny will turn 89 my daughter 19 they're both October birds.
 Not long now and Granny will be a Great Great Granny, maybe even by this time next week, when Soldier Boy & Dil deliver there first child :-)

Love you Gran
Caroline xo

R.I.P

Pikelet  Amadeus 

2004 -2012

Happy Birthday Soldier Boy

How time flies son. It doesn't seem that long ago you were playing soldiers & digging trenches through the back yard (yep! he really did)

So much has happened in just the few short years since this picture was taken.
You've been married, had lots of good times & some bad, been on two deployments and now to top it all off you will become a daddy ANY day now!!

We had a little Birthday party for you tonight, darling wife & the "little poppet" came, it was kinda weird that you weren't  here but far far away in a place that seems so strange to us. We hope your day wasn't TOO bad, and the boys didn't give you to many belly slaps. Ha Ha!!

Loving you as always
Stay safe
Mumma xo

Smoked Cod Pot Pie Recipe

• 500g Smoked Cod
• 2tbsp. Butter
• 2tsp. Curry Powder
• 1tbsp. Plain Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 300g Frozen Mixed Vegetables
• 800g Potatoes (cooked & mashed)
• 2/3 Cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese (grated)

Boil fish until tender, drain well & remove all the skin & bones.
Flake the fish into pieces & place in a bowl, add the frozen vegies & gently combine.

Heat butter in a small saucepan, add curry powder & flour cook for 1 minute to develop the flavour from the curry powder. Stir in milk, stirring until the mixture boils & thickens. Pour sauce through the fish & vegetable mixture.

Stir the grated parmesan cheese through the hot mashed potato ( I always whip my mash with the electric beaters to make a light fluffy potato topping) 

Place your mashed potato on top of your fish/veg mixture & cook in a 180c oven until nicely browned on top.

ENJOY!

Does certain food evoke memories of the past for you? It does for me.

 I made this pie a few days ago. I hadn't made it since my two eldest children were very very young. It bought an instant picture to my mind of my eldest (soldier boy) sitting up at our breakfast counter with a big spoonful saying "This is yum MUM" then laughing as he had rhymed his words, then his little sis who had just started talking copied  his exact words "This is yum MUM" 

 (she ALWAYS copied whatever  he said)

Caroline xoxo