A Week of Gratefuls

This week has been a tough one, second week of school holidays and we've been busy busy, so to try and pick me up this week I've tried to focus each on what I'm grateful for in each day. I saw another grateful blogger do this the other week and I loved it. It has worked well for me, so this week following on from last week's grateful post:

Saturday - I was grateful for a dear friend having a girl's only 40th birthday party and I got to spend a lovely evening, child free, catching up with some lovely friends and getting to know some new ones.

Sunday - I was grateful for some time on the four wheeler shifting sheep with my Muddy Pixie, we didn't fight, she wasn't throwing tantrums, we just enjoyed being on the bike together, a rarity nowadays.

Monday - Saw me be very grateful for my Muddy Hubby taking 2 of the kids so I could race into town and do some jobs with only 2 Muddy Kids, definitely lightened the load

Tuesday - Gratefulness was in abundance that it hadn't rained yet and we could keep shearing the sheep for a bit longer

Wednesday - Ironically I was grateful for enough rain to give our crops a much needed drink

Thursday - I was grateful for having such a lovely little red head with me when my Muddy Organiser came shopping with me, we had some lovely time together with Muddy Bubby before school starts back, we ate lunch in a cafe and enjoyed being together. We even bought some new fish for the fish tank.

Friday - I am very grateful to have my Mum and Dad visiting so I can try and restore order to my house, getting some time to fold washing and put it away, do the office filing and catch up on the farm accounts.

Linking up with Maxabella at Village Voices for 52 Weeks of Grateful, head on over and check it out. What are you Grateful for This Week?

Wordless Wednesday - Wool Lovers

We've spent most of the last week and a half in and out of the shearing shed, it's a good thing my Muddy Kids love it!

Linking up with Trish at My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday, make sure you pop over and check it out!

And what do you think of my new header? Do you love it as much as I do? My wonderful, talented BFF Laura created it for me and I am eternally grateful for her help!

Mini Break Snapshots

When we headed north for a couple of nights we managed to squeeze in a few touristy things while we were away. We took the Muddy Kids fossicking for Opals, somehow I think Muddy Hubby enjoyed it just as much as they did! We checked out the Lake which is normally farming country, but because of all the rain and floods it's a lake at the moment. We did the 'Car Door Tours' to see some of the town highlights and the opal fields. It's definitely a unique town, and despite all the touristy things every time you asked the Muddy Kids what they wanted to do next their answer was always the same 'Can we go to the park?'.

Shearing Up North

At the start of last week we went shearing up North on our lease block, I took quite a few photos, here's a few to see how our two days went. Shearing starts early in the morning, the first run starts at 7:30, most shearers get to the shed about 7. The day is broken up into 4 runs 7:30 - 9:30, 30 mins morning tea, 10-12 then 1hr lunch, 1-3 then 30 mins afternoon tea, then the last run is 3:30-5. The shearers we had were each shearing between 130 - 210 sheep a day.

We got the sheep in Sunday afternoon and put some in the shed and under the shed

The Muddy Puzzler and Muddy Organiser oversaw the whole process

The sheep need to be sheded to keep them dry

We had 4 shearers, in a day and a half they shore just over 1100 sheep

Muddy Hubby Classes our wool, he likes to tell the girls what he's doing

My Muddy Puzzler likes to check it all out

At the end of a run the sheep are counted out of each shearer's pen, the shearers are paid per sheep

All the wool has to be baled up and bought home on the truck, Muddy Puzzler tries to help, the bales weigh about 190kg each

Muddy Hubby drives the truck home with all the wool bales and other shearing gear

We've started shearing back at home, we only have 3 shearers going here, but they're powering through the sheep. It's supposed to rain tomorrow which means we'll knock off when we run out of dry sheep, as the shearers won't shear them if they're wet.

Love a Good Preschool

I am a big supporter of Early Childhood Education and I'm a get involved kind of person. When we first enrolled our Muddy Organiser in Preschool I didn't hesitate to put my hand up to lend a hand and volunteer. At times the behind the scenes workings get you down, but more often than not I find it rewarding to see the enjoyment the kids and staff get out of events or fundraisers.

One of the BEST things I've been able to watch is the process towards renovating the outdoor space at preschool. It was already pretty cool with a bike track, cubby, massive sandpit, climbing equipment and a few chooks. What they've done now though is build the area into a more natural environment. There's a slide built into the hill and a climbing wall. There's going to be an 'outdoor learning area' and at the moment the Landscaper is working on improving the mud patch, so it will have donkey pumps and a bridge and all manner of get messy stuff.

I had a meeting last Thursday for the upcoming Trivia Night Fundraiser and all my Muddy Kids had an absolute blast exploring the updated area showing that it has definitely been worth the work. I feel so very lucky to have such a fantastic resource in our town, I know so many towns struggle with staffing and funding, so I am extra grateful this week for the fantastic Director, Staff and Preschool we have here in town.

Linking up with Maxabella at Village Voices for 52 Weeks of Grateful. It's definitely worth checking out, so head on over and have a look.

A Mini Shearing Break

On Monday we start our 'Main Shearing' this is our big shearing time of the year where we shear the bulk of our sheep. We are shearing at 3 different sheds and we're starting at our lease block up north. This means that this year the whole family is packing up and heading north to check it all out and lend a hand where we can. Last year I was running a course so I missed out and Muddy Hubby stayed back here to look after the Muddy Kids so he missed out too.

I am constantly amazed at how much stuff I have to pack as a Mum. I am an 'overpacker' from way pack always throwing in 'just in case' items half of which I never end up using. As a Mum though I've had to learn to economise on the packing due to the limited space in the car. I have 2 outfits for each Muddy Child, one for each day, PJ's and one spare outfit 'just in case' (I can't help myself!).

We'll hit the road in the morning and have some time to explore the town with the Muddy Kids before heading out to the shed to make sure all is in order for Monday morning. I think I am most excited about not having to cook dinner for TWO nights in a row. We get to partake of one of the two restaurants in town to fill our belly (and they're BIG meals they serve up). How we'll go sharing a room with all the Muddy Kids I'm not sure, we may all be coming back more tired than when we left.

The shearing North will take just under 2 days depending on how fast the shearers go, we'll then start at the second shed on Wednesday and this should be 2 days as well, my Muddy Father-in-law will be back here to help get the shed ready before we get back. Finally on Friday we'll move to the big shed and finish off the bulk of the sheep in just over a week depending on how fast the shearers go.

It's an exciting and busy time for us, most of the family is in the shed at some point, Muddy Hubby is already training the Muddy Kids to pick up the bellies and they've got little brooms to help sweep the floor. Lucky for my Muddy Organiser it's in school holidays so she won't miss out.

The Shearing Shed up North Last Year

What have you got planned for your school holidays?

Grateful for the smiles it brings

I have been following along with Maxabella Loves... 52 Weeks of Grateful for longer than I've been writing this blog. There is something about it that is so special, something that gives you the warm and fuzzies week after week.

So this week on it's 2 year anniversary I am Grateful for the 52 Weeks of Grateful. A special place that helps me to take stock of what's happening and actually take the time to remember to be grateful for what I have and what's happening in my world. That amongst all the parental angst and ups and downs that there is always a little light, something to be very grateful for, no matter how big or small.

I am not fabulous at writing a post to link up each week, sometimes life just gets in the way, but knowing it's there each week I still stop and think about what I'm grateful for and what I might write about if I could get it all together.

I am grateful for having this space to see what others are grateful for and what lights up their world each week, because without a doubt each and every post that I read in the link up brings a smile to my face.

I am a big believer that big changes begin with a small first step, so for me 52 Weeks of Grateful is one of those small first steps towards making more and more people grateful for what they have rather than feeling that they are continually wanting, or continually ungrateful for the wonderful things in their life that so many others would love even a tenth of. If we can all try to be a little bit grateful each week then that can spread, and spread, and spread, and I just love this concept. I am an optimist like that, I think it's ingrained into me.

Thank You Bron for the magic that is 52 Weeks of Grateful, it is a wonderful link up, that brings a smile to my face each week and I am very grateful for it, especially on those crappy days or weeks, because it can turn them around.

Linking up with Maxabella Loves at Village Voices for 52 Weeks of Grateful on this special 2 Year Anniversary. Make sure you click over and check it out, it is sure to bring a smile to your face.