Back to School

Well off they went this morning, neither of them too happy about it!

I wouldn't be either if I was 6 & 8 years old and had had their summer.

Beautiful Berry Bay

Beaches, skiing, surfing, tubing, kneeboarding, swimming, snorkelling and motorbike riding.

All right here in our own back yard on the Yorke Peninsula too!

Ollie's first ski of the summer at Black Point

Another amazing day at Black Point

Tommy at Balgowan

The cousins on cousin Bruce's on farm track

I was very sad to see them go. They are so lucky to have each other and have had the best time together this summer. 

I will however embrace the return of routine! 

Harvey

Photo by Black Sheep Photography

Here he is! All grown up.

Remember this little baby?

He has grown in to the most beautiful family dog. The boys absolutely adore him!

Only one hole dug in my whole garden too!

A Year On

A year ago our home graced the pages on SA Life Magazine.

The past year has been pretty full on (as if it wasn't enough so before).

Since shutting 'the shed' I have been overwhelmed with the growth of the online store. When I embarked on the journey I never thought it would end up as a full time job! 

Like many other mums out there I am still struggling with the balance of being a mother and working full time. But I am exceptionally grateful to be able to work from home. The flexibility to constantly reshuffle my working hours to suit as activities with the boys changes each week is brilliant.

I have always wanted to commit time to reading or helping at school and this still remains one of my favourtie things to do each week. I am very lucky that my boys attend a fabulous little country school where I have known many of the kids since birth and I love seeing all of them developing in to great little people each week.

There still seems to be a misconception that when you work from home you don't actually work, but this is one I am hoping some will wake up to one day! Perhaps some people are a little conservative or old fashioned or maybe they don't realise the power of the internet yet?

If any of you out there have any juggling tips please send them my way. I am still have a lot to learn!

9 Years of Wedded Bliss?

Nine years ago on this day I walked down the aisle of the Scotch College Chapel and said I do to the love of my life.

Where have the past nine years gone?..............

I know! 

A 6 month overseas trip, house renovation, apartment purchase and sale, first child, house build (during seeding with a small baby), second child and new business. There have been some great and not so great times (2 screaming babies with reflux and allergies certainly tested the marriage).

Right now life is really good. 

I am very grateful for what I have and still madly in love with my husband. 

I'm Back!

Sorry for the absence bloggy friends! I've taken a little time out of blogging over the summer holidays to spend lots of time with theses precious lads!

Boy we have had fun. They are such a fabulous age.

Lots of swimming, skiing, snorkeling and fishing!

The motorbike from Father Christmas has been a hit!

But they have now gone back to school. 

My big year 1 and 2! Are they really that old already???

The Season Close

Harvest is nearing completion. It has run relatively smoothly. I think!?

It seems to have flown by. Things have been busy with the boy's school and sporting 

commitments and I have had my busiest ever months in the shed.

Yields seems to be good this year all over the Yorke Peninsula despite not getting

 much of a finish on the crops.

There have been a few fires in the district this year. There was a big fire yesterday about 

70kms South of us. I could see the smoke from our verandah. I always feel 

uneasy on the hot and windy days.

We had one Catastrophic Fire Ban Day declared. On this day some schools in the area close and the school buses don't run.

The boys, especially Tommy are obsessed with farming!

The Reception and Year 1 class at our school has a group who all take their toy tractors, headers and trucks and play 'farms'every lunchtime. A few farmers of the future I think!

Looking forward to spending lots of time with my very tired looking farmer over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas and spoiling him rotten. The boys also cant wait to spend some time with their dad!

Harvest

Nearly ready to be harvested!

Back from an amazing few days in Melbourne for Derby Day (more on that later) and as predicted Harvest started just before I left. Not without its mishaps though.

Just a week in to starting we were hit with a storm and some unwanted rain. 

It even managed to blow this tree over in the yard, narrowly missing my new Pear trees.

We were very lucky not to have had too much rain, so no worry about any damage to crops. Just a rather frustrated farmer who has been slowed up a bit.

I must start refocusing my priorities but I am quite delighted with what the unwanted rain has done for my garden!

Hope you are having a lovely week all.

School Holidays

Checking the canola crop

Do you love or loathe the holidays?

I LOVE them. 

The best thing is not having to rush off anywhere in the mornings (can you tell I am not a morning person?) and having my boys home.

I actually don't want these holidays to end.

We have just got back from four wonderful days away at the beach with very dear friends and their awesome boys, who just so happen to be my two boy's besties. 

Great mates!

I am not normally a beach person but had the best few days away.

The kids attempted a water ski but the water was a little cold!

The weather has mostly been beautiful which has meant lots of outdoor activities like footy and cricket. We have also been eating outside whenever we can.

Not sure what game this is but Tommy is using the bug net rather unusually!

There has also been some time for a few farm lessons.

Ollie 'driving' around the farm

Hope you are all enjoying the school holidays and having lots of fun too!

A Real Farm Blog

Image via Thyer Farming

For those of you who enjoyed my recent post on farm life I urge you to pop over to my friend Katie's blog Thyer Farming.

Katie was born in Scotland and moved to Australia in 2001. In 2005 she married local Yorke Peninsula farmer Ben who she runs the farm with. She is also mum to two beautiful children.

Katie is an inspiration. A 'real farmers wife' (unlike me who can't even drive a manual car). She has completely embraced farm life and has furthered her education so that her new Agricultural knowledge has enabled her to work on the farm constructively. 

Her wonderful mum comes to Australia every year during harvest and seeding to look after the kids and free Katie up to drive the header (harvester) or tractor full time.

Katie & Ben's kids
Image via Thyer Farming

Katie is one of those rare people who is willing to give anything a go. I have the privilege of playing social netball with her and although she tells me "there's not much netball in Scotland" and had never played before, she throws herself in to every game with enthusiasm and a smile and has even had a crack at Centre on occasion.

Katie also has a degree in Interior Architecture (which I plan to put to use, although she may no know this yet) so keep your eye out for interesting interior and exterior projects around the farm. She has a unique eclectic style.

Should not forget to mention she can also catwalk, sing and dance!

Life On The Farm- Part 1

The crop coming up just over the rosemary hedge on the garden's border

Thanks for all of your requests for more about our life on the farm, we are flattered you would like to hear more about it so here goes! I have employed the help of my farmer to do this too, as although I completed part of a Uni degree in Agriculture my knowledge is appalling!

We, well not me, but Paul, his dad and brother finished seeding (sowing the crops) a few weeks ago. All nearly 7000 acres of it. Wheat, barley, lentils and canola is what we are growing this year.

Seeding means long hours and is a stressful process for the farmers needing to time things around the weather and the calendar constantly. The boys really miss their dad at this time of year.

You don't just pop the seed in and hope it grows. Lots of planning and preparation occurs long before any of this can start.

In fact most farmers have an agronomist (crop scientist/adviser) who they employ to advise on what, where and how to plant/ fertilise and spray all year long. 

This is what Paul worked as for 6 years before we moved back on to the farm full time.

So once the crop is in more rain is needed to germinate the crops.

And rain it did!

Looking from The White Shed across to the veggie garden

Looking over to the house from the shed.

So now the process of crop monitoring, spraying, fertilising continues.

The house is surrounded by paddocks of crops so whilst Paul keeps an eye on them, my domain is within the house yard's fence and so for me and many other farmers wives this means gardening!!! It is the prefect time to plant new plants, bare rooted trees and roses. And that is just what I am off to do today with the help of my two apprentices.

Six Years Ago

Little Ollie rugged up to help us in the garden

SA Life March 2012

Adore Magazine

The garden is coming along!

SA Life March 2012

Six years ago we moved in to our brand new house. 

The building process was somewhat frustrating not helped by the fact that I had a 9 month old baby and another one on the way.

It was all worth it in the end.

I adore our home. I think it fits beautifully with our country family life and has only got better and better with time.

The large garden is still a work in progress and always will be but images like the above remind me of how far we have come.

I am truly grateful for my family, home, friends and lifestyle!