Footy Tipping

This year Aaron, Jay and Harri decided to have a family footy tipping competition. I declined the invitation to join in, as I knew I would flog them! ;)

Harri has been in front all year because he studies the footy so much, and knows everything about pretty much every team - including where they all are on the ladder, who is suspended and who has an injury. Aaron even ended up using Harri's tips in his school footy competition as Harri was beating him (that's what happens when Aaron refuses to tip against Hawthorn! Supposedly tipping against your own team shouldn't happen - even if it means you are going to lose the whole tipping competition).

With the AFL season finishing up on the weekend (except for the finals) it meant the family footy tipping comp was over and Harri was VERY excited to collect his winnings tonight - a family block of chocolate AND a packet of Tim Tams - all for himself. I think Jalen may try a bit harder next year!

Bush Dance

This weekend is our stake conference weekend at church. It started off last night with a bush dance which included floorshows put on by each of the wards. The youth were the main ones involved in the floorshows, but anyone in the ward could be included in them. West Ward sang a song and then did a dance to 'Old Man Emu'.

Sam was a very funny Emu...

Deloraine Ward did some cool boot scootin' moves, to different line dancing songs.

Devonport Ward did a church version of 'High School Musical'.

and our ward (East Ward) did 'Australia though the ages'. It seems like they have been practicing more months at mutual with all the leaders being involved in it at well. They did an awesome job and it was very impressive with very smooth transitions between songs with costume changes and different people involved in each scene.

The first scene was the convict era...

the next scene was to do with the World Wars and was very reverent and sad as the boys walked out carrying one of them on the stretcher...

it was then a beach scene...

then the rock scene with Aaron and the other YM leaders and a couple of the boys being AC/DC... it was very funny.


I think Aaron knows AC/DC just a bit too well.



Emily and the YW leaders then did the pop era with them doing Kylie Minogue's 'Locomotion'. Don't you love the outfits!

then sports...footy and cricket...

and of course Australia isn't Australia without the Wiggles. The YM were very funny...

and the vegemite song...

and the grand finale... the Australian National Anthem...Jimmy Barnes style (or Adam Hills version). Aaron surprised me as to how into it he was...even ripping off his jacket!




All those practices were worth it as they did a great job. The rest of the night was filled with dancing, socialising and eating. Jalen didn't come as he had a sleep over at his friends house, but I know he would've loved the night. Harri loved doing the 'Heel, Toe Polka' with Rohan as he had been learning it at school.

Noah didn't have such a good night and was very congested and pale. Not that you can tell in this pic.

Kobe hadn't slept all day long as we were out all day, but he would've kept going all night if we let him...especially after a piece of cake or two!

Alison came along with us and I was stirring her all night that she had become 'un-Australian' since coming and going from the USA so much, as she couldn't find her akubra hat to wear. She redeemed herself though by getting into the sponge cake :)

It was a great night and nice to have such a great family activity where everyone could be involved.

DT Talk

When we were at Fab Friday last month, Jalen was interviewed by the guy on Hawks Active who does the DT talk segment, after Jay was telling him how he chooses his team from the tips that he gives on the show.

A few weeks ago the interview was aired, and Jay had his own little segment. He thought he was very famous!

Spring is on the Way

After being in hospital for 17 days days, you would think I would be used to it, but I actually found it harder going back in after a week at home, than I did going in the first time this month. The week that we were home felt like I had escaped from jail or something...okay, well maybe it wasn't quite that dramatic, but I remember driving with Aaron one day saying that it felt that way, and it was hard to believe that I was out in the 'real world'.

The first day back in hospital was frustrating. I was annoyed that we were back in, and sat in that tiny room wondering how I got through 17 days in there.

The second day wasn't so bad, as I remembered how easy it is to just sit in your own little world in the hospital, while the doctors and nurses come in and out, all day long. Even though it was the weekend, we actually saw less of each other as it meant that one of us could keep the boys at home for most of the day. We probably caught up the most at the football together as Aaron and I tried to sit together for a bit, so we could just talk about what had been going on at home, and in the hospital. When Aaron would bring the boys up to the hospital it was usually just for 20 minutes or so, and then I would take them home to have a break from hospital while Aaron sat with Noah.

Kobe was so happy to be back there, and discovered a new love for the dolls house which was so cute. The nurses kept asking me 'where is that cute boy of yours?' whenever he wasn't around.

Last night while Aaron was with Noah some of the kids from church came up to see Noah and drop off a card that everyone from church had signed, plus some cute drawings the kids had done.

The drawings were so cute and said 'spring is on the way, Noah', which we can't wait for! Hopefully with the spring weather, it will bring better health for Noah too.

This morning before school the boys came to see me and I was just packing up the sofa bed as I knew we would be able to be discharged today. Jalen looks at it and goes 'is THAT what you have been sleeping on Mum!!?. He hopped on the super thin foam 'mattress' (if you can even call it that!) and goes 'oh this is so uncomfortable!'. Tell me about it Jay -tell me about it!

Noah got off the oxygen yesterday and had a good night without it, so the doctors were happy for him to go home today. Dr B came in this morning and asked how he was and I said 'good...well, back to 'normal Noah' and he said that was good and that my 'family needs me' so we should go home.

It's nice to all be home as a family again. Out of the last month we have been in hospital for 21 days! I told the nurses as we were leaving that hopefully we can stay away for longer than a week this time...hopefully a lot longer than that.

Hawks V Doctors

It's hard sitting in hospital all day when there is so much going on, and so much to do. When we were in hospital a week ago, we had planned on having a garage sale to get rid of lots of 'junk' which would hopefully make us a little bit of extra cash and also mean we wouldn't have as much to move to the new house. When Noah ended up going to hospital for the 17 days, we had to put it off until this week. On Thursday I organised for the ad to go in the paper, and then Thursday night Noah came into hospital. We talked about what we should do, and Mum was coming to stay for the weekend anyway to come to the footy and help look after the boys while we had the garage sale, so Aaron decided to do it anyway. I felt bad that I couldn't be home to help him, but Mum helped out with pricing etc and Aaron said it was quite fun in the end. They tried to sell Kobe off but no one would buy him - even though he was a bargain price!

They packed up at lunch time and then Di came up to sit with Noah in hospital, while we all went to the footy.

We invited Alison to come along with us even though she barracks for the Bombers, but I think we just about converted her over to go for the Hawks - right Alison!!? :)

She hadn't been to a game at Aurora before and hadn't been to an AFL game since 2001 or something, so it was fun to have her with us. It was Kobe's first game at Aurora too and only his second AFL game. We didn't think it would be much fun for Di chasing him around the hospital, and we were hoping he would be good and have fun.

Being election day it was a very busy day with all of us having to vote as well. It was interesting voting in the hospital polling booth, wearing my slipper thongs while being surrounded by people wearing dressing gowns or all gowned up as they had just come from theater.

Kobe surprised us and had a great time eating treats, waving at everyone, pointing to the players and having a great day out.


The game was between Hawthorn and the Dockers and Jay was telling us how for years he thought they were called the 'doctors' and that he thought that the picture of an anchor on their tops was a stethoscope!! Funny boy.

Harri was very serious about watching the whole game very closely, and marked everything in his footy record.

It was great having another paparazzi with me.


At half time Nicki and Alex came over from the posh seats and decided to sit with us. I actually really love our seats as we are the half way mark, under cover and get to sit in the sun (if it is out). It can be hard staring into the sun but I would rather put on some sunnies and a cap and be warm, than freeze the whole game.

Little Lincoln looked so cute all done up in his Hawks gear.


It was a very one sided game with most of Freo's good players out resting, but it was still a lot of fun and good for the Hawks to win by 116 points.

Our 'couple of days' in hospital has turned into 3 already but hopefully it won't be much longer.

Fab Friday

Today we have hit the 'couple of days' mark in hospital and it's going to be at least a couple more. The doctors said it looks like Noah has like a viral cold and because his immune system is so down from the last hospital visit, he is struggling with it and therefore it's best to stay in to have a little bit of oxygen and also stay on IV antibiotics as they are hoping that they will help even though it's a virus.

Because we had planned on going to Fab Friday before Noah went to hospital, Alison offered to come and sit with him in the hospital so we could still take the other boys. It was a horrible, wet, windy afternoon but the boys didn't mind at all and it was nice to be there with a smaller crowd. Kobe loved checking out Grandma's photos and looking through her camera as we sat under cover and watched the players train.

It was nice that that it was quiet, so there wasn't a huge line up at the face painting, so Harri got his face done.

The funniest thing was Josh Gibson asking him why he didn't have number 6 on, and who number 23 was, to which Harri yells 'Buddy!'. Josh then said 'Buddy's a dud isn't he!?' and Harri yells at him 'he is THE best player ever!!', and then Josh yelling back at him 'he's a dud!' and Harri yelling 'no he's not!!'.

Because there weren't many people there it was easy to say hi to the players and get their autographs. Poor Hodgey looked terrible with two black eyes after last weeks game.

Kobe knows just what to do now when the players comes up and he puts his hands up to get a high five, or pulls out his scarf for them to sign.

I heard Aaron say to Buddy 'can we get a photo of you with my son please?' but I knew it was more that Aaron just wanted another photo with him!

Despite the weather it was a fun night, and the weather turned out okay in the end with the sun starting to come out.

It wasn't the kind of weather that we like taking Noah out in, so it was nice to know he was dry and warm at the hospital. Thanks so much Alison.