The Latest Family Newsletter

       

         Summer Dawn My latest grandchild 

                                                   She was Born at 8.05am

                                                   Weighing 7lb3oz & was

                                                    52cm’s long just like her

                                                           Aunty Tasha

I was awaken at 2.20am on Thursday the 21^st February by my mobile ringing by the time I managed to get out of bed and find it, the ringing had stopped and I thought bloody hell now I am going to have to find my glasses and ring them back because we all know you do not get phone calls at that time of the morning for no reason. Before I had a chance to do that it rang again and this time I was able to answer it, it was Michael (Kathy’s partner) telling me that she was in labour but only 5cm’s dilated and he would let me know more later.  So I go back to bed and what happens the phone rings again 10 minutes latter this time it is Kathy reminding me that I would have to pick Sydney-May up and take her to day care that morning……….like I would forget but moving on. I go back to bed and it took ages for me to get back to sleep anyway after I took Sydney to day care I went to home and rang the hospital they put me through to Kathy’s room and I was told by a midwife she wasn’t taking calls at the moment I knew what that meant she was busy having bubs………I rang at around 8.05am and that was the time Summer was born………ok let’s move onto a bit later in the morning it was 8.45am and I hadn’t heard anything so I sent Michael a text asking what was happening and he rang me and told me that Summer Dawn was born at 8.05am.I didn’t get to see her till Friday as I Kathy
didn’t really want any visitors on Thursday. I sent Kathy and Michael some balloons instead of flowers which was a surprise for Kathy.        
                                                     

                                    Life

Do you have a good life? Do you realise life is what you make it, sometimes I hear people complain that their life is not good and things are always going wrong for them or that they feel they are being unfairly treated by love ones. However I feel that if you look at things from someone else’s view point you may realise that they feel the way they do because you are forever complaining that life keeps dealing you a shit hand. So stop complaining and take a deep breath tell yourself you are a good person and have a loving family who love you warts and all, even if they do not always like the things you do or the way you act. For you to feel positive and get a high out of life you need think positive be loving and be responsible for your own screw ups, remember we all screw up at some point just most of us don’t dwell on it and do not blame anyone else. NO sister this is not directed at you but YES I was thinking about you when I started to write this.   

                                      

                               Sister’s

                                                   Written by Heather Lanesbury 

This was written by my niece Heather about her relationship with her sister Kirsty I loved it so thought I would share it. 

The story of two very different sisters: One is here, one lives there.  One is a little taller than the other. 

 Two different colours of hair, two different outlooks on life, two very different views from their windows.  Both have different tomorrows ahead.... 

Each is unique in so many ways. Each has her own story, with all the busy things going on in the present. Each has different work to do and different demands on the day. Each has a separate destination and a different path to get there. But...............   

                  

For all the things that might be different and unique about them…….These two sisters will always share so much. They will always be the best of family and friends, entwined together, through all the days of their lives.... 

Their love will always be very special: gentle and joyful when it can be, strong and giving when it needs to be, reminding them, no matter how different their stories turn out..... They share the incredibly precious gift of being "sisters". And when you think of some of the best things this world has to offer, a blessing like that is really...... What it's all about.

                                                  

                                                       TRAVELLING AND ME

The last 6 months has seen me do a bit of travelling starting with a trip to New Zealand’s North Island last November, this was a surprise for me from Tim for my 50^th birthday. He wasn’t going to tell me till my birthday but as it turned out he couldn’t contain himself and ended up telling me in October. Anyway I loved the holiday we had a great time it was one of the best holidays I have had in a long time.

Then in April Tim & I went away with Jessica and Leo first we went to Wellington……….yes Wellington but the Wellington in NZ but the place out near Dubbo and visited the Wellington Caves and have to say WOW what great caves well worth the visit. We then went on to Dubbo where we visited the Old Goal first then onto the caravan park for the night followed by a trip to the zoo the following day. We all had a great time we spent 5 ½ hours at the zoo before heading home but for some reason Tim thought it would be good to come home via Bathurst although we ended up staying at Orange as he was buggered by the time we got to Orange.     

My next holiday was in May this time we went back to New Zealand but to the South Island this time and again we did a self-drive holiday our first night was spent in Wellington we flew into Wellington and flew out of Christchurch. Anyway as I said we spent our first night it Wellington then we took the Interisland ferry over to the South Island, when we arrived the travel agent had said she would arrange transfers for us from the airport to the motel but she didn’t and we had to find out own way there, Tim did find one of the airport transfer companies that would take us from the airport to the motel. The flight over was good we flew this time with Qantas and it was better than Air New Zealand as Qantas supplied as with breakfast I had scrambled eggs and bacon and Tim had corn flakes and both meals came with a bread roll and yogurt and orange juice and of course you could have tea or coffee. The bacon and eggs tasted pretty good.   

                                                

  
                                                 

                                                                  Little Leo

As everyone knows my little Leo started school this year and I can’t say it got off to the best start, but things are improving for him and Jessica. He is on medication now to help control his behaviour and we have no problem with him taking the medication which was a worry for both his mum and me.  During this year I am endeavoring to reduce the amount of nights he stays with me and papa, I am also trying to make time for Blain to come over but Blain doesn’t really want to come over for the night as often as Leo he likes to come for a visit but then wants to go home for the night. This I believe is because after a while he gets bored here as he isn’t like Leo and doesn’t want to just sit around watching cartoons for hours he prefers to play his Xbox. I know that Natasha doesn’t always want him to sit around playing his Xbox but she is the one who bought him one and she is the mother and when he is there if she doesn’t want him playing the Xbox then she should be finding him other things to do.  I don’t know how often he goes outside to play when he is with his parents but when he is here he likes to play outside for ages it is when he has to come inside that he wants to go home.  In fact the last time he was here he was surprised that I said he could go and play with some of the other kids out the front. I love having my grandchildren here but only if they want to be here. Speaking of wanting to be here lately Leo has been crying and not wanting to stay and I have told Jessica if he is going to get that upset then I do not want to force him to stay. 

                                        YOU’RE WELCOME or OPEN DOOR/HOUSE

I have some really generous daughters they have opened their house to others allowing this friend or another to come and stay with them while they looked for their own place. I do not know how they do it I don’t think I would be able to do it myself, sharing your home with friends can really test a friendship in my opinion. Sometimes those staying with you may forget that it is your home they are in and act like it is their home and yes you may want your friend to feel at home but where do you draw the line. This can be worst if the friend doesn’t have children and you do, as children are loud, ask a million questions can be demanding, like to slam doors, run up and down stairs and may not always remember to flush…………then there is the subject of discipline do you allow those staying with you to discipline your child or not and if they do so without your permission what do you do. 

Many friendships have not withstood the house sharing experience now we all know that when it comes to friends I have none so this is not a problem I would face………………..lol For all those who read this and think but you did do this Jo-Anne yes you are right I did do, would I do it again I don’t think so, was it a bad experience when I did it, not really.

                                                 

            

                                    LIVING WITH PARENTS AGAIN

I am 50yrs old as everyone knows and I can tell you that I haven’t lived with my parents since I was 21 and I would not like to do it again, not because I have any problem with my parents but because as not only an adult but a middle aged woman I have become set in my ways. Also mum and dad are set in their ways and it isn’t easy for adult children to live with their parent, just look at Sue she tried it and it failed not because mum and dad are impossible to live with or that she is impossible to live with but because in my opinion they are all adults set in their ways. Sue being the “child” would end up expecting the “parents” to do things for her to take care of her if you will and Sue may say that wasn’t so I don’t know but I do know it was how mum felt.  

Also when you are an adult you have your own mind and opinions that such that may not be the same as your parents which could cause clashes between you  which is why I think it is the norm for children to grow up leave home and make their own way in the world.

However that said it is bloody hard now days for so many people to be out on their own, finding an affordable rental property can be bloody hard, it can be harder still when you have a bad rental history or if you are trying to survive on a Centrelink payment like Sue is. The poor woman gets a pittance amount from Centrelink really not enough to survive on in fact many rental places would take up most of her money for rent which is why it is so bloody hard for her to get somewhere.

                                                         

                                                                  HOMELESS

I am lucky I have never been homeless, I have never felt like I had nowhere to go or no one  I could count on but some members of my family are not so lucky such as my sister Sue and her daughter Kelli……………………..Sue has been staying with mum and dad again because she cannot find somewhere to live and she has been looking and she has been applying for places but because she is only on a Centrelink payment she keeps getting rejected which is just so unfair and wrong.

Kelli and Jono have been staying with Jessica but they have to move as her house inspection is coming up and she needs them out by then and they also have had one thing after another go wrong eating into their savings and such and both are faced with being homeless. It is just so wrong that it is so hard to find a place to live. Of course it isn’t just Kelli & Jono they have their two boys as well Blain and Daemon. 

I have asked Tim if Kelli & Daemon could come here but he doesn’t really want anyone but him and me living here now as he is use to how the house feels with just him and me in it.

  MOVEING HOME 

From being homeless to moving home, well not exactly as I am talking about a different person, this time it is Kathy-Lee and family yes my eldest daughter is moving house. Michael’s parents have bought a house in Maryland for them so they will be moving at the end of the month, Kathy said it had something to do with the fact his parents don’t like the area of Windale they are living in and wanted to help them out. Of course Kathy & Michael will be the ones paying the mortgage. I have not seen the new house although Tim has taken a drive out to Maryland to have a look at the place, he said it has really step driveway which I had heard Kathy say before and there is supposed to be a park not far from the house.

Because they are now going to be buying a house Kathy has increased her hours at work and will now be working 3 days a week Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and I will be watching Summer on Wednesday and Thursday for her and Natasha & Jenny (Michael’s mum) will take turns watching her of Fridays but I have said if Kathy is ever short of a baby sitter on Friday I will of course take her.

I may not be good for much but I can watch children, in fact while they are moving I will watch the girls for them as that is about all I am good for. However I think that is a big help as not having children under foot while moving house is a good thing.

GROWING FAMILY

Now incase people haven’t realised because they have been living under a rock……………………..our family is forever growing mum and dad now have 5 children, 17 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren who would have thought our family would get so large………………….me and mum have spoken at times about how large my nana’s family is but we are not sure. We do know that she has 15 grandchildren but no idea how many great grandchildren let alone great great grandchildren but it must be a bloody lot.

                     FOLLOWING IN HER FATHER’S STEPS

Who you wonder, well Jessica that is who, she has recently got her D A which means Driver’s Authority so she can now drive passenger carrying vehicles with up to `12 passengers such as mini buses and next she wants to upgrade her licence so she can become a bus driver like her dad.

I can tell you this has made her dad so proud and he has even managed to get approval to teach her how to drive a bus using one of the buses at work.  He has also sort out who could sign off on her ability to drive a bus, in some ways he has been a bit pushy with her but it is only because he is so proud and excited about her becoming a bus driver.

Jessica is the daughter less like Tim well I think so, I feel she is more like me then her dad, Natasha is the daughter most like her dad and Kathy well she is a mixture of both of us. Although Jessica and Tim can and do clash at times but then so does Natasha and Tim, I am the one who clashes with Kathy-Lee.

                                            CHANGING JOBS

Recently my sister in-law Leigh decided she had, had enough of the problems at work and quit so now she is looking for a new job. I don’t think she will have much trouble finding a different job a person has to be happy at work if you find yourself feeling stressed and feeling like someone is out to cause trouble for you then you don’t need to be there.

Tim went through that when he was at Charlestown Canvas years ago and I ended up telling him to just quit it wasn’t worth the stress the job was causing him as he would come home stressed and in a mood.

                                                     CLOSING     

Ok I will end this newsletter here it has taken me a while to write it but I doubt anyone cares about that I don’t even know if anyone cares if I write a newsletter or not but hell I write it for me and the rest of you are just blessed to be able to read it…………………….lol