preparing for the feed

Yes we do celebrate thanksgiving. Mel feels that because Dean sacrifices to live here in Australia she would give him his favourite holiday. He is so lucky that Mel gets a kick out of doing this stuff. The pies were prepared the day before and most of the prep for other dishes, peeling potatoes and stuff. So on the Thursday all Mel had to do was pop everything in the oven. She had actually been preparing herself all month as this was her first Thanksgiving to prepare the whole meal herself. She watched the food channel non stop and emailed friends to make sure she did the right things. The smile on her husbands face when he was eating was the pay off. What a great day we had. Dean and Jackson tried to play cricket but Jackson's hay fever played up, Kealin wouldn't get out of his spider man outfit, and Mel was really hurting as shes not even supposed to be standing. Oh well Hope you all had as much fun as we did.

The Turkey's!!, I mean Turkey

We could have had a drama with the turkey would you like to hear the story? OK here it is. Mel ordered the turkey from the butcher back in the begging of October, as no-one stocks them till Christmas. So Mel's dad came home from Launceston about three weeks ago and bought a turkey from a catering shop as a back up!. Mel thought he was mad and just got a little happy while grocery shopping (that's where Mel gets it form, the love of food shopping not being mad). Anyway the Monday before Thanksgiving Mel goes to the butcher to pick up the turkey she ordered and they didn't have one till Friday which off course is a day late. Remembering Mel is Pregnant and cant even remember yesterday, she fretted all day about not having a Turkey (which is what Dean wants most besides pumpkin pie). Until her daddy came home and thought he was a hero because he bought a back up turkey which Mel did tease him about when he first got it. Thanks Dad for listening to your still small voice, or it could have been in fear that his pregnant daughter would cry and be upset if she didn't get her turkey!

the main meal

Well this is the Feed, Mel panicked over this, every year since Dean And Mel have been married they have been invited to another families house for thanksgiving. But this year as they are somewhere else she had to do it herself. So the menu consisted of Mashed potatoes (Jacquie R's Recipe, Stuffing (Debbie Y's recipe), Spinach Gratin (Ina Garten), Steamed green beans with butter, Sauteed honey carrotts, baked asparagus with Parmesan cheese, hot rolls, Toss salad, Mel's first sweet potato and marshmallow dish which she had to email a Friend for (thanks Jacquie R) and off course the Turkey. Mel did it all on her own and still can't believe she pulled it off and managed to feed 14 people. A little ambitious but its done now an everyone was happy.

Mad dash with the food

Here is Emily walking two plates of food over to her two brothers who live 100m away. It was fun watching her walk away with food!!

Here are all the kids waiting to do the treasure
hunt. This is a tradition we addopted from our friends the Rowberry's ( Hi Jaquie!!) We hid pictures that represented thankgiving all around the yard with treasure stuck on the back, and bags of chocolate gold!. From left to right its Jackson, Mels dad Mark, Louise and her baby William, Kealin, Emily, Sarra, Mel, Hallie, Mels grandma Judith, and Charna. They were being very patient while we were taking photos.

Here are 5 of the 6 pies Mel made. Pumpkin pie, Strawberry pie, Chocolate pie, pecan pie, banana cream caramel pie and the one in the oven heating up is apple and blueberry crumble pie. We served it with whipped cream and icecream. Yum what a feed. Our friend Simone and her husband beat even Dean and ate a slice of each pie. Dean could only manage Pumpkin and Strawberry. Oh well theres always next year! Haope you all had a good day.

Well its been a few full weeks for us. It seems every time we go to church our calendar gets full for the next week. We did have time for ourselves though, We are fortunate to have neighbours with a 12 metre heated indoor pool, and so the Corona family had their first swim for the season. Very strange to be starting to swim in November, but it is too cold before. Mel didn't go in because shes not allowed. She can by herself but with the kids it may cause her to do fun stuff and cause more pain. Last summer Charna was still really scared to be by herself in the water, it took her about 10 mins and she was off doing her own thing. Kealin loves the water, he puts his head under like a duck so his bum pops out its really funny. Jackson and Dean are quite rough and were trying to dunk each other and jumping off the rope. We also had a few hot days and the kids got to play outside with the hose. Poppy took Charnas training wheels off her bike and Nanna was trying to teach her how to ride. No photos of that little episode though due to Mels mother killing her by putting picutres of her bum on the blog. (they were ALL behind shots). This week coming we have Thanksgiving. Mel likes to celebrate this holiday due to it being Deans favourite holiday and because he sacrifices to live here we give him that. So this will be intersting to see if Mel can pull it off by herself this year. Every year past we were invited to someone elses home. Dean took Two days off work for the experiece. Better make it a good one hey.
Talk again soon have a good week love the Coronas Downunder

Hear is our little camera hog. She loves makeup and we finally found the dresses she got throughout the year, now she looks like a real little girl instead of a tom boy.

A few hot days in Tassie meant fun with the hose, Charna is into striking poses for the camera!

Pops Birthday

Happy birthday Poppy!!!! The kids love helping pop blow out his candles. You almost can't see him, Stop having kids Mel!!!!

Charna's first day at pre kinda

Charna Started pre kinda last Friday. Mummy was having separation anxiety all day, and when we finally got to school She had to chase her to give her a kiss goodbye. I knew she was ready for school. The best part of that day was when I picked her up and the fun she had showed in her face everytime she told someone about her first day of school. What a cutie!!

Loving Dad and Husband

Poor old Dean!! I have been having real trouble walking with this pregnancy and Dean has had to step up around the house. Not to say he didn't do the dishes before, but that is his permanent job, plus the laundry (washing and hanging), cleaning the lounge, ( the remnants of what the kids didn't do), bathing the little ones, and he still goes to work from 7-6 every day. Ladies if your reading, it can be done just get the doctor to tell you, you can't do anything and the real potential of your man will shine through. Love you Dear!!!

The cake

It had been raining for a few days and I can't walk very well at the moment, and I was very stuck for something to do with the kids. Jackson and I saw Martha Stewart make a huge devils food cake on TV I quickly wrote down the recipe and we all made it. This is the end result of the cake the kids made from scratch, Jackson read out the recipe while Charna and Kealin measured and stirred. Jackson also lined the tins and did things that the "little ones" couldn't do. It was fun. We let it cool and then I thought the easiest way to ice it would be with chocolate whipped cream also made by the kids. Kealin would lick the spoon and then keep spreading, Charna was trying to be perfect and Jackson just slaped it on. Later that night we invited our friends form up the road to have some. They loved it. As I was writting out the recipe later that night in my book I realized that That we missed a few ingredients , Oh well no one knew. It was great. Thats milo an the top if your all confused!!

Our "On the Farm Halloween Ward Party"

Well I kindly volunteered mum and dads house for the halloween party this year. It was a beautiful week I even wore a capped sleved shirt for the first time in a year. And then the night of our big party came and it soflty drizzled all night. Everybody kept telling me that this is typical Tassie Weather and we had a huge turn out a hundred or so. We had Trunk or treat from 6-7, games from 7-8, hayrides and Haunted house from 8-9. While the kids were waiting for their go in the wonderfully scary as big as a four bedroom, two story house Shed that the young men decked out, the heavens opened and they all still waited for their turn. I wouldn't be caught dead waiting in the rain to get the dickens scared out of me a year ago, but there I was in the rain. Everyone had so much fun and really got into the swing of things. Its here again next year and with what i have heard there may be a bigger show of decked out cars. I put a little sample of pictures in to give you an Idea. Have a good week!

Thanks to Martha Stewart for the lively spider up the wall idea. The sisters and a few nighbours helped to hatch the idea. in the windows we had a creepy skeleton and a scary pumpkin. We also slung streemers through the trees that line mum and dads drive way to add to the atmosphere.

Getting ready to feed the hungry critters of the Deloraine Ward, is the annual show up of the grumpy old man.

Our great new friends, Frankenstiens bride and Mr And Mrs draculor. These guys are awsome !

Getting ready for the hay ride. Our good nieghbours did up their big old tractor and took the kids around the farm. It was soo cold ,don't know how they all survived. Draculor got on his motor bike and terrorised the kids they were all screaming it was great.

Here is a photo of mel I was a witch but my hat kept blowing off. I was a witch with a body growth due to invade the world in February!! HE HE HE

This is Ghost rider AKA Jackson Dean did his makeup and the suit we had to cut in half to avoid wedgies. Jackson had so much fun his makeup was so smeared at the end the night. He did up his bike and rode it around like he was on a motor bike it was funny.

Halloween Party

Hear we have our two spidermen, Hallie the cute blonde never takes her suit off and Kealin mainly wears his black one but he does have a few costumes that he rotates around. And Charna was our little skeleton. I origianlly bought it for Kealin but he wanted to wear ..of course Spinderman so Charna tried on the outfit and liked it. Dean really eanted her to be a princess but too bad. I out make up on her so she looked like a petty skeleton. What can you expect when you have too brothers and a mother who doesnt fuss over getting dressed up.