Nearly Christmas!

Greetings All!!
Wow, we have made it to our first Christmas officailly living in our beautiful home! There are still lots of odd jobs to get done and aesthetically we might not be the prettiest place to look at but we love it! Since August (my last update) we've achieved quite a lot as far as animals go! We acquired our first three pigs, beautifully named Steve, Brenda and Windy. Steve and Brenda are Berkshire cross Large Blacks and Windy is a Saddleback cross Black. They're lovely, except that they just ATE, yes ate one of my chickens! I'll assume it just got trampled but it was very disgusting and very sad! That same night Waz locked one out of their enclosure (accidentally) and I think we may have provided Mr Fox with an easy dinner! So we're down to 23 chickens, yes 23! They are Isa Browns and very healthy and happy! I'll attach some photos of their house. Waz built it, with a few helpers on and off and we finished it and got the chickens just in time for our first farmstay!

We came across an ad in the paper looking for farming families interested in hosting International Students for Aussie Farmstays. We signed up and had our first two in November and it was GREAT! We had five 16yr old Japanese boys come and stay for 2 nights at a time and they LOVED it. Their English was not great but everyone had fun and got along. Jack and Henry had attention and playmates for two whole weekends and it pays well too. So it is something we'll continue to do, and a great way to introduce the boys to language, culture and hospitaility.

We got the footpaths to the house from the carpark mostly finished as well, we're still working on some drainage issues but we can now walk to the house without gumboots and as I look out at the pouring rain today I am relieved!
I've finally done some paintings and we've managed to hang quite a few pictures in the house which is lovely and we have also managed to acquire a few appropriate bits of furniture to fit out the hosue a bit better!

The current project is finishing the permanant pig pen and beginning the fencing project to separate the paddocks from the bush, among lots of little jobs in between. We're looking forward to Christmas, a few different ones with different family and a nice quiet New Year, after which Jack begins Kindergarten! I'll be a school Mum!! Should be interesting.
Anyway, many blessings to you all and please come visit sometime!
Mel