Thursday, December 24, 2009

CHRISTMAS DAY IS ALMOST OVER

Christmas day in Sydney NSW. The day proved to be a lovely cool, overcast 27 degrees before a few brief showers about mid-afternoon.



The big Christmas Day cricket match! (all for fun of course)



Daughter in law talks to family in Texas USA



Daughter Kate with yummy turkey cooked in the bbq with a special cranberry marinade


SIL with the wonderful ham he cooked

Grandson E6 - Lego - just what I wanted!

Grandson L4 got a scooter and play costume


Grandsons - good mates!



Visitors for Christmas Day - pink and grey Galahs


Lovely memories of Christmas day 2009 together with family.
Blessings All!










Wednesday, December 23, 2009

CHRISTMAS IS HERE

The presents are wrapped, the beef is roasted and all that remains to do early tomorrow morning is prepare the vegetables for roasting. Then - the traditional family dinner that we've been waiting a whole year for will be enjoyed by us 10 at daughter and SIL's home. Here in Sydney our family take it turn about to host the Christmas day dinner. This spreads the load nicely and everyone brings a contribution toward the yummy dinner.

This time it will be ham, turkey (freshly bbq'd) beef, roast potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes (kumera) carrots and peas with Christmas pudding, custard and cream (or ice cream) to follow.

Then the gifts under the tree will be opened by the two smallest members of the family who will no doubt have already received 'Santa's' contribution early in the morning.

Tonight I am planning to attend the local Anglican church for their Christmas Eve service. What a lovely way to get into the Christmas spirit - to worship the babe who was born to be King!

Have included a photo this time but not of Christmas origin! The finished 'Pioneer Quilt' all except the back where I plan to stitch and include the story of the family pioneers who emigrated from England in the 1850's. This quilt is to be a special gift for a precious granddaughter who has her 18th birthday next year. The appliqued blocks represent activities the great grandparents undertook on their arrival in New Zealand.

We are planning a few days in Auckland New Zealand soon after Christmas so I won't be posting until we're back home.

To those of my blogging friends who visit from time to time, I wish you a very safe, restful, blessed and holy Christmas, and all the blessings of the New Year.


Merry Christmas all!



Tuesday, December 08, 2009

WHERE ARE THEY?

I see such beautiful Christmas pictures and photos on many blogs at this time of the year but I wonder where they come from. I've looked around 'the web' and find either stuff that's not suitable or they have royalty or copyright attached. Can someone tell me please 'where are they'?

Meanwhile thought I'd give a gllimpse at the church banners I've been busy finishing during the past week. The first one has been 'hoisted' up and is now hanging in our church with the other two to get hung over the next two Sundays. Unfortunately the quality of the photos is not good - I had them pinned to a curtain to take the shots so the colour has been affected - but it will give a bit of an idea of what they look like.
I've been making 'patches' towards making a 'pioneer' quilt for about 3 years. It has been a slow process as I've really only been using bits and pieces from my fabric stash as well as using applique to make 'pictures' of aspects of our ancestors arrival from England in the mid 1850's to New Zealand. After finally being motivated to get it finished, I've now stitched it together with borders and yesterday spent almost the whole day machine quilting the various blocks. I've a few to go yet but am on the way to being able to finish it. When that's done I'll post a photo.
Today is Wednesday - my day for looking after E6 (before and after school) and L4 (all day) however as it's almost the end of our school year, E6's school has made arrangements for them to be transported to a local high school for a large EOY assembly. To have little 5 and 6 year olds sitting in a massive school hall for the morning seems a bit unreasonable to us so he will not be going. Therefore I will look after the two nippers at their house today instead of mine - so I'd better move myself and get over there so their mum can get herself off to work.
Must run - have a good day!


Blessings all!




Thursday, December 03, 2009

PHOTOS FROM LAST FEW WEEKS

Been really busy making Church banners for Christmas so not much time to be blogging but will post a few photos that I've taken over the past few weeks.


My lovely Gardenia has been loaded with blooms this year


The butcher bird that kept swooping down on me a few weeks ago



When friends from the UK visited we took them to Manly on the harbour



Eight of the family went to see the musical "Wicked"



Grandson L4 surprised me when he came in dressed in a Batman costume

That's about all for this time. Have a good weekend.

Blessings!