john & josie Blog

JESSICA - 3 YEARS OLD TODAY...April 22, 2008

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:40:27 GMT

Our youngest grandchild, Jessica turned 3 years old today!

Jessica had a birthday party last Sunday, at home with a Jumping Castle. She and her cousins loved it, even though it was raining on and off.

On her new bike!

So, tonight at our family dinner, Jessica had another cake, specially baked by Nan Josie. She had no trouble blowing out the candles, and enjoyed her birthday song.

Jessica with cousin Samara,

Dad and brother Jamie

Jessica, still eating Nan's

Chocolate birthday cake -

with her family

AUSTRALIA DAY 26 JANUARY 2008

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:00:47 GMT

We're celebrating Australia Day 2008 with a great railway journey on the historic Southern Auroa out of our city, over the Blue Mountains and travel the remote wilderness railway to Brogan's Creek, where in a spectacular amphitheatre under towering sandstone bluffs, and with only the sounds of the bush for company, we'll have an aussie barbecue.

After lunch we journey on to Kandos at the end of the line. Here we'll visit the classic aussie pub right at the railway station.

Should be a great way to celebrate Australia Day!

Watch for the photos and story of our journey through forests and mountains, and skirting the clifftops of the valleys below.................

WATER FROLICS IN BATEMANS BAY

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:29:58 GMT

Terry took his Laser sailboat

across the mountain

to the ocean

to sail

it.

Grayson and Kristian and Samara and Lucas all had heaps of fun on the beaches and in the surf........

Kristian and Samara

and Jamie

surfing

Samara has a quiet

moment

on the calm water

at dusk

And Kylie and Jessica

walk among

the beach rocks

MORE CHRISTMAS IN BATEHAVEN

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 11:25:38 GMT

Our week in the holiday house rented by Josie and the girls turned out a beaut place to stay - 5 bedrooms with beds for 13, 2 bathrooms, a loft room that the boys Grayson Kristian and Jamie picked out for themselves (they brought up matresses from downstairs and set up their own tv and playstation). Samara was happy, she had a bedroom of her own.

Nan and Pop had a double bedroom with ensuite - that was shared with the boys.

The water views from both sides were great, here is an early morning sunrise taken from the front verandah.........

Christmas Day was exciting for the kids..........

Kylie entertained the kids with card games mixed with a lot of fun........

Terry and Helen had a spat - guess who won?

Pop had a 74th birthday just 2 days after christmas....

Lucas had a quiet cuddle with his brother Kristian.....

.....and then Lucas dressed up as a pirate......

But the star of christmas night was Samara, more lovely than ever....

Stay tuned for the next lot of pics, happy days on the beach and in the surf

CHRISTMAS 2007 IN BATEHAVEN

Mon, 31 Dec 2008 05:12:48 GMT

Our family has just returned from holidaying in Batehaven - on Batemans Bay in NSW's South Coast region - for a week over Christmas.

Our grandchildren loved riding the waves on their surf planes -

Samara

Kristian

Jamie

Grayson

3 year old Lucas wanted to join his brother and cousins amongst the surf, and was not afraid to get dumped.....................

Jamie joins in the fun with Grayson & Kristian

while Samara jumps a wave

OUR 49TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:05:51 GMT

We met up with friends Cathy and Peter, out from England for a couple of weeks.

So, we arranged to take them to Watsons Bay by ferry for a simple lunch.

Then, just the day before, we remembered it was our 49th wedding anniversary!

So, the simple lunch turned into an expensive lunch
at
Doyles on the Beach
at
Watsons Bay.

It was worth it! Wonderful fresh seafood and great wine!!

AUSSIE SKIERS - Winter 2007

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 10:02:30 GMT

My 9 year old grandson Kristian lives in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales and, like his father is a snow skier and loves going cross-country in the mountains.

His dad Terry is an accomplished cross-country and downhill skier....

....coming down the mountain...

...and closer.

Winter has gone from Australia and so their skis have been packed away for the summer......but now they'll be able to sail their Laser sailboat on Lake Jindabyne!

SAMARA's 9th Birthday - September 14, 2007

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:04:49 GMT

Our Samara turned 9 today! But she has been off colour all day and has spent her birthday at home with her Nan Josie.

Lucky we gave her a pre-birthday dinner last night at our family night!

Here's her favourite present -

2 disk special edition with karaoke

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

I luv my mum Karen!

My cousin Jamie helped open my presents

Brother Grayson and Jamie enjoyed the party cakes

and then raced off to their computer games

Samara is having another party and sleepover with her schoolfriends next week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMARA

SAMARA & NICOLA - Schoolfriends -September 10, 2007

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:39:45 GMT

Samara and Nicola started school the same day together in kindergarten, and have been close friends ever since. They regularly compete in school swimming carnivals against each other, and take turns in coming first and second.

Nicola recently went to Samara's grandparents home for a few hours after school, and they both went down to the local park playground...........

They then returned to Pop's home to play his laptop.......

Good friends forever!

BOYS DAY OUT - September 08, 2007

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 07:01:42 GMT

My son Geoff is a Corporate Relationship Manager for his bank (which bank?) in Rockhampton, Queensland and is in Sydney for a bank course during next week.

He is staying with his mum and me for a couple of nights.

So, on Saturday afternoon with his brother Graham,we left the women at home and me and my sons went off to the local Leagues Club for an afternoon of beer drinking and snooker playing.

Geoff lines up a snooker pot!

Graham concentrates on his snooker shot.....

.....and puts up his score

But Dad shows them how to play snooker to win!

We staggered off home, arriving just in time for a party with Josie, Kylie and the kids to celebrate Geoff's recent birthday.

Little Jessica was having fun in the bath...

...but finally came out to play on Samara's game..

...while she and Jamie played games on Pop's new laptop