Saturday 29 April 2006

Welcome to Charlie :-))

The Thompson Family... Tim, Nerys, Jackson and Charlie.
Jackson's first cuddle.
Pennie's first cuddle
Charlie -no middle name yet- Thompson arrived this afternoon at 13:13pm, weighing in at 3.33kg and 50cms tall.

Wednesday 26 April 2006

Pennie is a Cover Girl

Tuesday 25 April 2006

ANZAC Day.


Today is ANZAC Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corp) a day to remember those who fought for our country and help make it the fantastic place it is now. Australians all over the country and the world attend Dawn Services and line the streets to wave flags as those left of the returned men and women march down the main street of cities and towns large or small. Each year more and more people are turning out to remember these people and to give their thanks for their courage and bravery.

I thought of my Dad all day today, he turns 90 this year and spent the day watching the march and all the stories on the telly... he has marched a couple of times and we all turned out to watch him with lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes... I dug around in my pile of photos and found this... a young faced Lieutenant about to journey to the Dessert and the Battle of El Alamein. Thanks Dad we may not say it often enough but... We are very proud of you!

No Baby yet!

No baby yet, we are now two days overdue, poor Nerys is well and truly 'Over it' so they came over today for Morning Tea I hurriedly made a cake... the first cake I've made in about a year but it was delicious as Jackson Harry will tell you in Photos.
Mmmm Yummo this looks good!
Stop and play with Tom and Gwil's old Dukes of Hazard cars which were in the toy box... JH is hooked on a DVD with a old Dukes of Hazard show on it, he Yeeehhhaaaa's all the time now.
Now how much of this delicious Armenian Nutmeg cake can I get in my mouth at once.
Loving the Mummy as hard as they can, come on new baby it's great out here!

Monday 24 April 2006

Gwil and Emily.

The first thing I do every morning, after I turn the computer on, is to check and see if Gwilym and Emily have been able to update their Blog. There are heaps and heaps of photos up today so David and I enjoyed almost an hour browsing and reading everything we could... they are having a fantastic time and look so happy and healthy, one more week left in Vietnam before they fly to Helsinki.
Here they are in their new clothes, Gwil's suit made of fine cashmere wool cost him $AU68... they have posted 16kg of clothes home to Australia. http://www.emandgwil.blogspot.com/

Hurray for Webcams!



We've enjoyed a couple of nights Webcaming with our Abigail Rose, she's happy to be home after the long flight and the weather in London is warming up just as it's cooling down here. Abi peers at the computer screen to see Pennie and David then smiles and waves as we sing our song...

Abigail, Abigail, Abigail Rose,
Dancing, Dancing, Dancing on her toes,
Abigail, Abigail, Abigail Rose,
Everybody loves our Abigail Rose.

(Big Hurray and lots of clapping)

Tuesday 18 April 2006

They've gone... :-(

An 8 hour flight... then a day and a night in Hong Kong then a 9 hour flight to London and they'll be home on the 20th and we'll be able to see them on the Webcam..

Abigail Rose heads home...

Abigail Rose is taking her mummy and daddy back to London tonight, she's loved her first visit to Australia and will be back for another visit before we know it... in the meantime we will be able to talk to and see her when we get our Webcams going so she won't be able to forget us! Here are a few photos I took today...
Reflective
Playful
Busy
Serious
Curious
Daddy, Mummy and Me.

Leyland TD4

David has waited for this day for almost one year so at last it's happened. The Leyland TD4 379 that he's restoring in our Garage has gone off for its paint job, it will come back Red and Cream in four to five weeks time and then he will be able to put in the windows, the lining, the seats, the hand rails, the lighting, the bells and lots of other things I don't know about... this should keep him busy and help him get over his loss of Beers, Buses and Britian!
Three small boys raced along the footpath when they saw the bus come out and onto the street, they asked if they could have a look so I told them yes they could and they Awwwed and Aaahhhed as they trouped upstairs :-) and were loud in their thanks as they sped off on their bikes only to notice the film crew on the other side of the road... that stopped them in their tracks again... I've invited them to come and knock on our door in a few weeks and we'll show them the paint job.
Bus Ready, Spectators Ready, Film Crew Ready.... start her up!!
Emma keeping the crowd back as David edges his TD4 out of the Garage.
A front view of Jillian and Philip who are making a doco of Tempe and David's restoration.
David's right hand man, Graig Parkinson who is always ready to help.
Craig and David just before they set off.
Jackson Harry is keen to have a ride while Abigail Rose is saying... Bus... Bus?? What's a Bus??

Monday 17 April 2006

Easter...

Another prefect day in Paradise with the Lunch Menu making our mouths water at the thought of Crabs, Turkey and Creme Caramels but the winner of the day was the fresh Blue Swimmer Crabs which were sweet and delicious and very meaty... Joon made a funny comment while we were laughing, yumming, smacking our lips and chatting as we cracked our crabs and ate the meat... He laughed and said in Korea there is no conversation when crabs are eaten... we didn't understand till he said they never got one each so it was grab a bit, crack it open, eat and grab again :-))
These two little darlings always want to help, the problem with that is they don't leave me much room to chop and prepare!!
Briony sporting her 'Naughty T Shirt', Abigail Rose, Jackson Harry and Joon.
Abigail Rose on the Easter Egg hunt... she didn't do too badly considering this was her first hunt.
Jackson Harry had a ball looking for eggs but he was very generous and shared his loot.
Put your hand up if you love Chocolate!!!!
Abigail Rose feeding the Lorrikeets some of her biscuit... no Abi feed them the apple in your other hand.
Briony bathing Abi... I love Briony's Pig Tails, I used to wear my hair like this.
Emma and Briony.

Thursday 13 April 2006

Not long now...


Only ten days to go for Nerys and our new baby.

Happy Anniversary.


Today Tom and Emma celebrate three years of marriage... Congratulations to you both we are very proud and happy for you and all you've done together since that lovely day on North Head where you were married... they've taken Abigail Rose down to Manly to stay for a few days getting in some of this beautiful sun, sand and surf before heading back to London next Tuesday.

Nature in Turramurra...

You know you've settled back home when you're happy...

To be woken by the loud laugh of Kookaburras at dawn.

That day after day the weather is perfect with a nice cripness in the air at night then clear blue skies and warm happy days... especially while Tom, Emma and Abigail Rose are visiting.

To see the large Huntsman Spider on the hall wall as you climb the stairs to bed, he will eat those mozzies while we sleep... some house guests aren't very comfortable about our huntsmen but we've had generation after generation of them in the house and they're lovely, quiet, harmless and useful things to have.
HE WATCHED ME CLIMB THE STAIRS THEN HE WAITED FOR ME TO GO BACK DOWNSTAIRS FOR MY CAMERA THEN STAYED VERY STILL WHILE I TOOK HIS PHOTO.

To settle down to read the paper outside only to be pestered by the Lorrikeets for a piece of apple and while you go back indoors to get the said apple they check out what you were munching on.
LORRIKEETS ENJOYING A PIECE OF FRESH APPLE EACH, THEY DON'T LIKE TO SHARE. WE'D STOPPED FEEDING THE LORRIES BECAUSE THERE WERE FIGHTS BUT THIS PAIR ARE VERY WELL BEHAVED AND POP IN MOST DAYS.

Hearing the loud and continous swarking of the big white Cockatoos as they fly over the house excited about the falling rain today... sorry Tom, Emma and Abi who have just gone to stay in Manly for a few days.
THEY AREN'T SWARKING HERE JUST LOOKING FOR SEEDS IN THE GRASS.

Smelling the much wanted rain and hearing the the water running off the roof and falling into the water tanks.

Hearing the Possums partying and having races along the veranda roof each night just as you are falling asleep.
MOTHER POSSUM AND HER BABY PREPARING FOR THIER NOCTURNAL PARTYING.

Helping the Kookaburra who's flown into the house and is trying to get out through a closed window... gee they're big birds with big strong beaks but pretty stupid! Sorry Kooka the only live things I will have in my house are huntsman spiders and people of course.
HERE IS A KOOKABURRA WHO COMES REGULARLY FOR A PIECE OF BACON THEN WELL AND TRULY KILLS IT BY BASHING IT AGAINST ANYTHING HARD HE'S SITTING ON.

Seeing the full moon turning the night sky into day as it rises over the garage in the east.
A BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT FULL MOON SEEN AT ABOUT 6PM LAST NIGHT.

Smile when the neighbours mention they've heard of sightings of MY snake... do they think there is only one of them?? I wonder :-) maybe there is only one and he's doing the rounds because we've never seen the one the Thursday Tennis ladies saw a few weeks back.

NOT happy to get my first Grass Tick since I've been home... evidence of those naughty Bandicoots is clear in the garden and lawn... they dig little holes looking for bugs to eat which is great we don't want bugs in the garden but neither do I want those horrible tiny grass ticks that live on the Bandicoots quite happily but swell up and make me itch for weeks.

Tuesday 11 April 2006

Gwilym and Emily...

Gwilym and Emily are having a wonderful time in Vietnam, here are a couple of photos I've taken off their Blog which you can visit here... http://www.emandgwil.blogspot.com/

Story Time with David

Jackson Harry slept over without his mum or dad we had a lovely time and he didn't really want to go home the next day. Here he is having a story with David and Abigail Rose then the next day enjoying a swing down at Bobbin Head.

Tuesday 4 April 2006

Gwilym and Emily...

Gwil and Em have started their Excellent Adventure and are having a fantastic time in Vietman here are some photos taken in Ho Chi Minh City.
Emily in the Cu Chi Tunnels
Gwil stuck in the Ch Chi Tunnels, he has the 34" waist but not the 34" shoulders needed to get in and out.
Happy Birthday to Emily.
The mother of this baby trains him to put packets of chewing gum on their seats and not take it back so they feel obliged to give him money instead.