Krystal’s Birthday today

Krystal turns sweet 17 today. She is celebrating her birthday today with her Mum at her Auntie Caroline’s in Sydney. We’ve seen Krystal already on Thursday to wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Lauren, our youngest granddaughter, turns 16 in June. So they are all growing up. Two of our grandsons have children of their own already. We have now three great-grandchildren and another one is on its way to be born around the time of my 8Oth birthday!

Today, on this special day for Krystal, I want to publish a few more photos that have Krystal in most of them.

I think this picture was taken on the 14th of February 1999.

We were at the top of Mt Keira. The photo is taken at the front of Mt Keira Restaurant. There are several outlooks on Mt Keira from where you can look down to Wollongong and surrounds. We were able to take Gaby up there with her wheelchair. Monika came along with us with little Krystal who wasn’t quite two yet. Gaby always loved to spend time with the family.

This photo was taken around Christmas 2OOO. Krystal wonders what Granddad is going to do with these sunflowers that grew in his garden. — This photo was taken around Christmas 2OOO.
Krystal wonders what Granddad is going to do with these sunflowers that grew in his garden.

This is just a bit of the front of our house in the year 2OOO. I put this photo in to show how small this tree in front of our window was at the time. It looks very huge now and the gardener trims is every so often otherwise there would not be left enough room for the parking spot at the left of the house. — This is just a bit of the front of our house in the year 2000. I put this photo in to show how small this tree in front of our window was at the time. It looks very huge now, and the gardener trims it every so often, otherwise there would not be left enough room for one of the parking spots at the left of the house.

This is a picture from probably around 2OOO on a day when some kids played soccer at Lakelands Park. A lot of kids still play soccer there during the winter season. — This picture is probably from around 2000. This is what it looks like on a day when some kids play soccer at Lakelands Park. Kids still play soccer there during the winter season.

This is in Lakelands Park in 2OO1 when Ilse was with us again. — This is in Lakelands Park in 2001 when Ilse was with us again.

Krystal has been sliding down and Roxy stand beside her.

Monikas three girls with their cousin Lauren.

This picture was taken in Merrylands Central Park on Mother's Day 2OO1. — This picture was taken in Merrylands Central Park on Mother’s Day 2001.

On Mother’s Day 2001 the whole family had met at Merrylands Bowling Club for lunch. Ilse was still with us on this day. After lunch we enjoyed some time in Central Park. It was a great day for all of us. 🙂

Final Days before our Big Trip

On Saturday, the 1st of September, was Natasha’s 21st Birthday Party.

On Sunday, the 2nd, Peter and I had a lovely day with our youngest daughter. This was Fathers Day here in Australia!

We did collect the ashes on Tuesday and settled the payment for the funeral. We told them that they provided an excellent service and that we can highly recommend them. It is a family run establishment. We felt very well looked after and can’t thank them enough. They really did their very best with all the funeral arrangements.

We saw Baby Lucas with his Mum and Dad on Saturday. I was allowed to hold the little man for a bit. He is so lovely! Peter was at the back near the big garage where the party had already started. By the time Peter thought of taking pictures of little Lucas, his Mum had taken him home already. But we might get a chance for pics tomorrow night. Our daughter Monika and some of her family want to come to our place to farewell us before we leave for Sydney on Friday.

On Friday we’re going to stay overnight in Sydney at daughter Caroline’s place from where Caroline is going to drive us to the airport on Saturday. Our plane leaves Sydney at 14.00 hrs (2 pm).

The pictures start with Saturday’s party, then there are some pics from Fathers Day, followed by pics from our outing to the Western Suburbs of Sydney, where we picked up the ashes. After lunch at Merrylands we went to the Central Park at Merrylands West. By 2 pm we were at our late daughter Gaby’s place where we saw David and also four caring friends of our daughter’s. They had come because someone was expected to pick up all the equipment our daughter had been using. I think her iron lung is supposed to go to a museum.

DSCN3471 — this is the sweet Birthday Girl

DSCN3472 — One of the very welcome outside gas heaters

DSCN3485 — A peek at the birthday cake in the fridge.

DSCN3487 — Natasha’s Mum baked the cake herself. Here she puts the finishing touches to it.

DSCN3501 — Grandma is having a good time

DSCN3508 — Monika sees to it that people can try the cowboy hat on for a drink!

DSCN3504 — Peter is taking a rest after taking all these pics

There were people dancing to disco music in the spare garage but I am afraid I haven’t got any pictures of this. Amazingly Grandma had one dance with Grandpa and very much enjoyed it. It’s so good to still be able to enjoy a bit of dancing!
So this was Saturday night. Now come the Sunday pictures.

DSCN3532 — We took a walk to this lovely lake site.

DSCN3533 — Peter took this picture of Caroline and me.

DSCN3525 — Along this footpath we walked back to where the car was parked

DSCN3547 — At Forest Grove we were being served beautifully brewed tea which was being kept hot with tea-lights.

DIGITAL CAMERA — This is where we picked up the ashes and paid the bill on Tuesday.

Diary, July 2012

From the first of July to the fourth of July daughter Caroline stayed with us. It was so good to have her at our place for a few days. Matthew had booked into Wollongong University for a daytime Winter Seminar about philosophy. In the evenings he stayed with us. Caroline had always cooked lovely meals for our dinner. She also baked a wonderful cheese cake for desert. Unfortunately we didn’t take any pictures at home.

On a cold windy day we went for a walk with Caroline along the lake. I asked Peter to take some pictures with my camera. I really like these pictures. I also like the pictures with Gaby in Merrylands. These pictures were already taken two weeks ago. Doesn’t Honey look sweet with that coat on? You can see it must have been a cold day:

On a cold day Gaby always lets the dog wear this warm coat.

Here now are the Merrylands picture

Towards the End of April 2012

Last Thursday we saw Gaby in Merrylands. She waited for us near Merrylands Station. Honey, her dog, was with her. Honey had been bitten by a big dog a bit over a week ago. She had needed some stitches which cost Gaby a lot of money. On Thursday these stitches were due to come out. We didn’t have to go far from the station to the vet’s surgery. Honey had her stitches out in no time. She seems to be all right now.

The following Friday we were busy around the house. We were lucky for it was a sunny day again. We needed to air a big mattress. This mattress is seventeen years old. But it has been keeping well. We got it for our youngest daughter when she was nearly seventeen. The son of her partner is seventeen now. They want the mattress and the bed for their seventeen year old son. So apart from airing the mattress, Peter disassembled the bed. Taking pictures of everything I got into the mood of taken also some pictures through the different windows at the side and back of our house. I can’t get over it how much everything has grown outside. I thought taking photos of it would look quite impressive!

Here now are some photos taken from the bedrrom (facing the back), also the laundry door and the kitchen window towards the back. There is another view from the dining-room facing to the right side of the house.
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Ages ago we had planted some Gerbera bulbs. From time to time one or the other new flower makes a surprise appearance.

One of our grandsons, who owns a van, offered to take bed and mattress to the daughter’s place. This morning he came as promised to collect the things. We have a bit more room now in the spare bedroom. It’s going to be our ‘quiet’ sitting-room, meaning there won’t be any electronical gadgets in this room, not even a TV set.

April is coming to an end. The month of May with a very full program is approaching!

I decided I try to add the window pictures again in a larger size to make them look more impressive.

Berlioz wrote a different blog with some of my pictures. You find it here.

Merrylands

After we stopped at Sublime Point Lookout last Thursday we drove on to Merrylands, a Western suburb of Sydney. Gaby had been visiting David, who’s in Westmead Hospital again.

Gaby took a bus from Westmead and arrived in Merrylands at about the same time we arrived there. We had some lunch in the Stockland Shopping Centre. After lunch it was time for Gaby to withdraw some money so she could do some shopping. Peter helped her with the withdrawal. The pictures show Gaby in her wheelchair. Her dog ‘Honey’ is being attached to the wheelchair. Peter is busy sorting out what bills Gaby needs to pay. Gaby decides then how much money Peter ought to withdraw with her card from the ATM.

As soon as Gaby has been loaded with the required amount of money, she heads off to pay her bills. Then it is time to do her fortnightly shopping in one of the supermarkets where ‘Honey’ is not allowed in. So it is my task to take Honey out for a walk. Gaby usually takes one hour to do her shopping in the supermarket. She gets her stuff home delivered for six Dollars.

It was a beautiful sunny day last Thursday. I enjoyed taking Honey out for a walk. While walking around with Honey I occupied myself taking a few pictures. One picture is of Honey. The other pictures show the street around the shopping centre. This shopping centre has recently been extended. There are still some more extensions going on. You can see it by the huge crane which I tried to capture in the photo. I also took photos of one of my favourite outside cafes called ‘Heart to Heart’.

This area for the kids is inside the shopping centre. It had been provided for the kids during the Easter holidays for the entertainment of kids during certain hours of the day.

We just finished off the last bit of this Easter Cake. It had a lovely vanilla taste and was nice to eat with some unsalted butter and cherry confiture. It had a hard boiled red coloured chicken egg on top. We bought it last Thursday in a shop in Merrylands.