A girls weekend in Sydney

I have so looked forward to these couple of days.

Just a couple of nights with a gorgeous girlfriend and her gorgeous daughter.
Eb and Sarah spend quite a bit of time together and get on well (well most of the time!)
there is about 16 months between them, but they have a ball together!...

We left on Sunday after Church a flew from Albury to Sydney. We arrived at about 3pm at the Hotel and then had a little bit of time to fill in before we got ready to go to Mary Poppins.

We had dinner on the way to the cinema in a sweet little Thai restaurant.

Eb and I went to Mary Poppins back in Feb - but it just didn't go well for Eb...and I had no idea how much I had actually missed by sitting as far back as we did. We were up in Dress Circle (even though the tickets were cheaper than the Melbourne show!) and we saw EVERYTHING. I loved it! Ebony enjoyed it too (although this time I DID take snugly for her!). She did spend a bit of time on my lap...but all in all she remembers a lot more. It was an earlier start too...and it wasn't such a stressful lead up!

After the excitement of the show we walked back to our Hotel on a beautiful mild Sydney night!


We finally got the girls to bed....and then to sleep (actually Eb went to sleep almost immediately - poor Sarah struggled to settle after the excitement!).

The next morning we got up (early!) and headed down to breakfast in the Hotel. I'm so glad we took some stickers/colouring books for the girls - it filled in their time beautifully and we could enjoy our breakfast!


Then - we excitedly headed off to Taronga Zoo! I have wanted to go there for years.
We walked to the Mono Rail and - just for the fun of it for the girls - we jumped on for the short journey to Darling Harbour. It was such fun for them!....

Then we arrived at Darling Harbour where we boarded a 'Captain Cook Ferry' bound for Taronga Zoo via a couple of stops...








I was in awe of all the beautiful sights on the boat...but then just as in awe of the sights from the Zoo!








I adore this photograph...even though it's through the glass, it shows an amazing relationship between a mother, her child and, we think, another sibling...






I love this photo of Sarah...


After the Zoo we made our way back to Darling Harbour where the girls had an absolute ball in all the water features!










Then we went back to the Hotel and had a delicious dinner at the Hotel before getting 2 exhausted little (and big!) girls off to sleep

Tuesday we headed down for a yummy breakfast again and booked out by 10am before making our way to the gorgeous "Chinese Gardens" in the heart of Darling Harbour - what a beautiful, tranquil, peaceful place it is













and I just love this one of Eb's hand enjoying another water feature. We filled in time around Darling Harbour again before we headed back to the airport for our flight home!



What a wonderful, fun couple of nights we had....all of us!

A little photo shoot.....

This was for fun - and it was for the Angie Baxter 'Love Your Camera' online course I'm doing.
It was fun - we both had fun and I'm so happy with these photo's!

...my favorite!

Post birthday pressies

Yep - they keep coming!
We kept one for you too - because we knew yesterday would be a big day! this is you getting your final gift from us.....I picked it a long time ago because I knew you would love a special place to keep all your little 'jewels'! xxx

... i love the anticipation of watching you anticipate!








...and then there was a sweet present from my girlfriend Mish - she had bought Ebony a 'build-a-bear' for her 5th birthday and she send her a gorgeous 'dressing gown and slippers' - Eb and 'starsong' as she calls her bear, have been inseperable!



and then there was your lolly bag!....you will keep it for ages I know!

6th birthday

Wow - is it really your birthday today! or more to the point - are you really 6! What has happened to time honey?

I don't honestly know, but I do know how proud of you I am. You have a sweet nature - although strong at times. You are absolutely full of fun and joy. You make me very proud of how you are starting to really care about others...most of the time!

Some facts....
You are 20kgs
You are 116cm
You have lost 2 teeth so far...with a couple of loose ones!
You have a fringe at the moment...which you didn't at last birthday!
You are wearing mostly size 5 but going into 6's
You have thinned down like I would NEVER have expected!
You still adore your mummy and love your daddy.
You are learning so much at school I can't believe it!
Today I found out you need glasses :(
Your left leg is still being monitored by the Royal Childrens Hospital yearly

You are so FULL OF LIFE I can't believe it and I love it more than I can say! You are so happy and you LOVE to dance and sing. Your Uncle Tez things you will definitely be in the dramatic arts....maybe you will be...but maybe you won't!
Whatever you will be, I will support you and love you.

You bring me more joy than I could ever put into words. You lift my days with your joy and your zest for life.

You ..... wanted a tinkerbell cake! You got the idea from your 'niece' Lilybeth at her 2nd birthday. I didn't get to see the cake...so I produced my own version and then found out how different it was...but it didn't matter because you were happy! xxx



You woke up and happily sat on your daddy's lap and opened your first present from us - a Spirograph (that simply isn't made the way it once was!)




The we Skyped with Nana and Pa, Uncle Tez and then Aunty Di and Jess....


Then we got you dressed and ready for you big day....and you opened still more pressies...


Then it was off to Wodonga to enjoy a fun day celebrating at the Twin City 10 pin bowl!...via the Wodonga Park!







and, of course, a family photo!


Then it was time for the real fun of 10 pin bowls - you were so excited it was gorgeous to watch...




Then time to celebrate with your gorgeous friends...








What a great fun day - we love you more than words my beautiful little girl xxx