19. Happy Birthday Dad & farewell.

Happy 81st Dad/Poppa/Roy

 An early Christmas gingerbread birthday cake

Already in his Jammies ready to fly home the next day

Farewell to Jacob Lyle and Jasper Lyle

 Stylish Sienna in ball gown and rollerskate boots farewells cousin Jake.

 Sisters.

 Waving farewell to the plane

 and then the weather turns and the hot fog rolls in.

18th day

The Paternal Grandparents arrive to spend Christmas with us.

Straight for a dip in the pool for Nonni & Jasper

 Poppi takes the kids for an ice cream treat

 All of my kids grandparents in one place for one day

 My kids are very lucky ♥

 Off to Kingston to fly kites on Granny and Poppas last afternoon

No.17. Christmas pageant

~17~

 

 

The Christmas Pageant on Norfolk Island where the main street is closed for the nights festivities.

It was great to have my own family plus my parents heading out to join in.

 

My mum and dad enjoying the sunset from the main street

A beautiful full moon silhouetted by magestic Norfolk Island pines

A Santa bubbacino at the Olive café to finish off the night

 

No.16. A rainy Christmas wish

~16~

After being so dry for so long, any rain is a welcome gift.

Although we are all grateful for the wet stuff that is finally falling out of the sky, it has come at the expense of our annual Christmas street pageant which has now been postponed.

The downpour happened after lunch between 2pm and 5:30pm, but was dry the actual hours the pageant would have been on, still a decision had to be made for all the outdoor food vendors setting up their outdoor cafe's and stalls etc.

I spent this morning taking some photos of beautiful baby girls during a photography shoot at Kingston, then joined my family for a lovely lunch at Governor's lodge restaurant.

This afternoon to appease the kids from missing out on seeing Santa on the firetrucks, we took the kites down to Emily bay to see if we could fly them.

There was enough ocean breeze to float the kites for up to 30 seconds, enough to get hopes up before disapointedly watching them crash down again.

But the fun was in our constant attempts to keep the kites in flight.

No.15. First twilight markets

 

~15~

Lots happening today,

My paintings and flower clips for sale

It is the last day of school for the summer, my niece Olivia's 4th Birthday (we moved here to the island 2 days after she was born) and Sienna's best friend Wilkes' 5th Birthday.

Today is also the day of the innaugural summer twilight markets.

I have had this concept for the past 4 years and hope that it is another one of my ideas that I can cross off my 'Norfolk Island List'.

As the shops here traditionally close on a Wednesday afternoon, I have always wanted to offer an alternative to the visitors that have just arrived on a Wednesday or those who leave on the next day's flight and would like to do some last minute shopping.

I gathered enough people to begin the Summer twilight markets in the grounds of the lovely Sports and Workers club in the heart of town.

There were a range of wares on offer from handicrafts to locally made Norfolk Island ocean salt.

I had a display of family photos that I have been taking for holiday makers and locals on the Island since 2007 and got 3 bookings on the night. See my 'other' blog for details

We look forward to a summer long of our locally grown twilight markets.

Lizzie and Amber modelling my flower clips at my stall.

No.14 awards

~14~

Today, most of the fog has swirled away, though we can relax on that front for the rest of the week anyway as we are not expecting anyone on the planes until Saturday when Brandt's parents arrive one day before him.

So we had some time for Sienna to play in the pool while Teddy was at school.

And decorate a Christmas tree that we got at a garage sale but was molting too much for inside, so we popped it on the roadside and dressed it up with decorations and solar lights for all to enjoy.

MY Cousin John put on a fish fry tonight for the family in the Fletcher Christian Apartments BBQ pavilion, it was delicious.

as were the salads and freshly picked melons to accompany the fish.

Tonight we attended the school awards ceremony.

Teddy was to receive and award for improved efforts in class activities, he told me it was because he had been trying hard to be better at everything.

I am a very proud Mum anyway, but am super dooper proud of my little man with AS (Asperger syndrome) and of his teacher Judy and the school for encouraging him even though he thinks 'a little differently than others'.

Of course having Granny there to witness him receiving his award was especially special for us all!