Wedding Reflections

CHARLES and KIM.

15th of March 2008.

The day was Magic.

I had the pleasure of being with the bride for most of the day and in one word, she just SPARKLED all day from beginning to end.

There were tears of course, but all for those happy moments that most little girls dream of.

When Kim's Dad John appeared to pick her up, he cleared his thoat with emotion and there was a fresh wash of tears, it was a beautiful moment.

Charles of course was beaming and that was even before he saw his beautiful bride!

I love this photo, as it was when Teddy first saw me arrive and came running to greet me.

Sienna was a beautiful flower bud and was happy as long as someone gave her a container of bubble mix!

Kim, her dad, sister Bec and neices to be Sarah & Emily all arrived at Simon's water at Steeles point, in Norfolk island's first tour bus.

Brandt (the best man) sang Elvis's I can't help falling in love with you, accompianed by boy Kim as girl Kim walked down the aisle.

Sienna performed her flower sprinkling duties perfectly after practising to 'walk walk pinkle' for a few weeks. I like Mary and Bernie's smiling faces in the background and lovely Bec encouraging Sienna to walk with her.

Both Charles and Kim wrote their own sentimental and very meaningful vows, They were very beautiful and emotional.

Charles organized a surprise for Kim at the end of the ceremony, the ultralight plane would fly over and take photos, but with such a large crowd, it was hard to fit everyone in.

It was a fun and happy memory though, especially when a bag of confetti and streamers was tipped out of the plane.

Just to show that I was there and for my friends and family that have to go to Mary's blog to see what I look like..... here are my family photos of the day, my sister Jenni, brother Mike, Mum Sally and Me.

Of course baby Liam was his beautiful self.

Teddy enjoyed the bus trip best, and as I said, Sienna was very happy with the bubbles.

When everyone else had gotten cold, Kim is still sparkling!

Just like this amazing cake, a fruit cake layer on the bottom then a chocolate mudcake layer and then a caramel mudcake layer...... Amazing.

There was no better setting than the family home 'Devon house'

which was very festive in its decorations.

we celebrated and aerated the lawn with our high heels while we danced.

Until it was all too exhausting and we didnt want the day to end.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Its the Wedding week

Last minute preparations, Bucks and hens do's, making and painting, The family begins to arrive, extra last minute bits and pieces and it is all becoming very exciting.

Kim's Hens do with amazing cocktails at Raewyne's house, it was the only Hen's night that I know of that the groom organized his good mate to be the stripper for her. Poor Kim was quite embarrassed at first and Pommy Russ was a real trouper performing for us girls.

Sienna had been practising to walk, walk pinkle (sprinkle her flowers) all week.

Kim worked so hard to make sure that everyone was well looked after as she and Charles appreciated everyone making the journey to Norfolk Island to attend their Wedding.

Kim made up welcome packs for everyone who had arrived which included information on Norfolk Island, postcards and discounts that the local shops had offered for the week of the wedding, plus handmade guava chocolates and hand painted glasses(by Kim, in all her spare time).

She also made sure that all he guests had a welcome drink in their fridge in their apartments and an itinerary to follow.

After more drenching rains this month, we finally had a week of continual sunshine for the first time this year......and then....

Mum and my sister Jenni arrived last Saturday night and with them came another low and Summer returned the same way it did on the 1st of December when Mum arrived last year.

keep your fingers crossed for a sunny Saturday.

Kim and Charles also organized welcome drinks at Norfolk's two Chimney's Winery which was wonderful, it was a beautiful sunny afternoon and a great way to get to know some of the family before the wedding and to catch up with some familiar faces also.

It was a very special afternoon.

Teddy and Sienna felt so grown up at the winery at their own table enjoying sparkling apple juice from a wine glass.

Only one lot of guests got delayed with the weather and that was my brother Mike, sister in law Kate, niece and nephew Jess and Jake, we were all very glad to see them and cheered when we saw them coming out from the plane, especially Teddy ( and a relieved bride, now that all the family were here).

*see http://www.hobbitshappenings.blogspot.com/ for arrival photos.

Jess was making the bridal bouquets which is a huge task for a 16 year old (I actually remember making bridesmaids bouquets when I did a weeks work experience when I was 16 too, after 5 hours of wiring baby rosebuds, I can appreciate feeling slightly frustrated)

To Lighten the mood, all the Lyle family rally around with champagne and a silly mood, we started playing with the flowers too.

It really was a family event with all hands on deck to help

* see Mary's blog for more wedding preparations.

http://devonhouse.blogspot.com/

I really liked this Photo on the morning of the wedding, as we were out at Simon's water decorating, Charles (the groom) and John (father of the bride) both mowing the grass on ride on mowers.


A huge Thank you to Mal Tarrant for making this beautiful wedding arch for us, Kim and I were going to attempt to make it ourselves, but Luckily Mal offered to help and it was just perfect (who knows what a disaster we could have had with Kim and I making it!)

We layed a carpet aisle to define the area, so there were no accidental trips over the grass, but as soon as Jenni, Chrissy and I put the carpet down, a multitude of Army grubs appeared and swarmed the carpet and we could imagine the Bride squashing them with her diamante shoes, luckily they had moved away by the time the wedding was on, hopefully some hungry birds had a good feed.

Mitti (my cousin Peter's dog who lives with him at Simon's water) also enjoyed the nice warm carpet in the sunshine.

And finally before the wedding begins, here is our very own princess fresh from the bath with her hair in curly rags, she wanted to keep them in as that is how she wants her hair for the wedding, lets see if she can at least keep clean today.

The next generation

I had to include these photos.

The first ones are of myself and my first cousin Charles ( we are born 5 months apart)

And then Sienna and baby Liam (who are born 18 months apart)

Pretty amazing isn't it!

Milestones

2008 is a big year in our family, there are some amazing milestones that will be reached.

Starting 2 weeks ago, my first nephew Joshua or JP as his friends call him(and proud Aunty Ti Ti's Godson), reached the magical age of 18 and is now considered an adult as he heads off to his new university life, best of luck Josh!

Today is the next neice's Sweet 16th, Happy Birthday Alyssa! followed closely by my other sweet 16 neice Jessica's birthday in 3 days time.

Next month will be Kim and Charles wedding day which will start off their memories every year when they celebrate each anniversary. A week later will be their son Liam's 1st birthday.

Brandt's Grandmother, Fay Mac would have had her 90th birthday at this time too.

In June, Teddy will have his 5th birthday, perfect school age (how did we survive the past 5 years of parenting and sleep deprivation? I honestly can't remember, probably a good thing!)
The next day will be Brandt's OH NO the big 4-0!

Later in September my Mum, Sally will celebrate her (ahem mumble mumble) 70th (sorry Mum....) With you, age is certainly just a number as you are so young at heart and as you have always said, it doesn't matter if you are 50 years old, you never stop being that 5 or 16 year old as well.

A big year, but a good reminder of each milestone is that life is rolling along so fast, that we all should stop and enjoy each moment, and each birthday & anniversary etc because each milestone is a cause for celebration of where we have come from and how much we, our family and friends have acheived together.

Iam leaving you with 2 of my many favourite images of my 2 special angels...... lets hope that they learn to celebrate everything too.

Fay Mac

Rest now in Peace Fay Mac.

Brandt's paternal Grandmother Ena McRitchie(nee Morrison) died this morning, a month short of her 90th birthday.

Ena was named as a shorter version of her Grandmother Christina and then she named her daughter Christine, so when I married into the family 13 years ago, there was an Ena, Christine(now Brown) and Cristina McRitchie.

But Ena was never called Grandma by her Grandkids as when Brandt's sister Kim was little, she knew one Grandmother was Fay, so to tell the difference, Ena become Fay Mac and has been called so ever since by her 2 children, Christine and Brandt's Dad Alan, and their respective husband and wife, Jeff and Patty and by her 5 grandchildren, Kim, Brandt, Leigh, Cameron and Michelle and 4 great grandchildren, Abbey, Lara, Teddy and Sienna.

I am sorry that at the moment I can't tell you much about her life except, she played the piano wonderfully, walked to Banksia almost daily when she lived in her house at Rockdale, made us lovely butterfly cakes that I never managed to get the recipe from her, but they were soft and airy, and even at 85 years old would get down on the floor and play with the great-grandkids.

Brandt loved visiting her after work, even when her big Grandson was 25, she would make him tea and toast and let him have an afternoon nap in her sunny back room before he went to T.A.F.E 3 nights a week for 3 years.

I am grateful that we got these photos of both kids with her a few months before we moved to Norfolk Island. Both Teddy and Fay Mac were being cheeky that day.

Have fun with Bill Mac, Ena, we hope to hear some of your piano music floating down here sometime.