Category: daughter

Australia · autumn · blessings · daughter · family · grandson · Mount Warning · new beginnings · Tweed Valley

Misty Morning ~ and An Announcement!

Joanne7 Comments

First, the formalities. We had another gorgeous misty-morning view of the valley and mountain today …

Now to the announcement –

Introducing the newest addition to my family! ❤ My eldest daughter gave birth to a 10lb. 3oz. baby boy on Tuesday morning, a baby brother to two-year-old Aurora. Baby is well, and his parents and big sister are absolutely besotted.

His name hasn’t been decided on yet, so he is currently known as “baby boy”. Only one name remains on the original list of possibles, but another name was added yesterday for consideration. Needless to say, I am totally in love with this gorgeous little man. ❤

Australia · autumn · daughter · family · grandchildren · rain

A Family Celebration

Joanne10 Comments

With my next grandson due to be born in May, today family and friends went to my daughter’s home where her baby shower was held.

‘Twas yet another day of mist and rain, although it only sprinkled for most of the afternoon.

Soon-to-be a big sister, Aurora, had a great time playing with her cousins and friends, (and sampling yummy treats!)

As for me, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my youngest – for now – grandson. ❤

So no mountain photo today, basically because I didn’t sight the mountain. The mist and low cloud has been thicker than usual lately and it’s becoming a rare event to see the mountain at all.

Further south along the coast of New South Wales, torrential rain has forced several communities to evacuate. My sister sent me a photo this morning of a field across the road from her home, which usually has cows happily munching on green grass roaming around. Today, the field is so flooded that it looks like she is living on waterfront property. She said she’s seen the water this high before, so isn’t concerned. A sight she hadn’t seen before, however, was a house floating through the “cow field” which had been uprooted from its foundations! A very sad situation it was for the poor owner of the house.

Australia · blessings · challenges · Christmas · daughter · family · grandchildren · Mount Warning · Tweed Valley

Christmas Eve

Joanne17 Comments

‘Twas the night before Christmas,

When all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring …

Well, maybe one creature was stirring. Bowie is wondering what all the fuss is about, I’m sure.

And he’s heard that a big jolly guy in a red suit might come down the chimney at any moment, so he’s keeping watch.

After days of preparation, I think we are finally prepared for Christmas Day. This year, Emma had some helpers when she made the gingerbread house.

And baby Eli looks pretty impressed by how talented his mummy is!

After a year that has thrown many challenges our way, as you prepare to celebrate Christmas, I wish you …

… and …

… and everything wonderful you could wish for. ❤

 

Australia · Christmas · clouds · daughter · family · floods · granddaughter · grandson · Mount Warning · subtropical weather · summer · Tweed Valley

Preparing for Christmas

Joanne6 Comments

I must have glanced out the window a thousand times today, and still there is no sign of Mount Warning. Our Sleeping Giant appears to be lost amid a steamy haze of mist and glare, now the water in the valley has finally started to evaporate. Consequently, we’ve had humid weather today.

Yesterday, however, the rain didn’t stop all day. Only a very small amount of rain was predicted, so the deluge took everyone by surprise, including my eldest daughter. She was working, so I had a cooking day planned with my granddaughter and my younger daughter Emma visited as well, with her baby. We had a wonderful time baking biscotti, rum and raisin shortbread, the pieces for a gingerbread house which Emma will decorate next week, and some gingerbread men, in preparation for Christmas Day.

By 2pm, when the rain hadn’t eased, I messaged my daughter to see how she was going. I was getting a tad concerned that she wouldn’t be able to get back home, as the road to her place is prone to flooding. She replied, saying she was finishing work early and heading back to my place. As it turned out, she couldn’t get home, so she and Aurora spent the night with me. Her husband, who had also gone to work in the morning, drove along the road to their home as far as he could, abandoned the car about five kilometres from home, then waded through waist-deep flood water to a point where someone could give him a ride home. They have a fifteen-year-old dog who had been left outside for the day, who he couldn’t bear to leave alone overnight!

Sitting up last night until 11pm, and drinking tea while chatting with my daughter was a treat that I haven’t had in many years. And waking this morning to a little girl’s voice saying “Nana” is a moment I will always treasure.

I can’t quite get my head around the fact that it’s just one week today to Christmas. This week, with the flooding, family visits, and trying to prepare ahead for Christmas Day, it has been quite overwhelming. I’m getting dreadfully behind with so many things, including reading blog posts, so hopefully this weekend I will have an opportunity to catch up a bit.

I have been wondering, has everyone made plans for Christmas? Or is 2020 the Christmas which will be remembered as the year when few people celebrated?