Summertime Fun

We have enjoyed catching up with friends over the last few weeks. On Jan 18 we went to the wedding of Andres & Effie. They made a very splendid bride & groom indeed. Just stunning! There have been and continue to be a few babies expected amongst this crowd with Matt & Charlene due that week (their 1st is a bit older than Elise) and Mick & Alex due the 1st week in Feb with their 1st baby (same time as Mick & Ang).

1. The happy couple 2. Expectant parents

3 & 4 Our little family off to the wedding...

Over the long weekend we headed to the Blue Mountains to share a house with friends; David, Aruna (expecting their 2nd early May) with Talia, Suzy and Breda, David & baby Sarah. This turned out to be a wise move as Sydney hit 42 degrees on the Sat and it was only 30 in Katoomba.

We enjoyed going on the zig zag railway at Lithgow. Elise loves "party trains" as she calls it. We also had walks to echo point, chocolate tastings, strolls around Leura shops and generally enjoying the big old cottage we stayed in. Elise and Talia (17 months) had a great time together. Gisele had a chance to play with Sarah who is just 6 days older than her.

5. The gang waiting for the train. 6 New BFs Elise & Talia

7. Breda & Sarah saying hello.

8 & 9. The girls watching out the train window...

Here is some video of Elise and Talia playing hide & seek at the cottage.

Gisele is starting to move and roll around a bit more. Slowly, slowly our baby girl is not in any hurry (and neither is her mum for her to grow up too fast)
Next Blog will be from our trip to Ballina after spending a week with Meg & Nate when Nige goes back to work. We are all very excited. Elise (she calls herself "Eise") is pretend chatting to Nate on the phone already telling him "Eise cuggle Nate" and "Eise hold Nate".

Congrats to Meg & Nige

1. Little Nate 2. Proud Daddy

3. Eyes open- Hello I'm Nate

4. The Smith Family 5. Kate & Gisele meeting Nate

Gisele and I are just back from visiting with our new little nephew/cousin and I miss him already. Feeling like a very proud aunty and very proud big sister!!!! Well done Megs & Nige!

Nate Sebastian was born 16 Jan 2009 at 8.20am.
Huge relief for all, after potential complications due to placenta previa. The c section went smoothly and Megs & Nate are doing well. Very well in fact. It is a beautiful thing to see them together. Meg & Nige are at home with Nate - so natural. Our mum & dad are sure to be smiling on the whole scene.

So hard to live so far away- wish I could pop over to give Nate a cuddle and make Meggy & Nigey some meals. We are heading up to see them all again around Feb 7 for a week and I will continue to conspire more opportunites too see them over the coming months. Hate missing out!!

Our gorgeous Gisele is now 6 months old and is quite the seasoned traveller. She was an angel on our trip. Napped on the plane and smiled with delight at her baby cousin at the hospital. She has started on the Farex and is keen for more.

In early Jan the Sparrows came to Sydney and we are had a lovely day with them plus Adi & June at Clifton Gardens. Adi had the JCA bus so we all piled in together with plenty of baby seats to go round. Elise loves to play with Mae-Dec-Who (Maeve, Declan and Hugh) I will post some photos from the day here and a few lovely photos Dani passed on from Dubbo as well.

mmmmmm ice cream

Who loves the water???

Maeve, Dani & Gisele. Aunty Byna & Gisele.

Our Christmas Travels

Megsy was unable to travel to Dubbo for christmas so we all decided to head north to Wollongbar/Ballina. We booked our flights but then poor Giselly Belly got an ear infection and couldn't fly. Nothing was going to stop us from having our Bannon christmas together so we packed up Nova and the girls in the car and off we went....

1. Our christmas star-Gisele 2.Mum & Elise

3. Sean & Gisele 4. At the park on christmas day.
Mick, Ang & Toby travelled up from Dubbo as well. We all had a great time going to the beach a few times and just having the rare time to just "hang out". Nigel cooked up a storm which was greatly enjoyed.

5. Megsy, Mick & Kate 6. The expectant parents.

7. The pregnant ladies.

I won't display the photo of Mick sticking his belly out next to the girls because he would kill me... but it is very funny!!

Elise & Toby had a great time together, particularly playing Toby's drumset he got off Megs & Nige (payback will be coming your way M & N)

8 & 9. Elise and Toby

The Adlingtons were closeby in Alstonville for christmas this year so it was lovely to see them over christmas and a chance for Elise & Gisele's to play with their 1st cousins all in the one place.

10.The babies with bigger kids 11. Reuben, Toby, Elise & Otis.

12. Gisele & Hugo shared a ride in the double pram.

We will have a cousin boom this year with 3 on their way now. Congratulations Paul & Jodie Edmiston - due in July.

After christmas we headed inland for our journey to Dubbo. We stayed in a huge farmhouse in Armidale on the way which was a lot of fun. We almost lost Nova as she gave chase to the rabbits on many occasions.

When we were in Dubbo we had a lovely day with the Thompsons/ Sparrows. We toasted our mum and it felt good to be with mum's side of the family...and know that she was amongst us!!!

14. Some of the clan...

Elise had a ball playing with the Sparrow kids. Maeve took Elise under her wing and took her off to dress her in one of her ballet outfits. Maeve introduced Elise to the art of ballet as you can see on the following

video clip...it was just adorable!!!

We enjoyed catching up with Michelle & Tim, our treasured friends and spent New Years Eve with them (well as long as Kate could last of it anyway). Forgot to take photos that night. What a shame! You should see the briliiant job they have done of doing up Michelle's newly purchased work premises - AMAZING!!
We arrived back in Sydney today and are relieved to be at home. We are glad we went on our epic christmas journey and got to see Kate's family and friends (she misses them all very much and finds it hard to be so far away from them all!!)
We now await with much excitement Baby Smith (now arriving Jan 20) and Baby Bannon due Feb 7.