Our Aussie friends-The Hirst Family!

Wow! How do you put into words the gratitude we have for our dear Aussie friends, the Hirst family! We first met Antony and Michelle while travelling in Italy more than 14 years ago! Shortly after meeting them, we also visited them in Melbourne in January 1996. Although it had been a very long time since we have seen them, we spoke to them just about every Christmas since then, and exchanged letters and photos of our families. How fortunate we are to have them as our friends! Our visit with them on this trip at their home in Mount Martha was absolutely fabulous! They graciously invited us into their home and shared their beautiful part of Australia with us. We spent just over two weeks with them and everyday was so special! Many of our highlights were the four birthday parties for Henry, Lauren, Cameron and Jack, the early morning ocean swims, beach days, jumping off the cliffs, visits to wineries and botanical gardens, beautiful meals together, and catching up with dear friends. It is very difficult to put into words how we feel about how grateful we are to the Hirst family and how you have made our trip to Australia so special! We feel privileged to have you as friends! Thank you so much and we can hardly wait to welcome you to Canada!

Lauren's Painting

Lauren spent her last few days in Mount Martha painting away and what a great job she did. Lauren knew that Michelle was involved in a fundraising auction for the Australian Breast Cancer foundation and she offered to paint a painting for the auction. We just found out that on the big night Lauren's painting sold for an impressive $150 which has been donated to the charity. Apparently there was a bidding war between two women and it was finally purchased by the Cancer Council Representative for the Mornington Pensinsula area! We've heard she loves her new painting and has plans to hang it in her hallway! A fabulous job Lauren! Thanks for sharing!

Cameron & Jack Celebrate 11th B-days with Beach Party!

The long anticipated wait was worth it! For several months we had been talking about how nice it would be for Cameron and Jack to celebrate their birthdays together. Cameron turned 11 on Feb. 4 and Jack turned 11 on Feb. 7. They celebrated this special occasion with a beach party at Boat Shed 110 on Mount Martha Beach on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. What a great time it was! Michelle put everything into place and everyone pitched in to ensure that everyone had a great time. Invitations were sent to Jack's mates, the Boat Shed was decorated, food was prepared, games were planned and the party began. The kids played a variety of beach games, Antony grilled up burgers on the BBQ and then it was time to enjoy the ice cream birthday cake! What a special way to mark a special occasion. Thanks Antony and Michelle for putting together such a special day for the boys!

Lauren and Cameron's Summer Birthdays!

Lauren and Cameron had birthdays that they will never forget! Lauren turned 13 on Feb. 3 and she had a great day. We went into Melbourne for the day and the first stop was a cafe where Lauren enjoyed a pastry and a chai latte. Ants, Henry, Cameron and Gord went to the Australian Sports museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) while Michelle, Kathleen and Lauren went to the Victoria Art Gallery. We were all impressed with the visits. Afterwards we went out for Lauren's Birthday lunch at a Japanese restaurant. We then walked around the side streets of Melbourne before returning to Mount Martha. Lauren and Gord then snuck down to the beach and enjoyed a swim on her birthday. We had a nice birthday dinner (chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, potatoes, salad and an apple crumble cake). A great way to celebrate her 13th birthday! Cameron turned 11 the next day and he too had a great day! We had pancakes for breakfast and then we were off to the skatepark to try out his new skateboard! Cameron had been anxious for a skateboard this whole trip so he was one excited boy when he finally got it. The four of us went down to the beach in the afternoon an enjoyed a swim. After getting all trimmed up with a new haircut, we went out for dinner at a Japanese restaurant in Mount Martha with the Hirst family. We then went home and had a chocolate mudcake. Another great birthday and a great way to celebrate turning 11!