We're growing bananas!

A few weeks ago, we discovered the banana tree in our backyard was finally bearing fruit!! We are so excited; this is the first time we have ever grown food...and it's bananas!!! How cool is that? We've tried to take pictures regularly in anticipation of this blog entry, it's been very exciting watching the progress.... every morning it looks different. Now all the hands are out, we just have to wait about 2 months for them to ripen.... Enjoy the pics:

The flower first arrives

Then its starts to open

Here they come!

This is the tree as we see it from out patio without the zoom lens

I walked underneath it one day...and this is what it looked like...isn't beautiful?

Then the layers of hands started showing

and more layers....

and more layers....

now they are all out, just got to ripen!

close up of our yummy bananas!

Winter on the Gold Coast

Saturday morning at Greenmount Beach, first the park, then the sand, then the surf and ended with a leisurely stroll along the beach! Why would you live anywhere else?

Freyr loved this "new" play equipment almost as much as the swings.

Funny boy, drew circles around his legs every time he stopped on the beach.

Then we walked to the rocks... can you say "1,2, 33333333"

Mother & Son (Alvan and his mum)

We "heart" the beach!

What a beautiful day!

Grandkids = Love

Doesn't this just say it all? We love our grandkids so much.... can't wait for summer!!

Family gathers

Alvan's parents and his brother Rob have been visiting Australia for the last couple of weeks. They are staying on the Gold Coast, but they come and stay with us on the weekends. We had the opportunity to use our patio as it was intended last weekend when all the girls (and rick & rob) joined us for a family bbq, there was lots of love and food to go around. Here are some of the pics:

catch up .... again!!

Whitney had her Priests & Laurels Ball last month... July 10th to be exact!! She looked gorgeous as you can see in the pics above. Her date was a friend she's known since they were both 9 years old.. Ammon Gordon. Whitney and Ammon were both interviewed and filmed for a new DVD the church is making for a presentation on the strength of the youth around the world. They were interviewed seperately in their own homes... we even had our home staged ie: pictures and candles in background (so professional). Then they filmed Ammon coming to pick up Whitney (with chocolates!), and followed them all night at the dance too, they even interviewed some of their friends! We don't know when the DVD will be finished (or how much will actually make it in the final cut, if any)...but we are just really pleased that she was chosen for such an honour.