Its a boy! Lana's farewell/shower

Alice hosted a dinner for DJ Eastland floor staff as Lana the Store Manager will soon be having a baby boy.

Balloon props and flowers done by me!

We had 10 main courses = Alice cooked 8 of them and SAnn cooked 2 dishes.

I contributed a mango pudding for dessert and we had cheesecake, red velvet cupcakes as well as longans and jelly.

The DJ ladies were overwhelmed with the deco and the varieties of food as Alice cooked up a storm.  There was so much to eat and when the party was over, everyone had a doggie bag to take home.

It was a fun day, MN was valet parking/barman, MY was in charge of the doggies, SA our entertainer and me for props around the house.

Stay tuned, we might end up being the baby sitters too!!!

Evas 2nd Christmas 2019

Christmas 2019 has come and gone in a flash! 

The long luncheon this year was held at J & S place and the Misa's put on a generous variety of yummy foods.

Xmas Eve dinner was at home and there is only 5 plus _+? of us .. if you do not already know, Becky is preggers with No:2.  We are still waiting for end of January after her test to confirm gender/dates etc.  Exciting right?

Cannot imagine I am going to have 2 grandchildren but Eva is always going to be my forever number one!!!

It was a small scale dinner just for us.  We had turkey, glazed ham, dutch carrots with asparagus, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, mushroom sauce and Eva enjoyed her dinner.

Before I rattle on any further, I have to mention that Eva decorated the Xmas tree this year and her theme was "beads" so it was beads galore (red and green) and Eva wanted to dangle them, so she told me to "cut" as they are too long for her to handle.  I must say Eva certainly has a deco flare... the tree looks so good even though we were not allowed to have lights on.  (Ray said we cannot have lights!)

Eva's prized reindeer!

Eva would dangle one day and the next, she will remove them and re-dangle them.  It seems strange at first, but after a few days of doing this and she repeatedly kept doing it, we finally came to the conclusion that Eva was just trying to achieve perfection!!!

Part of The clan

Xmas morning bed head pix

Misa Xmas Spread

Sprung! Eva said "one" only!!!

Loving her beach set

Eva is still the No: 1 at this year's Christmas gathering.  She is still highly sought after for a cuddle and this year, she is no longer a blob.  She is a little miss bossy boots and will tell you exactly what she wants or she throws a tantrum to get what she wants!

Everyone had way too much to eat, and out came the containers and everyone had doggie bags to take home for the next day or the rest of the week!!!  On the other hand, Eva was distracted and hardly ate.  When she finally got hungry, she went to the table and helped herself.  She was after grapes and was caught having a few... but when asked, she said "one" and even used her little finger to show it.  

Lots to eat, lots of pressies for everyone, and lots of fun and laughter shared.  It was a funtastic Christmas and can only get better each year and the next Christmas, we will be having another newbie join in the fun!

New Years Eve/New Year 2020

2020 ..... another new year is upon us! 

Watched the last sunset with my bro and my silaw from 60th floor of Australia 108.

Had dinner at G & M's 60th floor apartment and went to the casino for a small splurge before coming back to the apartment to watch the fireworks.

Australia 108, City Road - Melbourne

Last sunset of 2019 from 60th floor

The 2020 gang

Our dinner spread

Cheers Everyone!

By the time all of us made our way home and into our beds, it must have easily been close to 4am.  

Next day, we were to meet back at Alice's for late lunch/early dinner - whatever, it was eating again!!

Late lunch at Aliceinwonderland

The new year chill gang on the balcony

        Looking down from 60th floor

We woke up before 12noon, so we headed down to Springvale for brunch. Springvale never closes and is always open 24/7 so we know we can get something to eat there and pick up some huge mangoes in season as the rest of Melbourne was either still sleeping in or shut and or not open for business yet!

lst meal of 2020

So by the time we arrived at Alice's, it was an early dinner for us.  We did not do much except eat again, the boys played darts and the ladies hung around and sang karaoke.  We just chilled.  We were just "eaten out" and I was curled up in one corner in a food coma.

Bring on 2020 and let's see what else is in store for us... stay tuned!

First Beach Day with Eva 2020

Went to commemorate momsie at Rye, so afterwards we made a day out of it down the Peninsula.  Eva had the best time and she threw a tanti when it was time to leave for home.

These pictures paints more than a 1000 words, so there is no need for me to say any more!!!

Where are Eva's feet? Where have your feet gone?

Popoh's paparazzi moment

Eva ordered crepes

Finally, you can keep your shades on!

Definitely a beach bubs and we can see us going down the Peninsula more often if the weather is nice.  Just hope and pray for the bushfires and haze to die down soon, or summer will be over!!!

NZ bro in town

Bro n wife arrived 29th Dec 2019... so he was here last year and this year! Two weeks passed in a flash as we were either dashing here and there doing something or eating here and there.

Had to order from Straits @ $22.00 per box

Bro loves fresh rambutans and mangoes which luckily were in peak season, so we had heaps of fruits, including fresh "chicken tongue" lychees, cherries and not to mention the Musang King!

Apart from eating, we did some touristy things locally and it is after all a holiday for them.  The last time they were here, it was to attend Becky's wedding.  Now there is a "by product" - Eva running around and "Uncle Boon" is the flavour of the month!  Eva seems to have taken to the both of them very well and I guess Eva can sense that "Uncle Boon" is family.

Eva enjoyed playing with "Uncle Boon" and the "Baa Baa" Aunty Cynthia bought for Eva seems to be a favourite amongst her other fluffy animal toys.

Giants Chair - Mt Dandenong

Always good to pose with the bro... we do not have many photos taken of us when we were children, and what little we had, with the move and all plus migration, the photos seems to have got thrown out/lost or just vanished into thin air.

We went down to Rye one of those days to commemorate momzie and we made a day out of it.  Eva had the best time on the beach!

Us at Rye Pier/Esplanade

Durians... king of fruits = smells like hell but tastes like heaven!  There were a few hot days when bro was here, 43c and the smell lingers especially we have the air conditioning working over time inside the house, so we decided when the cool change set in to feast the durians outside in the backyard.  If you have been to Asia, most hotels would have a durian picture with a "X" on it, so you are not allowed to bring durians into the hotel rooms!!!

Durian party in the backyard

Yum Cha outing with Eva to Secret Garden

We ended 2019 at "Australia 108" down in the city in our friends apartment on the 60th floor.  Saw the last sunset of 2019 with my bro and ushered in the New Year 2020 with my bro, so it was kind of an epic sibling moment for me as it has been a while since I have seen my bro.  At one stage we were "estranged siblings" and now our relationship has improved and we are both grandparents as well!!

Last sunset of 2019 from 60th floor

The 2020 gang

New Years Day Lunch at Springvale

Bro managed to catch up with NZ friend, Tim

Still in the Christmas spirit up the Dandenongs

On the first Sunday of 2020, we all went to Planetshakers in the city.  Yes, I was in church! Bro dragged Tim and I there and I guess it was not a bad way to start off 2020 as Planetshakers is a very happening church and it feels like we were at the disco!  My bro and wife were also Pastors before and bro started and headed the Equippers Church in Wellington for many years.

It was great to see the both of them again and we managed to pack each day to the max doing stuff and eating.  I am sure they both gained some extra weight.  I know I did -- and I am still gaining even after they have gone.  They left me with a few varieties of Whittakers chocolates and I am devouring them slowly but surely!

Working on my blog and at the same time enjoying my Fijian Ginger and Kerikeri Mandarin dark chocolate!!!

TILL WE MEET AGAIN BRO ... was sad to see him go and Eva feels the same way too!