Canton Beach, NSW

Canton beach is a little gem on the shores of Lake Tuggerah. 

There is plenty of parking for big rigs, though not particularly flat.

There is a fenced playground with some very unusual play equipment.  There was a large swinging hammock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was numerous musical instruments.

 

 

 

 

 

Not only were they instruments', they were also climbable!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a stone carved chair

The carved fish and intricately decorated mound added to the interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside the fence was another play area with swings including one for the larger disabled child, and a climbing frame and some tyres that when jumped on sounded like a harmonica!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across the carpark is a boat ramp with good access for the shallow bottomed boat!

There are also clean toilets, tables and free BBQ facilities with undercover seating.

Another birthday!

Today we celebrated the birthday of Suzanna, our 6th daughter!

She requested we go to the Speers Pt Variety Playground which is the best playground in Newcastle.

So after dark last night we pulled in to the carpark so that when Suzie woke this morning she found we were already at the playground!

The family ritual of opening presents happened on the bed as usual.

After she played with her toys and coloured in a couple of pictures in her new colouring book they went off outside to play.  They started out at the small playground near the Variety Playground, later migrating to the big playground where they alternated between going up and down the 9 metre (about 28 ft) slide and playing tag.

This tyre swing became a boat and their shoes which had be discarded became fish that had to be caught without getting off the swing!

 

 

 

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After running all day, they were more than ready for cake.

 

   Jessica lit the candles

 

 

 

 

Then assisted Suzie with the lighting of the last one which became a tradition earlier this year.

 

 

One more birthday left for this year, then Christmas, then we get to celebrate all these wonderful children again.

Sandgate Cemetery

It’s been a little over a year and a half since we lost our much wanted baby girl.  Today we went to visit the grave.  This is the first time we’ve been back since we left Newcastle at the end of March 2011.  We tried to get there in March this year but were waylaid and detoured by floods.

After laying her to rest on the 17 March 2011 we had a cross on her grave some artificial flowers to adorn it.  Jireh who was 17 months at the time called it “Serenity’s Garden”.

Serenity’s Garden – March 17, 2011

This week each of the children and Mike and I picked a tile and a picture to stick on it, each reflecting our individual taste, to make a more permanent marker for her grave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We sprayed the tiles with Water Shed to protect them from the weather.

After flattening off the grave site, removing the weeds and artificial flowers we laid the tiles in place.  The girls also brought some more flowers and an angel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the sun went down, we all left the cemetery with different, yet similar emotions.  Our little angel only leant for such a short time.  Deeply missed and forever loved.

This is Chana’s picture taken as we were leaving the cemetery.

And the boy turns 3!

Today we celebrated Jireh turning three!  Jireh was born in Redcliffe, QLD and in three years has visited 4 different states!  He is full of life and giggles.  Mischief is his middle name, but usually he’s so cute that he’s easy to forgive.  His sisters think he is the best boy on the planet! 

 

After the traditional opening of presents on the family bed we had a quick breakfast and headed out to the playground.

 

Later in the day we went shopping for his birthday “party”.  He was delighted when we returned with “groceries” (his name for grapes!). 

 

We stopped at another playground where the younger girls and Jireh went and ran off the remainder of their energy while Sarah, Jasmine and Jessica prepared dinner.

When the food was ready we called them all in and the birthday boy saw his cake proudly decorated by Jasmine.

After lighting the candles, Jireh blew them out and enjoyed eating the icing off the bottom of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“And now I am three!!!”