Happy New Year everyone! It is 1.01am here....we have already started our journey in the year 2009! I am excited and nervous all in one! What does God have in store for me this year? How will my health hold up? Will I see another new year? What exciting things will happen? Where will God lead me? So many questions. I am SO grateful to Jesus for allowing me to still be here and enjoy my family and friends.....my darling Isaac and my beautiful, yet, handsome husband. It has been an exciting night.
Well, I still have plenty of posting to do. I will get to that later!
Happy New Year!
Love Charisse
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Lobethal Lights!
We went to see the Lobethal lights on the 23rd of December up in the Adelaide Hills. Darren, Alan's brother, and his fiancee, Angela, came with us. Both of them had never been to Lobethal at Christmas time. Angela had never been to Lobethal at all. Lobethal is a town in which almost every house lights up with Christmas lights during the Christmas season. It is beautiful. So here are some photos of one of the houses we went to. You walk through their yard and everything. These photos are done on my phone because I accidently left the camera in the car. All the lights you see are spread across their huge front yard!
This is actually a hot air balloon with reindeer in it .....hehe.....not a real hot air balloon....a fake one. It is real big in real life :-)
This is still the same person's house.
Haha! Santa in a helicopter. You can now see the front of the house behind this helicopter! In the distance are more lights......
Their front yard....it is bigger than it looks in the photo
More of their front yard. Heaps pretty in real life :-)
More of their front yard...and the house behind. In all their windows they had Christmas stuff. Whole rooms decked out with fake snow and Christmas trains and all sorts! Amazing!
See how big the front yard is?
We actually got there at about 7.30pm I think and they have a parade down one of their streets. It was light at that moment. It only gets dark here at 8.30pm right now. Here are some pictures of the parade. They make their own floats, I would say.......a very sweet and festive parade. Below is Uncle Darren and Isaac watching the parade.
Alan and I go almost every Christmas to Lobethal. Isaac REALLY likes Christmas lights! This float is to do with the baby Jesus I think.
Wise men and their camels :-)
Shepards and camels? Hehe
A band...obviously!
I don't know what these are....but they are cute and funny and very festive!
Lots of balloons obviously.......very interesting......
Hehe...one of their own floats.....advertising may be? It is cute anyway.....
Haha! SA Ambulance!
As you can see the whole town is pretty much in the parade! This is another float to do with baby Jesus!
These are old baths made into trackters! Haha! Very creative!
A clown with a funny bike and beard!
Even a huge semi-trailer!
The back of the truck!
Angela, Darren, Isaac and I (nice shot I think!)
Hehe....indians!
On this trailer were little kids dressed as Angels :-)
Very festive.....giving out lollies!
Big motor Bikes!
Of course, the "Merry Christmas" sign!
The other part of the sign :-)
Their own Santa! I think his outfit is a cheap outfit, don't you? Hehe
Every night, Lobethal church puts on a live Nativity scene with real animals and people and a real, baby Jesus. Isaac enjoys watching this and so do Alan and I.....this is not my new camera taking this shot.....hehe. It was hard to get a good shot. There were SO many people watching and I couldn't hold the camera still as I held it up in the air! It was a sweet play. Nice Christmas Carols :-)
So the nativity play started at 8.50pm and then we went and drove around looking at lights. It was a fun night!
This is actually a hot air balloon with reindeer in it .....hehe.....not a real hot air balloon....a fake one. It is real big in real life :-)
This is still the same person's house.
Haha! Santa in a helicopter. You can now see the front of the house behind this helicopter! In the distance are more lights......
Their front yard....it is bigger than it looks in the photo
More of their front yard. Heaps pretty in real life :-)
More of their front yard...and the house behind. In all their windows they had Christmas stuff. Whole rooms decked out with fake snow and Christmas trains and all sorts! Amazing!
See how big the front yard is?
We actually got there at about 7.30pm I think and they have a parade down one of their streets. It was light at that moment. It only gets dark here at 8.30pm right now. Here are some pictures of the parade. They make their own floats, I would say.......a very sweet and festive parade. Below is Uncle Darren and Isaac watching the parade.
Alan and I go almost every Christmas to Lobethal. Isaac REALLY likes Christmas lights! This float is to do with the baby Jesus I think.
Wise men and their camels :-)
Shepards and camels? Hehe
A band...obviously!
I don't know what these are....but they are cute and funny and very festive!
Lots of balloons obviously.......very interesting......
Hehe...one of their own floats.....advertising may be? It is cute anyway.....
Haha! SA Ambulance!
As you can see the whole town is pretty much in the parade! This is another float to do with baby Jesus!
These are old baths made into trackters! Haha! Very creative!
A clown with a funny bike and beard!
Even a huge semi-trailer!
The back of the truck!
Angela, Darren, Isaac and I (nice shot I think!)
Hehe....indians!
On this trailer were little kids dressed as Angels :-)
Very festive.....giving out lollies!
Big motor Bikes!
Of course, the "Merry Christmas" sign!
The other part of the sign :-)
Their own Santa! I think his outfit is a cheap outfit, don't you? Hehe
Every night, Lobethal church puts on a live Nativity scene with real animals and people and a real, baby Jesus. Isaac enjoys watching this and so do Alan and I.....this is not my new camera taking this shot.....hehe. It was hard to get a good shot. There were SO many people watching and I couldn't hold the camera still as I held it up in the air! It was a sweet play. Nice Christmas Carols :-)
So the nativity play started at 8.50pm and then we went and drove around looking at lights. It was a fun night!
Well I hope you are not sick of all my photos because I have plenty more coming. If you miss out on an update and want to catch up, just scroll down. I am updating frequently with all the photos and things we have been doing. Tomorrow we go to the river with Darren and Angela and so I will video more and take more photos! I will update soon with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Haha! I just want to share all the exciting stuff with you all. I also want to update photos from our 10th wedding anniversary and the surprise party I threw for Alan! Haha....so I will try not to overwhelm you all but updating about it all is fun! If you missed the last update about our visit to Santa....scroll down for a peak....fun photos!
Medically, I had my annual ENT visit and scope which was totally fine! Coming up on the 9th of January I have IVIG and then the 16th I am having the abdo infusa port inserted.
Thanks for checking in!
Love Charisse
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas Part 2 - visiting Santa
Remember how I mentioned there would be several entries from Christmas? Well this is part 2. I wrote a small entry last time with 3 pictures or something but I didn't have time to post our adventures properly. So this section is about how we went to visit Santa a week before Christmas. I love Christmas so I wanted to share with you the photos from each event. I hope you don't get bored! Ha! Also, it creates memories for our familiy :-) Sorry if there are any photos that are repeated from the last post......there should not be many repeated. These are all new.
So on Thursday we have a nanny to help me out. Danielle has been our nanny for 4 years. She has been such a great nanny as I mentioned in my last post. I want to honour her again. She completed her teaching degree this year and next year is going to be a teacher. She can no longer be our nanny next year, but she can be our friend. We are blessed that she has become such a good friend and look forward to many years of friendship with both Danielle and her boyfriend, Chris :-) Thank you, Danielle, again, for everything.
Thursday before Christmas we had an outing to the Magic Cave in the city. It was PACKED!!! So packed that at times I felt like I couldn't breathe! I was also very hot and sticky. We all felt like we needed air, but it was still fun. Here are some pictures from the Magic Cave where Santa lives....when he comes to Adelaide :-) This is his sleigh........apparently........
I can never work out why they only have one reindeer pulling the sleigh? Hey, is this real???
Danielle and Isaac (repeat photo). They love each other so much! Isaac really misses Danielle when she is not here. He says he misses her when she is not around. It will be a big adjustment for him next year, but since we will still see her as a friend, hopefully he won't be too upset :-)
At the Magic Cave they have these fun and silly mirrors that make your body look strange! Different mirrors that have different effects!
Now Danielle is tall in real life, but not this tall!!!!! I was having issues with my flash!
This is such a cute photo.....haha...Isaac looks cute and funny! He thought so too...that he looked funny that is :-)
I LOVE this photo! The variety of colours. The effect of the mirror. Danielle so tall and then my head at the top and then me small at the bottom of the mirror taking the picture....Ha!
Isaac and I on the Merry Go Round! It is blurred because we are going round and round.....wow! Hehe
There is a talking tree at the Magic Cave and his name is Dave. A guy sits behind this mirror and he can see the children. There is a mic in the tree and as the kids talk this guy can hear them.......and see them behind the mirror and the trees mouth moves and talks to the kids.....has a real conversation. Last year Isaac was so scared of the tree. He wanted to see it this time and hear it talk but Dave was having a rest......oh well.
So then Isaac wanted to see Santa but at the Magic Cave there was an hour and a half wait to see Santa and Danielle and I didn't want to do that. However, a nice lady mentioned to us that we should go down the street to Myer and see their Santa. No wait.....she said. So I talked to Isaac about going there to see him.....well I had no idea that they had a big "Santa Land" in Myer. It was bigger than the Magic Cave and more pretty, spacious and not nearly as many people. I think it was a better place! It had a big train for the kids to ride on, fake snow, Santa TV and a place you can email Santa......it had Santa in his Cave......I think if people found out about this they may prefer it to the Magic Cave! Isaac just thought it was the cave of Santa.....just that it was called Santa Land. When we lined up to see Santa.....well there was no line! He even got a "Santa Land show bag" when seeing Santa! It was cool and not as hot....you could breathe. So here are some photos of Santa Land where Issac had a BETTER time than the Magic Cave! I think we will go back here next year!
Isn't the tree pretty?????
The train that the kids ride on for free. Isaac went on it twice!
The track going all the way around Santa Land! Fake snow and coloured rocks on the ground that look like lollies. It was pretty!
The train pulling into the station....
Isaac on the train! Not many children! Such a great place though! Adelaidians......this is Myer. I advise you go there. Although if I advise too many people, it might become crowded! Haha!
A place for the children to watch TV!
The Santa Seats in front of the TV....heaps cute!
A free, little train ride!
Email Santa and he sends an email back straight away. It is real cute. It personalises the email to the child who writes an email....Isaac has his reply email on the fridge!
Then we headed into the cave to see Santa. They showed Isaac a picture of this reindeer on a computer with a carrot by his mouth. They told him that they needed Isaac's help to check if the reindeer had eaten and as he went in to see Santa, he needed to search for the reindeer and the carrot. Cute. It was life sized and Isaac thought it was a real reindeer and was quite unsure about the whole thing :-)
He is unsure about the reindeer but worked out later at home that it was not real .....hehe
Danielle, trying to help Isaac to be comfortable near Santa. Santa was showing Isaac a book.
Before we left, us adults had to sit on Santa's knee. I asked Santa for a new still camera and guess what????? I got a new still camera which is GREAT! You should see new and improved photos in the next lot of posts! It is a GREAT camera. Hardly ever blurs! Ha! I also got a video camera recorder! Yes! I have always wanted one of them. I was very happy on Christmas morning. Bless you Alan! Thanks.......Alan, I mean Santa! Ha!
I wonder if Danielle got what she asked for from Santa???? Haha...did you Danielle? Ha!
Isaac very happy from the whole Santa Land and Santa experience! (repeat photo)
Oops....this photo has been tagged on the end...it is from the Magic Cave before with the funny mirrors.....I am certain that Santa Land is heaps better!!!
So below are a couple of videos you may enjoy. The first video is at the Magic Cave. It is cool but you will be able to see how many people are there and how packed it is........I just think that Santa Land has a better atmosphere......see what ya think. The Magic Cave is still fun though. Double click for the video to load more quickly.
Below is the second video and this is at Santa Land, particularly of the train that Isaac road on. However, I think you can get the feeling of Santa Land and the nice atmosphere. You will also see how it is not packed and I just like it. I think it is really sweet. So enjoy!!! Double click on play.......
So on Thursday we have a nanny to help me out. Danielle has been our nanny for 4 years. She has been such a great nanny as I mentioned in my last post. I want to honour her again. She completed her teaching degree this year and next year is going to be a teacher. She can no longer be our nanny next year, but she can be our friend. We are blessed that she has become such a good friend and look forward to many years of friendship with both Danielle and her boyfriend, Chris :-) Thank you, Danielle, again, for everything.
Thursday before Christmas we had an outing to the Magic Cave in the city. It was PACKED!!! So packed that at times I felt like I couldn't breathe! I was also very hot and sticky. We all felt like we needed air, but it was still fun. Here are some pictures from the Magic Cave where Santa lives....when he comes to Adelaide :-) This is his sleigh........apparently........
I can never work out why they only have one reindeer pulling the sleigh? Hey, is this real???
Danielle and Isaac (repeat photo). They love each other so much! Isaac really misses Danielle when she is not here. He says he misses her when she is not around. It will be a big adjustment for him next year, but since we will still see her as a friend, hopefully he won't be too upset :-)
At the Magic Cave they have these fun and silly mirrors that make your body look strange! Different mirrors that have different effects!
Now Danielle is tall in real life, but not this tall!!!!! I was having issues with my flash!
This is such a cute photo.....haha...Isaac looks cute and funny! He thought so too...that he looked funny that is :-)
I LOVE this photo! The variety of colours. The effect of the mirror. Danielle so tall and then my head at the top and then me small at the bottom of the mirror taking the picture....Ha!
Isaac and I on the Merry Go Round! It is blurred because we are going round and round.....wow! Hehe
There is a talking tree at the Magic Cave and his name is Dave. A guy sits behind this mirror and he can see the children. There is a mic in the tree and as the kids talk this guy can hear them.......and see them behind the mirror and the trees mouth moves and talks to the kids.....has a real conversation. Last year Isaac was so scared of the tree. He wanted to see it this time and hear it talk but Dave was having a rest......oh well.
So then Isaac wanted to see Santa but at the Magic Cave there was an hour and a half wait to see Santa and Danielle and I didn't want to do that. However, a nice lady mentioned to us that we should go down the street to Myer and see their Santa. No wait.....she said. So I talked to Isaac about going there to see him.....well I had no idea that they had a big "Santa Land" in Myer. It was bigger than the Magic Cave and more pretty, spacious and not nearly as many people. I think it was a better place! It had a big train for the kids to ride on, fake snow, Santa TV and a place you can email Santa......it had Santa in his Cave......I think if people found out about this they may prefer it to the Magic Cave! Isaac just thought it was the cave of Santa.....just that it was called Santa Land. When we lined up to see Santa.....well there was no line! He even got a "Santa Land show bag" when seeing Santa! It was cool and not as hot....you could breathe. So here are some photos of Santa Land where Issac had a BETTER time than the Magic Cave! I think we will go back here next year!Isn't the tree pretty?????
The train that the kids ride on for free. Isaac went on it twice!
The track going all the way around Santa Land! Fake snow and coloured rocks on the ground that look like lollies. It was pretty!
The train pulling into the station....
Isaac on the train! Not many children! Such a great place though! Adelaidians......this is Myer. I advise you go there. Although if I advise too many people, it might become crowded! Haha!
A place for the children to watch TV!
The Santa Seats in front of the TV....heaps cute!
A free, little train ride!
Email Santa and he sends an email back straight away. It is real cute. It personalises the email to the child who writes an email....Isaac has his reply email on the fridge!
Then we headed into the cave to see Santa. They showed Isaac a picture of this reindeer on a computer with a carrot by his mouth. They told him that they needed Isaac's help to check if the reindeer had eaten and as he went in to see Santa, he needed to search for the reindeer and the carrot. Cute. It was life sized and Isaac thought it was a real reindeer and was quite unsure about the whole thing :-)
He is unsure about the reindeer but worked out later at home that it was not real .....hehe
Danielle, trying to help Isaac to be comfortable near Santa. Santa was showing Isaac a book.
Before we left, us adults had to sit on Santa's knee. I asked Santa for a new still camera and guess what????? I got a new still camera which is GREAT! You should see new and improved photos in the next lot of posts! It is a GREAT camera. Hardly ever blurs! Ha! I also got a video camera recorder! Yes! I have always wanted one of them. I was very happy on Christmas morning. Bless you Alan! Thanks.......Alan, I mean Santa! Ha!
I wonder if Danielle got what she asked for from Santa???? Haha...did you Danielle? Ha!
Isaac very happy from the whole Santa Land and Santa experience! (repeat photo)
Oops....this photo has been tagged on the end...it is from the Magic Cave before with the funny mirrors.....I am certain that Santa Land is heaps better!!!
So below are a couple of videos you may enjoy. The first video is at the Magic Cave. It is cool but you will be able to see how many people are there and how packed it is........I just think that Santa Land has a better atmosphere......see what ya think. The Magic Cave is still fun though. Double click for the video to load more quickly.
Below is the second video and this is at Santa Land, particularly of the train that Isaac road on. However, I think you can get the feeling of Santa Land and the nice atmosphere. You will also see how it is not packed and I just like it. I think it is really sweet. So enjoy!!! Double click on play.......
So I hope you enjoyed my post. As I said, I have many photos to come but have no time to load them tonight. I want to post about our visit to Lobethal which is a town here in Adelaide that light up almost every house with Christmas lights! They also have a parade down the main street, and a live nativity scene.
Then I want to post about Christmas Eve and the fun we had that night and then of course, with my new camera, I took photos on Christmas Day....I want to share them as well.
Amongst Christmas, Alan and I celebrated our 10th year wedding anniversary and I did a surprise party for Alan. I have photos of that memorable event as well that I want to share. So I will be posting a lot!
Well, right now I need to get ready for bed!
Love you all,
Charisse
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