Australia Day BBQ

Wednesday 26 January

Jana and Silvia invited us over for a BBQ to help celebrate Australia Day.

Hello everyone!

It's BBQ time again so Jana and I will be having a BBQ at our place on Australia Day.
Time: Wed 26 Jan - 11am onwards
What to Bring: Yourselves - beer, drinks or desserts - partners and toilet trained children or dogs are welcome
Where: 2 Eaton Road, West Pennant Hills
WARNING: There is likely to be a copious amount of pork on the spit - so eat it or starve...
Please refrain from "Reply All"-ing (aka spamming) as there are a lot of people on this email.
Thanks,
JaSylv


I made a passionfruit cheesecake, as we had so many passionfruits from the garden. Evan and A. Cath came over around 10.30am, and Mare around 11am, as Evan would be driving us there. 
 
Temperatures were in the high 30s and we were dreading the fact that Jana's place did not have air con. We had already put the air con on at home. We packed our swimmers so that we could go swimming in the afternoon.
 
Jana had again made new changes to Eaton Estate. Adding an outdoor concreted area downstairs.  The spit was on, the tents were up and surprise to us all there was air con in the house. Jana had called in trades people to install the air con unit on Tuesday. But only for pregnant women and young kids.
 
Food was plentiful, but somehow the meat was all eaten and there were no leftovers.  Most of the guests had brought dessert: Carrot cake, macarons, pandan cake, slices, tiramisu, and so much more.

Kids were playing in the blow up pool, which adults eyed on in envy.
 
We left around 4.30pm to go to Jacq's & Richards for a swim. Stopped by Strathfield to pick up Kaylene and hightailed it to the pool, before the sun went down.  The water was so warm, the pool was suitably crowded, everyone also had the same idea.  I saved a kid from almost drowning. The parent was not attentive and neither were his brothers. We vacated the pool well before a toddler was found to have pooed in his nappy and the nappy was leaking. Although Kaylene was still in the pool, she high-tailed it out of there.
 
Went shopping at Coles to buy ingredients to make pizza and got home to discover Nathan & Sylvia had set up a bigger blow up pool in the backyard and had been soaking in it.
 
Dinner was a mixture of leb pizzas, chinese and thai (I made a thai prawn & vermicelli salad).
 
All in all... a good Australia Day...but very disappointing that I had to go back to work the next day :-(

Helping a friend out.

Saturday 22 January 2010

Hi All,

Can I ask for some volunteers to come around to our place on Saturday 22 January 2010 (from 1pm) to assist Liz and I with moving stuff out of the basement (Casey and Steve has already witnessed the expert packing by the previous removalist). Needless to say, the removalist did such a great job that we don't know where everything is any more.
Please also come with an empty car or prefably truck as there will be lucky door prizes to give away, and bargains to be had!.
The plan is to have everyone come around after 1pm with the move, and then Liz and I will provide a schrumptious dinner of KFC and Beer!!!!! We can have a good yarn leading late into the evening.
We are currently staying at my folks place at Castle Hill.
Hope to get a favourable response to what should be a fun afternoon.
Chris

The email was sent out and the time had come. Another friend was in need of some help, so Evan and Ken picked me up along the way and we went to see what we could do. Evan had already eyed the lounge chairs (1 x 3 seater and 2 x 1 seater - chocolate brown) and I was just hoping I wouldn't be bringing more "junk" home.
Anyway, the plan was to move all the packing boxes out, so that Liz could look through them and keep or cull items. In order to get the boxes out, other items of furniture had to be moved out of the storage area which was the downstairs area of the house. The lawn was soon strewn with chairs, bean bags, mattresses and boxes.

Suzy, Casey and Paul were already there to lend a hand, when we rocked up. Soon to join was Steve and Marisa with baby Tess and Vanita.

Items of furniture were "auctioned" off, actually given away, whilst others came to collect the fridges they had dibs on. Boxes were opened and items were pounced on...only to be told that it was not being culled but kept. Progress was made and cars were chock full of items. Casey got the outdoor setting of glass table and chairs. Suzy got a snowboard, rocket blender and bean bag, Vanita got some side tables and egg cushion. 

Whilst Evan got the task to "baby sit" the stereo speakers and amp. The Rav filled up with the chair cushions, the speakers, boxes of electrical equipment, as well as 3 CD/book shelves for myself and "balls" for decorations.

Everything was moved in time for an early dinner of KFC - wicked wings, chips, and salad. Whilst waiting for the KFC we tucked into some chips and leb bread with delish dips which Bindy had made with her Thermomix.


After dinner, a Pav was served and then lots of chilling with the kids putting on a performance to be remembered.

Nathan's 26th Birthday

Thursday 20 January

Although most of us had to work that day, we organised to have dinner at a Laotian restaurant which Sylvia highly recommended.

As Mark, Lily and Janet were up the coast at Forster/Port Macquarie, we invited U. David, A. Cath, Evan, Ken and Bindy to join us. Bindy had a conference call which she didn't know how long it would go for and she thought the restaurant was to far to get too.

The arrangement was for the Seeto's to meet at Strathfield, where Silvia would drive one car and they would follow in the other. No one knew the address, they only knew where it was by driving there. I went in the Seeto's car, whilst, Silvia, Darren, Justin and Kaylene went in Silvia's mums' car. We went to Sophia's place to pick her up which was kinda on the way to the restaurant. Nathan had a work (site inspection?) meeting to attend in the area and was to meet up with us at the restaurant. As it was, we all arrived at the same time.

The Thai-Laotian Restaurant is at Canley Heights.

Spicy Aroma
Shop 2, 202 Canley Vale Road

Canley Heights
(02) 9755 9722

Anyway Silvia ordered the dishes for us. We had Satay Chicken for entre, followed by Pad Thai, Green Chicken Curry, Laotian sausages, Ox Tongue, Paw Paw salad, Thai fried rice, Some dish that was like a Pad Se Ew, Another that had crunchy rice, a Thai Beef salad and rice.
All up it cost about $170 for 11 of us.

We came back home to celebrate some more with a Freddo Ice Cream cake.

Jordan's Christening and belated 1st Birthday

Sunday 16 January

After experiencing a very hot day on Saturday 15th, it looked like we would be in for another scorcher on the Sunday, but at least it turned out to be not quite as hot and the Hall was suitably air conditioned.

Hi there,

You're invited to Jordan's Christening on Sunday 16th January 2011 at 11.30am at
St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Mount Street, Bonnyrigg Heights
and then to lunch at 1pm at
the Wetherill Park Community Hall, Polding St, Wetherill Park (next to Stockland Shopping Centre).
Please rsvp to me by the New Year for the Filo food catering!
Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!!!
(Please find attached a message from Jordan :-)
From Linda, Tony and Jordan.

We got to the church nice and early and considering the "father" started the ceremony straight on 11.30am, there were a few stragglers on ACCA time. There were another 3 babies also being christened, besides Jordan, all of them much younger, with Jordan being the only toddler. Jordan was not interested in the ceremony at all, and much preferred wandering around and playing with phones and keys. Evan was given the task of using Linda's camera to capture the moments, while Ken and I mingled.

Most of ACCA friends attended the church ceremony, with Linda's close family, while most of Tony's family were preparing the Hall for the reception to follow. As Mare said, it was like a wedding. The tables were decorated, the food was buffet style with savories and desserts a plenty.

We sat on a table with Roy, Michele, Jessica, and Kenneth. Jordan had a Christening and a Birthday cake which were duly cut and distributed. There was a lot of food leftover and I walked away with two take away containers full (the kids were happy, esp. Kaylene).

Fireworks on the Cahill

Having registered for tickets to the Fireworks on the Cahill, Kaylene was lucky enough to get 5 tickets for the 9pm fireworks and I managed to score 5 tickets to the 12 midnight fireworks. Unfortunately, not enough for all of us to go, but the lucky ones who did get to go out were, Kaylene, Sheree, Martin, Conrad, Marion, U. David, A. Cath, Ken, Evan and myself. Ken managed to get some tickets for his parents and got Evan in with a great vantage point for him to take photos, whilst we stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the crowds.

It wasn't too bad for the 9pm fireworks but we filed out and queued to get back in again. The younger ones went down to the Quay and the Rocks, whilst the oldies lined up and jostled for a good spot.

Ken chauffeured U. David, A. Cath, Sheree and Marion back to Strathfield. Evan, Martin, Conrad and Kaylene, battled the crowds at Wynyard to catch a train back to Strathfield. By the time we got home it was around 2pm.