25 December 2013

Christmas lunch was at our house this year, we had 16 for lunch, as always there was far too much food, we set up our Christmas table on the deck overlooking the pool, it was lovely and warm. After lunch we went inside and Ben my nephew dressed up and he handed out the presents, he was Santa's little helper. Below are some photos from the day.....

22 years ago today our lives were changed forever. The best decision we made was to have our gorgeous son. Happy Birthday to our beautiful Alex we are so lucky to have you in our lives. You bring calmness, joy and so much more just by being you. Dad and I hope you have a great day and the year ahead brings you everything you ever wanted.

11 years later we were blessed again with the arrival our our gorgeous nephew Thomas. Happy 11 Birthday to the boy that puts a smile on my face every time I look at him. You are kind, smart, quirky and have a beautiful nature. So glad I am part of your life my gorgeous nephew. Love you to the moon and back!

Our Trip to Merimbula

Where has the time gone, I have been meaning to write about our trip to Merimbula. On the 8 September we headed off to Merimbula. Kathleen and Peter picked us up at around 8am, I was so excited as it meant I get to see my friend Gaye and her husband Ross.
Traveling with Kathleen is always a lot of fun, along the way we had a few stops and many laughs.
We arrived around 5pm and set up the caravan, it's been a long time since Ray and I stayed in a caravan. Kathleen's & Peter's caravan was very comfy, it took me down memory lane, as kids Mum and Dad always took us camping in the caravan.

We stayed for a week and during our stay we had many outings, lunches, dinners, walks, lots of sightseeing but best of all the many laughs, the three of us always have so much fun when we are together. Kathleen, Gaye and I have been friends for a long time and distance has not altered our friendship, we always pick up were we left off.

Dayle & Anke are Engaged!

Dayle Olson proposed to Miss Anke Koch-Dücker

 She said YES! 

They are officially Engaged!

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Dayle and Anke are currently holidaying in Germany.  It all started on the 16 May 2009 in Germany, they were out spending time with their friends, as soon as they set eyes on each other their love story began. It has been an amazing journey so far, who would have thought that whilst Dayle is holidaying and working overseas, Dayle would meet the love of his life. After living together in Germany for a few years they decided to come to Australia, they have achieved so much in the four years they have been together. They are the proud owners of their own home, Dayle is running his own business, Anke has been granted her Australian visa and has been working towards converting her qualifications as a Physiotherapist, not to mention she has been working as a Physio's assistant since arriving in Australia at Monash Medical Hospital. They are also mummy and daddy to many chickens. 

We are so happy for the both of them and we look forward to them coming home next week to share this happy occasion with the both of them.

Rouse Street Port Melbourne

Our unit has tenants again a young couple, the guy is a soccer player and the lady Claire is a Vet Nurse. After nearly three years Elena the lady that rented the unit moved out. It took us just over one month to find someone. Ray and I went for a visit on Tuesday 9th July, when I walked in I got that same feeling I did when I first saw it, even though it is empty I can see that it can be turned into a home very quickly.

The new tenants had signed up for the unit in the next building however they decided ours suited them better and after seeing it made the decision very quickly and wanted to move in the next day Friday 12 July 2013.

It's nice that we don't have to worry about it for another 12 months!

Dayle and Anke off to Europe

Yesterday Alex and I took Dayle and Anke to the airport, Anke was so excited as she will be seeing her family and her gorgeous nephew Malte. Here is a photo of them on the plane!

After dropping them off Alex and I headed to Port Melbourne for breakfast, we parked in Graham Street and had a look around. We found a lovely Italian cafe and had breakfast together, it is so nice to sit, eat, chat and catch up, Alex and I are so busy with work and everyday life we don't get to do this very often. After breakfast I took Alex to Thomas Dux, he was very impressed and has decided Thomas Dux is his type of supermarket. We got back to the car and you would not believe it, it wouldn't start. We called RACV and it was the battery, how ironic Dayle and Anke told me to start the car every now and again as the battery may go flat. I didn't expect it to go flat that quick.

When I was on the phone to RACV Alex and I were in stitiches, the RACV girl was asking for information about the car, as it's not my car I had no idea, Alex is trying to read the information from the registration sticker, I decided to open the glove box to see if there was anything in there, the glove box falls out, I went to grab it and accidentally hit Alex on his head. Talk about comedy capers, we both laughed so much I couldn't even speak, the poor RACV girl had no idea what was going on.

Seriously you had to be there, one memorable moment Alex and I will not forget. It all ended well as the car did need a new battery after all! Happy Travels Dayle and Anke, enjoy your time in Europe.

What a race he ran! Today I was lucky enough to witness my beautiful nephew run in the Knox Division Cross Country. The race was a 3 km run at Norton Park in Wantirna South, there were 38 participants. Thomas led all the way, his determination and natural ability is awesome to watch. What I like about Thomas is he is very humble and never forgets to congratulate his mates. So proud of our BOY!

George turns 73 today!

Tuesday 28 May is the Birthday of a very special person in my life....A person who has taught me to be strong no matter what life throws at me. He is always there for a laugh, a cry, to chat about the good old days and just to reminisce of the things we used to do. My wish for you is for good health, prosperity and everything nice comes your way. Happy Birthday to my Dad! Love you to the moon and back!

Forest Resort - Our mid year R & R stay!

We love getting away to the country, our mid year stay this year is at Forest Resort in Creswick for some R & R. Our villa is no 13, it overlooks the lily pond. Upon our arrival some of the ducks came to our back door, they are so cute, every morning we have been feeding them. The nights have been very cold however the days have been sunny. Today we decided to take a drive to Maryborough and Carisbrook, Maryborough has come along in leaps and bounds, Carisbrook is still the same sleepy town where we lived 19 years ago. It's nice to reminisce, we drove down Majorca Road and had a look at our old house, it looks very different now to when we owned it.

Here are some photos to enjoy!

Maddy Turns 16

My gorgeous niece Maddy turned 16 on the 15 May 2013, on Saturday 18 May we had a family lunch and gathering. Everyone had a really great time, Its hard to believe this beautiful girl is now 16, she has a great personality, she is smart, and one of the kindest girls I know. Love you Miss Maddy!

Our VW Golf

On Friday 17th May 2013 we picked up our new car - Volkswagon Golf 7 - 103TSI.
Registration ZTC-393. It is amazing to drive, so smooth and it smells divine!

The brochure describes it as a class leading sleek,intelligent and refined, it's the ultimate small car for the discerning motoring enthusiast seeking a top-shelf vehicle for surprisingly good value. The 103 TSI Highline is powered by an exciting 1.4 litre turbocharged TSI petrol engine producing 103kW of power and 250Nm of torque. Carefully selected touches make the Highline look and feel like a luxury model - without the price tag. This car is not only powerful and functional, but beautiful too, with clever additions and measured accessories giving it the edge.

Creative Memories

On Saturday the 5 May 2013 - we received some very sad news from Creative Memories. 

CM Australasia announced that they will no longer be able to source CM products from the parent company which is undergoing a corporate reorganisation of its business and affairs. Consequently, CM Australasia has placed the company into Voluntary Administration.

At the moment all stock is WSL - and we have been informed that the company has several months'
supplies. However, no Digital software or content or vouchers will be sold. 

Regrettably the VIP Rewards Club has been suspended and there is no longer a VIP benefit.
We are all in shock, and as emails come in we are all wondering what is going to happen. Some of us have been part of the CM family for over a decade, it's been a very special journey and we are all hoping it will continue.


                                           

BLOG

Dave & Carrolyn's Wedding!

Yesterday was my cousin Carrolyn and Dave's Wedding, what an amazing day, everything was perfect. The Wedding started at 3pm  Carrolyn was 38 minutes late, when she arrived on her Dad's arms she make a grant entrance. Tathra Chapel was the perfect setting, the Wedding party consisted of five bridesmaids, one matron of honor, five groomsmen, one bestman and three pageboys. The girls were in burgundy/red dresses and the boys were in grey suits, the pageboys all wore hats and sunglasses.

The Groom looked as dashing as ever, and the beautiful Carrolyn was the perfect bride, she looked stunning, her bouquet was made up of burgundy/red roses. The chapel were they were married by our uncle, Fr John Magri is surrounded by towering gum trees.

As you first enter the Chapel through two large French doors you are instantly presented with a stunning view of the gardens through the 15 foot high, floor to ceiling windows, creating a stunning backdrop.
The Chapel was designed to allow an abundance of natural light to filter through the floor to ceiling windows, giving the feeling of a garden ceremony with the comfort and tradition that comes with an indoor ceremony. 20 French style windows line the walls of the chapel, with 6 French doors leading out to the large Mirboo deck with flowing stairs down into the garden – this is where we had our group photograph.

The reception was absolutely picturesque, a roaring wood fire adorned the room, as we entered we were greeted with warmth and beauty. Once everyone was seated  the bridal party were introduced and made their grand entrance. When everyone was seated Dave and his bestman had a surprise for the beautiful Carrolyn, the best man played a Ukulele and Dave sang 'want to grow old with you' to his beautiful bride. Everyone was enchanted, so so special!  As Dave is into magic, Carrolyn also had a surprise for him -  Dan the magician appeared, Dave was asked to help out and all sorts of tricks were performed. 

The menu was absolutely delicious - entree was salmon or lamb, main was beef or chicken and desert was panacota with berries and sticky date pudding. 

The speeches were also very entertaining, the brides father was first up with a very short by meaningful speech,  Mary, Carrolyn's sister sang her a song and spoke about the family, the bestman showed us a presentation of guest that had pre recorded messages and spoke about the friendship he shared with the Groom. Last but not least the Groom did his speech with his beautiful bride next to him.

The cake - a 5 tier fruit cake with flowers cascading down one side, created by Mary - Carrolyn's sister.

Reflecting on the night, it was a gathering of love, families, friends and good times, the only thing that I can say should have happened, is that time should have stood still as the night went far too quickly.

 Congratulations to Dave and Carrolyn - this is for the two of you, such wonderful people!

Happy 100th Birthday to Nanu Joseph born on the 1 May 1903

Hello, It's been a while since I have been on here. Life is just to darn busy! I noticed in my last post it said my youngest son has just moved out, I am elated to announce he is back home and I couldn't be happier.

This afternoon we are off to my gorgeous cousin Carrolyn's wedding, she is marrying her handsome beau David, I personally can't wait as once again the family will be together celebrating another memorable occasion.

On Wednesday 1 May my nanu would have turned 100, even though he is with nana in heaven the two of them are never far from my mind, I have some wonderful memories of the two of them. Happy 100th Birthday Nanu!

All Grown Up!

Our youngest son Alex has moved out, I don't know where the years have gone, having him was the best decision we made, he has been an absolute delight to raise! He is a smart, confident, and a caring individual with the best personality, I am going to miss him not being home all the time, on the flip side he has moved in with his brother Brad and their friend Paul, I am sure they will have alot of fun hanging out together. 

Christmas 2011

Magri-Olson Family News

From our home to yours Merry Christmas

I have finally found some time to post my Christmas Newsletter, better late than never I say! What is Christmas? It is a time to reminisce about the past, courage for the present and hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace. Where has the year gone I ask? It only feels like yesterday we were all welcoming the New Year and here we are preparing for yet another Christmas! It has been a year of many ups and downs, there has been so many world disasters, my diary entry goes like this: There is devastation everywhere in QLD. The water from the floods is so bad, people have lost their lives, homes and their belongings. It is very sad! January to March: In January our old pergola got pulled down and work started on a new six square structure. On the 4th February Dayle's Birthday the heavens opened, this was Dayle's first Birthday in Australia for two years, due to the renovations at home we had Dayle's Birthday at my sisters. On the 6th February my mum would have celebrated her 66th Birthday, she is never far from our minds and the legacy she started many years ago continues through her children and grandchildren. The lovely Laura also celebrated her Birthday on the 14th February. On the 8th February I embarked on further study and commenced a leadership course, what an amazing journey, the course was designed to take you out of your comfort zone, challenge you and help you to build strong relationships. At the end of the course we had to do a presentation and deliver a project around feedback. The presentation went extremely well and I feel so much wiser having embarked on this journey. In March I went off to my annual scrapbooking weekend to the Briars, this year I was introduced to digital scrapbooking, I always think to myself I should not start new things as I always get hooked. Many pages have been created and it is a quick fun way to scrapbook. On the 25th March Uncle Vic and Auntie Sylvia arrived from the States, it had been 40 years since we had last seen them. On the 31st March Brad celebrated his 28th Birthday, he went off to the comedy festival with Ray, Alex, Paul and a group of other friends. April to June: On the 1st April Brad and I had the family over for our Birthdays, it was a fun night with much chatter and laughter. On the 15th April I got to go away on another scrapbooking weekend to Rosebud with Kathleen and Glenda, it was lovely to catch up and do some more scrapping, we even managed a long walk along the coast line. On the 20th April Dayle and Anke moved into their little unit in Hallam. On the Sunday the three of us went shopping at Ikea, what an adventure that was the two of them bought so much stuff we could not fit another thing in the car or trailer. On the 30th April Ray and I went to see the Tutankhamen exhibition, it was interesting to see all the artifacts however it did not compare to the museum I visited in Egypt. On the 1st May Benjamin turned 6, what a confident little man he is, Benjamin also started school this year and I have to say, he has taken to it like a duck to water, he is also playing basketball and enjoying it vey much. On the 15th May Maddy turned 14, Miss Maddy is growing up too fast. Her love of sport continues, she is now playing soccer and is very good at it, at school she participates in everything sporty and as I write this newsletter I have some 'hot of the press news'.... Our Maddy girl was awarded Dux of the school in sports. We are all very proud of her for this wonderful achievement! On the 28th May Dad celebrated another birthday, it is always nice when we all gather at his house for these occasions. In June Brad sold his unit in Cambridge Road, the end of another era, it's hard to believe it was four years ago the two of us were house hunting for him. July to September: Sixth of July was a very busy day, I graduated from my leadership course, the presentation was a huge success and the group received great feedback. Ray and I attended the Rock of Ages concert, it was a great night taking us both down memory lane. August is a very busy Birthday month in our family, our nephew Adam would have celebrated his 16th Birthday, Ray celebrated his Birthday by being taken out to lunch and the family all popped in for more Birthday celebrations. Max and Carrie also celebrated their Birthdays this month. On the 29th August Ray and I celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary, we decided to keep it very low key and opted for a few days away in the beautiful country side of Central Victoria. Alex started a new job with the Commonwealth bank, he now has four jobs on the go and is keeping very busy. In Sept I finished my Girl's Day out patchwork quilt, it took almost three years to complete. I am elated with the finished product and it is now hanging in my lounge room. October to December: In October my girlfriend Jackie and I went away to Tootgarook for a scrapbooking weekend, Jackie and I always have a lot of fun when we are together, we never seem to run out of things to talk about, our friendship goes back a long time and we always pick up where we left off. My friend Kay and I got to catch up and the two of us had a day driving around the country side and stopping at the Lavender Farm for lunch. We also caught up with the Beath's, Long's and the lovely Rachel for dinner. Alex moved out for the month as he house sat for his great uncle, I have missed not having him around even though he pops in a few times per week. On the 27th October the lovely Anke celebrated her Birthday, we all gathered at a German restaurant in Prahan,we wanted her to have a little of her German culture for her Birthday. Alex and Thomas celebrated their Birthdays on the 31st October, the family came over for dinner and Birthday cake of course! On the 1st November my brother Chris celebrated his Birthday, we had a lovely dinner together to celebrate. We also caught up with more family and friends, Ray, Jackie, David and I had a lovely day at Portsea, the four of us enjoyed a scrumptious lunch at the Portsea Pub then finished off with a walk. We also caught up with Theresa and Brad for dinner before we all got too busy. Alex had his wisdom teeth out at Knox Private Hospital, he took a week off work to recuperate. At the end of November we went away for the weekend to watch Maddy play soccer in Moama, it was great to get away and spend quality time with my brother, sister-in-law, nieces and Lydia (Laura's Mum). A very important decision was made during the weekend, Ray and I are off to Europe next year with my brother Chris, Laura and my gorgeous nieces Maddison and Lilly, it's going to be awesome traveling around with them all. In December our lives seemed to get even busier, Christmas catch-ups started early this year, in December I caught up with the Fairfax girls for dinner, it was good to see them and reminisce about old times. My two nephews had their Christmas carols concert at Kent Park Primary school, Ray and I went to watch them perform, they were both so cute singing their Christmas carols. On the 15th December we had a going away Christmas dinner for Dayle and Anke, the next day they boarded their flight for Germany. Anke was so excited to be going home to her family! We also caught up for a pre Christmas meal with Jackie and David and Kay and Taijyn, it is always so nice to catch up with family and friends. On reflection it has been a very eventful year in the Magri-Olson household! In closing let the spirit of love gently fill your hearts and homes. In this loveliest of seasons may you find many reasons for happiness to last a lifetime! With love from Ray, Carmen & family...

Tootgarook here we come!

This is one of the pages I completed!

On the 21, 22 & 23 October a group of us headed off to Tootgarook for a scrapbooking weekend, the house we stay in is divine, it is set up high on a hill with much privacy. It has the most amazing bathroom, the shower has no screen, the spa is massive and if you need to go to the loo that too is very inviting, the window has no curtain and whatever you are doing you get a view of the bay!

This year my girlfriend Jackie came with me, along the way we stopped for a lovely meal and a glass of vino!

The weekend was a hoot, we have been getting together for a number of years now and everyone of us has the task of doing a meal and trust me we are so well fed. One of the best things about these weekends is that you get to do alot of scrapbooking, everything is left out and you don't have to pack up until you are ready to leave on late Sunday afternoon.

Here we are enjoying lunch on one of the balconies.

Good Day For Baking

So good to find some time to finally do some baking, check out these 'choc chip cookies'.

Absolutely divine!

Gone but not forgotten!

24 years ago today we received the dreaded news that my beautiful mother was involved in a car accident, the day was 4th October 1987. We did not know what we were in for, our lives were changed forever by that one phone call. It still feels surreal and not a day goes by that the lovely Annie is not thought of by one of us. Each year I relive the days events from the 4th to the 8th October, the day of her funeral. How I wish I could turn the clock back and have my mum back. RIP to my beautiful, gentle, best mum in the whole wide world!  

Simple Pleasures

This little beauty is a housewarming present I made for a special girlfriend.