After the great plane saga last night, we finally made it onto a 6am flight today - had to get there at 5am, which meant a 4 am wake up call and 3 hours sleep! Yeah! - got to the Gold Coast at 6.30am QLD time where Helen collected us straight from the airport with Zara and after a quick stop for petrol and a McDonalds breakfast, we headed for Alstonville.
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| The Virgin terminal sure is empty at 5am |
And then we reached the Ancestral Estate ...
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| Both Zara and Bodhi love their Nanna telling the wide-mouth frog joke. Watching their delighted reactions is priceless. |
We lasted to about 11am when exhaustion finally overtook us and we headed back to the motel for 2+ hours sleep. I slept like a log. So glad we had the nap as the day's activities wouldn't have been anywhere near as enjoyable if I had been tired.
The Hiltons arrived about 4pm and we hit the food almost immediately, followed by the group photos (ably photographed by Bec) and the 100th birthday cake cooked and decorated by my talented sister Helen.
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| Ruth and Rebecca cut sushi |
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| All the cousins together - well almost - Dan and Samantha, ??, Bodhi being held by Madison, Chelsea, Natasha, Olivia, ?? holding Laney |
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| My aunt Helen, Nanna and Amie share a laugh |
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| Bec and Ian |
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| Laney, Zara and Bodhi |
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| Bodhi |
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| Martin and Lois |
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| Natasha and Rebecca |
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| Rebecca and my guy Steve |
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| Mum, Beves, Ian |
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| Mum, Helen and their mum (and my Nanna) |
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| Becky and me |
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Steve and I go "kawaii!"
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| Mum photographing me while I photograph her |
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| The master photo taker did a superb job - go Bec!! |
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| Natasha, Lois and Rebecca |
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| Milling around |
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| "You over there ... yes move in ... wait stay there ..." |
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| "Scoot in please!" |
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| Taken from my place in the line |
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| Looking down to the front rows |
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| The Hilton girls |
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| Gillmans |
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| Gillmans again |
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| The big group shot - almost there! |
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| The final official group shot - LOVE IT! |
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| Dad, Nanna, Becky, Ruth and I |
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| The official Gillman shot with Nanna |
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| Nanna with her grandchildren |
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| Nanna with the great-grandkids |
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| Becky and Nanna |
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| Ruth and Nanna |
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| Chelsea and Nanna |
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| Lois and Nanna |
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| 4 generations |
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| 4 generations (b) |
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| Andrew, Nanna and Helen |
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| The Hilton girls and Zara and Bodhi getting ready to sing |
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| Nanna, Helen and Rebecca watch the girls sing |
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| Zara gets nerves, so Helen steps in to finish off a Wiggles song with Bodhi |
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| My mum, Helen and their mum |
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| Mum and Helen singing |
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| Singing "Happy Birthday!" |
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| The cake |
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| Candles aflame ... Nanna blew them all out in one go! |
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| So much yummy cake! |
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| Cutting the cake |
Labels: Alstonville, Amie, Becky, Beves, Bodhi, Dad, Helen, Helen and Gary, Ian, Martin and Lois Watts, Michael, Mum, My gorgeous guy, Nanna, Rachel, Ruth and Roger, Shayne, Zara
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