That time of the year

Ros and Pete usually visit us in Canberra at this time of the year for our Mum's birthday. We've kept up the tradition this year even though dear old Mum is no longer with us (RIP Betty K - bless her).

We were able to spend a lot of time together over the past three days, although the threat of an imminent sniffle or cough meant some of us had to absent ourselves at times.

There were ten us of us for dinner last night here at the apartment. Ollie and Angus are looking so tall and grown up now......

It's so good to see Maxie out and about and able to socialise - most stylish girl in the oncology ward - indeed most stylish girl anywhere!

Darling Ella and Abi had to pull out at the last minute because of the risk of infection, but still managed to deliver their handmade dessert: gluten free cupcakes, chocolate fudge and fresh berries - all made by Ella and Abi (and Jody). We MISSED THEM so much at our family dinner!!

It was Mum's actual birthday today (103 years ago). We woke to a spectacular sunrise...

...and made our way up to the bushland at the base of Mt Ainslie, amongst the kangaroos, cockatoos and Mum's beloved magpies...................

where we carefully spread Mum's ashes around the base of this very elegant Scribbly gum......... in loving memory of this fearless and remarkable woman......

RIP Betty K from your three "girls" and all the members (and partners) of your beautiful extended family.

RIP Betty K

Our Mum, Granny Kenyon, Great Grandma, died peacefully in the early hours of last Friday 28th October after 102 glorious years of life's adventures and creating our family.  Her three"girls" were together in Sydney when the news came through. It's been a momentous week..........

This is the earliest photo we have of Mum who was born on the 31st July 1914 - just as the guns were being fired in the early days of World War 1....

It mustn't have been an easy childhood - losing her father before the age of two and having to live with her Grandmother while her mother went back to work.  It sounds like her mother's second marriage a few years later did not result in happier times for Betty either.

And then the Great Depression hit.....which meant Betty had to leave school earlier than planned and find work to help support the family. This she did and did well by all accounts...by the latter half of the 1930s Betty was having a great life - this skiing holiday near Smiggin Holes in the Snowy Mountains with her girlfriends, being an absolute highlight.

And then the Second World War started.......but it didn't stop Betty marrying Stan in 1941. However, in the spirit of wartime austerity their wedding was a low key affair.

Maxine was born in Roma Queensland in 1946, Judith was born in 1951; by this time the family was living in Brisbane.

Roslyn was born in 1958, making the family complete.

20 years passed..the girls all grew to adulthood and married wonderful men. Grandchildren came on the scene between 1975 and 1982 (5 grandchildren all up).

This is a happy pic of Betty taken in July 1978 (aged 64 years), knitting boottees.

Stan died after a short but intense battle with cancer on the 20th March 1981. Ros and Pete’s baby son Joel was born a few weeks later in April 1981.

17 years on, Betty's eldest grand-daughter Claire and her Jeremy were married on the 19th December 1998. Betty K was aged 84 years by now. She moved to Canberra (under her own steam) in April of this year.

This happy pic of Betty was taken at Erin and John's wedding, 11 years later, in April 2009 (Betty is in her 95th year by now).

Betty K and her three "girls" at Coogee Beach in 2011- very excited about Davey's and Cath's visit with baby Eddie.

Betty K adored all her great grandchildren (all 8 of them (so far)). This pic is of Betty K and Ollie in December 2011.

Betty K moved to Mirinjani Hostel in July 2012 just before her 98th birthday. This pic with "lovely Joel" was taken in January 2014 (the flowers are from Kay - now Joel's wife).

Betty K's 100th birthday was celebrated in style in early August 2014 - there were 24 family members at the party!

Rod took this lovely picture of Betty K (Mum), about 10 days ago in her room at Mirinjani. She's wearing her favourite colour and has her Canberra Times open at the crosswords - a lovely way to remember her. 

Despite all her difficulties in the last year or so Betty K always remained positive, cheerful and interested in everything the family was doing - and much loved and appreciated by the staff at Mirinjani. 

Rest in Peace, unforgettable and inspirational Betty K!!

Youngest and oldest

We were introduced to the newest member of the extended family this month - gorgeous Ivy Rose born at 9.05 London time on the 20th July 2015, 7 pounds 14.  What a bundle of sweetness!

An adorable baby sister for Ed....who so far looks very interested in this new addition to his little world! We can't wait to see them both this year (and D & C too of course).

And now to the oldest.......Our Mum was born on 31st July 1914 - making her now ONE HUNDRED AND ONE years old!!  And she told us this week - she doesn't feel her age!!  

We made up a photobook for her birthday with lots of pictures of her very photogenic grandchildren (5) and great grandchildren (now 8 including Ivy).  She took a great interest in the book and will treasure it!

We thought that with the cold winter weather we would not take Mum out for her birthday this year....so we celebrated with a family party at Mirinjani on Saturday afternoon.  The staff could not have been nicer - supplying Mum (and her guests) with a lovely afternoon tea with all the trimmings and plenty of space for us to kick up our heels.

Ella and Abi have a ball no matter where they go - and the Mirinjani Activities room proved to be no exception.  The girls provided us with lots of laughs especially when they discovered the vibrating "exercise machine"....

and the balloon and fly swat game. They weren't at all daunted by the various elderly people who checked out the "party" throughout the afternoon. They both had a smile and a chat with everyone who came by, no doubt brightening every one's day.

We had some fun sister (and spouses) time too. Canberra turned on a perfect winter day on Friday and we spent quite a bit of it enjoying the Yarralumla lake front.

Four weddings and another one

It's been physically and emotionally tough this week to pack up Granny K and all her belongings for her move to aged (hostel) care.  Alongside all that we've had to get her townhouse ready for sale too.   There's been lots of opportunities to be reminded of things past.....This selection of photos, framed proudly (if a little wonkily) on her bookcase tells a story - about us but also about family life over the last half century.

Exciting news from the UK this week also made us turn our minds to the anticipation of another family wedding in the next year or so (more on that later).

This is Granny K (Mum) and Dad on their wedding day in Brisbane on 20th September 1941 just before the war was really starting to heat up for countries in close proximity to Asia.  Betty was 27 when she married and Dad was 26.  Their wedding outfits were very elegant, and good quality, but they reflected the prevailing mood of wartime austerity. Dorothy Coleman was a well known studio photographer in Brisbane at the time.
  

Twenty six years later on the 25th November 1967 Maxine (my sister) married Rod at St Andrew's Church in South Brisbane. Ros and I were their bridesmaids, and looked very fetching in powder blue satin with upswept hair dos (lots of teasing and hairspray).  The 60s social revolution had not really hit families like ours so Maxine and Rod's wedding was still quite traditional - although Maxine had tried to introduce some personal expression by designing and making THE DRESS (and the veil).  Maxine was a week off 21 years old when she married Rod (who was 21 himself by then).

Forty years ago in 1972 we were married in the Catholic church on Annerley Road on a hot January day (the 8th) in Brisbane.  I was twenty years old at the time and Rob was three days off being 21.  The 60s social revolution had even hit Brisbane by now but not much of it influenced our wedding.  There were a few informal touches (that Carly Simon style hat was considered very daring) and my dress, the colour of Rob's shirt and the length of his hair were all a bit hippy inspired but apart from that our wedding was mostly what our families at that time expected it to be.  We didn't have a professional photographer and relied on friends and families for their "happy snaps".

Then, in 1978 on the 4th March, Ros married Pete in a beautiful sub-tropical garden setting in Sunnybank in Brisbane.  They had a marriage celebrant and a casual buffet style reception under marquees in the garden...no veils, no trains, no professional photographers, not even a tie for Pete.  Ros was 19 when she married Pete.  Pete was just twenty. I remember really enjoying Ros and Pete's wedding! 

Mum in particular found it hard to cope with all the changes that the sixties and seventies brought to the family and society in general but even she was happy with and supportive of the choices Ros and Pete made for their wedding and everything after that.

We were all so young!!! It's an absolute miracle we've all made our marriages work the way they have....they've stood the test of time.

I do envy our kids though who've never felt the pressure to marry quite so young and who were left pretty much to choose whenever and however they wanted to do it, and even IF they wanted to do it all.  Whatever they choose to do Davey and Cath will do it beautifully I know. We can't wait to be a part of it too!

Jungle fever happening

The Jungle fever party today was a wild event. Six hours of feverish play, presents and party food with 12 little people and all the adults. We counted at least 6 grandmothers among the invited guests, four of them attached to the Price, Primrose, Pettiford clan. Big O and little A handled themselves beautifully while being deluged with tonnes of new toys, noise and all the excitement of the cubby house launch. Jeremy, Josh, Rob & Donny did the bar-b-que thing in Jeremy's amazing new outdoor kitchen under "Winton's" deck. Claire and Jeremy staged the most beautiful party for their two gorgeous boys. Unforgettable!

Baby Ella's smiles are more and more dazzling every week. Here she turns it on for Great Grandma Pettiford.

Jeremy could rely on the support of "the boys" when the going got rough and the flames licked higher.

Angus was delighted to claim the cubby house verandah as his own. He found it a real chick magnet.

John & Erin stayed the distance, looking relaxed after their five days in Melbourne to celebrate Erin's birthday.

Ella looked gorgeous in the winter sunshine.

The "talkie talkie" was a big hit.

Just a few of the gorgeous girls experiencing "Jungle Fever".

Ella with her mummy and daddy.

One of the wilder moments.

Great grandmas

Ollie's jungle cake

Two boys, two birthdays, two amazing cakes made by their amazing mummy.

It's great having a big brother to blow out the candles.

In the end it is all about the cake.