Ash Wednesday Blessing
Bernard and I began the lenten season with a special blessing. We were able to visit St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney. As a Church, it is awe inspiring. Everywhere you look there is beauty in art and form: the altars (there are six), Stations of the Cross, Baptistry, statues, stained glass windows, ceiling… I could go on forever! If you ever travel to Sydney, visiting the Cathedral is a must.
Photography is not allowed in the Church, but I did find a google link with pretty decent pictures: http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&q=st.+mary’s+cathedral+sydney&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=QLN8S6-iKonEsQOwt628Cw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CC8QsAQwBQ )
I couldn’t resist taking pictures of the exterior, so here are those pictures.
- The Cathedral viewed from the reflecting pool
- St. Mary's Cathedral with Garden view
- Closer view of the front of the Cathedral
The greatest part of the blessing, however, was that we were able to participate in the Solemn High Mass for Ash Wednesday. Though Mass was at 5:30 pm. the Cathedral was filled with people. As with all solemn celebrations of the liturgy, all the “extras” were there: candles, incense, special music and a VERY special Cathedral Choir. While the environment itself raises your heart and mind to worship, the music seemed to carry our praise and thanks with it. The choir was composed of about 30 young boys and 20 men. The music was a mixture of gregorian chant and polyphony, all sung a cappella. As I said, it was an incredible experience. (If you’d like to read about the choir, here’s the link: http://www.stmaryscathedral.org.au/the-choir.html You can find more about the history of this cathedral on this same website.)
Lunch Cruise in Sydney Harbor
After a wonderful Tuesday evening with Gary, Bernard and I walked back to our hotel , enjoyed the luxury of long, hot showers (after and a long walk and a hot day) and a restful nights sleep (with the A/C set at 16 degrees…oh, that’s Celsius). Wednesday morning, we left the hotel, checked out Paddy’s Market (a VERY large bazaar style “market” with a large variety of vendors), and discovered the “free shuttle” (no one told us…sore muscles are resourceful!). Once at Circular Quay, we had a little time to explore before our Captain Cook Cruise. Thank you, Claire and Craig, for a fantastic Lunch Cruise in Sydney Harbor! The food was excellent and the service was impeccable. We stayed on for two tours of the harbor…the first time through, we ate; the second, we listened to the commentary from the Sky Deck. The three hours just flew by–as you can see, we had a beautiful day for a cruise! Here are a few pictures from the cruise:
- Yes, life is good!
- It doesn't get much better...
- The view from the Sky Deck
- The Opera House with Sydney in the background
- Old and New
- We made it!
If you’re interested in checking out Captain Cook’s tours, here’s a link http://www.captaincook.com.au/home.asp?pageid=1661F5DD27C61DDC&destinationid=4D0FA70C163BD880&mgid=183
An amazing reunion!
What would you say if I told you that I met a cousin I haven’t seen in many, many, many (OK…we’re not counting them) years IN SYDNEY?! You’d probably think it was pretty far-fetched. Well, thank you, Aunt Peggy, who certainly got the ball rolling. Gary came for a conference at nearby Coogee Beach…so Bernard and I arranged to meet him on the steps of the Opera House. (Actually, that wasn’t the greatest of plans. Have you seen how many steps there are up to the Opera House?) We were to meet Tuesday at 6:30 pm AND it happened just that way. We had a wonderful time getting caught up, having a little beer (James Squire, thank you very much) and wine, and sharing some fish and chips at the Opera Bar. Who would EVER have imagined it would happen. We’re planning on getting together again…next time in the US! Here are a few pictures “just for the memories”.
- THE Harbor Bridge
- Teperas "Down Under"
- Bernard and Gary
- Three at the Opera Bar
A day in THE CITY!
Unbelieveable!!! Could things get any better? After having such an amazing time with Isaac (and his parents, of course), then the birth of Paige and such precious time with her, and now…a day in Sydney! Claire set everything up, but Bernard and I were able to pull it off. We left early on Tuesday, the 16th, taking the train into the city. We walked easily to our hotel which was across from Paddy’s Market and next to China Town–a wonderful location! Tuesday morning, we explored China Town and even experienced Yum Cha–a buffet on carts with mysterious and wonderful Chinese foods. We didn’t have a clue…but enjoyed it none the less! (Check it out: http://goaustralia.about.com/od/ausx/f/yumcha.htm) Afterwards, we checked out Darling Harbor and went to the Aquarium. Here are a couple of pictures from that part of the day…
- In front of one of the gates of China Town
- Following the signposts at Darling Harbor
- One of the walks "down under" the sea
- Now THIS is a sting ray!
- A dugong, aka Mermaid of the Sea
- Gotta Love the Birds
We’re home!
Mommy and baby came home Friday, February 5…and the adjusting is going wonderfully!!! Baby Paige is a joy. She cries when there’s a reason to cry (hungry, wet diaper, tired)…and when she sleeps, very little disturbs her. Isaac loves his little sister, and he doesn’t seem to mind that he’s sharing the spotlight. We’re happy to report that both Mom and Dad are coping with being the parents of two exceptional children quite well! And, in case you are wondering, as grandparents…we are NOT biased.
Here are a few pictures you may enjoy…we’ll try to keep them coming.
- "This is the life"
- Welcome Home!
- She's trying to talk
- She ain't heavy...
- Family photo
- Contentment
- Relaxation
- The big helper
- You lookin' at me...?
Here’s a link to a video on YouTube…it’ll give you a “feel” for this brother and sister. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuMIg8ZAQ_Y
Joining the blog-o-sphere…
We’re trying to get the bugs worked out of blogging…so here’s my first entry. We’ll keep it short with just two very special pictures. Hope you like them!
Bruno photos
Wanted to try playing around with photos, and it seems we’ve got a stockpile of Bruno photos over here, so why not throw him around the web?
Looks like it’s dead simple to get a pretty decent image gallery, you’ve just got to make sure you use something like the Windows XP image resizer before working with them here. I went ahead and made some “large” resized photos, and it automatically created the thumbnails…
Isaac and Paige :)
Just playing around a bit with embedding video…
This is Paige’s YouTube video that I downloaded, uploaded to the website (using the “Media” link on the left panel), and then embedded in the post using the “Insert/edit embedded media” button above (you might have to click the “Show/Hide Kitchen sink” button to see the video one…
Anyways, looks like it works pretty good, and it handles quicktime video without any troubles…
More baby Paige
I'm sorry to admit that I'm still having trouble getting an album online. So…here's my best effort. These are some of the more precious photo memories…
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(Yes, that is a sandwich! Isaac was sharing with his sister–the first of many times, I'm sure.)
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(This little girl has her daddy and her papa wrapped around HER little finger!)
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(…and sweet fingers they are! I have another close-up just for you, Karen… 
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But…I know you all want m-o-r-e so I was able to upload a couple of videos as well. Click on this first picture of Paige and you'll get a “moving” look at her. Sorry about the overall quality…just appreciate that I'm trying to share some of these precious moments!
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This second video has more of Isaac and his reaction to his sister. He is quite the big brother. This captures him singing to Paige as he did throughout the pregnancy.
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Welcome Baby Paige
Isaac and his mommy and daddy are proud to announce the birth of baby sister, Paige Abigail. She made her debut at 1:52 pm on Saturday, January 30, 2010 (that's Australian time!). At 10 lbs. 3 oz and 20.67 inches long, Miss Paige is a very healthy little girl. Mommy and baby are both doing well. Isaac is also doing well with nanas and papas taking up the slack for Mommy and Daddy. God is so good…praise Him for another healthy child.
Here are two small pictures–more WILL be coming!
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