My Eldest Son

Breakfast at Shelly's

Dinner Party

Yudian, me & Pete in Limo

Moonlight at Shelly's

Like most mothers, my kids light up my life. On Thursday night my eldest son Benn flew into the Gold Coast for a lightning visit to Ballina. I met his plane, then we had a lovely hour catching up as we drove south to Ballina. It was already dark, so he was unable to see the beauty of the drive - it really is spectacular with the rolling green hills, beautiful blue ocean, macadamia and banana plantations...he would get to see it on his return trip though.

On Saturday Benn & I picked up my sister Gemma, her husband Bill, and our Aunt Dympna, and had breakfast together at Shelly Beach Cafe overlooking the ocean. After that Benn & I took a drive in Gem & Bill's car (Murray had ours up north on his fishing trip) up to Byron Bay, 30 mins north. We had a late lunch in the Beach Hotel on the sea (I am guessing by now that you know I love a water view), before returning to Ballina. A few hours later my brother Tony and his wife Yudian had arrived to stay at the motel across the road, and rang to say the wine was chilled and invited us over for a drink. Benn & I walked across the road, and joined them in the motel room until Yudian and I left the guys chatting about the share market while we returned to the B&B to look at beads & knitting. An hour later we got a phone call from my sister Ret to say that her and her husband Peter were now also at the motel, and they invited us over for a drink. I could get very used to this...

Before we knew it, the time had come to leave for our dinner date - we had reserved a round table for 9 people at our favourite Chinese Restaurant. The six of us met Gem, Bill & Dympna there and had a very enjoyable evening - good company, good food, and fine wines. A white limousine spirited us away at the end of the evening, and rather than taking us straight home, he took us out to view the full moon shining over the waves at Shelly's Beach - none of us were immune to the beauty of the scene before us where the moon made the waves all silver and tThe Southern Cross twinkled in the night sky. Another treasured evening to remember.

Sadly, the morning came too soon, and it was time for our goodbyes. Benn hopped into Pete's car and they dropped him off at the airport on their way home. He is now heading for a new adventure walking the Inca trail in South America with a group of his mates, then meeting Daina for a holiday in Italy where they will attend a wedding and take a cooking class in Tuscany. If my own life wasn't so wonderful I could almost envy them....