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| Journey to the North Country Hey guys, Well we've finally got it figured...and have managed to get photos up to share with you the great memories we all created Over Xmas and New Year 2005/06. Not sure if this is the most efficent way of doing it, but hey...it works for the time being. Hope you are all well and love to you all. Bry, Margy, Nate, Sam, Elijah & Noah. xoxoxoxoxoxo |
| The first few days ...and major jet-lag |
| This is Elijah and Callun. Literally just off the plane and 18 odd hours of flight behind us. We hadnt even walked out of the corridor, off the plane (though we were the last off, which became the norm) when Elijah could go no further...he packed it in there and then falling to the corridor floor with backpack still attatched. Cal is a friends of ours son who travelled with us...he was off to visit relos in Abbortsford at the same time. |
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| Daryl and Bry, first meeting in seven years. I know for Bry it was an emotional and moving experience, not just being home but seeing is dad after such a long time |
| Big gap in time on the first days photos here...this photographer fell victim to the jetlag. I vaguely remember a grand tour of the Duke boys ol haunts...but who can be sure! |
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| This I think was the second day...and while Bry was over visiting Daryl, we Aussies thought we would venture out into the streets of the Cold North Country. We were not prepared for even just stepping off the front step of the apartment building. |
| With Stanley Park at the end of the street, what a good place we thought for a stroll. No sooner had we placed our feet in the park, when someone went down on their butt. Poor Elijah went flying off the pavement, which sent the rest of us into giggles. We suddenly were aware that this was no ordinary walk in the park. After helping him up, with a great deal of effort, we took a whole step forward, in sync, and very carefully, when, you guessed it...Elijah went flying onto his back again, this time sliding down the path...oh my gawd....Who could help not laughing at the sight of it all, even Elijah was in a fit of laughter. We were too scared to move, now realising how dangerious a simple walk was. But who could stand still when we were laughing out of control. Being a bit of a country gal, I thought walking on the grass had to be safe...right?...wrong!. I instructed the kids to move to the grass, thinking it would give us some traction Unbelievable, it was just as slipperly with ice as the pavement. So...between taking bets on who was going to go down next...and being told off by some...Type A local elderly gentalmen that we were walking on the wrong side of the path....go figure!...we had fun, and it was an eye opener...and...from that point on, we had learnt .not to take our surroundings for granted |
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| Meeting Dometria and Grant, it was like we had never been apart. For what ever reason I guess different ppl meet each other one certain spiritual planes, this was definatly the case with these guys. At times they seemed like a little oasis when the going got tough. |
| DD & G-Man with Ally & The Tribal Infusion |
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| The Blueberry Gang... Elijah experienced his first taste of blueberries...between Bry, Elijah and Grant...they consumed about 10kg or more in the time we where north. |
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| Cymbo, Seth and Ally aka Tribal Infusion |
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| At the Aquarium |
| Taking the brood to the Aquariam...it was totally fun and cool. |
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| It was interesting to see the similarities between Elijah and Dakota...particularly in the silliness and energy departments...they could match each other one for one...but poor ol Sam just couldent keep up with them.. |
| It was totally cool to see where Elijah gets his great hair from...He just fit in with everyone |
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| Christmas Day at Grandad Daryl and Oma's home |
| In all honesty, this was Elijah and Noahs first ever christmas experience, and Nate and Sams first one in some years, as Bry and I had decided not to bring them up with the tradition We were'nt too sure how it would go off...but with the understanding of Oma and Grandad, Carrie and Micheal, and little Jakob...Elijah took to it like a duck to water...of course, what kid wouldent. It was also our first experience of a winter Xmas...eatiing a turkey Xmas dinner with the northern hemisphere trimmings that us southurners only see on tv movies. It truly was a different experience for us....as most Aussies are either cooking hot English meals in 35 ?-40 degree heat or celebrating with a huge variety of seafood....sun...surf...heat...flies...swimming pools...running around in our bathers....and not a snow caped mountain peak anywhere. |
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| Oma / Anne-Marie |
| Carrie, Micheal & Jakob |
| Grandad Daryl |
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| Reunions |
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| Meeting Uncle Dave at Vancouver International |
| Seth, Yanya,Cymbol and Nana Eve |
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| Dometria, Bry, Dave and Nana Eve |
| Four Generations! Cora, Yanya, Nana Eve and Dometria |
| Bry's Brood |
| DD's Brood |
| Unfortunatly Daves Clan coulden't make the trip out west. |
| "The too many mom's in one room reunion" (Actually, I guess, its the (Grandad & Grandma Smith) WB & Amanda Smith decendents reunion). Does that make sence? ( WB aka William Bryan being Nana Eves father.) The Smith story recounted by Bry The Smith clan were brought over during the slave trade from Africa, some 200 years ago, would have been sold to southern plantation owner/s during that time, and more then likely assumed the Smith name from their owners, as was the custom. After the abolition of slavery in 1865 they became Share Croppers somewhere between 1870 -1885, that being they where granted land under the Share Cropping system, and eventually given that land after the family had worked it for a number of years. WB (Brys grandad) was born in 1895 in Athens, Georgia, we assume this as thats where the family share crop farm was. On the death of his father the land was inherited by the males in the Smith family, however WB was left in charge, something the elder brother took offence to. The elder brother eventually ran WB off the land at gun point. Somewhere at this time WB and Amanda, his Blackfoot Indian and African American wife moved to Chi?cago in search of a better life (also Amanda had lost 4 infant sons on the land down south, so this too was a motivation to move away) WB and Amanada eventually moved to Washington DC where Nana Eve was born in the mid 1920's. At some point time the brother ended up dying, WB inherted fully the old sharecropping land and eventually is was divided amoungst decendents,and over time sold. After touring and recording with Duke Ellington for some years, Eve, under her performing name of Yvonne Lanaze, moved to Canada...to cut a long story short, met Daryl, and Bry and Dave were born in Toronto, Canada. |
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| Up to mischief!!! Shot in action...Cora and Elijah were snapped in mid conspiracy...after letting them disapear for 15 minutes I went to see what they had been cooking up. Hearing noise coming from a bedroom,.and...noting the light was out, I popped the camera and snapped these with the flash...totally sprung dudes!!! Bed Jumping !!!! |
| Im amazed that they could see where they were landing in the dark...by the end of their little jaunt, Nate and Sams room was a complete shambles...what fun memories though. |
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| Trips into the snow |
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| Just outside Pemburton |
| In Memory of Daryl 1929 ~ 2006 |