Introducing My Family.....

I was travelling on a train many years ago with our oldest three children. The only other occupant of the carriage at the time was a young man who sat a few seats away, side-on to us. I noticed that he was stealing glances at us and I began to wonder why. I tried to imagine what it was that he was seeing.

I was a very contented young mother, just turned twenty four. Five month old Jonathan was in a stroller. Our happy, smiling Michael was a rotund 20 month old, and Tammy was not yet three. We were excited to be out of home and on a train trip. We chatted about everything we saw, and I was explaining that Daddy would soon be meeting us on our way to visit the Brisbane Exhibition.

As I imagined myself and our children through that young man’s eyes, I saw suddenly that I was exactly where I wanted to be in my life right then, and I was overcome by a sense of gratitude. I had everything that I had ever really wanted, and so much more than I had ever expected. I think that what that young man felt when he looked at us, was a sense of wonder, and even awe at our happiness. That's what I felt.

We eventually had seven children over ten years. I’d like to introduce my family to you -

It all began with a marriage back in 1981 that took place in the New Zealand temple. Neil likes to say that I saved him from being a ‘special interest’. He was almost twenty six and I was twenty two. I like to say that the best thing that can ever be said of me is that I had the good sense to marry him!


For Christmas last year Michael gave each of our family members a new cd copy of a song that was written especially for Neil, for the second Christmas of our marriage. The cd cover included this expanation:




'Toward the end of 1982 we were living in a one bedroom flat on Vulture St., Sth. Brisbane. We had no television, but I used to listen to the radio, to a station called 4BH. The station ran a competition that year called, ‘You’re Someone Special to Me’. Listeners were invited to write in and nominate someone special in their lives. The six winning entries were to have a song written especially for and about that person that would be played on the radio on Christmas day. I wrote in about Neil. I told them how wonderful he was. I told them that he always put me and Tammy first; that he was kind and self-less and patient and helpful, especially when I was often sick. I told them that although we had very little money and Neil had only three shirts to his name, he bought some fabric for me to sew a maternity dress, (I was pregnant with Michael), rather than get something for himself. That because I loved flowers, he came home with a rose for me that he had requested from a lady who was out in her garden. I told them that whoever they chose to win, I knew that there was no-one more special than Neil. A man came to the house during the day to personally drop off the letter that told me that Neil was a winner. He said that he wanted to meet me; that out of thousands of entries, ours had been the one that had most touched them, and had been chosen first. A friend drove Tammy and me into the city, to the radio station, where I could meet with the song-writer. He wanted to know more about Neil, and the kind of music he enjoyed. I went in again later, when the songs were finished, again without Neil knowing. We didn’t have much money and this was my Christmas present for him. I was able to meet the other winners and was presented with a tape of Neil’s song in a red velvet folder, along with a script copy of the words. On Christmas day we were at his parents’ home when we heard the song on the radio for the first time. After that, for several years, we would hear it played occasionally. Although the other songs were given different titles, Neil’s was named after the title of the competition. A local girl named Kim Durrant was the singer. I believe that her husband (now the deputy mayor of Redland shire) wrote the words and music. The two crystal goblets referred to in the song were given to us by Alex Stromilo as a wedding present. Neil and I used to toast each other with them every month on the 23rd, until they were eventually broken - one of them when we took them on a camping trip because it was over the 23rd. It’s almost 28 years later now. Neil is older, but is still just as wonderful a husband and father. We’ve been blessed with a beautiful family. And I love him as much now as I did then. - Sandra Munro 2008

PRODUCED BY MICHAEL MUNRO FOR CHRISTMAS 2008'





Each one of our children has brought so much fun and joy into our lives. Memories are a wonderful blessing when they can take me back to recall so many happy, happy moments with them as they grew.

Of course there were the hard days too: illnesses, worries about money, and the stresses in 'Life', that most of us are challenged by. But there’s the joy too! I am so grateful for my family. Here they all are:

Our first-born is the tremendously talented Tammy, who is also our very own, much loved, and practically perfect angel child. Next is Michael - who likes to go by ‘Miracle Mick’, which he is for me. He is currently busy with preparations for his marriage to Bec in just over eight week’s time. Jonathon is our soon-to-be-dentist son. We love and appreciate him and his wonderful wife, Jessima, so much. Their adorable baby, Jenna, is a very much-loved first grandchild on both sides of the family. Abby has truly been the sunshine in our lives and is now happily married to James. Beautiful Bethany is eighteen and can’t wait to take on the world. Ben and Oliver are identical twins who make me proud every day.

Years ago, when I was a young nurse, I stayed by the bedside one evening of an older man who was dying. He talked about his life, and told me that if he could go back and change anything, he would have had more children. I think he had two children, but he would have loved to have more. Yet he and his wife had also wanted a nice house, a world trip, a boat and other things. They managed to accumulate all that before they were fifty he said, but by then it was too late to have a larger family. He said that in the end those material things would probably still have come to them, perhaps a little later in life, but that he had learned by then that they were nothing compared to the blessings of having family.

I also remember a day, early on in our marriage, when Neil and I were about to drive out to go someplace. I glanced back at the house, wondering, I think, if everything was locked up and safe, and then turned around to check on our three children, who were strapped into their car seats in the back of our dilapidated old Datsun. I realized then that everything that was most important to me in my life was right there in that car. The house didn't matter.

I have wondered why people would restrict themselves to having only one or two children, when it is such a universal feeling that our children, and our role as parents, are the most precious part of our lives? I've never known a parent who doesn't feel that way.

I guess that I am just greedy! I wanted more of a good thing. More people to love and be loved by -as big a family as we were able to have.