I am way overdue on a post! The month of May has been chaotic it seems and time has slipped away from me. Here is a quick run-down of what this past month has looked like for the Woolard family:
1. Had a fabulous dinner at Villa d'Este in Perth with Dave and Jane - if I could have picked up my plate and licked it clean, I would have...it was THAT good.
2. Celebrated Mother's Day and the kids made it extra special for me - celebrating with our first ever afternoon tea.
3. Found a new church that we really like - more kid friendly - St. Mark's in Whitfords! In fact, I've NEVER seen so many families with 2-6 year old children congregating in a church in my life. Lindsey is also going to a really cool youth program on Friday nights at another church in Wanneroo - she LOVES it!
4. We have a been having issues with one of Lindsey's teachers who loves to bash America and the biggest issue for us on this is that it makes Lindsey feel like she has to defend herself to her friends and classmates for being a PROUD American. We currently have the parent/teacher conference set for next Friday. Pray that Sam and I find the right words that makes this lady take a long hard look at what she is teaching these kids. Otherwise, we'll be speaking again to the Head of the Department (again) and Principal if necessary. :-) If she wants to preach from her soapbox, perhaps she should find a non-public school setting. Can you tell I'm seething about his woman?
5. We went on a picnic in Gingin and visited the British Car Show. It was glorious weather that weekend. Other than the crazy line of traffic we sat in for well over an hour at a standstill (since the Perth Air Show was the same weekend and near the same place as the car show), it was a great time!
6. Sam bought a "Texas Smoker" from Barbeques Galore (yes he found out they have that retail chain here after doing some Internet research). He is determined that we will have Texas barbeque here in Oz. But I have to tell you, watching him smoke the pork chops while sipping a cup a tea (not a beer) today was hilarious to me. Lindsey and I got a good laugh at his expense and he doesn't even know it (until he reads this post that is). This one is going to make Mike (Sam's dad) proud! HA!!!
7. I got a JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm working at BHP Billiton 3 days a week and LOVING IT!
8. Lainey came down with fever and coughing her 2nd day at daycare (Wednesday). It's now Sunday and we are still battling fever, coughing and now ear infection. My poor baby is a mess and I'm worried sick there is something more to it than just a respiratory infection. I was just telling Sam how much I miss Dr. Thint! I don't think there will ever be a doctor that will be able to fill her shoes.
9. We are anxiously awaiting Pat's (Sam's mom) visit!!!! July can't come soon enough!!!!!!!!! We are going to drive North for a couple of days and go whale watching. We are taking out a private charter to spend a few hours at sea with the docile humpback whales. They go in to the bay near Kalbarri to have their calves. We can't wait to see all the babies and their moms! The kids are going to freak out and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't super excited about our adventure. We are also going to visit the Pinnacles and take in the beautiful red sand and rock coastline. Simply can't wait!
10. On May 22nd we passed our 4 MONTH mark in Oz. :-)
And while things are happening here in Oz, things are changing in Texas. We finally closed on our house. I feel pangs of jealousy about "those people" living in what was our house, but I know that will fade. I'm hoping they will make great neighbors to our friends on the block. And my parents also sold their house. They are off to live their retirement dream and find their piece of earthly heaven in the Texas Hill Country. I love my parents for being brave and stepping out in faith to live their dream....now if I can just convince them to step out in faith on get on the plane to come see us! ;-)
Wherever you are in your life, I hope this finds you well, happy and amassing your own long list of happenings for the month of May. We miss you all so much!
Cheers,
Wendy
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Nothing to do on a Tuesday night
It's a quarter till 6 P.M. The kids are watching Toy Story 3 for the humteenth time (movie of their choosing this evening while I get dinner ready). I thought I'd blog since all my pre-dinner tasks are done. We are having Ribeye steaks tonight and well, that's an easy dinner for me because I'm waiting on Sam to get home to do the grilling! :-) Nothing to do on this Tuesday night and I'm alright with that.
My mom and dad are on a cruise, so jealous! LOL! They are cruising to Jamaica, Cozumel and Grand Cayman...can you say relaxation?!? I hope they are relaxing...they should be...as long as mom isn't flying, she's good to go! ;-) To say that I am missing talking to her would be the understatement of the year! We talk just about every day via phone or Facetime (can you believe I convinced her to buy an IPad?). :-) When they get home we will close on our house - FINALLY! This whole house-selling process has been for the birds! And no, our realtor has been great - thank you Nancy! We are finally set to close starting this week and should wrap everything up by Monday. Maybe now I will get some peaceful rest. The house has been a far greater burden than I imagined and honestly, I think selling our house is cutting that final string. That really isn't our "home" anymore is it? I need to put finality on it.
I'm in job hunt mode and I have to tell you, it's been hard. I'm getting the impression that employers here want Australian people only. It's been a very discouraging process thus far, but I'm keeping at it. Thanks to some wonderful friends forwarding along my information, I have gotten some great feedback from a couple of recruiters that have lifted my spirits! I just have to find the right fit. They just have to give me a chance to interview and I'm confident I can bring it home. I'm praying!!!!!!! If you want to say a prayer for me too that would be great! ;-)
The kids are still doing great in school. I've registered Lainey and Harrison to go to a different Primary school because it is a little closer to our house and they have more options in regards to daycare (for when I find the perfect job). Harrison will get to start Kindy in February and he's very excited about that. I was worried about telling Lainey she is switching schools because of all the changes this year, but she seemed fine with me telling her that she would be going to her friend Jonathan's school in February. She surprised me and seemed excited! Whew! Lindsey is applying for a part-time job at the local pizza shop - they have really good pizza there! Hopefully she'll hear back from them. She's excited about earning some spending money and I think it's great she will learn additional responsibility. Lately we've been falling into "lazy" teenager mode and I'm not a fan. :-) This will be good for her. Yes, in case you are wondering, they can start working at 14 years old here. They are not allowed to drive until they are 17 though, which I'm thankful for. Interesting huh?
We had a good weekend. We went to Bark in the Park with Dave, Jane, her Mum, and Oscar (their lovely Golden Retriever) on Sunday. We entered Oscar and Lainey in the Best Dressed Owner & Dog competition and they walked away a winner! Lainey was thrilled! They dressed as the Princess and the Frog (dog). I'll let you be the judge as to how cute they were!
Harrison saw Spider Man and thought that was so cool! Jane got a kick out of Spider Man saying "Hi kids" followed by "Oh Hi to Mommy too" in a pimped out Spidy voice. Seriously? LOL! Oh please! :-)
Even though it was rainy on Sunday, we still had fun. We enjoyed dinner that evening at Dave & Jane's - she made a yummy Paella and Trifle for dessert! Again - YUM!!! We just adore them and would be so lost without their friendship.
Great Nana (Sam's Mom's mom) turned 90 this past weekend and they had a huge party at Mike and Pat's (Sam's parents for those of you who might not know them by name). We REALLY hated to miss out! All his family came from New York to take part in the party and we would have loved to been a part of it. Great Nana looked lovely in her princess crown and seemed to be having a wonderful time! We were able to sing her Happy Birthday via Skype, but it's just not the same because we weren't there in person to hug her and tell her how much we love her! <sign>. I'm just thankful that our family is so supportive and understanding of us not being there. We love each and every one of you!
All in all it's been a good week. I'm feeling better, the weather has been nice (we actually got some rain - which had made for good sleeping a couple of nights) and life is carrying on as it should.
Love to you all,
Wendy
My mom and dad are on a cruise, so jealous! LOL! They are cruising to Jamaica, Cozumel and Grand Cayman...can you say relaxation?!? I hope they are relaxing...they should be...as long as mom isn't flying, she's good to go! ;-) To say that I am missing talking to her would be the understatement of the year! We talk just about every day via phone or Facetime (can you believe I convinced her to buy an IPad?). :-) When they get home we will close on our house - FINALLY! This whole house-selling process has been for the birds! And no, our realtor has been great - thank you Nancy! We are finally set to close starting this week and should wrap everything up by Monday. Maybe now I will get some peaceful rest. The house has been a far greater burden than I imagined and honestly, I think selling our house is cutting that final string. That really isn't our "home" anymore is it? I need to put finality on it.
I'm in job hunt mode and I have to tell you, it's been hard. I'm getting the impression that employers here want Australian people only. It's been a very discouraging process thus far, but I'm keeping at it. Thanks to some wonderful friends forwarding along my information, I have gotten some great feedback from a couple of recruiters that have lifted my spirits! I just have to find the right fit. They just have to give me a chance to interview and I'm confident I can bring it home. I'm praying!!!!!!! If you want to say a prayer for me too that would be great! ;-)
The kids are still doing great in school. I've registered Lainey and Harrison to go to a different Primary school because it is a little closer to our house and they have more options in regards to daycare (for when I find the perfect job). Harrison will get to start Kindy in February and he's very excited about that. I was worried about telling Lainey she is switching schools because of all the changes this year, but she seemed fine with me telling her that she would be going to her friend Jonathan's school in February. She surprised me and seemed excited! Whew! Lindsey is applying for a part-time job at the local pizza shop - they have really good pizza there! Hopefully she'll hear back from them. She's excited about earning some spending money and I think it's great she will learn additional responsibility. Lately we've been falling into "lazy" teenager mode and I'm not a fan. :-) This will be good for her. Yes, in case you are wondering, they can start working at 14 years old here. They are not allowed to drive until they are 17 though, which I'm thankful for. Interesting huh?
We had a good weekend. We went to Bark in the Park with Dave, Jane, her Mum, and Oscar (their lovely Golden Retriever) on Sunday. We entered Oscar and Lainey in the Best Dressed Owner & Dog competition and they walked away a winner! Lainey was thrilled! They dressed as the Princess and the Frog (dog). I'll let you be the judge as to how cute they were!
Harrison saw Spider Man and thought that was so cool! Jane got a kick out of Spider Man saying "Hi kids" followed by "Oh Hi to Mommy too" in a pimped out Spidy voice. Seriously? LOL! Oh please! :-)
Even though it was rainy on Sunday, we still had fun. We enjoyed dinner that evening at Dave & Jane's - she made a yummy Paella and Trifle for dessert! Again - YUM!!! We just adore them and would be so lost without their friendship.
Great Nana (Sam's Mom's mom) turned 90 this past weekend and they had a huge party at Mike and Pat's (Sam's parents for those of you who might not know them by name). We REALLY hated to miss out! All his family came from New York to take part in the party and we would have loved to been a part of it. Great Nana looked lovely in her princess crown and seemed to be having a wonderful time! We were able to sing her Happy Birthday via Skype, but it's just not the same because we weren't there in person to hug her and tell her how much we love her! <sign>. I'm just thankful that our family is so supportive and understanding of us not being there. We love each and every one of you!
All in all it's been a good week. I'm feeling better, the weather has been nice (we actually got some rain - which had made for good sleeping a couple of nights) and life is carrying on as it should.
Love to you all,
Wendy
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Middle of the day
Ok, so yeah, it's been more than a day or two since my last post. And yes, that is about how long it's taken me to get in the right frame of mind to update the blog. And plus, updating this thing when it's late isn't maybe the best time. Yes it's much more quiet in the house, but I'm also completely exhausted, which could equal a more emotional state maybe? LOL! So it's the middle of the day here and I'm giving it a shot. ;-) At least I'm starting this one with the best of intentions on NOT boo-hooing before I even get to the end!
One extremely big bright spot since April 16th was celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary. I've really been thinking about our relationship lately. The thought that remains front and center for me is how very lucky I am. Before we met, Sam was unlucky in love, having dealt with women (2 in particular) who now proudly have nicknames from very memorable South Park episodes. And me, well the guys weren't bad guys and lucky for me, none were worthy of nicknames from South Park, rather they just weren't right for me or I wasn't right for them...however you choose to look at it. Whatever master plan God was working out for us, I'm thankful. Some have told me they think Sam and I are an odd pairing, as we are complete opposites. But I will tell you, we agree on the things that matter. Sam is a man who changed baby diapers in the middle of the night, fed the babies when he was able, changed a poo diaper without whining first, gives the kids a bath (to this day), hangs out with them, reads to them, holds the kids when they're up in the middle of the night with a bad cough, and above all else encourages them. I know these sound like things for the kids, but I appreciate them as if they were for me. A helping husband equals a happy wife. He's my confidant and best friend in the whole world. There is not another man that I could ever picture myself loving more than this man. I only wish I had met him sooner than I did, as it would have been another day, another month, another year loving him. I'll take comfort in the fact that God will hopefully grant me another 60 years to be a part of this marriage.
The weekend of our anniversary we had a nice dinner at Panorama overlooking the ocean - it was lovely! We saw a movie, which haven't done in more than a year, and we came home early to tuck our kids in bed. We spent Sunday at church and then getting ready to host some friends to help us celebrate with a nice dinner. Dave, Jane and her mother Marjorie gave us a lovely Sangria set, recipe and all! There is one thing I love here in Oz and that is Jane's Sangria! I'm excited to try my hand at it. :-)
My friend Alison (who is Australian) told me today about a woman who is from Boston that she's met a couple of times in the last few months. They've chatted at Rob's work functions. Alison asked this woman how she was getting on and the woman's reply was simply that she was merely tolerating being here. She told Alison that she hasn't met anyone that she sees herself having "meaningful relationships" with and she really just wants to move home to Boston and "put down roots." First of all, you all should know, Alison is one of the kindest sweetest souls I've ever met. She's a fabulous mom and friend. I feel incredibly lucky that God brought the two of us together months ago. How sad for this lady from Boston that she couldn't see past her own...crap...or whatever you want to call it, to see a meaningful relationship standing in front of her, asking her how she was getting on. One thing is for sure, I am not and do not want to be that person. However homesick I may be, I am not "emotionally shut down for business." For me, the people that I have befriended here are what make it all worth it. I'm meeting people from many different cultures and backgrounds, and I'm embracing it. I see this as one of God's many gifts to me. It's a pretty amazing thing when you can set down at a table in the park with 3 other women, all from different countries. There are so many things that you find you have in common....things that transcend all cultural boundaries. Even better is to see all the children playing together as if they have been best friends their whole lives! It's really amazing!
Hmm, yes, I think I'll post in the middle of the day again. I'm smiling and not teary at all. The sun is shining and my heart is full. It's a good day.
Love to you all,
Wendy
One extremely big bright spot since April 16th was celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary. I've really been thinking about our relationship lately. The thought that remains front and center for me is how very lucky I am. Before we met, Sam was unlucky in love, having dealt with women (2 in particular) who now proudly have nicknames from very memorable South Park episodes. And me, well the guys weren't bad guys and lucky for me, none were worthy of nicknames from South Park, rather they just weren't right for me or I wasn't right for them...however you choose to look at it. Whatever master plan God was working out for us, I'm thankful. Some have told me they think Sam and I are an odd pairing, as we are complete opposites. But I will tell you, we agree on the things that matter. Sam is a man who changed baby diapers in the middle of the night, fed the babies when he was able, changed a poo diaper without whining first, gives the kids a bath (to this day), hangs out with them, reads to them, holds the kids when they're up in the middle of the night with a bad cough, and above all else encourages them. I know these sound like things for the kids, but I appreciate them as if they were for me. A helping husband equals a happy wife. He's my confidant and best friend in the whole world. There is not another man that I could ever picture myself loving more than this man. I only wish I had met him sooner than I did, as it would have been another day, another month, another year loving him. I'll take comfort in the fact that God will hopefully grant me another 60 years to be a part of this marriage.
The weekend of our anniversary we had a nice dinner at Panorama overlooking the ocean - it was lovely! We saw a movie, which haven't done in more than a year, and we came home early to tuck our kids in bed. We spent Sunday at church and then getting ready to host some friends to help us celebrate with a nice dinner. Dave, Jane and her mother Marjorie gave us a lovely Sangria set, recipe and all! There is one thing I love here in Oz and that is Jane's Sangria! I'm excited to try my hand at it. :-)
My friend Alison (who is Australian) told me today about a woman who is from Boston that she's met a couple of times in the last few months. They've chatted at Rob's work functions. Alison asked this woman how she was getting on and the woman's reply was simply that she was merely tolerating being here. She told Alison that she hasn't met anyone that she sees herself having "meaningful relationships" with and she really just wants to move home to Boston and "put down roots." First of all, you all should know, Alison is one of the kindest sweetest souls I've ever met. She's a fabulous mom and friend. I feel incredibly lucky that God brought the two of us together months ago. How sad for this lady from Boston that she couldn't see past her own...crap...or whatever you want to call it, to see a meaningful relationship standing in front of her, asking her how she was getting on. One thing is for sure, I am not and do not want to be that person. However homesick I may be, I am not "emotionally shut down for business." For me, the people that I have befriended here are what make it all worth it. I'm meeting people from many different cultures and backgrounds, and I'm embracing it. I see this as one of God's many gifts to me. It's a pretty amazing thing when you can set down at a table in the park with 3 other women, all from different countries. There are so many things that you find you have in common....things that transcend all cultural boundaries. Even better is to see all the children playing together as if they have been best friends their whole lives! It's really amazing!
Hmm, yes, I think I'll post in the middle of the day again. I'm smiling and not teary at all. The sun is shining and my heart is full. It's a good day.
Love to you all,
Wendy
Monday, April 16, 2012
Type - Delete - Start Over
I think I've sat down at least 3 times to try to update you in the last couple of weeks, but weirdly enough, I'm not sure how far I want to go in what I say. I think it's because I feel really fragile right now. Sounds corny telling you that, but it's absolutely true. I'm happy one minute and a complete mess the next. Ladies and gentlemen, the rollercoaster has hit new highs and new lows. I really do need to find a new metaphor for the emotion of all this, but geez, it's all I can think of to describe the "process."
All the things I want to talk about via this blog seem to come to me at night when I lay my head on the pillow, turn out the lights and close my eyes. I wouldn't quite call it "creative juices," but more like inner ramblings and wanderings. My brain goes in so many different directions. And the thing is, when you know you have all these blessings around you, it's hard to sit down and type something that sounds so unbelievabley negative. Things aren't bad here, they just aren't home. That's to be expected. <self realization moment> I HAVE to quite talking about this place like it isn't my home now. It is my home...for at least the next 33 months. I owe it to myself and my family to make this our home. So maybe I'll leave it at that tonight.
A very dear person to me always used to say, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Until then, I'll suck it up (thanks mom - I do love you for that piece of advice this morning) and come back in a day or two with more positive words. I'm going to allow God to continue to work on me.
Love to you all,
Wendy
All the things I want to talk about via this blog seem to come to me at night when I lay my head on the pillow, turn out the lights and close my eyes. I wouldn't quite call it "creative juices," but more like inner ramblings and wanderings. My brain goes in so many different directions. And the thing is, when you know you have all these blessings around you, it's hard to sit down and type something that sounds so unbelievabley negative. Things aren't bad here, they just aren't home. That's to be expected. <self realization moment> I HAVE to quite talking about this place like it isn't my home now. It is my home...for at least the next 33 months. I owe it to myself and my family to make this our home. So maybe I'll leave it at that tonight.
A very dear person to me always used to say, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Until then, I'll suck it up (thanks mom - I do love you for that piece of advice this morning) and come back in a day or two with more positive words. I'm going to allow God to continue to work on me.
Love to you all,
Wendy
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Blah
It's a nice Saturday afternoon here. Not a single cloud in this bright blue sky and a crisp 72 degrees. Harrison is napping, Lainey is watching a Barbie movie, Lindsey is on her computer in her room, Sam is off to his first "footie" game with Rob (new friends) and because of this invite is hanging out in the BHP corporate suite at the stadium in Fremantle. And I'm chatting here with you.
I asked myself if it was a good idea to sit down and type this post because I've actually already cried a couple of times today. I sometimes get emotional at the end of the post, but I don't usually start off too terribly bad. Today is a bit backwards. We got word on our house that the appraisal came in much lower than the negotiated price and because the people buying our home are using FHA, our worst nightmare about botched appraisals is coming true. I think the words to our realtor, Sam and my parents were GUT-PUNCHED. It's very difficult to "give your house away." I'm fearful of the market, that it won't turn around in the next year, and in fact, it may be worse. We can't rent it - too difficult to be a landlord that lives on the other side of the world and couldn't get enough in rent to cover the costs having someone manage it for us. So we take that deep breath in and just go forward.
I posted on Facebook and many of you took a moment from your day to encourage me with scripture, prayer, thoughts and kind words. I love you for that. Thank you.
Monday the container is coming!!! To get away from the thoughts in my head today, we went to Ikea and picked up a few inexpensive storage items for our closets because the closet in our (purple) Master bedroom is very small. I'm going to have to get creative on how to make it all fit. The kids were behaved today - they must have known I needed good behavior out of them. With items bought,we were able to fit it all in the car - including me. LOL! I have to say, the car ride home, uncomfortable as it was, got a good chuckle out of Sam and I both (and probably all those standing on the loading dock watching us trying to get it all in - just that no one was bold enough to laugh out loud). It's always nice when you catch that needed emotional break from all the things that are horribly wrong at the moment.
But I guess that's it isn't it? It's just a moment, just a day, just another few weeks until we close on the house and put this behind us. And then the pangs of guilt. I am not fighting a battle with cancer, like my friend Karen is, I am not homeless, don't feel forgotten by this world and I am healthy with 3 extremly loving and beautiful children. I have a strong loving husband at my side. And hey, let's face it, I can cook pretty darn well and I have FOOD in the pantry to cook...we are not starving. So there's my silver lining isn't it? God is good. Stay focused. Love each other. Make the best of each day. Live the adventure. Pay it forward.
(Oh yeah...and stop crying!)
Love you all,
Wendy
I asked myself if it was a good idea to sit down and type this post because I've actually already cried a couple of times today. I sometimes get emotional at the end of the post, but I don't usually start off too terribly bad. Today is a bit backwards. We got word on our house that the appraisal came in much lower than the negotiated price and because the people buying our home are using FHA, our worst nightmare about botched appraisals is coming true. I think the words to our realtor, Sam and my parents were GUT-PUNCHED. It's very difficult to "give your house away." I'm fearful of the market, that it won't turn around in the next year, and in fact, it may be worse. We can't rent it - too difficult to be a landlord that lives on the other side of the world and couldn't get enough in rent to cover the costs having someone manage it for us. So we take that deep breath in and just go forward.
I posted on Facebook and many of you took a moment from your day to encourage me with scripture, prayer, thoughts and kind words. I love you for that. Thank you.
Monday the container is coming!!! To get away from the thoughts in my head today, we went to Ikea and picked up a few inexpensive storage items for our closets because the closet in our (purple) Master bedroom is very small. I'm going to have to get creative on how to make it all fit. The kids were behaved today - they must have known I needed good behavior out of them. With items bought,we were able to fit it all in the car - including me. LOL! I have to say, the car ride home, uncomfortable as it was, got a good chuckle out of Sam and I both (and probably all those standing on the loading dock watching us trying to get it all in - just that no one was bold enough to laugh out loud). It's always nice when you catch that needed emotional break from all the things that are horribly wrong at the moment.
But I guess that's it isn't it? It's just a moment, just a day, just another few weeks until we close on the house and put this behind us. And then the pangs of guilt. I am not fighting a battle with cancer, like my friend Karen is, I am not homeless, don't feel forgotten by this world and I am healthy with 3 extremly loving and beautiful children. I have a strong loving husband at my side. And hey, let's face it, I can cook pretty darn well and I have FOOD in the pantry to cook...we are not starving. So there's my silver lining isn't it? God is good. Stay focused. Love each other. Make the best of each day. Live the adventure. Pay it forward.
(Oh yeah...and stop crying!)
Love you all,
Wendy
Friday, March 23, 2012
2 Months - Surviving?
So are we surviving? Of course we are surviving, so maybe the question is...are we thriving? By Webster's definition - to do well or prosper - the short answer is an enthusiastic YES!
We have a great house, live in an amazing suburb (every time we drive to our house, we come over a hill and the Indian Ocean, in all it's turquoise wonder, is laid out before us), have made two new sets of friends that both have kids Lainey & Harrison's age (so that is 4 new friends for Lainey & Harrison as well), Lindsey and Lainey are doing fantastic in school, Sam works with wonderful people, I'm learning my way around and how to effectively shop and we've found a church home. As we pass the 2 month mark, I'm feeling extremely blessed and proud of Sam and I for staying positive in this process and loving and encouraging each other. The homesickness is always with you, but it's a bit like a roller coaster. Some days are really good days, and then some days are really bad days. I have to say that I've tried really hard to not get too far down and depressed. What good does it do to allow myself to go there anyway? We are here, and we are tasked with making the best of this adventure. And as a parent, it's my job to never let the kids see me sad. Their need to see me be strong about the move has really made it easier for me to stay strong.
So what have we been up to this last month (since I've clearly been too busy to blog since March 1st)? I'll touch on the highlights. We've been to the beach - Yanchep (the lagoon). Yes, it is the same beach that the showed the shark frenzy at a couple of weeks ago. I have several of you mention they showed that on the news. Keep in mind they were not Great White Sharks, but yes, sharks nonetheless. All I can say is that we don't typically get very far in, never go out past the sand bar (which you can see in the picture below - where the water is breaking in the distance), and thank goodness for the air & land patrols that keep a look-out for the dark shadows in the sea.
Here are a few pics from that adventure - like always you'll find more on Facebook.
We also went to Lansdale Farm with some of our new friends and their kids. We had a fantastic Sunday afternoon! The farm is large with a petting area at least 2 acres. They have chickens (actually enjoy letting the kids touch them), cows, sheep & goats that wander around freely and also like to be pet, pigs, ponies and fish. They grow fresh vegetables and Lainey loved this part - said this was like Grandpa B.'s garden in Needville. (Forgot to take my camera with me - so no pictures of this little adventure.) :-(
I've been having the kids do activities here at home. We made sun catchers to send back to some of our family (we just mailed them Wednesday - so they are on the way). Lainey has been working on writing her name and I must say she has nailed it, except her N is backwards, but hey she's doing great! She's already adding numbers...I think she's going to be a little math whiz - like her daddy. That would be just fine with me! I didn't think we had a Build-A-Bear here (but I have since been told we actually do) so I made the kids sock animals - Charlie the monkey for Harrison & Alice the rabbit for Lainey. They love them and sleep with them every night. Today we made Easter hats for the Easter Parade that she will be participating in at school. Naturally I made Harrison one too. I figured he can wear his when we go watch Lainey's parade. Here are pictures of the creations (Lainey dictated the placement of every single item on both hats and you KNOW the hats had to be glittery):
I've been cooking a lot and loving it, as always. I made homemade cinnamon rolls yesterday and oh my....SO GOOD! The dough was absolutely perfect! Yum just yum! It's funny the things that remind you of home. They don't have cinnamon rolls here, which is one of the MANY things I'm finding they don't have. I've order a few things we wanted from the USA Foods store in Melbourne, but they were out of a lot of stock, so I was limited on what I can buy. Besides that, it is very expensive to buy from there...so I had to stick with buying a few treats - like Bisquick! :-)
Updates on a few logistics - our container is HERE, but not technically HERE. It has currently cleared customs and is now in quarantine for who knows how long. We are praying we get it before Easter. We are waiting on the call from Crown Relocations to tell us a delivery date. It seems like that is still so far away even though I pray it is any day now. I know I've said in previous blogs that I've been told it will feel like Christmas when we get our stuff, I'm not so sure. I mean, I'm DYING to have my bed back, as I've totally over sleeping on Ikea foam, but I am also worried it is going to make me miss home more than I already do. I don't know...something about seeing all our things...in this house...and not in 2012 Stapleton Drive. <sigh> We'll see how I feel when the delivery truck pulls up! We have a contract on our house in Friendswood and hope to close by mid April. However, with changes in banking/lender laws since the credit crisis, many appraisals are being botched (coming in way lower than fair market value) and people are having to give their houses away if they want to sell them. PLEASE pray our appraisal goes through without a hitch and the house appraises for the negotiated price. We really need to sell the house in order to be at financial peace here. I am now working with the recruiter to find a job. I've laid out the hours I want to work, salary requirements, etc. Now all I have to do is wait to see what's out there. I am very hesitant about putting the kids in daycare. I've visited a few and one I liked and the other I didn't. I walked out of there with tears in my eyes...this particular one just wasn't for my kids. I didn't feel good about it in my gut. Please pray the one I have chosen still has openings when the time comes for me to start working.
Thank you all for your kind words of support. We appreciate you staying connected with us! We love and miss you all.
Cheers,
Wendy
We have a great house, live in an amazing suburb (every time we drive to our house, we come over a hill and the Indian Ocean, in all it's turquoise wonder, is laid out before us), have made two new sets of friends that both have kids Lainey & Harrison's age (so that is 4 new friends for Lainey & Harrison as well), Lindsey and Lainey are doing fantastic in school, Sam works with wonderful people, I'm learning my way around and how to effectively shop and we've found a church home. As we pass the 2 month mark, I'm feeling extremely blessed and proud of Sam and I for staying positive in this process and loving and encouraging each other. The homesickness is always with you, but it's a bit like a roller coaster. Some days are really good days, and then some days are really bad days. I have to say that I've tried really hard to not get too far down and depressed. What good does it do to allow myself to go there anyway? We are here, and we are tasked with making the best of this adventure. And as a parent, it's my job to never let the kids see me sad. Their need to see me be strong about the move has really made it easier for me to stay strong.
So what have we been up to this last month (since I've clearly been too busy to blog since March 1st)? I'll touch on the highlights. We've been to the beach - Yanchep (the lagoon). Yes, it is the same beach that the showed the shark frenzy at a couple of weeks ago. I have several of you mention they showed that on the news. Keep in mind they were not Great White Sharks, but yes, sharks nonetheless. All I can say is that we don't typically get very far in, never go out past the sand bar (which you can see in the picture below - where the water is breaking in the distance), and thank goodness for the air & land patrols that keep a look-out for the dark shadows in the sea.
Here are a few pics from that adventure - like always you'll find more on Facebook.
We also went to Lansdale Farm with some of our new friends and their kids. We had a fantastic Sunday afternoon! The farm is large with a petting area at least 2 acres. They have chickens (actually enjoy letting the kids touch them), cows, sheep & goats that wander around freely and also like to be pet, pigs, ponies and fish. They grow fresh vegetables and Lainey loved this part - said this was like Grandpa B.'s garden in Needville. (Forgot to take my camera with me - so no pictures of this little adventure.) :-(
I've been having the kids do activities here at home. We made sun catchers to send back to some of our family (we just mailed them Wednesday - so they are on the way). Lainey has been working on writing her name and I must say she has nailed it, except her N is backwards, but hey she's doing great! She's already adding numbers...I think she's going to be a little math whiz - like her daddy. That would be just fine with me! I didn't think we had a Build-A-Bear here (but I have since been told we actually do) so I made the kids sock animals - Charlie the monkey for Harrison & Alice the rabbit for Lainey. They love them and sleep with them every night. Today we made Easter hats for the Easter Parade that she will be participating in at school. Naturally I made Harrison one too. I figured he can wear his when we go watch Lainey's parade. Here are pictures of the creations (Lainey dictated the placement of every single item on both hats and you KNOW the hats had to be glittery):
I've been cooking a lot and loving it, as always. I made homemade cinnamon rolls yesterday and oh my....SO GOOD! The dough was absolutely perfect! Yum just yum! It's funny the things that remind you of home. They don't have cinnamon rolls here, which is one of the MANY things I'm finding they don't have. I've order a few things we wanted from the USA Foods store in Melbourne, but they were out of a lot of stock, so I was limited on what I can buy. Besides that, it is very expensive to buy from there...so I had to stick with buying a few treats - like Bisquick! :-)
Updates on a few logistics - our container is HERE, but not technically HERE. It has currently cleared customs and is now in quarantine for who knows how long. We are praying we get it before Easter. We are waiting on the call from Crown Relocations to tell us a delivery date. It seems like that is still so far away even though I pray it is any day now. I know I've said in previous blogs that I've been told it will feel like Christmas when we get our stuff, I'm not so sure. I mean, I'm DYING to have my bed back, as I've totally over sleeping on Ikea foam, but I am also worried it is going to make me miss home more than I already do. I don't know...something about seeing all our things...in this house...and not in 2012 Stapleton Drive. <sigh> We'll see how I feel when the delivery truck pulls up! We have a contract on our house in Friendswood and hope to close by mid April. However, with changes in banking/lender laws since the credit crisis, many appraisals are being botched (coming in way lower than fair market value) and people are having to give their houses away if they want to sell them. PLEASE pray our appraisal goes through without a hitch and the house appraises for the negotiated price. We really need to sell the house in order to be at financial peace here. I am now working with the recruiter to find a job. I've laid out the hours I want to work, salary requirements, etc. Now all I have to do is wait to see what's out there. I am very hesitant about putting the kids in daycare. I've visited a few and one I liked and the other I didn't. I walked out of there with tears in my eyes...this particular one just wasn't for my kids. I didn't feel good about it in my gut. Please pray the one I have chosen still has openings when the time comes for me to start working.
Thank you all for your kind words of support. We appreciate you staying connected with us! We love and miss you all.
Cheers,
Wendy
Thursday, March 1, 2012
One Month
We've been in Australia a month and we are trying to find some semblance of a routine, but things are still new and I think we are all still trying to get our bearings.
The kids are doing well in school. Lindsey's doing great, better than all of us probably. She's got nice friends, already had a sleepover at a friend's house, and went snorkeling for P.E. today. Not too shabby. Lainey loves her school and is looking forward to a Bear Picnic next Friday. She is VERY excited about this event and can't stop talking about it. She told her MiMi she wanted to be an astronaut, as we checked out some really cool books from the library - one of which happened to be about an astronaut. However, today she told me she wants to be a teacher. :-) Sounds good to me...I know some really great teachers out there! Harrison still talks about going home every day. Some days he likes this house, some days he doesn't. It seems to be he likes it on the days that we swim in the pool! HA! Sam is doing alright - he's still adjusting to work and trying to finish up his last 3 classes to get his MBA! He is thrilled about completing his last class this summer. He's worked so hard and I'm so proud of him! I think he'll FINALLY be done with his last degree, as all that would be left is a doctorate! Me well...
Sleep...it's something I'm having a hard time doing lately. It's very strange because now that I don't work, I should have less stress = less thoughts running through my head when I'm trying to go to bed right? Ugh. No longer do I have to worry about clients, my work to-do list, and making sure I balance my work life with my family life, so that's fine and dandy, so why no sleep?
I suppose I try to keep myself so busy with the kids, keeping house, running errands, and settling in these days, that when I lay my head on the pillow, that's when the thoughts that have been suppressed for the day are ready to surface. Someone dear to Sam and I is fighting cancer with everything she has and it saddens me that she has to face such a battle at a young age. I've been stopping to pray for her throughout my day, but you realize just how blessed you are as the day closes and you have your health, let alone all the other countless blessings our family has been given. Next up, Harrison jumped in the pool the other day, with all the confidence that he is the best swimmer in the world, sending me into the pool to snatch him from the water and throw him on the side of the pool. Granted I was outside, cleaning the pool (while he was supposed to be waiting patiently to get in when I was done) and we have locks on the windows and doors that the kids can't open, but now I'm completely paranoid. I got up last night, as if they would ever try to go outside at night in the dark by themselves, to check all the locks...not once, but twice. Closing my eyes equals me replaying him gulping for air as he struggles to "swim" to keep his head above the water. Yes, swimming lessons are high on the priority list! Booking flights for Lindsey is proving to an (expensive) challenge, as all the discount flight outlets consider her a minor and will not allow us to book through them, thus costing significantly more money. Ah, I digress. I just may have to take a sleeping pill and get over it. LOL!
We did have a good weekend this past weekend, and I am officially a fan of Turkish food! It was fantastic and I can't wait to go back. Perhaps it was also the time with Sam...going on a date was nice. We took the train down to Fremantle (a suburb on the ocean south of Perth). It's an ecclectic place with a lot of bars and restaurants. What's great about public transportation is that you can take your own wine, drink the whole bottle if you want, and then hop back on a train. The train station is about 2 miles from our house. I really do love the whole (clean) public transport thing they have going on here. It would be so nice to see more of that in the U.S.
Up on the agenda this weekend is the Perth Zoo. Then maybe Monday we'll head to the beach. Monday is a holiday for us here, so we are looking forward to Sam being home to spend the day with us. I'll hopefully have plenty of pictures to upload, so keep a look out on here and on Facebook.
We've "survived" one month in the midst of spiders, sharks and the other top ten deadly animals. Not too shabby I guess.
Cheers,
Wendy
The kids are doing well in school. Lindsey's doing great, better than all of us probably. She's got nice friends, already had a sleepover at a friend's house, and went snorkeling for P.E. today. Not too shabby. Lainey loves her school and is looking forward to a Bear Picnic next Friday. She is VERY excited about this event and can't stop talking about it. She told her MiMi she wanted to be an astronaut, as we checked out some really cool books from the library - one of which happened to be about an astronaut. However, today she told me she wants to be a teacher. :-) Sounds good to me...I know some really great teachers out there! Harrison still talks about going home every day. Some days he likes this house, some days he doesn't. It seems to be he likes it on the days that we swim in the pool! HA! Sam is doing alright - he's still adjusting to work and trying to finish up his last 3 classes to get his MBA! He is thrilled about completing his last class this summer. He's worked so hard and I'm so proud of him! I think he'll FINALLY be done with his last degree, as all that would be left is a doctorate! Me well...
Sleep...it's something I'm having a hard time doing lately. It's very strange because now that I don't work, I should have less stress = less thoughts running through my head when I'm trying to go to bed right? Ugh. No longer do I have to worry about clients, my work to-do list, and making sure I balance my work life with my family life, so that's fine and dandy, so why no sleep?
I suppose I try to keep myself so busy with the kids, keeping house, running errands, and settling in these days, that when I lay my head on the pillow, that's when the thoughts that have been suppressed for the day are ready to surface. Someone dear to Sam and I is fighting cancer with everything she has and it saddens me that she has to face such a battle at a young age. I've been stopping to pray for her throughout my day, but you realize just how blessed you are as the day closes and you have your health, let alone all the other countless blessings our family has been given. Next up, Harrison jumped in the pool the other day, with all the confidence that he is the best swimmer in the world, sending me into the pool to snatch him from the water and throw him on the side of the pool. Granted I was outside, cleaning the pool (while he was supposed to be waiting patiently to get in when I was done) and we have locks on the windows and doors that the kids can't open, but now I'm completely paranoid. I got up last night, as if they would ever try to go outside at night in the dark by themselves, to check all the locks...not once, but twice. Closing my eyes equals me replaying him gulping for air as he struggles to "swim" to keep his head above the water. Yes, swimming lessons are high on the priority list! Booking flights for Lindsey is proving to an (expensive) challenge, as all the discount flight outlets consider her a minor and will not allow us to book through them, thus costing significantly more money. Ah, I digress. I just may have to take a sleeping pill and get over it. LOL!
We did have a good weekend this past weekend, and I am officially a fan of Turkish food! It was fantastic and I can't wait to go back. Perhaps it was also the time with Sam...going on a date was nice. We took the train down to Fremantle (a suburb on the ocean south of Perth). It's an ecclectic place with a lot of bars and restaurants. What's great about public transportation is that you can take your own wine, drink the whole bottle if you want, and then hop back on a train. The train station is about 2 miles from our house. I really do love the whole (clean) public transport thing they have going on here. It would be so nice to see more of that in the U.S.
Up on the agenda this weekend is the Perth Zoo. Then maybe Monday we'll head to the beach. Monday is a holiday for us here, so we are looking forward to Sam being home to spend the day with us. I'll hopefully have plenty of pictures to upload, so keep a look out on here and on Facebook.
We've "survived" one month in the midst of spiders, sharks and the other top ten deadly animals. Not too shabby I guess.
Cheers,
Wendy
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