Still not sure about Boxing Day?

We have now experienced our very first Boxing Day Holiday, and I am still fuzzy on just what one should be doing. I was under the impression that the shops had heaps of clearance sales, but when we tried to go shopping - everything was closed. ?? So, we went to the beach, and found out that was where everyone was. Not a bad way to spend the day in any case. Dan was able to go surfing ... so he was happy.  Abby lost another tooth today, so she is eagerly waiting to see if the tooth fairy will bring Australian currency, and how much.

We had a LOVELY Christmas day,  as we were so fortunate to be invited to Christmas lunch with friends & family of a friend of Dan's in Eugene. It really is true about the Australian culture, they are so genuinely friendly and good natured. We felt so welcome and included in their celebration even though we had just met them. They even gave little gifts to all of us. Jack and Abby had a fantastic time, and made fast friends with the other kids there - by the end of the day they were running amuk under the deck and in the gardens - no shoes on, with their new mates looking for critters. At one point, a water dragon (very large lizard) about the size of a cat went running across the yard on it's back legs, the sides of its head all frilled out like something you would see on the nature channel.  The meal was out of this world, highlighted with the most amazing seafood, fresh prawns, and oysters! So good. For desert, we sampled from some of their cherished dishes - including a scrumptious plum pudding with brandy custard. A walk down the street to the beach rounded out the day where the kids were able to try out their new boogie-boards that Santa left under the tree.   

We are thinking of friends and family back home and wishing they are having a happy and wonderful holiday. We have heard that it is a white one!

Christmas in paradise

While we have been busy running around getting all of our "stuff" done, Nonnie has been taking care of the kiddos. She has been keeping them up to date on their lessons for school. They will not be starting school until the end of January. We were able to see a few schools before they let out for the holidays, and we can get the kids into the school we liked. We went to mass at the local Catholic Church and it was very nice - (Abby and Dan lit the Advent Candles during the service). We purchased a car at the Pickles Auction House, and what a fun experience that was! I got my drivers license, a library card, and signed up for medicare -   now we are on our way to becoming good little citizens. It still somehow does not feel like Christmas. It is just too warm and sunny. The holiday decorations are unique and funky. We are planning to attend a Christmas lunch at the beach on Thursday with a relative of one of Dan's friends. The customary meal is prawns, lobster and oysters. Sounds yummy. 

Yesterday, Nonnie treated us with a trip to the Taronga Zoo. The animals in this zoo really have the best views .... the zoo is on the slope of a hill across the water from downtown and everywhere you look was a stunning image of the city in the background.

Getting settled!

Our first few weeks in the Sydney area have been very exciting. The weather reminds me of San Diego... very beachy and warm, but with bouts of rain and breezes. The house we are subletting is lovely, it is tall and surrounded by a jungle-like garden. It is a short walk to bush trails, the park, and the mall. The birds outside are loud and chatty, there are large white cockatoos that roost in the trees, and cute little furry bats. The songs of the cicadas in the trees are almost a roar they are so loud. We spent a day or two just resting from traveling, then toured the local beaches. There are beaches everywhere and each one is more amazing than the last. The First Sunday we took the ferry into the city to see the sites. I was surprised at how you could just walk right up to the Opera House and even touch it. The best way to arrive in Sydney really is by the water, the views are fantastic. I can't believe we are really here. 

We finally arrived!!!

Ok. The last thing we did before leaving disneyland was take one last ride on soarin ... then we grabbed our luggage from the front desk and jumped on the airport shuttle! The strange thing was that we did not get to have December 9th. It did not exist for us. We probably will not get it back either. We left LAX international airport on the evening of December 8th, and arrived in Sydney mid morning  December 10th. The trip was pretty uneventful as those things go, and a break in Fiji was nice to get out and stretch our legs (Jerry... all was well, we never left the international lounge area - no mishaps). It was hot. Shockingly so.  I had to buy a pair of sandals and a sun dress for Abby. Immigration and customs were smooth and we entered the country tired but giddy.  The luggage BARELY fit, and I mean BARELY fit into the rental car. We had long discussions about what we were going to do if we could not get it all to fit (since our place was 40 minutes from the airport). But it fit with all of us holding a bag or two on our laps and one under our feet. I think the hertz rental car staff was highly entertained watching us cram it all in, and we easily became an urban legend " those crazy yanks". 

Beetle juice.

 Know anyone who would like to purchase a fun black VW 2001 diesel beetle with low miles? Start the new year off green.... with a biodiesel car? 

This was the one little thing we had to leave hanging, we did not get the chance to sell it before we left. 

Let me know ....

Mickey fever.

Ok, so now in case planning a move to another continent is not exciting enough for you----- try adding on a trip to DISNEYLAND!  Yup, were crazy. Well, lucky too. Dan's sister and her husband and two kids came with us! It was so much fun to travel with them and have that extra time to spend with our family. We splurged and stayed at the Grand Californian, what a treat. It was fantastic. Everyone had a great time. The weather was nice, and for the most part it was not too crowded. 

Brent, Dan and Chris liked California Screamin roller coaster the best. Abby and I liked Soarin ( I think we went at least 10 times). Jack and Ben really like the Grizzly River Rapid ride. I think Michele really liked Thunder Mountain and Small World the most. Need I say more. Fun fun fun.  But once again..... hard to say goodbye. Make sure you watch the video clips.. they are cute.

Got airborne?

Our first leg was only to Los Angeles.... but we still had quite a bit of luggage! We usually do not pack this much for a trip, but this was an exception. My mom (Nonnie) was traveling with us and we used her extra bag for checking too. We had 13 bags between all of us and 8 carry-ons.  Curbside checking turned out to be a great luxury. We were careful not to exceed 50 pounds a bag - only one was overweight. It sure makes you think about every little thing you own and if it is really a necessity? 

Farewell for now!

After spending all summer diligently fixing up our old 60 yr. house, we sold it, packed up our belongings and shipped them off for a 3 month cruise to Australia.  It was time to say goodbye to family and friends and finish up with our jobs. Ok, so we went through a large supply of kleenex. We had one last truely American holiday at Dan's parent's house in Sisters for thanksgiving. It was a wonderful time and enjoyed the long weekend with the family... even though the kids won the annual football game this year ( they got lucky!). It was really hard to say goodbye to everyone. The kids had hugs all around at their school... saying their goodbyes to their teachers and friends. Both Jack and Abby came home with wonderful posters and books that their classmates made for them - and I cannot read them without getting teary.  It was very sweet. They are going to miss O'hara school and the friends they made, it is a wonderful school.  All of a sudden it was time to go!

packing and purging!

This is my first blog entry, today is a beautiful morning in Sydney with the sun shining and the birds singing outside the window.... I will get back to that. The journey that has brought our small family to the the coast of Australia has been a very long and complicated process - not for the faint of heart! I finally have some time to catch up and start the blog that I have been meaning to create.  I wanted to share a few highlights along the way. 

Shipping Household items overseas turned out to be an expensive undertaking, so we paired down as much as possible selling most of our large furniture (thank goodness for craigslist!). Here is a snapshot of the container we sent mid-November, it was 4ft by 7ft by 7 ft tall. You can see Dan was able to squish his surfboard in at the last moment before they nailed it shut.