Texas.

We made it. We have been in Texas for almost three weeks now and in our house for almost two weeks. There have been many rough days with lots of tears for everyone. Jet lag is hard. Leaving friends is hard. New schools are hard. Arranging a new life is hard. But TODAY has been a great day.

Today, the littlest two played dolls without crying, and without fighting, for two hours. This was a first since we have moved. Today, the swingset got set up. Today, the balance bike arrived. And today, I got to see my Aussie bestie face to face thanks to modern technology. TODAY has been a great day!

We will continue to adjust, little by little, back to our American life that was nearly forgotten. While so many things are the same, I had forgotten how much was different. My two little ones, who have no memory of America, remind me daily of the things that amaze them. Here are a few of my favorites...

"The chemist has a drive thru. It is just like Maccas!" (That is McD's to you Americans - and the only drive thru we know in Sydney.)

In response to seeing the swingset... "Mummy! We have our OWN park now in our OWN backyard. Can we go there whenever we want? We don't even have to drive!"

Goodbye Sydney

Don't cry because it is over. Smile because it happened.

- Dr Seuss

I saw this quote on pinterest the other day and it struck a cord with me. I am trying very hard to smile but mostly it is just tears. Today I said goodbye to my very best Aussie friends. While we laugh a lot together, we sure do turn to blubbering idiots fast. I love them and I will miss them with all my heart.

Homeward Bound

It is official. Our repatriation is inevitable and we are headed back to the great state of Texas. My mom cried tears of joy, my Aussie friends cried tears of sadness, and I have yet to cry. I am devastated to leave this amazing place we call home. I am heartbroken to say goodbye to the dear friends I have made here. And yet, I am thrilled to be returning to America. It is hard to put a finger on how I really feel at any given moment. Part of me has not yet accepted the work that lies ahead. Part of me is in denial about how long it may be before I see my Aussie friends again - but I know I will see them again. Part of me is just really excited to eat good Mexican food.

I am excited about the new adventure that is ahead. I am apprehensive about settling in Texas knowing what will be expected of J in his new job, while I am left to pick up the pieces at home. I know there are long nights of unpacking, comforting children, paperwork to be done, applications to be filled out. The list goes on. But, there are also new parks to be explored and new friends to be made. In the end, I know that God is in control of our lives and I pray for peace as he guides us in this next step.

So for now, I will just start my goodbyes. There are so many things we will miss in this land down under.

Happy Birthday!

This weekend we celebrated M's birthday. She turned 8 and it was great! We had 12 little friends flip flop on over to our house for a pool party. How fabulous to live in the Southern Hemisphere where a February birthday is a summer birthday!

Marinara Mix up

When I say marinara, what do you think of? Here is what I think of....

Marinara (mariner's) sauce is a southern Italian tomato sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs (such as basil), and onion.

Well, in Australia, that is not the case! The other night we went out to dinner with a new to town American couple to a lovely little Italian eatery. The dinner started with garlic bread and zucchini flowers. Delish! Then I had a fabulous dish of Veal while the men ordered spaghetti marinara. Now these two guys are non seafood eating, non vegetable eating kind of men. They thought they were getting a big 'ole bowl of noodles with red sauce. Imagine their surprise when what they received was a big 'ole bowl of octopus, prawns, clams and more. Oh, and little spaghetti. So, we have learned a new lesson of culture shock after two years... Marinara in Australia means SEAFOOD!

I wish I had taken a picture of the actual dish but here is one that looks similar in content!

Nana and Gipa time...

We had lots of fun with Nana and Gipa. Since this was their second visit to Sydney, we did not play tourist quite as much as their last visit. But, we still found plenty of ways to keep us busy!

Angelina Ballerina at the Opera House

Darling Harbour Water fun

Round and round at Darling Harbour

Luna Park
A day at the beach

Grown up time...
We love you Nana and Gipa!

Merry Christmas!

We were fortunate to have Nana and Gipa join us for Christmas in Sydney this year. They flew out a few days before Christmas and stayed for about 3 weeks. We had a wonderful time. Here are some highlights of our Christmas...

Christmas Eve - ready for church

Christmas Eve dinner at home joined by a good friend from church. First Monaco Italian followed by Happy Birthday Jesus cake!

Family tradition of new matching Christmas pjs each year -
this one is getting harder!

Merry Christmas!