And a Year Later......

So many thoughts go through my head a year after our move to Sydney.  I've thought a lot about my emotions a year ago.  I was so excited, but so scared.  The furthest move either Sean or I had ever made was about 135 miles.  Then, we decided to move 9,000 miles to another country with our 2 young kids.  There were so many unknowns and there were so many things to learn.  Would I make the same choice again?  Without a doubt.  Do I wish I could go back in time to a year ago?  No way.  

We had so many decisions to make in such a short period of time.  I look back at all these decisions now and I just wonder how we got so lucky.  Even with all the research we did prior to the move, there was so much we didn't know.  There were so many factors that we could not account for.  I'm not saying that everything has worked out perfectly, but more has worked out in our favor than not.  The right opportunities opened up at the right time.  When I look back at how things fell into place, I believe it was more than just serendipity.  I think we had a little help from a stronger power.

It is now a year later.  In some ways we are a little wiser, but of course we still never know what challenges await us.  I haven't been writing much lately because we have just been getting in the groove of both kids at school and settling into our new routine.  We have been in a little lull.  Perhaps, it is better described as a calm before the storm.  With April comes visitors, moving to a new apartment, and a trip to Cairns (to see the Great Barrier Reef).  We have to fit in a little "normal" life in between the vacations.  

One exciting thing has recently happened - Carter had his 8th birthday!  He was very happy to have a birthday party this year because he kind of felt like he got the short end of the stick last year.  Since he turned 7 within a week of our move last year, he didn't get to celebrate quite how he wanted.  This year, he invited a few friends for laser tag and bowling and a friend of ours made an awesome bowling cake for the party.  He had a fantastic day.  We didn't get many good shots of the celebration though; the location was kind of dark and the boys were too busy to stay still for pictures.   

Carter with his cake.

Carter's actual birthday fell on Good Friday.  As Australia takes a true four day weekend for Easter, no one had work or school that day.  Carter got up that morning and opened his presents.  He got Legos and an Etch-A-Sketch.  Carter was thrilled with both.  He is really enjoying his old school Etch-A-Sketch.  And the Lego set is just a plain set that he can build anything his little creative mind desires.  He enjoys that because as he said to me about the other Lego sets: "I want to build a motor home and the other sets won't let me build a motor home." 

Birthday morning!

Later in the day, we went for a walk to Cremorne Point and had lunch with some of our friends.  The weather turned out to be kind of chilly and cloudy, but we didn't let that ruin our day.  It made it feel more similar to a spring Easter day in the northern hemisphere.  Carter said this was his best birthday yet! 
  

Family picture at Cremorne Point on Good Friday

If there was one skill that out family has had to learn over the past year, it would be adapting to change.  That is one thing that does not always come easily.  We are learning to live in the moment.  I think about that even more now that we are halfway through our two year adventure.  We still have so much to see and experience in Australia.  We have set up our home away from home in one apartment and next week we are picking it all up and moving it to another apartment.  We have made many friends and we have already had to say goodbye to friends that have moved on.  It is a good reminder of what a transient thing this life is.  

Some of our good friends that we picnicked with on Good Friday.  We all have a limited amount of time in this country and we are trying to make the most of the time we have.