Springtime fun

Sean and I had a great time celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary last Saturday night.  Many people would have done something more spectacular to celebrate a big milestone anniversary, but we are already in Sydney, which is already a big deal.  Plus, we don't often get a babysitter.  So, we took advantage of a kid-free evening and knocked something off of our Sydney bucket list....a walking ghost tour.

We did start the evening with a lovely meal at Darling Harbour.  Then, we headed to The Rocks for the ghost tour.  I've mentioned The Rocks in passing in previous posts, but I have not went into much detail about this section of the city.  The Rocks is the site of the original English settlement in Sydney in 1788.  It is currently a touristy area with many restaurants and shops.  It has an "old world" kind of feel with many original buildings and cobblestone streets.  It contains a wealth of history, and not all of it is good.  It essentially became a slum soon after Sydney was established and was controlled by a gang called "Rocks Push".  The gang would roam the streets to rob and kill sailors and anyone that got in their way until the 1870's.  Then, the Bubonic plague hit the area in 1900.  Needless to say, there were an ample number of tragic stories for a ghost tour.  Sean and I didn't get very scared, but we loved hearing the stories.

The red pin is on The Rocks.  All of the dotted lines in the water shows the ferry routes.  The hub of the ferries is Circular Quay, which is located right next to The Rocks.  The main road you see crossing the harbour is where the Sydney Harbour Bridge is located.  

Sean just before the ghost tour.  Sydney CBD (Central Business District) is in the background.

Everyone circled around the guide as he tells of a gruesome murder.

Sunday was set to be an absolutely gorgeous day outside.  And, wouldn't you know, it just happened to be the day of "Hunter Valley Uncorked" at Balmoral Beach.  Hunter Valley is the wine region located just a couple of hours outside of Sydney.  On this day, they were having an event to sample wines from the region at our local beach.  It could not have been a more perfect day to enjoy time with friends while drinking wine by the beach.  Carter and Aubrey were with us, but quickly got bored sitting around at a wine festival. Luckily, we were in a win-win situation.  They got to escape the wine fest to go play in the water at the beach with our friends' teenage daughters.  Everyone was happy!

A picture of me (and the top of Aubrey's head) at the wine event.  I'm trying to get used to wearing hats here since the sun is a little much for my fair skin.  Sunscreen alone just isn't going to cut it.

A picture of the kids on "The Rotunda" at Balmoral Beach.  Neither kid looks happy because Aubrey tried to hug Carter for the picture, but he was having none of that.  

This picture is included to show the backdrop of the wine festival.  There were 21 different wineries present.  It was a sunny day with just enough of a breeze that there were tons of sailboats in the harbour.

Today was a big day in our household.  It was the second day of Aubrey's Kindy orientation (i.e. Kindergarten orientation).  I bought her uniform earlier this week, so she really wanted to wear it to school today.  She was so excited and proud to have her uniform on.  Carter was actually pretty excited too.

Here they are running to school.

I am thoroughly enjoying the fact that it is Spring here.  In Missouri, I would associate the smell of lilacs with springtime.  I have not seen or smelt any lilacs since we have been in Australia.  However, there is star jasmine all over the place. That is the scent that now represents Australian springtime for me.  Another beautiful flowering tree here in Sydney is the Jacaranda tree.  Of course, there are tons of flowering plants here, but these are two of my favorites.  

This is right around the corner from our apartment.  All of the ground cover with small white flowers are star jasmine.  I wish I could make this a "scratch and sniff" section of the blog.

              Looking down a local street.  All the pops of purple are jacaranda trees.

A closer look at a local park with the jacaranda trees.

I will end the post with a picture I took while walking down the street today.  I looked over at a tree and right there in front of me was a rainbow lorikeet.  It still surprises me when I see birds like this out in the wild.  My first thought is "Did it escape from someone's house?".  Then I remember that this is the bird's natural habitat.  I'm the one out of place.

The rainbow lorikeet is in the tree on the left.

Getting back into the swing of things

I cannot believe we have been back in Sydney for almost 2 weeks now.  Time flies when you are having fun.  It has brought back a lot of memories for me of how it felt the first time we came.  I took notes back in March during our first couple of weeks in Sydney.  It was really fun to look back at those to see how quickly we adjusted to Sydney time and to help me remember all of our "firsts". 

15 1/2 hours on a plane is a LONG time.  

This time we did not get the luxury of a week to roam around the city at our own pace.  We had to hit with our feet running and try to function on a 16 hour time difference.  We landed around 11:30 Sunday morning and then Monday morning Carter went back to school and Sean went back to work.  It actually did work out okay.  We just got up REALLY early in the morning and tried to keep our eyes open as long as we possibly could at night.  I did kind of enjoy experiencing what it feels like to be a morning person.  Although, getting up at 3:30 am is a little extreme.

Carter handled going to school that first week pretty well.  Getting up wasn't a problem because we had already been up for HOURS by 9:00 am.  School gets out at 3:00 pm, which is 11:00 pm US Central time (aka, Kansas City time).  That is pretty late, but it is not absurd.  What made it rough was participating in the after-school activities and getting all the homework done in the evenings.  We did a lot of the homework in the wee hours of the morning when we first woke up.  I felt like celebrating by Friday because we got it all done and we were almost fully adjusted.  Plus, we had a free weekend to do whatever we wanted.  

A lot of people would probably choose to have a quiet weekend at home after all our recent travels and overall busyness.  But, we don't seem to know how to "stop" for very long.  We heard about a vintage car show up at a place called The Entrance.  Once we looked it up and saw that it was called Chromefest and it was "a tribute to classic American autos, hot rods, and rock and roll", we knew we had to go.  Saturday morning we loaded up our Ford Fiesta and headed a couple of hours up the coast.  It was a pretty drive and the kids took naps in the car.  Even though we were on the go for most of the day, it felt relaxing because we were on our own schedule.  The Entrance is a really laid back beach town.  We cannot get enough of these gorgeous beaches in Australia; each one carries its own unique beauty. 

The purple pin is where we live and the red pin was the location of Chromefest

Yet another breathtaking Australian view

A picture of the sandy bar separating the ocean from the lake at The Entrance

Sean's favorite car of the day

Aubrey's favorite car of the day

On Sunday we continued what I now like to refer as "Sean's car weekend".  We went down to Darling Harbour for the Australian International Motor Show (AIMS).  It is always fun to check out all the new cars coming out and dream a little.  

The kids and I outside the auto show

Sean's favorite car at the Australian Auto Show; it is a Ford concept car called an Evos.

Our second week back in Sydney has been pretty eventful as well.  The springtime weather has been awesome.  Aubrey and I got to go to the beach for the first time since the winter.  It was fantastic.  The crazy, intense Australian sun is totally going to fry us as we proceed into summer.  But, for now, it feels like heaven laying out on that sandy beach. 

Aubrey at our local Balmoral Beach.  I think we are really going to like summer here.

We also got to experience our first Australian Halloween.  We are lucky that there is an area close to us that celebrates Halloween and enough houses participate so that it is "worth it" to get out and go trick or treating.  Carter had a soccer game after school.  Then, the kids quickly got changed in the car and we hit the streets to trick or treat with a group of Carter's friends.  Since it was still daylight, people could not turn on outside lights to let trick or treaters know they were welcome.  So, the houses that were participating put Halloween decorations outside on the front of the house.  We walked around until dusk and then it was time to go back home.  That is one big difference about Australian trick or treating (vs. the US) - it is all over by dark (about 7:00 pm).  The kids had a great time and said it was the best trick or treating ever.  They say that every year, but it is still really nice to hear. 

Halloween fun

A close up of Carter in his zookeeper costume.  I forgot to have the 2 kids stop and pose for me, so this will just have to do.

Aubrey as a mermaid

A picture of most of the kids that came out trick or treating with us

Today, November 2nd, is yet another big day.  Aubrey went to her first day of Kindy orientation this morning.  She was so excited, she could hardly stand it.  She had a great time.  Plus, it is also Sean and I's 10 year wedding anniversary.  So much has changed in 10 years.  I am so thankful for the wonderful life we have created together in those years.  It was a typical anniversary for us in that Sean bought his own gift; a techie gift that he will enjoy more than anything I would have gotten him.  He got me a beautiful amethyst necklace that I will cherish for many years to come.  We are looking forward to a night out on the town this weekend to celebrate.

I can honestly say that as hard as it was to leave our friends and family in Kansas City, we are happy to be back "home" in Sydney.  The trip back to the States really helped us put everything in perspective.  We are no longer feeling homesick.  Instead, we are just really looking forward to enjoying the rest of the time we have here in Australia.

Last night of autumn in "Dorothy country"

I am a little short on time tonight, but I wanted to fit in one last blogpost while we are still in Kansas City.  I had to include "Dorothy country" in the title.  We have gotten that response often in Australia when we tell people we are from Kansas City.  It is then followed by the line "you get those twisters there, don't you?".  I am just impressed that Australians have heard of Kansas City.  But, they do love their American movies.  

I am sad to see our visit come to an end.  We had such a great time seeing everyone.  We got to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday.  The next weekend, we got to partake in a surprise birthday party for my sister, Suzie.  The kids got to see friends from school and the neighborhood.  Sean and I got to enjoy time with our family and friends.  We got to experience some warm, summery days as well as some cool, windy autumn days.  It has been an extremely full 3 1/2 weeks!

The four of us with Sean's parents and grandparents in front of his grandparents' RV before they headed out on their return trip to Texas.

Here we are with Sean's parents as we are heading into Legoland

Legoland's version of "Dorothy country" as it is shown in the Wizard of Oz

Carter and Aubrey with Aubrey's best bud, Ian.  We got to enjoy a hayride on a chilly, fall day.

My dad on his special day

He's really trying to get all those candles blown out.  Thank goodness there wasn't really 80 of them on the cake!

A typical Meissen gathering.  LOTS of people gathered around, very few empty seats, and a card game going on in the background.  This is only about 1/4 of the total people present.  (I am one of eight children.)  I'm going to miss this during the upcoming holiday season.

Carter petting our cat, Shelby, one morning.  He tried really hard to get on her good side during this trip.  Unfortunately, she would usually look annoyed when he was trying to give her some love.  Most of the time she fled the scene with a nasty growl and hiss. 

We didn't get any good still pictures of my sister's birthday surprise.  But, we did get a picture (on the same day) right after my nephew, Aaron, surprised my brother, Steve, and sister-in-law, Connie, with an earlier than expected leave from the Marines.  It was an eventful day!  

Aubrey hanging out at a park with her friend, Max.

Aubrey and Carter checking out the animals with PaPa at the Sea Life Aquarium.

Carter and Aubrey taking an imaginary ride on the famous train at Fritz's Restaurant in Crown Center.  The kids loved having their lunch delivered via train!

I know this blogpost has a lot of random pictures.  It gives just a glimpse of us hopping from one activity to another.  I have quickly learned how a visit to Kansas City is bittersweet.  I do not regret our decision to move to Australia.  I think it is one of the best decisions Sean and I have ever made.  But, just because we made a decision that seems right, it doesn't mean everything comes easily thereafter.  Our hearts feel very torn having two homes that are half a world apart.

Parallel Universe

The entire time we have been living in Sydney we talk about "home" in Kansas City.  We have really looked forward to going back to visit this home. We could not wait to be back in our yellow house in our quiet neighborhood and seeing all our family and friends that we have missed dearly.  The trip home was long and tiring, but finally we got here.  We borrowed 2 vehicles from Sean's parents.  They just happened to be the same 2 vehicles that we were driving prior to the move because Sean's parents bought them from us when we left.  Our cat, Shelby, was even waiting for us inside the house.  Sean is back working at Cerner at the North Kansas City campus so that he would not have to take vacation time for the entire month.  So....basically, we walked right back into our life here in Kansas City, with the exception that I am not working and the kids are not going to school.  The weird thing is, Sean and I keep finding ourselves saying "when we get back home" (now talking about Sydney).  It suddenly has became very clear to us that even though it feels like we have only been gone a short few weeks, it really has been a long 6 months.  And, we have truly created another "home" in Sydney.

So far, the time at home has been great.  Everyone seemed to get over the jet-lag easier than I did.  Carter did stay up until 4:00 am with me the first two nights, but the kids were on a pretty normal schedule by the first weekend home.  I had a little rougher time.  I am more of a night owl.  I had to struggle through quite a few nights of lying in bed, looking at the clock, and thinking "I need to go to sleep".  I was up and functioning during the day, but I did not feel well for the first week.  We are now all fully adjusted.  So, we will have to enjoy that for the next week before we have to turn our schedules completely upside down again.

We have gotten quite a bit done in the past 2 weeks.  I have shopped, and shopped, and shopped.  We have been trying to fit in as many visits with family and friends as possible.  Unfortunately, there is not enough time to see EVERYONE since our weekends are busy and Sean is working full time during the week.  But, we are trying. I can only compare it to trying to fit a year's worth of shopping and social events into 3 1/2 weeks.  It is fun, but it is a little bit of a whirlwind.  

In Sydney, we have been living in an apartment near a very busy street for 6 months.  It has made me long for evenings spent outside chatting with neighbors while the kids ride bikes and play games until we reluctantly go inside for dinner.  Most of our downtime during this trip in KC has been spent just hanging out in the yard.  Carter has been helping Papa do a lot of yard work at our house.  He has been having so much fun reconnecting with his friends in the neighborhood.  Aubrey has learned how to ride a bike without training wheels in the cul-de-sac. 

We have another week here in Kansas City.  It is going quickly.  The calendar is  pretty full; we still have a lot to get done.  I still haven't even been to Oklahoma Joe's for barbecue!!!!  

Basically, we are so blessed to have 2 wonderful places to call home.  Neither place is perfect.  Life always brings up unique challenges no matter where we are.  But, both places offer us some fantastic perks.   

After paying Sydney prices for food for the past 6 months, we were pretty excited to see this on one of our first meals out in Kansas City.

The view down our quiet street

    Doesn't every girl learn to ride her brother's Lightening McQueen bike with a batgirl costume on?  We don't even need to bring up the shark helmet.  

Yes, she even had batgirl nails.  They only lasted a couple of hours though.

She's got it!!!  (This was a day later.)

Carter and his friend Lauren

Aubrey sharing some laughs with her friend Danika.

Carter hanging out with his friends Ashton and Michael.  Nothing quite like a good game of laser tag for some quality bonding time.

The trip back to the States

We just got back to Kansas City at 10:15 pm Tuesday night.  I am sitting in my bed right now trying to relax and eventually fall asleep.  It is now 2:00 am Wednesday morning.  However, my body thinks it is 5:00 pm Wednesday night.  I am very sleep deprived, but my mind will not shut off.  So, I thought I would try to clear my head by writing about our journey home.

Our plane left Sydney airport about 1:00 pm Tuesday.  The trip started pretty smoothly.  I gave Carter 2 new books by an Australian author, Andy Griffiths, on the morning of the trip.  He was super excited to read them.  We were all excited about the movie/tv show options that we got on the airplane.  This time I had anti-nausea medicine for the kids and I since we get a little queasy on the  plane.  And, we couldn't think of anything major we left at our home in Sydney.  We all kind of looked forward to sitting on the plane and being entertained for awhile.  

The odd thing about traveling from Sydney towards the US is that you gain a day since you go over the date line.  So, even though we left on 1:00 pm Tuesday, we arrived at 10:15 Tuesday night after just over 24 hours of travel.  The trip went pretty well, but it has been a long, long day.  Especially since I only slept a few hours of it and only about 2 of those being good, solid hours.  By the time the big leg of the trip was over, we were getting off the plane in LA at what our bodies told us was 3:00 am Wednesday morning.  However, it was really 9:00 am Tuesday morning in Los Angeles.

The 5 hour layover in LA was the worst part of the trip.  It took 2 hours to get our bags, get through customs, and drop our bags off again, and then get through U.S. security for the next leg.  There was one nice moment to note though.  We were fighting exhaustion and we had very little patience when going through all the lines and making sure we had all the bags and the correct paperwork.  Then, the customs agent was a really nice man that asked us a few questions about our travels.  After he looked at our passports he said "Welcome home" and I instantly teared up.   

Another nice thing I can say about LA airport was that it had a Starbucks in the terminal.  The caramel macchiato hit the spot.  And I think it does taste different in the US than in Australia.  In my opinion, the espresso tastes much stronger in Australian coffee drinks.  The American version is not so strong and the caramel tastes sweeter.  We also got some Baja California chicken nachos for lunch.  Sean and I have really been craving Mexican food, so we were in heaven.  However, I was basically worthless the rest of the time in LA; my mind felt like it was working through a fog. It is really hard to feel so tired, but yet, so anxious at the same time. 

Finally, at 3:00 pm LA time, we got to board our flight to Denver.  The kids and I cat-napped during the short flight.  We landed in Denver, got a quick bite to eat for dinner, and then got on our final flight home to Kansas City.  So, after LA, we gained 3 more hours due to time changes and a total of 4 more hours of flying before making it to KC.

It was great to see Sean's parents at the airport.  They drove 2 cars and let us load our bags in the Explorer we used to own (before we sold it back to them), and we drove ourselves home.  (Sean did fine driving on the right side of the road.)  It is so weird to be back in our old house.  It feels as though we have just been gone a few weeks instead of 6 months.  Yet, so much has happened to us in that period of 6 months.  Time is such a funny, funny thing.

Thoe family on the plane

Day at the Beach

It is the eve of our return back to the US for a visit.  We are all anxious and more than ready to go.  But, it does feel a little odd to be leaving just as the weather is really starting to be perfect.  The kind of weather that makes you find any excuse to be out in it.  It is even getting warm enough to start taking advantage of the beaches that are around us.  Saturday was a gorgeous day that we spent celebrating a friend's 30th birthday at Clontarf Reserve (about 3 miles away from our apartment).  It was a nice last day at the beach before our trip back home where we will be hundreds of miles from an ocean.

Some serious engineering work was going on.

Sean was overseeing the "workers".

Aubrey even took a dip in the water.
The water was still pretty chilly, but she didn't seem to mind.

Even though Sydney has a lot of perks, we are looking forward to spending some time enjoying the autumn weather with our family and friends back in Missouri.  Autumn is my favorite time of year in the Midwest.  This time we get to enjoy it without worrying about how cold the upcoming winter is going to be.  We get to come back to Spring.