Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday so I am always a bit bummed when I am not in the US for it. It is also hard to get into the spirit of things when it is hot, but I managed!
My cousin Luke and his American wife Ali invited us over to have dinner with them. We had to do it on Friday though because Thursday was the last sitting day of the year for Parliament so I was at work until 7pm.
My cousin said they would do the Turkey and a few other things and I took up the rest. Now there are a couple of issues when trying to do it right here:
One, not only do they not do pumpkin pie here (so no canned pumpkin) but it is also an extremely rare site to even come accross a pumpkin. Apparently they had a few at a local market around Halloween time, but they were about $30 each. I assume only Americans really missing home fork out this kind of dough. So I made a pumpkin pie out of a butternut squash. With the right seasoning it actually tasted quite close to the real thing! I now also know how to make one from scratch.
Two, Turkey is also rarely eaten and a mid-sized frozen turkey costs about $60 to $70. My Dad enjoyed taunting me by calling me each time he saw a cheap turkey. The lowest was a 12-pounder for $3.85 (which he bought).
Third, the heat. With no A/C in my apartment and blazing hot outside, I was very tempted to skip the whole ordeal so as not to add to the heat with the oven. But I figured a few hours of extra hot would be ok for the bliss of a Thanksgiving dinner. So I cooked up a storm!
I made stuffing, which turned out to be really good even though we just made up a recipe for it, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and corn bread. It was all delish!
After cooking, we piled everything in the car and drove to my cousin's house about 20 minutes away. I was so excited for dinner only to find out that my cousin had succumbed and only bought a turkey leg to cook up. They also bought some chicken too, which is so wrong! I was really disappointed not to have the full shebang. They also hadn't made gravy! I whipped some up because Thanksgiving dinner just doesn't exist without gravy.
So depsite my disappointment over the turkey, it was a good dinner and of course lots of leftovers!
I hope everyone had a fabulous Turkey day and weekend!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
November Update!
Despite my efforts, I have yet again fallen behind in keeping up with my blog. Not that there is much to update on, but I really need to try harder!
I have had a couple visits since my last posting: my parents came for a few days and though it was a quick visit, it was fun. They were in Australia for quite a few weeks, but I was sick for the first few so didn’t make it up to Sydney to see them. Luckily we were able to match up some dates! My Dad brought me all sorts of goodies ranging from enchilada sauce mix to Rescee’s to pop tarts. Most of it has been used up by now, so another visit is in order!
My friend Liz also came to visit a few weeks later and it was so much fun to have her here. It was her first time to Australia and though she only came for a week, we tried to fit in as much as possible. We spent a couple days in Sydney where we took a ferry across the harbour to Manly Bay, walked around the opera house, dined at Darling Harbour and hugged koalas and kangaroos at the local sanctuary.
In Canberra, we hit up the fantastic War Memorial, the massive wildlife preserve where literally hundreds of kangaroos bound all around you, the NASA deep space station (where the first images of the moon landing were broadcast from) and hit up a few of the many great wineries in the area. It was a ton of fun and I can’t wait for her to visit again – eventually!
I am almost done with my first year here at Veterans Affairs and I have loved it. I have been able to work in some great areas and am currently working up at the Parliament House for the Minister of Veterans Affairs (a cabinet member). It is has been so interesting to be here and all the craziness that comes with working at the center of politics. It has been a great way for me to combine my interests in politics and the service delivery side of things from within the Department. I take all the phone calls that come in, mostly from angry veterans. It can be quite rough and emotionally draining at times, but I always get a big boost when I am able to really help someone.
As I joined the Department as part of a “grad program” that ends this week, I now have a lot of opportunities ahead of me. I have applied for a range of positions within the Department and am looking forward to wherever I will end up on a permanent basis. I will be sure to keep updated on here – hopefully in a timely manner!
Brent is currently working for a company that sells steel kit homes. It has given Brent a chance to look into a new industry and learn a lot, but as it is a commission only job, he is still on the look-out for a more stable income job. This job has at least kept him busy though so he isn’t sitting at home bored out of his mind and messing with the cat.
The weather has turned incredibly hot and there was no nice interim time from the cold winter days. The other day it was almost 100F, which for only Spring is incredibly hot and it is predicted to be a very bad summer. Unfortunately, we live in an old apartment that has no A/C as was not designed in any kind of way that promotes air flow. So pretty much it is a heat trap and we have not been able to get it any cooler than 86F even with two fans and an evaporative cooler and generally some cool wind at night. Our place just refuses to cool down! Our lease is until February, so looks like we will have to try and survive the summer in there.
So that is pretty much the update from this end of the world. Not too much exciting, but we are getting by. I miss everyone a lot and always welcome visitors – hint, hint.
PS – I will try to get some photos up soon.
I have had a couple visits since my last posting: my parents came for a few days and though it was a quick visit, it was fun. They were in Australia for quite a few weeks, but I was sick for the first few so didn’t make it up to Sydney to see them. Luckily we were able to match up some dates! My Dad brought me all sorts of goodies ranging from enchilada sauce mix to Rescee’s to pop tarts. Most of it has been used up by now, so another visit is in order!
My friend Liz also came to visit a few weeks later and it was so much fun to have her here. It was her first time to Australia and though she only came for a week, we tried to fit in as much as possible. We spent a couple days in Sydney where we took a ferry across the harbour to Manly Bay, walked around the opera house, dined at Darling Harbour and hugged koalas and kangaroos at the local sanctuary.
In Canberra, we hit up the fantastic War Memorial, the massive wildlife preserve where literally hundreds of kangaroos bound all around you, the NASA deep space station (where the first images of the moon landing were broadcast from) and hit up a few of the many great wineries in the area. It was a ton of fun and I can’t wait for her to visit again – eventually!
I am almost done with my first year here at Veterans Affairs and I have loved it. I have been able to work in some great areas and am currently working up at the Parliament House for the Minister of Veterans Affairs (a cabinet member). It is has been so interesting to be here and all the craziness that comes with working at the center of politics. It has been a great way for me to combine my interests in politics and the service delivery side of things from within the Department. I take all the phone calls that come in, mostly from angry veterans. It can be quite rough and emotionally draining at times, but I always get a big boost when I am able to really help someone.
As I joined the Department as part of a “grad program” that ends this week, I now have a lot of opportunities ahead of me. I have applied for a range of positions within the Department and am looking forward to wherever I will end up on a permanent basis. I will be sure to keep updated on here – hopefully in a timely manner!
Brent is currently working for a company that sells steel kit homes. It has given Brent a chance to look into a new industry and learn a lot, but as it is a commission only job, he is still on the look-out for a more stable income job. This job has at least kept him busy though so he isn’t sitting at home bored out of his mind and messing with the cat.
The weather has turned incredibly hot and there was no nice interim time from the cold winter days. The other day it was almost 100F, which for only Spring is incredibly hot and it is predicted to be a very bad summer. Unfortunately, we live in an old apartment that has no A/C as was not designed in any kind of way that promotes air flow. So pretty much it is a heat trap and we have not been able to get it any cooler than 86F even with two fans and an evaporative cooler and generally some cool wind at night. Our place just refuses to cool down! Our lease is until February, so looks like we will have to try and survive the summer in there.
So that is pretty much the update from this end of the world. Not too much exciting, but we are getting by. I miss everyone a lot and always welcome visitors – hint, hint.
PS – I will try to get some photos up soon.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 4th!
Aren't we a patriotic family - kitty and all!
I was very disappointed that the embassy had nothing planned here for the 4th - but then again I'm not surprised because Canberra isn't that of a happening place. Next year we will have to go to Sydney, that's where the celebrations happen!
Last year we spent the 4th on an army base in Germany and that was really fun. The year before there was a huge bash at the embassy in Bangkok and that was a blast. And in true Thai style it was a gorgeous day then rained buckets in the evening as we left and there was not a spot on us that wasn't soaked to the bone. Good times. So, as most other things, it was much quieter this year.
Last night I made a bbq sauce marinade that is oh so good and soaked the ribs in it overnight. I got a recipe for baked ribs because we don't have a bbq and though I was skeptical, they turned out really good! Finger lickin' good! We also had some baked beans and potato salad, mmm. The apple pie will be later tonight, yum!
Brent ready to dig into the spread (still no table) and patriotic ribs!
So a happy 4th to everyone, hope you have a much warmer one than me (it is 36F outside)! It is strange to be all rugged up, but you can still feel some patriotism on a cold night! I won't deny I love my socialized medicine and other benefits, but it doesn't diminish my love for the good ol' USA. I am grateful for those brave enough to start a revolution and to start rolling a country with all sorts of cheap stuff! :) I do miss the cheap stuff. But I love Australia too even with it's high taxes and deadly animals.
I hope you all have a great 4th - enjoy some fireworks and a hot day for me!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Picture Time
Here are a bunch of pictures - all taken with my phone so they aren't that great quality.
Hanging out at the Ice Rink
Couldn't resist...
Auska jumped up and settled in on Brent
Auska the Angel - our sweater kitty!
Aww, she loves me
Auska found a comfy spot in Brent's jeans on the floor
Random llama in the city!
Its cold, so she needs a sweater!
Ice Skating! (blurry...)
Brent and I enjoying an evening of ice skating
Hanging out at the Ice Rink
Couldn't resist...
Auska jumped up and settled in on Brent
Auska the Angel - our sweater kitty!
Aww, she loves me
Auska found a comfy spot in Brent's jeans on the floor
Random llama in the city!
Its cold, so she needs a sweater!
Ice Skating! (blurry...)
Brent and I enjoying an evening of ice skating
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Happy Birthday Brent!
Cake & cat!
Brent's birthday was on the 22nd and unfortunately we weren't able to celebrate in style like we have in the past. Last year I took him Paris, the year before was in Bangkok. I wish I could have done more, but things are tight so we had to call it a quiet, lame birthday.
I bought Brent a brewing system and we are having fun with that! I also got him a martini set, which he is loving! I made him breakfast in bed before I went to work and then we enjoyed spending the evening together and watching over the new brew kit. I wanted to take the day off work, but it was an intensely busy week and I had to work overtime every day just to barely get everything done.
Brent with brew kit
I made some delicious NY cheesecake for dessert and that was definitely the highlight of the day, Brent loooves cheesecake so I am glad it turned out so well!
Next year we will get back to celebrating in style!
Just Another Day's Work...
As part of the program that I am in at work, we were in charge of organizing and carrying out the annual trivia night. We started planning back in February and the big night was 25 June. All was set, we went to a lot of work and got a lot of great sponsors to donate prizes, good location, great questions, etc. The night went really well, I was the MC and had fun along with everyone else and was generally very satisfied with the evening.
So the next day, of course everyone at the office is talking about the trivia night, picking it apart, etc. I get into the elevator at lunch and a lady from my floor gets in with me (I hadn't met her yet), and she turns and says, "so there is a theory going around about last night." I respond, "oh, whats that?" And then she says, "well don't you think it strange that you knew people on both the first and second place teams?" I looked at her with disbelief, I really thought she was joking, but one look at her let me know she was dead serious!! I said, "umm, no not really, I knew people on almost all the teams." She just continued to look at me very seriously and as she walked out of the elevator said, "prove me wrong'" I just gave a little laugh and looked at her like she was retarded. How the hell do you respond to something like that?! Sore losers will do anything to make themselves feel better!
But that isn't all!! When I got back from lunch, one of my fellow trivia-organizers emailed me and said a lady in her area told her she thought that I "had too much influence because the questions were too American." Funny! There were 8 rounds, 8 of us organizing it, and I wrote 1 round. Australians love any chance they get to display their extreme jingoism.
So I am the center of quite the libelous scandal at DVA at the moment. I just makes me laugh because had I not been the MC, no one would have even entertained the thought! Too funny.
So the next day, of course everyone at the office is talking about the trivia night, picking it apart, etc. I get into the elevator at lunch and a lady from my floor gets in with me (I hadn't met her yet), and she turns and says, "so there is a theory going around about last night." I respond, "oh, whats that?" And then she says, "well don't you think it strange that you knew people on both the first and second place teams?" I looked at her with disbelief, I really thought she was joking, but one look at her let me know she was dead serious!! I said, "umm, no not really, I knew people on almost all the teams." She just continued to look at me very seriously and as she walked out of the elevator said, "prove me wrong'" I just gave a little laugh and looked at her like she was retarded. How the hell do you respond to something like that?! Sore losers will do anything to make themselves feel better!
But that isn't all!! When I got back from lunch, one of my fellow trivia-organizers emailed me and said a lady in her area told her she thought that I "had too much influence because the questions were too American." Funny! There were 8 rounds, 8 of us organizing it, and I wrote 1 round. Australians love any chance they get to display their extreme jingoism.
So I am the center of quite the libelous scandal at DVA at the moment. I just makes me laugh because had I not been the MC, no one would have even entertained the thought! Too funny.
All Moved In!
The cat loooved the boxes!
So it only took 100+ days to traverse the seas, but all our stuff finally arrived last week! 16 big boxes and it was so nice to finally have everything. It took a couple days, but I managed to find a spot for everything, which is shocking considering the lack of storage space in our apartment.
The sleep number bed was in one of the boxes and we were so excited to have our nice, comfy bed. We plugged it in and of course the converter wasn't strong enough so it blew the pump. So maddening. We went to Harvey Norman the next day, the furniture store where they sell sleep numbers, and they said to replace it would cost $1400!! So outrageously ridiculous. I hate how things are priced here, Australians are not very consumer savvy at all, and unfortunately the result is totally overpriced everything! Anyway, we are ordering one online (less than $100 USD) and having it shipped to my parents who will be here in a couple weeks to visit.
So now we feel more settled and it feels a bit more like home in the apartment - but I will admit I can't wait until we move into a nicer one! :)
Monday, June 1, 2009
Musings...
It is really is crazy and amazing where life takes you, isn’t it? I had one of those “ah-ha” moments the other day where I realized that I have finally started “real” life. I am in a place where the rest of my life proceeds from here.
It is hard to imagine that some years ago I was struggling with staying motivated to finish my Bachelor’s degree and here I am not only with my Bachelor’s, but with two Master’s as well! I have at times doubted the practicality of my educational pursuits (especially after so many job rejection letters when I was in New York), but I have learned so much and enjoyed myself and now I am finally in a position where I can use all that knowledge and skills – and in fact amaze people that I have all that!
I think back to the BYU days with all my girlies and we certainly had some fun times! Late nights and lots of laughs. I was remembering the little videos we would make on Melissa’s webcam and then watch them over and over and die laughing.
I never imagined I would actually get to do so much travelling and see so much of the world. The world is so amazing and awesome and also incredibly sad at times. I have stood atop the gorgeous Swiss Alps and been immersed in European history just walking down the cobbled streets of a small Dutch town, and I have stood in the middle of the slums of Bangkok where the faces of the children just break your heart. There is still so much pain in this world, and the sad thing is, nobody really cares. The poverty-stricken and hungry are born that way, live that way and die that way. Even after being in it and working with an NGO to help, I can never get even a small grasp of what their lives are really like. Such is life.
I have grown up a lot over time too. I have allowed myself to open my eyes and see things as they really are. I love to learn and question things and not go with things because that is what I am told. In a non-conspiracy theorist type of way, you really can trust no one. You have to find the truth of things on your own. Knowledge is power, and we have so much capacity to learn. I have learned that there are some things I cannot change. I cannot change people’s prejudices or haughtiness or ignorance. Only we can take of our own blinders and have no control over others.
I have come a long way in life so far. I have made great friends, I have lost friends who weren’t so great afterall, I have begun my career and have goals in sight, and I have the love of my life and best friend by my side.
I am looking forward to my career in the government here in Australia and getting closer to my goal of working for the UN and living in Europe again. I love that I get to share every day with Brent and we are looking forward to buying a house, paying down our student loans, taking more exotic world trips together and enjoying being with each other. Life is good.
It is hard to imagine that some years ago I was struggling with staying motivated to finish my Bachelor’s degree and here I am not only with my Bachelor’s, but with two Master’s as well! I have at times doubted the practicality of my educational pursuits (especially after so many job rejection letters when I was in New York), but I have learned so much and enjoyed myself and now I am finally in a position where I can use all that knowledge and skills – and in fact amaze people that I have all that!
I think back to the BYU days with all my girlies and we certainly had some fun times! Late nights and lots of laughs. I was remembering the little videos we would make on Melissa’s webcam and then watch them over and over and die laughing.
I never imagined I would actually get to do so much travelling and see so much of the world. The world is so amazing and awesome and also incredibly sad at times. I have stood atop the gorgeous Swiss Alps and been immersed in European history just walking down the cobbled streets of a small Dutch town, and I have stood in the middle of the slums of Bangkok where the faces of the children just break your heart. There is still so much pain in this world, and the sad thing is, nobody really cares. The poverty-stricken and hungry are born that way, live that way and die that way. Even after being in it and working with an NGO to help, I can never get even a small grasp of what their lives are really like. Such is life.
I have grown up a lot over time too. I have allowed myself to open my eyes and see things as they really are. I love to learn and question things and not go with things because that is what I am told. In a non-conspiracy theorist type of way, you really can trust no one. You have to find the truth of things on your own. Knowledge is power, and we have so much capacity to learn. I have learned that there are some things I cannot change. I cannot change people’s prejudices or haughtiness or ignorance. Only we can take of our own blinders and have no control over others.
I have come a long way in life so far. I have made great friends, I have lost friends who weren’t so great afterall, I have begun my career and have goals in sight, and I have the love of my life and best friend by my side.
I am looking forward to my career in the government here in Australia and getting closer to my goal of working for the UN and living in Europe again. I love that I get to share every day with Brent and we are looking forward to buying a house, paying down our student loans, taking more exotic world trips together and enjoying being with each other. Life is good.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Finally Some Pictures!
I have been in Canberra now for 4 months, wow! Brent and I have settled in well, though we are still waiting for our boxes to arrive. They have made it to Australia, but are still sitting somewhere awaiting final clearance from customs and quarantine. Hopefully it will arrive soon.
A late evening shot and view from our balcony
I have started a new placement for my job, and though I really enjoyed working in the Legal division, I am excited for this new area. I will be putting my MBA to use as I work on a project of change management dealing with integration and consolidation of processes of the 3 Acts under with the Department operates. I know, don't all be instantly jealous at that! It is actually quite interesting to me and I am looking forward to getting things done.
My office building and my office (before full of papers!)
We have been getting to know the city a bit better, though I can't wait until we eventually get a car, it really is a pain not having one! But we like to walk around and discover little shops and parks. Two weeks ago, we went to the Botanic Gardens and saw 13 "wild" kangaroos! Brent was really excited to see them as he had never seen them outside the zoo, and it had been a while for me too!
There isn't too much to update on, I work all week and we are rather boring on the weekends at the moment. It is hard to do much when the cash is super low! We have a cat so she keeps us entertained. Her name is Auska (pronounced "os-ka") and she is a tortoise shell. We got her from the RSPCA and she is about 3 months old now. She is a lot of fun and very affectionate. She loves the bath tub and sitting on your shoulder while you cook (in the picture). We love her!
A late evening shot and view from our balcony
I have started a new placement for my job, and though I really enjoyed working in the Legal division, I am excited for this new area. I will be putting my MBA to use as I work on a project of change management dealing with integration and consolidation of processes of the 3 Acts under with the Department operates. I know, don't all be instantly jealous at that! It is actually quite interesting to me and I am looking forward to getting things done.
My office building and my office (before full of papers!)
We have been getting to know the city a bit better, though I can't wait until we eventually get a car, it really is a pain not having one! But we like to walk around and discover little shops and parks. Two weeks ago, we went to the Botanic Gardens and saw 13 "wild" kangaroos! Brent was really excited to see them as he had never seen them outside the zoo, and it had been a while for me too!
There isn't too much to update on, I work all week and we are rather boring on the weekends at the moment. It is hard to do much when the cash is super low! We have a cat so she keeps us entertained. Her name is Auska (pronounced "os-ka") and she is a tortoise shell. We got her from the RSPCA and she is about 3 months old now. She is a lot of fun and very affectionate. She loves the bath tub and sitting on your shoulder while you cook (in the picture). We love her!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
And I'm Back...
I have been in Australia for two months now and my computer has been broken for most of it. Still waiting on it to be fixed, but I just discovered today that I can access this from work - I thought for sure it would be a blocked site! There won't be any pictures, but I guess I'll see who reads these things and doesn't just look at the pictures :)
Canberra is an interesting city, it is very un-Australian in many ways, but it is growing on me and I am getting used to it. My cousin Luke and his wife live here so it is good to see them now and then. My Uncle Craig also works in Canberra a few days a week so that is nice too.
Brent arrived two weeks ago and it was a tough 6 weeks without him, it is sooo good to have him here finally! We were delaying his arrival since he was coming on a tourist visa and wanted to give the max amount of time we may need for his spouse visa to go through. We just got word the other day that his visa is approved so that is big news! Since we applied for it outside of Australia though, we have to leave the country to pick it up. Luckily we can pick it up at the Australian consulate in Auckland, NZ so we are making a little trip of it and will be there for a few days. Once we get that, Brent can look for a job and we can really get settled in.
I love my job with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, I am learning a lot and having a great time and am starting to see all the career opportunities I have here. Plus being a government employee has its perks (TONS of vacation time for one thing)!
I will update soon with pictures (when I take some, and when I ever get my computer back). Miss you all, come visit in the land down unda!
Canberra is an interesting city, it is very un-Australian in many ways, but it is growing on me and I am getting used to it. My cousin Luke and his wife live here so it is good to see them now and then. My Uncle Craig also works in Canberra a few days a week so that is nice too.
Brent arrived two weeks ago and it was a tough 6 weeks without him, it is sooo good to have him here finally! We were delaying his arrival since he was coming on a tourist visa and wanted to give the max amount of time we may need for his spouse visa to go through. We just got word the other day that his visa is approved so that is big news! Since we applied for it outside of Australia though, we have to leave the country to pick it up. Luckily we can pick it up at the Australian consulate in Auckland, NZ so we are making a little trip of it and will be there for a few days. Once we get that, Brent can look for a job and we can really get settled in.
I love my job with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, I am learning a lot and having a great time and am starting to see all the career opportunities I have here. Plus being a government employee has its perks (TONS of vacation time for one thing)!
I will update soon with pictures (when I take some, and when I ever get my computer back). Miss you all, come visit in the land down unda!
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Holiday Season
Well it was quite the holiday season with Brent and I traveling from coast to coast as usual! We flew from Tampa to Sacramento where we did a massive rendezvous with the 20 people coming into CA to spend the holidays together. My parents and brother were coming in from Australia after my Grandmother's funeral as well as my Aunties Barbara and Diana, their husbands, and four of my cousins. My Auntie Diana and fam had been planning to come for the past year and my Auntie Barb and Uncle Rob decided last minute to come back with my parents, so it was a nice surprise! My sister-in-law and two nieces and my sister Esther drove in from Utah and my Sister Beth, her husband and my new nephew flew in from Texas. When we finally all converged and gathered our luggage, we packed the cars to the brim and drove the long 5 hours to my parents house (they live way far up in the boonies).
I love this photo of frozen juniper berries
We had a blast together, and my Aussie family celebrated their first ever white christmas, they were very excited. We did lots of sledding, snow-man building, ice skating, and bundling up. Brent and I drove to Mt. Shasta the day after Christmas and spent the afternoon snowboarding - good times!
My Uncles Rob & Manuel and cousin Jono enjoying their first white christmas; Brent and I at Burney Falls
Snowboarding at Mount Shasta
We also broke the news to the family that Brent and I are engaged. We have been talking about it for a long time and since we were with everyone we decided to spill the beans in person. Neither of us are into big deal weddings so we generally keep all this stuff low key, so this may be the first you have heard of this! :) We bought a beautiful opal ring and I love it. Opal is my favorite stone and I love having it and a very unique ring too. No date yet, but we are looking at probably sometime in early 2010.
Brent and I in the snow; My pretty ring
It was fun to get together with the family, it had been a few years since my immediate family had all been together so that plus the extra added family made for a fun vacation and good visit!
The girls got matching PJs!
The whole fam damily!
Brent and I then flew out from Reno to Washington DC to spend New Year's Eve with some of our DC friends. We had an initial big bash planned but as life goes, things happened and it got honed down to just Brent, myself and our friend Liz, who we were staying with. We still had a ton of fun though and went to dinner at an all you can eat Tapas restaurant and ate a ton, it was so good! We then went back to Liz's place and watched the ball drop, played trivial pursuit and were all so tired at 12:30 - getting old sucks!
My friend Liz and I
Brent and I got all gussied up!
On the 1st, we went to the Museum of Natural History and enjoyed ourselves there. It was surprising brimming with people, which made Brent and I happy that there are still people out there interested in science and willing to spend their holiday looking at it!
On the 2nd, we took a bus up to New York to visit Brent's Uncle and Cousin for a couple days. We also met up with my Auntie Diana and fam who were thoroughly enjoying New York City for the first time. Brent showed them around Chinatown and Little Italy and we had a great time buying cheap crappy souvenirs and eating expensive (but really good) cannoli.
Hanging with my Auntie and fam in NYC
After our cross-country adventure we flew back to Tampa and are now trying to sort and pack everything for our upcoming move to Australia.
Hope everyone had a good holiday!
I love this photo of frozen juniper berries
We had a blast together, and my Aussie family celebrated their first ever white christmas, they were very excited. We did lots of sledding, snow-man building, ice skating, and bundling up. Brent and I drove to Mt. Shasta the day after Christmas and spent the afternoon snowboarding - good times!
My Uncles Rob & Manuel and cousin Jono enjoying their first white christmas; Brent and I at Burney Falls
Snowboarding at Mount Shasta
We also broke the news to the family that Brent and I are engaged. We have been talking about it for a long time and since we were with everyone we decided to spill the beans in person. Neither of us are into big deal weddings so we generally keep all this stuff low key, so this may be the first you have heard of this! :) We bought a beautiful opal ring and I love it. Opal is my favorite stone and I love having it and a very unique ring too. No date yet, but we are looking at probably sometime in early 2010.
Brent and I in the snow; My pretty ring
It was fun to get together with the family, it had been a few years since my immediate family had all been together so that plus the extra added family made for a fun vacation and good visit!
The girls got matching PJs!
The whole fam damily!
Brent and I then flew out from Reno to Washington DC to spend New Year's Eve with some of our DC friends. We had an initial big bash planned but as life goes, things happened and it got honed down to just Brent, myself and our friend Liz, who we were staying with. We still had a ton of fun though and went to dinner at an all you can eat Tapas restaurant and ate a ton, it was so good! We then went back to Liz's place and watched the ball drop, played trivial pursuit and were all so tired at 12:30 - getting old sucks!
My friend Liz and I
Brent and I got all gussied up!
On the 1st, we went to the Museum of Natural History and enjoyed ourselves there. It was surprising brimming with people, which made Brent and I happy that there are still people out there interested in science and willing to spend their holiday looking at it!
On the 2nd, we took a bus up to New York to visit Brent's Uncle and Cousin for a couple days. We also met up with my Auntie Diana and fam who were thoroughly enjoying New York City for the first time. Brent showed them around Chinatown and Little Italy and we had a great time buying cheap crappy souvenirs and eating expensive (but really good) cannoli.
Hanging with my Auntie and fam in NYC
After our cross-country adventure we flew back to Tampa and are now trying to sort and pack everything for our upcoming move to Australia.
Hope everyone had a good holiday!
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