Okay, so I’m going to blog this before too many days go by and too much has happened and I can’t catch up anymore. I’ll skip right over the weeks of work and packing leading up to this long-awaited trip to Australia –to visit Darren’s homeland and family. Although I do have to tell this one thing about the few hours before we drove to the airport: we had ordered a set of walkie-talkies over the internet the day before we left & they were supposed to get to us the day we flew. It got down to the wire, to the point where we were praying & had all the kids join us in prayer for them to arrive. Desperate enough, I went for a run in the neighborhood 1 hour before our departure time and ended up chasing down a UPS truck to see if they had the package for us. –They didn’t, but long story short, that did lead to the truck with our package arriving at our door at the exact appointed time that we were going to drive out to the airport. That was cool.  Qantas was a great travel experience in itself. A very child-friendly airlines, they had all kind of fun stuff for kids to do, including special kids meals, a “The Wiggles” backpack full of activities, a special basinet for Evie to sleep in, and great kid entertainment shows for the kids to view & listen to on their own personal TV and headphones. Their menu wasn’t bad, and Darren and I got to enjoy some nice complimentary Australian wine just before dozing off to sleep for the night. (The kids and Evie slept great on the flight. And we even caught some ZZ’s. Praise God!)   Dad and Trevor (10) picked us up at the airport and brought us “home”. “Home” is almost paradise: On five acres of lush green, the house is just part of a huge vibrant yard. There are tall-as-you’ve-ever-seen Eucalyptus trees (on which dad has made some of his “highest-ever” rope swings), a pool, a pond with good-fishing and a quaint bridge to a small island, an assortment of wild ducks, tennis court & basketball & a view to the neighbors beautiful horses. The beckoning beauty is worth waking up early for every morning.  

All of the kids are loving it here and have quickly attached themselves to Grandpa and Grandma & their uncles and aunts. It’s worked out so nicely for Evan, who is sandwiched right between two uncles who are just his age. –Gavin who is seven years old and born the same year as

Evan, and Trevor who just turned 10 and will be celebrating his birthday in a double-birthday-party with

Evan on the 23^rd of March. Dad and Mom are wonderful, beautiful people.  Grandpa has a way of being with the children that is just beautiful –he’s always stopping to show and teach them different things. They go out with him in the morning as soon as they wake-up to feed the birds here. –And these aren’t pigeons or sparrows, but cockatoos and parrots & all kinds of big beautiful native Australian birds.   So far, in the morning the kids join grandpa as he gives devotions to their uncles and aunts, then grandpa teaches his kids school in the morning. In the afternoon, everyone play tennis, rope swing, go fishing, watch the horses, etc., and Mom (grandma) and I, sit and have tea and talk together for maybe an hour before she cooks dinner for everyone. We’re catching up on many years, and I’m learning a lot about Darren along the way (nice for me).  

It’s been so good to see Phil! –And Theresa, Justin, and Anne’s little “pink” girl Allie, is a sweet thing.   We’re very much enjoying the relaxed pace, and the accepting, welcoming spirits of our family here.  Tomorrow we’ll visit some friends (Paul and Joy and co.) and the day after that we’ll travel into Sydney by train and begin to visit the list of places we have tagged as “must-see”. It should be very educational. We’re excited. But whew, tired.  (Thanks Mishy and Mom for driving us to the airport, and thank you dear Nana for making it possible for us to make this trip. Thanks to our loved ones at Home, also! We miss you!)  

We’re here!

It’s almost paradise here. We’re having fun. The kids are having a great time playing with their uncles and aunts.

I’ll post some pics.

I shall have to make a clarification. Two posts ago I was not thinking of moving (again) or looking for a new Home. It’s the Winning Offensive and “Fresh New Mindsets” that’s got me thinking, breathing, dreaming, of newness and change.

Change comes to every thing and every one. It just helps and comes easier when you’re looking for it, expecting it, and willing to embrace it. It helps me to state it, as well.

Welcome, change! I have been expecting you! 

One thing leads to another, and this is one of the subjects I’ve been intrested in reading about lately…

Landscaping…

Traditional thinking says you should expect to pay anywhere from 5% to 15% of your home’s value on landscaping. Even at the low end of that range, you’re looking at spending about $10,500 if you live in the median-value American home worth $218,900 in 2007.

That’s tough to stomach no matter how much you love the outdoors. Thankfully, you can do it right and still spend a fraction of that amount. Here’s how.

And,

Plan kids’ yards for fun, adventure

From big-ticket zip lines and climbing boulders to simpler projects like a butterfly garden, kid-friendly yards are moving beyond the basic swing set to bring nature and adventure right up to the back door.

Choices of plants, materials and play equipment today include more natural features that downplay or disguise manufactured items to encourage creativity, scientific exploration and an appreciation for the environment. Natural choices also keep kid spaces from overwhelming a yard also enjoyed by adults.

These design options can be adapted to a variety of lot sizes. And they can be easier on the budget than large play sets…

But, my most interesting recent website find is this mother earth news http://www.motherearthnews.com/

I have to control myself or I could spend hours here.

One of the deep desires of my heart is to find how/where the Lord plans for me to invest myself –heart, mind, soul, might and mite– so that I can bear the most fruit for Him in this life and the next.

I’m excited by the fact that He might want to do that differently than how He has (ever) done that in the past. And so, one more time, I’m slipping my hand into His for the walk ahead. Because I trust Him. And because I cannot, for the life of me, see my way.

Will we see a slow (or accelerated) departure from the random culture that we have, um, cultivated? Will it be long before we loose sight of the shoreline of “random” which has ruled our days and conquered our nights? As we set sail in this ship called Plan A, B, C and Z, I feel I may possibly be embarking on the most profitable journey of my life (in the last seven years).

Shall I miss thee?

I guess… not, if it means I have a shot at a balanced life while attempting to live a very great commission.

What say ye?

and I’m sorry.

But I have given him the “man of the year” award, because he is the first one who has figured out how to take care of my sister Amy.

One word for you Michael, “familia”. 

Evie cut her first two teeth today -the two front bottom ones. She’s using her hands to grab things (especially hair –watch out!) and she’s getting close to being able to sit up by herself. She is still the little baby of our sweet dreams.  

I overheard Ella reading before bed from a Richard Scary book: “When people disagree, liars help them settle it.” Old Scary snuck some deep truth in there.  

Evan said to me today: “Mommy, I’d like to get together with Sam Doehler and Daddy and Cade and have a little planning meeting about our plans to build. There’s the treehouse, and a playhouse for the little kids, and some other things. We got the trampoline set-up already, and that’s progress…” He’s not one to let things slip through the cracks.  

Emmer and I were walking out from our cottage to the main house when I pointed out the sun setting over the ocean on the other side of the road from our house. Emmer perked up, “Oh, hey! Mommy, we live by the beach!”He noticed. It must have been the first day that the grey mists rolled away since we got here.  

I didn’t know this place got so much rain!