Mums day out!

Today was a day where I cast my cares to the wind and headed for total relaxation...ok not quite...but pretty darn close! The husband was off today and graciously accepted the offer of watching our 2 year old son and his best friend (another little 2 year old girl) so that me and her her mum and another dear friend could hit the Oyster Stacks for some much needed snorkeling around the west side on the reef. I have never been to this location, and I have only been out snorkeling twice, both times being in the last month.today we arrived at this spot and the wind was blowing pretty strong, it is by far one of the most popular snorkeling spots as the water never gets too high because of the reef and because of that no really big fish can get in so the little cute fish,rays,turtles etc. can live and relax and not fear about big bad fish (i.e. Sharks) so it made me feel much more at ease as well. The girls just got done telling me this; as they know my fear and as we walk down over the rocks to get ourselves in the water what should we see at our ankles swimming around but a baby reef shark about the length from my fingers to my elbow. Next to him 2 blue leopard printed rays. This little baby shark just wouldn't leave us alone, he kept following us like a little puppy dog.  We finally lost him once we got out. The fish we saw were remarkable. The colors, the shapes....they were like nothing I had ever seen before and they were everywhere! Am I really living here? Sometimes I have to remind myself where we are.   After our hour snorkel and a quick ice cream treat on the way home us mummy's headed home to our kiddos.

This evening Jerrod and I loaded up the kiddos and headed down to the marina to check out the Game Ex weigh ins. Game Ex is a super massive fishing tournament held here every year, people come from all over to it. In the evenings the fishermen bring in the fish to weigh and display them, then there are filleting demonstrations with the fish just weighed in and then we get to take home what they filleted up! We brought home about 2 lbs of yellow fin tuna (which we grilled tonight yummmm) and about 3 lbs of Spanish mackerel (I see fish and chips in my near future!)

Overall great day!

A home for critters

So the good news, yes the good news is that we got a call two days ago letting us know our van was in exmouth (6 month transit exactly). It had been here for several weeks but it did not come with any paper work so no one knew who it belonged to. Some more good news, only seven large dents and chips taken out of my relatively new hood as I had just got a new one on last January from the ass that hit us on Christmas 2015. Now the bad news, are you ready for this? At some point in this trip someone responsible for our vehicle decided to get in and roll all our windows down. Yep you heard me right. And guess what, when I opened the back door to the van I could see dirty black animal prints all over the floor that led to the back where.... wait for it.....we lifted up the third row seats that had been down and sure enough there was evidence of a critter living in our van! The entire carpet is soiled in brownish dark yellow substance....something has been relieving itself and sleeping in it and my god it is a nasty sight. Since the windows were down for who knows how long the entire car is BLACK with grime, dirt, dust and who knows what else....I won't even sit in the front seat because of the condition. It does run though. I had to go buy a battery for the keyless entry control....but it does drive. I am so saddened that someone treated our vehicle this way.
 I keep going back to the golden rule in my head as to treating others how you want to be treated. I don't think they teach that anymore, or else the hurtful and hateful words I see in facebook posts wouldn't be typed and people would take care of each other and each others belongings better.
As I'm sure some of you are wondering what we are going to do, we have already contacted the embassy which will start the claim process and we will go from there. I am sad, but there is nothing we can do.... better the car to have gotten damaged on this journey than one of us....after all it is something that (fingers crossed) CAN and WILL be fixed.

End of the Year thoughts.

Well, we survived a hot Christmas where the temperature reached around 110 F. I wouldn't really know since we never laid foot outside (the children refused the beach; they wanted to play with all the new toys and I don't really blame them) but my sister gave my husband a new indoor outdoor thermometer so we can see the temperature rise before we head out. We spent most of our Christmas morning face timing with family and opening presents in front of the ipad. YAY for technology!

The tree is now bare underneath which is the saddest sight. It looks so empty without the brightly covered presents. The anticipation and build up of the holiday is amazing and then just like that it is over and we wait a whole 364 days until the next one. For the days following Christmas I feel a little lost. How long after Christmas is it acceptable to keep listening to Pandora Christmas channel, or watching Christmas specials on DVD and Netflix? As you know from previous posts I do love my Christmas, but at what point do you hit the pause button on Christmas until the following November? Most people say New Years, I would normally say longer but this year is slightly different for me. In the states at our previous homes we have snow through march, so as long as its snowing and you can drink hot cocoa to me it's relevant to keep up the holiday cheer. This year was a little bit harder for me to get into the spirit. It could have been the 100 degree temps. It could have been the beach days before and after the big day on the 25th. It could have been the lack of Christmas lights in the town (although the ones we did see were pretty amazing). It could have been the lack of Christmas get togethers and parties; but most likely it was knowing that our family and friends were on the other side of the earth. I went through the motions for the kids, but truly honestly it was hard. Christmas Eve service was amazing, we found a little church since our church didn't do eve service  and attended that. It was a good reminder of what Christmas is all about. Addison helped make our annual 'birthday cake for Jesus' as our Christmas day dessert, but this year was just harder than others. It hasn't quite been a week and I look around and i'm feeling anxious to get the house in order and back to its usual look. I usually have to fight with Jerrod to let me keep the tree up a month longer, or to keep my winter dishes out until valentines day; but i'v been slowly already gathering odds and ends to be packed up.
My big job for the holidays is over; giving the kids the best holiday and Christmas season that I could give. As long as it was over the moon fantastic for them then I achieved my parental goal. My daughter told me it was the best Christmas ever, so i'm thinking I achieved that.

Now onto New Years.  At the end of this month we are officially a quarter through our time here in Australia. Mind Blown. I don't want to wish it away, we are having a great time discovering this amazing country and are anxious to take our road trip down south at some point in the new year, but I am even more anxious to see my family again. To sit on my moms deck on a warm day and just chat, to snuggle my kitty in bed, to take my dog for a walk on a beautiful fall day in the leaves and of course take the 4 munchkins to our yearly trip to Storyland (maybe more by the time I get home ::winking at sister::)
I'm thinking about it like this. Only one more Christmas apart. Only one more Halloween and Thanksgiving apart. When I think about it like that it makes it easier. Time goes by so fast. I don't want to wish away this once in a life time experience. I just wish I could fly everyone out here so they can experience it with me! Anyways, that is what is on my mind today.

I don't really believe in New Years resolutions as no one really keeps them after February anyways. The gyms will get over crowded for about a month and half and the salad bars won't be able to keep up with demand but by March everyone reverts back to the way they functioned pre new years. But what I will do is hope to achieve some pretty realistic goals. Continue to stay positive  on this adventure down under. To try and take advantage of experiences that I feel comfortable doing that I will never be able to do again. Travel and see more of this country. Keep raising my children to be fearless, adventuress and kind hearted human beings.

What are some of the promises you will make to yourself for the New Year?

Talk to you all in January

A Little Christmas Nostalgia

It is officially one week from Christmas and I'm feeling nostalgic and a little bit homesick. The holidays are a very special time for me. I LOVE CHRISTMAS! It is not about the actual Christmas day; which is obviously awesome (I mean I got engaged on Christmas morning after all!) but for me it's the season. It's the anticipation and traditions and festive activities leading up to Christmas. I suppose it is my parents fault. I personally think we had the hands down most fantastic holiday season experience. My mother is a little Christmas crazy herself and I suppose that is where I get my love for it at. I couldn't wait for her special Christmas time dishes to be pulled out. She has a setting for 12 atleast (but I'm pretty sure more!) plus every piece of serving ware imaginable; how I love those dishes with the Christmas tree and the little train that went around at the bottom. She had this Santa that I actually believe was made to be a piggy bank...hes old and made of porcelain and I think she once said it came from home interiors, but I love it! Perhaps the best was her nativity which still makes it appearance every year; I remember her getting certain pieces when I was younger. It is gorgeous. larger than a traditional nativity and the pieces are painted beautifully. Today she also displays a nutcracker collection that takes up an entire book shelf. Many years ago we got rid of a piano the once small collection sat on top of it during the holidays and our only thought was where are the nutcrackers going to go at Christmas?
Now my father; his lights were amazing. We had this deck with lattice wood underneath so he would hang those big old C9 bulbs in giant X patterns on the bottom then twinkle icicle lights from the actual seating of the deck. My first Christmas being married we went to buy lights and I insisted on the C9 lights because it was what my dad had always used, after half of them braking against the house that one season and spending a fortune to replace individual bulbs I gave in and let Jerrod buy smaller outdoor lights. The icing on the lights; our old plastic blown light up Santa and his reindeer which still make an appearance every Christmas.
We had so many ornaments we had 2 trees, one real one for the living room which was always bought too big and always needed to have the top cut off to fit in the room and tied to our deck door to prevent it from falling ( do I have to tell you how we had to figure out to tie it up!?). Our artificial tree appeared in the dining room which was great because who doesn't want to look at a beautiful tree while eating dinner plus every homemade ornament from when they were in pre school.
There was a little pond in front of our house that we would spend days skating on. We would spend all day out on that miniature rink and at night my dad would bring down the portable work flood light for us. Today that pond has grown over but my memories are still there (side note-my cats are actually buried right next to it).
Christmas time meant baking. My mother would make what seemed to be 100s of sugar cookies with every sprinkle you could think of and atleast 6 different colors of frosting. The 3 of us kids would sit down and decorate until you get to the point where you stop caring about doing details and you are just throwing on green frosting onto any cookie just to get them all done. Peanut butter balls were always a must, my mom made tons of these as well to give out as Christmas gifts. Leftover balls always got put in a bowl in the fridge but they never lasted too long....they were so amazing.
Ginger bread houses were something my sister and I did together. Yes they were a pre made house and yes that made it awesome because they were ready to go with minimal prep and cleanup work.
Perhaps one of my all time favorite traditions would be getting in the car and driving to town in the evening with the Christmas music playing. We would grab a hot chocolate and ride around some of the bigger neighborhoods and look at all of the beautiful lights and displays. You know what makes this all super awesome, is that when I go home it all still happens. Every thing (minus the skating and PB balls) but every thing else is still carried on when we are able ot make it home for the holidays.
The magic my parents brought into our lives on Christmas morning was phenomenal. I was left believing; really truly believing much later than most kids. The details of a type writer typed tag with our names on special gorgeous Santa paper, stockings over flowing onto the floor. Everything was just always perfect and magical, and just because we are older now there is still that same magic all these years later. If you wake up at my parents house on Christmas morning you better believe cookies and milk had been drank and nibbled on, and yes he has left you a special gift. As much as you can say thank you in the moment of something, I only hope my parents realize what they did for me and my siblings and how much I truly am thankful; so in a way I guess this is a thank you to them for the magic of Christmas, for the memories that will never be forgotten and for giving me traditions to carry on with my children.

My house currently smells like ginger bread (can anyone really complain about that?) I gave in last night and spent 2 hours baking homemade pieces for ginger bread houses. Jerrod made me do it our first year married as his family tradition is making the houses from scratch (nod to aunt lou and aunt peggy for making enough for like 20 people!) and they assemble them all together the saturday after thanksgiving. I have proceeded to make them every year except last year and felt guilty yesterday so busted them out. Not quite stale enough yet to build, hopefully by tomorrow.  Anyways; building traditions and memories of the holidays regardless if snow is on the ground or not with my little munchkins is all I can hope to accomplish. Id say if when they get older and can look back and love the holidays for what we did together and remember the love poured out for them then I did a good job. Now im going to throw my thongs (flip flops) on head out in this 99 degree heat to grab dinner at the store. Happy memory making and merry Christmas to everyone everywhere!



Heres  what you need for Trafton family ginger bread
5 1/2-6 C flour
1 TSP baking soda
1 TSP salt
2 TSP ground cinnamon
2 TSP powdered ginger
1 TSP ground nutmeg
1 TSP ground cloves
1 C shortening
1 C sugar
1 1/4 C molasses
2 beaten eggs

1.Mix flour, baking soda, salt, spices
2.melt shortening; not too hot. add sugar, molasses and eggs in that order. add 4 cups dry mix
3.knead in remaining dry mix. make it firm and add extrra flour if needed.
4.roll out to 1/4'' thick

bake at 375 10-12 minuites and makes ~40 cookies or 2 houses ( i use wilton house piece cutters)

Land of the Flies

I have composed this post in my head probably a dozen times if not more. The temperatures are finally reaching 97 degrees and up on a daily basis and something no one prepped us for, something no one talked about to us nor could we read about in any books or our welcome booklet---FLIES. I'm not talking a pesky fruit fly, but a straight up swarm of full sized flies. They are everywhere, you can't go outside without getting swarmed. They buzz around your ears which I think might be my new least favorite noise in the whole world, they fly under your sun glasses into your eyes, they fly up your nose, in your mouth and land on the corners of your lips. They gather on your back and on your shoulders in the dozens. There is literally no escaping them. I thought they were bad 2 months ago, October had nothing on December. The only relief is a windy day that keeps them at half bay. I have tried every kind of bug dope they have here, nothing seems to work to MY satisfaction which would mean they stay a mile away. The only positive thing I can find is that they do not bite...or at least not yet? they mostly just want our moisture and sweat. (Ummmmm...YUCK!!)
They really should have warned us about the flies. Would it have changed our minds about coming...no...but at least I could have prepared myself mentally. I am officially renaming Exmouth as the Land of the Flies.
End Rant

On a happy note, we have learned the Aussie Jingle Bells song almost word for word and I have posted it here for your enjoyment. It's pretty awesome and is incredibly accurate of life here.
Just click the link below and it will be like you are right here with us!!
Aussie Jingle Bells

Wish to sing along? Here are the lyrics, just sing it to the tune of jingle bells :-)

dashing through the bush in a rusty holden ute kicking up the dust

esky in the boot kelpy by my side singing christmas songs it's summer time and i am in my singlet, shorts and thongs jingle bells, jinjle bells, jingle all the way christmas in australia on a scorching summers day hey jingle bells, jinjle bells christmas time is bute oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty holden ute engine's getting hot dodge the kangaroos swagie climbs abord he is welcome to all the family is there sitting by the pool christmas day the aussie way by the BBQ oh jingle bells, jinjle bells, jingle all the way christmas in australia on a scorching summers day hey jingle bells, jinjle bells christmas time is bute oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty holden ute come the afternoon grandpa has a doze the kids and uncle bruce are swimming in there cloths the time comes round to go we take a family snap then pack the car and all shoot through before the washing up oh jingle bells, jinjle bells, jingle all the way christmas in australia on a scorching summers day hey jingle bells, jinjle bells christmas time is bute oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty holden ute oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty holden ute

THANKSgiving

No Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
No Turkey roasting in the oven.
No stuffin muffins.
But what we do have is THANKS.
We are thankful for our health, we are thankful for our family near and far, we are thankful for our friends that have been made across the world, we are thankful for food that can nourish our bodies so that we do not go hungry and we are thankful for the roof over our head. We are thankful for this life experience here in Australia and for clothes on our backs. I am thankful for a husband who loves me, who takes care of me and our 2 beautiful and healthy children and for the fact that he provides and supports us during these years where I am able to relish in the time of being able to stay home to raise these remarkable little human beings. I am thankful for technology; something that allows me to see the faces of my sweet niece and nephew, have weekly conversations with my mom and dad, visit with my sisters and yes talk with my cat Trigger who I am convinced talks back.
Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for when there are so many that don't have half of what we have.
I feel lucky and fortunate for my life. there may not be stuffin muffins or the rockettes with high legs dancing in front  of Macy's but the holidays will come regardless.

my elves decorating the tree

My husband has been surprisingly very un-hum buggy this past week. He has picked out Christmas movies for family movie night, willingly picked out Christmas songs for lullabies with the kids and even put the tree up ON Thanksgiving. He knows November through December is my happy place. It makes me feel good and puts me in a good mood. Even if its in June, if i'm having a bad day nothing perks me up more than a Bing Crosby song or even better an up tempo Michael Buble or Mariah
Carey Christmas melody. Infact, I had the name Bing on my boys name list (among Ret; gone with the wind and Humphrey (Bogart)) for Logan because in my eyes he is a Christmas God but Jerrod put his foot down, and in reality that was probably a good thing.
Saturday (tomorrow) there will be a turkey in the oven...a 5.5 kilo turkey to be exact (it will be around a 12 lb bird). We will be hosting a Friendsgiving with our 2 best family friends here in Exmouth, People that we want to share this super awesome thankful holiday with. It will be the first Thanksgiving for them. So here's praying my gas stove doesn't mess up my apple pie, pumpkin log or over cook the bird and I wish you all a very happy holiday season and cute comfortable elastic waisted pants.

I'm Back!

The long wait is over...we officially have the internet! One can only take so many instances of paragraphs upon paragraphs of in depth posts complete with pictures and captions all typed up on my itty bitty cell phone touch screen only to have it mysteriously vanish right before the 'post' button is pushed....needless to say that is the reason for the long hiatus.

It was a long road, and many hours spent on the phone with the local internet company but we finally locked them down with what they owed us! Thank god that is over.

The next joyous news...our large shipment of what I call 'our life in boxes' is due here this week! it has been roughly 3 months without all of our things and part of me wants to say 'no, no take it back! put it in storage with the rest of our things!' (minus my sheets, blankets, Christmas tree, bikes and a handful of favorite toys) we have survived this long without all of it and are functioning and living normal without needing anything extra. This has been quite a humbling experience. With all the tears I shed narrowing down the books to be packed for the kids because of our weight constrictions, and crying because they would be without special items that they have had since birth (which were clearly more important to me) and not being able to bring my jewelry hutch with my jewelry and only selecting 4 necklaces and a few earrings... it is so clear how people can live with nothing and not complain. It has really made me realize the importance of the non material things; us being here as a family and living in the moment everyday, making relationships with other families and spending most days running around at the park, splash pad, playground or at the beach doing picnics and barbies.  The things I am most anxious for in this delivery; my pictures. I want to be able to see my mom and dad every day on the wall and I want the kids to see all of the cousins constantly.

Our honeymoon phase is over. At this point we are LIVING. we have our daily routines and things aren't new anymore. We are no longer the 'new american family' in town. With this comes the reminder that we are in fact living on the other side of the world and we wont be going back any time soon, thus leading into the occasional pangs of homesickness. No different than the ones I would get in Arizona or Jersey, but at least they were broken up with quarterly trips home or visits from my mom or sister in law.
I find myself more and more anxious for when the time comes for us to have a real home of our own. One we wont have to pack up and leave every 4 years or so. I know people say its not that great, you have to fix it all yourself and it is expensive, I get that, and in reality I  know that once that time comes for us we will probably be itching to move every so often and wondering what else is out there. But I miss my family and I miss having close friends (physically and emotionally) the kind that you don't go into the relationship knowing there is an end date. There are only a few handful of friends that I can safely say have stuck by me even with all my moving and not being around and I appreciate them more than they will ever know. As a military wife we tend to collect people. we have scattered friends all over the world and the one thing we have in common is we all get it. Our spouses have different schedules week to week and they can miss anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to a year being sent to who knows where. We are forced to be strong even when we don't want to be and hold together the family and make a house a home with every move. Sometimes I wish for the normalcy that people have, but then I wouldn't be having adventures to NYC, exploring the Grand Canyon, Philadelphia, Sydney harbor and hand feeding kangaroos in the outback of Australia. One day we will settle down, and when we do we will be able to look back at this time and know it made us as a family stronger and we will have incredible memories to tell our grand kids and anyone else who will listen.