New Year's Eve

Who would have thought that this year I'd be spending time in Australia for New Year's and making sandmen instead of snowmen and spending New Year's Eve on the beach. :)

Here are some pictures from our New Year's Eve beach fun!

I <3 Frankston

 What kind of trust activities can we do at the beach!?! We didn't get any pictures but we also did trust falls off the wall. :)

Tamara and I

Sandman!

Can you see the whale?

Sandman #2

Harry and I with our creation.

Food is Yum!

Last salad I made. :)

I thought I would share some yumminess from Australia. So, first off as it's getting warmer we're eating lots of salad, and according to Nancy it's more of an Australian thing to make your salads on a long plate instead of dumping it all in a bowl which I think is what most of us are used to. It looks really pretty and I think I've become a bit of a pro at it. I might have to take this idea home with me for when my family has people over. When it's just me and my family I think we'll stick with throwing it all in a bowl. :P

Milo in a hot drink! Yum!

There are also some very yummy drinks and I blame Benjamin for getting me hooked on this next thing, I'll have to find something similar to it when I head back to the States. It is called Milo (Nestle), you can do some really yummy things with it. You can put it in your warm drink and make it kind of like a hot chocolate or even better, you can sprinkle it over your ice cream and then melt some peanut butter and drizzle that over the top (thanks Benjy!) I really will have to find something similar, I am completely hooked!

Being silly after a lesson while waiting for her to get picked up.
She really enjoys playing with my Mac. :)

Now for something that doesn't have anything to do with food. My little student Rose has just finished up her first term of lessons with me and is on her summer holiday and we'll start up again in February I believe. She caught onto the recorder like a pro and she's catching on to flute beautifully, she gets some of the most beautiful sounds out in the mid - low register right now and every once in a while over blows and really doesn't get a half bad sound on the mid to upper range! I'm excited to see what progress we can continue to make once we reconvene! She also performed wonderfully at the end of term concert for the home school group. She played Jingle Bells on recorder like a pro! I am very proud of her. :)

Tis the Season

So, it is still getting harder and harder to realize that Christmas is just around the corner as the temperatures here in Australia continue to get warmer and we're talking about organizing trips and vacations.......But to get more in the holiday spirit I did some present wrapping today and then this Monday and Tuesday the home school choir will be performing at the nursing home and then on their own little concert a Christmas program. It will be cute!

Christmas Song Aussie Style!

So since Australia doesn't get snow during the Christmas season seeing as it is now summer in this part of the world they have taken the liberty of creating their own lyrics to an old favorite, Jingle Bells.

Here are the lyrics:

AUSSIE JINGLE BELLS

Dashing through the bush

In a rusty Holden Ute

Kicking up the dust

Esky in the boot 

Kelpie by my side 

Singing Christmas songs

It's summer time and I am in 

My singlet, shorts & thongs

CHORUS: 

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS JINGLE ALL THE WAY 

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA ON A SCORCHING SUMMER'S DAY 

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT 

OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

Engine's getting hot 

Dodge the kangaroos 

Swaggie climbs aboard 

He is welcome too

All the family is there 

Sitting by the pool 

Christmas day, the Aussie way 

By the barbecue!

CHORUS

Come the afternoon 

Grandpa has a doze 

The kids and uncle Bruce 

Are swimming in their clothes 

The time comes round to go 

We take a family snap 

Then pack the car and all shoot through 

Before the washing up

CHORUS

Funny thing is, I've now been here long enough to know what all the lyrics are saying/talking about! I hope you all enjoy!

Almost Half Way

Balcony View (from this morning) :)

So in about a week or so I will have been in Australia for half of my allotted time. It's crazy to think that it is December and I got here at the end of August, I've been here almost 4 months, time sure does fly!

In this blog post I am just looking back over the time that I've been here so far and just thinking about what God has done in my life and how He has provided. So let us begin at the beginning!

1. I made it to Australia with no delays, no visa or passport troubles, and did not lose one luggage item.

2. I made the time change very smoothly (it's a big one!).

3. I am living with the wonderful Blackwood family. :)

4. Even though one of my eyes was overly dry from the flight and cracked in my first week here, I was able to quickly get to an eye doctor and get medicine and they gave me a discount on the price of my appointment.

5. After a month of patient waiting and diligent prayer I was offered a 3 days a week cleaning job and have one private lesson student. And as of last week I have a job lined up to teach general music for a home school group once a fortnight on Fridays (I can't wait, I've already started lesson planning!).

6. I have been so privileged to get to know the families of the Frankston RPC as well as others from Mckinnon and Geelong!

7. The Lord has allowed our technology to be advanced enough to skype and email with family and friends back home (which keeps the majority of home sickness at bay).

8. Cory is, Lord willing, coming to visit me in February!

My my my and the list could keep going! Now is when the rough part starts, spending Christmas and New Years and Easter away from home, but I can always remember that the Lord does not give me more than I can handle, so I will be able to get through it! I did some thinking and realized that I am spending every major holiday here in Australia minus the 4th of July! Yikes! But, it does make me look forward to next years holidays and getting to spend them with my family and friends back home.

But how exciting is it to be able to look at that list and know that the Lord did all of that?! Praise Him!

It just makes me want to sing Psalm 117B from the psalter!

"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
All you nations, extol Him; extol Him, all you peoples;
For great is His love towards us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord
endures forever."