Settling in...

Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well!

We are sorry we are slow to get details out to everyone about our move and how it’s going…Trent bought a 3G wireless internet stick so we can get online but we have a data limit (and it is VERY slow), so he thought we shouldn’t upload pictures until we get our real internet which may still be several weeks away. But I can still write information…

Let’s see, going back to the plane ride from LA to Sydney…Our seats were in these little “pods” so if you lifted the footrest and slid your seat back down you were almost laying completely flat. It was much better than sitting up all that time, but they weren’t as comfortable as all you can imagine. The kids ended up slipping down to the bottom half of their seats while they were asleep because there still was a bit of a slope. They gave us all gray knit jammies (long sleeve top and bottoms) so the kids all changed into theirs (huge, because only adult sizes) and looked very fun in their too big jams! The food was a bit of a downside for the kids, but they were so tired we couldn’t even keep them awake for dinner (which they would have not liked, so it was OK). During the night the kids were waking up around 3 am Aus. Time, so got to watch a couple movies on the seat ahead of them while they waited for breakfast. Luckily I had brought granola bars, oyster crackers, fruit snacks, etc. so they were not starved since they missed dinner. They gave us headphones and we had several loud laughing moments when of course everyone else on the plane was asleep!! They watched Lorax and Cars 2.

For breakfast Beaux had eggs, toast, hot chocolate, fruit, yogurt. The boys got a French toast thing that was like a cube of the bread with whipped cream and strawberries (well, Trent got that too) and juice. I had toast and muesli with milk and coffee and it was very good. So, by the time breakfast was getting cleaned up we were within an hour of landing and everything was going fine. In Sydney, we did have to pick up our luggage (3 trolleys full) and take it through customs. They pretty much just waved us through after seeing how much luggage we had and asking us a few questions (Trent says that they didn’t want to check through all of it). Then we had to check it all back through to Alice Springs and switch to the domestic flight terminal on the shuttle. Oh, we also exchanged our US money for Australian currency while we were waiting to collect our baggage.

We all ate another breakfast at the terminal while we waited for our last flight, and then check-in and got on the plane to Alice! The kids were doing pretty well, but again the lunch menu was fairly “high class” so the kids only got a piece of bread for lunch. Trent tried the rare beef salad and I tried the snapper fish pastry (which was actually semi-tasty)… The flight attendants in Australia were mainly men, at least in our area and the one that was serving us said that next time we can order special meals or kids meals ahead of time when we book the flight, so will have to remember that for sure!

We landed in Alice Springs right on time and got to walk down the stairs from the plane to the tarmac and walk across to the airport to collect our luggage. Adam (our sponsor) and his wife Dale met us there and helped us get all loaded up into a huge van and brought us home!

We have an outside gate to open and then another gate to pull through to the carport in the backyard. So the house is fully fenced. The front area is desert landscaping mostly with a bit of grass and a walking path around several trees. Not sure what any of the trees are. We do have two huge juniper looking trees in front which have come in handy for seeing where our house is from far away! We have neighbors with lemon trees and orange trees that hang over our back fence, so that is so fun! Inside is very clean and nice with new looking furniture and ceiling fans in most of the rooms. We do have a guest room with a twin and trundle bed for any visitors! J It is hardwood floors in the study, front room/dining area, hallway. Tile floors in the bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry room. The bedrooms are carpeted and also our walk-in closet. The ceilings are vaulted so it feels pretty spacious as of now…we shall see how it feels when our household goods get here!!

We haven’t found a car yet, so that is on the priority list. Today is Trent’s first day of work and he was supposed to catch the bus this morning, but they just passed him by! So, he is trying his hand at driving over there (with no directions)…I hope he made it..

This weekend was spent resting up, getting groceries/cleaning supplies, etc, putting all our things away, learning to drive on the left side (which I might say, I haven’t tried yet, but Trent is getting pretty good at but it really is the scariest part of all this!!!). Yesterday we went to The Potter’s Hand Christian Church, which was small and very friendly, but they spoke in tongues quite a bit and had the “sinner’s prayer” going on, so we’ll keep checking on other churches in the area. Found out it was Father’s Day here in Australia, so Trent was given some chocolates! Then in the afternoon we drove west a bit to visit the Alice Springs Desert Park, only to get there and there is quite a large admission price, so we kept driving and saw Flynn’s Grave and Simpson’s Gap (got lots of pictures so those will be coming ASAWeGetInternet) and the kids had fun climbing rocks and running about in the red dirt and sand! We got our first taste of the Aussie flies that you hear about, they were all over us when we were hiking to Simpson’s Gap. They don’t bite, but they just keep getting on you, in your face, etc.

Groceries here are very interesting and pretty expensive. It is so funny what they call different things: margarine is “spreadable dairy blend”, butter comes in huge squares instead of sticks, whole wheat is “whole meal”, a shopping cart is a “trolley”, ground beef is “mince beef”, they don’t have orange cheddar cheese, it is white. The apple juice is awesome, it tastes like cider. You have to pay 15 cents for each grocery sack, so you save them and bring them with you for bagging groceries.

We’ve had spaghetti/garlic bread/carrots (Sat) and salsa chicken nachos/corn (Sun) and tonight may be salmon and rice. We found some yummy bread and we’ve been having peanut butter/honey/jam or leftovers for lunches. Still need to stock up on snacks, but it’s hard to know what we’ll like!

We did see a wallaby (or a really young kangaroo) through the bushes when we were out on the Sunday drive! It was just like looking for deer in the States…The birds around here are slightly tropical and have all different calls and sounds than what we’re used to. There are some black and white ones with long legs, gray dove looking ones with pink underbellies and underwings, and green parrot looking ones with blue heads! There are also little greenish yellow ones about the size of sparrows that fly in little groups everywhere. We are going to have to get a local bird book and see what they all are!

Well, I really need to get the kids some lunch, so I will continue this later…The little funny details abound!

OK, keep us updated on all your doings too!

Love,

Hizzy and family