11 October 2009

Paradise

So I know I haven't updated in awhile....and in awhile I mean like over a month but I've been crazy busy doing all sorts of things.

For the last month or so we have been so many places:
...Tasmania
...Camping for a week with the family we are staying with in New South Wales
...Gold Coast which is up north in Queensland
...Cairns/Port Douglas which is at the very north of Australia

So we just got back from Queensland a few days ago and have 1.5 more days in Melbourne before we fly out to New Zealand for a week.

Then we will be home on OCTOBER 22nd! Crazy!

Port Douglas was one of my favorite places on the trip. It was amazing! It's been cold down here in Melbourne so it was really nice to go somewhere hot and tropical. Port D was the equivalent of Paradise. It was the perfect place to vacation. The town is really little and not really commerical like most of the beaches we are used to. Our hotel was only a 5 minute or less walk to one of the most beautiful beaches ever. You walked through all these overhanging palm trees on this little footpath and then you came out right on the beach. It was picture perfect. The water was blue. The sand was white. There were mountains in the background. It was just crazy. The best part about it is that there was not really that many people on it at all. We are so used to beaches with 2034898342 other people but this wasn't like that at all! One of the girls that we met at church and became friends with, Jenna, decided to come with us so it was fun to have another person.
Port Douglas is located near the Great Barrier Reef so one of the days we went out there. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I decided to be crazy and go scuba diving because apparently here you can scuba dive without having to get certified. But no one else wanted to do it with me. I was actually the only person on our boat of about 40 people that decided to do it! I was freaking out because I didn't want to be the only person. So after much persuading I convinced our friend Jenna to come with me. We took a little course on the boat ride about everything so then we were good to go. We snorkelled at the first reef site we went to with Chels which was amazing! Then we went diving for the next two sites we went to. It was a little scary at first but once I got down there it was the best feeling ever. The reef was spectacular. I truly felt like I was in Finding Nemo. We saw Nemo in the sea anenome exactly like the movie. Schools of fish would just swim by us like it was nothing. I got to touch all sorts of things like huge clams, sea cucumbers, starfish....so cool! Then to top it off Chels spotted a sea turtle and I got to see it right before it swam away. It was just amazing. Indescribable. Breathtaking. Gorgeous. I can't think of any more adjectives but you get the point. Here's a few pics from our little trip out to the reef. There was a photographer on board that took pics of everyone so no these are not mine.

Here's a pic of the reef from the boat....we took about 1000 pics like this.


The three of us headed out to the reef...


Chels and I snorkelling

Dan, our dive instructor, Jenna and me getting ready to go out. I could barely stand up because the tank was so heavy. Don't make fun I know I look stupid in the goggles.


And here we are...underwater. This pic is so awkward. I mean really? It's hard to know how to pose under the sea.

Anyways, today is our last full day in Melbourne and with the Hansen's. Tonight is our last night to spend at our house. It's a really weird time for us. We are both excited to come home but really sad to leave all the community we have made here. We have been so blessed to meet so many amazing people here that have truly been so amazing to us. It's all very bittersweet. Thursday we are headed to New Zealand for a week of fun and then home. I'm not sure I'll post anything until then because we will be super busy doing all of our Lord of the Ring tours. Anyways, well I'm going to go enjoy the day!


05 September 2009

what day is today....

...today is Father's day!


So I hope everyone wished their father a Happy Father's Day.


Apparently Australia celebrates Father's day on a different day than us....who knew?


Mother's Day is the same though. But get this several people have asked us when Christmas was? Too funny. They thought it was in July. Christmas in July. Strange.


Today we celebrated and got up and all had brekky together with Rob. Rob is our pseudo-father here. Then we gave pressies....Chels and I gave Rob some Cadbury Chocolate because he LOVES chocolate like every other Aussie. Then we had Angie and Rob's family over for a get together. Being around their family just reminded me of mine....loud. We just love their families and feel like in a way they are ours too now. I am so grateful to have that feeling of family here. I don't think I could have made it this long without it.


Anyways, so here's a small tribute to my father, Gleners. It was tricky finding a picture of the guy because he is always the one behind the camera. He's a terrific guy if you know him. If you don't you should meet him. So HAPPY FATHER'S DAY dad. Missyou and love you!



haircuts

the other day we got haircuts.....I know exciting right? Our friend, Telestra, from church did it. She's the best. Her actual name is Telisha but I don't have a very good memory. After we met her the first time I was talking about how we met her to Alice. I thought her name was Telestra and Ali laughed so hard at me. Actually Telstra is the name of a phone company over here so I just took a spin off of that. Anyways, Ali told Telisha what I called her and she thought it was the funniest thing ever. So now she always knows when I'm talking to her and it's even caught on. Everyone is starting to call her that. Well enough about that. Telestra cut our hair and she's the best. It's going to be hard having our hairdresser in Australia but you know we just live that glamorous of a life. We will have to come back just to get our hair cut.

Just thought you should know that we got haircuts.

i'm in love...

...with footy.
Aussie Rules. AFL-Australian Football League. Footy. Football....whatever you want to call it. It's Melbourne's favorite sport and mine too.

We went to the footy game a few weekends ago with our great friends, Lisa and Kiara, from church. Someone gave Lisa tickets to sit in the "expensive" seats. So she told us we had to dress up nice because well that is what you are supposed to do. For the first time since we've been here we put on our "fancy" clothes to go to the game...weird...I know.

I had been watching footy on tele. to get an idea of how it was played but going to the game was even better. I don't really know how to describe it its almost like part American football and part soccer. The object of the game is to get the ball through the goal posts at the end of the oval. However, you can't throw the ball you have to either punch it or kick it. It's really exciting and very fast pace which is why I think I like it. Not to hate on American football which stops every 10 seconds and 30 min on the clock could last 1.5 hours...eeek! The clock always runs on footy so I couldn't believe after 2.5 hours that the whole game was over.


But the best thing about it was the players....let's just say that most of them are good looking. I didn't really think about it at first but I found the reason I think they all are attractive. #1...they don't have helmets and big pads on them so you can actually see their faces. #2...they are super strong because they don't wear pads or helmets. awesome. I managed to get a few shots of my new found love and favorite player so that's exciting. Too bad I won't be able to follow my new favorite game in the US. I don't know how often ESPN shows footy games so I may be out of luck.


So here are the pictures from the game...




Chels, Kiara, Lisa, and me pre-game



The footy field. It's a humongous oval and they are always running around the entire game. I don't know how they do it. Its intense. They have to get the ball which looks similar to a football but with more rounded edges through the posts at the end of the oval. You get 6 points if it goes through the middle ones and 1 point if it goes through the outer ones.



My new love #2 on Carlton's team, Jordan Russell. Thanks dad for the camera with the really awesome zoom. I'm sure you are proud I'm putting it to good use.

Ryan Borden anyone...if you know him?
Signature open mouth picture....

The game was awesome. Great time with great friends, great game, great players. I love Australia and footy.

just when you were tired of seeing the beach....

So I know everyone is sick of the beach pictures but I just can't help it, it's so beautiful. I think I'm seriously a little picture crazed because I just looked and I have 1,224 pictures that I have taken since I've been here. That is why I can't update my blog because there are too many to chose from. But I fully intend to have a picture night when I come back where everyone can view all my photos if you like.

Here are some more pictures of the beach. Spring is coming! I can't wait for it to get warmer. I told Chels the other day that I didn't think I could wear long sleeves anymore. I just couldn't do it. I'm so sick of the cold. And the best part is that it will just start getting cold when we get back...hooray! Two winters in a row! Everyone in the house laughs at me because I like to wear shorts around the house even though its cold. Oh well, I just can't be bothered wearing pants.

So we were walking home the other day along the beach and I took some pictures...here they are!

This is a picture of a hedge in front of a house we always pass by. I really don't understand. It's very Edward Scissorhands to me. Weird but hey its Australia....

The view from the hill that we go down everyday

Swimming anyone? Apparently there are lots of jellyfish this time of year. Not that I would be swimming in the freezing cold but definitely not with these things. They had all washed up on the beach.


Favorite pic....this old man and his little dog. Precious.

Love it. love it. love it.

I'm going to have to live by the beach when I get home. I don't know what I will do. It is just a constant reminder of how great God is.

So I'm moving to the beach when I get home.

25 August 2009

i just love it here....

The past few days have been absolutely beautiful. A lot of days the weather is cool and a little rainy. Whenever there is a warm, sunny day we always take advantage of it. There is hope that spring is coming! It has been a big change to come from 100 degree weather to 60 degree weather. It isn't too cold but I was just getting used to warm weather so it's hard to get back in the feeling of winter. Lately, we have had a few really gorgeous days. Chels and I love to go down to the beach on those days and just walk around. Words can't describe how amazingly beautiful it is here. As we were walking on the beach the other day I just got sad about leaving such a beautiful place. I'm going to go in shock when I go home and see industrial buildings. God is just written all over creation here. I love it! Here are a few pictures of the other day when we went down to the beach with Angie. We got ice cream and ate it while walking on the beach...it was a perfect day!


More cute boat houses...

The water is so clear! I love this pic...



One of my favorite pictures...


A couple of weekends ago we went and stayed with some friends of Chelsea's family, Graeme & Bette. They are an older couple who are amazing! They offered to let us stay in their flat in Brighton but we decided to stay here in Mt. Eliza instead. They are very blessed but give so generously. Graeme is the Chairman of Samaritan's Purse here in Australia. He started the Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry in his garage here. We felt so blessed to be know such an amazing man of Christ.
They showed us some videos of when they dropped the shoeboxes off in Cambodia and it was amazing. I was just crying watching the video of all these kids receiving probably the only gift that they will ever get in their entire life. They were ecstatic! For everyone who has done one of the shoeboxes we all know that there is nothing really expensive or amazingly awesome in them. But these kids LOVE them! They were holding their box like it was precious treasure. So, we just got to hear Graeme and Bette's stories of shoebox drops and all their trips around the world. It was really awesome. They also drove us around to look at the scenery. We saw some more beautiful beaches and then we drove past all the rolling hills. I just can't get over how much the scenery changes in an hour of driving. Ocean, rollings hills, mountains....love, love, love it! We then drove past a few wineries that overlook the ocean. It was just one of the most beautiful things I've seen. I know I keep saying that but seriously it is! Everyone is just going to have to visit and see for themselves. My pictures can't even do it justice. Anyways, I took a few photos so you can try to imagine how beautiful it is.

Here is a pic of one of the wineries that overlooks the ocean...

If you can look closely you can see the rolling hills in the background...


19 August 2009

crappy days...

today....

i got pooped on.

yeah i know. sick. gross.

Chels and I were in line waiting to get on the bus when all the sudden I thought someone threw something at me. Then Chelsea screamed. And I was like "what the heck?" And then I slowly looked down to see a whole lotta bird poo on my shirt. Sick out! A stupid seagull pooped all over my shirt and sweater! Chels is then still freaking out because it got in her hair. So we are frantically trying to find something to wipe it off with and all we had was a piece of paper. But I could not stop laughing because it was just too funny. Like one of those instances where it's funny but not. You know? So anyways that was definitely my "LOW" of the day. Every night at dinner we go around the table and say our "HIGHs and LOWs" of the day. Its always such a task to find something different to say from Chelsea because let's be honest we are with each other literally 24/7. That isn't even an exaggeration. So we always have to get creative when we go after the other one trying to say something remotely different. But you know its all fun. So now I'm rambling but I'm not even done with the poop stories.

....So yesterday it was a beautiful day outside so we decided that we would go to the beach. We wanted to just sit on the beach for an hour or so and read, relax, etc. Well the Hansen's have a dog, Buster (see picture below) or Busta as the Aussies would say because they drop all of their "r"s. He's a spoodle and really cute...most of the time. I really love dogs like so much it's not funny. Buster really likes to go on walks so I thought we could bring him. However, Chelsea was rather hesitant because he can be pretty buckwild sometimes. But he kept looking at me outside the window and so I was weak and gave in and brought him. Well on our walk to the beach Buster stops to do his business. But it is seriously taking forever. Well apparently he is a little constipated because he starts to whimper while trying to go. Sick! So we stand around for like 10 minutes waiting for him to drop the Cosby's off at the pool but nothing is happening. Then we get going again and I look down at Buster's backside and he has just a little bit hanging out....disgusting. SO the trip was not fun but gross and highly educational because I never thought of dogs getting constipated but apparently they do. So yeah I apologize for the vulgarity of my post. That's all for now! adios!


15 August 2009

day in the city....

Last week or so Chels and I took another little escapade into the city. We went down to the Melbourne Museum since we are so studious. Since we aren't in school anymore we haev to enrich our brains by doing something scholarly. Actually I wanted to go into the city because I was craving a burger. They don't really eat them as much as we do. I really needed one! I honestly couldn't stop thinking about a Bacon Cheeseburger from Chili's. I'm such a typical American. But there aren't any Chili's here so I was out of luck. Then we heard of this great burger place in the city so we decided to go check it out. I even got Chelsea, who eats ver little meat, to crave one too. I am such a bad influence. We got the burgers and they were pretty good. I mean they weren't Chili's but it hit the spot. Ok...enough about food..I sound like a pig. The museum was great because we got in free and everyone loves something free. They had some relaly interesting exhibits on dinosaurs, bugs, the human body, Australian history (which was weird because we knew nohting about it), and Pompeii. Here are a few pictures from our journey. Don't worry they aren't that exciting.



A church in the city

Outside of the museum. I don't know what this building is but it looked awesome.
Walking up to the museum...
Museum entrance...
The crest of Australia...yay!

Bethers...this one is for you. Remember the movie Paper Moon?

Some sort of dinosaur bone, maybe like an arm bone? who knows...haha

Adam---this is for you. They have a Star Wars exhibit in the city somewhere. I thought it was at the museum and I got excited but it wasn't! So I need to venture off to find it...

Ok well that's about it...Check out Chelsea's blog to see awesome pictures of me stuffing my face with my burger. Or you could go there and look at her pictures of other stuff too. Adios!


Movie Review part II

Ok...so I'm back for the next series of movie reviews. Last night, Chels and I went out with a few friends from church to the movies. Apparently the boys picked the movie and so I just went with it because we are now called "the Americans" and we just don't really have any say so. Well, the movie they decided on was called District 9. So I just went with the flow not really knowing anything at all about this movie. Once the movie starts I am seriously thinking this is going to be the worst. 5 minutes later my theory is proven and it really is the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. Words can't describe how terrible it was. Something about aliens inhabiting the earth and trying to make them civilzed and move them to their own alien territory in Africa??? I mean what the heck? The only thing keeping me sitting was the people I was with. Instead of focusing on the movie I turned my attention to the barrel of popcorn that I had. I figured if I could focus on eating then maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But then when the lead character began to turn into an alien himself I said no more. So Chels and I politely told everyone we were going to go wait in the lobby. I couldn't justify wasting 2 hours of my life sitting in front of pure trash making myself miserable. Well after unsuccessfully trying to get my money back....apparently I waited to long to come ask...we sat in the lobby. About ten minutes later a few more people joined saying it only got worse. So, heed my advice. If it ever entered your mind to maybe spend your free time seeing this movie --think again. It was really the worst.I am going to go ahead and put it in the negative range of numbers for my movie review. Probably about -100 out of 10. So if you waste your money and go see it don't blame me and don't tell me how it ends because I could honestly care less. Yay for terrible movies and good stories!

04 August 2009

Dandenong Mountains

A couple weekends ago we went and visited the Dandenong Mountain Range. Oh and I definitely pronounced it DandeDONG and all the Aussies made fun of me! So Dandedongs! Angie's niece, Claire, took us out there to see the sights. Claire is so amazing! We are so lucky that Angie has such a great family. Claire is our age and has really helped out by hanging out with us and showing us around! Love her! So, we went up to the Mountains which is about 45 minute drive from Rob & Angie's house. I honestly just can't believe that these people live like this. They live on or near both the ocean and the mountains. Its the best of both worlds! We keep telling them not to take it for granted. We are hoping to go back and do a little more sight-seeing up at the Dandenongs! Here are a few pics....enjoy!

This was on our way to the top of the mountain. It was gorgeous!


Chels, me, and Claire at the top!




"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep."

Psalm 36:5-6

Beaches

Everday since I have been in Australia I have seen the beach. It's glorious! It is just unbelievable to me to live somewhere that is so beautiful. I mean I know I live in Beaumont which is short for "Beautiful Mountain." However, I think that the person who named it was just dreaming of Australia or something because it's neither beautiful or mountainous. Maybe they were delusional and just wanting to see mountains. Who knows? Anyways, our house is a 10 minute walk to the beach. It is just so great to live near the ocean...or bay (actually we live in the bay). So Chelsea and I have made several trips down to different beaches and it is just the best. Their is also a tennis club that the girls play at that is right on the beach. When they play tennis it overlooks the ocean. So amazing! The water is crystal clear and blue. Imagine that....Crystal Beach anyone? We love to walk to the beach especially at sunset. One night we saw the most amazing sunset I have ever seen. Words can't even describe how amazing it was. Unfortunately, it was the one time Chelsea and I didn't have our cameras glued on us. So I guess God only wanted to share it with us...sorry! But I snapped some photos of other sunsets that are pretty too. The best thing about the beaches is the little boat houses on them. They line the beaches with their bright colors just adding to the already awesome beach. I have never seen any thing like them, they are so cute! I don't know what I am going to do when I have to go home! Guess I'll move to Destin! Here are some of the pictures I have taken of some different beaches. Enjoy!


Sunset at beach in Brighton. There were all these guys windsurfing. I wanted to do it so bad!




The cutest little boat houses that line the beach!


We tried to snap a photo to prove that we were there....
More little boat houses...



Sunset down at the beach near our house. Here's the Hansen's dog, Buster, running around in the sand!

Top view looking down from Arthur's Seat.


"God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. " Genesis 1:10