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

at the drive-in...

So, for months we have been planning on going to the drive-in for Sophie's 14th birthday! Yay! Well I was, of course, super excited about the idea of going to one since I had never been before. To top it off we were also going to see Harry Potter! However, after our little excursion I just wanted everyone to be forewarned about the nostalgic drive-in movies. Since we had 10 people and only 2 cars there were 5 of us to a car....not a good idea. Chelsea, Alice, and I all sat in the front seat where we had to sit down low enough for Rob and Angie to see over our heads. And let me tell you that after awhile my back was killing me and I was getting leg cramps because the steering wheel was in my way. I was fighting my restless leg sydrome by stuffing popcorn in my mouth and trying to somewhat enjoy the movie. Then the windows kept fogging up, so we decided to turn on the car and let the fan run. Oh and the sound from the movie was coming from the car radio. Well apparently we ran the battery out of the car so the sound went off three fourths of the way into the movie. So we were forced to turn up the sound in the other car loud enough so we could hear it. Then, the battery in the other car died. I mean don't you just love it when these things happen. So Rob had to run and rent some radios to put in the car! Too funny. So if you are ever going to a drive-in be sure to go with just one other person and remember to turn your car on and off every once in a while.

Here's a picture of us with Sophie and Alice with Sophie's birthday cake that we made her!