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I saw them! Great pictures of a very interesting place, my friend! The kids must love all the adventures outdoors!
Commented Nov 13, 2011 on Valley of the Winds at The Plunge Down Under
Valley of the Winds
In a recent post, written from the skies over the Northern Territory, I described a hike we took in the Kata Tjuta, also known by the name given to it by European explorers, "The Olgas." This hike ended up almost compensating for our lack of sunshine in the Red Centre, and it is something we wo...
I'm so proud of you! Wonderful! I'm sure it felt great giving this meal to your church family, and fun for them to learn and try new things. Good job, to you and Gillian!
Commented Nov 13, 2011 on An American Thanksgiving in Melbourne at The Plunge Down Under
An American Thanksgiving in Melbourne
Twelve months ago, I never would have dreamed that I would be serving Thanksgiving dinner to 73 people in November 2011. Had you asked, I would have responded that it was impossible. That is exactly what happened this past Sunday night, however, and somehow the whole event came off without one...
Beautiful roses and beautiful scarf. You look so pretty! Love you, and again; happy birthday!
Commented Nov 3, 2011 on Headed to the Outback at The Plunge Down Under
Headed to the Outback
The mosquito nets for our heads have been purchased and packed, along with plenty of bug repellant, in preparation for our first trip to the red center of Australia. The sunscreen has been tucked in as well, of course, although given the rainy forecast, we may not need much of it. I absolutely...
You are describing something that most of us will not experience; thank you for your great descriptions and for sharing your adventures with us.
Commented Nov 3, 2011 on Notes from the Outback at The Plunge Down Under
Notes from the Outback
After fourteen fairly grueling hours of traveling yesterday, we finally caught our first glimpse of Australia's famous red rock, named Ayers Rock by European explorers in the 19th Century. Sometime more recently the decision was made to revert to its aboriginal name, Uluru, so now this favored de...
What a beautiful post. Those moments are so special, I too had a tear in my eye as I read about your family memory. So happy for you. The picture is perfect!
Commented Nov 3, 2011 on Notes from the Return Flight to Melbourne at The Plunge Down Under
Notes from the Return Flight to Melbourne
High above the Outback on our return journey, marveling at the intensity of the rich, warm hues revealed by the sunshine, I must admit that our trip to visit Australia's giant red rock was nothing like I expected. We anticipated searing heat, blinding sunlight, spectacular sunsets, dry earth, af...
So much beauty! I smiled through the whole thing!
Commented Oct 16, 2011 on Wilsons Promontory in Spring at The Plunge Down Under
Wilsons Promontory in Spring
When we first visited Wilsons Prom, the southernmost point in mainland Australia, last March, we had no idea that we would be some of the last tourists to leave this beautiful park by car. Just one week later a massive flood destroyed significant sections of the only road throughout the park,...
Hi Christie! I really like that portrait of your Dad and Katie. Did Katie get her hair cut? It looks cute; and I see your Dad has a Nikon (hurray!) I love the picture with you in it, so nice to be able to see you, thanks to blogging and internet.
The garden pictures are lovely--the bees! so neat!--I could almost smell the blossoms.
So glad you are making such happy memories. Hope your parents have a good time on their trip! When is your Dad going to do another blog post? ;)
((hugs))
Commented Oct 16, 2011 on Gardens in Spring at The Plunge Down Under
Gardens in Spring
We have sent my parents off on an eight day trip to both Sydney and Far North Queensland, which we hope they will enjoy as much as we promised them they would. During the five days they spent with us before their side trips we made the most of our time, in spite of disappointing weather that ga...
Very fun!!!
Commented Oct 8, 2011 on Grand Final Fever at The Plunge Down Under
Grand Final Fever
It's the Pies versus the Cats this weekend for the AFL Grand Final. To prepare for the big event, which Ross and I were fortunate enough to attend in person last year, the kids and I participated in a footy festival sponsored by the AFL in Federation Square. In truth, we stumbled upon it compl...
I loved this post. The portraits of the children and Ross are very nice! As I scrolled through (down) the post it was fun to see what I thought was going to be a picture of just Cameron included his three smiling siblings. I like Katie's scarf and the family pic--- it's so nice, might be a good one for the Christmas cards!
Commented Oct 8, 2011 on Picnic at Hanging Rock at The Plunge Down Under
Picnic at Hanging Rock
One of our very first excursions after our arrival in Australia last year was to an unusual volcanic formation known as Hanging Rock. All of the children, but especially Cameron, have been begging ever since to return, and so when we woke up to sunshine yesterday morning, we threw together some...
I'm smiling. It's been very fascinating to read about your adventures, and see the pictures of so much beauty. Nice poem, Cameron!
Commented Oct 8, 2011 on Cameron's Australian Poem at The Plunge Down Under
Cameron's Australian Poem
One year ago if I had asked Cameron to sit down and write a poem about Australia, he would have declared himself incapable. Last month, however, he complied with this particular school assignment in a matter of minutes, despite a few initial moans and groans. I have illustrated his poem with ...
That's a great portrait of your parents. Happy weekend!
Commented Oct 8, 2011 on Checking In at The Plunge Down Under
Checking In
Two days of cricket training camp for Cameron at the beginning of the week, followed by three full days of Holiday Club for all of us but Ross, the last day of which we were pleased to welcome back my parents for their third trip down under, have meant no spare time to update the blog this week....
Interesting and Beautiful post!
Commented Aug 18, 2011 on Spray Jackets and Other New Phrases at The Plunge Down Under
Spray Jackets and Other New Phrases
We may have been here for more than a year, but we are still learning new words and phrases. The kids, of course, are way ahead of me, but occasionally I can help them out. Last week, Sophie's violin teacher, upon seeing Sophie waiting outside her office first thing in the morning, asked her i...
This post was so great! I loved it.
Commented Aug 18, 2011 on Conversations with My (Almost) Five-Year-Old at The Plunge Down Under
Conversations with My (Almost) Five-Year-Old
Lately, each day has begun with one important question for J. He wants to know, immediately upon waking up, if he is five yet. This all-consuming passion for his birthday to arrive is not all that uncommon for a four-year-old, but he happens to combine it with an obsession for numbers. This m...
James knew what to do! LOL Sorry about the cold, but those flowers are so pretty!
Not as pretty as Katie, though......the dance sounds so delightful!
Commented Aug 15, 2011 on Chilly August Weekend at The Plunge Down Under
Chilly August Weekend
The first thing that comes to mind about our first full weekend back in Melbourne is that it has been cold. The mercury dipped to 3 degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday, eliciting, I am afraid, complaints from our older three children about the temperature in the house. Our heating system ca...
Ethan is our head shucker. They love to do it. Sweet corn is so delicious, we've had it twice so far this season. How much was yours? Ours was 6 dollars a dozen.
Great pics of the bounty!
Commented Aug 3, 2011 on Summer's Bounty at The Plunge Down Under
Summer's Bounty
Sweet corn from Szalay's has been an integral part of the summer at my parents' house for as long as I can remember. I am not sure if it is the pleasure of the eating experience itself, and the succulent ears of corn rarely disappoint, or the beautiful drive into the valley to purchase the cor...
Really nice places! What a treat.
Commented Aug 3, 2011 on Backyard Oases at The Plunge Down Under
Backyard Oases
Heat and sunshine were two of the many things we were looking forward to in our trip to North America this July, and thanks to a heat dome covering much of the continent for the past two weeks, we have have been in no way disappointed. In the midst of the humidity and soaring temperatures, wha...
Awesome. You have an assistent! Love the pictures, all of them, and the story!
Commented Aug 3, 2011 on The Triplets at The Plunge Down Under
The Triplets
Born within three months of each other, the three four-year-old cousins featured in today's post were dubbed the triplets by their grandmother before ever they entered this world. Although Mya is the youngest, she is the tallest, and she is also very much capable of stealing the show from her m...
Breathtaking, Christie! The sky is gorgeous and you captured it so well. What a blessing to be able to see what you saw through your photos. I love that. I saw a book recently about the sky; these photos would rivel the ones I saw in it! :)
Commented Aug 3, 2011 on Michigan Sunset and Sunrise at The Plunge Down Under
Michigan Sunset and Sunrise
My mother's love of sunsets is legendary in our family, and I have to confess that her children have teased her from time to time over it. There was no teasing last night, however, as we witnessed one of the most spectacular we have seen at my grandmother's house on a small lake north of Grand ...
The last picture made me cry a little; just 'cause I know how much your family means to you. It's such a beautiful picture of your mom and grandma.
What a nice place! I'm so glad you had such a good time! James is sure getting brave!
Commented Aug 3, 2011 on One Small Lake, One Happy Bunch of Kids at The Plunge Down Under
One Small Lake, One Happy Bunch of Kids
Our visit to my grandmother's house has all but come to an end, and I am thankful to report that all have declared it a success. Smiles, giggles, and laughter from the younger set have been in abundant supply, and I am so grateful my children have spent this time, a special time with their cou...
Isn't photography fun? I've pursued my share of bees and other creatures/insects. It's rewarding to get a nice crisp closeup. The little "bags" of pollon on the honeybees always makes me smile. We call the ones you photographed "Babbity Bumbles" I think it's from a Beatrix Potter book.
There is a softness to these that makes me want to snuggle into the flowers, too.
And Katie!! She is beautiful, a young lady now. That blouse looks so sweet on her and I like the side ponytail. Grace likes to have a side braid lately, when we take the time (!) to do her hair.
I'm reading a biography now but a fun read for us lately was "Nature Stories" by Jules Renard. I highly recommend it. It's full of lighthearted, quirky nature essays. Some are just a sentence long!
Commented Jul 15, 2011 on Beautiful Bees at The Plunge Down Under
Beautiful Bees
These summer days have been long and lovely, and I have been doing my best to enjoy them in spite of nights that have been far too short. The best thing I can say about jet lag this time around is that it has afforded me the opportunity to read late into the night hours without dozing off, some...
I watched the video--thanks, Cameron, for sharing these interesting places! My boys would enjoy the lego creations...they play with their legos all the time.
Have fun during your trip back home in the USA!
Commented Jul 13, 2011 on Expedition to Sydney by Cameron at The Plunge Down Under
Expedition to Sydney by Cameron
The following post was created by Cameron in the days leading up to our trip back to North America. He reminded me this morning that it had not yet been published, so somewhat ironically, I am doing so from the city of Pittsburgh, land of three rivers and dozens of bridges. I started my trip to...
Oh how exciting, I'm only sitting here smiling because I am just so happy that the story ended nicely. You were taken back to your Mom. What kind police, I think they were very happy to get to reunite the families. Good job, Moms, in properly documenting (with photographs) this adventure. It will never be forgotten, I am sure!
Commented Jul 13, 2011 on Lost on Parliament Hill by Sophie at The Plunge Down Under
Lost on Parliament Hill by Sophie
My story is about our trip to Canada over the Fourth of July weekend. On the second day of our visit, we went to Canda's capital city, Ottawa. This is a day I will not soon forget. My aunt Gretchen had an idea to start our visit to Ottawa with a trip to a candy store, Sugar Mountain. They wer...
Oh yes. I can only imagine what it must be like to find yourself, resting, back HOME. I wondered if you would want to actually leave it behind again, until I got to the last line. :)
I have misty eyes, this was just so perfectly written and sweet. ((hugs))
Commented Jul 13, 2011 on What I'm Loving Right Now at The Plunge Down Under
What I'm Loving Right Now
In no particular order . . . **Driving my father's SUV on wide open roads, and then parking it wherever I like without having to (a) decipher complicated parking signs, (b) back up and straighten multiple times, or worse yet, (c) parallel park. **Driving on the right side of the road **Paying a...
Hi Christie! I can't help but wish you and your family could swing by our place after your visit to Canada. Thanks for thinking of me at the Crackerbarrel. We do love to go their for breakfast. Rich has this week off so we'll probably do just that. :)
The sleeping issues must be so hard. You want to enjoy every moment with family but it's got to be difficult at times when you're so out of it from jet lag.
Your baby niece is adorable!
Commented Jul 5, 2011 on One Mixed Up, (but Mostly Happy), Family at The Plunge Down Under
One Mixed Up, (but Mostly Happy), Family
The argument could well be made that our family has things very mixed up at the moment. For starters, we landed in the United States on Canada Day, and then drove up to Canada's capital city, Ottawa, on the Fourth of July. We did manage to locate the U.S. Embassy and find the U.S. flag wavin...
Welcome back to the good ol' air of the USA. I think the idea of "eating/gulping" the air to compare it to a place so far away is very interesting and it does make perfect sense that it WOULD be different. Such a simple thing, another thing to thank God for!
It feels nice to know you are in the States. So much closer. Have a wonderful time, my friend!
The pictures are so nice; I especially liked the first one and the one of the bountiful table. SO glad you have your Nikon!!!
Commented Jul 2, 2011 on Stateside at The Plunge Down Under
Stateside
Thirty hours after walking out of our front door in Melbourne, we walked into my parents' house in Ohio. Considering that we had one child who hadn't so much as dozed off to sleep once during that time period, and another one who had endured the miseries of airsickness throughout the shortene...
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