It's time: to go back in time! just bring me some tissues along the way..

Here I sit in my empty room... my bags are packed.. I never thought this moment would come where I would have to say goodbye to the strangers who welcomed me into their home and quickly became my family.

My last day was a wonderful one. Brad was working so Lynda and I brought the boys to Kings Beach.. although it was very rainy and dreary out.. it was absolutely breathtaking. The waves were monstrous and the bare beaches were were beautiful.

We stopped and had hot chips, fries, for lunch at an under cover park. It was so great- the place was like a lone desert..no one was around. We splashed around in the waves and rain on various beaches taking the the sound of the waves one last time.. wishing I could just bottle it up forever.

On the way home we stopped at Lorraine's for some afternoon tea. Lorraine is just wonderful, she gave me some lollies to bring home to my family. We had a great time chatting with her and when she hugged me goodbye saying such sweet words and to tell my family hi for her I lost it...

The car ride was quiet for a bit.. no one knowing what to say.. I was trying to hold it together in front of the boys. So we stopped at the bottle shop for some moscato.

When we got home I got a few more things together and messaged Leah back and fourth a bit because she was coming to say goodbye! Brad, Lynda and I had tea together in the formal dining room.. my favorite place to eat tea. Soon, Leah showed up with her unmistakable smile. She jumped right into our conversation, had a glass of wine with us.. then we made "aussie" s'mores ... they do not have graham crackers here so we used honeycomb timtams and roasted marshmallows in the fireplace! So much fun.. the boys had a blast as well!

We kept talking for hours, laughing, and reminiscing on this experience and other trips and crazy people we have all met in our lifetime journeys. I kept putting off checking in online for my flight tomorrow because I thought I would just do it in the morning.. I was sure my flight was at 1:00pm or something like that...... but I had a feeling I should double check my memory from the last time I took notice of my flight information. Well, I could not find it anywhere.. so I looked online and found it thank goodness and HELLO my flight is at 10:25am!!! I was NOT expecting that.... good thing I double checked.....! Or I would be staying in Oz a bit later than expected...hmmm...

Leah stayed until about 11pm tonight talking with Lynda and I. Sadly, it was time for her to leave and me to finish packing. *sigh* Leah has the most beautiful and kind heart you can ever imagine.. she gave up a friend's birthday party to come hang out with the Coogan's tonight. She would do anything for anyone and I am so blessed to have her as an international friend.

So tonight I am done packing. Re-set my alarm to coordinate with my flight and I am...ready to go home. NOT ready to say goodbye. It will be such a hard morning.. but I have such wonderful family and friends I am going home to. I cannot wait for graduation, summer, Chelsea's baby, Brie's wedding, etc etc etc! I know I will see the Coogan's again. I hope they know how much they have touched my heart and I will always hold a very special place for them. Words cannot describe how much I appreciate what they have done for me here. I hope someday I can pay it forward.

I look forward to seeing you all soon! Thank you to everyone who has been following my blogs..It feels so nice not writing to cyber space! :) This experience has been unforgettable, I wish you could all experience what I have been so lucky to have been living for the past six weeks.

Next step: graduation! Cannot wait to celebrate with family and friends! 

love always
Mel xoxo

Who Knew Miley Cyrus Could Say It So Well...?

As I finally laid down to blog a bit before bed my itunes shuffled to this song and it made me think of my whole experience here in Australia and how I have just packed up my entire room to go home already...

Here we are now
Everything is about to change
We face tomorrow as we say goodbye to yesterday
A chapter ending but the stories only just begun
A page is turning for everyone

So I’m moving on
Letting go
Holding on to tomorrow
I’ve always got the memories while I’m finding out who I’m gonna be
We might be apart but I hope you always know
You’ll be with me wherever I go
Wherever I go

Its time to show the world we’ve got something to say
A song to sing out loud we’ll never fade away
I know I’ll miss you but we’ll meet again someday
We’ll never fade away

So I’m moving on
Letting go
Holding on to tomorrow
I’ve always got the memories while I’m finding out who I’m gonna be
We might be apart but I hope you always know
You’ll be with me wherever I go

Okay Hannah Montana... I have to let go of my new Aussie family and memories here and go back home to reality. As excited I am to see my family and friends, graduate, celebrate Ashley's 21st, welcome Chelsea's baby girl, watch my best friend get MARRIED..it makes my heart ache to leave this new place I have called home. I know I will see these wonderful people again and we will keep in touch. I have been in such denial that I have been leaving that it is beginning to hit me like a ton of bricks..

Yesterday beginning at afternoon tea during school, about 1:30, the MSU students gathered in the conference room to meet with Jenny from Qut to give our presentations about our experience. There was some tears, many laughs, and unbreakable smiles reflecting on this amazing trip, realizing just how LUCKY we have all been to be here and have an opportunity that many will never have in their lifetime. After our presentations, our cooperating teachers were waiting for us in the library for a farewell gathering with cake, fruit, certificates, and children's books for us! It was a very nice little shin-dig before our last day!

I got home around 5pm and corrected maths tests.. my teacher said she would be more than happy to correct them but I insisted since I had taught the whole maths unit on integers, I was curious to see if the student had actually learned anything. ;) I am happy to say the students did GREAT and my teacher was even impressed at their scores!

We had lasagna and veggie salad for dinner and then Brad, Lynda and I started our assembly line for sandwiches the next day! Funny, but this time is one of my favorite parts of the day. I guess it takes very little to keep me happy..!

Brad brought me to the shopping center while he dropped Corey off at guitar lessons. It was weird because he just left me at the door, I had no phone, or anyone with me.... just an old fashion plan that I would meet him at the door in exactly an hour. It was weird going to the shops by myself.. usually I am with them... or Mak at home! :) It was actually really nice and relaxing though just walking around.. I noticed how different it was here than at home too. The shops here all close by 4pm everyday besides Thursday, they close at 9pm.. so last night the shops were "the place to be"! 

Lynda and I had about 4 laugh attacks last night, I think Brad might be counting down the hours I leave...the house is getting a little TOO girly... sorry Brad! :) Lynda had asked if I wanted some crackle, as in the nail polish, while I was doing my nails, Brad yelled from the couch that he would love some too... dead serious. We rolled in laughter realizing he thought we were talking about some sort of biscuit, or cookie! The rest of the evening was ours, laughing at anything and everything Brad did or said...

This morning I was planning on going for a run and Corey wanted to come with me and ride his bike.. however 5:45am came WAY too quickly and it was chilly out this morning so I decided to sleep in .... when I woke up an hour later I went out to find Corey WAITING on a stool in the middle of the hallway in his "workout" clothes...I busted out laughing! Although, I did feel bad because he had been waiting for me since 6:00am! BUT a little piety for me... I have invited the boys to every run for them to ride their bikes but they NEVER got up.. so I didn't think twice about Corey actually waking up to come this morning.. what are the chances... right? Let's just say, Corey cried wolf one too many times!

So I got to school and went to go meet the girls to take a picture at the front gate by the Morayfield East State School sign. Jenny from Qut met us to give out our final papers and say goodbye. She gave me the biggest hug and said the sweetest words to me. I couldn't hold it in anymore and started sobbing... first cry: check! THEN I went to take a picture by the MSU sign in the office and asked Megan to take a picture with me since 4 years ago we started the journey of college together as random roommates and now here we are in Australia together.... who would have thought?! We both started sobbing right there in the office... Cry two..CHECK!

Once the kids arrived at school, I had put myself together a bit. They were sad it was my last day, I was showered with gifts...wine glass, homemade candles, chocolates, lotions, body washes, cards, etc. I could not believe how generous they all were!

I brought the students my USA cupcakes and MSU, Mankato pencils..which they LOVED! The students said they will never use the pencils because they want to remember me forever.. so precious!

We had sport again today so I went with our year 7 students to the fields to play some softball! They played Bribie Island, which IRONICALLY Yasmin, a Qut student who came to MN in December was coaching! So I got a picture with her... so funny! It was nice to run into her before I left.

After school my students came into my class and would not leave! They kept lining up for hugs and would get back in line... so funny and sweet. My cooperating teacher gave me a great big hug and had very touching words to say. I am so lucky to have had this experience, I could not have planned it any better!

After school the boys and I painted canvas that I had bought yesterday. Coleby painted a fruit basket, the pool, a timtam, and a rainbow. Cale painted all the flavors of timtams, and Corey was creative and made a colorful grid! I decided to make a heart with gold swirls and a double c in the middle for all the boys initials.. I am going to leave the painting here for them to hang in "my room," yes.... Brad and Lynda... MINE... not...anyone else's..... HAHA ;)

Finally, after our masterpieces were complete we all freshened up and headed for Montezumas! A mexican restaurant that we have been planning to go to since week one.. and it is already here! WOWZA! It was delish! Lynda and I shared an enchilada plate and some pina coladas... I have never ordered pina coladas before. mmmmm! Then we stopped at the Caboolture Sports Club for the boys to play in the kids club while us adults had coffee. It was so nice relaxing for a bit while the boys were being entertained.

Once we got home we were all too full to move. Brad went to bed shortly after since he works tomorrow. Cale had a rough night and was crying most of the night once we got home... he is sad I am leaving.... breaks my heart right in half! Then I was tucking Coleby in bed and he says to me, "Mel, I am missing you already..." what do I say to that?! HOW do I hold back the tears myself?! No one warned me that leaving would be THIS hard.. I just make myself sick every time I think about saying goodbye.

I have basically packed up my whole room so tomorrow I will just have to do last minute cleaning..Minnesota nice is to leave the room more tidy than when you found it... HA! I know I have so much to look forward to.. and I am so anxious to see everyone when I get back!

Thanks for reading..!   ......if you are still awake :) I have loved hearing that many of you are enjoying following my trip!

love always
Mel xoxo

Minnesota has mermaids?? No...ROOMMATES!

Hi there! It is ANZAC day today which means much more than no school, but it was a fabulous day off!

I woke up to a rainy morning, not exactly what I had in mind but started off the day with some brekky and then skyped with my long lost Mak! It was so good to catch up with her.. cannot believe we are GRADUATING in a week and a half... AHHH! So excited but so much to focus on....much of it will be planned by the College Town pool! Whoop whoop.

After skyping, and yes, the entire family got to talk to Mak..how lucky! :) I had morning tea and worked on a presentation I will give tomorrow afternoon to the Morayfield East Principal and Qut staff about my trip. I planned on making cupcakes for my students so Lynda and I took advantage of the gloomy weather and started baking. Little did we know this would turn into "My Kitchen Rules," a reality tv cooking show here... and we would be still baking well into the afternoon! First we made the cupcakes with our own frosting and I wrote USA on them in blue frosting.. so cute! Oh, and I added red sprinkles to the cake mix to make my own version of  confetti cake! Next, I was explaining how I used to make cakes using Sprite for a "lower calorie" option with my roommates last year. Brad did not believe me so he went and bought more cake mix to try it! Sadly, our first cake we put too much sprite in it so it turned out to be more of a lemon-lime pudding....so we tried a chocolate cake with coke! This turned out much better! We made chocolate frosting and even added sprinkles.

The best part was the neighbor kids across the street were baking with their mum too so they brought cookies shaped in stars and chocolate slice (brownies) to us wrapped all nicely..so Lynda and I as a joke sent the kids over with the "pudding cake" that looked like a slab of pudding with butter frosting... they were so kind and said they loved it! haha so when we made the good chocolate cakes... mini cakes in heart molds... we brought those to them as well. Just a nice neighborhood bake off!

So the day turned out to endless cake baking...and way too much taste testing! Lynda and I took a rest from the kitchen out by the pool where Brad was hard at work painting the fence around the pool. We kept him entertained.. or should I say his lack of hearing kept US entertained. I was talking about my roommates (all good things girls.. I promise) and he said, "Minnesota has mermaids?!" .... laughing hysterically we responded, "NO! ROOMMATES" Oh my gosh, ok, maybe you had to be there but trust me.. it was hilarious!

Finally, Lynda and I decided it was time for a walk around the block... which was about 5k. It was great for just us girls to go out on a powerwalk and continue our day long chats about who knows what!

We had a delicious dinner.. as always! For dessert we taste tested our chocolate hearts and had a glass of coke and hazelnut rum... when is Oz, right?!

Tomorrow is back to school... two more days. It makes me sick thinking of leaving here. Although, I have a lot to look forward to when I get back. I am very blessed.

love always
Mel xoxo

Will You Marry Me?

G'day mates! I have been learning so much during my last week in Oz.

Today at school we honored ANZAC Day which stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC day is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. We had a whole school parade and each class decorated wreaths. Our class wreath was filled with poppies which are the flower that bloomed after the bloodiest war, many said it was showing re-birth of the field of blood.

I have been teaching a lot..which is wonderful! My teacher has been great working with me. Today Mrs. Knight had hot maths, an enriched math class that I usually go to with her but instead I stayed back to teach our class maths. Tara, an experienced reading interventions teacher was our sub and gave me some great feedback...7 pages worth! She was fabulous and we had a great discussion afterwards, she made me feel so important and I appreciated her feedback so much!

I received my first "goodbye gift" today! One of the girls thought it was my last day today...when I told her it was not my last day she had a huge smile on her face and said, "Really?! YAY!" I said she could wait to give me the gift on Friday, my official last day but she wanted me to have it straight away. At the end of the day she asked if she could watch me open the gift and I am so glad she did! First of all, she made me a beautiful card that I would love to frame it is so gorgeous. She said I was the best teacher in the world and wishes I could teach her forever. HA! Then I opened the gift and it was a hand painted wine glass! There is a cute little teacher on it and then on the opposite side in glitter letters it says, " MS ANDERSON YOU ROCKED IT DOWN UNDER IN 2012." I LOVE IT. I almost cried... her mom made it for me! I cannot believe how generous these families are. Now, I am hoping I can get it home in one piece...I would be devastated if it broke.

Now a little story..Saturday while Lynda and I were sun bathing and reading the latest fashion magazines I had to laugh at my horoscope because it said I was to go on a blind date on the 21st.... well, on my way out of school...one of the teachers came into my room and said she has been dying to know how old I was....22...and if I had a boyfriend....no. Turns out she has a 22 year old son that I would be "perfect" for and she is kicking herself for not asking me before so we would have had a chance to actually go on a date. She even asked for my cell phone number.. which the only phone I have here is my pre-paid that coincidentally ran out of minutes on Monday. Anyway, the point of the story is how funny it was that Lynda and I just read my horoscope and then something like that almost* came true. I would be a little hesitant to go on a blind date in Australia...and Brad would probably scare the poor guy at the door ;)

I made my family tater tot hotdish tonight... famous MN meal! They would call it potato gem hotdish here... but everyone loved it! I was happy to make them a meal that they have never tried before.

While sitting at the lounge tonight with the family Coleby decided to propose to me. He said he loved me and no longer wants to be just sister and brother.. or as he would say it, "sista and brudda." Cale was not going to let this happen and grabbed my hand and asked me for my hand in marriage as well. These boys are way too precious. Can I please bottle them up and bring them back to Minnesota with me..? (A blind date and two proposals...where did this come from!?)

Other than the big proposal(s) it has been a pretty relaxing evening. Tomorrow is a public holiday (yes, we are just returning from a two week holiday..so what?!) so there is NO SCHOOL! Lynda and I are planning on it being nice out so we can have another day at the pool.

Hope everyone who was at the Hepola wedding made it back to their destinations safe and sound! I am dying to see pictures and hear stories!! I see Cory, Camille, and Doug busted out the air guitars...love it!

Have a good day everyone! Excited to catch up with everyone at home! I bought TIMTAMS to share :)

Cheers
Mel xoxo

Sunday Funday - ONE MORE WEEK. :(

Hi there! 

This morning after about 4 hours of a rough night's sleep.. and my alarm did not even go off..grr! No worries though.. I had a fabulous day with the Coogans!

I woke up and went to the Petrie Markets with my family. We picked up from fruits and veggies and walked around a bit making a pit stop for morning tea. On the way home we swung by North Lakes Shopping Center. It was a really nice "mall" that was fun to look around! BUT the boys were getting hungry and hungry boys means....cranky boys! So we headed home to make salad sandwiches for lunch..seriously..my favorite! Brad, Lynda and I ate out on the Bali Hut. It was so beautiful out it was challenging for Lynda and I to sit too long in the shade so finally we gave in and went out to enjoy some sun! The boys were begging us all day to hop in the pool..after awhile of some quality time with the sun I jumped in the salty pool! The water felt great and I had a great time swimming with the boys..even though I flipped off the pint size tubes a time of two.

After pool time Lynda and I relaxed on our sun bathing chairs for another hour or so chatting up a storm. Before we knew it we were completely shaded and it was almost 3:30. We decided to head to the grocery store to pick up some necessities for dinner and...chocolate chip cookies! They do not make them often here so I thought I would introduce them to the fam! ...You know because I am quite positive I have already put on 10 kilos during my stay so why not really just indulge....oof! When we got home we have scones and tea with Brad and then I started baking! It is amazing how different even baking is here. The ingredients are so foreign to me sometimes, so although I used a similar recipe the cookies still turned out a little goofy...TASTY...but goofy.

Brad is on night shift tonight so it is the boys, mum, and me tonight! We made meatballs from a food magazine and they were DELISH. We also prepared a fresh veggie salad and then topped off the meal with some chocolate chip cookies.

I had to prepare a maths lesson for tomorrow and since we were so incredibly busy enjoying the outdoor weather this weekend...Lynda forgot to wash the boys' uniforms! So she is rushing to get that done tonight..oops! The voice is on and also a documentary on the miners that were trapped underground for 2 weeks, 5 years ago. I am crossing my fingers for a good night's rest tonight... I am also anxiously waiting for pictures of the big Hepola Wedding...come on family! :)

Hope everyone has a great Sunday! Everyone in Florida, safe travels back to MN! As for me, Sunday night tele and then off to bed!

love always
Mel xoxo

She says baby it's 3am I must be lonely...

She says baby It's 3 am I must be lonely When she says baby Well I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes Says the rain's gonna wash away I believe it 

 .... Ok, thank you Matchbox 20 fans who recognize the lyrics..for the rest of you it is really only 2am and I just simply cannot sleep! Tossing and turning for the past ahem* 3 hours.. SO while chatting with the great Ali Johnson I thought I would blog about my Saturday! She gave me some input on how to end my blog so those of you who keep reading will get rewarded with the big reveal of her 2 cents!

I woke up at 8:30 and had some brekky and coffee. The boys were on the bench (counter) playing Garbage, a card game that I taught them yesterday after school! It was GORGEOUS outside so Lynda and I put on our swimsuits/togs/bikinis and held fort poolside all morning catching up on the latest fashion magazines and girl talk. Lynda's mum stopped by for morning tea which was so great. I love spending time and gossiping about her social club over some tea. Lorraine, bless her heart, she brought me a gift, one of the sweetest gifts ever. Wrapped in a snowflake gift bag was a handmade tea towel of the Australian flag that Lorraine made, a wine glass cover that she knitted last night..a purple one since it is my favorite color, so thoughtful! Also, a beautiful Australian surlonge.. (beach wrap? I know that is spelled incorrectly.. I will have to ask Lynda what it is, but hence the time I will wait until morning..please bear with me!) Anyway, it was such a thoughtful and unexpected gift. Lorraine has such a kind heart and I am so lucky to have had the chance to have gotten to know her so well.

After morning tea, Lynda and I decided we could use a little more sun.. mind you, it was GORGEOUS outside..so we did! We sat and chatted until half past two and we still needed to hit the shops! During our chats I had Lynda quiz me on their birthdays.. I hit 3/5 right on the nose! I knew the other 2 months but was unable to remember the dates.. still pretty good! I had some errands I wanted to run, and we had to go to the grocery store, and the bottle shop for some...moscato.

By the time we got home and put on a cuppa, cup of tea, Brad was walking in the door. Our plan for tea (dinner) was to drive to Bribie Island for fish and chips. On the way to Bribie I was bragging about my talents from remembering birthdays so they challenged me to their anniversary date. October 31st, 1998. BINGO! I ROCK.

We stopped at a delicious fish and chips place and put in our family order then headed to the surf side to eat by the ocean under the lights..it was incredible! The sound of the waves, the stars, the sand.. I just want to bottle it up! Lynda and Brad are probably annoyed at home amazed I am at the stars (seriously, 100x better here than at home!) and the ocean.... but I do just love it! It is like I have never seen it before.. HA! After tea we went for a walk along the beach. The boys took turns holding the torch light while we walked. The tide was flirting with us coming in closer and closer..at one point a monstrous wave came in pretty high and we all got drenched! We ran out of the tide laughing, my jeans were soaked and Coleby was almost shark bait if Brad hadn't snagged him running out..but it was so much fun!

There was a sand barge not too far out from where we were walking. It was basically sucking up sand from the bottom of the ocean to repair the beaches! It was very interesting to see so brightly lit and huge!

Once we can home we all put our pajamas on and watched Pirates of the Caribbean 4. (ERDT holla!) Unfortunately, I still had so much sand stuck in the rolled cuffs of my jeans so now I have Bribie Island all over my room....oops! I need a vacuum ASAP.

I came to bed about 10:45 since we are going to the markets in the morning, I thought I would get some rest. Too bad all I have been doing is tossing and turning! I think my body believes I am in Orlando with my family celebrating the marriage of Cory and Camille Hepola! Congrats to the both of you! I hope you have a beautiful day with the people the love you the most (plus me!. I am so proud of you and cannot wait to continue the celebration in New York Mills in July!!! :)

As promised.... I was chatting Ali when I got the idea I could be useful with my lack of tiredness and blog! She gave me the perfect way of how to end it so I leave you with a bit of our conversation...

Me: awww thanks AL! I should blog now about today.
Ali Johnson: you should and then you can end it with the best part of the day was talking to ali at 1:26 in the moring on facebook whiles shes in saturday class hungover haha

HAHA SORRY ALI! GOOD LUCK ON YOUR PRESENTATION!!! xx

WEEKLY RECAP: I've just been preparing math relays while my cousin prepares to GET MARRIED.

G'day all!

Everything here has been so great, as usual. I am just having the best time. Back to school week has not been so horrible. I have been teaching heaps and loving it! My cooperating teacher has been so helpful and really lets me take full control of the classroom.

On Monday, Janelle from Uni, had asked me if I would be interested in going to Qut Friday morning to talk to the aussie students who are interested in going abroad to Minnesota in December. I was honored she had asked me and replied immediately that I would love to do it! So this morning at 8:15, Janelle picked me up from the Coogan's and we headed to Qut. I loved sitting in the meeting with the students and professors telling them all about my experience here and reflecting back to the pre-departure days I had before the trip. They had tons of questions about Minnesota and where they could travel while in the states. I feel that I was able to prepare them a bit more just like how I would have wanted to be prepared if I were to do the trip all over again. Also, talking to them about the differences within the schools and culture was fun to see their reaction and them trying to wrap their mind around things like SNOW. HAHA

As I said, I have been teaching a lot this week. Today, I prepared a math relay using negative and positive number word problems. The whole game were better than I even expected and my teacher was VERY impressed. I felt pretty good about it. I feel that I have been able to take a lesson and really run with it here, and that feels just great! I also gave my first spelling test. The students are so good at working with my accent it is so nice. I can imagine how difficult it could be to do a spelling test from someone who says words completely different than you!

Yesterday when I was teaching a lesson on negative and positive integers I was talking about the depth of a pool for an example. That the stairs higher than the water line are positive, the water line is 0 and below are negative. I kept using "feet" for measurements, an innocent mistake forgetting that they do not measure in feet. So I tried to be flexible and use meters, or metres, but that was too deep for a pool so one of the problem students raised his hand and said, "Ms. Anderson, it is ok, we can just use feet." Haha so precious. They are so good to me.

There is one girl in my year six class who is completely intrigued with Minnesota. She asked me what city I live in and said she tried looking it up on google earth!!! LOL. She always asks me to spell things that relate to me or MN so I can only imagine what she is up to... stay tuned!

This afternoon the students had sport. Sport is every Friday, well supposed to be if it is not wet from the rain. The students all "try-out" for school sports such as cricket, basketball, rugby, or softball. They are placed on teams and meet at a central location to play other schools. Mrs. Knight coaches year seven softball so I have been training with those girls the last two days during afternoon tea and then went along to their game today. The girls are so sweet, I love their age, they were so interested in where I come from and told me their entire family history. They will also tell you that you are pretty over and over again so I could get used to that. :) Anyway, I do not know much about softball but I was able to give the girls some tips and at least act like I know what I am talking about..so fun! Oh, did I mention we take the school buses to the games...their school buses are COACH BUSES.. oh just no big deal...being dropped off on a coach bus. Gag me... haha.

After school Brad and Lynda were both working so the boys and I walked home together. It was a great time to spend with them. Corey wanted to take a "short cut" and basically brought us through any field between the school and Pig's Hollow you can imagine.. and it took 15 minutes longer to get home than my way... but that's what I get for letting a boy lead us.... ;) We weren't in any hurry- it was fun! Once we got home the boys changed from their uniforms and put their bags away while I made afternoon tea, and hot milo for the boys. Milo is like nesquick but....better?! I made it "fancy" for them by putting hot water and milk in it like coffee.. they loved it! We sat outside and enjoyed our tea and then I asked if they wanted to go swimming...after saying how cool I was for letting them swim they hopped in and I sat by the pool... what a way to end a busy week!

I hope all is well at home in the states! I am thinking of my family gathering in Orlando for my cousin Cory, and his fiance, Camille's big day on Saturday!! Wishing I could be there with everyone..! Safe travels and congrats to Cory and Camille.. I love you both!

love always
Mel xoxo

*SNOOZE*.. 5 more minutes please...

Ok ok I have been major slacking... I cannot seem to get to bed early which has been forcing me to ahem* snooze both yesterday and this morning.. and for those who know me well - I hardly ever push the snooze button!

Sunday night Lynda and I ended up staying up well past 11 watching a documentary on the Titanic. It was very interesting and I learned new information about the shipwreck than I knew before.. so at least I was learning--right?? Monday morning I had the before school jitters.. feeling very nervous for some reason, but once I was at school I was totally ready to go! The students were so excited to see me and full of energy after a two week holiday. I made it through the day learning more and more how different schools here in Australia are than in the United States. I have found many things that I would like to bring back to the states!

When I got home Monday afternoon, Lynda and I were itching to go for a walk. After afternoon tea and a timtam (AHH!) we gave in and laced up our walking shoes! The boys scooted on their scooters while Lynda and I trailed and gossiped behind them. I have grown so close with Lynda, she is so much more than just my host mum.. she is such great friend and person. I just love her and her entire family. I am beginning to realize that it is almost time for me to leave..and it just breaks my heart.  Did I ever mention that they picked my new favorite flowers, Birds of Paradise, for my "Welcome Home" flowers from Sydney..so precious!!!

The Voice Australia has been premiering the past couple nights so we have been glued to that in the evenings... well, I have been watching and applying for jobs so I am crossing my fingers none of my resumes say, "I WANT YOU." (Please refer to The Voice if you do not understand... could be embarrassing.)

This morning I snoozed until 6:55....haha oops! Thank goodness it was raining so I didn't feel too guilty for not running. I rushed to get ready for school but took time to have my wheet bix and coffee :) I was teaching today for my first official lesson so I was anxious to be at school to prepare myself. YES FAMILY, I SAID I HAD TO ACTUALLY TEACH A LESSON... I AM DOING SOMETHING HERE BESIDES BE ON HOLIDAY!!! :)  Anyway, my lesson on advertisements went amazing.. I have a true sales woman somewhere deep inside. My teacher raved about my strategies and naturalness of being a teacher..very humbling.

After school, I attended my second teacher grade level meeting. It was very different from my meetings with my first grade team at Hoover, interesting to see different groups of people working together! Megan and I are both teaching year six so we went to the meeting together and since we live within a half mile of each other..we walked home together, which was so nice to have someone to talk with for the mile and a half walk from the school... uphill both ways!

Tonight I had the house to myself for a bit because my family was at the eye doctor for eye appointments so I threw a bit of a party... JUST KIDDING BRAD AND LYNDA! I was able to start my lesson planning for tomorrow. I will be doing spelling, maths, and english. MATHS was not a spelling error, although I apologize for any errors I have throughout these blogs.. I never re-read them... so bear with me please. They do call math "maths" here.. it took awhile to get used to but now I am struggling to say simply math.

I am also struggling with trying to picture sitting in the left hand of a car to drive on the right side of the road again..

If you hadn't noticed on my facebook status(ES) my sister's premiere soccer team that my dad coaches with Ryan Servaty had won the Kansas City tournament this past weekend! I could not be more proud of the both of them. I was checking my facebook like a psycho looking for facebook updates from my moma. This is one little problem of having the rest of your family resuming their lives on the other side of the world...hehe. But congrats to you both! Way to kick off the beginning of your season.. there are many more trophies to come in the near future.. I just know it!!!

Back to lesson planning and job hunting..oof!

love always
Mel xoxo

back to school...back to school...

Well, well, well... all good things must come to an end - and boy, has this two week holiday been more than a good thing! I cannot believe how quickly the last two weeks has gone by and how much excitement I have packed into it! I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around having responsibilities tomorrow though... and to make it more realistic my cooperating teacher sent me a kind e-mail of the lessons I get to teach this week..... :). ( :-/ )

Yesterday was a great day to sit back and get things done! I chatted with Brad and Lynda throughout the day procrastinating on my run. We had morning tea, chatted, and then it was already time for lunch...hehe love it when that happens!

Lynda and I made a trip to the shopping center for some groceries and looking for gifts for people at home.. Lynda just so happened to be Mrs. Popular! We were stopped every five seconds with someone else she knew! We ran into the boys' taekwondo instructor..he shook my hand to introduce himself and nearly flipped me to the other side of the building.. my arm was literally sore after the greeting! Next he asked me every question under the sun... "Where are you from?" "Is Minnesota by New York?" "Is it part of Manhattan?" "Is Manhattan an island?" "Did you like camping?" "What's your favorite part of Australia?" "When do you leave?" "Will you be here May 25th?" "Are you coming back?" "Do you have facebook?" seriously..... in a five minute conversation! Lynda and I had to have a giggle.

For tea (dinner) Lynda and I made pita pizzas. For the boys we used tomato paste, cheese, ham, and pineapple. For ours... we used pita, ricotta cheese, fresh thyme, garlic, roasted pumpkin with curry seasoning, red onion, baby spinach, feta cheese and pepper..it was AMAZING! We thought perhaps we could sell them at a gourmet pizza shop for $15 a slice or so...

Brad worked the night shift last night so after dinner and the boys were in bed Lynda and I had caramel custard for dessert... (YUM) and then sat on the couches and caught up with the remaining Johnny Cash "Walk the Line" on TV and chatting during commercials. After the movie was over we decided to have some nighttime tea and chat at the bench (counter) ...next thing we knew it was midnight! Girl time with Lynda is so much fun.. I am going to miss it dearly.

This morning I woke up at 7am to go to the markets with Brad, Corey and Coleby. We walked around and got plently of fresh fruits and veggies. The boys all had a birthday party at Aussie World at 10 so we were back in time to drop them off and then Brad, Lynda and I went to Montville kid free! A weird feeling.. but I enjoyed the time with my Aussie parents. I loved the views from the hilltops and the shops were fantastic! I also splurged and bought myself a beautiful ring that I am absolutely in love with. I also splurged by getting 50 grams worth of Rocky Road fudge... about 3 bite size bits for Brad, Lynda and I to each try in honor of my dad. He loves Rocky Road so we just needed to have it to incorporate him into the trip a bit more.  :) miss you dad! xoxo

Tonight Brad is working again.. I have been indulging in the fresh fruits from the market and I skyped with my BC4L, Megan! (best cousins 4 life, haha) It is so nice talking to her and reminding myself that although this is a crazy time with graduation and not knowing what is yet to come.. we are blessed with wonderful families and everything WILL be just fine, no matter what.

Now I am just watching The Voice (Australia) with Lynda and my boys ... ps I love Keith Urban .....and Seal! Tomorrow is back to school.... ew. Good thing I love my class and my cooperating teacher. ANNDDD I guess since I have only been in the classroom for 6 days and only have 8 1/2 days left... I can survive. :)

love always
Mel xoxo

The (Steve) Irwin's talked to me! I'm famous!

Hi there everyone! Yesterday was a busy day for me and my fellow MSU gals. First of all, I woke up at 5:50am to get my daily run in. :) At 8:15 Lynda brought Megan, Kari and me to Qut to meet up with the other girls, Jenny, Janelle, and her husband Clyde to head for the famous Australia Zoo! I rode with Lynn, Andera, Janelle's daughter Abby and her husband Clyde. I had to laugh at myself thinking of how my soccer girls used to always say I blab on and on sometimes just to hear myself talk.... I totally felt that way on the ride to the zoo...just blabbing up a storm asking anything and sharing more information than probably necessary. Oh well, made the ride that much more exciting..hehe.

First stop at the zoo was the Animal Hospital. We were able to see vets work on a koala who was hit by a car and lost it's leg..we also saw the vets wrap a koala's broken arm. It was so sad but I learned a bit about animal rescue here in Australia.

Next, we headed into the zoo. I was like a little kid in a lollie store searching for the kangaroos! I have only seen kangas once during my time here so far so I was very anxious. After passing the boring, "World's Largest Tortoise" and the Chameleon Dragon sitting on a rock changing colors at the speed of paint drying..we FINALLY made it to Roo Haven! I sped ahead of Nina, Ashley, and Lynn to see the little precious babies.. it was so cool we were able to pet them and feed them. They were so kind and calm...probably medicated but I did not want to think about that. I was able to get some great pictures of the kangaroos- one was of Lynn by a roo that started to ahem, go number two...her face is priceless though!

WOW- I just accidentally deleted everything I have written thus far... thank goodness for "undo"! crikey!

After the croc show we walked around a bit and saw the koala show, dingoes, camels, etc. Lynn, Ashley and I went to one more croc show where the croc was not cooperating and stayed under water longer than anticipated.. it made it exciting for the viewers waiting on the edge of our seats for when the dangerous dragon will snap up for the turkey! I also rode a horse.. or maybe an oversized pony. Anyway, it's name was Chex and very nice the old man guiding me around the circle was interested in Minnesota and my stay here in Oz.. he loved my accent..but then again how could you not?

Later, we saw the tiger temple which was really neat.. I didn't know they "sprayed" to mark their territory! It is interesting the things you can learn at the zoo. We also went to the elephant feeding and I was able to give an elephant a slice of cantelope for a mid-morning snack. We all lined up in a big converter belt style line and had to keep moving. The elephant would suck the piece of fruit from your hand and bring it to it's mouth by the trunk. It was such a goofy feeling, not at all what I had expected!

Lynn, Ashley and I took the zoo shuttle to "Africa" to see the rhino, giraffes, and "zed-bras" (they pronounce z as zed here). After sweating it out in Africa we headed towards the croceseum for a Wild Adventure Show! The entertainers were absolutely wonderful and they brought out amazing birds that I have never seen. Birds were flying around the stadium to "Thunder Struck" and one even landed right in front of me! They were so beautiful and presenters themselves. To introduce the first croc the music went loud and intense.. the presenter was nervous awaiting for the croc to arrive from the pool gates.. turns out it was a baby croc and just hilarious from the silly build-up they did. Since the zoo is named after the late Steve Irwin, they talked about how his family, Terri, Bundi, and Robert would have an afternoon with a lucky family that wins in a auction to spend time with them. However, it was school holiday still so they still came out anyway! This totally made the show above and beyond great! Terri was amazing and the kids were so funny. They mentioned something about America so us girls started cheering and they looked up at us and asked where we were from and we yelled, "Minnesota!" Terri asked us what our mall was called..speaking of Mall of America.. we all responded enjoying every second of our 15 seconds of fame. :)

Oofta! I full day at the zoo..and we weren't going to bed yet! It was off the Caboolture train station for the Broncos Rugby game! We were all starving but had to deal with the hour train ride first. Once we got to Brisbane it was spitting rain and cold-as, BUT that did not damper our attitude on the night's big event. Walking to the stadium I was for some reason leading the group of girls.. at one point Jordyn asked how I knew where I was going? I said, "I don't I am just following people.." Good tactic on my part though because we made it the 800 meters from the station to the stadium safe and sound! Most of us brought warm, dry clothes.. thank goodness, and we finally got to fill our tummies once we got to the stadium.

We found our seats, which we expected to be in the "nose-bleeds"...but what a pleasant surprise to be SECOND ROW from the field. We could see the player's tattoos and smell their sweat. Being this close probably was not fair to the die-hard fans who were sitting 58 rows back when we didn't even know what a "touch-down" was... well, they call it a "try" I think?? BUT it was so much fun for us! And the Brisbane Broncos WON 24-6 (I think..hehe)

After the game we followed the cattle of people to the train station for the long ride home.. all exhausted after a fabulous, jam-packed day!

Today I was able to sleep in a bit past 8. The Coogans are doing yard work so I faked slamming my finger in the door so I wouldn't have to help.... haha just kidding family ;) I am going to go for a run and them help them out! I have decided since Spaghetti Squash is no where to be found in the state of Queensland, so before I leave here I will cook my family Tator Tot Hotdish.. which they call their tator tots potato gems.. so Potato Gem Hotdish?? and some bruchetta :))

A little shout out to my baby sister's premiere soccer team playing in Kansas City this weekend for their first tourney of the "summer"! Good luck girls! <3 you all! & cannot forget the wonderful coaches my daddy and Ryan!

Well, off to enjoy some sunshine!

love always
Mel xoxo

I heart Sydney.

G'day everyone! I hope everyone had a fabulous bunny day! Easter Sunday I surprised my host family with Easter baskets Schwartz style. I made Easter "zip-locs" just like my great-grandmother used to do for all of us! I brought candy from America for Easter treats and left a note thinking the boys and Lynda would be sleeping (Brad was on night shift at the fire department) but they woke up before me and found their bags..the boys and Lynda LOVED them! I was so excited to see their reactions and trying some of my favorite Easter candy for brekky.

Bruce, Megan and Kari's host dad picked me up for the airport as we were headed for Sydney! Bruce greeted me by saying, "I hardly recognized you with clothes on!" I was quite taken off guard by his comment then realizing he meant with a regular outfit and not my running clothes! (thank the lord!) They live not too far from Pig's Hollow so he has seen me out for my early morning runs. It was a very interesting and hilarious way to start the morning and a fabulous trip.

We finally arrived to the airport in which we thought was plenty of time but with construction about the building we were set off and the announcer was calling last to board for Sydney while we were still printing our boarding passes! We had to literally run through security and to our gate while the line was dwindling down we made it just in the knick of time! We had to board from the tarmac which was a first for me.. I felt like the president! haha :)

Once we finally made it to Sydney and more importantly to our Menzies hotel, I walked through the markets with Lynn and Megan until we were able to check into our room. The markets were held at The Rocks on Sundays so it was great to see that part of Sydney and also get our first glimpse at the Opera House and Harbor Bridge! It was very cloudy our first day but it did not rain on our excitement.. I was thrilled to see the iconic building and bridge and could not wait for my four-day adventure to begin!

The first night we all went to the 333 Bar for dinner which was amazing! We all ordered a drink and the bar tender who was making Lynn and my drink dropped the mixer so he made us a free drink to hold us over and then brought out our drink we ordered later...for free! What a nice way to start the evening. Lynn and I shared a chicken avocado burger which was so yummy.

Our first full day started off by me answering the door in my eye patches at 8:04am .... it was Megan and Kari ready to go and I forgot to set my alarm! I hurried to get ready and Lynn and I met them at Starbucks for brekky. I brought a box of granola bars so I didn't have to buy breakfast every morning and just drank the hotel coffee.. am I my father's daughter or what? :) love you daddy!

Next, we went on the  Hop On Hop Off tour around Sydney- a 90 minute tour that lasted 2 hours and 10 minutes.. at least we got our money worth! Lynn and I "hopped off" with one last stop to go at The Rocks to go back to some shops and grab some lunch. While venturing off we must have looked like we knew what we were doing because people stopped us to ask for directions...

After lunch Lynn and I wanted to head to Bondi Beach so we were waiting at a cross walk and 2 guys wave at us from across the street... knowing me.. I look behind me (how embarrassing!) then they laugh and mock me by doing the same. I felt so dumb so Lynn and I turn around and walk the other way! They boys come our way and then go to the grocery store near us and Lynn and I keep walking. After the coast was clear we turn back going the previous direction- I have my handy dandy map in hand and we are literally scratching our heads figuring out which way to go. Next thing we know they guys are back with their groceries and walking up to us saying, "you must be American." Startled, we look up and laugh... how could they tell? They mimic us again holding an imaginary map and scratching their heads. They introduce themselves as Chris and Syd, Syd as in the character in Ice Age.. haha. They ask us where we are headed and guide us towards the correct bus stop. After making small talk and having some Gelatisimso ice cream we part ways thanking them for all their help.

Finally, we made it to Bondi Beach and it is even more beautiful than pictures can do justice! Walking along the beach was so amazing and you would just see heaps and heaps of people. While enjoying the afternoon stroll I spotted a man with a Minnesota Twins shirt on! Before I knew what I was doing I heard myself calling out, "Hey, are you from Minnesota?!" They laugh and we greet each other with where we are from and what we are doing in Sydney Australia. Lynn and I tell them that we are teaching abroad through a program with MSU, Mankato..shocked they say that they are visiting their daughter that is studying abroad in New Castle through MSU, MANKATO! SMALL WORLD! In fact, she was right up the beach! We went up to meet her and talked to her for awhile..they were all so great proving that the Minnesota Nice characteristic lives on around the world. After leaving our friendly family a guy sunning called out to us, "we love your accents!" ... I was flattered ....

That evening Lynn and I treated ourselves to a dinner on Jackson on Georges, a nice restaurant a short walk from our hotel. We shared a bruchetta and veggie pasta.. if that were not enough we decided to make a pit stop on the way home to Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar! We split the Fondue for Two... yes very romantic although I am guessing she was wishing she was with her boyfriend Mark and not me... lol. Sorry Mark! The fondue was amazing! It came with milk and dark chocolate, strawberries, banana bread bits, bananas, and marshmallows...YUM.

Tuesday morning we woke up to go to the early bird Opera House tour! The tour guide was not as good as some of the tour guides in London or Paris that my family and I would "rate." I would give this guy a 5/10. He seemed very nervous and kept forgetting vital information! But all in all it was a great tour and I loved seeing inside the building!

After the Opera House, Lynn and I went to the Royal Botanical Gardens and then by the harbor once again where we saw a family with Duluth, MN sweatshirts! They seemed busy but I am wishing we would have chatted with them too... so crazy! Lynn and I soon stumbled upon the beginning of the Harbor Bridge and I was like a kid on Christmas morning.. I wanted to walk across it so badly! My dad and I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and I wanted to add this one to my list. Well, Lynn let me and we walked across the windy bridge and I was on cloud nine! Although, I would not get too close to the side railings because I am scared of heights...

Lunch time ... Lynn and I needed a quick fix so we stopped at Mackas.. or McDonalds for happy meals! I got a chicken wrap with apple slices.. If America doesn't have those happy meals they must get them! Anyway, the lady next to us over heard our accents and couldn't help but ask where we were from.. turns out she was from Indiana! Juli was a singer on the cruise ship that was ported at the harbor. Juli shared her stories of living and traveling around the world and working on a cruise ship for the past two years, it was so interesting meeting her and hearing what she has been through and her exciting stories.. makes me realize the world is mine and I can do whatever I could dream of right now. Of course, her love story of meeting her boyfriend on the ship kept my interest as well.. :)

After lunch Lynn and I went back to the hotel for timtams and coffee and a quick rest before walking to a new part of town: Darling Harbor! We went to the biggest imax theater in the world: the screen was 7 stories!! We wanted to see Titanic in 3D here but they were booked until Sunday... boo! On our way home we thought we would try a new way back... feeling lost at dusk we started to get a little worried but then kaboom!* we literally ran into our...like my mom always said, "the best way to find your way around is to get lost!" thanks moma! xoxo

That night Lynn and I were craving Subway so we once again went out to find the nearest Subway.. which shouldn't have been too difficult since they are everywhere here but we ended up walking around the city for awhile .. which turned out to be okay because the city at night was so great! I loved it, and we found our Subway! ps: Subway here has shredded carrots...take notes America!! sandwich with carrots = yummy. We got back to our hotel to eat and flip through channels while relaxing we found a reality show called, "I want to be a farmer" where couples compete to own a farm! A little different from the bachelor.... later the girls were convinced Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar was worth trying so we all made the trip (yes, it was worth it to go twice!) Lynn and I split a chocolate brownie warmed up with chocolate drizzle... oh man so good!

The next morning was departing day..however we didn't actually depart until 9:25pm so we had all day! Too bad we all had a case of "too much Sydney" and the weather was crappy... cold and raining! So after shopping in the morning Lynn, Jordyn, Andrea and I set up fort in the hotel lobby with a deck of cards and literally sat there for 6+ hours playing ended card games! Not exactly what you would think we would do while in Sydney but it was just perfect for the rainy weather. We had arranged for a driver to pick us up from the hotel at 6pm to go to the airport... 6:24 came and went and no driver.. traffic was a nightmare and taxis were EXPENSIVE. Our next best bet was to catch the train.. thankfully the train station was across the street so we dragged our bags over and underground 2 floors to the ticket booth.. of course we couldn't get concession, or student discount, by the cranky ticket guy so we paid $15.40 a person for a 20 minute ride to the hotel.. oh well.. at least we got there! We all got subway at the hotel and were so ready to be "home"! After a quick 1 hour and 9 minute flight, and ROUGH LANDING, we made it back to Brisbane! Brad was waiting to pick Megan, Kari and me up and bring us back to Morayfield. Brad mentioned the boys were going to try to wait up for my late arrival.. and they were! The boys and Lynda greeted me when I got back.. the boys even drew me pictures of the Opera House and a Huntsman spider.. haha so cute!

Today, I slept in until 8..skyped my moma, chatted with Mak and went for a run! Lynda and I made veggie sandwiches and then Lorraine came and we went to Bribie Island. Although it was chilly, the boys still swam while us ladies chatted on the beach. We also stopped for a cappuccino..they are fancy dancy here and so good! Tonight, I am catching up on some laundry.. blogging (obviously) and had a fabulous dinner of sausage and a veggie salad created by Brad.. I had 3 helpings of salad.. I cannot get enough of these fresh veggies! Tomorrow I am off to the famous Australia Zoo and a Broncos footy game! So excited.

For those of you still reading.. kudos to you! You get a prize when I return.. haha. Thanks for reading and catching up with my Sydney weekend. I truly fell in love with Sydney. It was such a great city, easy to get around and the people were wonderful! It was kind of nice that it was geared towards tourists especially for a quick holiday there such as mine. I HIGHLY recommend anyone to go there while in Australia..and don't forget the chocolate bar while you are at it! ;)

love always
Mel xoxo

Yacht Races Anyone??

Hello there! I have been enjoying some "down" time.. if that is even possible in the land of no worries! By down time I mean that today was the first time in three weeks that I haven't had to set my alarm... I woke up at 8am still but I cannot waste anytime while I am here!

Yesterday I woke up and went for an early morning run before I headed out to Redcliffe with my family to watch yacht races! There was a huge festival along the beach while we watched the yachts take sail for the annual Easter Race. This was something different since there is no such thing of yacht races in Minnesota... well not in the ocean at least! We walked around the markets for the festival...there was HEAPS of people and things to do. On the beach a guy had a spinning ladder thing that if you could climb up it without spinning and touch the $50 note on the top you would win it, of course this is a scammed carnival game but it was entertaining to watch peoples dreams of winning the $50...and then sadly seeing them crushed with the turn of the ladder. Corey, Cale, and Coleby even gave it a try! However, neither of them ended up paying for lunch..

When we got home we just RELAXED which was so nice! Brad has been working the night shifts last night and tonight so Lynda and I had girls night in again with some Kahlua and coke while painting our nails :) unfortunately "Fun Mel" was not out last night and I had fallen asleep watching the Better Homes and Garden channel at 8pm and again at 9pm and finally gave up and went to bed at 10pm!

This morning like I said I didn't set an alarm and woke up at 8am...so nice! I did wake up at 6:02 and some random times after that but it felt very nice to sleep in a bit! I got ready for my run and ended up chatting with Mak for an hour.. so nice to catch up! I went to go have Wheet Bix for breakfast and went back to my mac and SURPRISE moma, my aunt Steph, uncle Mike, cousins Ava, Emma and Grace were skyping me! It was so nice to chat with them, and again after my run once B and my dad got home from soccer training... I was so happy to skype with them and show them the amazing yard at the Coogan's house! The boys and Lynda finally got to meet my family and my fam all got to hear the true Aussie accents..so fun!

This afternoon consisted of some tea breaks and Lynda's mum came to visit and she is just a doll! It was nice getting to know Lorraine, she was so kind and interested in my American ways..too funny. After she left, Lynda, Coleby and I went to the grocery store and a pit stop to get some moscato... when we got back we had wine, BRIE cheese (miss you girl!) and biscuits for afternoon tea in the Bali Hut. Lynda and I stayed out there talking long after Brad had left for work. Had the bugs not came out and the boys needed to be fed...we may have still been out there! We chatted outside for nearly 3 hours..!!

Tonight I packed for Sydney! Megan and Kari's host family is going to pick me up in the morning for a ride to the airport. I am so excited to explore the big city and sightsee for a few days! When I get back there will be little slowing down...Lynda and I have made big plans to squeeze in as much as possible for the last half of my stay here. I cannot believe my experience is half way done! This has been such an amazing experience. I can truly say I have a second family. The Coogan's will always have a special place in my heart and I am already looking forward to my next trip to Oz. I have been so blessed to have this experience and this family be thrown into my life. I cannot imagine it any other way!

Happy Easter to you all and especially to my family! I am missing you and know you will have a wonderful holiday together. I am going to watch The Notebook with Lynda...the calm before the storm of a crazy week!! :) Lynda has NEVER seen this movie, she has read the book. Ohhh it has been just great getting her to do all the girly stuff she misses out on with all the testosterone in the house :)

Love always
Mel xoxo

Roughin' It

Well everyone.. I made it back from camping alive and well!

I have a lot of catching up to do so sit back, relax and enjoy!

Sunday morning I woke up at the crack of dawn and went for a run before we packed up for Tallebudgera. Our first pit stop was to Yatala Pies for my very first meat pie. I chose to try a chicken and veggie meat pie which tasted like a chicken pot pie. I also tried Lynda's chicken curry pie which had a bit more spice to it but very tasty!

Once we got to camp we set up...yes, WE. I did help everyone! I put up the tent and even nailed some stakes into the ground. I admit, I did use to wrong part of the hammer at first...FYI it is a bit more difficult to use the "ax" looking side!  After camp was set up Brad took the kayak out for a spin and Lynda and I were able to chat at the beach while the boys swam.

Later, we all went for a walk up the streets near our campsite to find some local shops. For dinner Brad made some steak and mushrooms on the BBQ while Lynda and I cut up some fresh veggies..and of course washed it all down with some moscato. First bottle of many during our time at Tallebudgera! :)

After dinner we cleaned up and went for a nighttime walk to the ocean..this was amazing being by the beach, the only people, at night listening to the waves wash up to the shore. Some spitting rain, or sprinkling, cut our walk short and we raced back to camp and had a timtam with kahlua coffee. Kahlua coffee turned our occasional timtam into biting the ends off to use them as straws...let me tell you- it was quite comical! Did I mention the stars.....the stars were AMAZING! Last week a student of mine asked if we have "different" stars in America. I was confused by the question but Mrs. Knight assured them that we see different stars being in different parts of the world. Very interesting. We were able to spot the southern cross every night with ease..

Monday we were woken up at 6am by a screaming baby in the caravan next door... if this is not considered roughing it... I do not know what is! So we decided to get up and go for an early morning hike up the Burleigh Head Mountain. I went into the bathroom... (yes, no peeing in the trees for me!) and was going to put in the code and a little girl in front of me trying to get in asked if I knew the code, I told her while showing her and all she could say while staring at me was, "oh, I like your accent" and went along her way into the bathroom.. HA!

Lynda and I were making morning coffee joking that we shouldn't put kahlua in it this time and Coleby overheard us and said, "You can if you want to mummy and Mel, I won't tell anyone.."

Next, we hiked up Burleigh Head and Coleby wore my Garmin, we busted a couple miles in while getting an incredible view of the surf beach. We also paddled through the lagoon and canels up to the surf beach where the water is clear as day and simply indescribable.

I had some down time in the sun so Lynda and I enjoyed reading magazines and I continued to read "The Lucky One" given to me by the bestest friend ever Mak! It is so good, I have now found myself to not read too much so it won't end! Later we went to the local mall, or shopping center as they call it here in Oz! Lynda and I picked up a chuck (aka chicken) and fresh fruit for dinner. We may have stopped by a BSW (beer, spirits and wine) shop for more moscato too... our nights camping just are not complete without a glass or two of wine, some coffee and kahlua and a timtam! yikes... we need to slow down!

Once again, we capped off the night under the stars with NO BUGS and beautiful weather.

Tuesday we woke up and Brad was making scrambled eggs. I was the head veggie cutter and decided to add some cucumbers to the mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini , and onion. I did not think it was THAT crazy but Lynda and Brad had a huge laugh and Brad even picked out the cucumber. It was this moment that I realized Brad would fit in wonderfully with my fabulous uncles who LOVE to give smartie pants comments to me...and never let them down! :) ((love you uncles reading this....)

Next, we walked off our eggs by hiking up the mountain once again. The scenery never gets old! Lynda and I raced back to the pool to catch up on some reading and then continued our hard day at the Surf Beach...let me tell you... camping was an eye opening experience...offta it was ROUGH! ;)

In the afternoon the tide was just right that Lynda, Cale and I went to the calm lagoon and walked up against the tide and then floated down on the boogie boards. It was such a fun feeling being carried down the water by the waves like that. So cool! I learned quite a bit about the tide and how it correlates with the moon so if you have any questions... feel free to ask! I must share a funny...when we were standing in the tide Cale, Lynda and I took off our flip-flops and watched them float.. Lynda came up with the idea that we have "thong races"! I about died laughing... even though I am quite used to them referring flipflops to thongs... the context sometimes just gets me!

During a walk along the beach I spotted a gecko.. Brad tried to chase me with it but Lynda scolded him.. hehe boys vs. girls. Girls rule boys drool....

We had an AMAZING afternoon tea! With a smorgasbord of goodies including nutella and strawberries... they have never had this before and it was MY TIME to show them something new to try. They all tried it and loved it (duh!) and I see this being a new frequent afternoon tea.

Wednesday...whew! who's still with me?! I FINALLY got out for my run. I went up the mountain and along the coast.. do people seriously get to do that everyday because if so.. I am totally jealous!! After I got back we all went for another paddle to the surf and into the canals.. however the surge was very strong so at one point we were just basically twirling in circles and my sisterly love towards Corey came out for the first time threatening to whack him  with my paddle if he said I was paddling wrong again... love the kid though! :)

For lunch we had veggie sandwiches..YUM! then went back to the pool. A woman asked if she could borrow a magazine since I had 7 of them and she forgot her reading material at camp. I handed her an US magazine and them put my palm to my forehead... probably NOT what I would want a person to get an impression of America... Snooki's pregnancy and Lindsey Lohan's traumatic plastic surgery....

We later went shopping and then to the Surf Club for dinner. Lynda and I shared a stir fry and had vodka cruisers before dessert which was chocolate cake slices and a lemon tart. Way too good and I have to stop myself! We are now whining off of kahlua, timtams and cake.... after tonight.

Thursday I woke up at 6:21 to a fresh morning  breeze with birds singing and the sun shining after a soft rain last night. I tried to go back to sleep but looked at the time a mere five minutes later so I decided to get up and go for a run.. best idea ever. So beautiful. I went up the mountain one last time until next year..hehe and found a new path that is basically "back stage" for the surfers. I was amazed at the number of surfers out that early, I stopped just to watch the waves for a bit. I had to laugh at one "surfer dude" galloping up the mountain to the rock entrance and friendly slapped a tourist and gave him the "hang ten" sign saying in the most surfer voice you can imagine "hey....dudeee.... get your board and let's catch some waves man....." Later on my run I saw a gecko two feet long.....sickkkkk!!!!

When I got back I helped pack up the tent and we stopped by Old MacDonald's farm animals that came to visit the campsite. Brad got Lynda, himself and I a ginger beer....which is not really beer... more like a tasty ginger ale, but it came in a cool glass so I kept it.

I slept on the way home with felt amazing...we unpacked and had sandwiches in the Bali Hut not bad to come home to! Afterward, Lynda and I headed to the shopping center to get groceries which turned into an interesting trip to the bank, kmart, Michael Hill, and a book store. I just love spending girl time with my mum, she is absolutely fabulous!

I have been wanting to make my family puppy chow so at the grocery store I tried to find the ingredients but unfortunately instead of chex I had to use rise krispies, known as rice bubbles here. Their chocolate chips are different, they do not have powered sugar so we used icing sugar... haha needless to say it was hardly puppy chow, but after our yummy tacos for dinner the boys tried it with ice cream and it wasn't half bad!

I got to skype with my parents tonight! Miss them so much. It is so nice to hear everything in the states is going well. I miss everyone so much, but am having the best time here in Oz! Tomorrow my host family is taking me to the yacht races.. :)

love always
Mel xoxo