Happy Australia Day!!!

HAPPY 223 rd BIRTHDAY AUSTRALIA!

Wow....that's old. Only a baby in country years, though.

Yes, it has been 223 years since the first fleet of prisoners landed on the shores of Botany Bay, New South Wales.

My own great, great, great (I don't know how many greats) grandma was actually sent to Australia for stealing a blanket to keep her babies warm-RUDE!

(Rude of the British that is, for sending her away)

What mother wouldn't steal to keep their angels warm I say. Quite frankly, I'm glad she did it. For the babies' sake and mine. I am happy to have been born in the land down under-as you call it.

Wait..What???We never thought of ourselves as down under. Under what?

Anyway I hope all the Aussies have a fantastic day on the beach, playing cricket, having barbies (no shrimp-we call them prawns),lazing in the sun.

I'm thankful the sun decided to show itself here today in celebration.

I, myself had a happy Aussie day. Yesterday I went to tell Crazy's second grade class about Australia and that was actually the real Australia Day. (They are about 17 hours ahead)

They are learning about immigrants to the U.S.

Hmmmm. Never considered myself an immigrant-not that there is anything wrong with that.

AND

Today I visited with some lovely ladies from our neighborhood and we talked about their experiences in

Australia.

I know Oprah is all things Australian right now. Even though the Aussies spent $4m to get her there. All in the name of tourism. She did spend some of her own cash, so maybe I won't be so quick to doubt the sincerity of her love fest.

The only down side, I am all out of Vegemite. Grrr

Maui Wowi'i

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

A week in Maui!!

My little family within throwing distance

(my throwing that is-which, hello, isn't very far!)

Ocean breezes.

Sounds of crashing waves

Doors open

Sand under my feet

NO SHOESIES!!!

Walking around in a swimsuit

(and NO ONE cares-seriously, I thought there was some kind of common decency rule about who can wear a bikini and who CANNOT-but,not so much, no. Apparently I could wear an itsy bitsy teeny weeny if I had some self esteem!! and the state of Hawai'i

would be totally on board with that.)

Sand between my toes

Sand between... oh, I'll spare you

Being dumped by waves

Watching your children get dumped by waves

Watching your boys get chafed-

Saving the day by buying ye olde vasoline!

(Speedos aren't such a dumb idea, huh?)

Snorkeling with the fishies

Ahh, the nightly cliff dive-not by me?

Swimming, more swimming and even more swimming

Lazy breakfasts

Lazy by-the-pool snacks

Extra lazy dinners

Cheeseburger Babies!!!!!!

Very expensive but oh-so-yummy dinners

(Great idea boys-mmm!)

Free dessert

(Great idea Heef)

And who can resist a pig cooked in the ground?

Fluffy grass skirts on hips that move VERY fast

Humidity

Humidity + Me = No Wrinkles = negative 10 years

Apples to Apples

Apples to Apples = increasing Crazy's vocab by, um, like, a lot

Crooning guitar playing (can a guitar croon?)

My 60 year old children on boogie boards in the pool soaking up the performance

Foo requesting "Blue Hawai'i" for the old folks

(that would be us!)

Little bodies in sand like crumbed chicken

Crazy using sand as a towel AND sunscreen

Dad allowing us a photo

Sandcastles

Whale Watching-and yes, boys the raft IS the way to go.

Whale watch anticipation

So many whales, so much frolicking

Whale watch nonchalance

Ungrateful whale watchers!

Swimming in a rain storm

(there's always the hot tub, and you're only going to get wet)

Crazy's doll winning all the staring contests

(she's gooood)

Discovering the "Dog Whisperer" on TV

(Turns out Dad is a bit of a "Dog"tor Dolittle-according to him the dogs don't love Caesar Millan all that much)

Riding the paddle board, some better than others

Turns out I would sacrifice my tiny daughter rather than fall in the drink myself

Never mind her pain from her mother falling on her,

what about my pride?--'barrassing

Potato wedges with aioli

Nachos carnitas

A very cool 80's radio station

Discovering the Hawaiian alphabet only has 12 letters aeiouhlkwnmp-HA!

Their flag has the union jack on it

Thank you Captain Cook

What a great vay-cay!!!

Thank you Family

We were so sad to leave, but

WE"LL BE BAAA-AACK!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!!

Welcome to the inaugural Family Blog.

Hopefully this will be a great way for me to keep in touch with everyone and keep you updated on our little family. It's kind of a New Year's Resolution thing. I am a left brained list maker. Now that my lovely hubby gave me an iPad for my birthday and I have my iPhone attached to me, my life is amazingly more organized.

I seem to be in the right place at the right time more than half the time now!!!

Now I call that improvement.

So on the heels of technology improving my scatterbrained life--

I thought I would educate myself in the ways of

cyber arts!!

Do I hear Dadda and Heef in the background laughing at me????

My goal is to chat regularly and I would love to hear from you. Maybe some of my Australian friends could get to know my American friends in a bloggish kind of way.