Tattooed

...

For his 49th birthday, Harry got himself a tattoo. 

All 4 of his sons are lovingly scripted on his upper right arm.

I love it!

Oh Lorikeet, Oh Lorikeet, How Lovely are Your Feathers

How do my parents "do" Christmas Down Under?  Well... I don't know how your Australian friends / family decorate their trees, but Mom and Tom have a very unique style (and sense of humour).

How do you like the colourful little bird sitting atop the tree?

The li'l fella was found on the street by Tom shortly after arriving in Maroochydore (Queensland).  No worries, mate, the Lorikeet was already dead.

Tom is somewhat of a backyard taxidermist and kept this magnificently coloured species in their freezer for about 5 months before breaking out the Borax.  Could you imagine...  "Hmmm, I feel like a bowl of icecream."  You then walk over to the fridge, open the freezer door, and....!  Hello!  (LOL)

Mom even made him a little silver halo to complete the Christmassy feel of the place.

All joking aside folks, I have not been able to stop laughing since Mom told me of their latest "project"!

This quirky-ness is just the thing that makes me miss them all the more.  Merry Christmas everyone!

...

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

...

First snowfall of the year! 

It's a balmy 0'C (31'F) out there and the boys are having a ball playing in the white stuff falling from the heavens.

Little guy still has a cough and sniffles but just HAD to go experience the first snowfall of the season.  His big brother is praying for tons of snow so the schools will be closed tomorrow  :)

How Lovely Are Your Branches...

I still can't believe it's already that time of year again.  Time to rummage through storage for the boxes of Christmas decorations, time to dust off the ornaments and check to make sure nothing has been broken, time to winterize the camper against freezing, time to dig out the snow shovel, time to watch Harry freeze his butt off getting those Christmassy lights up around the house, time to watch the boys sing their blessed hearts out at their concerts, time to brave the crowds at the malls shopping for that perfect gift, time to buy boatloads of flour and sugar to make those yummy treats, time to spend TIME with family and friends - my favourite time of all.  I wouldn't change this time of year for anything!

The couple past Tuesdays was time to spend with friends making Christmas crafts. 

This little house was my craft.

Cute reindeer, eh?  This was was Reneé's. 

I love how he peeks out between the branches.

This delicate snowman was fun to make too.  Debby mastered the steps

to make this guy look as sweet as can be.

Tara brought all the supplies for us to make this handsom fella.

The picture just doesn't do it justice - he's a perfect accompaniment

to the rest of our holiday decor.

Gamers

...

You know when, all of a sudden, it's so quiet in your house that you just have to investigate?  So it was the other day when I was working in my office/scrap room...

I gingerly walked to the kids playroom and instantly saw my oldest sitting on a stool, concentrating on the game at hand.  But where was the little (and MUCH noisier) one?  Ah, just follow the other controller cord and ye shall find...

Good thing Grandpa (my dad) makes such sturdy furniture!

Thanks for letting me share about my silly boy  :)

Advent Calendar

...

Talk about 12th Hour projects!  I've finally finished the boys' advent calendar. 

I saw this idea on a few different websites and decided to adopt it  :)  I just happened to have some mini muffin tins in my cupboard that I NEVER use.  What a great use for those magnet sheets too!

I love the papers (My Minds Eye & Imaginisce) I found at a Black Friday sale and finally used some of the assorted numbers and Christmas embellishments that have been collecting dust in my scrap supplies.

Now I just have to fill the wee cups with goodies for my boys so they're ready for tomorrow morning...

The count is on!

To Cut, or Not to Cut...

...

Mackenzie (3 & half) has been asking for a haircut for sometime now so I dusted off the clippers and set to work.  He's still super-cute, but I now miss the softness of his longer hair...

Date Nite

...

I had a date on Wednesday night. 

6 of us thirty- & forty-something married mommies got together for a yummy dinner then over to the theatre for some yummy Edward/Jacob time.

Is it wrong to think of young Taylor Lautner as a hottie?  (I think he's around 19...)  Well, if it's wrong, then I don't wanna be right!  LOL

It was a great night.  We had a lot of laughs and enjoyed a VERY entertaining movie.  Should keep us all going until #3 of the Twilight saga...  Ok, so I may just be purchasing this one just for me!  *tee hee

Next Best Thing to a Maid?

.....

A couple of weeks ago Harry installed our dishwasher.  C'mon, it's only taken us 4.5 years to make the decision to once again join those without dishpan hands!

After much deliberation and cupboard content re-placement, we now have a lovely addition to our small kitchen. 

I must admit, (although I miss my valuable cupboard space) it is nice to see counter space without dirty dishes scowling at me anymore!

Scrappin' Retreat!

Our annual scrapbooking retreat at Camp Hope (Hope, BC) was this past weekend.  Reneé (below - front left) did yet another amazing job organizing this much anticipated event!

Door prizes (I won 2), Loonie Draw (I won $20), Secret Santa (I got utterly spoiled!), games (too much fun!), meals (soooo yummy and no cooking or cleaning!), and all the other things that happened (what happens in Hope, stays in Hope)...  Looking forward to next year already!

Debby (Visser) taught a couple classes this year.  I love my Christmas cards so much I may just keep them for myself!  :) 

Tara was able to join us this year!  This was her first ever scrapbooking/craft event and she loved it!  As you can see she even got some crocheting in  :)

A special thank you to Suzann, my Secret Santa, for all the fabulous treats!  Jo, have you eaten that paper yet????  LOL!!!!

The Aussies Were in Town!

Myself and Tara squishin' cheeks with little Miss Olivia.

Step-Sisters: Sarah & Me at Grandma's

Oops, "blogger slacker" here! LOL

Let's see... We've had a very busy October and are well on our way into November now! We had such a wonderful time with Sarah, Paul & Olivia visiting from Australia! After a delicious cronish game hen dinner at Grandma's, we headed out the next day to the Apple Barn in Abbotsford to enjoy a B.C. Auntumn at it's finest.

Couldn't resist this photo-op!

Miss Olivia slept through her first hayride.

My boys in front of Tow Mater.

Bunny Town!

Sarah & Paul enjoying the bouncy pillow. Perfect for those "big kids"!

:)

A few days later Paul, Sarah, and Olivia came to Chilliwack for some Trick-Or-Treating Canadian-style! We dressed up the kids (Sarah included) and headed out into a refreshingly mild night of ghosts and goblins (and bees and Lego Men)...

My "New" Ride

After 3 long months without my minivan (and nicknamed "Handy Dart" by Tara), I now have a "new-to-me" 1999 Dodge Caravan!

On my way to visit my mom in Hope, (just before they moved abroad), nearly at the Dinotown exit, my transmission decided to "give up the ghost". Crap, I'm on a VERY busy part of the #1 Hwy! A call to Harry (who hadn't left for work yet) and another to BCAA...

Harry, being the wonder-mechanic he is (no, seriously), took my old transmission out and installed a used one from the wreckers. Not an easy feat, lemme tell ya! Nope, no good, this transmission is hooped too. Ok, do we spend the $1000+ to have my original tranny repaired or look for another van?

It's Saturday night. Shenna is on her way to babysit while we meet up with friends. Games nite is postponed. Change of plans... let's head to North Burnaby and look at a Carvan. Not the most romantic way to spend an evening alone, but... let's go! $1300 later...

Tranny's already been done, fully loaded (including alarm), so immaculate you can practically eat off the uphostery, a few minor dents. We're sold!

I'm back in the saddle again!

Anyone in need of a 1995 Dodge Caravan without a transmission? LOL

Letter from Oz - Volume 2

Lorikeet

Hello from the Land of Oz,

How do you know when you’ve started to settle in a new location? I pulled out the ice-cream the other day and found protective ice! Then I realized that it was time to get a new tube of toothpaste. Since I hang out the washing here, there’s always lint on my clothes but lately I’m using the lint brush and duct tape less as the new linens have now been washed a few times and there’s less lint debris to deal with. I went into my pantry cupboard and pulled out an elastic band that now had numerous other fasteners attached to it . . . twist ties, bits of string. And oh, my rubber spatula is tomato stained.

I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed since moving out of our condo in Hope and the painful parting from family and friends on July 4. I will always wear the special neck pillow that one daughter made out of bits of fabric that I used to make blankets for the grandchildren. I carry my “nana bag” that the other daughter mailed around the country so each grandchild could put their little (and not so little) foot and hand prints there to be lovingly preserved and carried with pride. I have scanned pictures of gifts from my son, too heavy to have made it into my luggage. Photos of family are soon to grace our entrance as I have waited to get my computer up and running to accomplish that. My family picture wall is a must, no matter where I am.

This is the last day before spring break down here. In Canada the children have returned to school, the leaves are beginning to fall and some to change colour. Here it’s getting warmer as we approach summer and you are digger deeper into your closets for warmer clothing as the nights become cooler. I was online today looking at purchasing posters that I can frame, missing the brilliant colours of fall but also anticipating seeing signs of new growth where I now reside.

Tom has been working quite a bit at various schools and enjoying the change. The children here have been polite and enthusiastic when they find the substitute teacher is from Canada. There are always lots of questions and genuine interest in finding out how things are half way around the world, that we live a bit differently but are mostly very much the same. The schools here have a much more relaxed policy in many ways. Principals rarely, if at all, visit the classrooms and Friday afternoons the staff debriefs on the veranda with a beer from a well stocked fridge in the staffroom. This is even while students are still milling about! Can you picture that in Canada?

Then there are the breaks: a short one at 10:00 a.m. , little lunch at 11:00, big lunch from 12:00 to 12:45 and then a short one mid afternoon as the finish around 2:30. Tough to get teaching time in! Most of the schools have exercise equipment cemented into the playground and the students’ P.E. classes consist of things like golfing and surfing, depending on the location and taught by a specialist of that particular subject. The school grounds are immaculately maintained and the private schools look like holiday resorts. I still don’t know how school funding is determined but since there is only one head office for the state, there is a great deal more taxpayer money going directly into the schools. Much of the equipment money is raised through school fairs (fetes) and they expect to raise at least $30,000 (thirty thousand) in a morning. Stalls are set up by staff, parents and community members who sell a variety of things like jewellery, plants, handcrafted items, etc. Office staff goes to the bank about every hour to avoid a build up of funds.

I still have not actively sought employment, choosing to get us settled first and enjoy spring break with Tom. After that, it will be pounding the proverbial pavement as we’ve used up our seed money and I’m feeling a need to get out and meet some new folks and get into a routine of sorts. The kids in Brisbane settled back into their own work lives but one daughter nearby has made it her mission to introduce me to the local shopping centre and a fine job she has done! I am on a first name basis with some of the shopkeepers and get nods of recognition from others. What does that tell you about how much I’ve frequented the Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore?

You know how important The Home Depot is? WELL! Here it’s Bunnings, sister to Home Depot. Tom still stops there almost daily to get his “fix”. If ever I can’t find him . . . . I know where to look.

It’s getting close to dusk now and the lorikeets are starting their end-of-day migration to the treetops along the river across the street from our place. They are so hyper after a day of sucking nectar on every far away tree that it takes about an hour to settle, then they awaken before dawn to stretch their wings and get ready to venture out for yet another day. Of course, that means we wake up at 3:38 a.m. as well . . . . yawn.

It’s time to get the salad made, prepare the steaks and prawns so Tom can throw them on the barbie. We’re really enjoying the seafood and of course the wine. Oh, the wine. We were given good inside information that you could buy “clean skins” which are wine bottles that are not branded, for $2.90/bottle. Lo and behold, it’s true. Wine prices vary from an average of $10, up to $300 or more, a bottle with a huge variety to choose from but we are now reluctant to spend more and have developed a taste for the more affordable products.

So for now, I wish you a good weekend and hope this finds you all in good health and spirits. G’day and cheers from down under.

Marilyn

Skype-ing with Nana

How on Earth did we (as kids) function without the internet and all it's wonderful uses??? Just because Nana and Papa are waaaaaay over on the other side of the world, doesn't mean we can't see them everyday, does it? No way!

After many trial and error efforts to get Skype running on my computer (older version is the trick for my out-of-date dinosaur), we are able to grab a cup of tea, get comfy in our desk chairs, check the time-difference between countries (17 hours), and click the call button.

Once that distictive ring tone sounds I get a tingle in my tummy... We're going to see Nana and/or Papa! What a wonderful thing it is to know that we can see Nana with her blond hair, green eyes and beautiful smile looking right back at our anxious faces. Sometimes we can see Papa too, although he's usually at work when we're able to "call".

You just cannot put a price on being able to watch Nana walk out of her home office, go into some unseen room and come back with a perfectly preserved lorikeet (like a very colourful small parrot) that Papa found dead and is keeping in the freezer for some reason! And to HEAR those beautiful, albeit noisy, creatures while we're chatting away! Did I mention it's FREE?

I am assisting Mom and Tom with their loose ends (bills, etc) in Canada. There have been 2 instances where I've had Shaw and Telus on speaker phone while on Skype with Mom to sort out all glitches. How freakin' cool is that?!?!?!

Of course, I could not let an opportunity pass by where I don't add yet another form of technology into the mix... Time to grab my digital camera, take a pic of the boys chatting with Nana, and post it onto my blog!

Being halfway around the world from our loved ones is beyond tough. Keeping in touch via e-mails, phone, Skype, and good, old-fashioned letters makes the great distance just a little... less.

What will they think of next? I can't wait to find out!

Thanks for reading and happy Skyping to those who love technology as I do!

Out With the Old & In With the NEW!

I've decided NOT to scrapbook our before & after reno pictures of our home. Not only would it take me FOREVER, it would be pretty much pointless as the pictures speak for themselves.

I was looking through these pics the other day and realized I hadn't updated the pics to show how we've updated our house. A never-ending job it is to renovate gradually... The bulk of the renos were done just over 5 years ago and now we're picking away at little things that we had to put off or touch-up.

I've spend a substantial chunk of my day cleaning rooms to take new pics, then sitting at the computer editing said pics and printing them off. Good excuse to organize my office...it's like a bomb went off in here!

Here's an idea of some of the work that has gone on in our house since moving here back in 2004...

Stairwell to the basement

Back to School 2009

Has it really been over a month since I last posted? Yikes!

Now that September is in full swing, I have found a moment for my blog... School has begun!! Yippee!!

Grade 3 began back at McCammon Traditional Elementary. We were on the waiting list at another school for quite some time and hadn't heard a thing so we dusted off 'C''s uniforms and headed down the street the day after Labour Day. That very same afternoon I received a call from FG Leary Fine Arts Elem School... "There's a spot open for you. Would you still like it?" Would I? Would I?! Yessiree Bob! We flew down to the "new" school to register just before the secretary left for the day. Boy-O-Boy is my boy excited!

Now, what am I going to do with all these uniforms?? :)

Camping Extravaganza

9 glorious days of camping at 20 Mile Bay has sadly come to an end. We had the most amazing weather! Temps were in the very high 30's for the entire trip, no wind to speak of (very unusual for Harrison Lake) until the 6th day, and the bugs were manageable - we escaped with a few mosquito bites to all, spider bite and wasp sting for me.

'M' got over his uneasiness of his lifejacket after the first day and swam like a little fish the whole week. "Mom, am I in the deep part?" "Mommy, I'm moving?"

'C' caught his first fish! He and Harry were trolling on one of our jetskis with Uncle Thorsten's fishing rod and voila! The kids (and Auntie Tracy) were entertained as I bonked the two trout over their heads with a club-like piece of driftwood! What else could I do??? I didn't have one of my dad's fancy-shmancy fish-bonkers! LOL Now C is anxious to try out his new "Rocket" Fishing Rod that he got from Uncle Rich & Auntie Jen & P for his birthday!

Some fellow campers told us about this treehouse up the lake so we loaded up the kids and neighbours on tubes pulled behind our watercraft to go exploring. Wow! The "Estevez Hotel" and "Camel Toe Inn" were sure sights to behold.

Due to all of the raging forest fires in BC, there is a fire ban on everywhere. No worries though, it was too hot to sit around a campfire. Although we missed making s'mores, we did enjoy the embiance a propane fire thanks to Rich and Jen.

So now it's back to the grind. Thank the heavens for some cooler weather! We can sleep comfortably for now.

Birthday Boy!

Wednesday was a very special day in the Osl house... 8 years ago we welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the family!

What a busy day we had! Swimming at 8:00am followed by breakfast at a great little "greasy spoon", a brief stop at home before heading back out to have some fun at the library. Daddy made it home for a family dinner out with Auntie Tara, Uncle Dave & Shenna then back home for cake and presents.

Lego is a huge favourite right now so he was delighted to get a 3-in-1 set where he can create a spider (see above), snake, and dragonfly. He also got a couple DS games (which I have been enjoying the past couple of days, myself!)

All in all, it was a fabulous day! The birthday boy felt very special and was approached by many well-wishers due to the fact that he was wearing a "birthday boy" pin on the front of his shirt!

The personalized name mugs from Nana & Papa are used EVERY single day! Grandma Stevens sent a lovely card that arrived with perfect timing via Canada Post. Oma and Opa spent today with the (now) 8-yr-old at their home in Langley and took him to the park and shopping for his gift... yup, more Lego! A very cool Naval war ship! I think Grandpa would like to see that when we visit him in early August.

Stevens' Landed

Hello from the Land of Oz,

July 6 we had a shuttle take us from Abbotsford to Vancouver International Airport. We knew our luggage was a bit overweight so we added a piece from Tom's mom's stash but it was still manageable. As it turned out, the flight we were on was overbooked so they bumped us up to Executive (First) Class! Wow, talk about having a cushy flight. . . we were wined, dined and reclined in comfort at the pointy end of the plane . The chairs were totally adjustable and converted into a bed, the movie was current and the attendants were awesome! Armed with loaded iPods, a digital camera and a 250 GB external drive containing our past several years of history, we were ready to start our new adventure.


Six hours later we touched down in Honolulu and collected our luggage, shuttled to the Pacific Beach Hotel and officially started our new lifestyle. Our first day there, we rented a car and drove around the entire island of Oahu, including driving into Diamond Head crater. It was nice to be able to stop when and where we wanted to. The next day was a visit to the Arizona memorial. The Americans really do an impressive job of honoring their fallen, that's been our experience in every State we've visited over the years.


July 10 we boarded our flight for Sydney/Brisbane, crossing the International Date Line and losing a day. The 10 hour flight was uneventful and much more comfortable since we had rested up in Hawaii and were more prepared for that length of sitting time. My special neck pillow and scrap booked pages of family and friends were a bittersweet comfort. Upon our approach into Sydney I was having a deja vu moment as the red tiled roofs came into focus.


After changing planes and catching a 1 1/2 hour flight to Brisbane, we were met by Aaron and Jen, Noelle and Glenn, Sarah & Paul and Miss Olivia (2 weeks old). I was presented with a beautiful bouquet of lillies and after collecting all of our luggage (nothing missing) we were driven to Noelle and Glenn's home. A feast had been prepared and gifts were presented to get us started. I was thoughtfully given a hair dryer, we got a coffee pot to make regular coffee, not the cappucinos and lattes that everyone has here. We take it everywhere we stay now. We also were given a set of dishes for 4 and a gift certificate for golf clubs, and tickets for a show.


As I write this, we have been here for 14 days. We have already purchased a vehicle, a 2004 Ford ute (tray backed), have taken out a membership each in the Maroochydore Lifesavers Club, have our Medical Cards, Queensland Drivers Licenses and RACQ membership ( same as BCAA and actually affiliated so we are credited with the same number of years of membership which entitles us to all the discounts of 20 years plus). My application for getting our Tax File Number (equivalent to the Social Insurance Number) was accepted but Tom had to supply official documents since they couldn't find him in their system. Interestingly, we had some things notorized today by a group of Judiciary People (lawyers, judges, notaries) who volunteer their time every week at the shopping centre for 4 hours each Friday. And that was free! By the end of this week, we need to have all of our major business taken care of, as we will be moving up to Sarah and Paul's on the Sunshine Coast for the next little while. Tom has mapped out the schools he will apply at and will distribute resumes and business cards that he had printed last week.


Having my Permanent Resident Visa has made getting all of the above very smooth for me. The plan is to apply for Citizenship, which I understand only requires living here for 2 years (changed from 5 years) and will need to be confirmed. Next week Tom hits the proverbial pavement and I start researching employment options.


Unemployment has risen by 48% in the past year and that is not reassuring for us but we'll just have to be very convincing in our approach. Apparently people of our generation are much more reliable, take little to no sick time and are always are ready to start work and time and rarely, if ever leave early. This work ethic with help us.


A couple of days ago we took a drive south to Surfer's Paradise on the Gold Coast and lunched in Burleigh Heads with an old friend. It's interesting to see the many parallels with what is homey and familiar. They have many of the American influenced businesses here, such as H&R Block, Myers Stores, Target, The Body Shop, MacDonalds, of course, KFC, and many more. Most differences are fairly subtle . . .Freeways are called Motorways and diapers are nappies, a shopping mall is an outside strip mall and a shopping centre is the collection of shops under one roof. You have to drive on the left side of the road (like driving in a mirror) and there are little differences that make some of the humour a bit of a challenge but for the most part, we're very much alike. Today we had Subway for lunch, even the prices were the same.


I'm starting to recognize landmarks and picking up some of the common expressions and terms like a "doona" is a duvet and a "dunny" is a toilet (slang/crude). You get the idea. I'm sure I will always sound like a foreigner but it helps to use their terms, . . . when in Rome. . .


Our welcome here has been genuine and heartfelt. For me, it's a working holiday, for Tom, a homecoming. I will continue to journalize our experience and perhaps you can benefit vicariously.


Love, hugs and regards,
Marilyn

Safe 'n' Sound

I received an e-mail at 4:55am today (that puts them at about noon). Mom and Tom had arrived safe and sound in Brisbane and were ready to enjoy a BBQ at Noelle & Glenn's.

Here's an exerpt from Mom's latest e-mail:

Had a nice welcome here. Everyone, including Sarah, Paul and Olivia were at the airport to meet and greet. Glen and Noelle hosted a great dinner and it was well after midnight before we fell into bed. It’s actually quite cool here. . . . . 18 deg. C. Aaron’s Jen is a real sweetie and they all made us feel very welcome. The flight was uneventful, only 10 hours from Honolulu after a good sleep, so very do-able.

Oh yeah, we got bumped up to executive (first) class from YVR to HNL. . . Wow! We each had a bed! I’ll elaborate more later. We’re going to the market and will meet the others there as well. It really hasn’t hit home yet. . . . Being on the move this much in such a short time, it just feels like yet another stop. Until we actually get established, my head can’t get past “holiday mode”. I will send photos later in the week.

The neck pillow has been very well used already. . . . It goes with me everywhere and I take my photo album in the Nana bag. . . . Dead giveaway, hey?

Not "goodbye", but "see you soon"...

Looking at their new mini-album "I Love Nana Because... / I Love Papa Because..."

Mom and Tom with just a few of us at their farewell party on July 4th.

We also celebrated Tom's 60th birthday.

(He shares it with Canada and is of Viking descent)

Well, the time has arrived for my mom, Marilyn, and step-dad, Tom, to begin the next chapter in their lives. Onward to Australia! They will be there for about 5 years before they spend their retirement years between Canada and Down Under.

We've done some serious visiting and squeezing in as much quality-time as possible! I, myself, cannot wait to get on an 18 hour flight to see them in the Land of Oz! :D

Although we are extremely sad to see such important and loved family members go, we are very happy for our extended family in Australia to be getting them for a while! "Miss Olivia" is the newest member of the family (she arrived on June 26th) and is anxious to meet her Nana and Papa! All of Tom's (4) kids live in Australia and are also anxiously awaiting their arrival.

I can't say enough wonderful things about my mom and Tom. We are so blessed to have them in our lives.

Even though "Papa" is not blood-related to all of the kids and grandkids here in Canada, you'd certainly never know it. He's been absolutely amazing to Shenna (15), Seth (8.5), Connor (8), Kooper (5), and Mackenzie (3) for the last 15 years... and will continue to be! We have so many wonderful memories of Papa swimming, skating, boating, playing board games, walking to the park, etc.

Our lives are enriched tenfold simply because "Nana" is in them. She is the epitome of kindness, generosity, wisdom, and love. No one gives a better hug than Nana does.

Godspeed Nana & Papa!

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Shedding

Our backyard has really gone thru a major transformation in the past 3 weekends. The furthest, shadiest corner is now the home of a sturdy storage shed for Mom & Tom's beloved belongings while they're overseas in Australia the next 5 years. Thanks to the help of his apprentice "C", Dave, Tara, and Harry, Tom is blasting thru the construction like a madman! :)

Today Tom (with help from Harry), completed the roof just before the rain started! Handling all that metal roofing only resulted in 2 minor injuries - can you believe it?!?!?! :D