Last words for today, I promise!

O.K., dinner was fabulous.  I might have to put the recipe down here for ya!

I wanted to tell you about school.  We have the kids in Kimberly College.  The principal, Paul Thomas, quite a character might I add, has strong negative feelings about the word "alternative" but that's the best way to describe it.  Very little is traditional.  I have never seen anything like it though he claims he was inspired by educational programs from the states?  The class sizes are larger with 2 - 3 teachers plus and aid.  It saves moving from class to class thus saving time.  Each group has multi-aged students.  The reasoning?  Children shouldn't be learning at grade level.  They should be able to study at the appropriate level for them all the time.  They do testing that helps gauge that.  I am not sure how it works.  He insists they learn creative, critical thinking.  He wants them to know why and how to use what they are learning.  No bullying, whatsoever, is allowed on campus.  There is a strict uniform code with grey dress shorts, black belt with a custom Kimberly College button down dress shirt and tie.  They wear black shoes with, get this, grey knee high socks!  And a hat!  Oh my gosh am I ever excited to see the day that all happens.  Believe me there will be pictures!  They are short on uniforms so it will be a couple of weeks...

The important thing at this point is that the boys seem very happy there.  The other children have received them well.  The teachers seem to be kind and funny if a little strict here and there. It's a beautiful area and once they are finished with all the building plans it should be an impressive looking school.  It's not extremely expensive, except for the uniforms!  We'll see.  The jury is still out.  Once we get out permanent visas they can go to the state school.

Hey, we also made it out to church this week.  Last week we missed the time and the week before we went to a building that was under construction so we (Okay, it was actually just me) were really looking forward to meeting our new friends in the Capalaba ward.  They were lovely of course.  You could plop them right into the Jamestown Ward or Idaho Falls 19th but then they would all be taken into the heavens what with all their being too darn  perfect!  Hee, hee.  Let's just say it was a relief to be well received and see that there are young people for Riley and Jeremy.  Riley found out that he gets to start seminary.  Hee, hee.  The start them the year they turn 14 here.  Let the early mornings begin!

But not tomorrow, Bart flies out early and we only have one car so guess who's his taxi driver?  Yup, and aren't I lucky?  You betcha!  So the boys will be on their own for getting up and getting ready but I'll make it back just in time to get them to school.  Thank goodness it's only for 2 days.  We have gotten used to him being around now and we're not about to have that change without a fight!

In fact, they are in the pool playing Marco Polo as I write.  It's cold and they want me to come out.  Yikes!

Love to you,

Kelli

Albondigas Soup

one carton of beef broth

1 pound ground hamburger

1 - 2 slices bread, torn into small bits

1/2 onion, fine diced

3 large clove garlic, shredded

1 egg plus one egg white

1 - 2 T water

1 tsp chili pwdr (or less if it's  hot)

1 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp cumin (I used a little more)

1 green pepper, diced

3 - 4 carrots (used 4 large), sliced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 can stewed tomatoes with juice ( I just dumped in a can of crushed tomatoes instead)

1/2 med cabbage, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: Serve with sour cream, cilantro, nachos.

Blend meat, garlic, onions, egg, water, bread for meatballs.  Form into small, bite-size balls.  Bring broth to a boil, add meatballs, cook 5 minutes.  Add spices, veggies, including tomatoes, cover and simmer at least 30 minutes.  Not more than 40.

Oh man was that good.  The boys scarfed in down!

The 3 wet amigos after the crazy jet boat ride through Circle Quay and Darling Harbor in Sydney.  Dripping!

To All the Girls on the Go

Well, I beat ya to the Sat morning run as usual since we're 17 or so hours ahead of you and boy was it a hot one.  If you wait till 8am (wimps, hee, hee) to run in Redland Bay your asking to leave this world in a pool of your own sweat on the side of a road next to a dead wallaby.  It's like running in a microwave oven switched on high.  

So, you'll  be proud of me!  I was off by 6:17 am.  I ran the whole way except for a short talk with a super cute retired couple out for a morning walk.  It was slow and mostly miserable just like all of my runs without my running group girls and my amazing running/workout boss, friend Maria.  But seriously, it does motivate me to know that all of you will be up and at'em Saturdays.  I can picture you all chatting and beginning to breath a little harder as you start down the hill.  Leah making up all sorts of lame excuses for why she'll be slow and then racing up the hill to sprint the finish.  Kristyn will be running at whatever pace she likes for as long as she likes because as one GOG mentioned, according to her "It's all mental  baby!"  Anna and her long legs will be keeping stride with whomever is running fastest that day.  It will look effortless but she'll claim to "really be feeling it".  Ya, uhuh.  So many are coming back after babies.  (I LOVE MY "AFTER" PICTURE, BY THE WAY!  JUST THINKING ABOUT IT MAKES ME SMILE)  You are the most amazing of us all!  

O.K. I am going to  haul my sweaty, stinky self off to the pool.  You guys stay warm.  I wish I could blink you all here along with all my Idaho buddies and every lifetime friend for a gigantic slumber party with a swim and bar b q and trips to the beach and the city and whatever else you would like to do.  

By the way, Leah, I guess being pregnant would be a legitimate reason to slow it down.  But I swear if I find out your fibbing me on that 12 minute mile story, you're in grande troubl0!

Bit of a back track and a catch up on the day!

I have uploaded a couple of pics from our first trip to a "real" beach.  You know, one with waves.  This took place a week and a half ago.  It's on Stradbroke Island.  Just hop on a ferry, take a bus to the other side of the island, hike a mile down to a gorgeous, completely empty beach.  Realize that the beach is OFF LIMITS.  Hike back up the hill and up another mile to the first open beach you find.  

You are supposed to swim between the flags.  We don't.  Bart's idea.  We lived.  Had a wonderful time swimming in the perfect surf, playing frisbee and eating melted chocolate cookies.  Mmmmm.  And I didn't see one shark!  

The trip home was a bit more of an adventure, waiting for an hour to be crammed on a bus with the other 100 people trying to catch the last ferry of the day.  What did we expect on Aussie day? Not the Packer's most brilliant move but at least we'll have the Stradbroke Island Excursion all figured out for the rest of you.  When you come.  Hint, hint.  We have decided the car is key, as well as an ice chest, blanket for sand, an umbrella for shade and a few chairs.  Even better, bring the tent and stay the night.  Ahhh.  

Well back to the present.  Today is counted as one of our more productive.  We have a school that will take us.  We finally received the money for the cars.  We have actually come close to practically almost deciding on maybe which one we might possibly want.  Wow!  (I like the red one!) I was able to do 4 loads of stinky laundry at the laundromat. (Washer broke 5 days ago!) and ....hmmm, I guess that's it.  Sounds boring but these are all biggies for us this week.

I can think of so many things to tell you all when I am out and about, but, funny, it all eludes me once I sit down to the big screen and keypad.  

For now, just know how much I love and appreciate you.  I live on your replies and chocolate at the moment.   At some point it will be time to "get a life".  In fact, I may be getting close to that  tipping point now.  You know you're getting desperate when you don't want to leave the family who's car you are considering buying because you can't quit talking to the nice wife and you wave goodbye as your driving away wishing she lived next door instead of an hour away.  Oops.  Sorry nice car lady.  Don't worry.  I could never find my way back alone and Bart's not the stalker type.

Love to each of you.

JUST BEACHY!

Wet and Wild

Hey, how yoa goin? It's incredibly difficult to copy an Aussie "o". It has a bit of a 'ya' to it?

No worries.

We had quite an adventure today. I thought I would put on my Amazing Mom hat, rarely used I am afraid, and take the boys off to a museum in Sydney. Let me back up.

It's another business trip. Last minute just like the trip to the outback only this time we are in a lovely hotel, Sheraton on the Park, in downtown Sidney. Believe me, when you come for your visit (yes, I am expecting LOTS of company!) you'll definitely want to add a skip over this way. This is tourist season and the tickets were about $350 each on short notice so...

O.K. so we head out walking. We buy breakfast and eat it in the gigantic park across the street before the big museum attraction. I might add that neither Jeremy or Riley were the slightest bit interested in going to a museum but since they are truant (as in, NOT ATTENDING A SCHOOL because of visa problems) and their mother is worried about their intellectual future, and going to jail? - they were going along with this great "field trip" idea of mine.

It was a long walk. They were thrilled that it was closed except for Sat and Sun to the general public. And yes, it hurt to hear that they only allow schools for their field trips during the rest of the week.

We ended up down at the harbor, Circle Quay. It was a nice and warm and the friendly agents at the boat ramp looked good hearted enough as they joked and teased us to come along. It wasn't 5 minutes later that we had handed over an outrageous amount of $$ for a jet boat outing. The seat belts and rubber ponchos should have alarmed me but it only lured me in further. I mean how bad could it be? And who needs a poncho on such a grand day on a boat? Wimps. Not us!

Soaked, I tell you. Sopping, dripping, squishing we were. He purposely drenched us, let us dry out some and then started the whole process over again. Was it awesome? Yes, it was. We had such a view of the bay and the beaches (inluding a darling cove with rocks and, hmmm, did I mention the nudists?) I have never had such ride! The boys had the prime seats right at the front. I don't know how they survived. It was constant waves washing over their heads with the occasional breath of air. You know it was extreme when Jeremy tell me later that he almost raised his fist (the universal sign of "STOP THE BOAT") but didn't want to ruin the ride for the rest of us. We all decided it was a must have but only once life experience and the view of the coast and activity of ships moving throughout the harbor was the best. Well worth it!

Well, the boys are waiting up in the room and some old guy is hanging over my shoulder waiting for internet access.

Much love too you all from Sydney and the Packers.