Mini-Update

I guess I have been sorta slacking in the blogging category. Last week was pretty busy but other than that I really have no good excuse. I will say that i was waiting around for Nat to contribute but I have a feeling we would be waiting a long time.
Its been pretty lazy around here. Weekends are set aside for resting and grocery shopping for the most part. And visited pet stores to see the cute puppies. I swear if they weren't $900/each we would already have a house full. As for school, I finally got my class times and with all the lectures, tutorials and labs I have a total of 12 class times for 5 classes. Time to start living at QUT!! I passed my first aid class on Friday so I am geared up and prepared for first semester of nursing school. I have about 21 days until my first day. I love to countdown! I will need to buy some books, approximately $900AU worth. That is NO FUN! We still have a couple more months before the expenses slow down. We will be ok it seems, hopefully, as long as financial aid goes through, otherwise I have no idea how I am going to afford $9000AU a semester!! God will provide if need be. He has been very generous up until this point. I have some prayers out there that have the ear of God. I am working on myself...just taking a little discipline.
I am excited about nursing, but also a little timid. Its been a long time since I had to study and retain information. I am worried my brain is dead.
Nat really seems to like his job. They are giving him challenging puzzles for him to figure out which makes it fun for him. He really likes to figure things out, I on the other hand get a little lost when he tried to explain it to me.
Our crate is in Melbourne and will be there for another 10-15 days and then (fingers crossed) we will have our shipment. Nat returned some final paperwork today so we should be good to have it delivered in the next couple weeks. I am SO excited for my bed!! The girls wont be here till Mid-September and we miss them terribly!! I am not sure we can go another weekend staring at adorable puppies without bringing one home...MUST BE STRONG!!
We had some EXCITING news on the homefront. Congratulations are in order for a special someone. We of course are thrilled, but sorta bummed we wont be there to experience it. If you are reading...CONGRATS.
We had a great conversation with Hope and Steve on Sunday. Its becoming a routine event. We dont mind at all. I am hoping that my mom gets her skype set up this weekend while my sisters are there so we can video chat with her as well VERY soon.
I have been trying my hand at cooking. Its quite annoying that they dont have anything pre-packaged (such as cookies, crescent rolls, biscuits, pizza dough, etc) and I have to resort to make everything from scratch. The difficulty is that we are metric system and most of the recipes I have found here in Au use ml and g...I am not sure how to convert 150g into cups. My first experience with pizza dough was not so great and the cookies were a DISASTER. Note to self: use all purpose flour as opposed to self-rising...there really is a difference!!
I was blessed last week with bunches of care packages. Hope sent us several care packages with books and gum. My sisters FINALLY got around to mailing my list...they kept saying they would mail it when I stopped adding things. So I am perfectly content with my ranch dip packets, gum, dressing and spices. I am rather surprized they got through customs!! YEAH!! I am good with koolaid for eternity!! SO much better than tang!
Well I cant think of anything else to write about. If you want to know about anything specific feel free to ask on comments and I will respond. Its hard sometimes to know what to write about when it seems so mundane to me.
Love you all
Chrissi

Nothing Special

I fear that writing here too much ends up being quite redundant. I supposed there are new interesting things going on in life but nothing worthy of blogging about..cause who really cares about broken dishwasher and lack of water pressure. Who has ever heard of a "water saving shower head" -- doesn't that defeat the purpose?
I have been having itches to get into a good bible study. Nat has been reading non-stop for weeks and I figure its something I can do while I wait for SOMEONE to call me back on all my job applications. Plus, like I said, an itching (or urge is probably a better word). I read Carols blog and now I am a bit scared that HE will ask me to give something up and turn my world upside down...I guess that is what HE is supposed to do.
I have been trying to figure out my potential class schedule. I dont get to actually "fight" for them until June 24. It sorta sucks because I was thinking that I could cram all my classes into 2-3 days and then not have to go up to campus (hour busride) everyday...but doesnt look like its going to work out for me. From what I see, I will have to be there everyday. Funny about those nursing classes...its a lecture, a tutoring session and a lab...so for 5 classes I have 12 class periods. Cant turn back now.
So this weekend we are going on a trip with Natalie to Mt. Tamborine. I think it will be awesome! Another hiking adventure. We were lazy this past weekend, sitting around the house and going shopping (with our eyes).
We got a nice surprize last week by getting a call from dad (Ken). It was nice to hear a familiar voice and I think Ken was desperate to know about Nat's work...since Nat is a HUGE slacker and wont blog. He was doing so well! I also got to Skype with my sisters, chat online with Vanessa and Skype with Hope and Steve. A good week I would say of being loved from all angles. Also a shout out to Hope for saving us from starvation--you really are the BEST mother-in-law EVER! I would send you a thank you card, but card stores here are LAME and only have really BAD generic thank you cards or birthday cards...where is a Hallmark when you need one?
Hans and Danielle are off to the states. Before they left, she gave me a couple places in Brisbane that may sell "american" things. Like Dr.Pepper and Cherry Coke...and Chocolate made by hersheys. I am going to go on a little adventure tomorrow to see what they have. I figured out the bus route and I am planning on braving it. I would take the car, but I dont really like driving downtown plus its a small fortune to park. This grand mall also is rumored to have a starbucks...who am i kidding, thats all i really want. An hour bus ride for a Caramel White Chocolate Mocha (hey I have to WALK to bus stop so that will burn all the calories off--right?)
I have to ride the bus up there (downtown Brisbane City) again wednesday to get Hep B shot II -- just trying to get used to it. I also want to drop my resume off to a couple places in the mall at Browns Plains (opposite direction, closer to home) just to fare the bus trip there as well.
I have like 35 days till school starts...it is not coming fast enough, but I am sure when it gets here I will wish it wasnt. I am planning on looking into summer courses as well (just to get a head start and get some classes out of the way)--we will see when the time comes.
Our crate was supposed to dock in Melbourne today, but they havent updated our tracking so we are not sure if it has. I am hoping that it doesnt have to sit in quarantine for 3 months or something crazy because that would SUCK! I am hoping (crossing fingers really tightly) that we will get it by July 1 and everythign will be in good condition. nat and I really miss our girls. We still have about 3 months until they will be here with us. I saw them on Skype while talking to my sisters and ETTA is FAT. She must be a nervous eater (mother like daughter)--I am really worried because she needs to weigh under (or VERY close to) 30 lbs to travel, and she is pushing way past that. Anyone want to help Cheryl help Etta lose weight? (ie, take my dogs for walks). That is SUCH a funny request. =) hahah
Well I cant think of anything else...love you all.

Chrissi

Three Day Weekend

Nat was off work on Monday so we got to spend a three-day weekend together. On Saturday we trimmed up the brush in the yard (as much as we could for now). It looks so much prettier when there is definition between the bushes. After that we decided to go on an adventure. Since we are utterly broke, we had to do something cheap. We drove up to Brisbane Forest to go for a trail walk. it was still pretty slushy from all the rain we have been having, but nice none the less. The clerk lady was very helpful with giving us some suggestions on where to go for good trails and good camping. It was a short walk, but still a couple miles.
Sunday was a lazy day. I think Nat slept till noon or something crazy and we went grocery shopping...that was pretty much it. We sit and watch alot of tv, and I am pretty sure I have maxed out my quota of Will and Grace (3 day marathon!! =)) Nat has been on a reading kick, so that doesnt leave much for adventure. I had my reading kick of the century and I have gotten half way through Angels and Demons and just cant finish it. I hope our children get their attitude for reading from their dad, cause I think books are boring. =)
Yesterday (Monday) we went to the Ipswich Nature Center at Queen's Park. We went with our new found friends Hans and Danielle. They really are super cool... They are leaving this week to go back to the states for a couple months. I am jealous that she will be eating mexican crack dip -- thats the only thing that really makes me question my choice to move here....no crack dip...or any good mexican food (i guess the border is a little too far for them to cross!) Too bad I am not an asian food lover....if so, I would be in heaven.
Anyway...I was hoping to finally see my first koala but was disappointed. We did however see lots of lizards and kangeroos of various sizes (and names, but they all looked like kangeroos). We had some good fun with a talking bird (cockatoo) that was very amusing and liked to show off, and apparently really liked to get "scratched", or that was the only thing it knew how to say. I swear if Etta and Sadie could talk that is what they would say too! We had nice conversation and walked through the park and a japanese garden and hung out a bit at the cafe. I am posting some pics below for you to see. I have no idea the names of most of these animals but they are all LAZY!! I wasnt sure if it was nap-time or if all Aussie Animals are just lazy!
Last week I finally got all my paperwork finished for QUT...well at least enough to be accepted with idea of classes. I am going tomorrow to get my Hep-B vaccination and student ID. I also have to have First Aid Certification so I need to sign up for that as well. Its still more than a month off before I even start. I have tried to get a job, but I havent heard much back from the prospects. I think this week I am going to finish up my aussie resume and go fill out some applications. I think it would be fun to work at movie theatre or something like that. It will be easier now that I have some sort of idea when my classes will be. It will be nice to make a little money on my own, hopefully it will help with tuition…cause its not cheap. Luckily its only a 2 year program. I am not for sure how we are going to afford it without financial aid, and that is still up in the air as far as what we can get (if anything). I really hate how money rules life…even when you think you have it all settled it creeps back up on you and kicks your butt.
Nat and I have been living without the use of credit cards, which makes it very difficult. We have been very lucky to make it this far this month. I think it may be a blessing in disguise that we have been denied for every credit card we have applied for. It definitely makes us feel like losers, but at the same time it’s a tough lesson in budgeting. The first couple months are definitely the hardest, but I guess I am becoming a better cook because of it.
We really really really miss our girls. We still have another 3 months before we get them in the country. They most likely wont get delivered to us here in Brisbane until Mid September. Our crate however should be here within the month. Have I mentioned how I WANT MY BED!!! This cheap bed is crap. I would like to sleep THROUGH the night. I swear I wake up every 45 minutes to hour. All well—I can survive couple more weeks.
Well I am getting off here and going to be productive and good housewife.

For u

Ask and you shall recieve



chrissi alice


TOLD YOU IT WAS RED!