Ups and Downs

Lately my life has felt like a roller coaster of emotions. It starts out and then something drastic and terrible happens and I am sure it is the end of the world. It feels like my life is falling apart and I have my "what have I done!?" moment. But then some cheesy music starts playing in the background {like on Full House, then Danny gives a great pep-talk} and I have a change of heart or I see the situation in a new light and suddenly everything works out. Crisis averted! Like sitcoms, this cycle seems to be running every half hour as well unfortunatly!

I have been feeling so emotional and so stressed. Since we moved into our house everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. Yesterday our Air Con went out {I know I am not getting any sympathy over there on account of it being Winter! But it is so hot here!} Last night it got so hot that I had to take a cold shower at 2 AM. We had to keep the doors and windows open to get some breeze, but we don't have screens so when Gabe woke up he was covered in bug bites {we all were actually, but it is so sad to see it on your little baby!}

After that night from h_ll, literally, I think it got as hot, I had a doctor's appointment I had to be to in the morning. I got a sitter for the kids and got everything all organized so I could go and do the things I needed to do. It was a lot of work and it took me like 15 minutes to find a parking spot which is always really stressful when you are running late. When I get there the receptionist tells me that I wasn't supposed to be there until FEBRUARY 29TH! I couldn't believe I could be that off. We talked and went back and forth before I conceded and left, but I was so bugged!

When I had called and made the appointment she had told me that I could come "Thursday of next week" and I asked her if I could come Wednesday or Friday thinking Laine would be in school and I could probably handle bringing just Gabe. But she said that the only reason I was able to come so soon was because of a cancellation, otherwise it wouldn't be until the end of February that they could see me. It was such a unique conversation, so it was like I was walking into the Twighlight Zone when she told me it was the wrong day. As I thought about it and replayed the orignal conversation in my mind, I just couldn't reconcile it. I turned around and walked back in to just tell her to forget it, I'll go find someone else. I got just a few words into my explanation and then I just lost it! I started bawling like a baby and an old woman had to come over and rub my back and tell me to breathe. All I could mutter is, "I'm so sorry, this isn't me! I'm not like this, it's just...' No matter how many times you you say that, you will always be that girl who lost it. She said that the doctor would see me. So I then had to sit with my tail between my legs until the doctor, who by then probably knew what had happened, called my name. They were all so nice about it, but I know that no one is going to take the blame for the mistake and I will always be that crazy girl who came for her appointment a month early and was a brat about not being seen. But I KNOW they told me to come that day!! So weird.

Please don't feel sorry for me or tell me how bad you feel for me, that is not why I mention these things. Sometimes I have to remind myself what I have been through and that there SHOULD be some growing pains associated with it. I just feel it is important to mention though, so that I can be honest. I don't want it to seem that this big huge major life altering decision we have made to come here looks so effortlessly easy! It has been very trying! It is so stressful that even the happy, fun, exciting, up times are stressful and emotional! Again, no sympathy needed, right now I am in the good, happy place part of the sitcom and the crisis is once again averted.

Okay, so for a total change in gears, here are some pics from Christmas that I just couldn't not post! I think I mentioned a few posts ago that Gabe didn't have a snow suit so I put an Elmo costume that we had lying around the house on him for sledding. Here are some way cute pics of him and Laine and the cousins and Aunts and Uncles.

Forming up a sweet train

Looking good in my borrowed snow gear

Though with Noah in his Carhartt jumpsuit, and Allison in Noah's clothes, I think they might pull out the win for the best

Me and my little Elmo

Runnaway train never coming back, wrong way on a one way tra-ack... Elmo makes a run for it

Happy Australia Day!

This weekend was so much fun. It was Australia Day here on Saturday, but since the Holiday fell on a weekend they decided to take Monday . Then most people thought as long as it was a 3-day weekend, why not make it 4 and take off Friday as well. I love this country already.

Mark from the home office was in town Friday night. Victor, the accountant here in the Sydney office, thought he would treat us to our first Persian. It was our first experience so it was good to have native Iranians {Assyrians actually} show us the ropes, and we had a great time. The food was wonderful, and we loved the Arabic music and especially the Belly Dancer, she really put her back into it.

Saturday we celebrated by going to the city for dinner and fireworks at Darling Harbor. It was incredible. It was packed with people and food and vendors and live music. It was like a huge country fair {minus the white-trash} but you were surrounded in all directions with massive, illuminated skyscrapers. We loved every minute of it! Australia Day has been described to us as the equivalent of the American 4th of July. It was great.

Ben and the kids in front of the Thai Restaurant where we ate, so yummy!

Gabe was really not too sure about the fireworks!

After the fireworks Laine got to ride the Ferris Wheel all by herself, Gabe was very jealous. Then we let the kids play at the park until late, I wasn't ready to leave the beautiful sights anyway!

Me and Darling Harbor


Sunday was a nice relaxing day and then we spent Monday at beach, FINALLY! Some friends from the ward invited us to go spend the day with their family and it was such a fun group. They brought a BBQ right down to the beach and we ate and played all day long. We went to a gorgeous and very kid friendly beach called Crunella. Pics to come.

Though we have had some nice highs this week, it has also been trying. Along with the high profile deaths we all heard about this week, my Maternal Grandmother also passed away. She was sick so I was glad that she no longer has to live in pain and suffering . But I also felt that everything in my life had been so crazy lately that I didn't really get a chance to say goodbye before I left. I also feel terrible that I wasn't able to make it to her funeral. My 4 sisters sang "How Great Thou Art" together. It makes me most sad that I wasn't able to join in and that I wasn't able to be there and mourn together with my family. I feel terrible that I couldn't be there to support my Grandpa most of all. This is the really hard part about being so far away!

Life in the Shire

We still don't have Internet at home, sorry for not being able to respond to emails etc! We almost finally have it though! Otherwise life in the Shire is moving along nicely. We are now living in "the Shire of Baulkham Hills", it sounds nice doesn't it? It also sounds like I should be half my length with large knobby feet and have elfish ears. I love it, it makes me laugh. I also enjoy the fact that I could buy both Hot Cross Buns and Mincemeat Pie at my local grocers, true story.

Laine started preschool today which is GREAT for both of us. It is a full day here, I can't believe it. She is just going twice a week but next year when she starts Nursery School she will be going a full day every day. No complaints, but certainly different than home.

Ben is as busy as ever at work, he has traveled on short trips to both Melbourne and the Gold Coast. He was very disappointed not to have the time to catch a game at the Australian Open, but vowed to be front and center there as early as next year.

We have made some great friends, mostly at church. Our ward was fabulous, we got invited to dinner by at least 6 families! We have so far dined with 3 of them this week, that has been so fun for us and we have really enjoyed a break from eating on the floor or standing up. One family even lent us some towels and toys and some bean bags, much appreciated!

New Firsts

We have achieved some new highs as well as reached new lows over the past few days. We had our first trip to the Emergency room, that record timing for us. We were furniture shopping and Gabe tripped and hit his head on a bed and got a nasty gash. We took him to the ER and after a very long wait, it was decided that she would glue the wound together instead of use stitches. So we waited some more, and some more, and some more, and then some more. We finally decided to just leave and ended up walking out of the ER! {Also a first} We went to the Chemist and got some new fandangled latex glue and glued it ourselves. It worked great and Gabe is doing just fine.

A pic of Gabe's cut, and a large drool string

Yesterday Ben had his first experience forgetting that we drive on the other side of the road here. He did it 3 times in one night! The first two weren't so bad, they were pretty small streets. But then the 3rd time he turned right onto a major road driving he wrong direction and we got some nasty honks. I hadn't been paying attention, I was looking for a restaurant, so neither of us could figure out what was going on, though the honks did seem directed to us. Once we finally figured it out and got over to the left side of the road, we had a good laugh. Since no one was hurt, it ended up being quite funny.

Next we experienced our first time getting really, REALLY lost. We drove so far we almost drove ourselves right into the city. We had a nice little detour trying to find our way home after going to a neighboring suburb for dinner. What should have been a short 10 minute or less car ride home turned into our an hour long fiasco after a long day. I guess it is good to acquaint ourselves with new routes.

Up to this point I guess our new firsts have been mostly lows, but for a high, today will be our first day in our new house! Laine will be sleeping on an air mattress and Gabe in a pack and play. Our new mattress should be arriving today, we hope but other than that we will not have much for another 6+ weeks. We will try to make do the best we can as we continue to set up shop with what we have. Even though the time has been stressful since we left our house and then again here in the hotel, we feel so blessed and are really looking forward to getting settled here, so far it is a great place and we are loving it!

Here are Laine and Gabe getting a small repreive from all of the shopping and working

How Ya Going?

Well, we have arrived! And despite using Hotel Room Shampoo to wash my face last night and reading Laine the In-Room Dining Service Menu for a bedtime story, we are no worse for the ware!

We arrived 2 days ago and have been very busy trying to set up house. Ben has been swamped at work already, but is loving his new job. The kids have done their best to be troopers as we drag them here there and everywhere from sunup to sundown. They say, "How Ya Going" here, so far that has been the hardest thing to get used to, I still say, "Good, how are you doing?" Anyhow, we will get some pics of our new adventures up soon! For now, enjoy some pics from Christmas at the Gildea's.

Pop Pop with all of the Grandkiddies

The Girls: Nicole, Katie and Hannah in the back, Kristine and Me in front

The Boys: Gabe and Ben, Dad, Nick and Jax

All of the girls and Gaegy, Laine was a little bit into being Mary, she carried on with it all night

Gaengy and Katie with Laine and Gabe

Laine and Jax having a snuggle

Everyone was able to be there together, except Jordan {Kristine's fiancee} had to leave early to join his family. We had a great time skating at Roller Towne, a new family tradition. Another yearly tradition we all look forward to is receiving our Christmas shirts from Dad {he goes to Gen-X clothing or something akin to find the most hideous things he can find}. Unfortunately we didn't get a pic of all of us with our shirts on, nor did we get one of our lovely gloves we also got from Dad. In order to inspire us to do our chores, my dad purchases a set of house cleaning gloves for all of us and then drew in fingernails on all of them {as well as our names on each set so we "don't get into fights about who's are who's"}. This is a semi-annual tradition to receive these. We all about wet our pants, I WILL get a pic of mine so that you can see them. I didn't get a pic of us watching the worst move EVER made, Elizabethtown, but I did take an air camera pic so I can treasure it in my heart always {you will only understand that last one if you have indeed seen this truly horrible movie}.