We're here... Part 2

A large salt water croc we saw on one of our Saturday adventures

The first few days here were tricky for us to try to get ourselves, and the kids, onto a new time schedule... 10 hours difference. It wasn't as difficult for the kids as it was for myself or Wade. There were many very early mornings, and early evenings for everyone.
Our days were not as we expected... they were quite cold! Yes I said COLD... not hot and all tropical, like I and my mother had been dreaming. Repeatedly my annoyed husband reminded me that this was their winter time, and so I had to take that into account... I did not and would not simply because Australia is suppose to be HOT... ALL the time! (isn't it?) Well, no my dear friends it is not. The mornings were so chilly that the first thing I did when I awoke was walk around to each heater and turn them on in each room, and when I say turn them on I mean on and up.(Each room has it's own air conditioner/heater.) Then around 10am I would turn them off again, making sure I turned the thermostat down so if Wade turned it on it wasn't crazy high set that would then make him crazy with annoyance that I was turning them up so high - he knows now so there is no sense in trying to hide this lil' tidbit of information. Later on, around bedtime, I would again turn on the heaters, especially in the bedrooms to prepare us for the night. I don't think Wade really gets it but at least he gets me enough to be sure to turn on the one in the main living room so I can get up to a warm living room and kitchen. Thanks Honey!
Anyway, I spent the first week going through a flood of emotions that included concern, annoyance, regret, sadness, apprehensiveness, frustration and an immediate sense of home sickness. I could go on for a very long time explaining why I think I felt all these negative feelings instead of the expected happiness, anticipation and sheer excitement from knowing that I was actually going to live out my life long dream of living in Australia but I am not. Just know that relocating yourself is difficult in most circumstances, and the emotional effects are always there but just may not seem as intense in some moves as in others; however, relocating an entire family is all that and more. Not only did I have my fears, apprehension and homesickness to work through I had my children's.... and the guilt that comes with trying to answer a 2 years teary plea to go back to his 'big house' doesn't get easier with time. ( wait a moment while I blot my tears) Anyway, over time those feelings have more or less settled now; and I suspect that the rest of us will settle even more once our belongings have arrived.
Our stuff... that is something else of annoyance, trying to find things to do when you have nothing to do anything with. This town is a very quiet, sleepy sort of town. There isn't a whole lot to do and really not a lot of places to go. That isn't to say that there aren't some fantastic parks, just that going to them for hours at a time day in and day out can become, well boring; especially since it seems we are the only people who use them. Those first few weeks that my mother was here, and we had no vehicle to use, we went for walks. Walks to this park, that park, the shops (grocery store), library, oh and the other park as well. Doing the same thing day after day became more of a nuisance than an adventure. We did, however, need to go to the shops just about every day because the fridges that were provided for us were just two little bar fridges. There were no other ones available and with a family this size, those small fridges just do not hold enough to hold the troops for more than 24 hours... if that. So as cumbersome as those walks were, they were indeed required if the bubs (babies) were to have enough milk to last them the night and the next morning.

So what helped or helps us make it through the long days of the long weeks you ask? SATURDAYS! Saturdays have become beach days. We pack up the van after breakfast then head off to Mackay (pronounced Mc- I) which is about 2 hours away. Mackay has several beaches that are easily accessible and beautiful. We usually arrive in Mackay around lunch so we eat at Hungry Jacks, ( just like Burger King but better food at a better price) then we are off to the beach for the afternoon. We always make a stop at the grocery store before heading home, as the prices in the city are always much cheaper than in our little town.

These Saturday trips all began after we took a Saturday to take my mom to a nice day out before she had to head back home to Canada. First we went through Rockhampton (about 3 hours away) to get to the outskirts where we visited Koorana Crocodile Farm (and restaurant).
Very cool stuff happening there. We will diffeniatly be returning during the hatching season to see the baby crocs and maybe even watch one hatch. I was able to buy a hollowed out croc egg for our school display.

You can check out the farm too if you want; check out this website http://www.koorana.com.au/ and you can get a glimpse of what we saw. Since the tour finished around lunch , we ate a small and pricey lunch there then headed off to the closest town with a beach - Emu park (actually is a town). This was the first beach we had been to since moving here so it was very exciting. We were not disappointed! The beach looked as though it belonged on a big postcard. The beach was surrounded with palm trees, sand with beautiful shells littered through out and the beautiful Coral Sea glittering in the sun. (sigh) I felt so peaceful looking out at my children running, screaming, down the beach toward the water and seeing the beauty around me. All I could think was "this is it... I could stay right here forever." It was a wonderful way to end my mothers visit. It took a lot to not just stand there balling like a baby that she was leaving in the next 24 or so hours and to not beg her to stay just a little longer - even though I did mention it was an option.

Grandma C reading a bedtime story in our new house

To be honest I wasn't convinced that having my mother stay for that long was going to be easy. We never did live together well so I expected that we would get on each others nerves easily. I thought the kids would play up more and we would be pitted against each other by them. I knew she would be helpful and I would enjoy the adult company but I certainly had my doubts. My mother was a wonderful help from the time we readied to board the first plane to the moment she had to walk out our new front door to head back to catch her first plane home. She was more than a help. She was an understanding soul who didn't judge my children, or me or my marriage. She witnessed so many emotions and so much... stuff but never once did she condemn, ridicule or insult any one for anything they said or did. In her short few weeks she lived with us, she taught me some valuable lessons about patience, gratitude and tolerance. I am so pleased that she was able to be here with us, with me. I would never want it any other way.
With that I will have to end because it is quarter after five and I need to get supper on the go. I will finish this up and try to get things up to current later on. Thanks for reading!