TOOWOOMBA... ba da boomba!!!

Okay... this is going back a ways, but hey, the kids are napping and it's warm inside so here we go...

July 30...After about 48 hours in Taipei we were finally on our way in the direction of home. Well, we were heading in the same hemisphere at least... We had a fantastic flight from Taipei to Brisbane on Business Class!!!! OH YEAH!!! Actually, there was a bit of frustration at the Taipei side because we were on a codeshare flight and they said there were only 2 seats for us in Business Class... you can imagine - after that long haul from LA just hours before we were both ready for our rightly earned places in BC (this was Tony's official return to NZ flight so we get business tickets) then to be told we only had two spots!?! What were those poor kids going to do with themselves in Economy?!? Of course I said I'd take Hunter in Economy with me and leave Helena with baba if that were the case. Well, praise be to the God who cares about the little things - when we got to the gate they walked us right in to 4 seats in Business Class!!! YAHOO!!! And oh what a difference that made!

Pajama princess - the cutest little thing on the plane - hands down!!!

It was after 10pm when we got going so thankfully Hunter and Helena drifted right off into la la land and we parents got to enjoy a delicious meal and some uninterrupted entertainment (good priorities, eh... should've gone for uninterrupted sleep, but how often do I get to fly stretched out with my own movie and actually finish it?!?) And I really have to gloat a bit - the food is actually really yummy! I've only ever flown Business Class two times - on our way to Taiwan and now 5 years later on our way back - and oh, it was a nice trip!!!

Both kids slept for a good solid 6+ hours of the 9 hour flight so it was wonderful and restful! Hunter enjoyed his breakfast (as did Helena) and he even got to watch his own movie before we arrived in Australia!!!

So... Toowoomba!!! For those of you who have no idea where or what it is (like me before this trip) - it's a town located about 2 hours inland from Brisbane near the Gold Coast of Australia. Our dear friends Lucas and Justine Anstiss transplanted their family to this fine town about two years ago so this was a perfect chance for us to catch up and see their new life.

The four big kids would meet at the breakfast bar in the mornings and challenge each other to eat more or different foods... next visit they'll have to sit somewhere else though because I think baby Zander won't want to miss out on the action again - this time he was none the wiser!

Antonio is just about 6 months younger than Hunter and the two of them got on pretty well... we brought him a Lightning McQueen shirt from Taiwan so the boys shared their love of Cars!

Now this is the funny part... we thought we'd have a relaxing week catching up with old friends, exploring the region, basking in the Anstiss hospitality we've come to know and love... and of course we did get to experience all those things and more - much more! But Lucas had 'other plans' for his time off work to create a bonding experience with one of his closest friends... take a look at this...

When we arrived Lucas informed Tony that he wanted to build a shed in his backyard... yep - it was a kitset so it would probably only take a day or two right... yeah, right!!! Of course these guys couldn't just pop up a shed - they had to do it properly... so here we go... they first dug out a plot (after buying Tony some coveralls and gum boots)...

(they found a few treats in the process)

Then filled in the plot so it would be even...

then built a foundation from planks to insure proper ventilation.

They did start to get weary at times so they hired a few other workers, but most of the time it was just the two of them (or one of the two of them depending on what the day's activities held).

It was cold most days - but in the sun it was pleasant... yet with any household project we've ever encountered it always takes more time than you expect. This project took pretty much the week (well, admittedly they did have a bit of time off the shed intermittently)... but finally on Friday, August 6 they had something to show for their time together...

A NEW SHED!!!

Well done, guys! And though we laughed about it, you know, isn't it what friendship is about!?! It's not always about what I want or how I can be entertained. True friendship is living life together in community, helping each other - emotionally, spiritually and practically. We appreciate a rich relationship with this family because over the years we've visited them in their home, cooked and eaten meals together, sat around the source of warmth discussing work, marriage, parenting and how Jesus wants to help us in all those areas of our lives. And after this week in Toowoomba, Tony and Lucas now have a tangible memorial to the friendship they have been building for over 15 years! That's a pretty good week if you ask me. (then again, I wasn't outside hammering...)

And while the men were working on the shed or taking breaks from working on the shed there were plenty of other things going on during our week. This was hilarious! Keep in mind it was winter there, so although Tony and I did each get out for a couple of runs, it was much more appealing to do a workout video. So the first time I fired up my Jillian Michael's dvd Liberty came to join me before heading off to kindy... honestly, she did most of the workout in her school clothes while I sweated alongside her... then for the rest of the week she kept asking "Jen, when are we going to exercise" Talk about accountability!!! One day she even dressed up in her gear with pigtails and everything... we had a blast!

And on August 4, thus said Miss Liberty turned 5!!!
I made her some pink pancakes for breakfast then she went to kindy in the morning and the Anstiss's did a 'normal' day - while we headed back toward Brisbane to hit an outlet mall to update my winter wardrobe...  Now anyone who knows me knows that I really am not that good at shopping for clothes - Tony pretty much has to drag me out (unless I'm with my mom or sister)... but I was determined (and desperate - really, I did not have much in the way of winter clothes since our 5 years in the subtropics)... and I struck gold at a shop where I got some nice things for just $29 each!!! What a bargain!!! Then anyone knows that feeling when you have tasted success you just want more... Anyway, we stopped the spree and made it back to Toowoomba to join Liberty's birthday celebration at the restaurant of her choice - Sizzler!!! I haven't eaten at a Sizzler in years... but there was plenty of food for the kids to eat and plenty of healthy options (why was I just drawn to the bread pudding at the dessert bar???)!

Happy 5th Birthday!!!

On August 5, I got a special treat... Justine helped Tony look after the kids (well, he was on shed duty) while I got away for almost 4 hours by myself... I came back with a new hairstyle after a wonderfully relaxing trip to the hairdresser!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

And then on August 6... we got to celebrate my actual birthday with a lovely day at a women's Bible study Justine goes to and a delicious chocolate cake (my new favorite made with beetroot) before a fun dinner out with Tony... spoiled!!! (notice the hair...highlights, color... best 'do I've had in years!!!)

We went to a place called "Chutney Mary's" and absolutely stuffed ourselves on the Royal Feast!!! Good thing we had our cake before we went out!!! We thought about going to the movies too but hey, you gotta remember those kids don't sleep in!

For our last full day together, we had originally thought about a day trip, but then the reality of driving for hours in separate cars caused us to come up with a more creative solution: A PARK CRAWL!!! For anyone who's ever heard of a "Pub Crawl" or a "Cafe Crawl" (you go from place to place to place enjoying the specialities of each) this is where I got the idea (though I've never participated in either before)... Toowoomba has lots of lovely parks but we hadn't been to too many so we decided to hit three of their favorites... The kids had a blast and we got more quality time together. It was really a fun way to spend a Saturday morning!

And of course the traditional pancake meal with the Anstiss' took went to a whole new level with Lucas and Justine preparing them on an outdoor grill... way to go!!! Aren't you just drooling thinking about it!?!

The kids loved them so much that they in fact ate most of them leaving the dads a bit unfulfilled, but I think the overall experience served them well!

We had to get the tourist shot at Picnic Point overlooking the land to the east of the town... it was such a beautiful day that we shed a few layers and enjoyed the sunshine!

Justine and Liberty just hanging out while the boys were climbing around (I think Helena must've been climbing around too... or stuck in her stroller for running off).

This was Hunter's first 'slumber party' week - he slept on Antonio's trundle bed... what a great deal! The two really ended up working well together... it was fun. Thanks, again, Anstiss family for your amazing hospitality... we're looking forward to seeing you in NZ next time!!!

And then, like all good things, on Sunday, August 8 it was time to leave the comforts of the familiar and get back on another airplane... after these hugs and kisses we were actually going to arrive on home soil...

(oh but let me say, travelling Business Class for only 3 hours on a smaller plane is totally different from the big international flight - but at least the food was still so yum!!! We even got ice cream!!! YAHOO!)

Just A Little Train Trip - Hualian

Call us crazy but we decided instead of going straight to California after Tony's last day at work, we'd stick around Taipei for a week and hang out with friends and let Tony get his big theology assignment done before going on 'vacation' in the US. Looking back now, it may not have been the best idea - a bit stressful to say the least - but we did get to spend yet another week with our dear friends in this great place.

So... after leaving Vienna Garden and moving into Anna and Sharon's place by 2am on June 9 - we woke up a few hours later and headed to the Taipei Railway Station for a little adventure (you're probably starting to call us crazy). Enze Jie had wanted to take us to her hometown of Hualian for a long time but the timing was never right... so here we were - on the train (one of us really loved that!!!) heading to the East Coast. The only other time we'd been there was with Amber and Jason back in 2005! This time we had an expert tour guide.

Enze Jie and her dad picked us up from the train station and helped us buy some lunch - then transported us out and up to the top of a hill where we got settled in a great little minsu (BandB). After our plentiful lunch, we all took much needed naps before heading out on the town.

The weather wasn't so cooperative but Enze Jie took us to this great beach. Hunter was so impressed by the big bubbles... he wasn't the only one!!! But we did manage to restrain ourselves from buying a jumbo bubble blower for the sake of luggage allowances.

It's a little weird looking back at us wearing shorts and t-shirts when it is so dark and rainy there - of course in NZ when it's dark and rainy, it's actually usually very cold to boot... but not Taiwan - it's usually finally comfortable when it's dark and rainy - it means the humidity is down! Anyway, here we are on the East Coast of Taiwan for the last time (as far as we know it).

These rocks were so cool... Annie collected a bunch of them (shhhhhhh!!!) to create some artistic installation piece in their apartment in Taipei. I just like them because we've got placemats that have the same rocks on them - maybe I can use my photos when the others finally get too waterlogged and warped from spills by littlies...

After the beach we had an early dinner at a 'famous' noodle house in town then bought some regional specialities to enjoy once the kids finally fell asleep. We had a nice evening sharing stories and snacks and reminiscing about the past five years in Taipei.

It was still overcast in the morning but we all agreed it was more fun to eat breakfast out on the lawn. What a lovely view, eh?

Helena actually has taken a real liking to Anna Jie over the past few months (good thing as we stayed at Anna's place for a week) so it was fun to see them together.

Some Taiwanese B and B's have a disappointing breakfast, but this place did a really nice waffle and coffee... we did plan ahead though and brought plenty of extra fruit.

And somehow Annie managed to keep her waffle safe from the wandering hands of Tony who was trying to charm the others away from theirs! I wonder where Hunter and Helena get their food snatching habit from??? SO after breakfast we decided to split up for a few hours... Annie wanted to see some of Hualian's natural scenery, but we knew our kids couldn't handle more time in the car before heading home on the train so the ladies dropped us off at...

OCEAN PARK!!!

And we had the BEST day out!!! THIS is vacation!!!

Going to any amusement park on a weekday is really the way to go... we got to see all the shows and ride the rides without any lines or crowds. It was FANTASTIC and the kids both really enjoyed it! And I enjoyed seeing them enjoying themselves so much.

For the first time in our lives we discovered that walruses are actually quite graceful in the water - maybe not well-mannered above, but yeah, they were so quick, strong and graceful - we were impressed.

Check out these pearls!!!

 

Hunter was just big enough to go on the water ride - so Tony took him along and they had a blast! In fact, Tony enjoyed it so much he practically made me do it too... so I went by myself (not sure why Hunter didn't want to go a second time, but hey... I'll take a few minutes by myself when I can)... and it was a pretty fun ride.

Then it was onto the carousel so mei mei could also participate...

once it got going, she lost that bewildered look and wanted to go back again... but we didn't want to miss out on:

THE DOLPHIN SHOW!!!

Yeah, being there on a weekday with fewer people meant we got good seats - but somehow the kids weren't satisfied... they wanted to get in the pool too...

Well, he didn't quite make it into the pool but Hunter was selected as part of the audience participation segment in the show... I think he had to hold a ring so the dolphin could put his nose/snout (what's it called on a dolphin???) through... it took a bit of coaxing but he ended up doing it... what a blast!

After a fun morning out, we re-grouped on the train and headed back toward the big smoke!!!

Enze Jie's i-phone was the saving grace on the train trip home for these tired two...

Thanks, Enze Jie, Anna and Annie for a really fun excursion!

We Made It... And We've Come Back...

Well, we've been in California for 9 days already. It's a beautiful whirlwind here: blue skies (after 12pm) and sea breezes... 5 kids in one house... good times!!! Our flight was 12 hours of... well, I can't say it was bad, really... just 12 hours of restricted movement. Hunter ended up sleeping for almost 1/2 of it... which was surprising! It was Helena who had the hardest time settling into her little bassinet... but we arrived at LAX on Wednesday, July 22 - my mom's 60th birthday!!! The kids immediately took to their grandparents and haven't looked back!

We'd planned to take the airport bus to the airport in Taoyuan, but the taxi that picked us up to drive us to the bus ended up being big enough to support us and our luggage so we just paid the extra and took him all the way! It's a good thing we'd decided to take Hunter's car seat on the plane - we were off to a great start! The kids had fun looking at the planes and "trains" while we waited to go on our big 'airplane ride'!

Hunter didn't mind the car seat at all... until it was time to sleep.

Thankfully there was an open seat next to Tony so he ended up sleeping there.

We had a pretty good configuration... two seats at the bulkhead (for Helena's bassinet) and one seat on the aisle just across from our other aisle seat! It worked out pretty well... I think I'd request that again sometime.

Of course we had an activity planned upon arrival... we had my mom's birthday dinner at Grandma & Grandpa's house... you've got to eat, right?!?

Grandma's great birthday present... her grandson home for the celebration!!! (He was positioning himself for some cake, but hey... he spreads joy in the meantime!)

The following posts are an account of what we managed to do while we were home for those three weeks!!! It was a great visit!! Thanks, especially, to our family members who are always so generous - lending us vehicles, having us over for meals, taking us places, letting us stay in their homes, planning parties & opportunities to hang out, etc, etc, etc... we wish we could return the hospitality sometime -but I guess Taiwan is a bit far for most of them to travel! Maybe someday... Anyway - enjoy these photos... it's taken me two weeks to sort through them and get them ready for sharing... and now that I'm done, I can finally get to those household chores I'd been putting off!!!