Australia Day - January 26
On January 26 each year Australia celebrates it's independence from England (1901). It's similar to our 4th of July is regards to celebrating. Since it was 95+ degrees outside on the 26th it felt very similar to our 4th of July celebration this past summer!
They celebrate the same way - people wear t-shirts with the Aussie flag, put temporary Aussie flag tattoos on, wear red, white & blue (the colors of their flag), have bbq's outside by the beach and end the day with firework shows!
Here was our very first Aussie Day celebration:
Our day started with an AWESOME platter of fresh made scones!!! The kitchen staff made hundreds of scones (plain & raisin) & they served them with butter, strawberry jam & homemade whipped cream (never had that on a scone before but it was cold & delicious & only lightly sweet) and they were served with piping hot coffee! Yum!
After scones we had a time of prayer & worship for Perth specifically. Since it's Australia Day the girl in this photo is wearing the Aussie flag draped over her shoulders.
In typical YWAM fashion (I know...I was with YWAM for 5 years, haha) the meeting, "went a little longer than expected..." needless to say after an hour & a half Jack was going a little stir crazy. It's okay Jack, so were mommy & daddy! Ha! But I captured this gorgeous smile & cheerful face as a result!
After a typical class day many of the YWAM schools went down to the "Fore Shore" - a large area of coastline where there's grass. It was this HUGE event - hard to describe but it was similar to the biggest 4th of July party I could ever imagine & the county fair (minus rides) all combined in one afternoon/evening! Part of the fun - for hours there were planes of all shapes & sizes booming overhead (air show) & some even dropped parachuters who then landed on a field where you could watch!! We particularly liked this patriotic dude!
Birgit & me...I wore festive colors...she wore festivity on her face - she's fun!
The kids loved the part where they realized they had huge fields of grass where they could just run free! Here's Violet running with gusto from Natalka (her mouth probably full of food...our "little eater")!
Sorry we're SO biased but this little girl is the cutest we've (me & John) ever seen!
Natalka & Ninka looking quite cool by the water!
We love this family & we're so blessed to be sharing this time in life with them!
Stanka, Natalka, Ivan & Ninka (Slovakia)
Maybe we haven't mentioned how much we appreciate our staff & the way they love our children, but we do!! Here is Adrian (South Africa) taking a walk with Violet - our kids love each of the staff & Jack knows them (and the entire school...and a lot of people on the base) by name...he makes friends fast & we thank the Lord for that ability! Violet checks people out quite intensely...in a good way - I believe she'll be discerning, care for others deeply & be a loyal friend.
Jack watching the planes zoom overhead (sporting his Aussie flag tattoo)!
Kids are funny-here's Victoria (Norway) & Jack just simply stomping on this electrical cover...you have to love girls - she saw the camera come out & the next 5 pictures she's smiling from ear to ear at the camera & Jack is a blur of looking anywhere except the camera...
We've had beautiful sunsets these last 3 weeks - Australia Day was no exception!
Photo courtesy of someone who put it on Google Images!
This is a shot from the Australia Day 2011 firework show! Ari, our school leader had prepped us that this would be the most amazing firework show we had ever seen...and he was right! It was incredible (20 minutes long)!
Quick side story - in 2008 we returned from China on June 28th...a week later it was 4th of July & John and I both felt choked up by seeing the fireworks on the 4th & feeling thankful for our home country. I can't imagine how an Aussie would feel seeing this amazing firework show - certainly some Aussie pride! Funny thing...it didn't do anything in my heart...I thought it was cool & fun to watch but that was it. What does this say? I'm an American in my heart! I love my country! But Australia isn't too shabby - it's really been an amazing place & we've only been here 3 weeks!
After living in an apartment with no air conditioning in 100+ degree heat, the cool temperature coming off the water actually resulted in blankets & sweatshirts for the walk home - it felt cold and it was probably like 75 degrees outside! Ha!
In my mind I always think, "the kids are so tired we'll just put them straight to bed" and then we get home & I just can't put them in their little beds without getting all the sticky of the day off first! The kids LOVE filling this baby tub with water & sitting in the shower with cups, bowls & toys! Hilarious!
Fun to be here to celebrate Australia Day...it would be like someone coming to visit over 4th of July...it's a fun patriotic celebration!
They celebrate the same way - people wear t-shirts with the Aussie flag, put temporary Aussie flag tattoos on, wear red, white & blue (the colors of their flag), have bbq's outside by the beach and end the day with firework shows!
Here was our very first Aussie Day celebration:
Our day started with an AWESOME platter of fresh made scones!!! The kitchen staff made hundreds of scones (plain & raisin) & they served them with butter, strawberry jam & homemade whipped cream (never had that on a scone before but it was cold & delicious & only lightly sweet) and they were served with piping hot coffee! Yum!
After scones we had a time of prayer & worship for Perth specifically. Since it's Australia Day the girl in this photo is wearing the Aussie flag draped over her shoulders.
In typical YWAM fashion (I know...I was with YWAM for 5 years, haha) the meeting, "went a little longer than expected..." needless to say after an hour & a half Jack was going a little stir crazy. It's okay Jack, so were mommy & daddy! Ha! But I captured this gorgeous smile & cheerful face as a result!
After a typical class day many of the YWAM schools went down to the "Fore Shore" - a large area of coastline where there's grass. It was this HUGE event - hard to describe but it was similar to the biggest 4th of July party I could ever imagine & the county fair (minus rides) all combined in one afternoon/evening! Part of the fun - for hours there were planes of all shapes & sizes booming overhead (air show) & some even dropped parachuters who then landed on a field where you could watch!! We particularly liked this patriotic dude!
Birgit & me...I wore festive colors...she wore festivity on her face - she's fun!
The kids loved the part where they realized they had huge fields of grass where they could just run free! Here's Violet running with gusto from Natalka (her mouth probably full of food...our "little eater")!
Sorry we're SO biased but this little girl is the cutest we've (me & John) ever seen!Natalka & Ninka looking quite cool by the water!
We love this family & we're so blessed to be sharing this time in life with them!
Stanka, Natalka, Ivan & Ninka (Slovakia)
Maybe we haven't mentioned how much we appreciate our staff & the way they love our children, but we do!! Here is Adrian (South Africa) taking a walk with Violet - our kids love each of the staff & Jack knows them (and the entire school...and a lot of people on the base) by name...he makes friends fast & we thank the Lord for that ability! Violet checks people out quite intensely...in a good way - I believe she'll be discerning, care for others deeply & be a loyal friend.
Jack watching the planes zoom overhead (sporting his Aussie flag tattoo)!
Kids are funny-here's Victoria (Norway) & Jack just simply stomping on this electrical cover...you have to love girls - she saw the camera come out & the next 5 pictures she's smiling from ear to ear at the camera & Jack is a blur of looking anywhere except the camera...
We've had beautiful sunsets these last 3 weeks - Australia Day was no exception!
Photo courtesy of someone who put it on Google Images!
This is a shot from the Australia Day 2011 firework show! Ari, our school leader had prepped us that this would be the most amazing firework show we had ever seen...and he was right! It was incredible (20 minutes long)!
Quick side story - in 2008 we returned from China on June 28th...a week later it was 4th of July & John and I both felt choked up by seeing the fireworks on the 4th & feeling thankful for our home country. I can't imagine how an Aussie would feel seeing this amazing firework show - certainly some Aussie pride! Funny thing...it didn't do anything in my heart...I thought it was cool & fun to watch but that was it. What does this say? I'm an American in my heart! I love my country! But Australia isn't too shabby - it's really been an amazing place & we've only been here 3 weeks!
After living in an apartment with no air conditioning in 100+ degree heat, the cool temperature coming off the water actually resulted in blankets & sweatshirts for the walk home - it felt cold and it was probably like 75 degrees outside! Ha!
In my mind I always think, "the kids are so tired we'll just put them straight to bed" and then we get home & I just can't put them in their little beds without getting all the sticky of the day off first! The kids LOVE filling this baby tub with water & sitting in the shower with cups, bowls & toys! Hilarious!
Fun to be here to celebrate Australia Day...it would be like someone coming to visit over 4th of July...it's a fun patriotic celebration!
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