1 Year Anniversary

Can you believe it, its been 1 year since we left the shores of Oz! 1 year since we set off on our adventure, with the wind in our hair and nothing but the clothes on our back.....
....2 suitcases, 2 backpacks the size of small people, 2 smaller backpacks the size of smaller people, suit bag, handbag and any other bag we could manage to attach to ourselves in the form of 'hand luggage' (couldn't do that these days hey! My how things change in a year.).
So, I guess reaching this milestone calls for some kind of reflective blog entry, some wise words, some conclusion about whether it's all it was cracked up to be???
Well, yes and no and more! It's been better, harder, funner and crazier than we predicted! We are just so greatful for the blessing it is to be where we are at this point in time, but also for the blessing it is to have the place and people we call home.
So, in conclusion, Happy Anniversary to us and here's to the year ahead :)



And here's to the beautiful bluebells that have overtaken our garden!
Where they came from...we do not know...

Bye Bye Lozzy... :(

After a gruelling 36 or so hours to get from Oz to France, Loz came back to spend a week with us in London.

April Fools

So the day that was to be the wonderful introduction for Loz to London began as so. We set our alarms early, following the information set out on the 'official' website, so we could make it to Buckingham Palace to stake ourselves prime position for the changing of the guard. After an hour or so of waiting with our cameras pointed through the gates in anticipation, we look at each other and think 'surely all these people waiting with us mean it's happening' (there were a good couple of hundred), then we overhear a cop saying that there was no changing of the guard today and that we could all come back tomorrow if we wanted....information that would have been helpful an hour earlier.

But that was ok, we saw the palace and had a lovely walk through St James Park.

Onward we went towards Oxford Circus where we were lured into the wonderful world of London shopping and into the dreaded boot store that was to be our downfall. Blinded by the beauty and excitement of boots on sale, I put our shared bag down at our feet as we tried on our loot. One minute it was there, the next it was gone, and with it our wallets, camera, mobile, sunnies, travel cards, lip balm, crunchie bar, water bottle and bobby pin...incredible. So after some time at Marylebone Police Station (which felt remarkable like the Bill) and listening to the steady stream of other unfortunates telling a similar tale, we did eventually make it home, rescued by a friend (thanks Keith!), feeling a bit crap.

But it wasn't the end of the world, and didn't ruin the week with more fun in London, going to Stomp in West End, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath, and mostly lots more laughing and eating :) So awesome to have Loz here with us for a bit (and now you are a celebrity on our blog Loz!), and very sad to wave goodbye, but not long til we are on Aussie soil again.

Our plans have evolved a bit over the last little while, but we have decided to move out of our house at the beginning of July and finish up at work for a couple of months travel before coming home for good at the end of September.

Les 3 Vallees

Into the 3 Valleys we went, with the knowledge that it had been dumping for the whole week before - woo! We stayed in La Tania in a chalet literally on the slopes with our gang - Paul, Lyndal, Loz, Lin and Greg, and joined some Welsh boys, posh English family and for one day at the end of the week a strange English man who had come to do some 'snow walking' for a day or two (?). The chalet was awesome and we were looked after 'Ben & Kaz' who cooked, cleaned and met our every need.

The Alps were breathtaking and with 3 valleys to explore over the week, we were kept busy - some of us with some off piste/quest to reach Italy action, and others of us trying hard to stay upright and not cuddle too many trees or dry creeks for that matter...

We wined and dined and Lyndal & Loz decided to embrace the French spirit and try some snails. The fat, chewy, squidgy little things gave them the heebie jeebies for a while...

So we had an awesome time with awesome friends. The only disappointment being that all the papers in London the week after kept showing pics of Victoria Beckham skiing on OUR pistes in Courchevel...we just missed her, tragedy!