Enjoying the Winter

We love the winters here in Australia!  Some days when talking to my mom it was warmer back home (summer) than it was here, but for the most part they've been about equal in temperature!  Although it does get a little cooler here at nights than back home.... but no complaining from me!  Especially being pregnant it's nice to feel comfortable instead of ridiculously hot!  I don't think I would survive being pregnant here in the summer.... but anyways!  On to the good stuff - pictures of Charlie!  He is so cute!  After we got home from PD we all got sick and Charlie does not do sick happily, but I'm glad to say he's back to his normally cheerful little self!  And he's getting so big and SMART!  His vocabulary has just exploded in the last two weeks or so, and he's getting really good at stringing words together and getting his point across.  Pronunciation of those words on the other hand... I'm often having to translate for Andrew and other people!  It's funny, I spend so much time with him I really understand what he's saying but with other peoples kids - I have no clue!  And vice versa obviously.... ok, ok pictures!

Uncle Paul and Aunt Tanya were over in Australia for mission reunion things, and we were able to  have dinner with them up on Tambourine Mountain!  Charlie really warmed up to Aunt Tanya by the end.  We miss our families!

Charlie loves to play with my necklaces!  Luckily I am very good at fixing jewellery...

After flying up to PD Charlie was obsessed with our luggage!  Luckily there was kids luggage at ALDI with planes and trucks... Charlie loves to pack up his books and take them for walks!

Charlie got a little chair at a garage sale - this is him packing up at the ward picnic

Charlie has discovered "tasting the beaters!" whenever I beat anything he stands there saying "taste! taste!"

During the school holidays the Rail Museum has special activities - this time it was LEGO themed - this is Charlie painting a little LEGO figurine

And they had giant cool LEGOs

Also during the holidays the Teodos were down from Murgon.  We spent lots of time at Queens Park with them, and Charlie wouldn't stop talking about 'Jakob' for weeks...

Charlie's first Happy Meal!  He was more interested in the juice than anything else

Went to the markets a few Saturdays ago, Charlie was excited to carry his own water

Freshly squeezed orange juice

I finally finished the first rocking chair!  I think it turned out quite well!

SEEDs at the library was an Aboriginal theme this month, Charlie painted quite the impressive boomerang

Train museum!  Charlie loves running around here 

CHOO-CHOO!

McDonalds has a build your own burger thing going on - I really wanted to try it!  You get to pick everything that goes on it and then they bring it to your table!

My first roast chicken!  It tasted absolutely AMAZING!  Andrew was so thrilled and said "Now we're a real family!" (because we both often had roasts for Sunday dinners, and this was our first one as a little family!)

Charlie loves all his little cups!  

Pretty bird!  Charlie likes to watch them dig 

Small spotted Quoll (not sure if that's how you spell that!)

Emu - Charlie's favourite animal at the moment!

Charlie and Daddy having a popcorn snack before bed - bad idea!  He barfed it up in the night!

33 Weeks!

34 Weeks

Port Douglas - Part Three

Our second last day (Wednesday) in Port Douglas was RAINY! Nevertheless we braved the rain and headed over to the circle of palm trees park, and on the way through main street we passed my old stomping grounds - Sassi - where I washed dishes at night (for $20/hr I might add - that was heaps 10 years ago!)  Luckily in the afternoon it was decent out so we could make our daily trip to the beach - it was quite chilly though so we mostly just played in the sand... That night we went and got some sorbet and it was so delicious!  Then we headed down to the beach for a little walk - ending our last night with a walk on the beach the same way our first night began with a walk on the beach!  I thought it was very fitting, but this time it was so calm and still and there were tons of stars!  IT was so relaxing!  Thursday we weren't leaving until the afternoon, so we checked out then headed to the beach - it was the nicest day of our whole trip - almost a little too nice!  It was hot and sunny, Andrew and I both got a little bit burnt, but the waves were calmer than they had been the rest of the time and it was so nice!  After a couple of hours though it was time to head back to the PD Motel for our pickup back to Cairns.  It was a really fun and relaxing trip, it was a nice little getaway!

Sassi! My blast from the past

At the circle of palm trees

I had to include a picture of Charlie's sleeping arrangements!  The shower!

Good ol' PD Motel!

Charlie just loved helping us put on our sunscreen!

Charlie doing "the gorilla"(banging of the chest and ooh oohing)

This little guy was fascinated with this coconut shell!

It is very handy for holding seaweed!

One of Charlie's favourite things to do was to have us put up little sandcastles and then he would squish them!

It was a beautiful last day at the beach!

One last hole to dig with daddy

I know its gross, but here I am at 33 weeks!

And a shadow bump picture...

Charlie just loved jumping over the waves!

Happy boys - poor Charlie doesn't know we're about to leave and  head back to the cold and not go to the beach for months!!!  It's safe to say he turned into a little beach bum on this trip!

Port Douglas - Part Two

I'm just going to let the pictures do the talking here - Part Two consists of Monday and Tuesday of our little holiday!  Warning - PICTURE OVERLOAD!

MONDAY

Our days in Port Douglas generally followed the same pattern - wake up and eat breakfast, then walk around town a bit and play at the park, followed by Charlie having a nap, after which we would spend the afternoon at the beach.  Pretty relaxing!

Tropical breakfast!  Yum!

Charlie loved this little table on our patio and would try and eat out here at every opportunity!

Monday we walked down to the Marina so Charlie could check out some boats up close!  He was pretty excited and even dressed up in his anchor shirt for the occasion!

Cute guys

I think by this point Charlie was all boated out

St. Mary's by the Sea

30 Weeks

This cute little church  has the best location! So picturesque 

Charlie loves to swing!

Especially if you swing beside him!

circle of plan trees park - I never got a full picture of it, but it's actually a cool boat shaped park

After playing at the park we headed up to the lookout!  It was really steep and Charlie did well, not even wanting to go in the stroller!  And he insisted on carrying the water (part way at least!)

Little hiker

Apparently there is a little lighthouse in P.D which I never knew existed last time I was here!

Family picture at the lookout!

4 Mile Beach - I love this place!  Although last time I was here there weren't all these houses just under the lookout... 

Don't be fooled by the deadly jellyfish and threat of saltwater crocs!  It's a lovely place to swim!

Luckily the PD Motel is just a short walk from the beach!

Along to the left there were bananas and guavas growing - so tropical!

Ending off the night right with a walk around town and some gelato!  Charlie was in heaven with the gelato - it was his first time trying it and he approved!  (Andrew on the other hand not so much - it wasn't authentic "Italian" gelato like he was hoping for...!)

Walking around town Charlie loved going on Andrews shoulders and trying to reach and touch all the signs!  Great entertainment... also, he learned about money on this trip and I would sometimes give him 50 cent pieces (because they're so big and he couldn't choke on them)  Anyways... he would always stick his money places and lose it! So a few times when we were out on these walks he would go up to people and say "money!" Not sure if he was asking them for money or he was telling them he lost his money.... it was so funny though!  The people thought so to and we would always joke that we'd taught him well.... (to beg for money)

TUESDAY

Tuesday we rented a car and drove to Mossman Gorge.  I remember thinking this place was super cool back when I was here before.  Unfortunately due to all the rain we couldn't swim, but it was still a fun hike!

Charlie was scared of this suspension bridge!  It was so wiggly!

He often waves in pictures - so cute!

This kid was SUCH a good hiker!  He does really well on uneven surfaces and knows when to ask for help  - otherwise he just does it on his own!  Out of the 3-4km we hiked he probably did at least 1.5 which is good I think!

And again with the touching of high up things! He just loves it.  We felt really bad though - one time while Charlie was up on Andrews shoulders he hit his head on a vine or a branch or something... there wasn't really much there, but he started crying for a bit and only later we found a little cut and blood on his head!  So sad...

Family picture!

Big Rock (Charlie loves identifying big and "baby" size things)

We got to see some really neat foliage!

The trail was really cool throughout the whole hike, all jungly

This kid is an adventurer

Cute little spot where we ate our lunch, Charlie was thrilled to see fish in the water!

I'm pretty sure I have this exact picture of myself about 10 years ago...

The hiking was just too much for the little guy!

Family shot on the bus

Charlie's first time remembering a ride on a bus!
Mossman Gorge was a fun morning out!

Post nap - you can't really tell but Charlie is riding on his little Thomas the Train boogie board!  woo woo!

THE END (for now!)