More Australia Pictures

Here are some more pictures that we took in Australia. I FINALLY got them all downloaded on the new computer after the crash! Thank goodness they were still on the camera!

The first four are of the area surrounding Hobart in Tasmania.







These next two are of SOUTHBANK in the city of Brisbane in Queensland. There is a man made beach right in the city - very cool.




After Brisbane we headed to Newcastle to stay with some friends. Take took us to the Hunter Valley - a wine region. We went to these beautiful gardens - wow - this synopsis of our trip is shrinking and shrinking!! LOL







Then we were off to Sydney so that we could head to Manly Beach (that is where we saw J*nn Ard*n).

I am sure that you all recognize this famous landmark!!





These last pictures are of Manly Beach - one of my VERY favourite places in Australia. I can't even explain how wonderful it is. Sigh...I miss it.







So that about sums up our trip very briefly. We had a fantastic time and we were very lucky to get to experience that again! I am thinking it is going to be a LONG time before we get back there again!

Thanks for reading and enjoying the pictures! Now to plan for the next trip...

Bad News...

Bad News ahead - do not proceed if you don't want to know!! You have been warned!

Our China Adoption Agency e-mailed us today and told us to expect our referral in early 2012...That will a 5 1/2 year wait...

Here is a breakdown of their ESTIMATES:

2008 - Up to mid March - somewhere between the 14th & 20
2009 - Up to Mid May - somewhere between the 20-30
2010 - Up to the end of August (remember this is a 2006 LID)
2011 - Up to the end of November
2012 - US...we are the beginning of December.

I don't know that there is anything else to say.

Sigh...

13 Month LID

Today we celebrate 13 months past in our wait for Pumpkin.

Optimism for this wait has gone out the window. This is NOT what we signed up for and trying to keep positive is getting REALLY difficult!

But today - we will try and focus on the good part of this wait and that is the lunch we are going to share with Dolores and Shawn this afternoon to celebrate our 13 months!

Touring Tasmania

O.k. back to the trip and the requested pictures!

We had a few days in our camper touring around Tasmania. It really is a beautiful state. We had an 'animal' day that we went to a wildlife park and saw some animals up close and personal!

But on to the pictures as that is what you all want to see!









The view from our campsite...sigh - it was pretty!

My Hero!

Yesterday, after reading about my computer troubles,
Dolores called to see if Shawn could help out. I am sure that she could have heard my sigh of relief at her house!

THAT NIGHT - Dolores and Shawn came over and equipped with an old computer and a portable drive. After a quick gab, Shawn got to work. He plugged the 'thingy' in the 'whatchamacallit' and made the 'whatsit' work. In no time at all, my computer files were being downloaded to the portable drive - where they now sit.

Some of the information was lost (though I am not exactly sure what), but the majority of my pictures are intact!!

I actually slept better last night knowing that everything was going to be o.k!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH SHAWN for rescuing me and precious pictures!

NOW...

My task is to now go and find a new computer in which to transfer these files to.

I am so sad...

I am so sad...

On Christmas Eve I woke up and was heading to my computer and noticed that it had crashed in the night. It was 'looping'. Trying to reboot.

It is now 3 days later and it is STILL trying to reboot. I am not thinking that it ever will (if there is someone close who can help - please let me know)

I am sad...

I really did keep meaning to back up my pictures.

I really did mean to buy and external hard drive.

I really did mean to print my pictures.

I really did mean to save them on CD's.

Now they are gone - all of them.

I don't know what to do.

I am so sad...

Tazzy and First Full day in the Camper

Here is a slide show of our first day in the camper and touring around Tasmania.

Back to the trip

After leaving Melbourne, we were heading for Tasmania - another state. Tasmania is an island and we had just received our campervan so we booked passage on the ship THE SPIRIT OF TASMANIA for us and our campervan.

It was a great experience. It was like being on a mini cruise ship for the night and we both totally enjoyed it. Well mostly enjoyed it...the water was ROUGH while trying to sleep. I was not sure if my dinner was going to stay in my stomach.

Us and our campervan - home away from home for 5 nights

In line to get on the ship
Our cabin for the night
Melbourne from the sea

We made it over to Tasmania in the morning and had a great time driving around.

I have more pictures, but blogger is not letting me down load them...

Beach Day!

First off I would like to apologize for not getting more pictures posted. It is really difficult to find an internet place that will let you download. We have taken LOADS of photos, but apparently only we can look at them...

Yesterday we were sitting on the beach (sigh) enjoying the FANTASTIC weather when we were looking at the lady sitting beside us. Mark was whispering "I think that is ***". I said "Really?" I don't know that that is her.

Mark decided to go up to her and say "Are you J*ann Ard*en?" and she replied SOMETIMES, YES! He spoke to her for a few minutes and told her that he went to see her when she was in Hamilton last time.

About an hour later, she went into her bag and pulled out a Hamilton P*olice T-shirt and said - Look what I am wearing. We all had a good laugh.

That said, I don't know if the Non-Canadians would know who she is.

It was cool! She is down her doing some work and decided to take the afternoon off to sit on the beach!

Our day in Melbourne

I know I am getting behind on my pictures here. It is not always easy to find a place that you can download your photos.

Here are some pictures from our day in Melbourne. We spent a good part of the day at the Queen Victoria Markets. I LOVE markets!!

One Year LID!

We interrupt this vacation to bring you the celebration of our ONE YEAR LID!!

I didn't think we would have to wait this long...

I know it is only the 5th in North America, but it is the 6th here in Australia!

I hope that Dolores & Shawn - who also share our LID - have a wonderful 1 year celebration! We will have to make up for it when we return.

I will post more pictures when I can, but it is difficult to find somewhere that will let you download anything.

I hope all is well with everyone and now we will resume our vacation!!

November 28 & 29

On Wednesday November 28th, Mark and I, along with Carol, headed to the Geelong waterfront. This is the area that Carol lives. We took a nice walk along the boardwalk and had lunch at a waterfront cafe. I could really get used to this lifestyle!!



On November 29th, Carol took us for a drive along the Great Ocean Road. What BEAUTIFUL views we saw. It was incredible. It was also VERY windy and bendy and curvy and up and downy and...you get the picture. However, it was all worth it with these STUNNING photos...



Next up - our day in Melbourne!

Pictures

Here are some pictures that everyone has been requesting.

The first batch of picutres is from KATOOMBA - THE THREE SISTERS. It is a beautiful mountain area in NSW - about and hour west of Sydney. It is incredibly pretty there. Enjoy the photos:







The second batch is from a little seaside town outside of Melbourne called Barwon Heads in Victoria. You can see how pretty it is too!

G'Day Mates!!

G'Day from Down Under!!!

Mark and I have arrived safely in Australia!!

We left Toronto on Thursday November 22nd. We left our house and it took over an hour to get to the airport when it usually takes about 15 minutes. The weather was horrible! We made it in to the termial and they were checking us in (a mere 20 minutes before the flight closed) and asked Mark about his Australian visa. They said he didn't have one. I had one but he didn't. It was odd because Mark did both of them together! They said another one would be $25 - we said go ahead. The counter lady said that we couldn't just do that because if there were two visas with the same name it would freeze both of the visas. CRAP - time was creeping by. She tried to re-enter the visa - but Mark's middle name was causing a problem as in one place was the initial and other was the name.

A supervisor was called to investigate. We were getting many dirty looks from the people in the line because we were holding it up and occupying the time of the ONLY check in lady.

Finally the supervisor comes back and says that we are good to go - we had to RUSH through American customs and immigration and make it to the gate. They were boarding. We get on the plane and everything seems good. Then they announce that we have to go for de-icing...we sat in line to be de-iced for THREE HOURS!!!! I was thinking by this point that we should just turn around and go home! They turned on the entertainment system and I watched 1 1/2 movies before we took off!!

We made it to LAX and only had 3 hours, instead of 6 hours, to blow there and it went by fairly quickly. We went through Auckland to Sydney.

We were picked up by friends and are currently at their place. We have had a shower and are refreshed and getting ready to go out!

From leaving our house to arriving in Sydney was 31 hours!! Can you say TIRED!

Currenlty it is 11:32 am Saturday morning - that makes is 7:32pm Friday night in Toronto.

I am wearing shorts and although it is raining a bit - it is WARM!!

I am alive...

Hello Readers,
That is if there are any of you left out there...

I have not been in a blogging mood of late. Don't specifically know why - just spending my time doing other things during my computer time I guess. I still read your blogs but I just don't seem to have the...I don't even know what I would call it...to comment on most of them.

We are coming up to our 1 year LID Anniversary and I don't feel ANY closer to Pumpkin. She doesn't even seem real. The tunnel has disappeared again let alone the light at the end of it with our adoption.

I PROMISE that things will get MUCH more exciting on this blog SOON!! I PROMISE!!

As for now - today was a FANTASTIC day!! An EXCITING day!! A GREAT day!!