Can you believe we have visitors!...

Yep - gluttons for punishment. No not really!
Sandi, Steve, Molly and Ming (adopted from China) arrived about 2 hours after we got home. Perfect timing...I'd just managed to pack away everything so I was (kinda) ready for them.

They stayed 3 wonderful nights and although we didn't get up to the snow (the weather was foul) we had lots of fun and Sandi and I got to go on some lovely walks while Steve looked after the children (and Graham worked!).

This family is so dear to us - they have walked a similar journey and we just 'click'. It was a special few days and the photo's will tell most of the story!. I was a bit slack with the camera though and poor Mol never got in one!.....sorry Mol!

June Video's (part one)

These were taken while on holidays....

Dancing her heart out and loving it!(Port Macquarie, NSW)


...encouraging others to dance too!!(Port Macquarie NSW)


....I love puddles! (In Yamba, NSW)


Singing 'silly hat' with Fletcher in Brisbane

June Video's (part two) Seaworld Brisbane

Tumut, NSW

Our final stop! .... and I have to say I'm not sorry.
It has been a lot of miles. It has been a wonderful holiday in many ways - but just too much time sitting in a car.
Tumut, NSW in the Snowy Mountains region.











It's a bit of a non-event town for me, but that could be because it's Sunday....and, yep, it's wet!
We drove through very beautiful country though. We had breakfast at Tumbarumba in THE most gorgeous cafe - it was a real teddy bear cafe. There were bears EVERYWHERE you looked and Ebony though she was in bear heaven! Even on the ceiling! There was a special area for children which she thoroughly enjoyed (setting up all the teddies she could find in order on the couch so they could watch TV) while we waited for the most yummy breakfast I think I've had all holiday!....and to add to the ambience there was a toasty fire to sit by and relax. I didn't really want to leave!





We stopped at Corryong to get some 'supplies' for home (we have friends coming to stay for a for a few days) and then arrived back home to a very cold and wet Tawonga South at about 2.30pm. Then it was time to get ready for our friends to arrive! More on that in the next post!
Home, beautiful, wonderful, peaceful home.

Camden, NSW

We got on the road fairly early today. We stopped at Swansea at the RSL for lunch and then went and checked out the home that my Dad and Mum built and one we visited on a number of wonderful occasions. It took a bit of finding – but we did! Then we headed off again and made it to South of Sydney. We stayed at a really lovely Hotel/Motel – very nice and comfortable. We had pizza for dinner and then a wonderful early night! More travelling than anything today - so not many photo's. I'm getting just a tad over the travelling actually. Home is starting to look VERY good!

Just hanging about in the motel at Forster




Then out and about in Camden


Then....first ever pizza (they cost about $25 in Mt Beauty!)

Forster

This morning we woke and found we had ‘water’ views. Not of the ocean – but inland water. It was really a very beautiful place and the owners were delightful! We took a short walk to the beach. We decided we had time to take Eb to the beach and we’re glad we did. It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t cold either – just a nice temperature for some beach fun!....oh! and some more puddle playing!

Having brekkie...


Then some photo's taken on the beach....









and then playing in the mud puddles!....what are holidays about after all!!!








Then it was on the road again. We stopped at Coffs Harbour to check out the Big Banana – but it was just too expensive for a quick trip so we headed on to Port Macquarie where we met Mum and Dad for lunch, then headed back to spend a short time with them at the unit before we were on the road again!

We made it to Forster this night. We’d had enough of eating out so decided to make do with what we had for dinner (I must say that by this stage I was ready for some good home cooked meals again!)..

Woolgoolga, NSW

Wednesday we walked to a local McDonalds and had brekkie and Eb (and Mummy) had a fun play on the playground (still reliving my childhood I think!).





We got back to our Motel to find that we had a flat tyre! So, a little diversion to a Bob Jane and some time out walking around Tweed Heads and then we were finally on the road. We stopped at Byron Bay for some (very expensive) lunch – nice spot with beach views though.



Then we went to the Macadamia Nut Castle north of Ballina and had a lovely ‘Macadamia Nut Sticky Date pudding’ between us and a bit of a wander around.




We ended up at Woolgoolga – just a tad north of Coffs Harbour. We stayed in an upmarket cabin in a Van park. It was great and very nice...and someone made themselves VERY at home!

Sea World

Then it was Tuesday morning already and we made the decision (since the rain was gone and it was a beautiful blue sky day) to go to Seaworld. I’m so glad we did. We all had a total blast. It is very expensive to get in, but it was well worth it. Although Eb liked the animals a lot – she absolutely LOVED the rides! That section of the park is absolutely geared towards her age group (and mine!). I got to go on every ride with her (except one) because she’s still below 105cm and not allowed to go on her own (what a shame I say!). So I was able to relive my childhood! Daddy stayed with his feet firmly planted on the ground and took photo’s (until the battery ran flat) It was a great day and the skies stayed blue. We left there and made our way to our accommodation for the night – in Tweed Heads.

A daddy and his little treasure!




Exploring the starfish....but wouldn't touch them even though she was allowed




The underwater viewing platform...


With her buddy Big Bird


Having LOTS of fun!


she loved the truck


After the dolphin show - which was amazing, but Eb was a bit overwhelmed with the noise/crowds ...


On the train that runs around Seaworld

Brisbane!

Then we were in Brisbane. It was still SOAKING wet. I’m glad our days weren’t dependent on the weather or I would have been very disappointed. Thankfully, the one full day we had in Brisbane we were visiting! First we visited friends that we met when Graham was a Tap Doctor. Dean is still a Tap Doctor and we hadn’t seen them for over 3 years! In that time, they have added two gorgeous boys to their family and we have added Ebony. We were getting closer to knowing about Eb the last time we saw each other and Sharon was close to having Hudson. Fletcher is only 7 months old. So our lives are so different to what they were. It was such a lovely time. Dean made it home for lunch and Fletcher woke up eventually, but Eb and Hudson got on really, really well. Hudson is a year younger than Eb. I think the photo’s best show the fun they had together although the video’s are even better. I’ll add them later. An exciting, playful fun filled few hours! Not enough for us adults to catch up though. It was such a great time I was really sad to leave.





From there we had what was meant to be a 10 minute journey to visit Sue and Bryan Meehan and their 2 children. It took us nearly 45mins because the GPS sent us in circles! I guess the GPS did well considering I’d done about 1800kms by this time! Anyway, we finally made it. We had such a lovely time there as well. Sue and Bryan have a son Drew adopted from Korea (12) and a daughter Essie (Esther 8) adopted from China. Both Drew and Essie looked after Eb and kept her well and truly entertained while the adults caught up. I had never met Sue and her family – but we sure knew each other through the Yahoo Adoption groups! Now we know each other even better and I’m, yet again, blessed to have expanded my adoption family with another gorgeous one! Once again, I think the photo’s say it all.

Then it was back to Kim and Michaels where we had a quiet night with them and watched a movie while our little angel slept peacefully. Sadly, I didn’t get one photo of Ebony with them! It’s one of those things that can so easily happen. I was quite sad to say good bye to Kim and Michael. It’s the first time we have actually stayed with them and for me, it wasn’t long enough. They are so lovely and so great with Eb. We’ll be sure to go back and spend a good weekend with them in the future.

I have to mention one very special thing that happened tonight as I put Eb to bed. We went through our normal routine and then, as I walked out the door I said my usual “I love you” and as I walked away I heard “I love you too mummy”. I was so touched. That is yet another ‘first’....and a very, very special one at that!

We're on the road.....yet again!

It's been a long, long journey - but we're still enjoying it!
We left Port Macquarie this morning a bit earlier that we planned to - but it was a good thing really. We made it all the way to Yamba - but I'm not sure how. The rain has been - at times - torrential. I've had the wipers on 2 and they still haven't kept up. When I first left Port Macquarie I seriously considered turning back. It was nothing short of scary .... and I don't scare easily on roads. But, I soldiered on. We stopped in pouring rain at Ballina for some quick McDonalds and met a lovely local family there - then back on the soggy roads. Yamba was a really special place to stay and I really enjoyed it. I picked a motel that wasn't far from town and, although I planned to go for a walk when I arrived, I couldn't - it just got dark too quickly! We had an easy meal of 2 minute noodles and then I put Eb off to sleep. Next morning we woke to ... yep! more rain. We managed to get a bit of relief while we walked into town (via many, many wonderful fun filled puddles for Eb as you'll see). It was a very special morning actually. We just simply took our time and browsed around town and enjoyed time together. Found a beaut home shop for goodies for www.elevationmtbeauty.com.au .... and then enjoyed a 'Chai Latte' together at the back packers hostel - it was toasty warm and great atmosphere. We finally made it to Brisbane late in the afternoon and ended up going out to dinner with Gra's daugher and son in law. It was so lovely to see him and to see them. We had a lovely evening together.
Then - back on the (very, very wet) road again. This time it was business! I was on a mission to get to Brisbane. We stopped for lunch at Ballina.