Happy 4th of July!

For those of you who check our blog, sorry for not posting for a month! It's been pretty much business as usual, but I'll give a small update with the details.

We are in the worst of Winter now, which really isn't bad. It's been in the 50s sometimes falling below and reaching 60s. Rainy, windy, and gray. I can't wait for Spring and Summer to come. It's going to get really HOT.

Happy 4th of July! We went to a BBQ at the home of friends of Sam and Denise (who we stayed with when we first got here). They were from California and have a niece our age who was very nice. There were about 15 people there. Nate and I taught a group how to play Waterfall (card game involving drinking). It was fun. The French girls thought it was great. They were a little too good at it. I made an American Flag cake and we had BBQ ribs on the grill. Delicious.

Nate found some part time work doing Telemarketing. His schedule is not set, but it's around 3 days a week for 4 hours a shift. It's a small business operated out of a guys home, where Nate goes to make the calls. He's making some money so that's great. He is also playing volleyball on two teams and gets paid to referee games two nights a week.

I have been on holiday for a week and also have this week off. It's nice, but I could use all the hours/money I can get. I have two more weeks left of my assignment in Sunshine, then who knows. Hopefully I'll have my permission to teach from the Victorian Institute of Teaching so I can make more $ and have more opportunities available to me.

It feels like it was a while ago, but I went as a chaperone to year 7 camp at a YMCA camp called Lady Northcote in Bacchus Marsh. We spent 3 days and 2 nights there. They had nice new sleeping facilities. It was a lot of fun, exauhsting though. I taught 53 kids and the teachers how to make s'mores. They had never even heard of them. They don't have Grahm Crackers here though so we had to substitute. The marshmallows are not the same either. They kind of have a thick coating to them and they come in vanilla and raspberry mixed bags. Ew. I took the leftovers back to school and made them with the students I have been working with in the cooking room on the stove. They thought it was funny.

We went to the Star Wars exhibit at a museum called Science Works. They had costumes and props from all 6 movies. It was neat.

I have been doing Yoga and volunteering for a girl's after school group and with an elderly woman named Sophia. She has dimensia and is very isolated. I got visit her once every two weeks. We have only had 1 meeting so far. I'm not sure if she will remember me when I go back this week. I guess it doesn't really matter as long as she feels special for the time I'm there. Nate volunteers with the same kids group, but with the boys. We had our mixed Disco for the end of school term. It was at a community center with about 20 kids. I think they had fun.

We hope to rent a car and go see a National Park called Grampians this coming weekend. The weather hasn't been ideal for hiking, so we will wait and see. There is an eco-hostel there we can stay in for one night. I want to see some kangaroos! There are lots there.

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and had a great 4th of July weekend! Love and hugs to all from down under. XOXO