Week Six: Doctor Who and Pumpkin Pie

Week 6

11/24-11/30

Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary Show

Sunday (November 24^th) was the 50^th Anniversary of Doctor Who. To celebrate, several cinemas were playing it across Sydney. I went with the Townsend brother’s to a showing in Bondi Junction. Braedon picked me up around 2:30 and drove us there, where Kieran and Daniel were already waiting. (We were able to get a parking spot right next to Kieran. Which I wasn’t that impressed with at first, but then Braedon and I figured out that there are roughly 5,000 spots in the parking garage so it really is amazing that we would find an open spot right next to Kieran. Kieran, even after presented with the odds, was not very impressed). Daniel works at a restaurant there and was getting off early so he could go to the showing. Braedon and I ate lunch at Dan’s restaurant (Burgers and chips), which was very nice. Then we went to Woolworths to buy some movie snacks instead of paying 3000 times more for snacks at the theater. The boys got Maltesers(which are basically whoppers in The States) which I have never been a huge fan of. The boys thought that that was ludicrous that I would not like Maltesers, but I slightly redeemed myself by getting Pods, which are delicious and have no real counter part in America for me to compare it too.  Anyway, the episode was great! And afterward we went back to the cars, and I regretted the fact that we parked next to Kieran when Daniel threw a candle at me from Kieran’s car to Braedon’s through the open windows. Okay it wasn’t really at me, he just wanted to see if he could make it. But at the time it felt like a hate crime. Then we went back to their house where we watched a nature documentary. Then Braedon took me to his friend’s house who was having a bit of a going away/end of Uni party.

Pie

This week is Thanksgiving in The U.S. I wasn’t planning on doing much, on account that it is an American holiday and I am not in America. But Danielle and Mark insisted that we had to do something. They said we can get a turkey roll (which is turkey breast meat and stuffing), and I offered to make Pumpkin Pie. Pumpkin is not a sweet flavor here. When you mention it as a dessert, you can see peoples faces pinch as they try to imagine what it might taste like, ultimately deciding that it would be disgusting. But seeing as how it is an American tradition, I wanted to show them what it was about. Now, I had never made pumpkin pie before. And I really wanted them to like it. I wanted to prove that we are not crazy for taking this squash and turning it into a dessert. I felt like I had the weight of the American people on my shoulders. All 3.13 million of them saying “Come on, Rach! We need this!” I was going to be the pumpkin pie ambassador.  If they hated it, I would be that weird American girl that made them eat a disgusting pie. I can’t have that be my lasting mark! So yeah, there was a lot riding on this.

And because it is not a sweet flavor here, they don’t have canned pumpkin. So I was going to have to take a whole pumpkin, and somehow turn it into a delicious pie. I found a recipe, went out and bought all of the ingredients and got crackin’. Here is the whole pumpkin:

       Puree time:

 Roasting and carving it out:                                  















Ingredients mixed in:

 Final Product:

 

It got a little burned on top, because, you know, Celsius. It kind of looks like a heart though. So let's just say I planned that. I made an apple pie as well. The apple was my contingency pie, incase the pumpkin was a huge fail. 

Here was my Apple pie:

Thanksgiving

On actual Thanksgiving Day, I was home with Harry. Danielle came home early and took the boys to the shops. They came back with Red, White, and Blue balloons and some Chardonnay from San Francisco. They wanted it to feel as close to home as possible. We had a lovely dinner of Turkey roll, roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes, green beans and peas. After we had all eaten our fill, it was time for pie. Judgment time was upon us. I served everyone a slice of pumpkin with some whipped cream, and a slice of apple with vanilla ice cream. Both pies turned out wonderfully! Seriously. Not to toot my own horn, but “toot-toot”! The family really liked it. There were pleasantly surprised by the pumpkin and said that they would have it again, which is good considering there are heaps of leftovers. Now I can breathe knowing that I did my country proud.

 

Mini Pumpkin Pies out of Leftover crust/puree

Week 5: Celsius

11/16 – 11/23

Week 5

Designing

I have been recruited to be on the creative team for my church. Every Saturday after the service, there is an “After party” for the Powerhouse group. (Powerhouse is just what they call 18-25 year olds) So I have been charged with making the little invite cards that are given out to people in our age group to let them know what’s happening after the service. This week we were having a BBQ at Prince Alfred Park... that is, if it doesn't rain.

Baking

I got in a baking mood this week and decided to bake some white chocolate cranberry cookies. I’m still getting used to baking with Celsius. So the first batch I made, I burned 2/3 of it. I think I jinxed it a bit though. When I went to the store I purchased 2 times the amount of ingredients “just in case”. So I was almost welcoming the inferno. In unrelated news, the smoke detector in the house is top notch. Anyway, the second time around they came out fantastic and Lachie has been asking for them in is lunch every day.

Wesley Grad Show

Wesley is where I went to School when I studied here. And some of the people who were in my classes have finished their degrees! So to celebrate this, Wesley has a grad show where the students are able to display their work. It was really cool to come and support them and see all of the amazing Graphic Design stuff they have done. They are all incredibly talented and I feel very proud to know them. I took one of all of their business cards.

 

Alphabet

I’ve been having Harry practice writing his letters. I made a few sheets with letters on them that he can trace. It’s nothing huge, just something to keep him occupied. Most of the time he really enjoys it. He looks up to his brother a lot, so anything he can do to be more like him, like writing letters, he’ll do it. And he looks so cute when he's concentrating so hard!

Week 4: Applause

11.9 – 11.15

Week 4

Things worth mentioning in week 4:

Townsends

Spent a couple evenings with the Townsends. On Sunday just to hang out since I hadn’t seen them since that first weekend. Braedon had been finishing up at Uni and is now officially done! So I went over there and we got Crust pizza. And by we got pizza, I mean, we got an abundance of pizza so large that I was uncomfortably full for quite some time. I think in the end we had 5 different large pizzas (burrito, pulled pork, chicken avocado, garlic chicken, smoke salmon) plus 2 garlic breads. We also got something called “Rocky Road Calzones: which are pastries, filled with Rocky Road chocolate. These are both the best and worst thing that has ever happened to the dessert world. On one hand, they were totally delicious, on the other, one could easily put themselves into a sugar induced coma ( is that a thing? I’m making it a thing). We also watched The Hangover Part II which I had never seen.

We also laughed a lot as Neil tried to operate his new “smart camera”. This camera allows you to take self-timer shots while standing in front of it. It reads the motions of your hands, so if you turn your finger one way, it focuses. Another twirl and it zooms in/out. And supposedly, if you clap your hands, it starts the timer to take a photo. Well, you would have thought Lady Gaga was in the house from all of the Applause (Yay pop culture reference!). 45 minutes later, they had 2 pictures. I don’t think it helped that the longer Neil attempted to take pictures, the more drinks he had in his system. I left the house that night with a very sore stomach; perhaps from the laughing, perhaps from the excess amount of carbohydrates, but likely a little bit of both.

I went over there again on Tuesday for Kieran’s Birthday dinner. We ate ribs that had been cooking since I left on Sunday. So needless to say they were very delicious. Daniel’s friend Sarah, from Scotland, was there. She is going to be staying at the house for a short time in December. Anyway, she was super cool and funny. She works with Daniel at the restaurant. Daniel also introduced us to a dessert he made. This thing has about 1000 ingredients, but I, not being a chef, will put it in layman’s terms: Pineapple ice cream with macadamia nut crumble and a spicy jelly thing (see, how layman can you get?). The jelly things were kind of like raisins but they started out a bit sour and the longer you chewed them there would be a spicy kick to it. Quite interesting. But the pineapple ice cream was ah-mazing!

Kimberly, Me, Michelle

ASC

I got to have lunch with the staff at Australia Studies Centre. This is the Best Semester program I was a part of last time I was here. It was excellent to hear about what is going on in their lives and to update them on mine. It is also a lot of fun to be an alumni rather than a student. We talked about the group I was in compared to groups that came before and after. And I learned that apparently Kimberly now uses me  as an example of being open to making friends from all cultures, not just American or Australians. For those who don't know, last time I was here, the two people I spent the most time with were from South Korea. The program is moving from Sydney to Brisbane, so they are in a big transition process. I was very happy that I was able to see them before they make the move up, and now I have an excuse to go visit Brisbane! Although I probably would have anyway.

Pokémon

Harry and I went to the library this week and picked up a couple DVD’s. As eluded to by the title, they were Pokémon DVD’s. Harry has now started on a bit of a Pokémon kick and will sit and watch it for hours if you let him. Because I’m a good nanny, I try to avoid that. One thing that doesn’t get old is singing over the top of the Pokémon theme song. It drives him crazy and that makes me very happy. Perhaps I’m not as good of a nanny as I thought earlier in this paragraph.

Picnics 

Harry and I had talked about perhaps doing a picnic in the park that is across the street. And the day we were finally going to do it, it was raining. So, thinking on my feet, we had an indoor picnic! This really translates to: we ate our lunch on the floor of the living room. But still, it was fun and Harry enjoyed himself. Plus there were significantly less bugs in the living room than at the park.

Week 3: You've Been Hazed

November 2nd-8th

Week 3

How are we in November already? And how have I already been here 3 weeks?

Things are feeling rather normal and I am very settled into the routine of life here. My Mondays-Wednesdays are great because both boys are at school. Which results in a lot of “Me Time” during the day. This usually means, Swim, Tan, Shower, Shopping. Or whatever I feel like. Thursdays and Fridays are a bit more involved as the youngest boy is at home with me. This usually means playground, café, and playing ninja turtles.

Things worth mentioning:

Au Pair initiation/hazing:

I have come to the conclusion that I am unstoppable. This is for several reasons:

1.     I have stepped on a Lego…and didn’t cry. And I know what you’re thinking…No I’m not a witch.

2.     I fearlessly did the “smell-test” on a 4 year-old's underwear that was sitting on the laundry room counter to determine if they were soiled or not. They were. I did not vomit.

3.     Even though I wash them repeatedly, my hands seem to have become infused with the aroma of Vegemite from all of the sandwiches I have been making the boys.

4.     Had a 3 inch cockroach crawl across my foot while in the kitchen. I did not scream.

5.     Found a cockroach in the kitchen a day later (May or may not have been same cockroach from number 4). Calmly placed bowl over it so Mark could take care of it when he got home.

(I’m not particularly proud of number 5, but it’s the best way I know how to cope right now.)

Other things worth Mentioning: 

Connect Group:

Connect Group is what they call 'small groups' at my church. This is a group of people that you meet with on a weekly or fortnightly basis outside of church. This is time to hang out, do a bible study, catch up on each others lives, etc. Anyway, last time I was here, I was in Linh’s connect group, so naturally when I return, I am jumping right back into it. A few of the members are still the same as last time, but there are A LOT of new faces. On Monday night I attended my first Connect Group 2.0. The group has certainly grown a lot since I was here last. The group consists of: Diego, Stephanie, Leonardo, Antone, Linh, Gabriele, Kassio, Sophia, Meli (Whom when first meeting said, ‘My names Meli’ but as she said it she kind of slurred ‘namesmeli’, so I heard ‘my name is smelly’, which of course meant I had to confirm saying “Smelly?” which prompted this room full of people I had just met to laugh at me. First impressions are awesome), Karsten, and Yunita. I think they said that there are more people who just couldn’t make that meeting. Everyone was super nice and welcoming and I’m excited to get to know them more. We meet every other week.

2 is company, 3 is a crowd

Tuesday was the famous Melbourne Cup day here in Australia. Melbourne Cup is, in short, a day of horse races. (Follow the link to learn more.) People go out and party hard. Women wear fancy dresses and silly hats and head-bands. I watched a bit of the races earlier in the day but was more interested in what the women where wearing.

But why does this mean 3 is a crowd? Well, because people party so much, one of the mums at school asked if I could bring her daughter, Poppy, home with Lachie. The biggest race was at 3pm which is exactly when kids need to be picked up. I had no problem doing this. But watching 3 kids was incredibly more involved that watching my 2 boys. Poppy is a sweet girl, but she is, as the locals might say, Full On. So much energy packed into a tiny little girl. I was chasing them around, preventing one disaster after another. Once Mark and Dan got home I politely retreated to my room and closed the door. 

Creative Team Meeting

After connect group on Monday, Gabriele invited me to creative team meeting on Thursday. This is a time where all of the people on the creative times (music, set design, lighting, etc) get together for a service that it specifically for them. Afterwards, they offer several master classes in different categories. So for vocalists, they can go to vocal workshops. I went to a photography one where we talked about different types of lighting and which type is best suited for certain subjects. It was pretty cool and I may go again, depending on what master classes are offered that night.

Week 2: Halloween

October 26^th – November 1^st

Week 2

This week was another good week of getting settled in at my new home.

Top things worth Mentioning:

Saturday in the City:

Saturday, the 26^th, I went into the city and met up with my old friend Charlie. We basically just walked around and caught up on life. We stopped to watch a street performer in Circular Quay who did a few tricks but spent most of the time verbally abusing his audience. I didn’t give him any money. We then walked to the Opera House/Harbour Bridge. Now I feel I am officially back. Now I’ve never seen a show at the opera house, however this time, I did use the toilets. And let me tell you, they are just as architectural as the outside. Everything about it makes you feel like you are going to the bathroom 1000 years from now!

Sinks of the Future

Church:

After Charlie and I had a big day walking around, we went to Church. This is the same church that I went to when I was here last time. I was pretty convinced that people wouldn’t remember me. After all, it was a long time ago, and they meet a lot of people. But upon walking in, Sandra, a German girl I met last time (See my 100th post), looked at me and said “Rachel?! What are you doing here?” It wasn’t the,  “Hey you look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”  Sort of greeting that I was expecting. She full on remembered me. I was in shock. This girl that I haven’t seen in over a year, and if I’m being honest, didn’t get to know that well, remembered me. After that I ran into Linh, my former connect group leader, who also remembered me. Through-out the night I kept running into people that I knew last time, all of them not only remembering who I was, but excited to see me and have me back for a while.  And of course I got to meet some new people too, like a New Zealander named Tyson and a Malaysian named Shaun, just to name a couple.

Swimming Lessons:

This week was the first week of me being in charge of getting the boys to swimming lessons. Mark had taken me to the location a week ago, but I wanted to practice so I wouldn’t get lost and make the boys late. I’m glad I did. I got a little turned around but was able to figure it out. I went there and back twice. Just to make sure I really had it. Once we were actually at swimming lessons, I had a lot of fun watching the boys with their instructors, learning their strokes. I felt like a proud mama. Especially for Lachie, who is obviously the best in his class. Not that I’m biased or anything.

Halloween:

The boys had been looking forward to Halloween for a while now. However, Halloween isn’t as big of a deal here as it is in America. Some kids will get dressed up and do the whole Trick-or-Treating thing. But not a lot of houses participate in that. We also went a bit early. We met up with some other families from Lachie’s school so the kids could all Trick or Treat together. We walked around, up and down the streets. The kids went a little wild, running ahead and practically breaking down doors to get to the candy. The whole thing felt very different compared to what I used to do at home. I was used to a Halloween where it is super cold and dark and nearly every house on the block had carved pumpkins on the porch and some sort of skeleton or ghost décor. But here, it’s all shorts and flip-flops and you’re lucky to see a cobweb. There were a few houses that got into it, but for the most part it was very minimal. After we walked around for a bit we went back to one of the mom’s (Julia’s) houses where the kids played in the back yard and the adults sat on the back deck drinking wine until it was time to go. Overall it was an exciting time and I’m glad I got to experience Aussie Halloween. 

Vampire and Leonardo the Ninja Turtle

Moms and Swarming Children

Week 1

October 19th-25^th

It has only been one week, but this is already feeling like home.

Top things worth mentioning:

Learned/learning to Drive: 

Left side of the road, on the Right side of the car. Surprisingly, it has come rather easy. Other cars on the road really dictate where you should be. So as long as you follow what everyone else is doing, you do fine. It’s really when there are no other cars that it gets confusing.  The family had bought this car specifically for me to use. They formally only had one car. They told me before I got there that they were going to buy another car, and I had hoped that it would be a dumpy used one so that if I dinged it up it wouldn’t matter as much. But no, they got a very nice Hyundai i30. It has back up sensors that beep to tell you when you’re going to hit something. This as proven very useful when I have needed to parallel park. 

My Trusty Steed

The Townsend Family
My second night in town I went to the Townsend's. This is the family I lived with on my last stint in Sydney. And they are just as lovely as when I left them. I ate dinner with them (Homemade Big Macs-which were delicious). And it was awesome to hear about and see the changes that they have made since hosting students. They are all taking a massive trip to Europe/America in December/January, so I got to hear about where they will be visiting. 

Braedon and Michelle, cyber-stalking their sister/daughter who is abroad in Europe

School Routine  
Danielle came with me on Monday to show me how to do the drop off’s and pick ups for both boys’ schools. It’s all pretty simple stuff. For Lachie, it’s walking him to the classroom and waiting for the bell to signal morning assembly. The mornings at his school are a bit of a madhouse. I’ll post pictures sometime and hopefully I’ll be able to capture the chaos that it really is. Harry’s school is much slower paced. Fewer children. His routine is pretty simple too. It’s just a matter of signing him in and putting his lunch, backpack and water bottle all in their proper places. 

Wesley Institute
On Wednesday I went to Wesley, aka the school I studied at last time. I had lunch with Ella and Blake at Lashings. Lashings is a delightful burger place that I have been craving off and on again for the last 1.5 years. The real menu item that has me hooked is chips (fries) with chicken salt. And of course Solo (A lemon soda that we don’t have in America). After Lashings we went back up to campus and sat in the design room and waited for their class to trickle in 1 by 1. Each more confused that the last as to why I was there. They all felt like they had gone back in time to 2012. It was awesome to see them all! It’s funny how we’ve been separate for so long and yet we are all basically the same. I will say that they all looked older, more mature. I wonder if I look any different from 2012?

Cafés

Café’s are everywhere. There is one just a few blocks up from our house. As it turns out, this is a café that I went to when I was here last time. Meaning I was 3 blocks away from my future home and I didn’t even know it! Anyway, drinks here are different, and it takes getting used to. If you want a milkshake, you need to order a “Thick-shake”. A “Milk-Shake” here is really just flavored milk. It’s very good, but it would be kind of a let down if that’s not what you wanted. Home brewed coffee isn’t very popular here. They mostly just have instant coffee at home, and will go to a café for a properly made late, cappuccino, or whatever. This is a bit of a switch for me, as I’m coming from a family that can go through multiple 14 cup pots before noon. 

The Cafe up the street

Having a dip

The Pool

Luckily, this family has a pool. A really nice one at that. Not only is it fun to swim in while the boys are at school, it is an awesome afternoon activity for them when they get home. The pool provides hours of entertainment for them. You know those GEICO commercials where they say GEICO customers are happy and then ask: How happy are they?! Well I would suggest adding “Happier than a 6 year old in a swimming pool” to that campaign!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

October 16^th-20^th, 2013

I left Portland on October 16^th, but did not arrive in Sydney until the 18^th. The 17^th did not exist for me. Huzzah for time travel!

I left PDX and traveled to LAX where my connecting flight would be. After two shuttles, getting lost, walking in circles, cursing under my breath and hiking for what seemed like ages, I found my way to my gate. (Honestly, I’m pretty sure the LA in LAX stands for Lucifer’s Architecture, because that place has to have been crafted by the devil himself). I had some time to kill so I grabbed some dinner at one of the many little food courts around. Let me just tell you, the international terminal at LAX is quite an interesting place. Passing the different airlines and people groups you start to feel a bit like you’re on “It’s a Small World” at Disneyland.  Your own personal walking tour of the nations. Even the food selection seems to be divided by region.

My flight got delayed a few times. We finally were able to board (about 1.5 hours late). I had an aisle seat and the spot next to me was vacant. SCORE! But just as I started to feel the natural high that comes along with having ANY sort of personal space on an airplane, a flight attendant came up to me and asked me for a favor. He said that there was a woman a few rows back who was, as he put it, a bit on the bigger side, and she would not be able to fit in her seat. He kindly asked if I would be willing to trade on account of the empty space next to me. Internally, I was thinking: “ARE YOU CRAZY?! THIS IS A 15 HOUR FLIGHT, OF COURSE I’M NOT GIVING UP THIS SPACE!!!” But I heard my mouth say, “If it will make her life easier, sure.”

Who am I? A sucker for a man with an accent, THAT'S who! So I switched seats and was ushered to a middle seat next to a baby. Immediately regretting my decision, and mentally waving my fists to the heavens, I took my seat. The baby was asleep, but I knew that wouldn’t last the whole 15 hours. 

Just before take off, the same flight attendant came back to me and said that he had found a window seat in an exit row and if I would like to switch after take off. I said yes, because if I wasn’t going to have my aisle seat for easy stretching access, I was certainly going to have a seat with a view/side to lean against for sleeping. After take off he came and got me and helped me shuffle all of my carry-on belongings for the 2^nd time.

When I got up to my row, I was a little disappointed. For although the seat was in a position that would define it as a ‘window seat’, there was no window. There was a window on the exit door, but from my seat I could not see out of it. It was just a wall. And where my leg room would have been, the emergency door jutted out into the plane. This bulbous plastic form is what contained the inflatable slide that would be used in an emergency water evacuation. Even though this was less than ideal, I still preferred it to the middle seat next to the baby. The flight attendant brought me champagne and snacks as a token of appreciation for giving up my seat. It was all quite the emotional roller coaster, and all in the span of 40 minutes. Later, before landing he would bring me a duty free bag containing 2 fancy business travel kits and a Calvin Klein fragrance sampler, as further tokens of appreciation. 

The rest of the flight was pretty normal. Watched a couple of movies (The Croods and ¾ of Epic), ate a couple of meals. I slept quite a bit which was nice. I went through immigration and customs and finally picked up my luggage. I made my way out to the pick up spot where Danielle (the family mom) was waiting for me. I was worried that I wouldn’t recognize her, or that she wouldn’t recognize me in all my griminess. She took me to the house where I unpacked, showered, ate lunch and FaceTimed Mom and Dad so they would know I was alive. She gave me a little tour of the neighborhood and soon enough it was time to pick up the oldest son, Lachlan.

After we picked him up we went out to the shops to pick up a few things and had some afternoon tea at a café. (For future reference, morning and afternoon tea just means snack. Very seldom is there actually tea involved). After the shops we went into the city to pick up Mark (the dad) and the youngest son, Harry, from day care.

On the way home they took me over the Harbour Bridge and I got to see my first glimpse of the Opera house. When we got home Mark made the boys some pizza and Dan ordered Thai for us adults. The boys went to bed and I stayed up to watch television with Dan and Mark. But finally at 9pm I had to call it quits. It had been quite a busy day and I needed to get some sleep.

Next time I post I’ll give you an update on how my first week goes!

Australia: Round Two

For those who do not know, I am about to embark on Australia Adventure 2.0

I originally created this blog when I studied abroad in Sydney a little over a year and a half ago. (I could have made a separate blog. But I didn't want to. Plus, in case you missed it, you can relive that entire semester!) I was meant to go back to Australia in July/August of 2013, however those plans fell through. It is a long story, but I think it was for the best. Life has a funny way of falling apart before falling back together. Anyway, with that trip now canceled, I had to work on other ways of getting myself back to the beloved sunburned country. 

Around this time last year, my friend Sarah and I were discussing what our futures held. We were both college Seniors and the world was looking like a daunting place.  As we sipped on our Pumpkin Chai’s and gorged ourselves on pazookie (I say gorged in the most lady-like way), Sarah told me that she was considering being an Au Pair. 'Wow! What a cool idea! I could totally do something like that, and best of all, I could do it in Australia!' I thought to myself.

So with that seed planted, I went about my life. At this point the other trip was still on. But once that was canceled, I remembered that conversation over half-baked cookie dough. I ended up making a profile on Aupairworld.net. It’s basically online dating. People who want to be Au Pairs make profiles, and people looking for Au Pairs make profiles. You can search for each other based on location, language, age, and other factors. Au Pairs say a bit about themselves and why they want to Au Pair, and families say a bit about themselves and what they need from an Au Pair. If you like what you see, you can send messages to each other and get the whole thing squared away.  

It sounds weird, but it’s not weird. So get off my back. 

...Anyway, so I made a profile, probably sometime in March. I talked to many different families, but nothing ever sorted out. Either on my end it didn't work out, or on their end it didn't  I was holding out for a family in Sydney, as I really wanted to go back to visit friends as well as get to do things that I may not have gotten too the last time around. After several misses with different families, I finally found the right one. They live in a suburb of Sydney, rather close to where I studied. They have two little boys who are 4 and 6 years old. I’ll be responsible to care for them when they are not at school, along with doing some light house work. Basically, live with them and be a part of the family. 

I will arrive in Sydney on October 18^th. I hope to post here often, so check back for updates on my second Australian adventure!

P.S. I got to have a wonderful last American weekend down in Southern California. I was there for a wedding, but this was a great opportunity to see some of my best friends before fleeing the country. Words do not describe how awesome my friends are! They are the kind of people who make me awesome cakes and give me “plane survival” kits.   Friends like that make it a little tough to leave.

Olivia dyed her hands blue for this cake!

Natalie knows mouth wash is a highly coveted item for long plane rides

Natalie, Olivia, Me. Acting sophisticated and color coordinated.