Staying Busy!

Staying busy in a new country is a little on the tricky side! Thankfully we only had to stay in the hotel in Parkes for three day. But, those first three days were ruff to say the least! We were all messed up with jet lag to start off with. The first night in Australia, all four kids were up at 2:00 am, wide awake and trying to find something to entertain themselves with! Then, by early morning they were all so tired they ended up sleeping most of the day away! This went on for the next few nights with every night  getting up a little later then the last! It took a good week to get us to where we could actually stay awake at night passed 7:00 pm and sleep all through the night!

Only a few days after moving into the house it was Savannah's 15th birthday. It was on Sunday so we got up early to go to church. Church in our branch starts at 9:30, but it's also an hour away! Driving to church that early is nice because the kids usually sleep the whole way there. We get to church with some interesting bed hair to say the least. We also learned after the first week to pack pillows and blankets for the drive and also snacks! You know how starving you are after church, well imagine having to drive an hour home!! Feeling sorry for us yet? After dinner I made Savannah some chocolate cupcakes and we had a wild party! Well, the last part was a lie, but it sounds better then how boring it really was! Poor Savannah!



 The next few days before the boys started school we decided to explore our 20 acres to stay busy! in the moring and evening is when we spot all the kangaroos and we just happened to find them this evening by the horses!

 Because everything in this country is so expensive, no one uses their dryers very often! I know what your all saying right now! I've had a pretty hard time getting used to this new way of drying our clothes! Oh I miss the soft wonderful smelling clothes of Utah! I hope your LOVING my washer and dryer mother!

 After a few days in our home with no Internet and little TV, I decided the kids needed something to get excited about. We saw an advertisement at the grocery store for free kittens and since there is a mice outbreak right now in Australia, I thought it would be a good idea to get some cats around the ranch!

 No, that's not the same kitty in each picture, we got two of them! It's winter right now and the mice are terrible! I know by the time is warms up the mice will only get worse. Thankfully, they don't get in the house too often (we have had one). They build the houses out here of brick from top to bottom to keep them out and it works pretty well! But we do catch about 7-10 a day in the traps outside, everday! Melinda, don't be so quick to move out here, I don't think you could take it!
Speaking of the TV, my kids have had to find different shows to watch since the ones they like are not on out here.  It's funny actually down right hilarious to see what they are enjoying! First McGiver, Touched by an Angel, The Brady Bunch and the Love Boat to name a few! When we do get the occasional Simpson's or Friends, if they are a good one, not too unappropriated, we savor them like you can't believe!

 We couldn't have rented a house from a better family! The owner whose name is Rob takes really good care of us! He even left his two horses here on the ranch for us to ride when ever we want! Billabong is the big one in the green. He is a old racing horse who actually won Rob $50,000 in his racing days! Lily is the pony. She is a little cranky and nips at you sometimes, but is starting to get to know the kids better everyday and will be a great horse for Luke to ride!

 I had to get a picture of Clay in his work uniform for everyone to see. Everyone at the mine wears the same uniform! Yes, it reflects in the light for protection when the miners are underground! Clay had only gone underground twice since working here so it's not his usual routine, but still has to wear the uniform!

Luke has been the one kid to really enjoy ranch living the most! He explores the ranch every afternoon, finding different animals to watch, he cleans the pool, plays with the kitty's, feeds the horses and even burns the trash with Clay! Does this barrel look familiar to the Collins girls reading this?? Yes, it's a trash burning barrel! We have no trash services out her on the ranch so it's either burn your trash or take it to the dump yourselves! Now if it was up to me, I would take it to the dump, but since this is something Clay grew up doing on his families farm he actually enjoys doing it here! I can honestly say he was so excited when he saw this trash burning barrel out back! Luke who loves playing with fire anyways spends hours with Clay on the weekend burning the trash and having the time of his life!