Mama I'm a Big girl Now

I went to bed with a pit in my stomach.  It was gong to be a very hard day.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!  It always has been.  I love to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while I helped my Mom bake.  I knew that whenI woke up in the morning that it was going to be a hard day.  We did get a call on Thanksgiving Eve telling us that our container would be delievered the next day!   It was music to my ears!  We woke up Thanksgiving morning and called home to Jareds family.  They were just about to sit up to eat.  My mother-in-laws decorations made us homesick!  The food looked amazing!  I could feel that pit getting bigger.....  

When what to my wondering eyes did appear....

a container of stuff from the U.S. to here!!! 

We got the kids off to school and we unpacked our hearts out!

We giggled and laughed at the things that we found!

A shot glass from Nashville Tennesse, a mason jar without a lid, a broken snow globe (that was broken before it left Utah), and of course a neighbors cup!

The kids were in love with their "new" toys!

From capes

to salt and pepper shakers

to decorations

it was starting to feel like home!

Much thanks to the wonderful people who lent us bedding, cookware, and toys! 

You were all little angels in our life!

We unpacked late into the night and at the same time started our Thanksgiving baking!  We found two families in our Ward to help us celebrate.  One family in our ward the Mom is from California and so that was fun and the other family in our ward lived in Utah for a few years while he did a Masters Program.  Jared took on the turkey which turned out so yummy!  

It would not be Thanksgiving with out the best Cranberry Salad EVER!

It felt like Thanksgiving!  There was food had by all!

a kids table

an adult table

movie watching by youngsters

Aussie teenagers wondering what in the world we are celebrating

adults that love food and never stop talking

more bored teenagers hehe

seriously...what is Thanksgiving

The whole crew who helped me not miss home too much!  

Amazing people that we are so lucky to know!

Healsville Sanctuary

A couple weeks ago my kids had a public holiday!

The Melbourne Cup

It's kinda like the Kentucky Derby

Prince Charles came from England among other celebs.

So we left the city and went to a little slice of Lake Shore!

Not really!

Felt like it though.  It was the first that we have seen cows,

sheep, and farms!

Love the scenery!

Grape Vineyards

And more vineyards.  

We got to our destination after one or two minor complications

with Gloria (our GPS)!

Healsville Sanctuary is a zoo like. 

Mainly just Australian animals!

The kids got to meet.........

ZOOPERMAN!

Fell even more in love with Koala bears!

It was a rainy day but that didn't stop us!

Kangaroos in the background.

Lizard, for Hunter!

Kangaroo, that the kids got to feed!

Beautiful!

If you let rainy days stop you in Melbourne,

well you wouldn't be going anywhere!

It goes from rainy to sunny to windy 

in a matter of minutes!

oh and in case you were wondering

Siblings

Boy oh boy did I have one "poopy" (literally) weekend last week.  Jared left on Thursday morning to head to Queensland for a doTERRA convention.  I am used to Jared traveling and that is nothing new to me.  Some might even say I am a pro!  He has traveled a lot over the last couple years and I have grown from it.  Normally when he leaves I have heaps of neighbors and family and friends that take care of me.  They feed us dinner, they would make us cookies, they would watch my kids so I could go out, they would have my kids come and play so I could get a break, they would come sleep over with me if I got scared or let me sleep at there house.  So yes I was a pro at Jared leaving but I was a "pro" because I had an army of amazing humans behind me to hold me up!  

Thursday was a great day.  My sweet friend Deb came over in the evening and made us dinner and I had collected some stuff and we made a very cute Christmas Wreath from pinterest.  It was a great day and an even greater night!  Then Friday came...Lillie had a birthday party after school at Mackers (McDonalds) and I took Boston and Paxton to the party as well.  Didn't really have a choice since Jared was gone.  Long story short...Paxton pooped his pants and while going into the bathroom it went all over the floor.  The tears immediately sprung to my eyes.  Why?  As my good friend Ross Gellar would say, "why do bad things happen to good people!!"  So here I am cleaning up his poop off of him, the floor, etc.  I then take my shirt off (luckily I had on an undershirt) and wrapped him in that.  I went out and told the Mom of the birthday girl what had happened and I would be back soon.  She was very sweet and told me not to worry she would keep an eye on Boston and LIllie.  So off we headed home to clean up Paxton.  He screamed the whole way home that he wanted to go play at Mackers.  I got him bathed, new clothes, did his hair and then I headed to my room to clean myself up and change my clothes.  Meanwhile he starts watching a movie on the iPad  I finish cleaning myself up and go and get him and he screamed bloody murder because he wanted to stay home and he did NOT want to go back to Mackers.  For the love!

Enter sibling #1

Isn't she pretty.  Luckily, for me with the time difference of us and Hawaii she was awake and listened to me rant, rave, and cry.  She is a mother of 5 and so she has been where I have been.  She didn't interrupt or try to defend Jared for being out of town or defend Paxton for being a toddler (both of those things she could have easily)! She sympathized with her little sister.  She simply listened and listened and then said..yep...it sucks!  She didn't give me any "fluff!" She told me how it is and for that I will be forever grateful!  She's my tough sister.  Some might even call her a hard A!  A true Shepherd!  She has been through everything I'm going through and she has set the bar high for me!  I love her and so grateful for her example to me.  Thank you sis for being a good sister with a big heart!  

Next, come Saturday!  Oh boy!  It was a little rainy and overcast and so I decided to get out of the house.  We went to an indoor play centre.  It is full of germs but man alive do my kids have fun there!  We had been there for a little over an hour.  I was prepared this time for an accident.  Every ten minutes I kept asking Pax if he needed to go potty.  Over and over!  He went once and then the rest of the time he was good.  About 20 minutes later he comes waddling over to me and says "mom I poopy!!!"  Oh boy did I want to die!  I didn't even try to clean it up.  I got my other two kids and headed home.  In the car Paxton put his hand in the poop and kept asking if he could lick it!  I repeatedly told him NO NO NO!  He kept asking so I finally said I don't care what you do.  His hand got right next to his lips and he started to GAG (he gets that from my side)!  I got him home cleaned him up, me up, took the carseat apart to wash it!  And thenI called my sister!

Enter sibling #2

Isn't she pretty!!  It was kind of a repeat of the same conversation I had with my other sister.  I cried and cried.  I told her I wanted to come home.  I needed family and friends.  I needed them!  I went on and on and on!  Poor picked on me!  Once again my sister...being a mother of 4...to kids that would have never have done anything like this!! :) (inside joke!)  She didn't interrupt.  She didn't defend (which looking back both of my sisters could have easily have done).  She cried with me.  She wished she could come and help me.  She has a heart as big as Texas.  She told me to stay strong!  She asked me if she could help book our tickets! Wink!  She would do anything for me and my kids.  She's my oldest sister and is all of our 2nd mother!  She takes care of us and always has.  I know all of my siblings value her opinion the most because she's always been there for us!  A true 1st child!

Believe it or not I survived until Sunday!  Rock on me!  Our church is at 9am and I got us all there on time!  Jareds flight got in at 11:30 and we would get home about the same time.  Three more hours of being a single mom (to those of you real single moms..I salute you).  I should have known better than to get my hopes up.  We got new callings on Sunday and the Bishop asked if Jared could come straight to church after his flight to be set a part and then go to Bishopric meeting (executive secretary).  Tears sprung to my eyes once again and I said sure!  Jared went to his meetings and I went home and tried to put on a happy face.  Made lunch, played uno, made cookies.  It was a pretty good afternoon but my little Boston was just testing my nerves all the way through the day.  Jared walked in door at 5 pm. I had survived my poopy weekend and so did the kids.  I still felt bad for myself.  And for the kids.  We went to dinner at a ward members house.  If you can't tell we have the best ward ever and they are so nice to us!!  And we had a great evening.  Great food and great company.  We got home and Jared put the kids to bed.  I went in my room and cried.  At this point I don't even know what Im crying for anymore.  My cries turned into a prayer...To be a better mom, a better wife, more patient, more understanding, and praying for help to not miss home!

Enter sibling #3

It was 9:30pm on Sunday our time and my brother Tyler texts me to see how my Sunday was.  I found this a little odd since it was 3:30am his time.  He was having a hard time sleeping and so he thought he would text me and see how my Sunday went.  We sent some texts back and forth.  He had gotten word about my "poopy" weekend and was checking on me.  It was 3:30am and my brother wanted to see if I was okay!  My favorite part was that he was watching a Christmas movie and eating some dessert!  So Grandpa Johnson like!  It melted my heart.  He then sent me this text and it was truly a direct answer to my prayers!

Perspective!  You bet!  Answer to my prayers!  You bet!  All I was thinking about was ME!  I loved his text.  I loved everything about it.  Even the parts that are hard to hear and even harder to put into motion!  Thanks big brother!  

Monday was a lot better day.  Jared was here and that makes the world a lot better place.  He literally is my everything.  My best friend.  My world just spins a lot better when he is here.  My kids were great, school was great!  I still felt a little exhausted from my weekend but I was in a much better place.  Boston did a super cute FHE lesson and drew this picture for all of us.  

He said it was our house in Salem and he knows one day we will get to go back there!  My favorite part of the picture was that he wrote mum!  I love being his mum!  

It was a good day!

Enter sibling #4

Isn't he cute!  Sorry bro! Ha! Bet you didn't know I did a screen shot of our FaceTime!  He had been in Brazil for a couple weeks and he got home on Monday and heard about my "poopy" weekend!  If you can't tell my family doesn't have much secrets!!  He was calling to tell me how proud he was of me.  That he knows its hard but he wishes he could be here having the same experiences I am having.  We are growing as a family!  Our own little family.  He is my mom's "Sunshine" and that is exactly what he is.  If you know him you can't help but not only smile when you are around him but LOVE him!  He is a father to 5 children and a pretty good one!  He gave me a pep talk!  Told me he loved me I think 60 times and at the end of the talk he kissed his iPad!  A big slobbery kiss!  I love him!  I am so grateful for him and for what he has taught me in life!  Never to give up!    

I looked up on google the definition of sibling:  A sibling is one of two or more individuals having one or both parents in common. A male sibling is called a brother, and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together, facilitating the development of strong emotional bonds such as love, hostility or thoughtfulness. The emotional bond between siblings is often complicated and is influenced by factors such as parental treatment, birth order, personality, and personal experiences outside the family.

I am literally the luckiest girl in the world to have my siblings!  I would agree with google, we

 have a strong bond!  We were raised in the same house, with the same parents!  We each

 turned out a little different!  I am the baby of the family and I wouldn't want it any other 

way.  I get to look up to the most amazing people!   get to learn from their example, 

mistakes, and influence.  I have the best nieces and nephews and that came from them as 

well!  In a three day period they all took the time to reach out to me and show me how 

much they love me! I LOVE them with all my heart!  Even though we are a little crazy!  And 

sensitive.  And miss each other like crazy!

 I. LOVE. THEM!

Testimony

Happy Sunday to everyone. I bore my testimony in church last Sunday and it was scary. I want to remember these early months here, the good, the bad, the hard, the Victories!

I told myself I would not cry, I think I got out good morning bro..... And then the tears came. I feel like the Lord has blessed me and my family so much in the last month that I needed to Stand and publicly thank Him.

We have gone through so many changes since being here. Learning to adjust being away from family and  friends and getting used to new schools.  Those are obviously the big things.  Learning to drive on the other side of the road! Keep left! Learning the Aussie slang,  It is the rubbish man and the one I will never get used to...asking a stranger where the nearest toilet is. I just feel like my mama taught me no manners when I say that!!  Like I said we have just had change after change.  I get really homesick.  I cry a lot.  I miss things a lot.  My kids get homesick and they don't know how to deal with these big feelings.  Change. Change. Change.  The ONE thing that has stayed constant and 'normal' and feels like home is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I have immediate friends, people who believe the same things as me, and I have a ward family.  I ran into a lady at McDonald's who is from New Orleans.  She has lived here a little over a year.  Somehow we got talking about religion and she said her church is a lot different here in Australia.  She was naming some differences of the two and she asked me if my church was the same.  With a smile on my face I told her that mine is EXACTLY the same.

I have a greater respect for missionaries.  What a hard thing.  These kids pack up and do at such a young age.  They leave everything they know to go and spread the word of God.  Also, to all you moms out there with missionaries... they are okay.  Wherever they are they have a ward family.  They have something that is familiar and truly amazing.  What an amazing church we belong to.  I am so grateful for my knowledge of my Savior.  I am so grateful he knows me and knows my little family and knows what we stand in need of.  I am grateful for his perfect example.  I am grateful for the people in our ward that have taken our family in so generously.  We truly feel loved by all of you.

Smiley Face

Can you believe it has been another week!  What a week we have had!  We feel each day that we are getting more and more settled in.  We are loving our home, our ward, and the kids adore their school!  Each week I am so impressed by Boston and Lillie.  Kids really are amazing creatures that are so resilient and upbeat!  So grateful for them even if they are little high strung most of the time.

Over the weekend we were able to celebrate Boston's 7th birthday!!!  I took pictures on my phone and so I will upload them sometime.  For his birthday he really wanted to go to the bowling alley.  Let me tell you how expensive Melbourne is...it is $14.50 a person to bowl!  So for our family of 5 it would have been $72.50! For one game!  I am use to BYU bowling where the whole family can bowl for like $15!!  Anyway, once we got to the bowling alley and paid to bowl Boston asked if we could do the arcades instead.  Which was *heaps cheaper to do the arcades.  So that is what we did!  Then we went out for a steak dinner (Bostons favorite behind Los Hermonos) and then we went to our Ward party.  Which happened to be a cake auction to help raise money for the youth.  Lucky for me (but mostly Boston) I bought Boston the coolest *Tin Tam and M&M cake for a whoppin $65 (it was for a good cause, right)! Happy Birthday Boston, sure do love you to pieces!

We did it!  We swallowed our pride or more like I swallowed my pride and bought a van!  Once again the prices in Australia are crazy when it comes to cars!  We bought a 2001 Chrysler for $12,500!  {gag}

As a family we have been trying to decide on a name for the beauty.  The golden egg, the golden statue, the golden eagle...but it was not until Jared's realization of what the three letters on our cars license plate did we settle on a name.....The Golden ZIT!

In the words of my sweet 5 year old, in a giggle, that is what mommy gets! (Thanks Lillie, you are now officially removed from the will!  NO golden zit for you)

Going to give you a little sneak peak into our home.  Don't expect too much seeing that our container has not arrived.  Speaking of, would you like to see the "vessell" that all of our stuff is on.  When Jared showed me the picture last night I was quite impressed.  So, I thought I would share.  Crazy to think that our stuff has traveled on this boat all the way from America!  Amazing!!  

Here is a picture of our house! Very modern!  I love it!  Their are things throughout our house that one day when me and Jared build back in Utah that we will definitely be incorporating into our house!  I will feature some of these items through out the years we live here (so keep reading ;))

The view from our balcony...

My mom was quite amazed by our mailbox and she thought we should share!  They put the mail in that little whole and then on the back it opens up with a key!  Pretty cool!  Speaking of addresses...anyone want to come see us!! :)

Our beautiful kitchen table and chairs.  Or, as the Aussies say *tresses!

This is how Pax watches TV!  :)

Our sleeping arrangements...

House Feature #1

I love this!  This is actually built into the wall and we have one built into the wall in the garage.  It is for shoes.  

Each drawer just slides open and you put your shoes in it!  It is brilliant!  I think that you could get really creative with these!

Me and Pax were able to go on a play date last week with our sweet friend Kerri and her son Lincoln.  We went to an indoor play centre because the weather was rainy.  Kerri ordered us some hot chocolates and *mini chinos for the kids.

Lincoln and Pax loving the balls!

Pax, Lincoln, and Kerri taking the Thomas the Train through the *shopping centre!

Also, they do not celebrate Halloween down under.  Which for me that does not hurt my feelings one bit.  I think Halloween is my least favorite holiday.  It is so much work getting the kids all dressed up and then take them to see grandmas, grandpas, trunk or treats, neighbors, etc.  The Auger family is totally fine being on bi for a couple years.  But what we will miss the most is my *Mums birthday is on Halloween!  So we will miss her homemade chili, Ashlies homemade bread-sticks, and just all meeting at her house where my dad has gone to Sam's Club and bought the kids king size candy bars (and most likely that is where he got my moms gift too...haha)!!  That is what I will miss!  Happy Birthday Mom!  Love you a million brown licorices!

Aussie Slang Guide

*Heaps- they use this word to describe anything in large amounts.  "Heaps and heaps of rain came down today!"

*Tresses- folding tables

*Tim Tams- An Australian cookie type treat. They actually do sell in the US now but according to Jared (and any missionary that served here) they are better here in Oz!

*Mini Chino- a cup literally full of froth and Pax loved it.

*Shopping Centre- Kinda like a mall.  But they have grocery stores, and pharmacies, and every shopping centre has a huge fresh fruit market that are to die for.  

*Rubbish- Trash or garbage.  It is the rubbish man, take the rubbish out, etc!

*Wet his tummy- While on our play date Kerri said she needed to wet Lincolns tummy...I had to ask her what that meant...she said ya know get him a drink.  I said...oh...wet his whistle!  And she said What!!!

*Boot- trunk of the car

*Mum- Mom