Lucky Lucas

Lucas had a big finish to the school holidays as well as a big start to the new school year. A couple of milestones worth noting....

With the successful completion of his diving certificate, Lucas joins the rest of the men in the Elam family who are all SCUBA certified to dive. It was a huge commitment for Luc since it meant giving up the final mornings to sleep-in during the school break to take the diving class. When it was all over and done, Lucas conceded that it was a great accomplishment and he was glad he did it. Now, Steve can go diving with all three of his sons, whenever they are all on the same continent again. At present Scotty is in the Marine Corps., stationed in Japan, Andrew is in the U.S., Luc and Steve are Down Under. I'm certain a diving vacation will materialize in the not-too-distant future for the Elam boys. Meanwhile, Sam and I are toying with the idea of getting certified as well. Unfortunately, Cami will not be able to get SCUBA certified, since she has asthma, but the Hookah method could be a great option for her.

Lucas celebrated his achievement with a cigar, (see photos of Lucas holding up his dive card, cigar, and congratulation flowers. Everybody say "awwwww".) which he smoked in its entirety in the side yard and which then promptly made him throw up. Check that rite of passage off the list!

A week later, Lucas and Sam started school at Lake Joondalup Baptist College, and we celebrated Luc's 15th birthday not long after that. Luc is a cheesecake guy, (in more ways than one!!!) so that's what he got for a "cake". Judging by the smile on his face, he was happy with it. Dad equipped Lucas with all new diving gear for his birthday, so he is ready to explore the depths of the ocean and hunt for fish and crays for dinner.

Good on ya, Luc!

Top Ten Most Annoying Things About Australia(ns)

OK. Steve and Lucas have been here officially for one year this month. (Wow, huh?) Sam, Cami and I have been here just shy of 10 months. Time has flown by and we are really getting the hang of things here, having a better idea what to expect with almost a year under our belt. All I can say is....WHEW; What a ride!

That being said, there are a few things about life here that I'm fairly sure we just won't ever get over...

Our top 10:

10. No good bread, pastry, or cookies. A sorely missed food component here.
9. Endless infomercials on regular network stations. Appalling.
8. Packaging in tiny portions. Can you say "COSTCO"?
7. "Cream" this and "custard" that. Yuck.
6. No shopping after 5 pm or on Sundays AT ALL. Hello???
5. Different meaning applied to common words; complete with secret Aussie handshake.
4. Pedestrians (even school kids) do not have the right of way;They'll mow you down!
3. The shopping carts (trolly's) roll sideways. They are uncontrollable.
2. Aussies will not look at you in the store isle and will make no attempts to be friendly or excuse themselves to get by. What the ???

And, the number one thing that sends me to the moon; (admittedly, the kids don't have a problem with this one)
1. Barefeet are permitted in the malls, grocery stores, restaurants, churches. No one wears shoes in Australia. Gross.

OK, that was the negative side. I feel better now. Stay tuned for the top 10 things we LOVE about Aussies and Australia!

Under the Sea...

I have always been drawn to the ocean. Well, maybe not always. My parents will tell you that as a child I didn't like swimming in the ocean; yucky seaweed, wierd sea creatures and crabs that wanted only to bite your toes. Thankfully, I outgrew that! Now I treasure every memory of the summers I spent in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and I am completely drawn to the mystery, beauty and majesty of the ocean. I respect her; she is powerful.
Yesterday the Indian Ocean was flat. It happens every so often, but not nearly often enough. With the wind coming from the east, or, no wind at all, the ocean looks flat and has virtually no white caps and the waves are very small or barely there. Perfect water for snorkeling. And that is how I spent my afternoon yesterday.
There are many reefs off the coast of Perth, which makes for prime snorkeling. I made my way to Burns Beach, just minutes from home, early in the afternoon. Donning my mask, snorkel and fins I splashed awkwardly into the aqua blue water and entered a world that inspires awe every time. Feeling giddy and pretending to be Ariel, (fins just give you wings!) I swam with the fish and peered into crevices of reefs, playing peek-a-boo with the shy little Angelfish. The reefs themselves contain so much abundant plant and animal life, you could spend hours just exploring. And the colors...with the sunlight filtering in from above, it was magical. If I could have unclenched my teeth from my snorkel mouthpiece to laugh I would have; but I could certainly smile. And I did.

Margaret River Magic

We took a trip just before school started to a region just about 3 hours south of Perth known as Margaret River. This region is world famous for the wines that are produced there, so it seemed an obvious choice for a destination vacation! We went with some good friends and did the camping thing. Margaret River also has world class surfing, which is a huge draw for serious surfers the world over. This region is amazing, as it truly seems to have it all. A sampling of what we did over the 4-day period of time we were there; visit a cheese factory, visit a chocolate factory, visit several wineries, shop in Margaret River, horseback riding, archery, visit a few breweries, swimming every day at places along the coastline featuring those world class waves (whew, they are something) and some calm inlets with crystal clear water, and the "rock place", as I refer to it, where we climbed and swam.
Our campsite was on a working farm, which was interesting and provided quite a bit for all the kids to do. They spent a lot of time with the animals as you can see from the pictures. It was a fabulous trip and I can't wait to go again. We are planning our next trip with our friends without the kids so we can focus more on those wineries we could only drive by because of other planned activities. Sigh.










The landscape in Margaret River was a change from Perth and reminded us very much of the Rogue Valley. Obviously there were gorgeous, lush green vineyards everywhere over gently rolling hills, and more traditional looking trees and bush. In Perth we have a lot of odd looking plants and a great many palm trees. It doesn't remind us even remotely of home!
Sadly we've begun to notice that the mornings are darker when we get up and the sunsets are coming earlier. Time is marching on. Steve and Lucas have been here a year this month, and Cami, Sam and I are marking our 9th month here. It has been an amazing journey so far. Sometimes painfully difficult, and sometimes giddily wonderful. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

school daze...

Well. Finally. School has started again here in Western Australia. The school summer holiday is only 6 weeks long, but it's plenty long enough. The tedium had set in, the boredom showing it's full effect. Three grumpy, bored, (almost) teenagers who seem to want only to eat and sleep. and eat. and eat. For reasons I will never understand none of them like to go to the beach. That alone qualifies them as aliens in my book; I can't get enough of it!

But, in Western Australia the task of getting kids ready to return to school is a full time job. The list of supplies they are required to have is nothing short of stunning. I've come to the conclusion that the school and school supply stores must be in cahoots and get a percentage of profits. Don't even get me started on the uniforms! This year Sam and Lucas are attending a private Christian school called Lake Joondalup Baptist College. Get this; mandatory items include LJBC caps, backpacks, socks, shorts w/belt, button down shirts with school emblem embroidered on the front pocket, socks for PE, shorts and shirt for PE, black lace up shoes. In the winter they are required to wear grey trousers, ties, and a blazer. I have to admit the uniform looks not unlike something you would expect to see in a private boarding school in England. (I'll get pics of the boys and post them) As you may imagine, it didn't go over well with the boys at first, but then when they get to school and see everyone looking equally dorky, they get over it quickly. Sam's first day was yesterday and he had a great day and said he really liked the school, the teachers and kids a lot. His first friend that he made there is from Baharain. One of his teachers is from Nigeria. He is taking Japanese as a foreign language. With all this international exposure I expect he will be able to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State in no time!
Meanwhile, I'll just put my feet up and have another cup of coffee in my blissfully quiet home....