BEST 2 YEARS….

I know what many of you are thinking, who could be old enough to go on a mission in the Manning household.  Tom and I are eligible in the age department, even though we don't want to admit it.  So, what is this post about…..drum roll please, Claire got her braces off.  YIPPEE! 

DONE!

Claire had many complex jaw/tooth problems.  She needed braces and a big metal device that moved her lower jaw forward using springs, rods and screws.  Let's just say that she had a mouthful of metal.  It was a crazy and very uncomfortable over the last couple of years.  There were times when she wondered if this whole experience was going to be worth it.  I knew that she would be THRILLED with the results but, I felt bad that many afternoons she was in excruciating pain.  

We moved to Australia with six months before we were finished with her orthodontic work and I worried about the prospect of finding a new orthodontist.  I toyed with the idea of just flying her home every couple of months (I know this sounds crazy).  However, my Cary orthodontist assured me that he would find a good Australian orthodontist that practiced the same philosophy.  He often reminded me that I was not moving to a Third-World country.  Well can I just say that Dr. Bo pulled through for us again in the recommendations department.  We found a fantastic orthodontist and he was able to just step into the whole complicated process that we had started in Cary.  The only drawback was the fact that it took a little longer than we expected due to the move "down under."   

Claire is loving her new smile.  She thinks that her teeth feel quite weird - "slimy" were her words.  She loves all of the space that she has in her mouth and that she can bite straight into an apple when she feels the desire to do so.  She is one happy camper.  It was music to my ears when she stated…."BRACES WERE TOTALLY WORTH IT - BEST 2 YEARS!"

Now we are starting the same process with Grace….and then Jane.  I think maybe I should have considered being a orthodontist myself.  I could have saved us some serious CASH!  

Before

At the beginning - first day :)

The six month mark.

One year to go.

Months to go - 2.

All Done!

RED

Excitement and Anticipation

For Grace and Jane's birthdays, they got concert tickets to see Taylor Swift.  Taylor Swift's RED concert was coming to Sydney.  They have been "singing" down the days to December 4th when they could finally see their dreams come true.  They had everything planned out and were feeling the excitement.  The concert started at 6:30 pm with the opening act (Guy Sebastian - not a guy I even know -- and it is not because I am OLD).  We live about 35 minutes from where the concert was being held and traffic in Sydney is notorious for its crazy congestion so I figured I should give myself plenty of time to get there.  I figured an 1 hour and a half was plenty of time.  We did not need to see much of the opening act and as long as we were there for Taylor, we were good - she would not be on until at least 8 pm.

BOY OH BOY WAS I WRONG!    It took us 4 hours to travel the quick 35 minute drive to the stadium.  Once we were there,  there was NO PARKING.  The event staff had underestimated how many people would be at this event and did not plan accordingly with traffic, parking staff and overall fans.  When I heard Taylor start singing, I was stopped behind an traffic accident and it was 9 pm.  I instructed my three girls to exit our car and follow a mom with her two daughters towards the stadium.  I wanted them to see the concert - BUT INSIDE I WAS THINKING WHAT ARE YOU DOING - THIS IS NUTS!  Jane was crying as she exited the car because she did not want to go without me but, I did not know how much longer it would take me to find a place to park amid the madness.

As I watched them walk into the darkness with the other 55,000 fans, with no meeting plan organized and no way to contact them, my heart sank.  Claire chose not to bring her cell phone because she wanted to be "present" and in the moment with us however, as they got out of the car  I was WISHING that she was a technology obsessed teenager that could not live without her cell phone.  I hoped that she would remember to find a policeman if I never arrived so that they could call me to retrieve them.

As soon as I saw them disappear, I started to beg Heavenly Father for some help.  We had been praying for assistance with the traffic situation most of the night, but, when your three baby girls are ALONE at a concert due to a quick decision that you made your sense of urgency becomes quite heighten.   45-minutes later, I found a parking spot.  It was not close to the stadium (about a 15 minute walk) but I ran towards Taylor Swift's voice.  I really did not care if I got to see her or not, I just wanted to see my three gorgeous girls and assure them that I was okay.  I made it and I got to see the second half of Taylor Swift.  But, I can honestly say that my highlight of the night was seeing my three girls, sitting in their seats, safe and sound and enjoying the show.  I saw them and just wept as I put my arms around them.  They are my LIFE'S WORK and I cannot imagine my life without them.

Claire did a magnificent job of navigating the walk to the stadium in the dark.  She got them settled into their seats and helped to calm Jane's tears and fears.  She reassured them that if I could not find a place to park she would take charge.  I am so grateful for her wisdom and her ability to be hyper-focused on the need at hand.  She can drive them nuts at times but, she will protect them no matter the circumstances and they appreciate it.

The Queen - Taylor Swift - Performing for us.

They loved the concert and only missed one song.  Taylor Swift is one classy young lady.  She has faced some really tough challenges in life and has not given up on herself.  She is a wonderful role model of a strong, confident, happy young lady that is in constantly in the public eye and still managing to maintain composure and grace. These are the three characteristics that Tom and I are trying to instill in our young daughters and it was good for them to see an example of this.

We had a great time despite the rocky beginning that was filled with worry, sweat and tears.  It will be experience they will always remember.  By the way, the drive home only took 45 minutes.  WOW WHAT A NIGHT!

Here they are Happy that we made it.  :) 

The day after, in their T-Shirts.  

TASMANIA

Enjoying some coco to warm up.

This last weekend, we took the opportunity to go to Tasmania.  Claire has been lobbying to go see Tasmania since we moved here and I was finally able work it into the schedule.  The girls are not out of school yet so we needed to take them out for two days to make it happen.  They were happy to miss school and really happy to see all that Tassie has to offer.

I have met a wonderful friend at church who was born and raised in Tassie. She was sweet to share some of her highlights/must-sees with us.  I tried to plan our trip closer to summer because it can be quite cold in Tassie considering it is just 3000 Kilometers from Antarctic.

We arrived in Hobart Thursday morning and it was quite cold and wet.  We decided to spend the morning in and around Battery Point.  The streets of Battery Point look like they are from a little coastal village in England somewhere.  We had such a good time walking the streets and looking at all of the charming houses despite the drizzle coming down from the sky.

Street in Hobart

After spending an afternoon in Hobart, Tasmania, we drove to the Tasman Peninsula.  We stayed at a lovely little lodge that had individual cabins in the bush.  However, it was surrounded by the gorgeous rocky coastline. Best of both worlds - beach and mountains.





Friday morning bright and early, we headed out on a Wilderness Adventure.  We spent three hours on a boat learning and observing all we could about the jagged, rugged, beautiful coastline of the Tasman Peninsula.  However, as we were on our three hour tour, we discovered that 3 of the 5 of us suffer from some extreme motion-sickness.  Due to this minor issue, which became a major issue considering we had stormy conditions with 4 metre swells, it was touch and go for a bit - more touch than go.  Three of us were quite happy when we pulled into port and could get off of the boat.  Grace and I could have stayed on that boat all day - we had a lovely trip.

Here are some pictures of what we saw....unbelievable.

Before the fun began....sick tummies :(

Port Arthur - this was a prison a long time ago.

Cormorants Birds that look like penguins but are not like them because they don't swim.

Seals, we saw Australian Seals and New Zealand seals.

Waterfall emptying into Waterfall Bay

After a day and a night on the Tasman Peninsula, we drove north along the coast towards Wineglass Bay.  It is a Bay that is located in Freycinet National Park and it is stunning as well.  Our accommodations in this part of Tasmania looked like they were part of the English countryside.  It was a cute little cabin with stone walls, a wood-burning stove, and just picturesque.  We truly enjoyed our two days up there despite the occasional downpour.  We spent many hours combing the beach for all kinds of treasures.

Our cabin

Our view from our back porch.

Treasure One - Don't worry we did not pick these up.

Tom made us a fire - what a great hubby and daddy.

We went to Wineglass Bay and stopped at a lighthouse to admire the amazing view - it was a bit windy and cold.

Jane's holding the lighthouse in her hand.

Some of the vineyards that we passed on our way to Wineglass Bay.

Overall we had a memorable trip that was full of many firsts and lots of laughter.  We really enjoyed Tasmania and would not mind going back.  We will definitely pack more warm clothes though - many layers are needed.  Jane was thrilled to be able to pick-up another stuffed animal to add to her collection (addiction).  A penguin - named Arthur - Thanks Tassie.

LOVEBOAT

The Captain and his Skippers.

Ever since we started this adventure, I am always looking for ways for us to see, do and experience this exciting place that we live.  The coastlines are beautiful and often you cannot see the beauty without the occasional opportunity of viewing it from the water.

This last weekend, I had made arrangements for us to rent a boat and go out on the water to see the landscape that surrounds Booker Bay.  Booker Bay is about an hour drive North of Sydney towards the Central Coast.  It is a lovely bay with gorgeous bush-lands and exquisite homes.  We had arranged to rent a "LITTLE" boat for half of a day so we needed to be at the boathouse by 9 am Saturday morning.  The girls were less than thrilled to have their beauty sleep interrupted (this includes me) but, it was worth the early wake up call.  


We headed out on the water and piddled around the bay in our little dingy for 2 hours.  We laughed, watched clouds, ate snacks, picked out our favorite houses,  and just soaked up the beauty.  The girls were quite sad that I had not brought bait and fishing equipment, but, I promptly reminded them that if we caught any fish, they would need to clean them.  They immediately made the YUCKY face and were happy with the quiet, beauty that we experienced.  Many times, I am happy that I have little "HORMONAL" girls!

Grace making us LAUGH!

Captain is photobombing.

Captain Manning of the Loveboat!

Cruise Director Mom & Jane are still waking up....I hate early mornings.

Jane becoming Happier as the morning goes.

The two early birds  - we are glad to have them in our family because they help us in the morning.