Capitalizing!

A picture taken at Tangalooma (before Christmas!)

I'm very happy to report that we are planning a dream vacation within a dream vacation! During the July holidays we are going to Cairns. More specifically we are staying in Palm Cove. Which I hear is just idyllic! We've been fortunate to find 2 apartments that will accommodate the 7 of us (The Johnsons, The Hagenmaiers and my mom). It is one street away from the beach! We have booked our airline reservations and paid the deposit on the apartments. Now we just have to decide which excursions to take part. A must do is the Outer Reef. Past that we all have our desires and will, I'm sure, get to most of them. We must not overlook the past time of just lazing on the tropical beach.

The girls are settling in to their new school year with great gusto! Audrey is in heaven by participating in the school's artistic gymnastics team. She's quite tired afterwards, but happy nonetheless. She has training each Tuesday evening after school. The 2-day meet isn't until May. She's also enjoying drama class at school as well. The Year 8 production will be a wonderful creative outlet for her. She attempted a part time job, delivering store ads to about 250 homes. But, seeing as how what should have been a 3-day a week afternoon job, was turning into 5 days with A LOT of help from mom----she pleasantly resigned!

Emily is busy busy busy with classes, softball, chorale, symphonic band, soccer, hip hop dance class and she just told me that rowing conditioning begins this week as well. She'll be packing up tonight for a band camp this coming weekend (transportation back to the school for the kids who have sport on Saturday). Next term she said she'd like to play club basketball and try net ball with the school. Her philosophy is to try all the sports that she'd not be able to do while at home. I say, "GO FOR IT!!!" She's also going to sign up for a couple of online classes, Chemistry and U.S. History. This will allow her to stay on track for college entrance requirements as well as HS graduation. Soon, very soon, she'll need to begin preparations for the SAT and ACT testing. She will have access to take these tests here in Australia. Hard to imagine that HS graduation and college applications are really on the not so far horizon for her!

Mark has been taking it easy lately. His repetitive stress injury has flared in a new spot. His upper shoulder/lower neck has a pinched nerve. So he has been going to a physical therapist (physio = local terminology) for relief. He's also had an ergonomic work space specialist come to evaluate and rearrange his desk and equipment. He is making progress, although riding in a car for anything longer than a drive to work/school/home is more than he is comfortable doing, so we've not been able to do more exploring/adventuring. Needless to say, he is not happy about that. But---he is improving and sticking with it.

He has been able to buy some new "toys" though! Last night he installed some more computer equipment that let's us watch the US shows that he has recorded. YEAH!!! Now, don't get me wrong---we are watching aussie telly too!! We've become fans of Cricket and Rugby. We (the girls and I) love to watch McCleod's Daughters. As a family we enjoy seeing the aussie version of Deal or No Deal, and 1 vs 100 is a fun game show as well. I've borrowed the Kath and Kim dvd's and have a hoot watching those! (not really a family show)

Well, that's all for now! Again, my apologies for not updating in sooo long. I shall try to be better!