Lights

First of all...

THEY'RE HERE!

It's certainly a dream come true.  

Second: Phil couldn't wait to take the fam out to see the Christmas lights.  He was stoked.  

Like I said before, Aussie lights are just their own breed so our fam ventured out to take a gander.

Pretty amazing hey?

 

This house is complete with a snow machine and all.  Fewph!

and Mr. Santa even joined us.

Six White Boomers!

(check out the song here...then you'll understand)

This homeowner just told my sister to 'hop' right into the sleigh themselves.  Kind gent!

  

Mom brought these cool glasses over from the states.  You put them on and then look at Christmas lights through them.  All the little lights turn into snowmen or stars or even snowflakes! Although we kind of looked like blind wanderers out on the street, they were definitely a hit!

Phil's most favorite thing just got kicked up a notch.  

Those specs rocked his world.

First Oh B-ray...I'm so glad you're special here. :)

  

I can't believe they're here...in my house...in Australia.

I'm lovin' life.

xoxo

In the meadow we can build a snowman

{Remember last December?}

Living in this...

...and skiing in this.

Oh the memories seeing all the lights, all bundled up!

Well not this year!

                           We go for walks around the 

                            neighborhood in our shorts 

                           and tees just to take a gander 

                           at the lights.

I'd say Aussies have 

their very own method for lighting 

their homes...

                                                              ...plus you can do so much more 

                                                                               when it's warm outside.

You even meander around the house and look into 

their windows for more lights 

and christmas joy.

These houses were crazy guys...and there are more right down our street.

Needless to say phil is in heaven.  

These houses are unlike anything I've ever seen!

No snowmen this year in a whole new December for me.

xoxo

Silleee

Finals...(okay finaL) are over!  Time to celebrate guys!

These little fellas gave me a little joy today to add to my post-final high.  

{sorry p-town girls. If you didn't succeed in grooming it this semester, there's always the next one in just a few short weeks right? :) }

and then this little pleasure. please enjoy.

please do.

{look out p-town ladies...this little girl knows the scriptures better than you do.  Might just catch the eye of that EQ you were lovin this semester...}

It's Official

Done.

It has been done.

Music must just be my thing because it has done it.

It's official.

I'm in the Christmas mood.
It's taken me a bit without my snow, 
but with help, I've made it! 

My new favorite 

This ten year old angel just makes me long for a quiet winter night.

Christmas, I'm here!

And to help you bah-humbugs join me, watch this.

Truly the reason for the season.

Ma-ma-ma-Merry Christmas!

Game Time

Remember that one time it was cream of the crop NBA time right now back in the good ole US of A?  Yeah-well I'm missin me some game time so what do we do?  Phil and I create our own!

Hundreds of screaming fans...me and Phil.

Jazz...Bennallacks.

Ticketed seats...couch.

$$$$...free.

Ha-practically the same right?

Oh yeah

Basketball...Celestial Pursuit.

Ok, so not so much the same thing, but oh well!

Game Phil got his "A" game on, or should I say his "C" game.  C for C-elestial.

He'll intimidate his competition with his hand signals and all.

We got this game from Phil's parents when they moved to New Zealand.  I'm not quite sure where they got it, but I think this thing is possibly an antique!  It was more of just a joke when I took it from Mum & Dad B's but we busted it out last night anyway.  After clearing the cobwebs and spiders off it (literally), we ended up with some good laughs.

They had all types of LDS questions.

This one was priceless.

Q: "What is the name of BYU's student newspaper?)

A: The Daily Universe

YES for being a BYU student!  But Phil got this question and guess what-he knew it!  Without even being a student.  I've taught him well. :)

We had some good and hard played game time.  When we were finished, we went out to take the all too familiar "Christmas lights" drive (Phil's fave).  This is what greeted us.

Beauty.

.game on.

xoxo

♪♫ It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas♪♫

Oh hey...it's Christmas-time...well at least it is in our house.  Yup, we've decorated!-or at least started.  I'm lovin the cozy feel of the holidays.  Regardless how how hard it is for me to think "christmas" when I come inside from a swim in our pool or a blazin' hot day outside to see our Christmas tree...I'm still getting in the holiday spirit.

Phil didn't need ANY persuasion to get his Christmas mood going. This kid just simply is Christmas.  We've been taking detours on the way home from the shops for the past month searching for Christmas lights.  The past month guys...this phil guy of mine is a teensy excited!

I love it though...and now our house does too!

Can I just tell you how much I ♥ this lantern that dear IKEA blessed us with?  Yesir-I love it.

Our first little nativity.  

You could say I'm a garland fanatic.  It's definitely my favorite way to decorate for Christmas.

Here's our table centerpiece.  I love candles!

We even added a Christmas touch to our bookshelf.  It kind of reminds me of old fashioned Christmas...my fave.

We put our extra ornaments to use!

And our grand finale: our tree.  We're real proud of this one. :)

and with lights, it's even better.

♪♫"It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas"♪♫

Thankful

.life.rain.trampolines.chocolate.thunder.friends.skype.

.missionaries.philip ross.shelter.gospel.my job.milk.

.cell phones.art.trees.temples.flowers.telephone.pretzels.

.sunscreen.airplanes.australia.family.snow.bananas.smiles.

.dasies.service.internet.miracles.piano..books.nutella.

.music.christmas.repentance.sewing machine.creativity.

.america.pictures.air conditioning.sunshine.organization.letters.
.dear friends.fridge.helpful hands.safety... 

{our wall decor-thanks mom!}

...and love.

Love keeps this world going.

Love keeps us going.

Love is what enabled us all to live as families together forever.

From one continent to the next...

Happy Thanksgiving

xoxo

Birthday Bash!

The Saturday following my birthday, we had the whole Bennallack clan (the local ones anyway) and our friends over for a birthday bash.  My brother-in-law, Eric, and I share the same birthday so we gathered at our place for one and all.

Food for 14 people is easy-peasy when everyone chips in.  Thanks guys!

Phil and I made my 'cake'.  We wanted to try something different.  I'm just not a huge fan of cake so cupcakes were the perfect solution.  We colored the batter and made our own funfetti icing (my fave!)

YUM!

They turned out so cute.

Make a wish!

POOL PARTY!

...via photos. :)

Fun in the sun!

It got even more exciting when a random down-pour decided to grace us with it's presence.  No worries though- we juat all crammed into our little bitty flat...yup, all of us!  We played a fun (and very cozy!) game of Apples-to-Apples to seal the deal.

Thanks for celebrating with us everyone!

xoxo 

Ideal

22 guys-Holy toledo. . . just look at me go!

This birthday was superb!

It started off with only a half-day at work (yeah Church Offices!)  Phil greeted me with a personal delivery of these lovely flowers.  He's a gem.

and my Mom's birthday package arrived at work just before I had to leave.  Perfect timing!

Then it was home to the present spread from Philip and all the fam.

Look at me...ha, on second thought, maybe don't!  I'm just eeking excitement to open these birthday joys.

We were joined by my family via Skype for opening presents.  First birthday without the parentals and sibs around...bit sad, but Skype is our best friend.

I was spoiled rotten!  My most missed American goodies and all.

These family people, extended included, are the best!  Thanks everyone!

Presents were followed by a swim in our pool.

Yes: a swim.

On November 10th.  My birthday.

Can't say I've ever swam on my birthday before!  Thanks Oz!

Next stop: Outback Steakhouse.

Get this- the most American food you can find in Oz = Outback Steakhouse.  Go figure!

love love LOVE it...I'm a little excited as you can see.  Just a little.  And Phil is doing his Jocelyn pose for your viewing pleasure.

We always get American waiters at Outback and they have American sized meals and free re-fills on drinks.

Ribs please?  Perfect.

I guess not everything  is American there.  Take the dunny for example...perhaps you would like to take a gander at the dunny?

Probably not folks.  Dunny is Australian for toilet. Negative on the gander eh?

After a scrumptious dinner and a trip to dominate some blokes in a round of laser tag, we came back home to a surprise cake Phil made for me.  Homemade guys-my man is legit!  Ice cream with all my favorite Cadbury deliciousness mixed in.
So good. Soooooo good!

Ice cream cake and a chick flick to finish the night.

My hubs knows me best.  It was ideal.

Not to mention the party that weekend...post to come.

Wow guys - 22

and married

and spoiled

and swimming

and in Australia

and all.

Who would've thought?

Questacon

Questacon = FUN

'nuff said.

It was interactive, interesting and informative.

Triple 'I' yesiree!

We bike raced...

we flew...



and we learned a trick or two!

Really...this place was so fun.  Phil's fave is the level with all the 'sideshow' stuff.  He was so giddy when we finally made it to that floor.

He's just like a kid, but better! :)

Phil and I apparently have skills on this next lil' gadget...but then they sped it up...

Talented hey?

Now onto my execution.

I guess this was supposed to teach me something about fear...

...and by-jiggers it certainly did!  Fewph- I lived!

~the guillotine is not my friend.  Note taken.~

Anyone care for a slide?  A giant one perhaps?  Just come to Questacon!

We're all smiles (ha minus Dan) and ready for the adrenaline rush.

giant

See, told you!

Just let go and slide!  It looks smaller in the photo but in real life it was really hard to tell my head to let my hands let go of the bar...more fear learning.  Gotta love it.

We finished off our Questacon adventure at a little show about airplanes.  Georgia and I got to go on stage.  I was surprised she was brave enough to go up...I think the big balloons sealed the deal for her.

We loved Questacon...here are some last photos from our adventure.

~This fancy little shinanigan...there was a green screen and a huge flash went off while we were in front of the screen and then kept our shadows there once we moved away.  Yup-definitely played on this one for a while. :)~

~Caylee in the kaleidescope~

~this is Caylee's "waiting for Dan look" that we see all too often.  Love it~

By the end of the day, Caylee & I decided that our real kids were these two fine boys here...

...they were totally enthralled by this marble machine and by the whole museum as well.

Cute little Phile and Dan -our kids at heart.

I'll keep my kid around I think.  

Definitely a keeper.

xoxo