Weekend Away

Phil & I have been wanting to visit Canberra one more time before our move overseas.

Add Don & Lisa to the mix and we got a weekend away with friends.

There are just some people that you love to be around and are instant friends.  

That's how we feel about Don & Lisa.  

We loved spending the weekend together with them.

First we visited Old Parliament House (one of my favorite buildings in Canberra).

I've been wanting to do a tour there since we only got a teaser last time.

The building is beautiful and has so much history there.  Our tour guide knew all the details.  

It was fun to learn so much.

Plus, we got to try out being Speaker of the House ourselves.

Don went for the powerful look, I'm just amazed by the chair and Phil looks bored with parliament.

After our tour it was time to hit the War Memorial/Museum.

This place blew me away.  

There is no way you would be able to see this whole place in one go, but we did our best.

We were so glad that we went with Don & Lisa because Don is in the army and had so much insight into well...everything.

Again, we learned so much!

The museum is so interactive and really helps you to really get a feel of what soldier/war life is and was like.

I was really humbling for me.

Like I said, it's a great museum plus it's interactive.  You can dress up and all...and of course, we did just that.

Take a ride in an army helicopter? Yesir.

We decided that life on a submarine is definitely not an option for our claustrophobic husbands.

Phil barely let me lie next to him in his submarine bunk because he was getting claustrophobic.

I would apologize to Don for posting his "lovely" photos, but every time I went to snap a pic he pulled a face.

He was asking for it! 

On the loo and a shower too! 

Sailor Don. 

From the submarine on to the barracks.

Phil & Don were looking out for the enemy.

And I'm probably much to happy to be in a war barrack.

On our way out we were sure to walk through the courtyard leading up to the tomb of the unknown soldier.

The ceiling inside the tomb was amazing.

The red poppy is a memorial throughout Australia because of the story told that these bloomed in the war fields following WWI.   

The poppies lined the walls with the names of all the Australians who have fallen in combat.

We loved our trip to Canberra and spending time with Don & Lisa.

Once again, it left me wanting to come back for more.

Until next time Canberra!

xoxo

Finished

See my boy right here?

Well that's a hunk with a degree!

Phil has completed his last semester at Macquarie Uni.

He's worked so hard and I was impressed that he kept diligently trying for the best grades in the end.

I picked him up after he finished his last exam and needless to say, he was excited!

I surprised him with dinner at Tony Romas in the city to celebrate.

YUM! 

Congrats Phil.  You medical scientist you!

Oh boy

In my random net surfing lately I've found some gems.

Like genuine gems.

Just look...

Awkward Wedding/Bridal Photos Rock My Socks

Similar to the famed Awkward Family Photos site but just a Facebook group...focused on just marriage related photos. 

Oh please.

Bless this girl's heart, is she chained? or are these for her future husband?

Geez.

Um...ouch? 

I wonder where this girl's dress is?...hopefully it's there somewhere. 

 And this.  These photos personally irk me.  Like it's personal.

Photos peeking around the tree/pole/pillar etc. are just not okay.

I highly doubt she was hiding and he just happened to find her behind that pillar. 

Big no-no.

Blech.

But so so enjoyable too.

Such a gem.

The other is BYU Secrets Blog.

Some silly, but some legit.

Certainly some items that I will be utilizing come August.

Def worth a gander folks.

And now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to laugh at people I don't know,

and indulge in life's BYU's "secrets".

xoxo

Lights

Is it possible to be lazy while sitting in front of a computer?

I submit that it is.

And thus, the reason that I have not blogged lately.

Oh sure I'm in front of my computer at work all day...

Told you.

Laziness. 

On the not so lazy side, we had a 3 day weekend this past week.

Minus the car.

(2 weeks without a car will really humble you. Don't try it. Just trust me)

But I wasn't going to just sit in the house and watch the hubs study for final exams.

No sir.

So we trudged our way through the wintery cold to the bus stop to head into the city.

That makes it sound so horrible.

Yes, it was cold...but a jumper did the job.

We went to the city to see the VIVID Light Festival and boy did it not disappoint.

The Opera House looked like this...

and then this...

And the Customs Building looked like this...

and then like this...

There were a lot of cool things to see/do.

And I do mean DO!

This little gadget had people put on sensors and then dance away which then in turn splattered "paint" all over the Contemporary Art Museum's wall.  

We didn't want to wait in line for such a dance, but needless to say it was a hoot to watch people bust a move.

We just walked all over the harbour from one cool thing to the next.

(that dark figure is Phil, not a dementor)

Giant jelly fish?

Check!

There were about 34 stops total.  

So much to see and do.

Here's a small animated smidgen of our night.

The beginning is the Opera House, to the staircase to the Customs House.

How cool was the Customs House?  Looked like it was all being rearranged hey!

Amazing!

And a few photos that wrapped up our night. 

Ah, I love the city!

ps. no study time for the hubs was harmed during this outing. He still got plenty!

Change

Sometimes I whinge...or whine.

(which one is American again?...oh boy)

Honestly though, I whine too much.

I've had a hard time with a few things here,

and whinged and whined and whinged some more about it.

But lately all the beautiful lessons that I was meant to be learning all along have come full-force.

Bam.

I've been left thinking

wow.  really? finally i see.

You know when people say everything happens for a reason?

And you just want to smack them?

Yeah, well now I'm the first person...and I'll probably get smacked soon.

It did happen for a reason.

And I'm scared to say, I'm glad it all went down the way it did.

(that is not me asking for more trials, thanks!)

Now I'm different.

I'm still Kaylee Jo, but a different and better Kaylee Jo.

A trial. For me. = Learning and growth. For me.

Hopefully next time I can see it,

without the whinging and whining...

but then again, I'm still human.

But I can try. And I will.

Change the way I think.

Change the way I react.

Change the way I see things.

Change me.

Potty mouth

So apparently I'm a potty mouth.

Apparently.

Take for instance yesterday.  I was talking to a co-worker and I used the word "prick" to refer to someone. 

Other than being a word which I normally hear out of a senior-aged person, nothing too special about it.

Right?

Well then I'm talking to the hubs during lunch, telling him about the convo and voila:

"prick" = cuss word in Australia.

Oh dear.

I promptly apologized to my co-worker, who luckily just laughed. 

Imagine if I'd really offended someone.

Oh dear.

Potty mouth indeed.

(ps. They don't say "potty" in Australia either.  I asked a little girl the other day if she "needed to go potty".  All I got in return was a blank stare.)

See this happens quite often.  Well to me at least.

I'm not going to list the different words (for fear that I'll scare readers away with my potty mouth) but really.  

I'll say something that is innocent in America but heaven forbid I say it in Australia.

I'm beginning to forget what words I can/can't say in which place.

So now I'm a confused potty mouth.

Lovely.

Another America/Australia difference?

Movie release dates.

Usually they don't work out in Australia's favor but I think all those can be dismissed for this one triumph.

Harry Potter.

Coming out here on the 13th....meaning America's 12th.

Doesn't come out in America til the 15th.

Bonus.
Yes I'll be rubbing that one in, thank you very much!

And don't even worry, we've bought our tickets already.

And we're not even ashamed.

July 13th. Midnight.

We'll be there.

Potty mouth and all.

Happy

I'm happy.

Life eventually works itself out if we just stop stressing out.

(oh please...we all know that's a hard thing for me)

But really. Happy often seems to be accompanied by not happy. 

Funny how that works.

So today I guess I'm {not} happy too.

Utah, you'd better be ready for us, cuz we'll be there in about 2 months!

Where did May go?

June?  Whaaaat?

Time is going by fast and we're trying to savor Australia for all it's worth.

I know once we're gone it's going to be a classic "you don't know what you've got til' it's gone" deal so we really are milking our last two months.

Happy to see missed friends & family.

Not happy to leave Australia and family.

Phil and I have been sucked into this...

It's epic here. I mean just look at that photo. Drama Drama.

We are {not} happy about our new addiction.

Ha-let me explain.  We hear all the hullaballoo about it on the radio and we'd just laugh.

It's massive here.  Like countdowns and all.

Aaaand we watched it one night. 

And now it's history.

I'm {not} happy.

Here is something else that made me happy.

This time, happy + not happy

=

Tear jerker happy.