Christmas Week: Day 5

Today I headed home for Christmas...this is what this whole season is about.

Being with the people you care about.

I got to see my cute little niece and nephew...

Who basically attacked me for a couple of hours! But they're cute...so it's ok.

Then I got to decorate some gingerbread stars

and my SIL decorated a couple gingerbread houses

and to top it all off...I finally got to see my families Christmas tree all decorated.

It's massive! and I can't wait to get my presents wrapped and under there. 

Not long now till Christmas!! :D

Weird feelings...

I have mixed feelings...

I am currently packing all of my things to head home to Australia. I am glad that I am going home and am going to see my friends and family, but I also love it here. 

I am going to miss my Japanese family and friends. This trip has been a great experience and I have learnt so much.

Guess I better keep packing...lots to do before I set off tomorrow.

See you soon Australia! 

Gratitude Sunday Series

This week I am grateful for:

- Speaking to my family and introducing them to my Japanese one

- Having the courage to go to the Onsen

- Trying new food, despite it making me almost vomit

- Technology!

- Karaoke...it is just so fun!

- Cheap food...saves me a lot

- Funny partial english signs

- Visiting so many new things in Japan

- Finding a bit of Christmas...and an orchestra playing for the public (AMAZING)

- Cute kids that try to talk to me....and I try to understand

- Awesome Japanese people! They are so nice!

- Life

- Faith

- Trials

Oh and so much more...just no enough time to write it all!

A Little Visitor

He's a little shy...

But eventually he came out to play...

Our very own echidna!! :D

I've never seen one before, but it was cool to watch it break into the ants nest and then brush itself off.

It also head-butted our brick wall trying to get away from me...

oops!

It isn't normal to see these guys in our front 'garden', even though will live somewhat close to some bushland.

Glad Kat spotted him as she was leaving.

There is beauty all around

If we really take a moment to stop and look at the world around us...there is so much beauty.

On the way home from church on Sunday I noticed a big patch of purple flowers on the side of the highway. It was really beautiful. I wish I had been able to take a picture.

Then Kat, Chelsea, Camilla and I went for a walk along the beach in the afternoon.

Isn't it gorgeous!

I had to write my name :D 

Then tonight while driving down to Kat's place I saw this...

This picture doesn't even give the sunset justice. 

I am so blessed to live in this part of the world. There is always something beautiful to see...if we but look :D

What is beautiful in your part of the world??

Don't you hate when...

You oversleep and have a seriously crazy dream...

You live really far away from your family...

You can't get to sleep...

You have two jobs and have to work both in one day, right after the other...

Yeah me too! 

However I'm gonna to go work on the 3rd one right now and try to get some shut eye...while dreaming of someday having this tree house for my future kids :D

via

And hoping I don't have another weird dream tonight...

Why do I have the crazy ones??

Marching one by one...

No Hoorah for these evil little buggers....

pic

That's right, last night I discovered ants! Not cool!

I seriously hate them. Why must they enter my apartment and seek out food??????

So they have begun a war, and I am prepared to battle.

I already killed about 100, making sure to get rid of the bodies or the others come back to get them. 

I mean that's sweet and all, but OH SO ANNOYING!

I have found where you come in and you are going down...fair warning! 

Do you know of any great ways to get rid of them? PLEASE HELP!!

Ok, ant rant over...

Wanna join the crazy girls house??

And why wouldn't you??

Lisa+Jess+an apartment = the best of times :D

- we have a little mac family of Eve, BabyMac, iTouch and iPhone

- we used a whole bag of party poppers all over the lounge room in a war

- pyjama parties and camp outs are a staple

- we bake way too many chocolate chip cookies!

- we go on late night drives to random places...often a stop at maccas for something

- Late night trips to Kmart as always fun...especially when we are getting really tired!

- we go to the casino...only to get free hot chocolate :P

- We also make amazing Nutella hot chocolate...inspired by Pinterest

- Board games may as well be our middle name

- Breakfast food is our favourite...no matter what time of day it is

- Our purposefully bad karaoke sessions...to random songs of course! :D 

- Burger Got Soul is out favourite for a good burger and fries... and yummy dip

- We can always find an excuse to drink Fronti out of fancy glasses :D i.e Toasting the season!

- we fake scream at each other

- We turn the light off in the bathroom while the other is in there because it's on the outside wall

- We also eat a lot of Crust pizza...delicious!!

....... oh and so much more!! 

Bet you wish you lived with us too right now?! :D 

Dear...

Dear people that comment,

You make my day every time! :D I love reading what you have to say and try to answer questions or comment often. Knowing you took the time to write something is really appreciated.

Dear glow in the dark world map beanbag,

I am so glad that MJ gave you to me...you are so comfy!

Also good for chilling in and performing air guitar :D

Dear awkward moments,

You are seriously SOOOO awkward at the time, but make for funny retelling and laughter later! :D

Dear itunes,

Sometimes you do an awesome shuffle and manage to find the perfect songs for my mood...not matter what it is. Sometimes you suck. Let's keep the good shuffle sessions up :D

Dear :D symbol,

You are official my trademark :D see, there you are again!

Dear current project,

Please work out! You are a christmas present and I really don't want to have to come up with something else

Dear lounge room,

You are awesome for random dancing sessions! I envision many more over the coming months :D

Dear instagram,

You are awesome. Enough said :D

Follow along: lisatrav

Let me know yours to follow along too!

MIA -----> Update!

Sorry I've been MIA over the last week...except for Gratitude Sunday.

Can't miss that!!

So you get an update...in dot points and pictures :D

Friday

- Made candles with Janelle for the 1st time...apparently its her new hobby

- Took sparkler pictures up the Mountain

Saturday

- Cleaned up my room and around the house

- Wrote my talk 

- Worked as a Pizza Delivery Girl for the night :D Fun Fun

Sunday

- Gave my talk

- Helped in Primary

- Drove home to see my family and had an awesome roast dinner and pumpkin soup!

Thank you Mama!!

Monday

- Got my hair cut and caught up with my friend..who cuts my hair :D

- Spent the afternoon with my SIL and niece and nephew

Then later 2 of my bros

- Washed all my clothes :D Love that my parents have a dryer!

- Saw my cat, which is now moved to the new house, for the first time in like 2 years

Tuesday

- Say goodbye to the family :'( too short!

- Drive back to Hobart...with beautiful weather! Come on Spring :D

- Went food shopping

- Watched The Princess Diaries 1&2 with Jess

- Chatted with MJ for a bit

- Slept for a VERY long time...oops

So there's a quick recap of what you've missed! Now to get back to reality and knuckle down on a couple things!

Lisa & Jess 1 Garden 0

Jess and I cleaned up our garden today...pretty much anywhere there is now dirt that you can see...was weeds! Yeah we spent hours out there today! 

We also had to tie up a couple of trees to help them grow properly

The fern is now happy all its dead bits are gone...

If you didn't believe me before...this is how much rubbish there was at the end!

Not really a fan of gardening...because I kinda suck at it...but it was SO good once it was all finished :D

And on a completely random note...

Jacinta came over for a visit and her slippers are SO FLUFFY!!!! 

Thank goodness she only lives a couple apartments away :D

Random Ramblings

Sometimes I get on here sure of what I'm going to write...and then I get Blogger Brain (i.e forget what I wanted to talk about). I blame it on the cold weather right now... I really need to invest in an electric blanket!

So be grateful people who are enjoying summer right now...I wish I were you. I am really cold but SUPER thankful for what warmth I do have.

Lately I've been trying to redesign my blog. I didn't like the look it had but I am seriously computer dumb! I am reading up on how to change things I want to but if you have any tips they'd be greatly appreciated!

Sooo I'm not sure where I was going to go with this but it is going to end here...

I am SOOOO excited to be going home for a good solid few days to enjoy time with my family. We are going out on Dad's boat on Saturday if the weather is nice to us and I get to see my nephew blessed on Sunday at church. My family is everything to me and I can't wait to be all together for the weekend :D

I can not wait to see this little man again!

Aggie...

Aggie is an adorable puppy!

I got to see her while babysitting today...

How can you resist those eyes...?

And I'm baking much more lately...

Uh oh...Am I becoming domesticated??

Oh crap...I am!!!

The Family

WARNING!!!

There are a LOT of photos with this post...but they make it fun so bare with.

Today I seriously just wanted all of my family in the one place. Being a dork and not caring. These are some of my favourite pictures because we are such dorks!

On the Great Wall of China...

Mum taking yet another picture on a family holiday...

My 2 older brothers at Adam's (right) wedding...

On a cruise in China...

My niece Darcey loves to steal people's shoes...

Little bro came down for a visit...

Little bro and I helping to set up Dad's new pharmacy...

Older Bro and I at a friends 21st Birthday Party...

Little bro and I at an AFL match...

Little bro on Dad's plane...

And for some nice, lovey dovey shots...

My older brother Adam and his wife Jay on their wedding day...

My older brother Rhys and his wife Amy on their wedding day...

Don't you just love being a dork with your family??

I love and miss you all!!

Breaking in...

I kinda just broke into my house...

I'm really glad we got back in, because as awesome as both our new PJ's are...it is not a good look to have someone see us in....

I would have stealthed in better if I was this cutie :D

*Note to self: Work on a better way of getting into the house. Or better yet, ALWAYS take your keys!

Cleaning and Moving...

This morning I helped Mum clean up the Chapel and I had a little helper...

Then we got home and watched a movie, but little Miss pushed her little couch to face this way...

She then proceeded to find and wear my shoes around the house...

After which I left her with Uncle Rhys and soon to be Aunty Amy and went to help move stock into my Dad's new pharmacy...

Where my little bro (sadly taller than me now) and I were the stock runners. We had to get the stock from the 'old' pharmcay to the new pharmacy (only round the corner). The only downfall was that it was raining the whole time. We looked seriously amazing by the end of it :D

Gotta love coming home and having a crazy amount of things to do. Not looking forward to going back to Hobart and finishing off exams and assignments.

Can't I just skip it all and stay home all the time??

HOME!!!! YAY!! :D

{Pic}

I'm home for a couple of days and it is bliss!! :D

I got to see my family last night and thanks to my brother's engagement party I also got to see heaps of people I haven't seen in a very long time!

YAY!! :D

But I have also been put to work helping move things from Dad's old pharmacy into the new one. Come home and think I'll get a holiday. Instead I get put to work. I'm also on babysitting duties later today. That job I don't mind doing because Darcey is getting too big and is super cute!!

Hopefully this weekend is productive and I get to enjoy it. Then it's straight into study again.