Sunshine

To celebrate Tom's return - and to remedy the lilly white skin he brought back from the Baltics -we spent the long weekend at Sunshine. A blessing upon Lee & Joan for their unit.

Perfect blue skies - warm days and cool nights - long walks - quick swims - football in the park - fish and chips - koala running along the path - rocks to scramble over - pictionary, trivial pursuit and lots of recorder playing while Max did situps.

Tom reclaimed an old love and walked to Hells Gate each morning. We said we'd meet him there on Monday morning so he set off at 6.30 am - notebook in hand - he's writing a story for Max. We said we'd leave before eight but left at nine.

Then we searched Hells Gate and called his name and figured he'd gone to the National park to wait.

Sadly he was just tucked into one of the cliffs and couldn't hear us. We finally phoned him at11.30 and he walked down to meet us after a four hour wait. He didn't mind one bit.

(Louisa and Max are hidden in this photo.)

The celebration was a success - we still have some work to do on the lily white skin.

Shabbat

Every time I visit the Jewish Synagogue in George Street I come away with two distinct impressions. Most importantly I realise what a rare and magnificent blessing and responsibility it is to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, and I am left with a lingering wishing for a more meaningful sabbath. It just all sounds so wonderful - the separation from the world in a much more dramatic way than we are accustomed to - the ritual meals - the watching for the sun to go down.

It's not that we're bad at keeping the sabbath day holy - and every Sunday I am grateful for the break from a week of worldy cares intruding - and Alec said just a week or two ago that without the Sabbath he thinks he might just explode from too much to do. But I long for a little bit more peace still. All in all though we are pretty decent sabbath keepers - we don't shop, watch TV, play computer games and so on and we do spend the day going to church, reading scriptures or other uplifting stuff and talking a lot (and resting).

But this week was Tom's first real sabbath at home - and the rest of the kids were merciless. They started the morning by asking to go to McDonald's for breakfast - these kids object violently to McDonald's any other day but knew that Tom didn't know that. Tom looked mildly alarmed. Roger and I sighed and said 'what do you think'.

Then when we arrived at Kawana Waters ward (we were at the beach for the weekend) and sacrament had been delayed for an hour they suggested a quick trip to the servo for snacks, wished they brought their togs because they could fit in a quick swim and so on. I think it was the swim that tipped Tom off that they were taking the mickey out of him.

It continued all afternoon with Tom looking bemused - he got the joke but it still made him nervous.

When evening rolled around and I said it was time for scriptures Max complained and wanted o go to bed. 'Only half an hour' I said.

'Half an hour! We never have scriptures for half an hour!'

By now Tom was onto the joke.

Funny day.

But next week our words as well as our actions will match again as we remember the blessing of the sabbath and the Saviour whose atoning sacrifice binds our family through good, bad and funny. And I'll try to make a special meal.

TV

A couple of weeks ago Roger and I went to the Beh's house for dessert and chatting about educating children the 'Pine' way. Roger and I were there as old hands to help mentor some new and nervous young families. Tina and Cameron Beh are old hands at Pine too and have a lovely family with scrumptious kids. We talked the night away and were inspired to cut back on TV viewing. (Tina and Cam have no TV and occupy themselves with instrument playing, art and reading.)

We've never been big TV viewers - nobody here was hanging out for CSI or the like. Really TV was confined to some ABC kids shows, Spicks and Specks on the ABC and some sport. But we decided to try having everyone nominate what they would watch at the beginning of the week.

Funnily I think the nominated shows ended up being pretty much the same as we were already watching but since then there has been more of this:

and more of this:

I think that not having the expectation of TV watching has changed attitudes and now our thoughts go to doing something else - I love it.

Here's the 'held at gun point' story

As we were driving away from the airport Tom says 'So I do have one story I need to tell you.'


It was like this:


Tom and his companion Elder Roderick (a strapping young man who once carried Tom back to the apartment after he sprained his ankle) were knocking doors in an old apartment building. The one fellow they talked to was obviously drunk or high - so they left. When they were part way down the stairwell the fellow yelled for one of them to come back. Tom yelled back that it was both or none. And they were about to leave altogether when Tom noticed that the fellow had a gun hidden behind his back which he then pulled out and pointed at them. Tom said 'the arguement was pretty much over then.'

So they were ushered into the apartment and Tom figured that he was about to die in a third world apartment block and his body would never be found. The gun toting villain was rifling through their bags - a disappointing moment I'm sure. Because he was high or drunk he put the gun down and went towards a bookcase.

Elder Roderick was right beside the gun and being a bit of a good old boy who knew his guns, grabbed the gun and said 'we're out of here' and they dashed for the door. He cocked the gun and realised the chamber was empty (which was probably for the best since he said he was ready to shoot the guy) but pointed it at the guy anyway when he reappeared. Knowing the gun was unloaded the villain started coming at Tom and Elder Roderick as they were trying to get the dodgy locks on the door open. And met Elder Roderick's fist - a bit of a scuffle followed and Elder Roderick won.

They got the door open and headed out only to meet his friend - another scuffle - which the good guys won - and they raced out of the building and into a nearby field.

At this point they thought they should call the Mission President who calmly told them to take the gun to the police station.

A little interrogation followed at the police station with one of the police officers going mad at Tom and companion for being out tracting in the dark - and then finally they managed to relinquish the gun.

A chat with the mission president followed - where it was suggested that since these things get exaggerated when they hit the mission field and since he gets calls from parents when these things happen (which makes it sound not altogether unheard of) the boys could perhaps wait to tell the story till they got home!

Tom told the story so well that we were laughing to crying as we listened.

And Alec and I said 'yep we were right.' The night before we were saying 'I bet there is so much stuff that we'll find out when he gets home.' But I hope that's the most dramatic installment!

Home

A mix of nervousness (Alec), high expectations (Max), relief (Kim), and general excitement (everyone) met Tom at the airport.

The nervousness was due to scary returned missionary stories Alec had gathered from friends - brothers throwing out CD collections and similar. (So far it all looks ok - Tom seems to be coping with a return to civilian life.)

The high expectations were due to Max's many plans for things he and Tom will do together (and Max's stated expectation that it won't be long until he is an uncle - no pressure Tom!).

And relief that Tom didn't have to become the mormon version of Terminal Man - his luggage was overweight in London so he had to delay his next flight while he tossed out old clothes and sunscreen until he got in under the weight limit. And Tom had no money left on his account so he was stranded in the airport and cashless. And he made it through Dubai airport with an Israel stamp in his passport.

David and Beth and family came to welcome him - as did Mark Parry, Daniel, Jessica and Madi. All were grateful for the delay in flights since his old arrival time was 12.40 am and the new arrival was 6.30 am.

(Yep - that's Peet in a flanno - he took it off before church.)

The early arrival meant there was time for a shower and shave at home - both desperately needed - and a clean white shirt - more or less - all his shirts are torn or stained - we picked the best - his shoes have holes, his suits are stained and torn - and his ties are droopy - a clothes shopping trip is imminent. Tom tells us it is the inevitable result of hard work - and slackness in the laundry/mending department I think.

After church, and lunch at Joan and Lee's (osso bucco and mashed potatoes - which is apparently far preferable to the canned pigs heart in jelly with mashed potatoes that Tom ate in Latvia), we came home for long enough for Tom to start unpacking and colour in the last letter on the mission chart before heading out to be released and to General Priesthood meeting.

Poor Roger is desperately sick and after soldiering through a long day at church he collapsed this afternoon and couldn't rouse himself for the Priesthood meeting - disappointing because Tom will probably bear his testimony again (in addition to Sacrament meeting) and Roger will miss it.

Funny - a two year mission seemed a very long time but now that he is home it seems like he never left. He is much the same - a bit more grown up - being held up at gun point will do that to you - a stronger testimony - a couple of extra kilos - a few odd Americanisms - but no accent - and the same boy. Same quirks, same sense of humour, same love for little brothers and sisters, same loud voice that Roger could hear up on the stand as he came in to church, and same sweet humble spirit as when he left us two years ago.

And he can read The Chronicles of Narnia in Russian and simultaneously translate into English!

We're happy.

A little more Sydney

Just a little more Sydney:

Sudoko on the Plane:

Shopping in Sydney means different things to different people - it's all about Glebe Books for us.

Louisa was completely exhausted and curled up on the steps for a nap - till a fellow came down the stairs saying 'little possum wake up I need to get past'.

Sydney

Max was sick - so sick I took him to the doctor. The doctor looked in his ears, listened to his chest and said "Congratulations Max - you win! You are the sickest person I've seen all day." Then diagnosed bronchitis, prescribed antibiotics and predicted 3 or 4 more days of being very sick.

(It's a blurry photo - but I think that's how he felt!)

So I called Peet and Louisa and told them they could take my place on the trip to Sydney Joan and I had been planning - we were leaving the next day. That made two happy kids.

Then Roger called to say he could take carers leave and I could go to Sydney. I was happy too.

Max was not so happy and started to whine. Alec told him not to worry - Dad would be home. Max sarcastically wondered 'and what could possibly go wrong with Dad?'

I went anyway.

Joan had four super cheap tickets to Sydney - actually so cheap they were free for me. (Joan and Lee and Sue and Graham had planned the trip six months ago, then Lee got busy and Sue had to work - so voila - free tickets to Sydney.)

We flew in to Newcastle and caught the train to Sydney - which was nice - we trundled past the Hawkesbury where Roger and I spent our honeymoon on a houseboat.

Checked into the motel and made a beeline for the David Jones Food Hall to buy chocolate coated strawberries and bananas. Louisa has an addiction.

Book shopping followed - Louisa went to sleep on the stairs of the shop - just for a moment and I wasn't far away.

Then dinner at Bill and Tony's. And bed.

A ferry ride to May Gibbs' house and back.

May Gibbs (of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie fame) was quite the woman - and reminded Joan and I of Grandma Thomas - in letter writing, art work and attitude.

Then the Hyde Park Barracks Museum - family history and temple work become pressing in the face of such difficult times past - St Mary's Cathedral, and the Australian Museum.

Italian thick hot chocolates at Max Brenner in the city.

Dinner at Bill and Tony's again - Peet has an addiction.

Another train trip back to Newcastle. A seven hour wait in the fun factory that is the Newcastle Airport (delayed planes due to fog).

Home.

Here's the surprise - my kids are getting big. I said no when they first caught wind that there were two spare tickets and begged to come. I knew I needed some time off and wanted to do heaps of things, and read and sleep.

Then they came and I had some time off, did heaps of things and read and slept.

They just don't need me to do much anymore - and I forgot - they're pretty much grown up. I even had Peet go off to David Jones for chocolate coated fruit supplies alone while Louisa and I read in the motel. And I didn't have to tell them to watch for traffic - or eat their greens - or have a bath. In fact I only talked to them because we were enjoying the same stuff and learning new things together. So in the end I went on holidays with three of my best friends.

Still, how nice to find Max still sick and still needing a cuddle and still a bit of a baby.