So it begins!

Before I begin, be warned that this is going to be a very wordy, very picture-less post.  I accidently left my camera cord with the desktop computer stuff so it got packed up and sent with our boat shipment. Without the cord I can't load pictures, so if you're only here for pictures, come back in 4-8 weeks ;).   Otherwise keep going...

For those of you who have seen the movie Saving Mr. Banks... you know at the beginning when the mom leaves their beautiful home and town and has to say goodbye to all of the people she loves and cherishes to support her husband on his job transfer to the Outback and utter isolation?  Well we watched that movie about 2 weeks before we came here and let me say it hits a little too close to home.  However, we are not living in a little shack (although we did down size by quite a bit so it has felt like it at times, hee, hee) and there are a lot of really good, really kind and supportive people around.  Even so, I do really miss my friends, my extended family, my kitchen, my bathroom, my closet... I also really miss Costco and Walmart, but we will adjust and be fine.

So yes... We arrived!  We got in Friday afternoon after a very long 24+ hours of travel.  The flight from Salt Lake to Los Angeles went off without a hitch, but we were exhausted by the time we made it to the gate for our flight to Sydney.  We boarded the plane close to midnight (Utah time), but then had to sit for an hour and a half while they fixed something.  I don't even know what the delay was because we were so tired that Darcy fell asleep within two minutes of being strapped into her seat and I wasn't far behind.  I woke up briefly when they said it was finally time for take-off, but then slept for another hour at least.  Darcy and Derek slept for around 8 of the 16 hour flight which was a huge blessing!!  Because that flight was so delayed we had to hurry to make our flight from Sydney to Alice.  We ran on just as they were making the final boarding call.  Then because of high winds we had to sit and wait for an extra 30 minutes before take-off.  But even with all the wait time the kids were really patient and great, so no complaints there!

The airport in Alice is small, and it reminded us more of a guest center or nature park.  Our sponsors, Chip and Terry, came with their daughter Morgan to pick us up (they brought 3 vehicles to make sure they could fit all of us and our luggage).  We could not have asked for better sponsors!  They have been great to provide us with information, pictures of the house, and answer any and all of our questions prior to arriving.  To add to that Terry had steaming hot, gluten free lasagne waiting in our oven as soon as we got to our house.  She had also stocked our fridge for us and had picked all kinds of fresh citrus from her neighbor's trees and had heaps of it waiting for us (clementines, oranges, lemons, and grapefruit-cannot wait for my juicer to get here!).  They took us to the store so we could get any extra things we might need, and Chip took Jeff car shopping  (we bought an SUV Saturday afternoon and let me say it's been tricky learning to drive on the opposite side of the road but trying to park our honking big new car is more of the challenge for me right now).  Chip also took Jeff to the post office to pick up some boxes we had mailed ourselves as well as on some work related errands.   They also fed us dinner Saturday night - top your own pizza party at their house complete with gluten free crust!  They have been so generous with their time and resources and we have been very blessed by their friendship.

Sunday morning we attended church with the Alice Springs branch (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).  Very nice people there.  Everyone was very friendly and welcoming.  We were the "whitest" people there (I know, I am the whitest person anywhere I go, but Aubrey was definitely the blondest!).  It's got a small youth and primary, but there are at least a couple of kids around the same ages as each of ours so that was nice.  There were even a couple of kids that attend the same school as Aiden and Aubrey so that helped with that transition as well!  Sunday afternoon we met with the registrar at St. Phillips College (the school that Aiden and Aubrey are now attending).  We were able to pick up their uniforms and get their registrations packets so they could start right away Monday morning! They are starting mid-year and have a lot of catching up to do, but their first day was a success and I think that they are excited (despite feeling a little overwhelmed).  Derek started school Tuesday and it was "mostly" good so we'll count it as a success.  

So Alice Springs definitely has it's own "flavor."  I figured since we had been to Australia before I would be ready for country differences, which I was, however Alice is quite different from Canberra and Sydney.  Even yesterday I would have said different in an unfavorable way, but now that the effects of jet lag are wearing off a bit I can say it's just different.  It is a desert, so there is not a lot of grass or big beautiful trees.  It doesn't smell of the forest like Canberra or like the ocean in Sydney.  It has more of a dry, "earthy" smell.  At first glance there is not much to see.  Even the mountain range right behind our house is miniscule compared to what we are used to seeing in Utah.  But it's beautiful in it's own way.  On the way back from taking Derek to school this morning, the drive took me along the river bed.  We had walked the same path on Saturday and I wasn't too impressed, but driving along in the peace of the morning it was very still and beautiful.  So, I admit, I have not been really excited about this adventure (although I have been trying really hard to be), and I have had to really force myself to be positive about it when the kids have complained and kept asking me "why did you agree with dad to come here," but I can see and feel that it is going to be a great opportunity and I am grateful for it!