Thoughts on Living Abroad & Airlie Beach

We are home!! It has been a whirlwind these past two months being back in America. We flew back to Idaho at the end of September. Daniel has since found a job here in our hometown, so we are here to stay for a good while! It has been an adjustment, but we are loving being back in the Land of the Free and home with our sweet families. I have been slacking for these two months, but finally got around to writing this little post. Our first sunday in Australia we met the coolest couple ever.

Here are some pictures of our last trip in Australia to Airlie Beach and the Great Barrier Reef. It was AMAZING!! We saw a shark about 5 feet away, a stingray, and camped in the outback. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime.

The color of that water was unbelievable.

In front of the cute raft we took around the Whitsunday Islands

Seriously the softest sand. It's pure silica.

Look how white that sand is!

We miss Australia terribly, but we know there are many adventures in store for us in Idaho. We will forever cherish our experiences living abroad in England and Australia for a year! It has been an incredible adventure!

Spring in Australia

As most of you probably know,  Australia is opposite in seasons.. so winter just got over and spring is finally here! It really doesn't feel that different.. It has gotten slightly warmer, in the high 70's as opposed to the low 70's in the winter. It was so weird having it be in the 70's and winter time here.

Aussies are SO DRAMATIC about "cold" weather. Daniel and I flipped on the radio in the car one day, and guess what was playing? Baby it's Cold Outside" haha we about died! It was a beautiful 70 degree sunny day. Oh Aussies.. But we are thoroughly enjoying this slightly warmer weather! If only it stayed like this and didn't get hotter...Here are some pictures from my iPhone as of late.

THE BEST ice cream in the WORLD.

Copenhagen Ice Cream, what am I going to do without you!

My flavors: Mint chocolate chip and cookie dough.

I don't even remember what Daniel got, I was too absorbed in mine, haha.

This cone was from our latest trip to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast! (post on that coming soon)

Noosa is the cutest little beach town.

All the restaurants are posh and wayyy to expensive for our student budget.

With the exception of one tiny hole in the wall burrito bar. 

Can you guess where we ate? ha!

Noosa + Aussie sunsets = stunning

Waiting for Daniel's game to start, and admiring another beautiful Australian sunset. 

So blessed and thankful for great friends.

That sweet couple in the middle are the managers for Daniel's soccer team.

They are the most loyal fans you will ever meet, and have been with the club for ages!

They invited us over for dinner, since Daniel had to interview them for his Master's Dissertation.

They are both English, and totally made our whole lives by making us a traditional English dinner.

It was a little taste of our England home, and it was so good!So blessed and thankful for great friends.

Daniel found this beast on the wall the other night.

Proof that it's getting warmer outside! All the creatures are now coming out.

He squished it, it made that awful crunch and scream.

I stayed in bed and hid under the covers while he killed it.

This was our celebratory dessert at our favorite San Churros, for Daniel turning in his Dissertation

AND BEING DONE WITH HIS MASTER'S DEGREE!!!

He has worked so hard at this degree for the past year. I'm so proud of him!

My dessert is on top: Cookies and cream sundae.

Daniel's dessert: Tolberone cheesecake with white chocolate ice cream.

Speaking of San Churros...

It's just too good.

It was a rainy and chilly friday afternoon, and we decided to try their famous hot chocolate.

It was like drinking strait up hot fudge with marshmallows on top.

Heaven.

Proof that we actually do eat healthy! ^^ 

Delicious Acai granola yogurt bowls.

Our traditional pre game breakfast on the day of Daniel's games.

Delicious!

 The 14 month old that I nanny loves to be strapped to my back and go on walks. 

I can't complain!

The view of the Brisbane river by our house

Driving to the Australia Zoo!

See that creature?! This is on the temple grounds. I was standing right by it and didn't even notice. It's like a mix between a snake and a lizard. Real nice!

The picture of me  is a special one to me, because I am standing in front of the Kangaroo Point Chapel right next to the temple, where my dad baptized a whole family when he was serving as a missionary for our church at age 19.

It's amazing living in a place where my dad lived as young boy, seeing the things he saw,

and walking the streets he walked.

It makes me feel at home.

How beautiful are those temple grounds?! The Brisbane temple is small and cute, but the grounds have to be the most beautiful I have ever seen! I truly love the temple. I can be thousands of miles away from my home and family, but feel like they are right there with me when I walk through the temple doors. Not to mention, Daniel and I go to church in the exact chapel my dad went to in one of his areas. Out of ALL of BRISBANE (which is huge city), we end up in the same chapel my dad served in. Being far away from home and missing family, I think that is definitely a tender mercy.

I love getting a little slice of home each week at church. Til next time!