Australia so far.....2nd time round!

Brief update....Well so far fingers crossed we are having a brilliant time!. We have got a rental for 6 months in Pacific Pines which is 10 mins from Surfers Paradise & Sea World, 5 mins from Movie World & Wet n Wild. It seems a really nice suburb so far...met quite a few people some English & from Yorkshire. We are currently living next door to a couple & he is from Rothwell & works on Ians job bizzarre!!!. Anyway will update lots more soon.

Dubai & Oz

Right sorry I have been rubbish but I'm sure you'll understand moving to the other side of the world again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. We worked out the other day that we have moved 8 times in the last 2 years plus had a baby & moved from one side of the globe and back again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????? Absolutely mental courteousy of me.

Ok where do I start?. Ian arranged the trip to Dubai with the brief of I neeeeed a kitchen with a microwave so we can make/sterilise Lexi's bottles. Anyway Ian came up trumps with a stay at The Atlantis Hotel- Palm Island (that man made bit!!!). I'll prob never stay anywhere as posh again in my life!. Ian showed me the pics on the internet before we left which looked lovely however once I asked him where the mini kitchen was, I could tell by the look of horror in his face he had completely forgotten. He'd also forgotten a bed for Lexi & transport from the airport to the hotel?. He told me to trust him & it would all be alright???. When we arrived at Dubai airport we went to get a taxi, there were lots of normal looking white taxi's, howeve due to the amount of luggage we had (we were loadened up like pack horses, if anyone would of pushed us over with there little finger, it would of been like the dominoe effect,ha)....a lovely pink mobile pulled up which was larger & could fit all our rubbish in. Well Megan as you can imagine was in her element, however Ian was not so pleased.....especially when we pulled up to the flashest hotel, where there's all the Ferraris etc lined up & we pop out of the pink mobile. When we pulled up about 15 bell boys opened our doors, I felt like we were getting hijacked ha, but that is there way they are very helpful!.
Dubai was very nice apart from the hospital trip at 3am in the morning with Lexi & Megan waking up not being able to breath both due to Croup, we worked out in the first day we spent more on hospitals & medication than food!...good job we had insurance. Dubai was also very expensive (as I'm sure alot of you know). It worked out at £8 for a can of larger, therefore we were rashioned to 2 a day!...Mr McKenzie was not at all happy....therefore we thought why don't we go to the Supermarket & buy some...deeeerrrrrr, it's a muslim country therefore you need a licence to buy alcohol. The shop assisants looked at us deranged when we asked where we could buy it!...we can back with a 12 pack of coke???. In the Mall as well that was quite wierd as they all had there full on ninja suits & every man looked like the King of Dubai with there posh Tea towels on their head. I felt very under dressed, I didn't like I could only see their eyes yet they could see all of us!. All in all very good experience.
I will put more info on about Oz later, here are a few pics of our new rental, but only had camera a day so only got a few snaps. As I've been up since 5am my eyes are going bozeyed, so will update again soon.

Brisbanes Annual River Fire

We went to The River Fire last weekend for Grants 40th Birthday. We had a fabulous time. We stayed in a hotel for the night & our room which had a view of the main road cost $300 for the night, however the room that is in the pics is Grants room that cost $800 for the night, it's a good job they let us gatecrash!!!. Grants friend brought the food which consisted of the biggest prawns you have ever seen!!!, followed by oysters (YUK!!), followed by Crab!, it was gorgeous apart from the oysters that is!. How can that be the food of love????. It was like eating fishy snot with lumps in!!...mine also had a bit of sand mixed in with it which was nice too!. Ian had to spit his out otherwise I think he would of vomited!. Speaking of vomiting he did the next day about 10 times!!!!!... he never changes!. In between vommiting we moved out of our rental, now that is another story!...My god I will fill you in on the fun of that later!. As you can see Megan also had a fabulous time, she is still a socialite & loves a good party! Mmmm I wonder who she takes after?????. Lexi was fine too, she did not flinch at the fireworks or the F1-11 jet that flys over, I will try and upload the vid of it too. She also is still sleeping between 10 & 11 hours a night!!!...she is the happiest littlest, contented soul ever..love her!.

Mama Mia in the big smoke.....

This weekend me & Megan went to see the musical Mama Mia in the City, as she is still a fan & has been since about 2 1/2!. She absolutely loves ABBA, her 2 current favourite songs are Ring Ring (#1 fav) Angel Eyes (#2 fav) her Grandad Roger would be very proud!. We had a really good time, although think Megan got a bit bored in the few speaking parts, however it wasn't too long before the music was on again, she was clapping & singing!. We were on the front row aswell, so we could see all the musicians under the stage. A good time had by all!

Lexi 8 Week Check Up

Well Lexi had her 8 week check up & immunisations...yes she is 8 weeks already!. She had to have 2 needles & some medicine, Megan also had to have another injection which she wasn't too impressed with as she has had about 4 injections in the last 4 months, one of which was given in error by the Dr, but that is another story!!!. Anyway Megan went first she sat there & didn't flinch she is very brave!... I don't think she has ever cried at any injections, even as a baby she is well hard!...Lexi however is on the other end of the spectrum..my God she nearly screamed the Dr's Surgery down...I also thought her head was gonna explode it was that red!. After about 10 mins and the initial pain had subsided & her face had returned to normal colour, she kept doing a really pathetic little sort of wail a really I feel sorry for myself sort of wail, she was making me laugh bless her!. She got her head circumference, length & weight measured. She was just under average with her head circumference (she has got a little pin head like me...no McKenzie Moon head for her), she is above average length, how that is possible I don't know???????, and spot on average for weight...so all in all she is perfect!..Love her lots!

Coming Home!!!!

This is the Megan that arrived in Oz!...Then the Megan that left Oz!!!

Well it's almost 4 weeks until we return home & we cannot wait to see all our family & friends!. When we arrive we certainly hit the ground running & it looks like October is goin to be a busy month...no time for jet lag, the first weekend it is Shelley & Carls wedding & Marks Stag doo!, the following weekend it is Dianes Hen doo, the weekend after that it is my birthday (don't know if I should be celebrating the age of 32!!!)..the weekend after that FREE!!!!, the weekend after that Diane & Marks wedding, then it is November!. In between all this socialising we have got to find jobs to pay for all this!!!!. I don't know if my body will be able to handle it!

Well as you all know I have longed for this day probably since after about 6 months of being here! (well I have been described by those who know me here as "Me not even getting off the plane")...however it is no secret to many of you that Ian does not miss much about the U.K bar the obvious things family & friends (which he misses very much!). Alot of things are better for him here, work he gets paid more for less hours therefore he gets to see his children more, he gets a pension paid by his employer, football etc,etc. However he has been very understanding & supportive of me & is prepared to come back for me...to be honest I think he was sick to death of seeing me crying!!!!...I think at one point I cried every day for about 3 months!!!!. It has certainly been a hell of an emotional roller coaster & I don't expect you to understand cos I don't think I would of until I had done this (although I wouldn't recommend it if you want to keep your marbles,cos I think I have lost mine!!!). I have met 2 couples, one of which being Sarah & Lee. Sarah is now back in the U.K, she decided after 2 months of being here that she needed to go home, Lee is still here because of the job situation in the U.K & like Ian he still likes it & feels that they have not been here long enough (however he is now living in a garage by himself after owning a 4 bed detached house in the U.K & running his own business!, however Sarah is now returning back to Oz). The other couple Andrea (who helped deliver Lexi, small world), has now seperated from her husband since being here, she is still undecided whether she will stay?. So as you can see from 3 families it is a very difficult move!!!.

At my darkest moments here if I could of tunneled out of here I would of...however I do not feel as bad as that now!?...Ian at one point thought I would of preferred to live in down town baghdad than Australia, although I do still feel that it has alot of faults (don't get me on about them, he used to take the mickey out of me saying smell that air, smell that dreadful Australian fresh air it stinks!!!!, ha!) I do now see more of the beauty of it!...I don't know if it is because I know I am returning home who knows????. I often think I wish I had never started this adventure, but I know you should not have any regrets in life & hopefully it has made us stronger!. I have become alot more understanding to Ian's feelings & I do believe being together is about compromise.....But anyway we are for now gonna take a breather & take each day as it comes & look forwards to seeing you all for lots of weddings, birthdays & Xmas!. I have to thank Oz for one thing though giving me a Beautiful Baby Girl!.