"ONE YEAR OLDER AND WISER TOO!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY (*CLAP*) TO YOU!!"

I have always had issues with my birthday - not the best time of the year to have a child for those of you planning that sort of thing. When I was a kid my friends would give me one cheap gift (you know the kind your mom lets you pick out for your friends in elementary school and jr. high - she is paying so it can't be much) and say "This is for Christmas and your birthday." I always hated it because they got two cheap gifts from me for both occasions. My mom always tried hard to make it my special day. I got to pick my favorite meal for dinner, the presents were usually wrapped in birthday wrapping paper and not Christmas wrapping paper, etc. Still, I have always wished my birthday were another time of the year - without Christmas and New Years right around the same time and without cold weather and snow.

Kev has always known this and has tried really hard to make it a special day. This year was no exception, and I have to say that this is probablly the most memorable birthday ever!!! First the day started off with presents. Kev and the kids gave me a wild bird feeder - so I can see the birds all the time - and an opal necklace. Kev had told me the night before that he spent a lot more than he usually does on my presents, and now I know why. For those of you who don't know opals are a precious stone and are found in Australia. When we first found out we were going to Australia for work I told Kev that some day I wanted an opal. Of course, I thought that would be at the end of our stay and not the beginning. I was so shocked. This is the most expensive jewlery I own - except my wedding ring. So that you don't think he bought me a huge stone I am placing the picture of me wearing it so you can get some perspective. I don't care how big it is, I still love it!! Kev really isn't sentimental and doesn't always think hard on his gifts, so the fact that he really worked hard to get this one and spent his hard earned money (this really is a big deal - he is cheap after all) means the world to me!!

Then we got ready to go to the beach. When can I ever say that I have gone to the beach on my birthday at the end of December? Probablly never again (next year it will fall on a Sunday). I had asked Cooper and Madi a few days ago if they would come to my birthday party at the beach - of course they said yes. Cooper then told me that they are in my family so they always go to my birthday party and don't have to be asked.

The next beach on our list was Avalon Beach (there are seriously about 15 beaches within a hours drive - we are just checking them all out). It was a really warm day - perfect for sitting by the ocean and getting covered in sand. The kids of course love the beach so it is fun to take them there - are we considered beach bums yet?

Kev got a skim board so he was trying it out and fell quite a few times, and got a few bruises to show for his hard work. He did better than I would have.

Madi is loving the boogie board. She wants to go out all the time and ride the waves. She is actually pretty brave. She got toppled today by a few big waves and still got back up to do it again. She is just like a little fish!

Cooper is a funny little man. Up until now he won't even go near the water - except to wash the sand off of his hands. Today he was running in the surf and having the time of his life. He also dug another huge hole and I buried him and Madi in it.

Rylee got a swimming suit from Santa so today was the first trial run. She really does like the water and the sand (yuck - it ends up everywhere). She still spends quite a bit of time in our little tent - Kev and I were wondering today what happens when she gets mobile (she is so close to crawling). She gets so tired and usually won't got to sleep no matter what we try. Today Kev worked his magic and she took a half hour nap in the tent. She is so cute!! (Notice the sand all over her face)

We took another walk on the rocks and I found my own birthday present - some huge shells that you can actually hear the ocean in. They were wedged in between some huge bolders and rocks and I had to work my magic to get them out. (Really, you should have seen me moving rocks and digging in the dirt to get these sea shells.) I was like a kid in a candy store. I was so super excited!! They will be so great in my collection to come home and display.

We then came home after about five hours, got cleaned up, and had a BBQ for dinner (Kev and I gave each other a BBQ for Christmas). Yes, a BBQ for my birthday in December!!! I had steak for dinner on the BBQ!! This is killing me - if you couldn't tell. I love it!! No snow and I have my birthday in the summer just like I always wanted. I used to ask my mom if we could celebrate my half birthday in June so I could have a warm birthday and a fun, outside party with my friends. She always told me that she would do it if I wanted her to, but we wouldn't celebrate my real birthday too (that didn't seem right to me not to celebrate the day I was actually born - so I never took her up on that). In Australia I don't have to change the date and I get my birthday in the summer!! (At least for the next three years - then it is back to the snow and freezing temps). It doesn't change the fact that it is in between Christmas and New Years, but I can live with that.

It was a great day and a wonderful birthday!! I think I will remember this one forever!! Thanks Kev, Madi, Cooper, and Rylee for making my day super swell!!!

CICADA

CICADA: Cicada are insects with large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings. There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the globe, and many remain unclassified. Cicadas live in temperate to tropical climates where they are among the most widely recognized of all insects, mainly due to their large size and remarkable acoustic talents. Around 220 cicada species have been identified in Australia. (Wikipedia)

So, there are 220 cicada in Australia and I saw my first one tonight. Unfortunately it scared me to death. I was taking the clothes off the line and as I took down a shirt there is was on the shirt behind. I wasn't sure what it was so I had Kev come look. He knew exactly what it was and got the camera to take a picture.

Funny story about cicadas. After we had been here about a month one night there was this really loud sound. We were unsure what it was - in fact we thought it was a car alarm or something. After about 45 minutes it stopped. The next night around the same time again we heard the loud noise. After a few nights of this Kev remembered what it was (he saw and heard them in Japan) and the mystery was solved. So, every night we hear the cicada song but I haven't seen one yet - until the heart stopping one on the clothes.

[You have to understand, I have never really been afraid of bugs, spiders, and snakes. However, come to Australia where the top 10 deadliest animals live and you too would probably be scared to find a deadly spider on your clothes.]

WHAT IS BOXING DAY?

We have been wondering for weeks why Boxing Day is celebrated and what it means. I have asked many Australians and they don't seem to really know - at least the ones I talked to didn't. Jokingly I told them it was just an excuse to have a day off of work and go to the beach.

Finally I looked it up using Wikipedia, here is what they said:

Boxing Day is a traditional celebration, dating back to the Middle Ages, and consisted of the practice of giving out gifts to employees, the poor, or to people in a lower social class.

The more common stories include:

• It was the day when people would give a present or Christmas box to those who had worked for them throughout the year.
  
• In feudal times, Christmas was a reason for a gathering of extended families. All the serfs would gather their families in the manor of their lord, which made it easier for the lord of the estate to hand out annual stipends to the serfs. After all the Christmas parties on 26 December, the lord of the estate would give practical goods such as cloth, grains, and tools to the serfs who lived on his land. Each family would get a box full of such goods the day after Christmas. Under this explanation, there was nothing voluntary about this transaction; the lord of the manor was obliged to supply these goods. Because of the boxes being given out, the day was called Boxing Day.
  
• Because the staff had to work on such an important day as Christmas by serving the master of the house and their family, they were given the following day off. As servants were kept away from their own families to work on a traditional religious holiday and were not able to celebrate Christmas Dinner, the customary benefit was to "box" up the leftover food from Christmas Day and send it away with the servants and their families. (Similarly, as the servants had the 26th off, the owners of the manor may have had to serve themselves pre-prepared, boxed food for that one day.) Hence the "boxing" of food became "Boxing Day".

Well, we have since found out that there is also a big Cricket game in Melbourne and a yacht race from Sydney to Hobart. It is also a huge shopping day for big discounts. Also, yes, hundreds of people go to the beach.

We didn't do any of those things. We actually spent the morning on the web cam talking to family. Then we had lunch and a rest. After that I felt cooped up so we headed to the park by our house for a picnic dinner and a play. We get to walk through the bush to get to the park so it is quite the adventure. Madi is always on the look out for spider webs - she is a little more worried about spiders here than she ever was back home (just like me I suppose - there are some dangerous ones here).

OUR FIRST "GREEN" CHRISTMAS

I have to admit I was a little homesick for a "white" Christmas (which they actually got this year in Utah - a bit of a blizzard actually). I was not sure how I felt about Christmas away from family and friends and all the traditions and memories, and I didn't know about spending the entire day at home with no family to visit. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at what a good day we had. Although, I still miss family and it wasn't the same without them.

I absolutely love Christmas with kids. I am not sure if it was as much fun before they came into our family. It is so fabulous to see the wonder and amazement in their eyes. They are so excited for everything and ask so many fun questions. We love doing our advent calendar and counting how many sleeps to Christmas. I love telling the story of Baby Jesus over and over again and every year having the kids remember more and more of the details. Now I enjoy watching them tell each other the story of Christ's birth using the "Little People" nativity set I bought several years ago. This year I would find Cooper showing Rylee the pieces and telling her who they all were. It makes me feel so good inside. I love moments like that, when as a mother you see what you are teaching your children is actually sinking in.

This year the kids didn't really have anything "special" that they wanted Santa to bring them. Madi told Santa when she sat on his lap that he could bring her anything he wanted, but she did want to start losing her teeth. Cooper wanted more trains - of course. At our house Santa brings three gifts - to represent the gifts the Wise Men brought to Baby Jesus. He brings a "gold" gift representing something really wanted, a "myrrh" gift representing something needed, and a "frankincense" gift representing something to learn and grow. (They aren't always just one gift - i.e. an outfit or several books that go together.) This is to help us remember why we really are celebrating Christmas. Santa also stuffs our stockings as full as possible with fun little goodies - with an apple and orange always in the toe. MADI'S

COOPER'S

RYLEE'S

This year, due to the beach trip the day before, the kids were worn out and didn't wake up. We had told them the night before that they had to wait in their rooms for us to come and get them. In all of our previous houses our rooms have always been across the hall and in the same part of the house, but in this house the master bedroom is at the front of the house and the kid's bedrooms are at the back. In order to get to our room they have to go past the living room - which is where the stockings were placed. Normally, the kids come into our room on Christmas morning and we wait until everyone is up to go and see what Santa brought. So this year we told them to wait in their rooms until we came to get them. Finally at 8am, after Rylee had been up for a while and was fed and happy, we went in to wake them up. Cooper was so funny. Upon waking up from a deep sleep said to me, "Mommy, I was just waiting in my room for you to come and get me."

After seeing what Santa brought and playing for a while we opened all the presents under the tree. Thanks to all those back home who sent gifts. It was fun to see what was in all those packages that have been coming in the mail. We then got to spend a lazy day at home - this never happens for us on Christmas. Usually we open presents and have to get ready to go see the Coopers and the Hutchinsons for the rest of the day. That was actually quite nice. We figured out Madi's Tamagotchi Santa brought her (a little electronic animal you have to take care of), opened up more pet shops, built a huge train track (Cooper got more tracks, a turn table, a shed, and bridges plus more trains to put on the tracks), and even watched a couple of movies together. I will have to admit that this was really nice. Not the same without famiy to go visit, but nice to have a relaxing day.

I then got to make Christmas dinner all by myself this year (Kev helped a little). Usually I bring a side dish to lunch and dinner with family. However, in Australia this is not so bad. We just BBQ a few different meats, had fruit and veg, potatoes, and the equivelent of Jello salad. Kev had also invited the missionaries over for dinner. We figured that they would be just as homesick as us and would probablly like a little company. They were so sweet and brought gifts for Madi and Cooper. Madi got a book of pictures of Christ and they brought Cooper a little BYU football - good on ya!!! They played catch in the backyard with Cooper and Madi while Kev finished cooking the meat and then we had a good meal and great conversation.

So our first Christmas away from home was strange for several reasons - no family around and, although it was cooler in Sydney than normal, it was still 66 degrees outside. We did the best we could to make it a special day for the kids and I think we suceeded. I think I will always miss home and family - especially at times like this - but the web cam helps and it is only for a short amount of time. The true meaning of Christmas to me, besides the birth of the Savior, is family. I am so grateful to be a part of the family that I am, both the Coopers and Hutchinsons. I am so blessed to be part of such a wonderful group of people! Love you all with all my heart and half my liver!! Hope you had a great Christmas!

CHRISTMAS EVE AT PALM BEACH!!!

We started off our Christmas festivities on a great note - literally. They had a carols night on the temple grounds Sunday night, the 23rd. It was a great way to jump start celebrating the Savior's birth. Monday morning, Christmas Eve, we woke up and checked the weather forecast. Christmas day was going to be cold, cloudy, with a possibility of rain. Since the original plan was to go to the beach on Christmas, we decided to spend Christmas Eve there instead - the temperature was about 10 degrees warmer. We headed to Palm Beach - because we had several people tell us that it was beautiful. After driving a little over an hour there we were - apparently it is also Sydney's most prestigious beach (accoriding to the sign that was posted there). It truly was a beautiful beach, and a perfect day.

The weather was just right and there was hardly anybody there!! Cooper's plan was to dig a big hole. We made it so big that Cooper and Madi could both get in and play. (The pictures really don't do it justice) We worked, off and on, for hours on this big hole. Kev even built a fortress off to one side with all the sand we dug out (Madi wrecked it before I got a picture)

Meanwhile, there was also a lot of boogie boardin' going on. The beach was so nice. You could walk out really far and the waves were crashing close to the beach. I decided to take a shot at the boogie board (something I have never done before, and something I am surprised I wanted to try - seeing as how I don't really like water and I don't swim well). It was so much fun!! I did get swallowed up by one big wave which flipped me and the boogie board over. Madi even got in on the action and tried. Either Kevin or I would take her out and get the board set for her to jump on. She would then ride the wave all the way in to the beach. She had a blast and loved it!! She did crash a few times, but that didn't seem to bother her at all.


Rylee is so funny at the beach. She has now decided to eat the sand a bit - we try to keep her out of it and in the tent, but you know the beach sand gets everywhere. She loves to stick her feet in the water and just stares out at the horizon. She is truly mesmerized by the ocean.

We took a walk out on the rocks to look for sea shells - I am trying to get a good collection to bring home with me to the States. We also found some awesome looking rocks. One had a huge carving on it. Someone took a lot of precious time to make this beautiful rock. We were so impressed.

After five hours at the beach we headed home to have our big traditional Kevin Hutchinson family Christmas Eve dinner (which is really breakfast foods). We do this every year and love it! We also made cookies for Santa and watched "The Nativity" movie done by the Church. Then of course we opened up our one present each - PJs of course. These are our normal family traditions on Christmas Eve, but it was fun to incorporate the beach as well. We have decided that we are going to do some sort of fun activity on Christmas Eve from now on to make the day go by faster and to get out some energy.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE HUTCHINSONS

WE JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!