Hope in the midst of pain...

Hearts all over the country are hurting. Specifically hearts out east, as the rest of the country sympathizes.
It's unthinkable. There is no easy answer.

The same day those babies and teachers were killed, my boys were first on the scene of a fatal accident in which another baby girl met Jesus along with her mom. Leaving behind an injured twin sister, an older sister and a broken-hearted daddy.

My guys saw things that forever changed them and broke their hearts.
They were there to bring the Spirit of God into a place of chaos and pain.
Our hearts are so very heavy.

Our human minds try to reason it all out. We try to blame and come up with plans to prevent future pain. We all try to stand together against the evil that causes such sorrow.

No words, no laws, no president, no unified country can change this world we live in. It's been fallen and broken for much longer than we can imagine. Humans broke God's heart almost at the start, and it continues.

We, at least, can opt out of viewing other folks' pain. His heart surely continues to break as He holds each parent's hand all the way through--if they let Him.

What kind of God would allow this? Surely, that's what folks will ask.
This is not His doing. There is evil at play. This world is full of darkness and suffering.
There is only One Light.

As a little girl, I sang a song that said, "He never said there'd only be sunshine. He never said there'd be no rain. He only promised a heart full of singing, at the very thing that once brought pain."

As long as we live here, there's going to be pain. To expect less sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Do we expect that if there really is a God we'd live in utopia? Who deserves the kind of pain we see around us or maybe feel? In our human minds, no one does.

But if we didn't hurt or cry out in pain, we'd never know the need for the Giver of Peace! If we didn't know the absence of joy, we never give credit to the Joy-Giver!

Into the darkness, a Savior was born. It was in the dark of night, when He was most needed.
Hope is here. In the darkest night, Hope was born.

You can argue theology with me all day and I might lose, but what you can never take from me is that in my darkest midnight, I was never alone. No one can ever take from me the memory I have of peace that washed over me like a warm, sweet blanket in a moment of sheer panic.  No one can ever convince me that the times when the presence of God was more real to me than any human has ever been did not happen.
And there is NOTHING in this world that means more to me than that. I cannot imagine a day without the peace I have. I could not exist without the hope I found. In the midst of pain, I can see beyond this moment to a plan bigger than mine.



I will sing of it forever.



Dear Jesus,

It's a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.

These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.

The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?

Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.

Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Follow us

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,

Your Children
(Max Lucado)

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I'll be home for Christmas...

I'm reflecting on Christmas....

Well, how could I not at this point when its existence is blared at air horn like decibels from every angle.

In a way, I can appreciate the music and lights and the glare of it all because it forces me into the Christmas mood, but under all the tinsel and wrappings I've been seeing some things.

This is our first traditional Christmas in several years.  By several, I mean that I can't think of the last time.  By traditional, I mean we will be in our home on Christmas morning, and there will be some presents.

No matter what, we always put up much too big of a tree to fit in any house.  Our eyes our bigger than our tree stand, if you will.  It makes for a spectacular entrance into our home, but then there's that part where you practically have to turn sideways to squeeze past it into the living area.  

We always go choose it as a family and then put it up and decorate the house on Thanksgiving weekend to the same Christmas songs (I always cry at the right part of the right song), we drink egg nog and have creamy turkey soup.

And then, a few weeks later, with no presents under the tree, we undress it, clean it all up and get the heck out of dodge feeling like escapees.  We skip all the get-togethers and do what we love most--ROAD TRIP!!  We find restaurants of other cultures that are open on holidays and feast.  No breakfast casseroles for this group! And then we say "Merry Christmas" to each other as we open the door to some great lookin' deal with a view in some warm climate.  Ahhhhh....I love Christmas Kirksey-style.

Not this year.  This year, with two newlywed, working children to consider and for a couple other reasons, we are going to do the thing.  Sigh.

At least once a day, I put aside the visions of ocean waves dancing in my head and instead look at amazon.com.  

And, I must admit I'm kinda excited.  We're keeping it simple--the budget is small on purpose.  There's no need to be ridiculous, but I'm enjoying some of the suspense of choosing things for my favorite people and wrapping things and putting them under the tree to make them guess--that's so weird!  And we won't be having things too traditional.  For instance, we won't be using any silverware to eat our meal on the big day...;o)

But there's a thing I'm observing everywhere I look and listen.

Christmas baggage.

The ghosts of Christmas past, if you will.

Folks aren't always as merry as all of this hype would lead one to believe.  Yes, this holiday is magical if you're ten or under, but at some point the glitter rubs off a bit.

I'm not convinced that everyone's buying what we're being sold.

The whole spending money thing seems to wedge its way in between husbands and wives.  Moms are trying to keep the magic alive (no matter how old their babies) and dads seem to be trying to reign the magic in so they can actually afford January.  Raise your hand if you can relate.
Yup.  That's what I thought.

And a lot of this is about how we were raised!  Newly married couples have to compromise on what colored tree lights we will have (despite what their family did!) and how much decorating will matter.  

Plus, there's the letting go of memories for some of us.  My dad hated Christmas.  He started feeling depressed the minute the Christmas carols started playing and gritted his teeth through all of it.  We did the thing, but he never shared why it made him so sad and in turn kinda sucked the joy for the rest of us.

People are hurting. And I can't help but feel like all of this rubs their noses in it a bit.  Maybe I realized this after Justin's accident last week.  I very quickly understood how different this Christmas could have been.  And will be for many, many people.

We celebrate the gift of our Savior. That is where all of this started whether we can see through all the fluff and stuff or not.  It's supposed to be a worldwide birthday party.  Or at least a time for a big heart reflection on the birth of God as a baby in a food trough just because He needed a way to say "I love you" that would resound for all time.  

If it was me, I might be a little saddened by all the silliness it's become.

So, what is it to you?  

Is it about tradition? Is it about family? Is it about a baby? Is it a struggle?

Obviously, I'm still wrestling with it.  But, I'll be here passing out presents and singing a little carol or two on the big morning.  And, of course, I will still roll my eyes at the ridiculousness of a lot of it and buck the system as much as I can.

My heart already knows what matters, and trust me, I will be spending some time thanking my God for His creativity and sacrifice.  And I will revel in loving the ones that I am so very blessed to love.  And, I'll pray that God opens my eyes to those who are hurting and be His hands however He lets me...

Out of control...?

It's funny how quickly a day can spiral out of control. Or a truck when the tire blows.
I cannot even believe I'm writing this because it was not even a year and a half ago when I wrote this post chronicling another accident my son had.

Today, my son and Babe the big, blue truck had their last ride together. And another huge Ford (and an even huger God) saved his life.

Strange things happen in heads when a, "Wow. This day could have wrecked my life!" moment hits you between the eyes. Everything looks a little different. Every word you said earlier in the day, every weird "coincidence" looks a little less coincidence-y, every hug gets a little tighter.

On his way home from work, his right rear tire blew spinning his truck on the expressway. Facing the wrong direction, he saw a truck and camper and in order to miss hitting it he spun the wheel which sent him careening into the air and then he landed upside down crunching the roof to his head and tipped over one more time.
The truck and camper stopped, and two men on their way to hunting camp ran over to check on him.
This, my husband heard while on the phone with his son.
The second man peered in through the windshield and said, "Kirksey!" Yup. It was a friend. And volunteer fireman at that. They both were. They had called for help, and got Justin out and safely away from the vehicle and waited until his dad showed up.

Mom heard the phone call and fought vomit for 25 or so agonizing minutes waiting to hear her son's voice.

He has two scratches. And he's sore. And he is praising God. Because even though his truck, which was his prized possession is gone, and he's unsure of how God will provide the next one, he is alive. My son laughed and hugged me while I sobbed and said, "Momma, I'm fine. I'm alive! The enemy thought he could win, but God's got me."

And the rest of the night we all just keep looking at him.

I don't ask God, "Why?"
I never have. I guess no matter what has ever happened to me no matter how dark the day or devastating the circumstances, I've always known He is in control. I have wished for things to be different. I have begged that He would choose a different way, but because I know He is God I guess deep down I decide to let Him be.

It was just this morning that Christian and I had this conversation. We said that there were definitely a few things God could allow in our lives that could raise that "why" question. But, so far, we hold His hand and trust His plan. It's bigger than we can see.
I don't mean to sound all Pollyanna, and I guess if my life was perfect one could laugh at my naïveté.
But, like we discussed this morning, how does one KNOW the love of God? Like know it in your core.
If you wanted to know, but didn't know, how do you think He could prove it to you?

Blessings? Money? A perfect life?
Because I found His love when my heart was broken. It was always there, but it wasn't the great moments in my life that drew me. It was the deep, dark pain-filled ones.
That's where He waited for me.
And once I knew Him more, I recognized Him in the great moments. Now, I see His love everywhere.
Even in a car accident.

He loves my son. He is doing huge things in him. Huge!! And my son will continue to be used in HUGE ways that most people don't see to represent love. And when a really bad thing happens, he sees the love in spite of it and running through it.

Crap happens. It does. Folks deserve better than this world full of crap happening. But like so many arteries running from the heart outward runs LOVE so huge it makes the crap irrelevant. Or at least forgettable.

Or, it makes love the part worth focusing on.

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Bloom where you're planted

I wish I knew more of their story. Over the years, I've picked up on bits and pieces, but truthfully what happened when my husband's grandparents were young isn't the story I have to tell.
These beautiful people have been married for 66 years, and their joined hearts have inspired our marriage like no one else.
From the first story I was told about them, I heard about love. From the first introduction I witnessed love.

These are people who have raise four beautiful children into huge-hearted adults. These are people who have loved grandchildren and great-grandchildren and are even loving great-greats!

I'll never forget being a brand-new clueless bride poring through my Better Homes and Garden cookbook desperately to find a recipe worthy to bring to my new husband's grandparents farm to a family get-together not even a month after our wedding.You see, Grandma holds the title for best cook ever, and when she complimented my silly Waldorf salad in my brand new green bowl that I got as a wedding gift, she made me feel noticed and accepted in one sentence.

At some point in those first few years she brought me upstairs to her attic room to see the photo albums she had made for each of her many grandchildren including the beautiful one she had made that chronicled my husband's life from infanthood to every single soccer and basketball article and picture of him that existed. And she had even included me and information she had clipped from newspapers about me and my family.

And though these huge family functions overwhelmed and frightened me a little since I had literally never been to one, I was drawn like a magnet to the concept of family. And, in retrospect, this is where I learned that it was possible. It was possible to pour out love and that love would draw a family together.

I do not have words to describe what it meant to me some years later to receive a birthday card addressed to "Granddaughter" in Grandma's beautiful penmanship the year after I lost the last grandparent from my side of the family.
I remember weeping at the mailbox.

There are a million sweet and funny stories that my husband tells from poison oak, to pancakes and apple pie to bb guns, smelt-dipping and four-wheelers. All precious memories from his childhood at his grandparents' farm.

Memories that I can't relate with. Memories that leave me conflicted between jealousy and just plain gratefulness that little Christian knew this kind of unconditional love.

There was a day not too many years back when we saw Grandma shopping with her daughter at the mall. We happily stopped to get a hug and catch up and along came Grandpa. Grandma explained with a smile that Grandpa couldn't stand to be away from her for too long so he had to find them and tag along.

These two. They're like teenagers. She still giggles. He still gives sweet kisses. There is never a question in my mind that there has never been and could never be another--for either. A precious, priceless example of two hearts joined as one.

We were honored beyond words to have Grandpa pray for the meal at Addie's wedding in September. With much emotion he poignantly expressed his love for his family and his God, and prayed blessings over this new love.
So what inspired this tribute to these beautiful two that literally painted a picture of love to this girl who so needed the illustration?

We all have moments of panic as we age don't we? Please be honest, ladies. It's a cutthroat world out there (pun intended) and most gals threw the rulebook out. I'm pretty irritated at all these aging females cheating their way to elderly. Truthfully, most are laugh-worthy with their surgical Cheshire-cat grins. Because with all of the suctioning and tucking and altering that money is buying, the playing field is no longer even.
And, if we're still being honest, a full length mirror can make even the most loved girl (who is well past spring chicken) feel, well, like one fat hen.

But, I had an epiphany of sorts thanks to Grandpa and Grandma. We had the distinct privilege of having lunch with the lovebirds a few weeks ago, and the way he looks at her...
It dawned on me that it's more than possible. As far as I know, Grandma hasn't resorted to plastic surgery of any kind. But there is no greater beauty that I have ever seen or experienced than the warmth of her love and her smile.
She has spent her years serving and loving everyone whom she has known. And this girl who desperately needed to know a grandma's love and witness ageless marital love is eternally grateful.

She is my picture of beauty. The kind that lasts.

And Grandpa. Everyone who knows him loves him. He didn't need to preach to stadiums full of people in order to impact the world. He simply lived his life as a servant of his God and in service to his country and family. And he poured love into his marriage.
And that example has impacted and will continue to--exponentially.

All I want is to be loved like that. And hitched to a guy who is much like his grandpa, my odds are looking pretty good!
I told him today how much he reminded me of his Grandpa and it brought him to tears. He was moved deeply.
See, to my husband, preaching to stadiums could never touch the opportunity to love the ones God has given him. He considers it his highest calling. It is an honor that he does not take lightly.
And we are beyond grateful for a couple to represent what that looks like.
We thank you and love you deeply, Grandpa and Grandma.

Ollie and Dollie 2012

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Reflection

Funny...I write this post about arrival upon departure.  It's a strange moment in which I find myself; literally suspended in time and space.  The sun just rose and turned the sky above the Great Barrier Reef delightful shades of pinks and oranges as we banked over fluffy clouds and watched the coastline of mountains and rainforests we've fallen in love with drift by--small enough as if as if to be inconsequential.  

But, it was of great importance to four travelers.  Not tourists.  Travelers.  Whats the difference you ask?

We were dubbed travelers by folks here who appreciated our desire to immerse ourselves into the culture.  To be willing to stay out a few days in each location and do what the locals do.  To set aside familiarity and try new things.  We felt honored to be considered travelers.

And now all with an additional stamp in the passports.

This trip was a dream-come-true for yours truly some thirty-five years in the making.  And thanks to some gatherings of folks discussing turbo-prop engines, I found myself being allowed the chance to join my sweet man and bring along Justin and Kyrsten.

Addie, now happily married and busy tending her nest remained at home.  So strange to travel without her, but truly she was with us in our hearts as we all brought her with in a thousand moments of, "Addie would hate this.". Or, "We have to find some signal in this jungle this morning to call and tell Addie goodnight!"

This trip was something we planned in advance as a needed reward for the four of us who survived The Summer of the Wedding.  And it got us through.

And then, all of a sudden it was time to pack our bags and venture into the unknown.

All that was known was that we were intimidated by the flight and looking forward to opening the giant package of surprises our God had in store for us.

And did He!

Our minds were blown.  Our hearts are full.  Our lives enriched by the sights--breathtaking moments above the jungle and beneath the ocean.  Our world expanded.  

And once again, we find that no matter where you roam, people are very much the same.  All looking for hearts with which to find common ground and make a connection.

It's a huge world.  And yet, so very small in the scope of things--when you measure it against the hands of the One Who created it for our pleasure.

30+ hours later...

I am writing from our last plane on the last leg on the last day of our trip. We began the journey home in Australia on Saturday, the 17th and it will end some 30 hours later on Thursday the 17th.  We've come back to the future!

I can hardly describe the exhaustion.

We have each cat-napped between an hour or two in the last 30+ hours.  We have gone through customs at each stop.  We checked our bags at each stop.  We went through security each time.

These things all mean we have hauled heavy bags around airports and waited in RIDICULOUS lines at each stop.  We faced strict, serious questioning and scary scanners.

We have no idea what time it is or what meal to eat when.  I think we all had sandwiches and salads at 8:00 am in California.

It is evening here.  The sun has gone down and appropriately so at the closing of this epic adventure.

Christmas wreaths and music fill the airports here.  

We are still scratching bug bites.

Within the hour we will land in Detroit--back in the mitten--sleep for the "night" and get up early to drive to see our Addie and Austin and their kitty Lulu.  Most assuredly, this momma will weep with joy to see my married girl.

I can't wait to give her the little trinkets I picked up all over the land down under.  And to get all of that chocolate out of my suitcase!!

On our way home, I will be buying the turkey to begin preparations for a Thanksgiving meal in four short days and the day following we get our Christmas tree!

Addie is making us dinner and bringing us supplies tomorrow, and we will spend the day catching each other up on the two worlds we've each been living in.

One quite real.  The other most certainly a dream.

As we drove down the coastline (yesterday was it?) with the iPod on random one of our old favorite worship songs came on.

I grabbed Christian's hand and we both cried tears of joy as we reveled in the love of our Father.  The One Who is so big that He holds the oceans in His hand.

He did this, and all the other things He does, just because we're His kids and He loves us.  Just to make us happy.  We stand amazed.  And grateful beyond any words I could ever type.

There's truly nothing my God cannot do...

Farewell...and a surprise

It was a gloomy breaky to be sure.  All of us had the end-of-the-trip blues.

We've taken enough trips together to see it coming, however, and put some speed bumps in place.

But before I tell you about the end, I have to go back to the beginning.  At the beginning of our trip, knowing there could possibly be a slight chance of crabbiness through the grueling days of flights, we had made a deal.  Whoever got called out for being crabby would have to eat a spoonful of Vegamite.

No one did.  We did try some on toast.  Most of us found it disgusting beyond words.  It is sooo salty and bitter.  What we learned is that from a very early age, Aussie children eat sandwiches made of cheese and Vegamite the eay we eat peanut butter and jelly.  It is supposedly very high in Vitamin B and the theory is that after all those years of high doses of B the mossies no longer like the Aussies.

Believe me,  if I thought I could consume enough of that nasty stuff to avoid looking and feeling like I have the chicken pox, I would have eaten it by the gallon.  But apparently, it takes more time.  I asked.

So, on our return, our deal is this.  Whoever gets crabby on the return ridiculousness home gets assigned to cat chore duty the whole first week home.

But that morning, we all were more than a bit down in the mouth.  At breakfast we just looked at each other trying to muster up not only the energy to go home, but adding to it the knowledge of the dreaded travel time.

My husband (gosh, I love that guy) suddenly announced that we were under-budget for our trip.

We weren't sure what that meant, but we felt good about it because the kids and I had eaten several meals in at the beginning of the trip to save on costs and I had used coupons and done my research to get us the very best deals possible.

By the way, food costs here are beyond ridiculous.  We learned that though food and clothes are extremely high-priced, wages are higher here to compensate.  

That didn't help our food budget any.

But the good news is, we had not come up short.  On previous trips I swear we made it home on our last dollar.  Kinda scary when you are on the other side of the world!

So, get to the point, Alison.

"We are under budget, guys!" he said with a smile.  "I am going to go call our snorkeling guys and see if they have four seats available this afternoon.  If they do, we'll go one more time.  If they don't, we move on."

Our jaws hit the floor. Our hopes soared.  We tried to hear his phone call at the desk.

The best news ever.  We were in.

We packed in record time, happily drove two hours back down the coastline, ate some lunch and made it onto the boat.

The company we chose, we chose for three reasons.  One, they get us out to a fantastic snorkeling spot in fifteen short minutes.  Everyone else is a half or full day trip.  Too many times, too many places, we have been stuck on a long boat ride back from somewhere with that guy or that gal.  You know the ones.  The ones who talk or complain loudly THE ENTIRE TIME!  Seriously, that alone made us want a quick boat ride.

Two, quality. These guys get fantastic reviews on Tripadvisor--my travel planning scoop.

Three, cost.  Since it wasn't a half or full day trip, the price (plus a coupon) was great.

So when our guide saw us again, he was happy, and in return he made us very happy by letting us "repeat offenders" skip his usual instruction spiel and get our own equipment ready and jump into the water well ahead of everyone else which meant 15-20 extra minutes in the water.

He also knew that my wish to see a sea turtle had gone unfulfilled on the first trip.  He made huge efforts to go look for sea turtles and point us in their direction.

And he did it.  And we saw them.  And it was magical.

I'm swimming along and I look up and Rob says, "Over there!" and I get so excited that I start swimming with every thing I've got.  I'm swimming so hard that I'm quickly out of breath and energy and making silly mistakes and taking in water--sputter, cough!

And then I see him.  Gliding along down about three feet and I dive down and reach my hand out and he looks back at me with his big, soulful eyes and pushes ahead just out of my reach.  And, though my heart is pounding out of my chest and I'm laughing aloud through my snorkel, I flip my flippers even harder and put my hand on his shell and we swim!!

I quickly came up and hollered for my family who all swam over and began having their own swim time--Justin and I with one and Kyrsten and Christian with another.

I have no words beyond that.

God allowed yet another of my dreams to come true.

We swam on.  This time feeling much more comfortable in the water.  We all dove down as far as our ears would allow us to see bright blue starfish and swim with schools of fluorescent fellas.

Justin came up to tell me he had just spent several minutes following (and videotaping) a 4ft. white-tip shark.

We saved that information for Kyrsten until after we got out of the water. :o)

By the time our time was up, we were pretty pooped, and we felt like we had done that as much as we could.  We all had perma-grin for the rest of the day and somehow felt more ready to fly home now.  As ready as we could be.

We drove another hour to Cairns to the Palm Royale--the hotel at which we began our trip, did some laundry, ordered some pizza, and headed to bed by 8:00.

That 2:00am alarm was going to feel rotten no matter how we sliced it.

Cape Tribulation

Woke up to our usual lovely breakfast set out for us by our new friend, Ida, a native Australian who quickly became my friend as she called me a good girl every morning and knew exactly how I liked my breakfast.  

She told me a story about how in 1997 she and her husband came to the US to see some sights.  Sadly, the sights she came to see were Disneyland, Las Vegas, and the Hoover Dam.  The funny part was that she kept telling her husband, "I want to see some Americans!  Where are the Americans?" She thought it was so sad that she was here that whole time and never saw any.  

Made me wonder what she was looking for!  I told her she might find them away from the tourist destinations and in the heartland. :o)

We left there with no agenda, not sure how we would spend the day, but we drove north some looking for a particular mountain lookout.  Never found it, but instead, we made it to the most northerly point of Cape Trib.  The fun part was that we had to traverse a bit of rough terrain to get there.  And we may or may not have taken our all-wheel-drive Subaru off of the sealed (paved) roads despite the rental company's rule not to.  We may or may not have crossed some rocky creeks only to be traversed by 4x4's.

We definitely climbed some hills so steep that I'm pretty sure we were all white-knuckled alllll the way up and allllll the way down.  We ended up at Emagen Creek which led us to a beach which was completely unique.

This beach is the only place in the world at which two World Heritage Sites meet.  Here the mangrove trees of the Daintree Rainforest stretch way out into the ocean and touch the Great Barrier Reef.

So glad we took that drive.

We stopped on the way back for some wood-fired pizza served up at a campground and thoroughly enjoyed some food that reminded us of home. The girl there named Amber quickly became another friend as she took the time to explain how she made the best dessert pizza I could have ever dreamed of in my life.  

No worries, once I perfect it, I will share the recipe on my food blog. ;o) 'Til then, no hints from me!

We spent our last full Australia afternoon hiking at Cow Bay--our favorite beach.  We hiked up and down the beach all afternoon, exploring tidal pools and lava rock.

It was epic.  And pictures show it best.

All Australian road signs are like cartoons.  They are fantastic!

We finished that wonderful day with dinner at--you guessed it--Lync-Haven.  Had to have a greatest hits kinda night as it was our last in the area.  Justin, Kyrsten and I were thoroughly enjoying our fish of the day with chips (fries), and Christian fell in love with Chicken Parmagiana.

Euchre and bed.  We pack up in the morning.

Jungle surfing

So, back in early June when I began booking our flights and rooms (I LOVE trip planning and at this point have gotten pretty good at it, if I do say so myself!)  I realized pretty quickly that right around Kyrsten's birthday there was going to be some trouble securing a room.  One thing I've learned is to try to learn ahead of time what holidays might interfere with our travel.  Nothing was showing up on the Aussie calendar so I did a little more digging.

Turns out there was going to be a full solar eclipse visible only in northern Australia on Kyrsten's birthday!! The next time this would happen would be in 2000 years!

As we arrived in Port Douglas, we learned that it was to be the Mecca for eclipse viewing.  So much so that some 80,000 people were expected to flood into this tiny town just as we were leaving and headed up to Cape Tribulation.

We were unsure at this point of a lot of things.  We weren't sure it was that big of a deal.  We didn't know if we could see it from points north of Port Douglas.  We had heard that grocery stores might sell out of food and all buses and rental cars and rooms were completely booked (we had fortunately had these long since reserved).

There we're supposed to be raves in the mountains that lasted for days and all of the world's astronomers had been planning to come for some five years!!

Everyone was selling eclipse viewing glasses.  And if I had a dollar for every time someone asked if we were in Australia for the eclipse, we may have paid for the trip.  It was THAT big of a deal over here.

We honestly didn't think we cared that much, but we figured we were here and we might as well get up a little earlier (our body clocks were getting us up quite a bit earlier than usual anyway) and go see what we could see.

So we set the alarms for 5:00 am and ventured out to our nearby Thornton Beach with a dozen or so other folks.  

When we arrived at 6:00 a neat partial solar eclipse was visible with our glasses.  The event was supposed to take place at 6:38.  At 6:35 clouds looked like they would eclipse the eclipse!! We said a little prayer and God made some serious magic happen.  The clouds blew past and all of a sudden, the sun turned into a black circle with a ring of light around it.  The surrounding sky turned from day to night.

Justin was video taping with his Go-Pro camera again and I will just post the video to show you what happened next. Though you can't see the shadow over the sun through the camera, you should hear our excitement as the story unfolded...

We went right from here to Kyrsten's birthday present.  Zip lining!  It was called jungle surfing here, and it was quite an experience!  It's try, most of rainforest life happens in the canopy, not at the floor so we saw some neat birds and trees and that one almost palm-sized neon green and black spider that landed on my hand!!!!

Oh, and we sailed through the jungle--sometimes upside-down.  All of us very aware of how our Addie would've hated every minute of this adventure.  Too high up for our girl. (Jungle surfing videos at the end of the blog post)

A tiny nap was in order after our morning excitement and a yummy lunch at a beachfront restaurant.  I might add that restaurants here serve lunch from 12:00-2:00 and dinner from 6:00-7:30.  They're not even open otherwise except for breaky.  So you have to plan right if you want to eat!

We checked out the lodge swimming holes and on the hike down we met a spider that changed our lives.  And made this scaredy-pants so creeped out that I sat on a towel and couldn't make myself swim.  I sat while they enjoyed the water and watched the freaky green and orange ginormous ants hike around me, and wished and wished that my family would hurry up and get me outta there. 

 Not cool.

Went to get gas after that at the only gas station and learned that it closes at 5:30.  So we decided to eat close by at our new favorite hangout--Lync-Haven.

Early to bed.  Another big, fun day coming right up!