Good News!

I got a job! Well, it's only a part time job (2 days a week), but it's a good start, and I'm really excited about it! I'm going to be working for the Queensland Cancer Fund as a Cancer Support Coordinator. Here's a link to their website if you're interested - www.qldcancer.com.au. They are a non-profit organization that raise money for cancer research and provide support and education to people with cancer and the general community.

I think I'm really going to love doing this job. One of my primary responsibilities is that every person in the Gold Coast that is newly diagnosed with cancer gets referred to me. It is my job to help them obtain any support they need, including emotional support, support groups, assistance with travel and accommodation for their treatments (many have to go to Brisbane for treatments), etc. I will also be traveling throughout the Gold Coast to all of the hospitals to network with the staff and let them know about our services and programs. I will be planning and organizing educational programs for the Queensland Oncology Nursing Group and the Allied Health Professionals Oncology Group, as well as for the general public. I will also be involved in hiring and training volunteers for the organization. I'm not sure what else I will be doing, but I'll find out next week when I start!

So, it is very different from every other job I've ever had, but I think it will be something new and challenging. I will miss pediatrics, but I will be working in the area that has always been most important to me. And I will be working directly with people to help them deal with cancer. This job is only part time because it is job-shared with another person, so that will be interesting too. I am planning to get another part time job (so that I'm working full-time) and hopefully that will be in pediatrics. So, I am very excited (and a little nervous) about this new chapter in my life! I'm sure I will have lots of stories for you soon! Wish me luck!

Awwwww...

How cute is this???

Colin and Lilly (I think!)

Colin and I got to go see the twins twice this week. We went to see them on Sunday and yesterday. They're both doing great - each weighs over 7 pounds now. And Colin even changed his first diaper ever! It all went very well... until he got the dirty diaper off and she peed all over herself before getting the new one on :) So, he got to help with the first bath too :) Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy 30th Mel!

Yesterday was our friend, Mel's, 30th birthday. She had a fabulous party on Saturday, and here's a few pictures from her celebration.

me, Mel H. (birthday girl) and Mel Mc.

Nick Mc. and Colin

It was also my sister's birthday on the 20th, and I'm really sad that we didn't get to celebrate with her. But, after hearing from her around midnight, it sounds like she had a great birthday too :) Happy Birthday Kristin!!! We miss and love you lots!

Update: Colin is doing well on post-op day 3! Other than being pretty bloated after a bag of Twisties at the movies today :)

Does Colin Look Lighter?...

That's because he is! They took his gallbladder out today - YAY! His surgery went really well, he had it done laproscopic, so just a few small scars, and no problems during the surgery. He did have to stay overnight tonight, so I'm just waiting to go pick him up in the morning. I can't wait until I can get him some fish and chips and a huge pile of wedges with sweet chili sauce and sour cream!

Colin sans gallbladder

I couldn't resist putting up another picture of Colin in the hospital, but hopefully it will be the last for a VERY long time! Honestly though, I am so thankful that he was able to get the surgery done pretty quickly, and that he is doing so well. Now I get him all to myself for the next 2 weeks while he recovers!

Good Weekend

We had our first visitor from the US this weekend - yay! Andy, our Aussie friend from Denver, stayed with us over the weekend, and we had a blast. We went out to dinner on Saturday night in Broadbeach (about 10 minutes from where we live), and guess who was out to dinner in Broadbeach?? Matthew McConaughey! Much to my disappointment, we didn't get to see him, but some of our friends were having dinner at the same restaurant as him, and they actually never got served because the staff were "too busy" with the famous people. So, our friends got annoyed and left at 10pm, with no dinner.

Sunday morning Colin, Andy and I attempted another surf lesson, this one did not go as well. Here's some footage from the lesson - http://www.youtube.com/v/5Z5kbi_Esf0
(make sure the volume on your computer is turned up :) The video is a little unclear, but it starts out with me, then Andy, then me again, then Andy again, then Colin). In our defense, they actually cancelled the lesson after one hour and rescheduled because the conditions were too crappy and dangerous for beginners. So, hopefully we'll have something to show you after next week's lesson!

Other than that, we just hung out at the beach and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I also found some old pictures that I've posted here from when I first visited Australia. My friend Becky (in the US) is teaching her kids about Australia, and I thought these pictures would be good. The first picture is a koala with her baby who had just come out of her pouch for the first time the day before. The second is a tasmanian devil, the 3rd is my niece Abby with a koala, the 4th is me with a kangaroo, and last is Colin with an emu. I hope Rudy likes the pics!

Good Stuff

Hello again! I was trying to figure out how to put recipes on my blog without having to type the whole thing out, so I've added a new section to my blog called "GOOD STUFF," off to the left below my profile. I put a link to one of our favorite recipes there, and I'll keep adding more as we find good ones. The recipe I put there is for Ma Po Tofu, and the only changes I make are to use vegetarian broth instead of chicken broth, and vegetarian crumble instead of ground pork. The brand of veggie crumble I use is Morning Star Farms, and you find it in the freezer section. I've shared this recipe with a few people before, and they loved it! I hope you and David like it Carrie!

I also put a recipe for cornbread there. We made this for our Superbowl party, and it's the best cornbread I've ever had. It's really sweet, so if you prefer savoury cornbread, then you may not like it. The only thing I changed about this recipe is that I made it in an 8x8 pan instead of individual muffins. We loved it!

Sending my love...

Hello everyone! I don't have anything exciting to tell you about, I just wanted to say hi. I've been talking on the phone to some of my friends from the US and I'm realizing how homesick I am. I miss you all so much, and wanted to let you know that I think about you all the time. (Jenn and Carrie - it was great talking to you!). Not that things aren't great here - I just wish you were all here too :)

I've been filling up my days with a few things - I've started running again (and even gotten Colin out to run with me a few times!), and I'm going to try pilates. I'm looking for a job everyday, but I still don't have my nursing license for Australia yet. Hopefully it comes SOON! I've enjoyed having time off, but I'm ready to get back to work. I did do one exciting thing yesterday - I got my haircut, colored a lighter brown, and got blond highlights! I tried taking a picture so you could see it, but it didn't turn out, so I'll get one up soon :)

I hope you're all doing well. Thanks for checking my blog and I hope to hear from you soon!

"That Was One Of The Most Fun Things I've Ever Done"

My title quote was said by Colin on Saturday morning immediately after we finished our first surfing lesson! We had a blast. It was the first lesson of five that our wonderful friends in Denver bought for us as a going-away gift. Here's a picture of us before we started. Next time we'll take the camera with to the lesson and try to get some action photos and video.

Surf lessons at Burleigh Beach

Both of us were a little nervous to try surfing, especially since we arrived for our lesson and the rest of the group was kids ages 7-10. We thought we'd make fools of ourselves for sure. But, we both actually stood up on the board and surfed a few times - and at least half of those were actually in the water! :) Just kidding, I was actually suprised at how well we both did - Colin, of course was better at it than me. He was getting up and staying up all the way to the beach every time by the end of the lesson. I, on the other hand, did really well in the beginning, but by the end of he lesson, my arms were so tired, I couldn't even push myself up! I'd say I swallowed more salt water than anyone does in a lifetime, getting dumped off my surf board so many times! But, the 4 or 5 times I actually surfed were SO much fun!

Now we can't wait for our next lesson - hopefully next Saturday! Thank you so much for the wonderful gift Jean, Andy, Joni, Brus, Carrie and Marc!