Starbucks? c'mon I can live w/o it :)

omg guys come on I'm not THAT bad.....:) and No I didn't buy one thank you very much...I have only had ONE, I repeat, ONE cup of coffee since I have been here! o wait I did have a latte from borders at the plaza so make that 2. I must say that I really did want one though...But I have had about 2 or three cups of tea per day :). Doc, you absolutely crack me up....but the bullet building was actually in the big plaza not the market....the market was more like a swap meet thing so no there are no carts, lol. And as far as pictures go...I've tried many times but it isnt letting me...ill keep trying though....I haven't had too many things to take pictures of though. We leave for the coast on Sunday so i'll be sure to take lots of pics then!! I'm SUPER excited about that!!

This is the bullet building (it finally worked)

Days 6 and 7

Well not much happened yesterday. We did go and see Hairspray and that was AMAZING again :). I love that movie :). Today we went into the city and that was really really cool. Melbourne is an awesome city. First we went to the market...it's kind of like a swap meet but much nicer. It's outside but covered as well. Different people set up their stations and sell clothes, souvenirs, shoes, watches, paintings, fruits, vegetables, and many other things! It was really cool to see all the different items and all of the different cultures that were there. After that we went and ate lunch in a park that was close by...they have some really pretty parks in Melbourne and there were guys playing football and people having parties and kids on the play equipment, it was really fun. After lunch we went to the big mall that is in the city. It's cool because the whole mall is built around this tall thin building that was used to make bullets for the army during the wars and the builders wanted to tear it down to build the mall in it's place but the historical society wouldn't let them so that built it around it instead and it's good because it makes the mall so much cooler. Oh, and inside the mall they have this big clock that opens up at the bottom every hour. It was pretty intriguing :). The mall was pretty big and had a lot of similar stores that we do...o o o I saw my first Starbucks yesterday, that just came to my mind...anyways so today I really felt like I was in Australia. I mean I have always felt something like that because I am actually in Australia, ya know, but today I just really felt it. It was awesome! :)

Days 4 and 5

Well it's definitely been a more eventful 2 days...yesterday was the ever so exciting High School Musical 2 Premier party and we spent pretty much all day getting hyped up and ready for it. We went to the grocery store and bought snacks and drinks and then went to the party store where we bought red and white balloons and streamers (the Wildcat colors). So that was a new experience...I found out that our lemonade is not the same as theirs. Here it is more like a Sprite or 7-up. O and the trunk of the car is called the boot...although I think I kind of new that one but I'm not really sure :). People started to get to the house about 6:00ish because it started at 6:30 so I met some of their friends. They were all nice and a few were really funny...I met a girl named Sam who was super nice to me and I instantly liked her...she's only 16 but she seems older. Anyways, they all stayed over after the movie and I tried to stay up I just couldn't last after a while...still not over the jet lag fully...unfortunately. So today was my first day at their church. I actually really enjoyed it and I really enjoyed Pastor Tim's message. He spoke from Psalms 8 on God's Glory; specifically how creation reflects His glory, how man reflects His glory and how grace reflects His glory. I came to find out that I really like the word "majestic". I just think that that is a really cool word....o o o and I discovered that I think if I could go back in time, I would definitely go to the beginning where God created everything...I just think that would be sooooo awesome! Anyways, random thought :). So after church I met a bunch more people and talked a bit with some of them. When we came home I got to chat with Melody some more and get even more comfortable with her then Saralisa wanted to put on HSM2 again, lol. After a bit we went to a prayer meeting for the team that is in Thailand for 2 weeks and that was really cool. After it finished the kids just stayed and waited for what they call "idol party" to start...it is where a bunch of teens go to one house to watch Australian Idol. And believe me, it was nothing compared to American Idol. Not only were our singers better but our judges were way better...I must say though that they do have a cuter announcer :). So now it's late and I eagerly await tomorrow because me and Melody and her mom and I believe another girl, Erin, are going to see Hairspray again! :)

Days 2 and 3

I went to the Plaza (their name for a mall) yesterday...that was pretty fascinating...It wasn't anything huge but it was so cool to see the different types of styles that people have here. In the U.S. it seems like every person has their "type" of style that society has labeled ...whether it be punk, preppy, hollister/beach bum or emo, whatever it is they are judged by it. Here people dress how they want to dress...sure there are always going to be some labels but it doesn't seem to matter as much. If you like how you look then that's cool...it doesn't really seem like you are forced to want to look or dress a certain way. It;s not so "clean-cut" as Saralisa put it. I don't know if any of that makes sense but it does in my head :). Anyways, so I haven't really done too much for the past couple of days but that has actually been really nice because I can't remember the last time that I actually had a morning to myself to just sit and relax. I have had no set agenda that I have to do yet and that is so refreshing! I mean I'm not just doing nothing all day; I help with dinner and things but it is just all more relaxed. That could just simply be because I'm in Australia for goodness sake but it is nice either way. I watched my first AFU game tonight. It's like Australia's version of football. I had absolutely no idea what that was until tonight. It is quite a fascinating game actually...at times it just looks like a crazy disoriented mess but it actually is very challenging strength wise...You have to be in such good condition to play because you are constantly running. It is played with a football and you are only allowed to pass it by drop kicking it or passing it like you would underhand serve a volleyball...you can't just toss it. You can tackle, like in football, except no one has pads on. There are four posts set up on either side of a huge field and if you drop kick it through the very middle on your opponents side it is 6 points where as if you score through the outside two it is only 1. Well anyways, enough said about that, I just found it very fascinating, lol. You would have to see it to understand. Ummmm let's see...I talked to my folks and brother today :) that was refreshing...it was good to hear their voices again...I got to know Melody a bit more today which was nice because she is more my age. She's 19 and in some ways we are so alike but in others we are so different...It's funny how that works. I also met the 3rd oldest child, Todd, and his wife, Julie, tonight...they came over for dinner. The Loftis' are actually a pretty comical family when they are all together. It makes dinner really fun. Oh man, it's so weird that it is 5:00 a.m. there and 10:00 p.m. here. Jet lag is weird...I'll be tired like normal time but then I'll get up around 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning like my body doesn't want to sleep anymore....gosh is that frustrating, lol. I'm pretty tired right now though, better get my rest...a bunch of teenagers are coming over tomorrow for HSM2 premier :)

1st Day

So, I'm here and safe. My flight went well...I slept off and on. It was 15 hours though and that is a really long time to be sitting on a plane, lol, after about 10 my feet were pretty much mad at me. When we landed I got through customs pretty easily. The people were nice and instructed me where to go...I got my passport stamped :). I had been a little bit nervous about recognizing and finding the family Im staying with once I got here but when I went through the entry thing they were the first people that I saw and they recognized me and smiled at me and it just went really well...I was very pleased. It was crazy windy when we landed...Pastor Tim (the dad) said that it just came in today, that yesterday it was absolutely beautiful and they don't know what happened with today....but ya know I was okay with it being a little bit cooler....I haven't had that kind of weather in a while so it was actually pretty nice. The Loftis' are a really nice family...2 of the girls (Saralisa, a freshman, and Melody, 19) are both really into musicals as well so that is absolutely perfect for me :) High School Musical 2 has not come out yet over here so Saralisa is having a party for it when it comes out, looks like I'll fit right in....I did feel a bit lonely today when I got here....after a nap and a talk with the family I was okay though.
It is strange thinking that I lost a day....this week I never got to have a Tuesday, well maybe for a few hours....that is just so odd to me how that all works...the whole time thing and even the rising and setting of the sun....it all seems so complicated I just don't see how all of it could have just happened or fallen into place over time....It seems sooo obvious that there is a Creator....anyways, that was just a random thought I guess. Im really tired but so far so good.