canberra

Every year around this time, we start to get really restless and start plotting ways we can escape from life for just a little while, and do nothing but have fun and hang out together, without that bothersome phone ringing and ringing and ringing... no one able to get in contact with us, no one to bug us, or demand we do this that and the other. This year, of course, was no exception. So we took off, and drove a couple of hours south to a little place you probably have never heard of unless you are Australian. Which most of you aren't. We went to Canberra, which is the capital of Australia... I know, I know... you thought the capital was Sydney, or Melbourne, or maybe even Perth, but it's not... it's a little city in the middle of no where called Canberra.

Don't worry, I'm only going to bore you with pictures of my kids, since I know most of you couldn't really care less about Canberra itself... but going on a trip always makes me take ridiculous amounts of pictures, and when I have an overload of pictures, I always have to put them on my blog.

Here is one exciting picture... okay, not really, but I couldn't resist, because this is just too typical of my family. Wes memorizing a map, planning out every second of every day. Reid found a book all about Canberra, and began storing away all that information to teach us about it later. Jarom... well, just being happy and weird... very normal for him. Conner getting into trouble... that's our cell phone he's got, messing up the settings, and calling China no doubt. Lena crawling around and watching her mother like a hawk... and of course me, taking a picture of it all... because a picture of us in our hotel room is SO important to have.

We visited what is probably the lamest dinosaur museum in the world... it took us about 10 minutes to walk through the whole thing, and it only cost us $40.00... what a deal!!! Serves them right if my kids wreck their information plaque by standing on it... (okay, I didn't realize they were doing that until after I took the picture. No, really... I mean it).

It is physically impossible to NOT stop and take a picture next to a sign that has your name on it.

Just way too cute. Lena on her first merry-go-round ride. She was very thrilled with it.

We got this really brilliant idea to go hunting for some snow in the nearby mountains... well... it seemed brilliant to start with. After an hour of driving and trekking through mud, and mud, and... more mud, Reid found this little gem. Looks kinda like snow, hey? Well, it's more like a chunk of dirty ice, but Reid was very happy with his find.

Jarom is questioning the sanity of his parents. We are doing what here? Looking for snow? For what reason? Are you crazy? Why yes, Jarom. We are.

It looks like Lena is giving her mother a very cool, "what's up" kind of a wave, but what her hand is really doing is making it's way up to her head where she will rip her hat off for the ten millionth time that day. I wasn't very happy with that hand... despite the fact that it is so darn cute and pudgy.

He put that hat on all by himself. And he is very proud of that fact too.

Well, looky looky! A picture of all of us together! What luck. It sure was nice of that rock to take a picture for us. It didn't do too bad of a job, although we are a bit off center. Oh, well... that's what you get for trusting a rock.

At the zoo... the boys were in a trance watching the monkey's. Ooohhh...ahhhhh...


Okay, one picture of Canberra... I couldn't resist. This is the parliament house. The place where the most brilliant and deceptive minds of Australia come together to work their magic, make important decisions, and skip merrily down the halls laughing and singing. It's true, they do. I saw it with my own eyes.

This is a picture of some politicians inside the parliament house. Oh. Haha... no, no. That's a picture of the monkey's at the zoo. Ah, well. Same difference, I guess.

And that's all folks.