Under the watchful guidance of David Herr, my Dad’s neighbor in Western Pennsylvania who also instructs people in firearm safety, Mads had her first experience firing a handgun.  The first shot misfired but David reset things and she was successful on the second attempt!

Christmas 2014, in Meadville, PA.

Yes folks, today it’s December 1, 2014, the first day of summer down here in Australia, and it has now been three adventurous years we’ve had since the family touched down in Sydney back on December 1, 2011.  What started out as a 2-3 year assignment has been extended to something more for us.  Back then, I was worried about whether my daughter would have difficulty integrating into the Aussie school system, or whether the locals would ignore my wife, leaving her alone and longing to return to the USA.   I never imagined that Mads would not only integrate, but thrive in the system down here.  It didn’t occur to me that Susan would make deep, lasting friendships down here that has kept her content and busy, busy, busy!  As a result, my family wants to stay on a little longer now!  Well, OK…if you insist!

Here is what the girls looked like 3 years ago today…an anniversary throwback!  Just 3 people and 11 suitcases, arriving in Oz as a family for the first time!

Since that day, the family has cruised around both Japan and New Zealand.  We’ve snorkeled and helicoptered at the Great Barrier Reef and enjoyed the wildlife at Australia Zoo up in Queensland.  Susan and I explored Tasmania at a yoga retreat–the farthest south we have ever been!  Later we went to Gaia, Olivia Newton-John’s super spa up in Ballina.  Susan and I flew up to Phuket, and explored healthy lifestyle options while getting a big dose of Thai culture.  Mads took a trip to Canberra with her class (she has now been to 4 capital cities in 4 years!)  But the best part of all this is the opportunity to live in the Northern Beaches area (Manly area).  We’ve been so blessed to have spectacular scenery right outside our back door.  It started with a landscaped back yard with loud Kookaburrras making a tremendous racket, then moved to an apartment with an amazing view, looking directly over Queenscliff Beach, and now we have a quieter and more peaceful view of Manly Lagoon out our back yard.

Yeah, it was definitely a risk to leave the USA and our lifestyle there.  But it has paid off for us in experiences we won’t ever forget!

So here’s to the next 3 years of the Smiths in Oz!

You know it’s spring in Australia when these bright purple trees are in bloom!  Get a bunch of them together and it’s quite a burst of colour.  As things heat up they lose their flowers and the ground turns into a bright purple carpet.  It’s just so different from what I was used to in the Northern United States!

On 26 October I posted this activity for us, but here is an updated photo taken by a 3rd party that just delivered it to me a few days ago.  We don’t often have the two of us in the same photo because one of us usually is the photographer!

Going into the office later than usual for the next week or so until the wife returns from her football adventures in the US.  The upside of that is the sun is fully up and the Northern Beaches are looking better than ever!  This is the view from the ferry dock in Manly.  The net ensures the little human nippers don’t get nipped by the big fish nippers!

Our 4 month old pup before…

And after….(hose-off mandatory before entering our house!)

My new favorite ride.  20 km up the road from North Manly, the ride to Church Point is a standard trek for folks in Manly because it provides a good 40km round-trip ride, and I like that there are only moderate hills to negotiate.  But everything is beautiful in the northern part of the Northern Beaches!