SEPTEMBER:
After our trip to Cairns we came back to warmer weather and a few changes. Jenny and her family had moved out of the house into their new house and it made things much quieter without the kids. Of course we still see them regularly, but it was nice to move into our own room upstairs for a change of scenery. Also, coming into spring I am enjoying all the springy things around, like flowers blooming, crickets chirping, and getting swooped by birds! I knew the Magpie swoop was inevitable, but it still caught me by surprise both times it happened. They swoop from behind and even make a beak clipping noise! There were also the noisy "Pluther Mothers" who nest in fields and chasing people away while making a loud squawking noise. Then, there are the little brown birds that occasionally with come near to swoop but mostly just hop along the tree line following you if you're near their nest. Definitely an interesting time!
OCTOBER
This was a crazy busy month! Nearly all of our weekends were booked with things to do. We helped Andrew's brother build a deck a couple weekends, Jenny and I crashed (her cousin's) wedding, we saw an AMAZING Eagles cover band, and we started taking 20km Sunday bike rides to a cute little town called Morpeth. This was part of our training plan for a triathlon we signed up for in November, along with swimming laps twice weekly and a few runs here and there when it wasn't bloody hot.
Also in October we began experiencing a summer pest...a HUGE bee invasion in the walls of the house. No one got stung the entire time they were here, which was crazy because the sheer numbers of them, but the walls were literally buzzing with the colony busy making honey (which was even dripping from the walls on the inside!) Although they were not aggressive, they still needed to be taken care of. Terry (Andrew's dad) battled with them for weeks. Countless cans of bee killer, air blasted in, holes in the wall, baby powder sprayed in...we tried everything. Now, over a month later, they are still around but we think they are out of the walls. 
Also in October, we were invited to Andrew's brother's fiance, Lauren's 30th birthday party. (Hence the help deck building!) The Oscar theme party was set for the 25th of Oct and conspiracy theories were surrounding the party that maybe it was a wedding. On the day, still unsure if it was a birthday or wedding, but we all showed up dressed to the nines and it turns out it was a wedding! So, Andrew got a new sister-in-law and we all had a fantastic night. NOVEMBER
I finally starting working part time in Chris's butcher shop in town. Only a ten minute walk and 5 hours a shift (for cash!) makes this job perfect for me! I never dreamed of working in a butcher shop, but its not so bad. I work mostly with chicken...cutting it, marinating it, and coating it in a crumb mixture. I work right by the counter so I also help customers (finally getting to know my grams/kilograms!).
The first weekend of November was my first triathlon. I say first, because it definitely won't be my last! It was a great and sunny day. I had hoped to finish the race in 45-50 minutes and did it in 45.20. The swim was the toughest part because it was in the ocean and by the time my race was on it was quite choppy and I ended up taking in some salty water (blech). But I quite enjoyed the day with Andrew and Chris, who both raced together in a longer one and smashed it as well. Next one we're looking at is in January so plenty of time to train!!
FINALLY this brings me to my lovely guest, my best friend LITZY! She arrived Monday and we spent the week in Sydney, looking around the touristy things, relaxing on the beach, taking a ferry trip around the harbor, shopping in the markets, finding happy hours, and playing the guitar/uke. We went to the Melbourne Cup, which is the equivalent of the Kentucky Derby, decked out in headbands and dresses and enjoyed the day doing small bets on plenty of horses. I even won money in the actual Melbourne Cup race (two years in a row!) which was shown on a huge screen since the race was in Melbourne. We experienced some Sydney nightlife and all, but were happy to leave to go to the Blue Mountains for a canyoning adventure. For those who don't know what canyoning is, its a mix of hiking, climbing, sliding, jumping, swimming, and wading through icy waters in canyons through the mountains. Our guide was awesome and we got to do some really cool things. We followed up our adventure filled day with some kangaroo pizza and beers before crashing early and heading back to Raymond Terrace, with a stop at the Reptile Park to see some wildlife. There was only one kangaroo out to pet, but heaps of other cool creatures to see including a few koalas and babies! Our time in Raymond Terrace was quiet, but a good end to her trip. We biked around a bit, walked the dogs, she got a tattoo of a coffee chain's logo here, and we enjoyed "Aussie Tukker" (food) home cooked. A good time was had by all
That about wraps up the big adventures here, but there will be more to come with a few packed weeks with my parents here starting next Friday! Stay tuned :)
