Christmas Holiday

Sorry, but this is going to be a long post which has not got much to do with Intentional Discipleship nor Triathlons. I have been keeping a daily log on my phone and dgc did ask me to put up some pictures, so I thought "Why Not?"...

Vacation Day 1 (16/12/05)
Kids had a blast with the computer games on the flight to Aus. All hope of them taking a nap during the flight vanished as soon as they discovered the games and movies on demand. Result: Two very grumpy boys and tired parents means MacDonald's takeaway and a stay-in night.
The digital camera decided not to work, so all the pics from this trip will have to be taken on my phone - another reason for a camera phone!

Vacation Day 2 (17/12/05)
Lazy morning - Woke up late and took the bus to Chinatown (I know.. Sigh..) for some quick shopping/lunch. In the afternoon, babysat the boys while the wife went off to meet her old friend. New definition for frustration - sitting in a dark hotel room, watching the boys nap, knowing there's a great gym downstairs but I just can't get to it. :(

Vacation Day 3 (18/12/05)
Another lazy sleep-in morning - this is becoming a trend. :) Went for a quick obligatory walk near the Sydney Opera House, snapped some pics, then it's off to my sis-in-law by train. It was a pleasant enough 2 plus hour train ride except that we met some wierdo red neck on the train who kinda felt that we should not be in Aus - good intro for my boys to the real Australia, I guess. Also a good application of Proverbs 15:1 - "A gentle word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Anyway, no harm done, kids weren't even intimidated, and we had a good time catching up with my sis-in-law and family.

Vacation Day 4 (19/12/05)
Brought the kids to a farm today - actually it was more like a play park with farm animals, kangeroos, and of course koala bears. Everyone was given some food to feed the animals, even the kangeroos! (We did not get to touch the Koala bears, which is a good thing - I've read that it could do the poor animals harm to handle them too much.) The kids also got to bottle feed the baby kids (as in goats not boys/gals) and lambs, which actually resembled a feeding frenzy of frantic baby animals. ;)
After we got back, I finally felt guilty enough to head out for a 10km run - weather was a nice and cool 20 degrees but the track was quite hilly (unlike Singapore).

Vacation Day 5 (20/12/05)
A lazy day today - only activity was a trip to the mall to do some Xmas shopping. Felt so bored while the wife and kids napped that I went for another 10km run!

Vacation Day 6 (21/12/05)
Definitely in full holiday mode now - did absolutely nothing today except for a short trip to the neighbourhood mall for groceries and donut/coffee. I probably won't run today - still sore from the last two runs.

Vacation Day 7 (22/12/05)
Went on a dolphin watching cruise today! It was a great day for it too - the sun was out and the sea wasn't too choppy. Praise God! Seems everywhere we went on the boat, the dolphins just appeared, much to the confusion of the rest of the passengers. Praise God again! :) The kids had a great time watching the wild dolphins swim and jump and play at close proximity (almost close enough to touch).
On the way back, we decided to make a unscheduled stop at the tobbagon ride - much to the delight of the kids again. Everyone went for two rides, which left a considerable hole in my wallet, but seeing the happy kids made it all worthwhile.
After all that, I even managed to squeeze in another 10km run. Praise God!

Vacation Day 8 (23/12/05)
Sigh, the holiday is drawing to a close soon and I am starting to set expectations with my boys about the long trip back in 3 days. They love it so much here with their cousins & uncle/aunt that it would be hard to leave. On my end, I must admit that I am a bit of a boring old "home body", so despite the fabulous hospitality of my bro and sis in law, I won't mind being back in the comforts of home. ;)
As a last "adventure" before Xmas sets in, we brought the kids to the nearby park today to feed the swans/ducks and have a picnic lunch. The kids had a ball, although my older boy learnt today that swans peck and that hurts. :)

Vacation Day 9 (24/12/05)
Blistering hot day today (40 degrees Celsius / 104 Farenheit) - this has gotta be the warmest Xmas I have ever had! In this heat, even going out for lunch by the bay was a bit of a chore, but the kids loved cooling down with ice creams afterwards. We'll probably head out to the beach for a swim in the evening when it get's a little cooler.
I'm starting to get stressed out about the return trip in 2 days - it's gonna be a long trip of train, taxi and plane rides. I am praying that the Lord will bless us with a safe and fun trip home.

Vacation Day 10 (25/12/05)
Christmas Day! Of course, da kids got up before I did to open all the presents. On the way to church we had a puncture so my bro-in-law and I were late (women & children went on ahead in the other car). It was a very cozy church and we all enjoyed the simple yet personal Christmas service.
My sis-in-law out did herself with lunch (I have gained 1kg since getting here), I ate all too much (again). The day ended with a visit to yet another another perfect beach (see picture) - kids were thrilled to get another chance to play in the sand and surf.

Vacation Day 11 (26/12/05)
"D" Day - Left early in the morning to catch the train to the airport. The train ride was long (3 hours), but the kids had fun looking out the windows and playing with their toys. A very nice surprise was waiting for us at the airport – I got a free upgrade to biz class!
The Lord has been reminding me that being a good hubby/father is one of my ministries, so I did the right thing and gave up the seat for my wife, and had the boys all to myself in cattle class. The boys had a ball on the flight – largely thanks to kids’ meals, ice cream, yogurt and in-flight movies/games, and even managed to get a nap! Talk about answered prayers, I can report that God met every one of my concerns about the trip back. I really need to learn to relax and trust Him. :)

All in all, a wonderful holiday and we got back safe and sound. A special thanks to my bro and sis in law and their lovely daughters for their wonderful hospitality. I can't say this enough because this is truly the warmest Christmas I have ever had, both in terms of the weather and the hospitality/love shown to us.

Thank you Jesus!