After six weeks of family time, I dropped the parents, Grandmaman and Marissa off at the airport today (in two separate batches). J came for the second drop off and we stopped at the dfo (direct factory outlet) afterwards to check out the bargains. It was reminiscent of six weeks previously when we did the same thing before picking up our guests. I got a $70 dress for $10, so that is pretty exciting.

Let's see...so clearly a lot has happened in the last six weeks. We are both really distraught about losing our friend Tuna. It's just so unfair. The house has an emptiness to it now - keep expecting him to push through the office door, or meow in greeting when we arrive home, but he's really really gone. We were definitely kept occupied with the family here. Among other things, I went zorbing with Mum, paddle boarding with Marissa, saw a man made glow worm cave, took the Skywalk through a rainforest, swam in the ocean multiple times, etc etc etc. I had been planning to go see my family in Coolangatta (far end of the Gold Coast bordering New South Wales) while Jeremy had some time to relax and wind down before starting 4th year med. However, because of what happened to Tuney he really didn't want to be in the house by himself for those first couple of days so we decided he should come to Coolangatta with me, which was really lovely.

Last night Jeremy cooked up something many people would find quite unusual, I think - kangaroo lasagna! It had been quite some time since we had a kangaroo meal (2+ years) but we thought it would be an appropriate send off. Everyone gobbled down their meal and exclaimed at how delicious it was. Jeremy made an announcement at the end of it that they had all just eaten kangaroo - one final Aussie experience!!! My wonderful friend Jess joined us for dinner along with her parents (Kathy B and Waynie B). To quote Jess, I'd say our families got on "like a house on fire". Jess actually had accompanied Grandmaman, Marissa and I on one of our day trips and had met my parents a couple of times as well so they were already acquainted. She even had her own special name for Grandmaman - Grandmerie (I think she really just couldn't say Grandmaman). Hehehe. The poor Aussies trying to pronounce my parent's and grandmother's names! I think Grandmaman was called Nan, Grandma, Cecilia, and of course Grandmerie. I know Mum definitely got Gillian but I'm not sure what else. People were actually surprisingly good at pronouncing Dad's name - and by the middle of yesterday evening, Kathy B was even calling him "Por" (my mum's nickname for him).

So that's that - and now Jeremy starts 4th year in a big way, starting on eye surgery and I start my CAREER as a SPEECH PATHOLOGIST!!! :)

I'll leave you with this fantastic video of Mum and me zorbing. Clearly she is having a ton of fun and not screaming in terror at ALL!!