J & J Down Under (for Bonnie)

A month goes pretty quickly doesn't it? I can't believe Jen and James have left already, it was just beginning to feel like they'd be around for ever. I wish. We're working on getting them to move here, you never know your luck.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with J & J, they are very close friends of ours from Korea. Along with another Canadian couple, Bonnie and Dave, they were our little family over there. Jen, Bonnie and I were pregnant together in Korea for a few months before we all went our separate ways. Jen had Zoe in March, I had Euey in June, and in between Bonnie had and lost Finn.

Having such close friends living so far away really sucks. It is all the more noticable when something really good or really bad happens. We got the email from Bon and Dave about Finn's birth and death just after our wedding. Both events were hard to take when we couldn't be there to cuddle, congratulate and console. Distance really highlights just how useless words can be.

So having Jen and James here was bittersweet. It was awesome to see them and meet Zoe, and have them meet Euey and Aoife. It seemed so normal having them sitting around our living room and Euey and Zoe got on like a house on fire. But where were Bon, Dave and Oscar, the son they had about a year after Finn? Why couldn't he be crawling around getting belted up by the two crazy toddlers we have here?

These pictures are mainly for Bonnie. I know she's insanely jelous, but I'm sure she'll appreciate being able to see us all together. One year we'll figure out somewhere in the middle of Canada, Australia and Korea/Sth America (depending on where J&J are) and we'll all meet with our families, I promise Bon. In the meantime, here you are ...

Zoe passes out after missing her usual nap time and having to deal with some nasty molars coming through.

Taking a dip.

James and Zoe.

Shopping on Swanston St, the Aussie Kitsch strip of Melbourne.

At the Melbourne Film Museum.

The result of Euey teaching Zoe to jump off a bench onto the beanbags. Neither of them were very adept at it, but no disaster ensued.

The beanbags made for a great feeding place.

Euey and James. Wow, check that out!

At home again the kids had a bath together and tried out their new towels.

And all the while Konrad slept!Kon is another of our really good friends from Korea. He is a Polish Aussie and was home for awhile seeing his family. He took the opportunity to sleep on our armchairs a lot. It was great to catch up with him :)

After hanging around Melbourne for awhile we took JJZ down to Wilson's Prom. We borrowed Dad's 4WD, put Zoe and Euey's seats in the very back and Aoife's in the middle of the middle-back. It was very cosy and were it not for James's uncle organising a trailor for us we would have been completely devoid of luggage!

Despite being close enough to fight these two just patted eachother's legs most of the time, before settling down to a nap.

Euey, Will, James, Zoe.

The boys and their not-so-babies at the beach.

JJZ

Will catching Euey.

Euey and Zoe were fascinated by the act of digging a hole.

Euey found a hole of his own. He waded in here from the beach and was absolutely shocked, but overjoyed to discover how deep it was.

Then of course Will had to chase him to get him to come out (despite the fact that any normal non-Canadian / European would not be putting their precious goods that close to water so cold).

"Dada, up?"

No, I'm not pregnant again, that is Aoife in the carrier.

Relaxing in our cabin with a well deserved drink after a long day at the beach.


We stopped in at a Fauna Park on the way home because JJZ had yet to interact with the Australian wildlife. What better way to interact than to feed a kangaroo or six.

Euey loved it.

The kids goet close to a wallaby. This was as close as they got because Euey kept chasing them all!

Koala