Lake Havasu

so the other day we went on an overnight trip to Lake Havasu AZ. this is a dammed part of the Colorado River (the same river that the Grand Canyon is apart of, and that separates AZ from CA). it is absolutely beautiful, in most parts crystal clear waters (awesome for people like me who have a thing about swimming in water they can't see the bottom of)and this time of year the perfect temperature! so thursday morning we all took the 3 1/2 hour drive to the AZ border where the lake is, picked up a second car (it was already down there and needed to come back up to flag with us on the way back). i drove it, it was a huge toyota tundra ute. thankfully it was automatic so i didn't have to worry about gears and all that being on the other side of the car (i've managed to avoid that since i've been here!). and we stopped at a friends place and packed up the ute attached the boat- yes a boat- and went down to the Lake. now an awesome part of Havasu... the original London Bridge (you know the song 'London Bridge is falling down, falling down...') is in Havasu. some really rich people bought it, had it sent brick by brick to Havasu, literally dug a canal in the middle of the Lake and set it over the top of the newly formed canal. and we had to drive over the top of it to get to the boat ramp. it was awesome!


so we went out on the boat, and the best thing about this boat... its fast!!! i loved it!! so much fun! we first stopped of at this little cove which was beautiful, as i said before crystal clear waters, gorgeous views, i could stay there for days. really i could. :)


we swam here for a little while and went on.

the next cove we stopped at was meant for overnight stay, so there was a bbq and tables and bathrooms. we stopped bbq'd up some burgers and hot dogs, so good! we went back out and i went tubing for the first time! tubing as in riding on a tube (or in this case a flotation device) while being pulled behind the boat. we went so fast, and i stayed on longer than what i thought i was gonna. i was so proud!

then we went UNDER the London Bridge, it was even better close up! and i still can't believe that the bridge is in Havasu AZ, of all places in the world for the famous bridge to go, it makes it in Havasu!

we also went fishing, didn't catch anything but boy it felt good to get a line wet! i haven't been fishing since i got here, and my dad used to take me fishing quite a bit back in aus (well not lately but still), i love it. though i was having a battle with the fishing rod, i'm used to using a spin reel, i have used one my whole life and nothing else. but this reel was basically one that meant anyone (except someone who knows how to use a normal reel) could use it. all you had to do was push a button, cast, and let go of the button when you flicked your wrist. now getting the timing right on that sucked big time. there were several times that i was lucky i didn't catch myself because i managed to fling the hook back at me instead of going out into the water.

anyway that was pretty much the end of the trip there, well almost we went out for dinner after that at a really nice Japanese restaurant, we all went to sleep (i almost got kicked out the bed in the middle of the night! i shared with lily and she's used to sleeping in a queen size on her own, in the middle, so she managed to push my to the side before i woke up!) and we drove back 3 1/2 hours to flag. i got home and crashed for another 3 hours cause of the lack of sleep the night before. but it was such a good trip! hope to go again sometime soon!




Till next time
Katie
xo

My Favourite Things :)

so anyone can tell you that one of my favoutie movies of all time is The Sound of Music. literally that is the movie i've watched the most times in m life (it may be tied with the Wizard of Oz, i'm not sure)... anyway, i'm about to get it through NetFilx (an online movie store- awesome stuff) and one of my faourite songs from it is My Favourite Things. so here are some of my favourite things.

Family (me and my younger sister in the picture, but family is inclusive of all my family related and otherwise!)



Raindrops on Roses (not kidding)


Sunshine and beaches, you can never go wrong!


Dancing


Musicals


and thats just some of them!!

Til Next Time
Katie
xo

Summer Holidays

its only one week into the Summer Holidays and i am so glad i have a long holiday coming up soon. don't get me wrong i like being busy, in fact i love being busy (i have 2 modes super busy -doing 7 things at once- and super relaxed- doing absolutely nothing, if i'm in the middle i feel horrid and figitey and restless) and the weekends thats what it is, in the middle and i don't know what i'm doing. during the week i'm super busy working all day then when i get off, i get off i have other things to do and its all good. but on the weekends, i do my own stuff in the morning, everyone is doing their own stuff, but then once i've done things that have to be done, i'm not actually doing anything. just sort of hanging around... and i hate just hanging around. i do have things i can do such as go for a bike ride, go for a walk, go down to the pool. and i do do these things, but a lot of the time thats what everyone else is doing. so most of the time i feel like i'm imposing, (i know i'm not but thats just what it feels like) also i want some time simply on my own cause i don't usually get it during the week. and most of my friends can tell you, i can deal with lots of people up to a certain point. once that point is reached i go on people overload, and just get grumpy and cranky at everyone (i try to be as nice as possible, but my patience has usually reached its limit, so i use it only when necessary). never unde estimate the power of a quite house- or one where your free to do whatever you please. :)

Till next time
Katie
xo

I remember too. :)

so my best friends just posted this on her blog. (sorry G i'm stealing it from you but i love it!)

'I remember meeting in preschool, when we were four years old, and even then you were the tallest girl in the class.

I remember always being best friends, even though we were never in the same class, and only went to the same school for three years.

I remember Saturday mornings always being a race to see who could call the other first for a sleepover that night. And the crushing disappointment when we couldn’t do it, and had to wait a whole extra week to see each other.

I remember every birthday card I ever got from you was written in the car on the way to the party. And every birthday card I ever gave you for that matter too.

I remember forgetting to give each other christmas presents, year after year, and the year I found out your birthday was on the 9th, not the 10th like I’d always thought.

I remember getting excited when I realised we were both allowed to pick our own highschool thinking we’d finally be able to go to school together. And then we picked entirely different, almost opposite schools.

I remember the day we met each other at the bus depot after school one day, and realised we would see each other every single day again, even if only for a half hour.

I remember your first boyfriend in highschool, and how it was a huge secret from your mum. And my first boyfriend, who I told absolutely everyone about, including your mum.

I remember my dad getting sick, and going to hospital, and forgetting to tell you about it. But you were still there when I got sick afterwards and needed your help.

I remember telling you that I was going to move away for university, and you told me you were moving to America for a year.

I remember my eighteenth birthday, when you came shopping with me for a dress to wear and you convinced me to buy a bright purple eighties inspired thing. And then got really, really drunk with me.

I remember the last time I saw you, we snuck away from my sister graduation party preparations to go to the markets and eat pancakes and fairyfloss. And take dumb pictures.

I remember that of all my highschool friends, you have stuck by me through everything.

I remember all of the advice you have given me over the years, in person, on the phone and by email, even if I sometimes forget to listen.

I remember that you are my closet friend, despite living the farthest away.

You need to remember that I miss you and love you, and support you no matter what you decide to do.'


i wanna add some things that she missed.

I remember sitting on your couch with popcorn and our famous (well infamous) noodles watching 'The Wizard of Oz'.and being able not not only recite every word, but pick out all the mistakes from beginning to end.

I remember sitting on your couch with popcorn and noodles watching the remastered version of the Wizard of Oz and marveling at how they had actually remastered it and removed a lot of the mistakes (but not all of them!)

I remember swimming in your pool pretending we were mermaids and under the water was our very own hideaway.

I remember roaming around your house/block/street/orchid and always finding something to do, no matter where our heads were at.

I remember putting too much pepper on my spaghetti and you never letting me live it down. :)

I remember the guinea pigs. thats all i have to say.

I remember driving to your house for the first time and your mum being so confused cause she didn't know who's car was out the front (didn't help that i sometimes had mine and sometimes had mums car)

I remember you telling me that for years you thought my eyes were green, me telling you that they were brown and us coming to the conclusion they were hazel.

I remember my 8th birthday, we went and saw George of the Jungle (in the cinema!) and went to Pizza Hut.

I remember you always being a grammar nazi about everything i ever wrote, and me constantly forgetting it.

I remember giving you advice, watching when you didn't take it, and biting my tongue instead of saying 'i told you so'.

I remember just listening.

I remember sharing the same bed for years.

I remember you getting a new bed cause 'we' broke it. (and this one was almost long enough for me)

I remember when you told me you really were moving, that it wasn't gonna be like other times, you were actually gonna go.

I remember getting the email that you had sold our house (you know it was never just your house).

I remember sneaking away to the markets and eating fairy floss, pancakes and taking corny photos.

I remember Gypsy barking and backing away, barking and backing away, then giving up all together.

I remember getting roses from you one valentines day, not only did i love them, but i really liked the look on the mean girls face when i walked right past her with half a dozen roses. btw she only had 3.

I remember making faces at each other through the big window of preschool when we got bored.

I remember that no matter what was going on with you, you always had time for me. even when we didn't go to the same school or when we wouldn't see each other for weeks. no matter what we were still best friends.

and you always remember that no matter how much of a horrid best friends i'm being, not replying or taking forever to do so, i'm thinking about you everyday and our promise all those years ago about how we would be each others maids of honour.

I love you GBrown and miss you so much!

an unintentional post.

so here i am talking about my life and the things that happen. and a friend of mine does exactly the same thing but on facebook. and i can tell you she absolutely makes my day. her view on things is hilarious. for example, i posted one day that i was doing 7 things at once, she then replied that if i was 'octo-katie' i could do all 7 and still have one hand free... the thought of me with another 6 arms still cracks me up now.

anyway, so on facebook she started saying how uninteresting her life would be if she was organised and did things when she was supposed to. and its true, her life would be much less entertaining for people who read her status updates (like me, another example: (...) was half expecting the fish she just dissected to burst into verses of Bob Marely... dissapointingly it was too busy being a dead fish to be a singing fish.) classic! anyway the conversation between me, her and anther girl ended with then being superheros, i'm a famous singer/ their manager, we all get free food to eat and when they are not frighting crime in whichever town i happen to be performing in, they are singing back up for me. and together we are called Keepers of Harmony!

what can i say, its never impossible to have fun (just got reprimanded for saying that- crime fighting is not fun!) with people halfway across the world!

Till next time
Katie
xo

that darn cat!!!

so i had the absolute life scared out of me today. i was sitting on our couch and out of the corner of my eye, i notice the cat, lucy, climbing up a tree. as strange as this seems, it is actually fairly normal (don't ask me why but i have seen her do it several times). i didn't think much of it, just went back to watching tv.

next thing i know she is running down the stairs... inside the house...
i jumped about a mile, did about 3 double takes, and totally freaked cause i swore i saw her OUTSIDE climbing a tree, and i had not let her in at any of the doors (in fact i had not even gotten up to do anything, so there was no possible way that i could have let her in, and none of the doors were open). but there she was INSIDE the house, eating food from her feeder... so with my heart pounding (and unfortunately didn't bring anything heavy with me) i went upstairs to see how the hell she managed to get inside from the roof. (that is where she tends to climb onto), i went into all the rooms, no windows were open, no doors were open, nothing that lucy could even climb into/ onto even if she wanted to. finally i found where she got in, the window in the spare room was open and the fly screen was off (i didn't notice it in my first round of checking), she climbed up the tree outside that widow and then climbed through the window, ran down the stairs and scared the life out of me!

now you may be wondering why i had such a strong reaction to lucy's comings and goings, and the mystery of it. well i was watching Criminal Mind's, its a crime show (yes, i've picked back up my obsession with crime shows here too, but no City Homicide- boo!) and this particular episode the bad guy would come into the house, and murder you while you slept. and the bad guy got in via an open window! i was the only one in the house (and now i'm creeping myself out cause again i'm the only one in the house- well only adult, the kids are asleep upstairs- and its just past midnight!), and the house being made of wood and stone creaks and groans every now and then. i have managed to figure out what are footsteps upstairs/ around the house and what are creaks and groans, but sometimes they are a little tricky to figure out.
so needless to say i was freaked out when lucy came running down the stairs.

anyway, now that i have my life back (once i realised it was only lucy, it was all good)

Till next time
Katie
xo

Lost Chickens and Babysitting

so i was baby sitting some friends of ours today, and we went on an adventure, that no one expected. these two girls, 5yo and 7yo, they're great we have lots of fun when they're over.
well today they brought a chicken with them. yes a chicken, a live chicken. we put it in one of our empty planter boxes in the backyard and the girls were convinced that it was gonna stay in there the whole time it they were at the house. i (and apparently the chicken) knew better (part of it was the girls were convinced that chickens couldn't fly). so we finish playing with the chicken and we all go inside to do some activities, about 30-45 minutes later, 7yo say she's gonna go outside to check on the chicken. i respond, sure why not, thinking that she was gonna be out there for a little while she 'checked' on the chicken and then played with it for a bit. what seemed like 2 seconds after she walked out the door, she cam racing back inside and said 'the chicken's gone, she's not there'. my reaction... crap i've lost the chicken, the chicken! of all things to loose (the kids shoes, clothing, artwork...etc) i had to loose the chicken.
so we all go outside and start looking for this chicken, we are out there for about 3/4 of an hour looking and looking everywhere we could think of. i finally ended up having to call their dad to say, we're looking, but the chicken has gone missing. he showed up a little but later, and he went outside with the girls to try and find this chicken. about 1/2 an hour later (still with no avail) my host mum went out to see how they were doing and to help them (at this point it really wasn't looking good, both gates were open and there was a gap in the fence that went out into a field next to the house, it really looked like this chicken was doomed). no longer than 10 minutes later, i went out to help look again.

i just stepped out of the door into the garage and i heard a little clink, like something falling on something wooden... and i could hear something moving around. at this point i knew it was either gonna be the chicken or the mouse that was spotted this morning. i started looking around (honestly expecting to find a mouse) and the chickens head popped out from some shelves by the door. finally!!! we found the chicken, i called everyone over to come get the chicken out of the shelves and everyone was so glad that we found it. the girls got the chicken out and their dad then looked down on the self to see if the chicken had done any damage (knocked anything over, pooped anywhere), and all of a sudden he cracked up laughing. we all kinda looked at each other, knowing the situation was pretty funny anyway, but not quite as funny as their dad was making it out to be... he reached into the back of the shelf...
and pulled out an egg. yes an egg. the chicken had wondered off to lay an egg. we were all pretty much in stitches in the garage. it was one of the funniest things that has happened over here. i mean you couldn't make this stuff up! a chicken disappears to go lay an egg in the garage.

how life simply cracks you up sometimes!
well Till next time
Katie
xo

Camping (May meeting)

so the other week we went camping as another one of our Au Pair meetings (you'll recall last month we went rock climbing- camping was much easier than rock climbing). it was down in Sedona and it was so nice, during the day it was really warm (LOVING this heat!!) but at night it was still cold enough to sit by the fire, wearing a jacket. i repeat, so nice! anyway i got there a little late- about 6:30ish, it was about just before twilight. thankfully i still had some light, cause my tent was so confusing!!! i had borrowed one off a friend, but it was a one man tent that had 4 poles that crissed and crossed in the most odd places, i had seen it someone put it up before, but now came the fun part of doing it myself. put it this way it took me about 4 tries of putting poles in the sleeves and taking them out again, before i managed to get it slightly right, sleepable right anyway (i say slightly cause i only figured out later that night that i had the tent poles switched around and that was why it still looked a little funny after i had finally put it up). but i was one of the lucky ones.

we had a group of au pair come up from Phoenix (about 2 1/2 hours away from flag, about 1 1/2 hours from Sedona) and when they arrived it was after dark and we had already started eating dinner- we felt so bad, cause we were sitting eating and they were still getting ready, we asked if they wanted help, but they said no, we still felt bad. soon enough though everyone was sitting and eating and talking. there were definitely lots of little conversations happening, and every now and then you would encounter a different language as people from the same country met up with others who were from there. though this also caused some... not controversy but some funny moments. one i remember in particular, was one girl was talking to someone else in her first language, came back to where we were sitting and said 'that was harder than i though it was gonna be i forgot how to speak [her first language]!' that cracked us up! and of course i got talked into bringing and playing my guitar for everyone, which they all loved! so i was really glad of that, it was fun. i really should remember, but i keep learning the hard way that if i play for myself, then other people will like it, but if i play for the people then i tend to miss the mark. oh well, i will learn eventually.

i was one of the first to crash that night (and even then it was like midnight when i went to bed) i got about an hour of good sleep, and then the girls who were in the tent next to mine went to bed and would not shut up! i mean, i love the girls (they were the other flag au pairs) but i was asleep, and they woke me up. now pretty much anyone can tell you that after an hour sleep, i'm not very pleasant, especially at 1am. luckily for them they didn't have to deal with me, but i wasn't very happy about being woken up.

the next morning they all paid for it though, i was one of the last ones up and i got up at about 7/ 7:30am. so most people got very little sleep. i just laughed. we went on a hike that morning too, that was really beautiful, the river was running and everything was really green and so pretty! we hiked up to some old Indian caves (this was another ha! moment for me, i accidentally left a flashlight in my back pocket and everyone was cracking jokes about how i didn't need it cause it was day, then we went into the caves and guess what. i was the only one who could see!i ended up having to show everyone the way), then we climbed up to the road. this was funny, cause as in my last meeting post i'm not a big fan of indoor rock climbing, but outside i was all over it. i only needed help once and that was someone holding my drink bottle so i could use both hands to climb up. its crazy! inside, more safe, i freak out. outside, less safe, i'm a little monkey! it provided much entertainment for my LCC.

though the funniest thing was we got up, went hiking, packed up and everyone was gone before 9:30am. i was like, huh? i'm normally only getting up now, maybe eating breakfast, not having done any of this!!

it was a good meeting, i really like camping, but haven't done it since i got here. it was nice, and really really pretty!! i want to go again. :)

Till next time
Katie
xo

Happy Mothers Day!!!

Happy Mothers Day!!
this time of year is always special for all families, but this year especially was extra special for me. why? my mum is half way around the world. i couldn't just go up and give her a big hug and kiss complete with flowers and/or chocolates and/or some special gift. i got to say happy mothers day over a computer line, not even seeing her face, simply hearing her voice. people really take their mums for granted, i didn't realise until this year. i know i did. always having them there to give that hug and kiss that fixes everything no matter what, to give you words of advice when you need them the most. to simply be there. i never though i would miss my mum calling out my full name when i was in trouble, or just cause she wanted to say it (and make me think i was in trouble). but not having her there this day, and any day, is hard. but good in a way i have to figure out things on my own and not fall back on her when ever i can. i love her so much and miss her even more, and i was so glad that i got to simply speak to her. just talk, not go out and do anything fancy, just talk. the simple things are most of the time the best. :)

I Love You Mum and
Happy Mothers Day!!!

two things, a song that i love and is highly appropriate for this day and something i wrote for you and dad. :)

The Best Day (Taylor Swift)

I'm five years old, it's getting cold, I've got my big coat on
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home

I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today

I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names

I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today

I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he's better than I am
I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run
And I had the best days with you

There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
And Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
For staying back and watching me shine
And I didn't know if you knew, so I'm takin' this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today

Falling Star (Katie Steuart-Robins)

Starting out on this big ol' journey
Not really knowing where I'll go
But i know you'll always be there for me
If I go fast or I take it slow

But sometimes its hard to find
The white lines
On this worn down road of life
And I'll make mistakes
But I'll find my grace
Eventually just take some time
And if i get lost I'll remember
What you told me last September
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star

Sitting here my mind rewinds
A flashback, not so long ago
You could take on the whole wide world
And I was your little girl
I'm still your little girl

Sometimes its hard to find
The white lines
On this worn down road of life
And I'll make mistakes
But I'll find my grace
Eventually just take some time
And if i get lost I'll remember
What you told me last September
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star

And i know when i look back
At a place Ill always call home
You'll be there watching my tracks
Never out of sight or gone.

Sometimes its hard to find
The white lines
On this worn down road of life
And I'll make mistakes
But I'll find my grace
Eventually just take some time
And if i get lost I'll remember
What you told me last September
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star

Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star.

I Love You!

Till next time
Katie
xo

Church

so another question i have been getting a lot. and for good reason. i now go to church in America, but i didn't back in Australia. why? people are asking here is the answer. my parents have never been very religious, (they made my sister and i do religious instruction in school, but that was about the extent of it.), we didn't go to church ever, not even on holidays, we didn't do anything that showed we practiced a particular religion. my sister and i we're not even baptised. i believe part of it was my father was brought up very Christian and hated it, so he refused to do anything with us (mum, please correct me if i'm wrong). therefor my church experience was in school. now at first i had the same attitude as my parents as far i was concerned i had much better things to be doing than sitting in church at some god awful hour of the morning listening to someone drag on and on about things that i didn't full agree with. and unfortunately that was what most of the services i did go to with school were. people just talking and talking and i didn't like what they were saying. very traditional services. though there was the odd one that i did like, and no matter what service i was in (whether it was boring or not) i some how felt like i belonged, and for at least a little bit enjoyed it. so i guess you could say that i have always liked the church and was meant to be apart of it, but i never found the right one for me. that was until i came to flagstaff.

a friends of mine invited me out for dinner with some people so i could meet other around town. one of these people happen to be training as a minister at the church i now attend. he (peter is his name) said i should come and check it out and that they meet on Friday and Saturday nights. that was my first indication that this church was different from others that i had been too. all the others had met on Sunday morning. this one meets on Friday (fellowship- all come and eat and hang out and have fun) and Saturday (bible study and the actual service) evenings. this not only suited my schedule a lot better, but it meant i didn't have to get up on Sunday (on any day in fact) and try not to fall asleep during the sermon (i'm not really a great morning person). so i went one Friday evening and had an awesome time. so i kept coming back.

everyone there is really nice and it really is like a second family. the services are more modern and thats one thing this church prides themselves on, is they don't follow the traditions to the absolute law. we have what you would call a modern service, so we have lots of up beat music (not just traditional hymns), and the views that are expressed have more to do with the time that we are presently in. there is more meaning and relevance to todays society, rather than trying to keep views that were expressed years ago and don't fit any more. and the best thing about this church is i agree with (mostly) what is being said. that was always a really big turn off for me in other churches that i had been too. the paster would always preach about something that i completely didn't agree with to the point where i was ready to walk out of that particular church, but couldn't either out of respect or because i was with others and it would have been plain rude.

so there is my reasons for now going to church, i feel like i belong, like i have always belonged to the word of the lord, and now everyone can know. its fun and i have made some fantastic friends who are now part of my extended family.

Till next time
Katie
xo