Well, if word hadn’t already made its way around, today it became official. Jay and I are packing up the kids (not the dog *sniff sniff*) and moving to Brisbane, Australia. I thought I would start a blog to keep a journal of our adventures, and to give our friends and family an opportunity to keep in the loop. I will try to post at least weekly but if I start slacking off, give me a gentle nudge, please. :).

In case you were wondering about our beloved furry 4 legged family member, Bandit will be living a life of luxury with Auntie Em. She lives on a horse farm, so plenty of “road apples” to keep him happy. If he ever needs a vacation, my parents’ farm is not too far away. Thank goodness for our awesome families who have stepped up to help make this crazy relocation easier.

Today, well tonight in the US and tomorrow in Australia…15 hour time difference…Jay begins the hunt for a home. I have found a handful of places online but am anxious to find out what Jay thinks after seeing them in person. He went to Australia with a checked bag and a laundry list a mile long of things to do over the next week and a half. Top priorities are finding a home and choosing a daycare/preschool for the kids. Ty is 3 and will be attending preschool. Lily is 2 months, so we are hoping to find a facility that can take both of them. We have heard that many places have waiting lists, so we are hoping that we can get in by the time we arrive mid-October.

Other items on Jay’s list include finding us cell phones (While our Verizon phones would work in Australia they would be SUPER expensive), wandering through the grocery store to see what I need to pack and take with us, locating and possibly purchasing electronics (they have a different electrical outlet) – particularly baby stuff like swings, monitors, etc.

Meanwhile I am holding down the fort in the US. The kids and I have had fun so far, both have been behaving pretty well. Our house is currently on the rental market, so we are waiting patiently for someone to take an interest in our home for a couple of years. Our preliminary packing is pretty much done – air shipment items are sorted, personal items that we will leave behind are stored away, and we are trying to get by with just the things we will have in our checked bags and carry one when we fly over. This could get interesting as the leaves start turning, the days get shorter, and the temperatures start falling. Australia is going into summer so I wasn’t planning on taking many cold weather clothes. We will see how many times I have to go dig out warm clothes from storage…

That’s all I have for an update for now. More to come later!!