Goodbye Australia

Over four years ago, we moved to Sydney, Australia with our two and three year old boys-- and a big container filled with "Ameri-stuff".

And in two weeks, we will leave this gorgeous, amazing city to move to San Francisco, California... another beautiful place where we will embark upon a brand new adventure. 

I have lots of things to say before we go, but for now I'm just going to reminisce in photos about our time here, and how our babies turned into big boys right before our eyes in Sydney, Australia... as professional mini-expats.


We're moving where???  Florida 2007.



The 40 foot container in our driveway in Florida, loading up!



The day after we arrived here, lying on the ground in the courtyard of the townhouse in Double Bay that we rented our first two years here.


Miss Kim, (our preschool teacher from Florida) and the little one, enjoying one of our first babycino's in Double Bay, in a cafe which was short-lived.



More babycino's at one of our regular spots- "21" on Knox Street in Double Bay.



Our first Australia Day in Sydney, in Hyde Park for the festivities.


Our older one, on the phone with Grandma (a.k.a "G-Unit") in Florida.  This picture literally makes me cry every time. :(



World Youth Day, Sydney Australia July 2008, it was total Jesus-mania.



Making "damper" bread at preschool, it took about 15 minutes for me to understand they were saying "damper bread"-- not "dampa braid".  Some things just have to be written down to be understood when there are accent issues.



The thing in our backyard that I loved.



I'd say about 80% of chips in Australia fall into the category of "meat flavour", that's Aussie for "flavor".



Enjoying an Easy-Way tea at Bondi Beach, and when we were there yesterday it appears the Easy Way had shut down... how unfortunate, though timely (for us).



The view from the zoo. (Taronga Zoo)



Primrose Park in Mosman, the cutest bike park in the world.



The little gourmet dining on risotto at Peron's in Double Bay.



The Family Fun Run over the Sydney Harbour Bridge (a.k.a The Coat Hanger).  Notice the leashes on our children, how sad... or for some-- funny.



Box construction fun free event at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt... so fun.



Visits from family were bittersweet, as we knew how much we'd miss them when they left. (G-Unit at the Opera House).



The boys climbed their first trees here, in costume of course for this child.



Those are the townhouses we lived in off to the left, and the brown building is "18 Footers Club" restaurant at the Double Bay Ferry Wharf... where we spent many a weekly date night.


 
A real, live Kookaburra on our fence at the next house we lived in here.  Aussies think the way I pronounce Kookaburra is hilarious... I agree.



Ball skills in the backyard, they are growing up so fast.



Painting in Sydney sun.



Honeysuckle or jasmine- who cares? Smells amazing and it's everywhere, this was on the oval of our old school.



The Rose Bay Sydney Seaplane with the gorgeous views we've enjoyed for the last 4.5 years.



The mini-train which does tours of Royal Botanic Gardens outside Opera House.



The Opera House in all it's Aussie glory.  I love this place.







Our little boy under a gorgeous sculpture at Sculpture by the Sea Bondi Beach a couple years ago.



Views from the Bondi cliffwalk.



Festival of the Winds at Bondi Beach, an awesome kite-flying festival.



Our favorite waitress from our regular spot, the iconic Dee Bee's in Double Bay; which after being there FOREVER mysteriously shut down a couple months ago-- again, clearly a sign our time here is coming to an end :(



Does it get more Aussie than the ANZ Bank?



Or Woolies.  Nice sky-writing?



The cupcakes our friends brought over for Australia Day one year.



The rarely-seen inside, of the Rose Bay Police Station.



An American flag our friends rescued, it was found in the park with burn marks on it.



The adorable house called "Clanalpine" that we rented in the Blue Mountains... what a great place!



We got a puppy.



Ruby the Australian Labradoodle.  Do you think she'll keep her Aussie accent?



We lost teeth.



The famous Coca-Cola sign in Kings Cross.



The painting which is ever-evolving we drive by all the time in Edgecliff.




The Dog Beach, also known as Ruby's Happy Place, below the Rose Bay Police Station.



The people beach, Bondi Beach.



The boys and Big Daddy at Bondi.



The St. George Open-Air Cinema, something we made sure not to miss every year!



This is a rental car-- and entertainment.



Our trip to Port Stephens, ah-mazing.



This is the cliffwalk about five minutes from our house-- it's just gorgeous.




Ruby's Diner, they're not very friendly there-- but they have a cool sign painted on the wall.


These are always cruising around town, I went on one once-- then hopped off five minutes later and never got back on.


And every Sunday after Yum Cha we got a little taste of home-- in the form of an Venti Iced Mocha :).



An eagles-eye view of Double Bay which I took from an apartment in Darling Point.  I lived here.




Sam the Puppy.  A year younger than Ruby.


Sam a few months later.


Our weekly Sunday outing to the CBD.

 
My big boys at the Bellevue Hill Fair, eating fairy floss-- which they will eventually find out is called "cotton candy"... probably right around the time they realize there is no fairy bread at birthday parties in America.

Sydney, we will miss your gorgeous accents, beautiful beaches, and well-balanced lifestyle.  Our children are more Aussie than American, so you will always be in our hearts, and have changed our family forever.