Mark's Birthday Pirate Party!

Aaaarrrrggghhhh!

(for some reason the balloon makes him less convincing...)

Yep, that's me.

The jolly pirate Kate. We bake and play guitars together.

One of our pastors, the merry Katie.

The mischievous looking Pastor Scott, husband to Katie and brother of my friend Kate.

Marc. Not sure what look he's going after, but I will say he was fun competition when we went bowling the other night! I beat the boys (Marc and Mark) in both games, with the winning scores of 138 and 139 (no bumpers, of course). Not being an avid bowler, I was very proud of myself. Marc was giving me a run for my money. Marc and his wife Anne let Mark use use one of their cars Wed-Fri on many occassions when Mark didn't have a way to get to work in Donald and Horsham. Thanks guys!

This is Paulie, one of Mark's colleagues. He's from Norway. I think he's trying to go for the 'I'm guilty but trying to look innocent' pirate pose. Paulie also let Mark use his car Wed - Fri on many occassions for months when we didn't have one. Thanks Paulie!

Ahhh, Luke. He's saying, "The next round's on me, boys!" Thanks Luke! Luke has a beautiful wife, Rebecca, and 3 gorgeous little girls. We taught them how to play Settlers, he he he (the evil sort of laugh where I smile and think about my scheme to brainwash all of our friends into playing Settlers with us... Pastor Katie is already addicted to the game!).

The lovely Sarah. She is another of Mark's colleagues. Unfortunately for us, she and her husband are moving to Adelaide this Oz winter, US summer. They hope to start a family soon (woohoo!) and want to be settled close to their families first.

For Mark's birthday we went to a teppanyaki restaurant, one of those Japanese restaurants where they cook the food in front of you! It was a lot of fun. Kate baked some lemon meringue pies for Mark's birthday 'cake.' See below...

In the end our chef wrote this upside down using salt on the grill. Not bad...

Hope you enjoyed meeting some of our friends above.

In other news, in case you hadn't heard already, we bought a car! We got a 2002 Subaru Outback with only 86,000 Kilometres (55,000 miles) on it. It looks good and is in great condition. We think we got a great deal on it and are very pleased to have it. With winter approaching and a baby soon to follow we thought it would be wise to get one sooner than later. Also, with Mark travelling for work 3 days a week, it was getting increasingly difficult to keep borrowing cars. We still bike quite a bit and still want to. I have to anyhow on Wed - Fri when Mark is away with the car. It does make grocery shopping SO much easier, and now we can explore this vast country, at the least take weekend trips! Last weekend we went to Melbourne and watched U2 in 3D at the IMAX Theatre. We both thought it was fantastic, although Mark says the real thing is still better (of course). He's been to two U2 concerts. This weekend we're heading down to Melbourne again, and to Hoppers Crossing for a going away party for our friends Kath and Cliff (the ones we went camping with a few weeks back). They are going to work at a summer camp in Pennsylvania, and then to explore South America and/or Africa for the next 2 years! How fun!!

Now that we have a car ticked off our prayer list, we are focusing on finding a new place to live before my parents get here in 6 weeks! Our house is 2 bedrooms and COLD. We are looking for a 3 bedroom house with central heating, and we think we might've found one... right next door. That house recently sold, and the new owners are remodelling it to rent it out! They are putting a whole new kitchen and bathroom in, and re-painting the whole place. It should be really nice when they're done. Pray that the price is right, and that they accept pets (how could we leave 'pooper and the claw'?? more on that to come). If we have a 3 bedroom place when my parents get here, my mom can help me decorate the baby's room, which I'm sure she'd really love to do!

Another big prayer request is for our permanent residency application to be granted. The main hang-up at the moment is that they want me to have a chest x-ray, but being pregnant that's not a good idea. The thing is, I just had one less than a year ago (to be able to come here) and so I am going to petition to see if that can be accepted, or if they can just wave it for me.

Finally, just thought I'd let you know that the pregnancy is going well. I'm 15 weeks now. I'm still not really showing, although I'm just starting to get bigger. I've been feeling good and healthy apart from the cold/cough I had for 2 weeks (that Mark is now getting over), but other than that I've been fine! Thanks for your prayers. We'll be finding out the sex of the baby in 4 weeks now!

It's all about Rachel.

Yaah! I got to be a hippie last night! Once a month our church has a women's evening called Essence. It's like a mini-church service, just for women, to encourage women... and a bit more 'fun' than church. Anyhow, last night was themed, it was FAD night. When I saw that brown wool shawl thing with beads on it at the thrift/charity shop I reckoned it would be warm (and I was right) and went with it.


Here's the whole lot of us. Besides Kate, I also hang out with Anne, in the red on the left, and Jen, in the the very back on the right throwing a peace sign. Our pastor/pastor's wife is in the nice blue outfit in the middle left. Her name is Katie. We went shopping for our outfits together.

Katie talked about how Jesus isn't a fad... how we can't just choose to put him on at some times, and not at others...how sometimes He's treated as a fashion accessory. It's all or nothing. It was a good, encouraging talk.

Later at home I chilled on the bed and the cat's decided to chill on my lap... the both of them!




I just thought the kitten was so cute sleeping in this one.

In other news I have started playing the guitar again. Kate, my hippie friend pictured above, is on the worship team at church and is trying to recruit me to play with her. We practised a bit today, so hopefully soon I will sharpen my skills once again and be able to use my musical talent however God might deem fit.

Our practise session followed my appointment at the mid-wives clinic which Kate kindly accompanied me to. It was really just filling out paperwork. Just that. Next week, on Wednesday actually, I have an 'anti-natal' appointment which I believe is with a doctor, so I'm assuming they'll do some more interesting things at that appointment. Kate offered to come with me to that one as well! The appointment today wasn't without complications though. Apparently the program I want to get into (Primary Mid-Wife) is a public program, and to be in it you have to have public health care. Well, I don't. At the moment I just have private. I wish I had public because it's FREE, but we won't have that until we're permanent residents, so pray that that happens SOON! They almost didn't accept me into the program which did worry me at first, and though I'm technically not accepted until my next appointment after the doctor confirms my birth is a low-risk one, I'm not worried about it now. I know God's looking out for me. I figure if all else fails Leigh and our 5th year doctor friend Paul can deliver our baby at home!

More baby news next week hopefully.

Camping and Kitties

Hi! Mark is going to do a little blurb for this later, but in the meantime I thought I'd show you some recent photos.

Our latest camping trip to the Brisbane Ranges National Park with our friends Kath and Cliff.

Playing Settlers of Catan.

Just a pretty bird. Not sure the name.

A real live Kookaburra! Sitting in a gum tree even...

An afternoon stroll through a forest of gum trees.

Our new little kitty, Buckey, sitting next to Mark.

Bella didn't like Buckey at first, but now they're pals.

Lazy cat naps...

Too cute! Bella is sleeping in the dead-cat position and Buckey is in mid-yawn.

New Blog

In case you didn't know, we're expecting a baby! I've created a blog in light of this momentous occassion coming soon (well, in early November). I tried to link it on the side but it was taking too long. For now, you can check out: www.babycolviniscoming.blogspot.com if you want just thoughts on pregnancy and the arrival of the baby. If that doesn't interest you, no worries... I've spared you the baby talk! If it does interest you, however, check it out...

I've posted one photo on it so far... a belly shot. No, I'm not really showing yet... the baby is only the size of a blueberry! Mark thinks it's just my belly fat. Well, we can pretend, can't we?

In other news, we spent Easter weekend in Torquay, a surf town just south of us at the beginning of the Great Ocean Road. We stayed in a less-than-nice (but cheap and available last minute) cabin at D'Oro Tourist Farm, and watched the Rip Curl Surf Pro during the day.



We watched a number of heats. Below are some shots from the women's competition.

Megan Abubo, an American competing against...

Steph Gilmore, an Australian and 2007 Women's Surfing World Champion Title holder.

Steph Gilmore ended up winning this competition in the finals two days later. Here she is signing autographs.

The winner get to ring this very bell.

That cabin I was telling you about...

The view across from our cabin.

A dead spider I found in the bathrooms at the Rip Curl Surf Pro. Not dissimilar to the two ALIVE spiders I found in the very tiny shower compartment at our cabin. Yah, I freaked. I just don't know if they jump here yet! Luckily the big, scary looking ones aren't AS deadly.


Mark went surfing a couple times this weekend as well. The beach was gorgeous, called 'Jan Juc.' I thought I had my eye on him the whole time. I kept waving at him, he kept waving at me... but when I went to snap a photo of him riding a wave, I realized...

It wasn't him. Mark was wearing a short-legged wet suit. So what's this guy doing waving at me??!

Wilson's Promontory

As promised, photos from our latest camping trip to Wilson's Promontory.


We are so blessed to have friends who lend us their cars. We were able to get away to God's beautiful nature for the 3-day Labour Day weekend. Our campsite was right next to the beach (see below). We simply walked out of our campsite, took a few steps down a sandy path and...



We went hiking (see below), snorkelling, and spent time at the beach.

The view from the top of the mountain on our hike.

Squeeky Beach. The sand actually does squeek. It is white and fine like talcolm powder. It was SO soft. When you scuff your foot, it squeeks! This beach was crawling with internationals.

A little catch up...

Yes, this is Bella. Her latest obsession is the outside world! She LONGS to go outside and play and explore, but the vet has said she shouldn't go outside until she has been 'fixed.' Poor Bella. Here she is clinging onto the screen in our bedroom, although she has been known to crawl up our entire 6ft tall screen door in the front. She is still absolutely adorable and so very affectionate. We continue to enjoy her company.



We love having visitors! Our latest ones were Murray Hone and his girlfriend Sarah. They are both Canadians. Mark knew Murray from Green Bay, a Christian camp they worked at for many years together during University. Murray came out for an Australian adventure and was working at a youth hostel in Sydney for a few months before Sarah came out and joined him.


And finally, I love putting things in perspective... this is the road I bike every day, twice a day, on my way to and from work. I find it peaceful and refreshing. In the last few weeks since I took this photo, the leaves have begun to fall! Autumn is here. I'm still enjoying biking everywhere. It takes Mark and I only 10 minutes each one-way to get to our workplaces. Not bad.

This past weekend was a 3-day weekend, out Labour Day. Mark and I seized the opportunity and went camping in Wilson's Promontory, a National Park on a peninsula east of Melbourne. We camped next to the beach and drifted to sleep listening to the waves crash (one of my favourite things!). Over the weekend we went hiking, snorkeling, layed on the beach, sat around a campfire, cuddled in the dark and observed an amazing sky full of stars and shooting stars and just had a nice time together. Photos of this to come in the next blog!

Mark's job is still going very well, thanks for all of your prayers. He has picked up the new technique and is becoming an expert in no time. He is pleased with all of the excellent results he receives from it, and his boss is happy with him!

I had an interview last week for Starbuck's Assistant Manager position. The interview was OK overall, but when I think back on it I really gave some abstract and goofy answers in my attempt to be honest and quick in answering. Oh well. I'll find out soon if I get a second interview. The twist in this scenario is that a school I submitted my resume to a few months back recently gave me call. The principal said he was interested in meeting me. The school is a Christian K-12 school. When I was speaking with the principal in our meeting, he told me that my name just kept coming to his mind and that he had to meet me. He seemed to be a man led by the Spirit, and it was suprisingly great talking to him. We had a good conversation, and I was excited to learn about how he is a man of vision and has great vision for his school. He wants me to join. Now, he couldn't offer me a set job or contract, mostly because I'm not qualified to teach in Australia, but he did offer me the opportunity to Relief (Substitute) Teach and act as an Art Consultant with the Art Teachers and Yr 11 & 12 students (he is hoping to utilize my worldwide art experiences to enrich their art department). So, your prayers would be appreciated for me!

That's all for now. More to come soon!

Getting settled

The question everyone keeps asking is, "Are you settled yet?" We've been in Australia for 4 months now, and in Ballarat for just six weeks. Moving from Hoppers Crossing to Ballarat felt like moving countries again. We had made good friends and I was enjoying my work mates in Port Melbourne. We were always looking forward to moving to Ballarat though... to finally having our own place again and being able to set up a home. Below: our cottage on Duncan Street.


You're welcome anytime!


Now, six weeks after moving here, I can say that I'm starting to feel settled. Starting. Really, things are just beginning, so it will be a while before we are in a routine of things. For instance, basketball starts this week for me. I will be both playing in a women's league, and coaching 16 - 18 year old girls. I'm nervous but also looking forward to this opportunity. Also, the leaugue is paying for me to get my Coaching Certificate, which I'm excited about. In other things, I have yet to be made Assistant Manager at the Starbucks I'm working at, but I'm hopeful that will happen soon. In our quest to find a church, we think we've found one (yah!) but until that is confirmed we are still unsettled in that area. We had the pastors (a husband and wife team) of that church over for dinner this week, and our time together was good. We'll tell you more when we know more. With Mark, first he was covering for a maternity leave, then we moved up to Ballarat and he was asked to travel two hours away, three days a week, to cover for some other absent doctors. He is away as I type this. This finishes this week though and from next week he will be able to practice his permanent (for now) schedule of five days a week in Ballarat, and one day a week back in Hoppers Crossing. So, for the both of us, these next few weeks will be a time of settling.

The best word I have to describe Balllarat is 'charming.' It's small, but not too small. Everything is within reasonable biking distances. I'll try to take some photos for you on my way to work. I have to say that I am really enjoying biking everywhere! It was a bummer having our our new-to-us car die on us mostly because of the money we sunk into it, but now I even feel blessed. We're lucky that the weather has been so great lately. It's beautiful and refreshing riding during the day, and peaceful and magical riding at night. We bike to work, to the grocery store, to friend's houses and to church. The aren't many bike commuters in this town so people are always amused at us, but I'm excited to demonstrate another way of travelling that is good for one's health and the environment, and it saves money on car expenses like petrol. To my fellow friends out there travelling solely by bike and public transportation: way to go! I feel united with you... bike riding is that special.

And last but not least, the newest edition to the Colvin househould: Bella! Her name was inspired by Rob Bell, a pastor/author/short-film writer that we have been interested in and appreciated lately. Mark has just finished reading two of his books, Sex God and Velvet Elvis. I've really enjoyed many of his NOOMA videos. Check him out if you haven't already.



Bella is VERY affectionate. We got her a week ago, at six weeks old. Her favourite place in on us somewhere, usually on our shoulder or face (if we let her). She loves cuddling and just wants to be close to us and play with us. We almost called her Beso (kiss in Spanish) because she loves nibbling our ears and licking our lips (Yes! but I never let her. She's cute, but not that cute. No kitty breath near my mouth.)




That's it for now. Again, our address is 3 Duncan Street, Ballarat, 3350, VIC, Australia.

p.s. I just thought I'd share one of my favourite things about work: a regular customer named Bill. I love Bill because he reminds me of all my homeless friends. Bill used to be a teacher and was tragically, brutally beaten up by students (a long time ago). He is now 'different.' I'm not sure what exactly is going on in his head, but he lives with a very mangled arm, and has the looks and similar mannerisms of a mentally disabled homeless person. He always smells and sometimes clears half of our store upon entrance. His clothes are often dirty, and his hands caked with dirt. What I love about Bill is that he's always reading, and often reads aloud to us. He breaks out in song every day, usually Australian ballads of sort. And his laugh... he sometimes goes on and on to me, and I can't unserstant a word, and then he laughs at what he's just said and I laugh because his laugh is so funny, so contagious. I also love the my co-workers all treat Bill with respect. I can't say the same for all of our customers. Just yesterday Bill was telling me about a book he is reading on the Bible. Bill was telling me about the book, about how he was enjoying it, and then he said, "And you know what Rachel, I read that Jesus is going to come back again one day!" He said it with a brief glimpse of delight and wonder in his eye, like a child. It was beautiful and made me stop and reflect, and delight and wonder as well.

Happy New Year!

The past month has been hectic (what's new?), but overall good. Our month old brand new-to-us $3000 car DIED (we are borrowing a car from a friend until Jan. 20th), I had ingrown toenail surgery on Dec. 6th, we moved from Hoppers Crossing (near Melbourne) to Ballarat on Dec. 15th, friends from England stayed with us for Christmas (Dec. 24th - 30th), and our phone and internet lines are not properly working yet-- hence part of the reason why we have not been in touch (though we noticed a lot of you bloggers out there have been slacking as well. Must be the holidays!). I say things are overall good because Mark is enjoying his new company/job and is seeing excellent results with the technique they use (NIP). It's also nice to finally be getting settled into a house and into a job for me. I'm moving to full-time at Starbucks next week. I started my training for Supervisor today, and was also told by Starbucks' District Manager that he was arranging the date for my Assistant Manager interview for me today. Hopefully that will indeed happen soon (in the meantime I'm still looking for/open to other options). Oddly enough the most difficult times for me are when we go to church. I get really depressed/emotional. I think it's because I miss my old churches (Jubilee, SBCC, etc...) and the Christian relationships from them. I prayed for deep, passionate, and meaningful Christian friendships for both myself and Mark in Hull, England and the Lord provided. I need to pray the same for here. Pray with me!

Above: for New Year's Eve we went to Matt's house (in the Starbucks photo below). He's my co-worker in Port Melbourne. He had a little party. Then we left and met up with some friends at Waterfront City in Melbourne for the fireworks! They were fabulous. We brought a blanket and had front row seats. The Lord blessed the evening as well as we sat by a man who just got back from Uganda. He works with Watoto (a children's choir). My friend who was with us also recently went to Uganda and so they were excited to talk to each other.

Matt did a beautiful job of making my favourite drink for me, a toffee nut latte with extra whip and extra toffee nut sprinkles. I won't be having these for a while though... I've given up dairy and wheat/gluten for a month to see if my skin improves. After only a week it has improved, but we'll see how it goes after a month. It used to go up and down anyway. Of the two I think dairy is the real culprit... I'm hoping it's not both as I enjoy eating both!


Above: Katie and James, the highlight of our Christmas. These are two of our friends from Hull, England, still currently travelling around Australia in a van (they're in Sydney at the moment). They decided to come to our house for Christmas! We had a fabulous time. It was SO good to be with people we knew that knew us, and we got to know each other even better. We played games and watched movies and went sight-seeing together and had some good conversations. Thanks for the great visit!

James and Mark went to a Cricket game on Boxing Day. Australia vs. India. I think the 5-day game ended in a draw.

Our backyard. Sorry it's so small. I'm not sure how I can make it bigger for you. It's small, with cemented area and a clothesline in the middle, and it's surrounding by trees (which I love!). The weather has been great and I've been able to lounge around in a bikini tops and skirts! Hooray for summer! It was beginning to feel like Narnia for a while with a never-ending winter.

Our back porch looking into our backyard. Notice the shed in the backyard, the dark doorway which leads to an outdoor toilet, and our dryer which is in our laundry room, also outside of our house. The door to our kitchen is just past and to the right of the air con unit on the right wall.

I'm considering starting another blog to share thoughts about my passion: ethical consumerism. There is so much I want to do with this passion, which will really start after the house is fully unpacked and sorted (we're almost there!) and the internet is up and running. I'll let you know when it begins...

Hope all is well with you!

Again, our new address: 3 Duncan Street, Ballarat, 3350, VIC, Australia.