Christmas Baking

I have the best husband in the world.  Have I mentioned that before?  Just in case I haven't, let me restate that this amazing man has brought me to live in Australia, on a year long vacation from work (have you seen the pictures?!  we live in paradise!), where I just get to play and explore all day, while he works SO hard to provide and make a living for us.  All that being said, this wonderful man even agreed to bake Christmas cookies with me today!  That's right, T-man put on an apron and baked up some of the most delicious sugar cookies I've ever tasted!  (Thank you SO much, Janice for the best recipe in the whole world!)  I, of course, had to document this momentous occasion as it has never happened before....

Keep in mind that T is an engineer.... he is, to say the least, very meticulous in his work.

Take it out on the cookie dough, honey!

Are those not the best looking cookie cut-outs?!

Notice how he has maximized the amount of dough used in each roll out by carefully placing and spacing the cookie cutters.

Such concentration!

There's that handsome smile!  I just LOVE the apron on you, T!

The end result?!  A masterpiece that tasted like heaven in my mouth!!

Aussie Golf

Tyson and a few friends played golf over the weekend.  They weren't expecting any spectators, but these furry friends were all over the course!  Maybe watching and waiting for a hole-in-one...

Or maybe they just like the feel of the green...but just look at all of them!

This roo looks like he has a beard growing!  Maybe he was supporting Movember too?!!

Aww!  Isn't he cute!?!  I'm talking about Tyson, of course!

Click on the picture and look at the joey in it's mother's pouch!!

Just lazin' the day away on the golf course!

Tyson was friendly, as a true Texan should be!

T and James being silly.  Isn't golf a serious game?

More roos!

This picture is amazing and also a bit disturbing at the same time!  Look at the joey!!!!!

Surprise!

Tyson came home from work on Friday to find a package had arrived for him!  Who was this mystery box from??  He was so anxious to see what was inside...

He's still not quite sure who sent it...he only knows that it's someone who lives in Dallas (from the postmark)

Whoever sent it, they know him SO well!  Look how excited this boy was to get an American football!!  He's been dying to play catch ever since we got to Australia!

Not one, not two, but THREE cards!  The AQUA one with "TyTy" on it gave away the anonymity of the sender, and he guessed that it was from his great friend (and fish camp co-chair partner) Lauren!

Another one of his very favorites that is not available down under!!

He's literally chomping at the bit to break into his favorite American goodies!!  We are quite possibly the only household in Perth with Chester the Cheetah's delicious cheesy cheetos!

Perhaps the next Heisman trophy winner??  

You should have seen him playing and running around our apartment...just like a little boy at Christmas!!!

Thank you SOOO much Lauren for spoiling TyTy rotten with all of these birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas goodies!  What a super SWEET and very special surprise for this true-blue Texan!    

Thanksgiving Weekend Getaway!

This year was a year for firsts when it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving!  We planned a weekend road trip to the Margaret River area (famous for it's beautiful beaches and wineries)  with our friends.  We rented a house to stay in - literally called "The White House" - in the quaint beach town of Dunsborough.  We had an absolutely wonderful weekend filled with memories, exploring and best of all, fun with friends!  I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures of how we were fortunate enough to spend our Australian Thanksgiving!

After 3 hours in the car...we made it!  The house is beautiful and the group (James, Adrian,  Alison & Pete, Hammam & Noha, K&T ) is ready for a fab weekend together!

  

Is he not adorable with his mo (mustache that he grew out for the month of MOvember to promote men's health awareness in AU) and Aussie hat!!?!

The lovely ladies!  

A toast to the brand new Auntie Alison!  Her nephew, Joseph James, was born in Scotland just yesterday!

We played Catch Phrase after dinner and this crazy boy made it so much fun!

More games...how fun is Pictionary!?!  Especially when you cannot draw whatsoever!

Saturday morning we woke up and had a scrumptious homemade brekky at the house, and then we set out for a day full of exploring!  Our first stop, the Leeuwin Lighthouse!

It's beautiful!

We climbed to the top and we actually saw whales out in the distance blowing through their blow holes!!  It's the season for migration and this coast is famous for the whales!

Ahhh...another lovely view!  Does this ever get old??

A crazy looking Aussie plant of some sort...doesn't it just look like it belongs right in the Outback?

It's a Magie Eye!  Can you spot the creature in this picture??

This is natural BEAUTY at it's BEST!

Dunsborough is known for it's stunning beaches...now that we've been there, we can see exactly why.  To put it simply, I was mesmerized.  The pictures don't need explaining...I just wish that you could've seen it in person.  Absolutely breathtaking.

Ngilgi Cave

After an already exciting morning filled with lighthouses, whales and beaches, we decided to head underground take a tour through Ngilgi Cave.  WOW!  It was amazing!!!  We wandered through tiny tunnels, deep down under the earth and here is what we saw....

The pictures really can't do justice to how incredible this cave was...

There were THOUSANDS of limestone stalactites!

Yikes!  What if they fell?!  

I tried not to think about that OR feeling claustrophobic as we walked through these narrow cave walls!

 

The guide told us that it takes 100 years for a stalactite to grow just ONE centimeter.  Imagine how long these have been growing for!!!

Silly mustache man!

I felt like a true explorer!!

It was quite a workout walking around through there!

Could it be???  TyTy actually being serious and learning??  No way!

 

Tyson, Noha and Hammam ready to be done with the stairs and steps in the cave!