Australia: The Wildlife

My time in Australia started in Melbourne where I met up with some dear friends of mine who I met when we first moved to San Francisco. Pierce and Meagan now have two children and have lived there for four years. (I can't believe it's been that long since we were neighbors.)

The first day was basically a day of getting settled in and getting to know the kids. Meagan picked me up from the airport and showed me around Melbourne a bit. We had a great time catching up and I loved seeing her home.

Day two was Animal Day, or at least that is what I'm calling it because we saw so many animals, both at a reserve and in the wild, I just couldn't believe it. We drove outside of Melbourne to the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park where I had a "Koala Experience" and got to feed wallabies and kangaroos. The Koala experience was a must. I have loved Koalas ever since I was little and stopped being scared of them (Mom used to put my stuffed koala on the step to keep me from trying to go up the stairs). I entered the koala area, was told not to touch his face or his food and that I could give him a little hug from behind. They kept him preoccupied with lunch so he probably didn't even know I was there. He fur was short making it a little more prickly than I expected, but he was still soft and lovable.

The wallabies and kangaroos are loose in the park and were on the walkway, so naturally we just held out our hands with their food and they walked over and ate. I was startled when one put his paws on my hand, although his claws weren't sharp and it didn't hurt, it caught me off guard. It was really neat getting to see three of them with their joeys in their pouches!

We saw a Tasmanian Devil, a wombat, dingos and a lot of birds that I don't remember the names of and a few other animals before Meagan and I headed to Philip Island.

Once we got to Philip Island, we stopped for afternoon tea. I love Australian afternoon tea. I am not usually a tea drinker, but I think I became one on this trip! And the cakes they make -- yummy! My favorite was the Sticky Date Cake. Then we drove to the Nobbies. The greens were so green and the water was so blue. I didn't want to leave, it was so pretty and I just love the sound of the waves crashing into the rocks.

But once we left, we saw this big guy crossing the road! There were two or three kangaroos in the tall grass on the right, the other two jumped in the other direction.

Then we made it to the Penguin Parade on Philip Island. Each night, "Little Penguins" the smallest species of penguin leave the ocean and scurry across the beach to find their nests or their mates and feed their young. We couldn't take photos, but you can check out a video on their website. We watched them for nearly an hour before returning to the warmth of the car. (It was somewhere near 50 degrees I'd say.) On the walk back up the boardwalk we could see them coming up the grassy hillside and hear them calling for one another. Little Penguins are only about 12 inches tall and are very cute!

It was a very exciting day, but I was ready for bed! We didn't get home from Animal Day until after 11 p.m.

You can see more photos on Facebook!

My time in Australia started in Melbourne where I met up with some dear friends of mine who I met when we first moved to San Francisco. Pierce and Meagan now have two children and have lived there for four years. (I can't believe it's been that long since we were neighbors.)

The first day was basically a day of getting settled in and getting to know the kids. Meagan picked me up from the airport and showed me around Melbourne a bit. We had a great time catching up and I loved seeing her home.

Day two was Animal Day, or at least that is what I'm calling it because we saw so many animals, both at a reserve and in the wild, I just couldn't believe it. We drove outside of Melbourne to the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park where I had a "Koala Experience" and got to feed wallabies and kangaroos. The Koala experience was a must. I have loved Koalas ever since I was little and stopped being scared of them (Mom used to put my stuffed koala on the step to keep me from trying to go up the stairs). I entered the koala area, was told not to touch his face or his food and that I could give him a little hug from behind. They kept him preoccupied with lunch so he probably didn't even know I was there. He fur was short making it a little more prickly than I expected, but he was still soft and lovable.

The wallabies and kangaroos are loose in the park and were on the walkway, so naturally we just held out our hands with their food and they walked over and ate. I was startled when one put his paws on my hand, although his claws weren't sharp and it didn't hurt, it caught me off guard. It was really neat getting to see three of them with their joeys in their pouches!

We saw a Tasmanian Devil, a wombat, dingos and a lot of birds that I don't remember the names of and a few other animals before Meagan and I headed to Philip Island.

Once we got to Philip Island, we stopped for afternoon tea. I love Australian afternoon tea. I am not usually a tea drinker, but I think I became one on this trip! And the cakes they make -- yummy! My favorite was the Sticky Date Cake. Then we drove to the Nobbies. The greens were so green and the water was so blue. I didn't want to leave, it was so pretty and I just love the sound of the waves crashing into the rocks.

But once we left, we saw this big guy crossing the road! There were two or three kangaroos in the tall grass on the right, the other two jumped in the other direction.

Then we made it to the Penguin Parade on Philip Island. Each night, "Little Penguins" the smallest species of penguin leave the ocean and scurry across the beach to find their nests or their mates and feed their young. We couldn't take photos, but you can check out a video on their website. We watched them for nearly an hour before returning to the warmth of the car. (It was somewhere near 50 degrees I'd say.) On the walk back up the boardwalk we could see them coming up the grassy hillside and hear them calling for one another. Little Penguins are only about 12 inches tall and are very cute!

It was a very exciting day, but I was ready for bed! We didn't get home from Animal Day until after 11 p.m.

You can see more photos on Facebook!

Toddler Boy is 2!!

Two Years Old. My baby boy is two years old! It seems like just yesterday I was racing to the hospital and yet, it feels like William has been a part of our family forever.

He's growing and changing so quickly these days. In the past 4 months he's gone from saying just a few words to talking all of them time. He likes singing, counting, and identifying colors. He loves trucks, diggers and dump trucks; this new passion giving me minutes of peace and sometimes up to an hour of uninterrupted space and time to myself.

His favorite songs are Baa Baa Black Sheep, The Wheels on the Bus, If you're Happy and You Know it, I've got Joy, Joy, Joy and yesterday I even caught him singing Jesus Loves Me (Thanks Children's Church!). He also loves listening to the radio and dancing with Dad.

William still loves books, especially books where he has to find something (think Where's Waldo for toddlers). He also loves "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?"

We started an introductory swim class last month which has been interesting. William is quite shy about getting in the water and is perfectly content to watch from the pool's edge.  Thankfully I have been able to coax him in the water for the last 10 minutes of class each week and can usually get a smile or two out of him before the end of class.

He has started pretend playing; coasters are pancakes that need to be flipped, chickpeas are eggs that need to be cracked, standing on a box makes you a statue, and pretend eating non-food items. Its fun to see his imagination start to take shape.

One change I'm grateful for is that during this season, it seems like eating has gotten easier. Breakfast is still the easiest meal but lunch and dinner are much better than they used to be. He is still rather picky, but when he likes something, he is eating more of it! And feeding himself a lot more too!

Of course, there are more tantrums and fits of crying for no apparent reason. He doesn't really like sharing but does well at trading. There will be many opportunities for discipline in the coming year I can tell.

But even so, he's a lot of fun and the highlight of my days. I can't believe he's two already and so far it looks like a very fun age! Happy Birthday Toddler Boy!

Stats: 35.5" tall and 28.5 lbs

Two Years Old. My baby boy is two years old! It seems like just yesterday I was racing to the hospital and yet, it feels like William has been a part of our family forever.

He's growing and changing so quickly these days. In the past 4 months he's gone from saying just a few words to talking all of them time. He likes singing, counting, and identifying colors. He loves trucks, diggers and dump trucks; this new passion giving me minutes of peace and sometimes up to an hour of uninterrupted space and time to myself.

His favorite songs are Baa Baa Black Sheep, The Wheels on the Bus, If you're Happy and You Know it, I've got Joy, Joy, Joy and yesterday I even caught him singing Jesus Loves Me (Thanks Children's Church!). He also loves listening to the radio and dancing with Dad.

William still loves books, especially books where he has to find something (think Where's Waldo for toddlers). He also loves "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?"

We started an introductory swim class last month which has been interesting. William is quite shy about getting in the water and is perfectly content to watch from the pool's edge.  Thankfully I have been able to coax him in the water for the last 10 minutes of class each week and can usually get a smile or two out of him before the end of class.

He has started pretend playing; coasters are pancakes that need to be flipped, chickpeas are eggs that need to be cracked, standing on a box makes you a statue, and pretend eating non-food items. Its fun to see his imagination start to take shape.

One change I'm grateful for is that during this season, it seems like eating has gotten easier. Breakfast is still the easiest meal but lunch and dinner are much better than they used to be. He is still rather picky, but when he likes something, he is eating more of it! And feeding himself a lot more too!

Of course, there are more tantrums and fits of crying for no apparent reason. He doesn't really like sharing but does well at trading. There will be many opportunities for discipline in the coming year I can tell.

But even so, he's a lot of fun and the highlight of my days. I can't believe he's two already and so far it looks like a very fun age! Happy Birthday Toddler Boy!

Stats: 35.5" tall and 28.5 lbs

2015 Walk for Life . . . 40 days to go

Alpha Pregnancy Center is gearing up for their annual walk for life. The walk is in just 40 days! As you may know, I really love this organization and what they do for families in my beloved city of San Francisco.

They've had a lot of success this year: They became an official medical clinic offering ultrasounds and counseling, and they're expanding to serve another area of the city. It's really exiting! And the more people they are able to serve, the more the Gospel is spread.

They've had a lot of opposition this year too: California legislators passed a law that causes pro-life pregnancy centers to refer women to abortion providers (in big bold letters in every room). This goes against everything they stand for! Please pray for this law to be overturned!

Alpha's Walk for Life is not only an important fundraiser but also an important opportunity for the community to bless the families Alpha serves in a tangible and loving way. I've done this walk three times in the five years we've lived here and unfortunately I will be missing the event this year as we will be out of town. BUT -- I'm still participating in a walk on their behalf.

Although I can't walk with a team this year, I will be walking 2 miles on their behalf the weekend before the event. I am also planning to help them get ready for the event by making phone calls and preparing gifts.

As I attempt to serve them physically, can I ask you to sponsor them financially? Can you give $10 per mile I walk? Or $50? You can give online through Crowdrise (see sidebar on the left) or by mailing a check (email me for details at embabiak at gmail dot com). My goal this year is to raise $1,000. I came close last year and I know with your help, we can do it this year!

Please join me in praying for a safe and successful event this year!

**For local readers, if you are interested in signing up for the walk on October 24, please go to alphapc.org

Alpha Pregnancy Center is gearing up for their annual walk for life. The walk is in just 40 days! As you may know, I really love this organization and what they do for families in my beloved city of San Francisco.

They've had a lot of success this year: They became an official medical clinic offering ultrasounds and counseling, and they're expanding to serve another area of the city. It's really exiting! And the more people they are able to serve, the more the Gospel is spread.

They've had a lot of opposition this year too: California legislators passed a law that causes pro-life pregnancy centers to refer women to abortion providers (in big bold letters in every room). This goes against everything they stand for! Please pray for this law to be overturned!

Alpha's Walk for Life is not only an important fundraiser but also an important opportunity for the community to bless the families Alpha serves in a tangible and loving way. I've done this walk three times in the five years we've lived here and unfortunately I will be missing the event this year as we will be out of town. BUT -- I'm still participating in a walk on their behalf.

Although I can't walk with a team this year, I will be walking 2 miles on their behalf the weekend before the event. I am also planning to help them get ready for the event by making phone calls and preparing gifts.

As I attempt to serve them physically, can I ask you to sponsor them financially? Can you give $10 per mile I walk? Or $50? You can give online through Crowdrise (see sidebar on the left) or by mailing a check (email me for details at embabiak at gmail dot com). My goal this year is to raise $1,000. I came close last year and I know with your help, we can do it this year!

Please join me in praying for a safe and successful event this year!

**For local readers, if you are interested in signing up for the walk on October 24, please go to alphapc.org