Friday in Sydney

Dad and Ceci took us to Balmoral Beach yesterday and then we headed to Manly Beach, where we visited the beautiful North Head. We stumbled across an Australian Army barracks that had been used in the defense of Sydney, back in WWII. Not many people outside Australia know, but Japanese mini submarines invaded Sydney Harbour during the war. They recently found one of those subs in Sydney Harbour actually. Darwin was also bombed by the Japanese. It was such a gorgeous view of Sydney, and we went down this beautiful memorial walk that had commemorative bricks laid by the different RSL (Returned Services League) clubs across Sydney, to honour those who gave up their lives for the different wars.

In the afternoon, we picked up Zachary from mum and Howard's house and went to dinner at the White Cockatoo Hotel in Petershan, which served traditional Uruguayan and Australian food! Dad is friends with the owner and he wasn't exaggerating when he said we could share a plate! After dinner, dad drove us through downtown Sydney, including the Rocks and George Street. It was so cool to see everyone dressed to the nines and out and about in town on a Friday night!

Today is uncle Jorge's birthday and Zachary will be able to meet his cousins and extended family. It's so great to be home!!

Hope you are doing well!

FIFi xo

Australia!!!

We finally arrived in Australia yesterday morning! The weather is gorgeous and Sydney is even more beautiful than I remember! It's good to be home :-)

Dad and Ceci picked us up from the airport. We were blessed to have a really good day of travel from Virginia to Sydney! We made all the flights and Zachary was an angel baby, even sleeping for a good part of the way from San Francisco to Sydney! Zev was a real sweetheart and had pre-coordinated with United Airlines for my ticket to be upgraded to business class. He wrote an email, explaining the situation of my rain cancer, and they were kind enough to upgrade the San Francisco to Sydney leg. Unfortunately we couldn't get Zev's ticket upgraded but he had a bulkhead seat which allowed him some extra leg space. I was nervous about having Zachary in business class with me, but I was blessed to sit next to a lovely lady named Sue, who was so sweet and accommodating and even lent me her travel pillow!

So we stayed up yesterday and caught up with Las Tias Guapas, Charo, Gladys and Fabi, as well as cousins Shelly and get boyfriend Oscar, cousin Jimmy and uncle Phil. We are staying with Meme and Howard and they have been the hostesses with the mostest! Their new house is lovely and we enjoyed walking around their beautiful neighborhood and exploring the shopping center. We even got to see some traditional Aussie food like Lamingtons, Pavlova and of course TimTams. This morning I had Weet-Bix for brekkie. I kept signing the old ad song "Aussie kids are Weet-Bix kids" in my head while I was eating the cereal. Zachary even liked Weet-Bix! He's official an Aussie!

Today we headed into downtown Sydney on the train, so that I could get a referral for my blood work here. We went to the same medical offices that took my X-rays for my Temporary Resident Visa back in 2004!! The US Consulate was next door, hence the reason why our insurance sent us there. After the appointment, we ate lunch in Martin Place and then walked down to Circular Quay. The weather was PERFECT: blue skies, gorgeous warm weather and a little breeze. We walked to the Harbour Bridge and we showed Zachary an aboriginal man playing the didgeridoo and then we headed towards the Opera House. It has been so awesome being in Sydney and visiting family again!

Zachary had to have a little bath when he got home, just to cool down. Tomorrow we are planning to go to the beach with dad and Ceci. Should be fun!

Thank you to all the prayer warriors who prayed for our journey! We could definitely see the power of prayer by the way he was so well behaved on the flights over. Enjoy the pictures!

Love FIFi xo

Anyone seen Abraham Lincoln?

Maybe he's having a bath at our house!

To God be the Glory!

So in the category of "coincidences don't just happen" or "the similarities are just so uncanny", there is the wonderful story of how I met Brie. We are both battling brain cancer, both Air Force wives, both in our early thirties (she 31, me 32), both had brain surgery at Johns Hopkins within the span of about 6 months (albeit by different surgeons), both our husbands work in logistics, both share the same roller coaster of fear and joy, hope and anguish, but the best part is we are both sisters in Christ and she encourages me so much!!!

A mutual friend, Rhonda, who's husband works with Zev, introduced us. We all had lunch together yesterday and it just felt so natural and good to connect with this godly ladies! I laughed over how Rhonda and I met last September. She was introduced to me by another Air Force wife and I remember her telling me how she had heard of me through a mutual friend stationed in Florida, who had PICKED MY NAME OUT OF A PRAYER REQUEST BASKET IN A CHURCH IN FLORIDA (side note: I had no idea that I was on a prayer request list in a church in Florida!) and when Rhonda mentioned praying for me, her friend told her "I think I am praying for the same Fiona!" Ok, to God be THE GLORY!!! Seriously. That is no coincidence!

I think I stopped believing in coincidences a long time ago. I like to think of these occasions as "meant to be's".

So here I'll leave you with some pictures from lunch. I'll also include some of our little Casanova, also known as Zachary, who was on flirtation mode big time yesterday. He flirts from everyone including teenage girls to older ladies. Hopefully his charm will last the long flight to Australia!

Please pray for dear Brie and I. She encourages me to believe that I can be healed. In God's perfect timing :-))

Love Fiona

The irony of it all

Having brain cancer is not fun. I'm sure you already guessed that :-). Chemo is not fun either. Chemo makes me tired. The irony is that which makes me so tired now is meant to help me get better. I am taking Temodar in the tablet form at home. I am on a 3 weeks on/ 1 week off schedule. I was explained that this chemo is cumulative and that I would probably feel pretty tired towards weeks 2 and 3. Another irony: I am blessed that I don't suffer from the other common side effect: nausea. Life is full of delicious ironies. The latest one: although I have been "officially shagged" (Australian for really exhausted) this week, I am so excited about our trip down under next week, that I got up super early because I couldn't sleep. I'll have to nap later. The best irony of all? The fact that Jesus Christ died for my sins, despite me being a sinner and not doing anything to deserve His salvation. I love that. And I love that this is a promise with a guarantee :-))

Have a great week!!