Our afternoon out.....

OUR AFTERNOON OUT IN SACRAMENTO

This is a water tower that we pass everytime you drive up the freeway from Elk Grove.

Us out the front of (what we call)

The Mini White House- Government House/ offices Streets & Houses of downtown Sacramento (they are really beautiful)

Having Lunch at Johnny Rockets

PETE - THIS ONES FOR YOU

Old Sacramento

(Accept for the Hummer)

The 3rd week.....

Friday ..... Today was pretty usual for here. The boys went off to school, Bruce went off to a meeting & I stayed here. Tied up, did email stuff at the business centre. Bruce came home from his meeting very happy. Lots of stuff is happening with business stuff now that we are here. We spoke to Conners teacher & have a plan to help him get up to date with his maths before the start of the next school year, so that's good. Jamieson is doing better than ever, no problems. We stayed at home on Friday night & the boys watched Robots on TV. I spoke to Elise on messenger & Bruce did some work. That was our day. It's getting pretty normal pretty quick. I listened to the start of the footy on the internet, it was good to know. Saturday..... We woke up & did the lounge around thing until late morning. The the boys went out to play. We got dressed & drove into Sacramento for a look around. It is so beautiful They call it the city of trees & they are not kidding. I took photos so they wiil be up soon. The houses in downtown are traditonal. They look like some of the ones you see in the movies, large weatherboard with the big verandah, huge trees out the front. We were driving down the streets & it was just gorgeous. We got our bearings and had a traditional US lunch - burgers & fries at Johnny Rockets. FYI- I have a mobile now. We charged up Bruce's old one. Looked around the shops, macy's looks really good, a lot like Myer. Found a great shop called Forever 21. I think I'll be speanding a bit of time there. We then got in the car and on the way home drove through 'Old Sacramento'. It looks really cool. Lots of stuff to look at. We didn't have enough time, so we will go back and check it out another day. The boys also said they wanted to go to the museum, yes get up off your chair, so that's good. On the way home we stopped for Krispy Kream Donuts (Doughnuts - here). They are beautiful, no wonder people have them all the time. You are better to buy 12 than the 4 that we would need. Not good. We got home & the basketball goes on (for the next 4 hours) there were 4 games on. We missed the first but he got to watch all the rest. So Bruce had a great afternoon. We spoke to mum & dad, Pete & the Bells. This was great because we haven't really talked to anyone during this week. The timing we have to figure out. After school time it's later here so sometimes we are up & others we arn't. So it seems to be that we speak to everyone on the weekends when it can be anytime of the day, which is good because then the boys can have a chat too.Then was on with Elise on messenger, which is always fun. She still makes me laugh even if it's typing. We had to drag the boys inside kicking and screaming, OK, whinging & moaning around 7.00pm. They complained for about 15 mns then realised they couldn't win. They chated to everyone on the computer & then we had dinner. Hopefully we will get more people on skype or msn soon. We were speaking to Pete and he doesn't have a webcam but he could still see us. I didn't know you could do that, I thought you both had to have a webcam. All you need is a microphone. AH Technology! Sunday...... Today we got up & did homework. Conners tables are really coming along. Jamieson is doing really well with his adding & subtracting. We had a minor tantrum (JR) but got through it. We got dressed and went out to get Jamieson some new shoes. we found this really cool store, it has lots of different stuff. There is some really cool stuff, & I will be going back there for sure. It was lots of fun, but when we don't have the boys. We got a couple of really good things. Bruce got a couple of Nike tops for $8.00 each. I got the coolest pair of shoes for $15.00. Pic to come. They are sooo cute!! Then we came home, the boys had to go to thier rooms (naughty while we were out) & I went out to get something for dinner. Yes, I drove!!! It was fine. Considering I'm going to have to be doing it as of Tuesday, then I'd better get used to it. I just walked around the supermarket looking at everything to see what they have that we do and what I can't get. There are a couple of other supermarkets with different things so I'll be going to a couple depending on what I need. After dinner, I got online, we spoke & saw- Lizzy, Soph & Conner (cause he was still awake) got to speak to Nick. Apparently, Conner thinks that his teacher is like Mrs Maiken (Bellaire school teacher) but with different shoes. Bruce & I nearly wet ourselves laughing. That was priceless. Bruce did some work. And that was our day. Monday..... Bruce left to go & take the rental car back & pick up the old van that we are borrowing from Geoff at PE Gear. Another one of the mothers from Jamiesons class introduced herself, she was really lovely. Her elsest is John in Jamiesons class then she has a 3 year old & a 2 week old, all boys. WOW!! I sat in the office & spoke to the girls about where some of the stuff I couldn't find would be. I've got some more places to check out so that's great. MOstly finding certain food. We had a pretty cool afternoon. Conner came home from school & they both did thier homework. I now know that they shouldn't do thier homework together. Apart from the fact that they distract each other. I also find myself going backwards from one to the other. I need to be doing it separetly, so they get my full attention if they need it. Jamieson is cruising along as usual. Conner's teacher said that he is a good worker. he really got into his homework yesterday. I was really impressed and I told him. I got the usual face. it was a bit chilly yesterday, so they just watched some TV & went outside for about 20 mins. No one to play with. Bruce finally got home after having the day from hell trying to get the car stuff done. Insurance, forgetting the keys (doesn't help) we had a nice dinner. (Onion soup potatoes - thanks trace) and chicken. It's not even worth buying a chicken to cook, it's cheaper to buy it already cooked. (works for me). Then we went out in the van & I did some grocery shopping & the boys went out to buy a phone for the apartment. So we should be online in the next couple of days. We got home & the boys went to bed & Bruce packed for his trip. A bus is coming to pick him up at 3.30am from out the front. SO we both set our alarms so as to not sleep in. It was a busy day. Tuesday ....... Bruce was up at 3.00, got ready said goodbye & took his biut case & Billy B & off he went. The boys & I woke up & did the usual. It was a pretty run of the mill day. They boys got home from school, did thier homework & went outside to play. Bruce called to say that he was fine & that Utah is absolutely beautiful & good night to the boys.Weird night though. There was no computer to talk to people on. So I had to watch TV all night. Lucky there is 100 channels. Most of the current running series are just about to end & the new ones are about to start. We were all in bed early (by our standards, lately) . Anyone want to know what's going on with thier TV show just let me know. It seems that most shows here are about 1 season ahead. Wednesday.... Today was a pretty normal day. The boys went to school.I dropped them off and decided to go for a walk around. I had been walking for about 1 hour & have to say I got lost. Bruce called while I was walking, so that made him laugh. But somehow... my sense of direction must be coming back, I found my way home. So that was a bit of an adventure for the day. I saw the neighourhood & have to say it is beautiful. YOu now how you see those neighbourhoods on the TV & movies & all the lawns are moved with the trees all up the sides of the streets and it all looks perfect, well that's what it looks like all the time. It's not just the movies. I got home & spoke to Bruce. He is doing really well, kicking goals, the usual stuff that he does when he's away. When the boys finished school we went and spent a couple of hours at the pool. They played with the kids that live here and I talked to a couple of the mum's. I also got some more info about where to find things around here & what's good & what's not. So it was a good relaxing afternoon. The boys stayed out and played until it was time to come in. Did the usual routine & we were in bed at a reasonable hour again. Conner asked me to read his story that he started at school, it was really good. He loves writing scary stories. Anyway it was 3 chapters so far & he said that it was just the start & that there would be lots more once he had finished. I love the fact that he is enjoying school, it takes away so much worry that I have for him. It's nice. Thursday..... This morning for some reason I was really organised. It probably helped that Conner got up & decided to make his bed, get dressed, make his own lunch & breakfast. All without having to be asked. Jamieson, was a different story. But we got out of the house at 7.50am as per usual. But this time all the beds were done, I had washing in the machine, everything accept the breakfast dishes. Good morning for me.. I dropped the kids off at school. (Conner wanted to walk himself, so I said he could go before us but culd not cross the road) by the time Jamieson & I got to the gate of the complex, there were other kids walking aswell so a group of us about 8 kids & 2 mums walked across the road and over to school. It was nice. The other mum was the pool mum, Milly. I came back & went to the fitness centre. Walked on the treadmill, then went to the business centre (my usual dialy routine) to check email. Bruce called to give me an update on his day. Today he started early so it was nearly lunchtime in Utah when we spoke. His day was going great. All his meetings have been posative & he was off to do his Billy B presentation. The rest of the day was pretty much like the day before. The boys & I went to the pool after school, we came home, the boys did thier homework then went out for another quick play before dinner. We spoke to Bruce on the phone to say goodnight & we were in bed early again. The week so far has been a good one. We've meet new people, got into more of a routine & are getting more settles in. The weather has been good so the boys haven't been cooped up inside going bananas & driving my insane. Which is always a plus especially when Bruce is away. Well that's it for now, I should get this posted so you can all look at it over the weekend. So I hope everyone has a great weekend and everyone wins. GO - SUPERCATS, CATS, GEEL WEST, NEWTOWN, JOEY'S, GROVEY & AMETOURS!!

More pictures.......

HERE ARE SOME MORE PICTURES OF WHERE WE LIVE!!!

Jamieson standing on the balcony of our apartment. We are on the top level. This is the new couch/ sofa bed. It's not fabulous but it's nice & should do the job for the next couple of years. Jamieson, Jackary & Barbara (I think) Jackary is a little boy that lives in the next building that the boys have been friends with from the 1st day we got here. This is the pool & spa area. This is the pool area. The pic on the right is the office & business centre. The pic on the left is the Fitness centre. 24 hour - Fitness Centre

The 2nd week.....

Day 7...... Saturday RAINED MOST OF THE DAY...... fined up later in the day & the boys got to go outside & play with the kids from the other apartments. Bruce didn't get back from doing his running around until later in the day. Then we went to a shopping mall. It wasn't big by American stanards, but I have written home to a couple of people. I found myself going into the couple of surf shops and walking around the Roxy stuff. You know I felt a little like home. Weird HUH!! Bruce rang his parents & had a chat we had a walk around & drove home again. Had dinner, Bruce did some work until miss sophie got online. That was fun, had a bit of a chat & tried to get the webcams working. We ended up getting a pic but I couldn't hear them, so we typed. It was good to see some faces from home. I saw Soph, then Lizzy & Nick. Yey!! It ended up being a little late, but I was chipper. bruce was pretty proud of himself, this year he did Easter shopping for the 1st time. Day 8...... Sunday Easter The boys awoke to the Easter bunny had come. YEAH!!! More sugar, just what they need. ANyway, Jamieson got a Spongebob sheet set that he wanted & conner got a spongebob pillow that he wanted, so they were very happy with thier pressies. (Mum gave us some money for Easter, that they will be spending on American footballs.) I had a nice surprise, Easter bunny had found me some cadbury eggs which were beside my bed. We all got up & the boys had bacon for breakfast. Bruce was doing some work later in the day & I spoke to Raels & Oscar on the webcam & then got online with mum & dad. So we all got to see each other, it has been over a week so that was great. The look on Oscar's face was fantastic. I don't think he believed Raels that the boys would be on the computer. So his smile was priceless. After that we got back online with the Bells. This time we saw AL too. So it was a good cheery day. The boys had fun playing with thier new friends & we all got to speak to home. Was on messenger with Elise, got emials from a few people. Thanks guys. It was an OK easter considering we weren't at home. HAPPY EASTER everyone. Day 9.... Easter Monday We started the day but jumping into the car (not again..said the boys) & went off to get thier shots. Chicken pox shots. Now most of you will know & remember the hidiousness that was both of the boys getting the chicken pox about 3 years ago. But seeing as how we couldn't prove it, the shots had to get done. The sad thing is.. I have a pretty good sense of direction. I know all the main street names, but for some reason, I just can't get the north south thing going. It's so frustrating, at home I would have go somewhere once & have a pretty good idea how to get back. Here though I just haven't quite got it, maybe it's because I'm not driving yet. Bruce is going away in a couple of weeks, so I have to then. (Stay on the right, stay on the right,stay on the right) Anyway, we got to the place & only had to wait about 45 minutes which was great. Conner did fine, but Jamieson tensed up when the needle went in & ofcoarse it hurt more. So he started howling!!!!! So what fixes everything (Jess & Elise) McDonalds & lollies. They got to have takeaway for lunch. So they were happy. We came home, the kids had a play in the playground, Bruce worked for the afternoon, went across & enrolled the kids in school. Jamieson definately has a place there & they are going to get back to us about Conner. Then went out to get groceries around 6pm & decided to go and check out a sofa bed, then kept going to some shops we hadn't been to before. We found a Mervyn's & bought some towels. We got egypian cotton towels on sale for $5.00 each . How cool is that. I love shopping here. We then went to do the groceries, Safeway again. I've now figured out how you get things cheaper. They have alot of 2 or 4 for $?.00 stuff . You buy those and your not bad. I got 4 gallons of milk for $4.00 (7.6 litres) That's pretty good, & we found a place with cheaper cheese so Jamieson can still eat it like there's no tomorrow. So thats a bonus. I did a bigger shop so we've got more than just snacks, & bread & milk in the house. The boys are eating like you wouldn't believe. I'm waiting to see if it's just because they are at home. Maybe it will be better once they start school. Spoke to Lizzy on skype then the kids briefly, then on messenger with Rhys. replyed to some emails. Got to bed about midnight. It's a good note to go to bed on, having just spoken to home. Day 10....Tuesday TODAY.. I'm up to date. Bruce gets up early every day (like home) & works until everyone gets up. We all have breakfast together, Bruce goes back to work & the boys went to thier rooms played. I checked emails replyed to a couple. School rang, they want the kids to start tomorrow, there isn't really any places anywhere for Grade 4 kids. So they are going to put them in and test them to make sure they are in the right places. So we have to send them to school tomorrow with either a packed lunch or $2.25 for lunch. Then they will let us know what else they need. We went out later in the day to organise our sofa bed. IKEA!!! Love that place, it's being delivered tomorrow. Bruce got a desk & chair. Then we headed off to WAL-MART. Well, it's like K-mart (on steroids). That was fun, it's huge!!!! We got, a vacum cleaner. It's so quite, it's so small, but that's all we need. I got some more stuff for the kitchen, clippers for haircuts. Which they had when we got home. Conner had his hair cut short, thank goodness, he looks so much better. Had dinner & bed at a resonable hour. YEAH!!!! Bruce is watching the basketball of coarse and I'm here. Wednesday .. 19th April This morning the boys started school.. STONE LAKE ELEMENTRY. We all walked across the road (literally). We walked out the front gates, turned right, walked 100m, crossed the road & walked into school. The girls at the office showed us where to go & we dropped Jamieson off with Mrs Lunsford. Her father was a lecturer & they visited Melbourne when she was younger. She was lovely, she took Jamieson to thier line. Then we dropped Conner off with Miss Burgess. She has a friend who is in Newcastle that she emails frequently. So at least they had some idea about Australia. We walked out of school around 8.10am & came home. I sat and had my Milo....oops, hot chocolate stuff & cleaned up the house. I was at the business centre around 9.15 am (Bruce was working on the laptop, so it's great that I can go to the business centre & get some stuff done.) I went into the business centre & returned some emails. Updated this next blog to be posted & just got out of the apartment. While I was gone our new sofa bed & bruce's desk were delivered. SO excited!!. We are civilised now, not sitting on the floor anymore. Ikea must love us lately. So the apartment looks right now. Bruce was talking to his friend Rich in Seattle, (Hi Rich) & hopefully we will be meeting the Kraft Family in VEGAS at the end of June. WOO HOO!! Everyone knows how much I love Vegas. Bruce left for his meeting & I picked the kids up from school. They had a great day. They made some friends & the kids were nice. They also had a US canteen lunch. So that was exciting for them too. Conner did really well, he apparently stood up in front of the whole class and answered all of the questions that the kids had. Everything from if the holidays are the same, to his favorite stuff, to his interests. His teacher was impressed. The principle called & as we thought, they are going to be starting Grades 1 & 4, but in thier next school year. So, they will be doing a few weeks of Kinder (prep) & grade 3 then starting the new grades in July when they go back. Although apparently there is a bug jump from grades 3 to 4 here so they want Conner to do extra stuff over the summer break. Don't know if I've mentioned it but they have what's called tracks here. Each track has different holidays, the boys will be it looks like Track A. That means thier big block of holidays is July & August, they also get some in November & some in March. Everyone gets Christmas to New Year. So they get an extended Summer where as some of the others have thier big holidays at other times over the year. Overall, it was a great first day of school. We came home & went to the pool for a while, (met another family) then the kids went out & played with the other kids in the complex. Bruce is currently organising his next trip. He will be off and again some time next week. He's off too, Salt lake City, Utah to a trade show, then off to Germany for his presentation & I think stopping at Florida on the way home. Big important trip, but not as long as usual. Being here (US) has made the trips a few days shorter. YEAH!!!! He misses the school picnic, he's 'not happy Jan', to say the least. Day 12... Thursday The boys went into thier proper year levels today. They did really well by the sounds of it. Jamieson is doing really well in all areas, maths is being worked on. Conner is doing well, maths is also the issue. As Ros told us, they are more advanced at math over here. Conner's teacher is really great though & she is going to be going backwards a bit with him to make sure he knows the fundamentals to progress through. He does have a lot of catching up to do, so we will be doing extra work over Summer. With both of them, considering they haven't had alot of schooling this year, working a bit over summer is going to be good for them. Jamieson came to the realisation that he was in Kinder (prep) this morning, so I had to explain that when the new school year starts later he will be where he was when we left. He seemed OK with it. Also, the kinder (prep) only do school until 11.35am. Pretty cool for Jamieson, although I think he will miss being at school for the whole day. It's not forever, just a few weeks. We did about an hour of homework today when we got home & he really enjoyed it. Just some stuff that the other kids have been doing. One of the other mothers introduced herself to me this afternoon, which was great. Jennifer & her daughter Olivia is in Jamieson's class. Conner was the centre of attention & loving it today. Although we've told him that he now needs to get into the school work. He realizes this now, because he nows how much catching up he has to do. But a real posative is that he wants to work, "or I'll fail". He loves the fact that they get A's & B's here. Go figure! The last couple of days here have been beautiful, so the kids have been playing outside heaps, and loving it. I BAKED today. My husband came home & Sniffed then said, "MMMM smells like home." It was like I was a wife in the 50's. I had started dinner, baked cookies (not my receipe, the mix in a packet. Don't have ingrediants for any baking yet. So I guess, I kind of was except for the 1950's bit. Also no apron (I don't have one) I'm getting the camera out, so hopefully I'll get some more pics for everyone. If there is anything specific anyone wants to look at please let me know. Digital camera's rock. Don't forget, that I need pics of everyone emailed to me. I'm making a photo wall, so the more the better. PLEASE!!!! I just have to find a place with the photo printing centre (like we have) Then I can get it started, make at least one of these walls not so bare. Last but certainly not least..... To Bruce's dear friend Rich. (And mine very soon I'm sure) Thank you for the lovely email welcoming us to the States. Your support was wonderful to hear & very much needed. We will see you guys soon. That's all for now... Love US

Apartment Pictures...

This is the restaurant that we went to for our first meal after we arrived. The guy in the picture is Greg, he is the guy who Bruce will be working with. He picked us up from the airport & took us out for dinner. Here is the lounge/dining room The sofa bed is coming. The table looks small but it folds out to an 8 seater for entertaining. Yeah!! We have the essentails more to come later. Here is the main room & ensuite. Looks pretty average I know. I decided that getting beds wasn't urgent. We have mattresses & I'm waiting until I can get beds that I really like. At the end of the bed is a lot of room for bruce's desk etc. The ensuite is nice, yes, shower curtains, yet another crappy one until I find one I love. Here are the boys in thier rooms. (we think) we decided 1 room would have bunks (jamiesons) the other (conners) would have double bed in it. Some days they want to share (bunks), time will tell. Bruce's desk will be in our room. This is the kitchen, as you can also see there is a small laundry with a washer & dryer through the door. This is the Kitchen. It is on your right as you walk through the front foor. There is a 'closet' on the left of the door. I hope you like our new home. I'll send more pictures as the place becomes more homely & we get more furniture & settled.

The first week....

Friday, 14th April 2006 – Good Friday Happy 60th birthday Dad. –XXXX- Hello from Sacramento, Well let’s start from the start of our journey. The good-byes at the airport (as everyone who was there will testify) were yuk to say the least. We got behind the doors & waited in the zig-zag line for a long time. We got through customs & went down to the red carpet club for a quick drink before we boarded the plane to Sydney. The Sydney trip was ok but the couple of hours we had to wait was the start of a very long 24hours for Bruce & I. We got onto the plane to San Fransisco & the boys were both asleep before we took off which was good. We woke them up to have some dinner, which like their mother they didn’t eat much of. The start of the experience if US food. They stayed awake for a while a we watched some movies, Jamieson then went back to sleep until breakfast, which was great. Conner finally went to sleep 2/3 of the way through the flight & I think I got ½ an hour then. (Can’t sleep sitting up) Bruce slept on & off) We finally landed in San Fransisco, I was exhausted to say the least, so much so that I felt really ill. We got through customs & went to the red carpet club for a 3 hour lay over, where the boys went out for pancakes & I tried to sleep ½ sitting up but in a comfy chair. I slept on & off for about an hour. They came back & Bruce had a sleep & the boys & I played UNO & other stuff until it was time to go to our plane. The plane to Sacramento was a small one (20 people) and the trip was 20 mins up & down. It’s only a 60-90 min drive. We were met at the airport by Greg (one of the guys that Bruce will be working with) we got into his minivan & he drove us to the motel. One room with 2 queen size beds, this was going to be interesting!! We showered & changed & Greg came back & took us out to dinner. Italian, which was yummy!!! Slept well, not a surprise although it did take me a while to get to sleep, which is still the case now. Day 1- We got woken up by Greg knocking on the door to take us out looking at houses. Got in the car & made our way south down to Elk Grove. We couldn’t find any of the houses & couldn’t find a map, so we headed back up the highway. All the highways here are numbered & you have to know which direction you need to go. So to get to Elk Grove you can go South on the 99 or 5. Greg dropped us off the AVIS & we picked up our rental car. From there we drove to IKEA to price some furniture then ended up at an outlet mall near the motel. (By this time the boys were bored as you could imagine) It had lots of good shops. Elise I thought of you, so start making out a list of brands that you wear so I can keep a look out. Let’s see, it was an outdoor mall & the shops included Nike, (I got some new really cool pink runners & tracksuit, picture soon) Oshkosh, lots of winter stuff on sale 50 -70% off, (we got CJ a pair of track pants for $8.) Gap, not so much stuff on sale, Wilson’s leather (there was a 50% off sale & I could get a jacket for $250. LEATHER!! Bose, the new system is $2,000-$3,000. Old Navy, Perfumes, lots of other big name brands that I can’t remember right know. Anyway, I digress. Went back to the hotel got to sleep at no idea what time, late again. Got on the internet (wireless, really cool) & found out that all the good houses were gone. So we made some notes to drive past the OK ones. Day 2 – (Monday) Got up & went to back down to Elk Grove, drove around to find that OK ones were just OK. Drove out to the shop where PR Gear has their office & met Geoff who in one of the owners & then to his Clinic to meet Dr Todd the other owner. (He’s a Chiropractor) Found a Raley’s (supermarket) & bought some food to take back to motel. The boys went to bed & I had my first cry, (combination of tired & thinking we would have to life in a yucky house). We made some calls to see inside & no one was helpful at all, you had to leave a message for someone to get back to you. (Bruce, got his call back yesterday- 2 days later). Overall the day was a bust & the poor kids were bored out of their minds. Day 3- Bruce, while looking for houses found the apartment complex’s (there are lots) So, we made some calls & off we went again. We had 4 to see & Lake Point was the first. We really like the look of it & Angela, who works & lives here looked after us really well. Anyway, we went and saw others & found another that we really liked. The complex was bigger it had more stuff than lake Point & they had a special on which made it cheaper. Dilemma!!! Although, they couldn’t get us in until the weekend. So, we came back & had another look around here & decided that having the school right across the road was the deal breaker. (Which may not be the case, more later) So we decided on Lake Point. 3 bedroom apartment with only 1 living area, but it’s bigger than I thought. It has all appliances which is great, don’t have to buy them. It has a little laundry with washer & dryer, patio & storage and heating & cooling. Weird thing is there are no lights in the small bedrooms, no idea why. We are here for 6 months, and then we will see. The complex is nice & it has a pool & spa, 24hour fitness centre & business centre. It’s gated after office hours. There is an office here that’s open everyday & the girls are really cool. There is also a function room, it looks like a big lounge room you can have party’s in etc. So all the boys are happy they have the toys they want. We went back to hotel relieved to say the least. The weather hadn’t helped either; they have had lots & lots of rain over the last month. We got back to the hotel & did some washing & the boys had a play in the pool & spa in the rain. They had fun; it was a good day, now all we had to do was get furniture. Our new address is The Hultgrens: Mail Box N# 272 Lake Point 9589 Four Winds Drive Elk Grove CA 95758 United States Day 4- (Wednesday) Moving in day…. Bruce went to Social Security office to get a SS number & the lady was most helpful – NOT!! It looks like it will take 4 weeks. So we can’t get any type of credit etc until then. Greg came and picked up us & our bags up & we made the last trip down the highway to Elk Grove. We did all the paper work & put our bags in then went down to IKEA for some shopping. We got mattresses, doonas, pillows, towels, dining room, crockery, cutlery & some kitchen stuff. Hired a van & guess what, I DROVE!!! Stay on the right, stay on the right, it was OK because I was following Bruce in the van. What didn’t make it easy was the fact that it was raining hard. But it was a good experience, not so terrified anymore. We stopped in at Safeway on the way home to do some shopping, I have to say that one thing I’m not fond of the food here. All the good stuff is not cheap compared to home. Don’t have my lasagna sheets. (Mortified) Eg. Water crackers are $2.50 Safeway brand. Cream cost me $2.00 for small one. But at least it’s familiar in there. The cheese is awful looking and expensive, but you can buy pre-made cookie mixture for $1.00. It doesn’t look like I’m going to be getting the receipe book out much for biscuits etc. Haven’t seen what the delicatessen has yet. Just about everything we eat is going to have to change or differ slightly. Give me some time to settle in and adjust & I’ll get back to you about the whole food thing. Just be thankful for your yummy food everyday. A ham & cheese sandwich will never be the same. Conner had a cry in bed before he went off, just realizing it’s not a holiday it’s really happening, I think. He is so bored though that he wants to start school. So we had our first night in our new home & the kids slept really well, me pretty much the same late to sleep. We assembled all the furniture & it’s looking pretty good, sparse, but ok for now. Once everyone is settled & Bruce is working, then I’ll put some personal touches around. Not too much though, less is more. Day 5- Got up & plodded around making a list of stuff to get I tried to use me hairdryer, Aust works on 240Vts & the US works on 110Vts. So my poor very powerful hair dryer was not. It took me 20mins to dry my fringe. Have to get a new one. It also happened with the battery recharger. Someone will be taking home a bag of stuff that we can’t use here when they come to stay. There is so many stores here there seems to be some on every major corner & they are huge. We got dressed & walked over to school, they gave us some paperwork to fill out & we have to go SOMEWHERE & get the boys the chicken pox shot. Also, they couldn’t guarantee that the boys would be at the same school, all depended on age & if they were full. If so they would have to ring around the other schools in the area. So I have to say, I am a freaked about that, Bruce said, we’ll deal with it when & if we have to. Nothing is ever easy. God please help me. Anyway, to cheer me up & because we had to, Bruce took me shopping. We went to Target. We got more bits & pieces for the house, and then we stopped off & bought a TV. We got all the stuff home in the afternoon & the boys got to play around the complex. It was a beautiful day. They made some new friends & we met 2 of them. I think everyone just likes hearing us talk. The poor kids couldn’t understand what Conner & Jamieson were saying half the time. They were talking to fast & using words that the other kids didn’t know. It was quite funny. Anyway, we had a late dinner & again late night. Spoke to the Korostin family on the phone which was great. Our phone should be coming on soon. But internet guy is coming Friday morning so then we can all talk on the computer. YEAH!!! If you don’t have a webcam yet, you’ve got about 24hrs before I’m online. Just as a side note- things that they don’t have here which I will be requesting care packages for. Nivea Soap, Chocolate obviously, Dymo Label tape, teddybear biscuits chocolate coated or not, vegemite Day 6- TODAY!! Good Friday US Saturday AUST The cable man came this morning, we no have 100 channels, who needs DVD player. Then I started writing this. The boys are currently outside playing & Bruce has gone out to do some stuff, he will be back for lunch. I have to go over to the office to find out about the boys shots & go to the business centre. We'll talk to you soon! Photos coming Love US!

FInding a Home...

Greetings from Rainy Sacramento.... Well - 3 days into the journey and we decided on spending the next 6 months in a 3 bedroom apartment - this gated community has a pool, gym, office, meeting room, and is right across the road from a school for the kids - literally! It is very well appointed and we will send pics tomorrow after we move in. Well - then we have to go out and get beds etc - should be fun! The trip so far has been a little frustrating - spending the whole time together in a room, then all day in a car looking at homes and the boys haven't had a chance to go out and just run. They had a swim in the hotel pool and spa last night in the rain - they loved it. Belinda and I are just releived to have found this place and it will be interesting to say the least. On the work front - I am trying to get little bits done here and there - I am aiming for Thursday being the first full day on the go. The guys here are fantastic, the people are friendly and the people in the apartment complex are great as well. This is a quick one - we will write more over the weekend and send some pics as well. Hope you are all well Lots of Love The Hultgren's PS - dont forget to check out bruce hultgren's blogs on www.bbhighway.com and www.billybounce.com

Let The Games Begin....

Well, It is Wednesday April 5th and we were meant to fly out yesterday - nope! Visa delayed at US Embassy in Washington DC. The plan is to now leave this Saturday April 8th. So - check back here soon - we will let you know when we are updated and the trip actually begins!!!! Also check out www.billybounce.com for updates. See you all soon The Hultgren's