HELLO HELLO!

IM AT A PLACE CALLED VERTIGO
ITS EVERYTHING I WISH I DIDNT KNOW
EXCEPT YOU GIVE ME SOMETHING
I CAN KNEEL!!!
KNEEEEELLLLLL!!!
YEH YEH YEH YEH YEH YEH YEH
YEH YEH YEH YEH YEH YEH YEH YEH!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!


I WAS SINGING THAT WITH BONO AND 70,000 OTHER PEOPLE LAST NIGHT!!!

OMG! IT WAS SOO AWESOME, FANTASTIC, BRILLIANT, TOTALLY WAY COOL!!!

I WAS AT A U2 CONCERT!!!! AND WE WERE RIGHT UP THE FRONT...WHERE ONLY 2000 PEOPLE GET TO GO!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!!!

it was an awesome, awesome experience. the awesomest christian experience i have ever had!

i wish i could go again and again and again!

was sooo totally worth the hours and hours of waiting in the searing hot sun!

i promise to add pics later. Q and I are going to download the pictures this arvo and work on them 2night while everyone is at the Jaq ball.

which talking about the Jaq ball, i promised to teach larissa and sarah the cha cha cha as it is a latin fever night. so i promise to write all about our fabulous sat later once they are ready and off!!!

i love you all!!!

luv lelle
XOXO

sydney!!!

HEY ALL!!

well lots of exciting stuff has been happening! ive been home from america for about 2 months now. i miss every one from BLYC more than i could possibly EVER say!!

luckily! Erin Abston. my partner in crime and media co-ordinator! an FANTASTIC friend who came down an spend 2 days going to universal studios an disneyland with the hilarious jess an katie savage! IS COMING TO PERTH!!! how brilliant an exciting is that?! so she will be here next year for a few totally AWESOME weeks!

but wait...theres more!!! i am currently sitting in my sisters dorm room at avondale college, waiting for my darling sister to come back with her brand new cast on her broken wrist (right hand- so shes gonna look like a complete dag trying to do everything with her left hand!) which she got after being pushed over during the last few minutes of her basketball game last night. (which her team unfortuantely lost by 3 points! which means they dont get to play in the finals)

so other than the great excitement of getting to stay and have a great time with my darling sister and aunty Q...

IM GOING TO A U2 CONCERT!!!

its on sat night. how totally AWESOME is that?

so im totally excited! an ill put pics up when i get home as soon as i can! but i have to go now coz my broken decrepit sister just arrived home from the doctor.

luv you all lots an lots!!
XOXO

just a few things i forgot about LA...

hey just remembered a few things that i forgot to mention about LA... well first, when we arrived...my luggage wasnt their...not cool, jess lent me a top to wear to dinner that night...but its still not nice to have a shower and get back into the same clothes!!! but luckily all that had happened was because it was the last day of a long weekend, EVERYONE was coming back to LA from Las Vegas so all that had happened was their were running behind, so i did get it that night at about 10/11 or something, so that was good that i had clean clothes to wear to universal studios!!!

the other thing, something that you have all probably guessed is that LA has ALOT of smog, and i mean ALOT! its really quite discusting!!! but the funniest thing is that they are in denial so they dont call it smog, its called the 'marine layer'!!!!! how funny is that?! anyway thats all that i wanted to say...at least its all that i can remember that i wanted to say!!! :D

luv you all!!!
luv lelle

last full day in LA...and USA :(

Hola again...and for the last time!

so sad, our last fun day in LA and also in the great and wonderful US of A has ended. tomorro we head out at 1 o'clock. we have had a great experience, and just to warn you all in case you did not know, but we both come back, still jess and lelle, but not the people that left you all those long days and weeks ago. you cannot go through an experience like this, and experience the things that we have, travel around and see and experience a different culture and expect to return unchanged. i have grown up and learned alot of lessons, and even relearned some that i had forgotten, and for that i shall be eternally grateful. we also had a wonderful time, was kept safe during some difficult and trying times and met heaps of wonderful people. you wont find better people anywhere. we've both made friends for life. and i shall never, ever regret going on this great trip!!!

well today we slept in a little and recovered from our two long, and active days at universal and disney! once we were up and about we took off in the car with Jo and headed towards hollywood!!!

we went to hollywood bld and saw all the stars on the sidewalk and the chinese theatre and the footprints and handprints off the stars our side! and also kodak theatre. that was really cool to see that. you see it in sooo many movies that its great and really surreal to see it all in really life!!! got some pics of the hollywood sign from the kodak theatre. we JUST missed the last tour of the day that goes through kodak theatre. which was kind of dissapointing, as it would have been really nice to see the inside of it all!!! we did get to walk up the walkway and stairs where the red carpet is laid out for the stars. which was pretty cool! their we lots of really weird characters around that area, dressed up in all these costumes from weird movies. i dont think that i recognised any of them! and lots of stalls of people selling hats and jewelry and we also saw one that would put dimenties on your phone!!! they did look really cool though. and also people trying to get you to buy their albums and make it in the world of music.

we left hollywood and took a drive down sunset blvd and into beverly hills on our way to santa monica beach. it was really pretty, that is the fences, gates, hedges that you couldnt see over or through were really pretty!!! but what glimses that you could catch...their where some pretty big and nice houses down their!!!

santa monica beach was pretty cool. was nice and...beachy. actually was really nice to be on a beach again. we had not seen the ocean since we were in portland. and when we were in portland we only saw it twice and it was rather chilly! (yay, go the annual trips to arthurs house) so that was kind of hard seeing as both jess and i are fish and love to be in the water, an i particularly love the beach and watching the sunset!!! they had a pretty cool pier with some nice shops, so we just took a walk down the pier and had a look at some of the stuff, the coolest thing their though was buddy gumps shrimp co. a resturant that was all based around forrest gump. was all decked out with forrests saying and their was even little signs on the table that said run forrest run if you did not want the waitress, and then if you did you flipped over the green sign to the red one which said stop forrest stop. so that was really cool to see that!!!

we then spent the next, who knows how long in really bad LA traffic on the freeways starting and stopping...rather frustrating!!! before we got home and Rod took us out to a really nice buffet dinner where jess and Rod just found out how similar they are!!! in other words, i really didnt open my mouth all night!!! quite a feat for me dont you think?!! :D but trust me, with those two together....whew!!! their is no chance!!!

Jo and Rod have been really nice, as have everyone else that we have stayed with over our travels! and we have had an awesome time everywhere that we have been. so a big thank you again to everyone who was generous and extented their hospitality to us!!! it was great to meet you, or to see you again!!! and we both hope to come and see you again sometime very soon!!!

so buenos noches for the last time!! im going to go and pack my bags for the last time :( i love you all!

your lella

wed in LA- DISNEYLAND!!!

hola again all!!!

well we have just been hitting all the theme parks...and having a WONDERFUL TIME!!!! we were all a little tired from our adventures at universal studios the day before, but we soon picked up when we went on the awesome rides!!! (this time we didnt get to all off them...kinda a bit harder!!!)

we did do some of the classics! such as alice in wonderland, its a small world rides, which were pretty cool, but seeing as they were little kiddies rides...VERY tame! we also went and had a peak around toontown. which was pretty cool!

we spent pretty much the whole entire day on the rides other than a little peak in the pirates of the carribean store where we all tried on pirates hats and hooks and swords etc etc etc and took lots of pics of us doing so! (was so much fun!) and also we watched the parade of course!!! they was no fireworks, but it still bought back many memories of disney world in florida with my family 9 yrs ago!!!

as you can imagine, we went on quite a few rides...and disney was also really really good to us...i think the longest we spent in a line was 15 mins...which is practically unheard of!!! most of the time them being a few hours long!! some of the fun ones were indiana jones, which was a fun cart ride through an underground lair. was rather fast and bouncy and just generally fun. through the haunted house. had really cool effects but wasnt scary at all!!! an a river cruise thing where the animal robots where really rather sad but the tour guides make up for it with their really silly but hilarious jokes! the star wars ride was a simulator, but was really bad compared to the back to the future one at universal studios. also went on the pirates of the carribean ride, which was pretty cool. just sat in a little boat and drifted through different scenes. it was this ride that the movie originated from. that was pretty cool. though they have done some of it up to resemble the movies, but still really good. we...all being competative, and just looking for something different, went on the buzz lightyear ride where you sit in a little cart and go slowly through these different rooms while you shot at targest with a laser gun. pretty fun, but none of us got past level 3!!!

and now the time has come to tell you all of the coolest, funnest, wildest, bestest and any other est word that you can come up with ridests!!! :D in a list ranging from my fave to my other favourites are...
...comming in at the top in a very close competion is the ride that we rode on the most, and always made sure that we were up the front (the ride that katie and jess went on 5 time and erin and i 4 times- i was feeling sick so erin sat out with me while i recovered) is (drum roll!!!!)
#1....SPACE MOUNTAIN!!!! the COOLEST roller coaster ride EVER!!! (not that ive been on many, but its cool trust me!) it does not go upside down, or backwards BUT it does go at high speeds in circles in a dome shaped building that is completely black apart from the little star like lights that are everywhere!!! so while your flying along, all you can see is these little pin pricks and so you dont know where you are going....VERY exciting!!!

coming in in a close second is the most popular ride at disney which often has a 2 1/2 hour wait in line to ride it is....(drum roll again please!!!)
#2!!! SPLASH MOUNTAIN!!!! splash mountain is similar in some respects to jurassic park...it has a 50 foot drop...among others. and took you through a decepfully peaceful ride throuhg the mountain playing zipee dee do da. was SOO MUCH FUN!!! :D the last time that we did it, it was practically dark and i was in the front and got soaked (again)!

coming in at 3rd place, is suprise suprise another roller coaster ride!!!! THUNDER MOUNTAIN!!!! (yes i know we like our mountains dont we?! :D) was in frontierland and so was set as in the old old west with a train as the roller coaster. was really lots an lots of fun!

and that pretty much concludes our so-cal extrodonair time with erin and katie (other than the having a little peak in the shops with all the funny and cute gifts at extreme prices!!! was really really sad to have to say good bye to erin and katie...was hard enough saying goodbye the first time!!! but it was sooo good to catch up with them both again! (we love you guys! and were sooo glad that you made the lonnnngggg trip to come down and spend some time with us!!! was the best two days!!!)

and so our second last full day in america has ended...but if you want some laughs, refer to jess' blog for all the cool pics!!! http://jess-usa.blogspot.com just in case you dont know it! but go and have a looky at the piccys!!! :D

luv you all! buenos noches!
luv lelle

tues in LA- UNIVERSAL STUDIOS!!!!

HOLA ALL!!!

well as you may have already guessed from the title, monday was a very fun filled day!!! :D

Erin and Katie (savage- both from camp) came and picked us up an took us to universal studios for one of the best and most exciting days that ive had since our touring started. it was sooo sooo soooo!!! good to see both katie and erin again, and made the whole experience just soooo much more fun for both me and jess having those to around, they are both soo much fun! (i luv you both! hope you got home safely!). Just so everyone knows, katie and erin drove around 10 hrs to come and spend 2 days with us...they're so rad!! :D

well anyways, as ive already said we went to universal studios which was heaps awesome, we went on all the rides (jurassic park was my fave with the drop at the end!!! and yes just so you all know and can be very proud of me-ris- i did go on all the rides, and the didnt even have to push me at all...found out that i am quite a ride fanatic...especially if its a roller coaster or involves a big drop down a water fall thingy! :D

but the highlights of universal was cinnabon- really good cinnamon rolls!!! hehe, but seriously the best two things were waterworld and the behind the scenes tour!!! the behind the scenes tour was really cool, taking us past the set and studios that they use to film so many movies, eg, war of the worlds, pirates of the carribian, desrerate housewives, csi etc etc etc. so that was awesome!!! (got lots of pics, ill have to upload them when i get home.) and they also showed us some special effects, like flash flooding and how they make cars do almost anything they want... eg flying and spining throught the air after and explosion, and dancing together to gasolina!!! (a song incase you didnt guess!!! :D) which was really really cool!!!)

we also went on the mummy ride(rollercoaster, which did almost everything except upside down...but it did go backwards at flying speeds!!! throught backdraft- which was really interesting walk through showing us the effects and how they made the movie, back to the future ride (totally awesome and SOO cheesy!!!)was a simulator ride. Van helsing which was a walk through the dark while people jumped out at you and made you scream...which was hilarious....especially me being me- who gets scared at ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING got terrified everytime someone jumped out. even thought you are expecting them to...you dont no exactly WHEN they are so you still get scared!!! the two funniest things happened was that one guy jumped out while we were walking over a bridge in a particularly dark area and scared us and then as we were walking by he grabbed me...so off course i ran off screaming and as i was running i saw one of the workers (who were all dressed in black) and so screamed again and kept running before i realized that it wasnt one of the scary people!!! lol i think she got rather offended. and we also had a midgit jump out and scare us, that was hilarious!!!

we saw a few famous people (actors) marilon munro...shrek, spider man and the main characters from X-men...so that was pretty cool! we also spent an hour or so in the kiddy play area which was a water play area....(it was really hot) we were the only people in their above the age of say 12!!! that weren't parents! but that was heaps of fun! just playing in the water, squirting each other with the water guns and getting COMPLETELY saturated! so as you can imagine it was heaps of fun!!! but we got so wet that jess top streached so much that it was practically around her knees, so we had to go and do alittle shopping!!!

and lastly there was water world (it wasnt last...im just talking bout it last...but anyways!) water world is a movie that they made a show out of! was really really cool...and very cheesy! but still one of the highlights! its about these pirates who live on the water because they cant find dry land or something, and this one explorer (the only girl) finds dry land and brings some back to show her people so they can all move their etc, but OF COURSE their has to be the bad guy who doesnt want them to find it and so chases them and starts this big fight. was really cool because it was such a small area, but they still managed to do heaps of tricks!

as the people were sitting down, some of the pirates had buckets and water guns and were wetting everyone as their went passed and before the show began. was really funny as those people who didnt want to get wet...and were stupid enough to show it!...got soaked!!! you could tell the actors had fun!!! well we almost didnt make it to the show...so glad we did! we had to run for it up log flights of stairs etc and just as we got in they closed it! but we of course ended up in the "soak zone" and we thought, yeh we may get alittle wet from the jet skis or skiers or something, but not that much, we had just dried from our little play time in the kiddies area, but whats a few more splashes right?! well as you have probably guessed...we were terribly wrong!!! few splashes...we were just as soaked as before...i think the guy on the jet ski (he was hot though!) had great pleasure in sending a wave of water our way!!! but it was heaps cool!

well that was all from our day at universal studios...tomorro...DISNEYLAND!!! :D only a few more days to go till we're home too...

luv ya all!

LAS VEGAS!!

hola ya'll!!

well it is less than a week until we will be leaving the US of A and be back home in the land down under. it is a strange thought after america being my home sweet home for the past 3 months. but we are still going, and in our second last stop of our travels...the place of dreams and hopes lost in the harsh beauty of the desert and mountains!!! LAS VEGAS!!!

well we arrived on friday evening, after our flight from colorado springs to denver and also our flight from denver to las vegas had been delayed, 30 mins and an hour respectively!!! so we arrived to the extremely hot (but thank God! not humid!!!!) which of course made the heat bearable!!! our first impression of las vegas was a rather strange sight, not something that you would see here. slot machines and posters advertising all kinds of things from girls to shows. i think that it is very safe to say that las vegas is a place like no other!!!

our fist day here, we got up to the lovely smell of blueberry pancakes cooking!!! (they were really nice, considering that i hate blueberries!!! but i didnt have the heart to tell julie that!!!) and then took rocco the beautiful chocolate lab retriever and went for a hike up a mountain that is a ski resort in the winter. also saw some wild horses in the distance! we had a lovely picnic up the top of this mountain, no one else around over looking the beautiful desert and mountains (an no im not being sarcastic!! it really was beautiful. the best sabbath experience you could ask for!!)

and so just to see how much of a contrast we could get! we spent a couple of hours on the stip that night, having a look around, and just generally being amazed at the splendor of some of these places!!! their are soo soooo soooo many of them, all of them 1000 times bigger than burswood (an im NOT kidding!) most of them with their little themes and such! was soo amazing, just another world in its self! i have to say that cesars def has the best interior. made out like a huge roman town, with the forum shops made to feel like it is out side with the fountains, and the roof painting like a nice summer day sky, and the coblestone street, and the roman soldiers posted on the walls of the courtyard! was awesome!!! and the outside of the venitan was terrific, with walls like ancient europe, and the venice cannals where you can go on a gondala ride!!! was terrific!!!

i have to say though that the most enjoyable time we had ALL night was when we took a tour of Madame Tuassades!!!! (the wax works of people that look real!) was soo cool!! so we took our picture with woopi goldberg, brad pitt, frank sinatra, got married to GEORGE CLOONEY!!! and had my picture taken with (guess who mum, beacky and ris?! just to make you jealous!!!) BONO! (my hero!) as well as elvis an lots an lots of others of course!!! was sooo much fun! oh and we also told bush that he was an idiot!! :) was lots of fun!

unfortuantely we JUST missed the belagio show (water feature...oceans 11 if you cant remember!) and was not going to wait around at treasure island (miss congeniality!) for 30 mins in a jam packed area where we couldnt see anything, as we had better things to do! so we are going back again tonight to see those two! :) after we finish a beautiful meal of homemade pizza!

today we spent the afternoon (after a sleep in recovery of last night!!!) driving around red rock, where their are some beautiful mountains of rock, with different colours streaking all the way through them. was really beautiful!!! we may take a walk again their tomorro before we leave, their is a little spring with ponds and palm tree and such with is supposed to be really beautiful, right bang smake in the middle of the desert! so that will be cool!

well im going to run and get ready for another night on the town!! ;P just joking!!! (kinda...i am going into town and it is at night, just not in that context! :D) so i shall say adios! and i love you all!!!

your lella

oh and dad...just wanted to say HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! for....yesterday...although it is sunday here so you could say that i wasnt late!!! :D but i luv ya lots an lots an lots daddy boy, and im sorry that neither of our little girls where their to make you something! but we do love you and were thinking of you, and ill make you somthing when i get home!! (in less than a week!)
your darling little girl :D

COLORADO!!!

HOLA ALL!!!

well tonight is our last night in beautiful colorado, as tomorro we leave for Las Vegas. We had a very short but enjoyable time at the latvalas beautiful house in coaldale. where we are completely surrounded by beautiful and majestic mountains! most georgous view!!! it has been real nice to spend time away from cities and cizilization ("gonna shoot it up!" for all the camp ppl reading!! we love you kelly kendall!!! :D) ANYWAYS and just spend time in the country and open clean fresh air!!!

today we spent the day just driving around and seeing some of the sights near salida which is about 30 min drive from where the latvalas live. the first thing we did was go to a pool and do some laps, which was really nice! then we drove up the spiral drive on the salida hill which had a beautiful 360 view of the town and surrounding mountains, before heading down and having lunch at a resturant which used to be a garage and gas station.

after lunch we headed out to m- pass. forgotten the name of it, but it was really pretty up their!!! and then we just did some souvenir shopping at the pass and then back down in town before heading home. their was some really cute stores there!! and then after being home for alittle while, the georgous erin called!!! was sooooo good to talk to you again girl!!! ive missed our talks sooo much!!! cant wait to see you and katie in LA!!! :D YAY!!! the we had a lovely home cooked mexican dinner. and so ends our time in colorado. we are going to gods garden tomorro before going to the airport, so im going to say buenos noches! and see you in LAS VEGAS!!! :D

luv lelle

SOUTHERN ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY!!!

HOLA (again!)

well as i said in the gainsville post. jess and i spent a few very relaxing days at southern adventist university (for some reason i like writing all that out...havnt figured out why yet!) with christina hack and christina liem who were both counsellors at BLYC (big lake youth camps in case you forgot what it stands for!)

so it was great catching up with them again! they both had alot of work to do, so most of the time we just hung out and had some chilling time, catching up on all the relaxing time that we had missed!!! over the past 2 1/2 months, so that was really nice!!! but we did get to do some shopping and also go to christina liems brothers house and go swimming and make a really nice meal, and watched a movie so that was a fun night! we also got to experience a fire drill in the middle of the night which was also interesting! and we both sat in on a couple of their classes. which was interesting! i went with christina liem (i was staying in her room while jess was with christina hack :D) to some of her classes. she is a music and elementary edu major. (i think it was elemetary edu...and christina hack is a theology major) so that was a really fun time.

it was awesome to be able to catch up with both of them again! i miss everyone from camp so so so so so much!!!! hopefully if all goes to plan then we will get to catch up with erin (the media co-ordinator and the person that i worked with closest at camps and came really really good friends with!) so pray that that all goes well and actaully happens!!!

we had some more drama this morning. we were supposed to be leaving southern at 7:30 to get to the shuttle bus on time so that we got to the airport with plenty of time to spare and so we didnt have to stress...but of course my alarm didnt go off, and so we had a late start, but to make things worse the traffic was horrendous and so we missed the shuttle that we had planned on taking...but as an example of God actually solving your problems before you even realize that they are their, we managed to get to the airport and check in with out any stress on the later shuttle, but as we found out, the shuttle that we were supposed to be on actually broke down and i think we made it to the airport before they did, or pretty much around the same time anyways. so through it all God proved to me that he does answer prayers and that he does care. how cool is that?!!!!

anyways so we got off to colorado springs alright, and have had a very enjoyable evening, having dinner on the deck, completely surorunded by mountains, which was beautiful. and have much enjoyed looking around the latvalas house which is completely enviromentally friendly and self sufficiant. so its pretty cool. they also have a blue heeler!!! which must think that jess and i are cattle or something because she keeps nipping at our heels as if to round us up!!! but she is stopping and not doing it as much which is nice!!!

well i better get to bed as we have a full day ahead of us!!! so beunos noches everyone!!!

luv lelle

GAINSVILLE!!!!!

HOLA!!!

well gainsville. i can't remember what i last wrote about gainsville so if i repeat myself then i am very sorry!!!!

i think that the last thing that i mentioned was that we had arrived safely and all that jazz. so ill pick up on from wed arvo...

well i went back to good old Hunt Tower (where dad worked) and said hello to a few people that i remembered...and alot that i didnt!!! (well i was only 9 and it was 9 yrs ago!!!) so that was alot of fun just hanging out in the square in gainsville, seeing it all again and bringing back the memories that i do have of halloween and the market in the square where we wanted desperately to buy some fish!!! had a look in this great store called daddys money!!! (i took a picture of it for you daddy boy!!! :D)

the next day we had a lake day. just lazed around on the dock, until Peter came and took us out for lunch to a really nice mexican resurant. then watched some movies. was really nice just to relax after camp and new york!!! then the barretts took us out for a lovely italian dinner at maccarroni grill. was lots of fun catching up with janice, airin, and nina! (who is engaged and has the most GEORGOUS little boy!!! :D) and then to a awesome hang out called jillians. so that was lots an lots of fun!!

the next morning jess left for savannah for 2 days. was really weird not having her around, after living in each others presence for 2 1/2 months!!! i didnt know what to do with myself, while she was living it up on the (very humid) streets of the beautiful savannah with kim brooks! but luckly i got to spend the afternoon with my old friends the allmans, mainly zach and rachel! was awesome seeing them again! spent alot of time in the pool and had a great time messing around...been beaten hands down at every game we played by zach!

on sat we went into atlanta, seth kendall had a soccor tournament in atlanta, so inbetween the games we went to the olympic park. which was really beautiful with lots of lovely fountains! and then beth and i walked around before going and watching seths other game. then we did a bit of shopping and had dinner before picking jess up. then beth treated us to drinks in a lovely revolving restraunt called the weslin which looked out over atlanta city and was really pretty!!!

and then the next day jess and i caught the shuttle bus up to chattanooga in tennessee where we were met by two of the lovely christinas that worked at camp who go to southern adventist university where we spent the next few days chillin and catching up!

gotta run!
adios!
luv lelle

NEW YORK!!!

Hola!

well new york. WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!!! we both really loved it their and wished that we could have spared a few extra days so that we could see alittle bit more of it! it was crowded and very bright! (our first impression of new york was when we went in in the late afternoon to see the broadway show CHICAGO! (which i might add, was brilliant! both jess and i loved it immensly! :D) so as we came out, into times square, we saw people everywhere, and bright flashing billboards. was great!

but we had quite and eventful end to our eventful day (begining in canada) where the airline lost jess luggage (we fortunately got back the next day) and had to run for the train as we very nearly missed it! (but that just made our new york experience more complete....wasnt the only time we had to run either!)

the next day (our only full day in new york) we took a tour for 5 1/2 hrs around new york, and on the staton ferry pass the statue of liberty. which was very interesting and well worth it. our tour guide was an actor by night and a tour guide by day, he was a very interesting and funny old man, which made it all the more enjoyable!

the rest of the time we just spent wandering the streets around times square doing some shopping and alot of window shopping! but the place has a great atmosphere, and once you get over the sight of seeing police men walking around with great big machine guns and huge black dogs, you feel quite safe so long as you have your purse safley buckled and with your hand on it at all times!

we sadly left new york on tues at 2, and caught the train on a lonnnnngggg loonnngggggg ride down to gainsville georgia, which arrived at 7 in the morning. where we were met by the lovely beth kendall!!! was so great to see her again! so far i have not seen any one else that i used to know, but jess and i are currently spending a few hrs wandering round the square and so are going to visit peter in hunt tower (it looks the same dad!!!! taking lots of pics for you all!!!) also drove by mine and ris old school, riverbend elementary school, which looks completely different as they put a new front on the builing. and are right now sitting in hall county library of which...if i remember correctly, i was a member of! so it is very exciting for me!

anyways id better run!
luv you all lots an lots an lots!!!
your darling lella!
xoxo

CANADA!!

HOLA!

well i know that its very late...but hey, better late than never right!!! so here is what i remember about our few short days in petersborough, canada (just out of toronto bout 1-2 hrs if you didnt know!)

well jess and i arrived in toronto very early in the morning after having a red eye flight from portland oregon after we finished up summer camps with a short stop over in vancouver canada. Aunty Glenda and Uncle Keith were their to greet us at the airport and shipped us off in the car to go see Niagara falls!

even though we were extremely tired, we had a wonderful time. the falls we absolutely beautiful. definately worth the drive!!! the sheer amount of water that flows over is amazing!

on our second? night their Glenda and Keith treated us to see a production of the sound of music!!!! which, as you can imagine, we both enjoyed immensly!!!! it was really really well done and we all loved it! (ris, mum and Q, i was thinking of you when we went! you would have all loved it!)

those were the main things that we did in canada, other than that we just spent time relaxing and seeing the sights around petersborough. which was really nice just to relax after the very very hetic last week of camp.

so that was canada. which we left on sunday. something that almost didnt happen. at the airport, we could not find the address for the people that we were staying with in new york, and as they were doing america customs in toronto airport it caused some problems. they finally let jess through, but for some reason pulled me aside for futhur questioning, but FINALLY let me go and i raced down to the terminal where jess was waiting to stop the plane if she needed to, where i made it JUST in time as they were boarding when i got their. so that was rather exciting!

and thats it for canada (but the good stories follow on for new york! we had quite and eventful few days!) so check out the next blog. i love you all!

your lelle!
xoxo

Second phase-canada/toronto and niagara falls!

hola!

well so we have ended the first day of our second phase of our trip!!! saying good bye to blyc and the wonderful people and the best of friends that i have made their was very hard and emotional. blyc was a big learning and growing curve for me. both spiritually and emotionally! it is an experience that i cant wait to repeat and that i will remember for a lifetime.

we arrived in toronto airport somewhere around 6 this morning. very tired and worn out, but excited to start out second phase and be in canada going to niagara falls!!! the falls we so unbelievably georgous! and we can now both say that we have been behind the falls and on the maid of the mist! which was alot of fun! we both had an awesome day!!!

aunty Glenda and uncle Keith are both georgous, and insist on treating us both like nieces! they have a beautiful little house as well, with a georgous garden!

well i must run off and go to bed before i fall off the chair from lack of sleep this past week. finishing up work at camp was tough an long hours...did not go to bed before midnight once....and on sat night stayed up till 7:30in the morning with on 3 or 4 hrs sleep max on both friday night and thurs night. but it was very fulfilling knowing id finished my job well and to the best of my ability! but as you can imagine i am very tired, so i shall try to upload pics as soon as i can, but it wont be tonight!

buenos noches & lots of love!
your girl
lella

FIRE!!!!

HOLA!!!

well we have exciting news here at BLYC. everyone is frantically packing, not only because summer camps are almost over :( tear. but because we have a fire burning rather close to us an we are on code 3 which means that the forest service can call us at any time and tell us to evacuate. so between packing and working, i am very busy! erin an i are going to put all our luggage in her car tonight, as there is a VERY high chance of us been evacuated tomorro morning, and we would need to get all of the videography and photography things out! so it is very exciting news!!!!

well i have to run....

luv lelle

teen 1...

hola!

well its teen 1, an banquet night, the theme is island breezes. we have michelle tumes singing tonight, shes a christian singer from new zealand who married someone who used to work at big lake. so thats pretty cool! cant believe that summer camps are almost over. its soooo sad, i mean im excited about travelling, jess an i have been talking bout it an both of us are soooo excited about it, but its going to be sooo sad to leave here. made so, so many good friends that leaving them is going to be really sad.

after living at big lake for almost 2 months now it really seems like home, an living any where else just seems strange now. but im sure that i will get used to it very quickly!

i must apologise as i have said twice now that im going to upload more pics, but every time that i go to do it, the computers wont work....so i promise to get some up soon but im not sure when that might be! so im really sorry bout that!

well id better finish getting ready for the banquet!

luv you all lots an lots!
buenos noches!
luv lelle

hola

buenos dias everyone!

(good morning in spanish...not sure how to spell it but thats how it sounds!)

well i am very sorry that their are no photos up on my last post. the computer that i was using did not recognise the fact that i can upload pics...so while i dont have the pics that i was goind to upload (ill upload them an some more probably tomorro night after my day off- going to Arthurs house again!!! so excited!) i do have some random ones of the staff that i took last night, so ill upload them while i am waiting for my pics of the campers to uplaod to the website!

hope you all have a great day...though i guess its night there now huh! so have a good sleep then!

adios,
luv your lella

HOLA!!!!!!

hola!!

how are you all? well it is currently 12:30 pm an i am up doin the late shift, burning all the rad camp cds! is a very long as slow process which i have to baby sit alot so i thought, why not write up a blog?! so here it is!!

well its almost the end of tween, an only 2 weeks left of camp! :( can't believe how fast everything has gone! made so many friends, an had such an awesome time! dont know how im going to be able to leave!

made some really good friends this camp with some of the campers. only in the last few days though, so its sad that i didnt get to know them for longer, but ashley is going to come back an visit and shaggy (i dont know his real name) is staying for the rest of the summer doing rad camps, so that should be interesting an alot of fun!!!!

we had a kiwi at camps this week!! he was on the skater rad camp. but mate it was so good to hear the accent!!!! after hearing everyone talking funny, it was very nice to hear something remotely normal!!!

went for a horse ride today. go most sat mornings is the only time that staff get to go riding. we do get to go wakeboarding as skiing during lunch on most days as well. so they do look after us here! was alot of fun! the activity that i did was the trailhead to fish hatchery, which is a very beautiful hike! follows a georgous river the whole way! really want to go to sahalie falls though sometime! they are SOOO beautiful! ill put up some pics when i do go!

well i hope all are well. im really tired and cant think straight, so i cant remember if their is anything interesting to add. so ill just upload some photos for yall to have a peek at!

luv your lella!

more pics!

me an the georgous erin who is the media co-ordinator. an heaps an heaps of fun! we have an awesome time together!
the crazy/beautiful karissa who is our lovely store girl!
christina hack, me, britt waring, erin, christina perry and mindy at the fish hatchery on our sat arvo activity!
De-anna, one of our lovely laundry/mall girls an I. just chillin as usual!














just some more pictures for yall!!! hope that this satifies everyone now that you know that everyone here is as crazy as i am, so i fit in extremely well, an are also really really nice! so there is nothing to worry bout! an you can also see what beautiful people im working with! :D

luv lelle

PICTURES!!!! WOO HOO!!!!

this is a pic of 2 of our lovely kitchen girls, kelsey an nickele!
on one of the sat arvo activities. the hike from the fish hatchery to the trail head. as you can see its a beautiful hike!
two of our crazy boys, bryan-boys village councillor, an trevor, maintanence specailist!
more crazy boys playing capture the flag. jason, dustin L, matt russell, and dustin S
me an the lovely mindy wilkins!
HEY HEY YA'LL!!!!

how ya doing? well i know that alot of people have complained (mum) that i have sent no pictures home, nor have i uploaded any to the internet! so here you go! enjoy!

the exciting news for this week was that i got a break from photography and was a wrangler for the week!!! because their was a horse pack trip rad camp going on they needed more people to go up in the horse corral, so i got choosen! was alot of fun, have really really bad tan lines now from being in the sun all day! everyone here took the liberty on finding something new to tease me about, an told me all week that i smelt funny!

but i am now back to being the camp photographer as the week is over an the all the adventure campers have gone home, an only the high desert waterski trip an the horse pack trip rad campers are here. also alot of staff have gone to camp meeting (which is alot like easter camp) to promote big lake, so the place is stangely quiet, an dead! but the break should be nice an lots of fun!

hope that yall are well. cant believe that the summer is almost over! it goes so very very quickly!

love you all lots an lots!
your lella

good times always at blyc!

HEY EVERYONE!!!

just a quick note! have to explain something as some people dont seem to understand my situation very well. the internet here is EXTREMELY SLOW an OFTEN CRASHES! an i am also very busy an dont have very much time to check my emails very often. i try and email back as asap, but it is very difficult so please dont send me emails abusing me for not emailing.

i am also having the best time in the world here. i love it so much, an everyone is just so nice an im making so many friends here. my job is hard work, an often frustrating having to deal with orney computers and the crashing internet. but im really really loving it soo soo much! and its alot of fun an character building.

well i have run an go an eat! so i luv you all lots an lots. sorry it was so short. i got interupted but i will try an finish it up as soon as i can. i will probably have more time at the end of next week. hopefully then i can also get some pics of all the lovely staff up!

luv your lelle

BLYC- best thing in the world!

hey everyone!

well its the first wednesday of camp! pretty cool. having lots an lots of fun! the kids are pretty awesome, they love me an jess for our aussie accents! lol.

starting to get into my job. has been a bit stressful lately...erin an i have been making the staff trading cards, which we're hoping to have in store by the end of the week! (fingers crossed!) but we will see! this first week will be the hardest i think as everyone figures out how to do things and gets into a system! dustin, erin an i (all the media people) are all rookies, but were having fun, so thats ok!

had my day off yesterday. was so much fun! went into town with christina, christina an shanda. just had a girls day out, shopping, coffee, dinner an just having a good time! was the best time! (my day off is still goin...i dont have to be anywhere till 9 so i just thought that id write a blog up for yall before goin for a run. im telling you, i really need to stop eating baker johns food otherwise ill blow up like a balloon!!! hehe

im really really loving it here...everyone is just so so nice, and theirs somthing else here that is so cool that everyone has, like a purpose to everything, an a reason for being. and the fact that we are all here for one specific reason is just so awesome. the kids are really really lucky to have a staff team like this!

well id better run! (literally!) so that my clothes will actually fit me! hehe,
luv you all lots an lots, an hope that you all have a great time!
your lella

heya!

hey every1

havin a great time, makin lots of new friends. been totally awesome! been learnin spanish!!! luv it :D an teachin ppl to talk with an aussie accent...no1 can! hehe keeps me highly amused tho.

well id beta go, were goin 2 starbucks! woo hoo! luv yas all...have a gr8 time!

luv smelly lelley

Big Lake Youth Camp

HEY YALL!!!!

just thought that i should right somthin up before i get into trouble! lol

well i am having an AWESOME time here! every1 is sooo nice an im making heaps of friends, all the girls in my department are really nice, an every1 else is as well. so cool, really startin to feel a part of the big lake family!

we had a great sabbath 2day. every department picked a scripture an either made a drama, song or art work. was heaps fun! then we all went exploring, jess an i went with kimmy an her sis, an half the guys. was so much fun, we went to some falls, forgotten the name, but its the falls where part of homewood bounds was made. was totally cool, kimmy an jess went under the waterfall and had a shower, an me an peter went right up the top an stood in the middle of the falls. totally tight.

we had softball tryouts the other day. jess an i are on the giants! theres 4 teams. so its pretty cool. i got aussie as my name an jess got oi oi oi, so gonna b fun!

weve been doin lots of work assignments, but 2morro we get 2 go into town, so pretty excited bout that. you wouldnt believe how much snow thats still around. tho alot of it has melted theres still huge piles a couple of feet deep around. hopefully it will be gone by the time the campers get here. still is really cold, borrowing lots of jumpers (sorry sweatshirts) but its finally started to warm up.

well ive got 2 go an play blyc 4 way volleyball (should be interesting!)
luv you all lots an lots!
luv lelle
xoxo

HEY every1!!!

just lettin yall no that we have safely arrived in Portland! took a long time gettin here an we're both extremely tired (sleepin on planes an on the floor in the terminals isnt the most comfortable places 2 sleep!) so neither of us got that much sleep!

cant believe how beautiful it is here in Portland! im in love with it already an ive only spent a few hrs here! cant wait 2 c wat big lake will be like!

its been rainin here, even had a bit of a thunderstorm! was warm rain, but its still not very warm! but summer should b upon us soon!

we head down 2 big lake on wed, so not much time 2 get over the jet lag an in portland time but were doin our best! every1 here is so friendly! tho i think they just want 2 hear us talk so they can listen 2 our accents!!! lol but i can tell that we're goin 2 have a fantastic time!

well id better run! luv u all lots an lots!
ur lella
xoxo

HONG KONG!

HEY EVERYONE!

how r yall? well jess an i are sitting in hong kong airport, we just enjoyed a great meal (lot better than the plane food i tell you!) an we both have free internet access for 30 mins so i thought id write to you all! the plane trip was long an boring! couldnt sleep, mainly because the old couple sitting in front of us! lol oh well. have a 12 hour flight in front of us where we are planning on getting alot of sleep! (hopefully!) funny as it may sound it still doesnt seem like we're going any where, just kind of strange really.

im really sorry for not tellin people when 2 b at the airport 2 c us off! i ran outa credit an havin left everything to the last possible minute (as usual!) didnt get 2 call u all. but mina, tim an warwick im really glad u guys were their!

hong kong is rather humid, and we haven't even gone outside! lol very artistic airport to!

by the way HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON!!! sorry that i didnt get to see you or come 2 ur party! but im sure ull all try to have fun without me! lol nah hope u had a gr8 day boy! ur an adult! feel old? ;P an HAPPY BIRTHDAY tim an georgie 4 friday!!! hope u party hard for me! lol wish i was their to go out with u an warwick tim! course its not goin to b the same without me their! an have an awesome time at ur party georgie! enjoy all the hot guys! ;P wish i was their 2!

mina an v, look afta each other 4 me! an i want u 2 go out! ya hear me? just coz im not their 2 organise ya! hehe. an v make sure loren behaves himself! if he dont just slap him round!

an tim, have an AWESOME time in SA!!! :D course u will but! an v have a fantastic time travellin round europe! an dont worry mina we have our trip next yr 2 look 4wards 2!

well i luv ya all lots an lots! mum an dad hope ur not feelin 2 lost without ur baby! hehe luv yas all!!!

ur lella
xoxo

Hey every1! 6 days 2 go! WOO HOO!!! lol im so excited but im gonna miss u all so much!!! can just imagine me their goin...i need v here with me!! wheres my party girl when i need her?! hehe an every1 else 4 that matter! but were all set 2 have a totally AWESOME trip! neways i really just goin on bout nothin much coz the only reason i did this blog was 2 figure out how 2 put images on this thing!!! hehe thought it would b a good idea 2 do that b4 i go! lol well have an awesome 3 months pplz 4 those that i wont b able 2 c b4 i go! luv ya lots an lots!
luv lelle
xoxo

10 DAYS!!!!

10 DAYS 2 GO!!!!! very excitin news i no! hehe. well i just thought that id let u no a little bit bout the trip an where were goin an wat were doin b4 we go so that i dont have 2 explain all that while were travellin an dont have easy access to the internet!!! so heres wats happenin!

just in case u didnt no...Jess lang an i r goin 2 da beautiful USA 4 3 months. the 1st 2 months we are goin 2 b in Sisters, Oregon at the biggest SDA summer camps in the world!!! (they have 95 staff an over 1300 kids over those 8 weeks!!!) so while were at big lake, i will b teachin all the kids how 2 take good photos an videos. which im extremely stoked bout coz i love photography!!! so thats gonna b awesome fun! we get a day off a week where we get internet access...so u only need 2 check this once a week!!! :D

after the summer camps were spendin a couple of days in Portland, Oregon recoverin!!! b4 flyin out 2 toronto canada!!! where were spendin a grand total of 4 days. an get 2 go 2 the beautiful Niagra falls!!! we are then flyin down 2 NYC where we are spendin only a couple of days before catchin the train down 2 gainsville georgia!!! my beautiful ol home town!!!! (i lived in gainsville with my family 4 a yr if ya didnt no!) where we will b stayin 4 1 week, goin 2 stone mountain, negro church!! ;D base ball game an lotsa other fun stuff!! before flyin out 2 colorado springs 4 a few days b4 movin on 2 LAS VEGAS!!! where were hopefully goin 2 b flyin ova the grand canyon an hoover dam an get 2 c all the shows on the strip!!! unfortunately we are underage :( but well still have a ball!!! an our last stop is the gr8 LA! :D where we get 2 c hollywood an all the other gr8 sites!!!

an that is all that we managed 2 fit in2 this trip!!! lol so their u go. u now no the rough plan of wat were doin, but that doesnt mean that u now dont have 2 read this!!! coz im sure that therell b lotsa cool stuff ill wana tell u all!!! hehe well i think thats enof 4 now dont u?!!! luv yas all lots an lots!!!!

luv lelle

18 DAYS 2 GO!

hey every1...just did up this webpage that ill post on while im in the USA so u come an check it out an c wat were up 2 an all that! an have a look at some pics an everything. so memba 2 check it out! im not plannin on sendin emails 2 ne1 while im away, take 2 much time. soz pplz i love u lots an lots...but this is the best i can offer!!! lol im happy 2 get ur emails if u wanna tell me ne important news etc...but plz no fwds. i wont read them! an theyll just fill up my inbox!

but the countdown is on! 18 days 2 we leave!!! WOO HOO!!! cant wait!!! very excited! hehe. lotsa love!

luv lelle
xoxo