No dreamer is too small, no dream is too big

Have you ever had a dream? A passion? A yearning for something more than where your life was at?
Damian did.
And despite the reactions he imagined, and those he knew for sure. He broke away from what was expected of him, and he chased his dream.
And so it is with great pride that I can tell you that today is Damian's last day as a full time Naval officer. (He will remain with the reserves and pick and choose jobs that interest him.)
As of the 31st of March 2008 -he will sign on with Queensland rail as a trainee train driver.
There were 48 positions advertised, and he secured one of these. There were 4,500 applicants!
When I first met Damian, he, like me, had a passion for his job, thoughroughly enjoyed what he did and looked forward to going to work. This satisfation trickled through to every part of his life and it was a pleasure to meet someone so content with thier life as I was. Then something happened, he was sent to sea a while ago, (and those in the Navy will know of the person and trip of which I speak) and that trip, I feel, broke Damian's spirit, he was under the command of a very harsh man, had very little if no sleep, and was belittled constantly, he was never quite the same after it and I am not the only one who has noticed it. His passion and drive dissappeared and he has been lost for a very long time. Once he could make anyone laugh, in any situation, that person disappeared and he became insular and very quiet and serious.
He only came alive at the computer, when he drove trains on our simulator, when he spoke of being a child at Palmwoods and watching the locos steam through. He tried to engage me in different images and sounds and panoramas he had managed to download - that was his passion now.
When the trainee jobs were advertised, it took a bit of doing, but he worked up the strength to apply, worried about people's reactions and thinking he wouldn't be good enough, with me knowing full well they were dying for people like him, (and they were).
At one point he said, what if I fail? (he really wanted this very badly) I pointed out that "failing" was wanting something and never having the guts to go for it. His application started in June, this led to being accepted stage by stage, interview by interview, and finally just before christmas, being offered a position.
He wants to drive a coal train for a while, really throw himself into it and get lots of driving under his belt, so they have given him a position in Bluff which is 170ks west of Rockhampton. His roster spans 8 weeks and in that time he gets 20 days off. His days off will never change which makes it easy for us to take advantage of cheap airfares, or train travel etc. And either he will come up to us, or we will travel down. His training will be in Rockhampton and during this time his accom. and meals are all provided. He will have 5 weeks of theory, then 4 weeks driver training (in an actual train) another 5 weeks of theory and then onto the depot to be tested and endorsed as a driver. I am fully expecting him to blitz the training and qualify in record time. I think secretly, so is he. They invited spouses to attend the last interview, and the guys who interviewed him were really lovely and blown away by his professionalism and preperation, they are really really keen for him to work for them up here and so eventually he will post back to Cairns and work from here. So we are all very excited for him and very proud of him for making this a reality. Kylin is really excited that daddy is going to drive a train, already some of the old Damian is re-appearing and it's so lovely to see.
Love and hugs to you all - Karen xoxoxo

Thunderstruck

Hi everyone, we have had heaps of amazing thunderstorms lately, mummy and I sit up on my bed at night and watch the lightening - I love it! Mummy discovered while she was video-ing the storm, that when the lightening flashes, you can see the blue sky and clouds. Picture below was taken last night, during a lightening flash - looks like day time. We were invited to the Mortimers for afternoon tea, it wasn't at all posh, we had a really lovely time.
The adults trying not to be posh.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO! It's orange man!

(or a psycodelic mexican!)

Everyone loves my kisses, here's me planting a noisy one on Mark

We arrived at our BBQ to discover an asian vagrant asleep at "our" table. We set up anyway and he slept through eveyone else arriving, I kept peering under the table to see what he was doing. Rick nicknamed him "Jeff" (the wiggle who always falls asleep) Despite us yelling wake up Jeff he slept on, Jeff did finally wake up and moved away to somewhere quieter.

I spy with my little eye something beginning with "W" Yes - it's Bindi with the squishable Brodie at the lagoon.

There are heaps of trees for me to climb around here, it's a great way for mummy to get me to eat bananas, she sits me up there and I pretend I'm a monkey.

Me n Rick - who managed to avoid hail damage despite Mark's efforts.

Me n that luscerous family!

That's it for now, hope you are all happy and well and having a wonderfull start to your new year. Love and hugs and strange men in orange - Kylin xoxoxo

Two posts in one day - now that's pushing the friendship

The photos uploaded so quickly just now, I am able to publish this a lot sooner than usual. Maybe all the bloggers are on holidays today :) Also Kylin's asleep now so I have some time to spare. Sorry for the massive amount of stuff I'm sending you today but you don't have to read it all at once. Mark and Dan came over to put up a tarp in our front yard for the party, it was a work of art - Kylin got right in there and was helping wherever he could, the boys were fab with him. Helping Dan hammer in the tent pegs.
An amazing structure, I girlied it up with some fairy lights and it was perfect.

Jason kept me entertained all afternoon, by taking me for rides down the hill on his skateboard

We had a few people turn up, Brice Hooper and his family, Andrew Dobbie and his son, Richard n Filiz and the boys, and the usual bunch of ratbags pictured below (n Bindi who took the photo) We ended up on the nature strip watching the moon rise, saw a shooting star and laughed ourselves silly as the morning wore on.

I will not be posting the cocoon picture, because I am a nice person - hey Rick?!?!?

Mark and I stayed up till 5.30 ish seeing the first bit of the sun before inexplicably deciding to sleep, only to arise at 7 when the fluff magnet wanted to play.

Mark and Rick were so happy to have such little sleep they just kept on partying :)

They both stayed for a big cook up breakfast and once sober, wandered off bleary eyed into the new year.

Shortly after, Shane, Marisol, Jazz n Jae popped in but settled in and stayed until 6ish. Bindi, Dan n Brodie re-appeared once they could drive and kicked back with us for a while too. We had a fantastic time and it was a lovely way to spend our first day of 2008. Here is Brodie's belly!

We were very excited to witness Brodies first steps, I got it on video and was way too excited! Clever boy!

All the daddys in the pool with the kids

Marisol and Jaelyn - how beautiful!

Jazz n Kylin had a baby kissing fest, Kylin wasn't aware at first that he was kissing Jazzmin's arm :) Jazz informed me earlier that she and Kylin were "going off to get married now" then later told me she was going off to the doctor cause she was having a baby - HAHAHA

Jaelyn is doing really well, seems to be focusing more, is getting stronger neck muscles and has really strong little legs, he was standing up on Shane.

He later crashed out on Marisol's knee - dear little bub

I kept going until about 6.30 when I lay down with Kylin and just bombed out, I went to bed shortly after and slept for 12 hours - aaaahhhhh!

Happy New year everyone - Love and squishes to you all - xoxoxo