24 days until I go home....and the reasons why I'm excited

1. To see my beloved family and friends...I miss them more than words could say.

2. Tim Hortons

3. Christmas

4. To have my own room again

5. My piano

6. Snow...yes, i admit it...I miss snow.

7. Heavy Rain Conference.

8. To see my beloved youth again!

9. Swimming at the pool

10. A fireplace

11. Living in a small town

12. Road trips with friends

13. Mike & Ikes

14. Hot tub chats with my mom

15. Downtown Shopping

16. Figure skating

17. Starbucks

18. Coffee with my daddy

19. Day trips and late night chats with my bestie.

20. Being able to watch the news.

21. Fuzzy peaches

22. To get my G1! after 4 years i'm finally going to get it!

23. Grey's Anatomy

24. My parents pasta sauce.

A few videos of my housemates and I at Hannah's birthday!!

I'm in the depths of despair!

You are Anne "would you please call me Cordelia" Shirley!

A dreamer with a great imagination, you spare yourself the horrors of reality by putting up a wall and believing the best is yet to come. You're fiercely independent, a leader, and you don't take any crap from any boys. You're willing to smash a few slates over some heads to get the respect you deserve, and you're willing to walk the roof of many a kitchen to one-up any jerk that stands in your way. You do carry a lot of sorrow hidden deep within your soul, so be careful not to let it eat you alive. You must take comfort in the words of wisdom from your bosom friends and other kindred spirits and release your inner demons through creative means; whether acting, writing, drawing, singing... You are a true kindred spirit.

And now make your own Quiz!

Millions of people will take it - its really easy and fun!

"Gilbert drew her close to him and kissed her. Then they walked home together in the dusk, crowned king and queen in the bridal realm of love, along winding paths fringed with the sweetest flowers that ever bloomed, and over haunted meadows where winds of hope and memory blew." - From Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery

So I've been on mid-semester break this past week! Last night my housemates and I watched "Little Women," followed by "Anne of Green Gables." Tonight we have moved onto "Anne of Avonlea".  I miss these movies. They bring back the memories of my pre-teen days.  Anne, is probably one of my favourite movies of all time! My mom & I used to watch them together... Mom, I think we should watch them together this Christmas...what do you say!?! 

As Anne would say, " I feel as though someone's handed me the moon... and I don't exactly know what" to do with it."

4 months ago....

I left my beloved friends, family, & home to begin a year long journey in Australia....

It has been an amazing 4 months.  I can't believe how quickly it has gone, yet at the same time I feel like I have been here for so long.  

Lets recap the first 4 months.... here are some of the highlights!

January 

I arrived on Jan 16 @ 9pm.  

I was taken to my beautiful home and started off on my journey in Sydney!

I spent the first few weeks settling in and meeting heaps of new people.  My roomate, Jillayna and I had a pool party with about 40 new students at our house and had a fabulous time!

We spent the afternoon in Sydney with a few of our housemates and I experienced my first Australia Day!

Powerhouse retreat was at the end of January.  We went away for the weekend, met tons of people, spent a weekend away at the beach and received more from God!

February

The first week of February we started school.  The first two weeks were intensives.  I got to meet more amazing people & my expectations for the year became so much more! 

On Valentine's Day, I got to have a lovely valentines day dinner with my lovely, beautiful, amazing housemates! 

March

March was full of fun, I got to spend a day in the city at Manly beach.  Soaked up the sun and a some long walks on the beach!

The first part of the new Hillsong album was recorded at the beginning of march.. Above is some of my choir friends and I!

Colour was the first conference of the year I got to experience.  It was on the last week of March and was an action packed week!  It was amazing to see 13,000 women come together for a week to worship God and to honour and bless them!

In between the 1st and 2nd Colour conference we had the 2nd recording for the new Hillsong album (it comes out in July)  It was an awesome night of worshipping God!

April

I spent Easter with some of my lovely friends.  We ate amazing food and spent time listening to each other play/sing songs we've written.

I Spent a day in the City with Daniela, Jillayna, & Lisa.  We went to Circular Quay, the Opera House & then went to the city campus to go to Powerhouse (the young adults group here)

May

Here we are! In May.  I am currently on mid-semester break.  I went to the Taronga Zoo yesterday with a few friends & then headed to Manly beach for the evening.  We got to watch the sun set and then had dinner at a restaurant near the beach.  It was soo beautiful!!

(I miss you Andrew & Peter!!!)

(Here I am just hanging out with the Kangaroos!)

(Renny, Jillayna & Sarah)

(Manly Beach)

Overall I have had a phenomenal time! God has been amazing.  The journey has just begun and I am so excited and expectant to see all that God is going to do in the remainder of my time here in Aus.  I am so thankful for the amazing opportunity and privilege to be here.  I have been blessed with an amazing house, awesome housemates, incredible friends, and a fun, crazy, and amazing roomate!

God is soo good!!

I'M BACK!!!! ..... I promise...

Okay so I am back to the world of blogging!  

It has been 2 & 1/2 months since I have written an update... oh my! 

Good morning!

Life has been soo good these past couple weeks. I apologize for my lack of updates!!

We have been in school for four weeks now.  This semester I am taking Personal Leadership, Communication in Ministry, Songwriting, Old Testament, Musicianship, and Church and Ministry.  The courses has be phenomenal so far.  At times it’s a little overwhelming because we are learning so much and getting given so much information, but everything we are learning is so good!  We have really been challenged these past couple weeks to be cultivating a healthy personal devotional life with God spending time in the word, prayer, and journalling.  I have started to try and follow a bible reading plan that one of our lectures gave us and it has been great so far!  We are getting ready for Colour Conference in three weeks! I am stoked!

Last night we had one of three recording that are going to be used for the new Hillsong album!  I sang in the choir, which basically meant I was right in the front with the moss pitt.  It was pretty full on, but lots of fun.  The new songs are amazing and God is so glorified in them.  So looking forward to the CD coming out =)

Well I am off for now... It a beautiful monday morning and I’m going to get started on an assessment I have due next week and maybe I’ll spend some time in the pool this afternoon as well!

Love to you all! xoxo

Nicole

Just a quick message to say:

- I am still alive!

- School is awesome

- Church is amazing

- Life is crazy busy, but great!

- I miss you all in the land of snow

- I will write a proper update sooon!!

xoxo