Halloween and Girl Scouts of America

Hannah and Jacqui carving our Halloween pumpkins

Halloween pumpkins by Jacqui & Hannah

Jacqui's Halloween costume

Hannah and Jacqui and their new Girl Scout troop - just after making their promise (being invested) into the Girl Scouts of America

We haven't been so busy over the past few weeks. Mainly we have been finding where everything is in Annapolis (we still haven't figured out everything yet), but we've still had some fun.

We had our first real Halloween. Hannah and Jacqui carved pumpkins which we lit up with candles. One is of a bat, and the other the classic "Jack-o-lantern" shape. On the back of the bat they carved a southern cross, to bring a bit of home to Halloween. Jacqui and Hannah actually celebrated Halloween at Lake Peekskill, New York, with their friends from the NBTSC camp, and had a great time trick or treating. Nikki & Steve were at home in Annapolis, looking after the neigbourhood kids who came trick or treating - which was a lot of fun.

Hannah and Jacqui ran an "Australian Girl Guides" workshop for 130 girls & parents near Washington DC - this was partly for their Queen's Guide Award back home, but mainly to start spending some time with some Girl Scouts. Unfortunately there were no Girl Scouts their age (the oldest was about 12), but they had a great time, and did a great job.

After many months of negotiations with the Girl Scouts of America (Central Maryland) Jacqui and Hannah finally have a Girl Scout troop to call home when they are here. They seem like a nice bunch of girls, very similar to their unit back home. They took part in an investiture ceremony, where they made their promise as Girl Scouts.

We are heading off to Florida next weekend to spend some time with Steve's exchange student sister Tammy & her family, going to Walt Disney World (to see our friend Sara from Australia who is working there), and most excitingly of all, to watch the launch of the Space Shuttle, with the families of the astronauts (thanks to Tammy).

We promise to put up some photo's from Florida as soon as we get back.

We hope you are all well. We are having some challenges with our health (see the post below this for an update on that), which we hope will resolve over time, with the right treatment.