Lions, Tigers and Marsupials!!!

Hi everybody,
It has been awhile since I updated, I apologize. The computer had to go to computer hospital, and lots of money later we are reconnected. We seriously considered euthanasia for the computer, but in the end we tried a miracle cure and it worked. The poor thing had an onslaught of more viruses than the Australian company had ever seen, some of the computers' functions will never be recovered, like our music library, but he is with us again and that is all that matters.
So, onto lions, tigers and marsupials. We have spent a lot of our free time finding the indigenous animals of Australia, eventually, we may get tired of seeing roos and wombats, but for the present we enjoy it. We ventured to a State park, Caversham, here you get the best of wild animal viewing and a zoo type experience. The park encompasses a wildlife refuge. Here you get to pet and feed the animals. These animals were once injured or sick and have been cared for and looked after by the refuge, now they are too dependant on humans and will never be let back into the wild. They are all tame and you can see in the pictures the animals snuggle up to the kids at times. We fell in love with a blind, white kangaroo, he would put his paws on us and snuggle his head close. A female kangaroo was very gentle to him and allowed him to nurse even though she is not his mother, so stated the staff. We saw wombats, wallabies, dingos, dragon lizards, parrots of all kinds, Tasmanian devils (the ugliest thing I think I have ever seen)and multiple more animals. All, but the parrots and Tasmanian devils, could be petted.
The children really love animals and aren't afraid around them, the older two are planning on volunteering at a nearby animal refuge that takes in mostly joeys that have lost their mothers. (usually from getting hit by a car) They need to be held in a pouch and feed by a bottle. The center doesn't require many hours from the volunteers and the kids can choose when they sign up for their shift. The only problem is if they will waive the age requirement for Mikaela, she is not old enough yet, but we are hoping they will allow her in anyway.
We have been thinking about and praying for all our family and friends in the Houston area. We felt so distant not being there to help with the clean up effort. Thanks dad for checking on my house and taking care of the damage. We hope you all have electricity again and are returning to life as before Ike.
I got to volunteer at Elise's school for the first time. Very interesting. If a student is showing something, like show-in-tell, when the child finishes he/she is instructed to say, "Thank you for letting me tell you about....", then all the children reply, "Our pleasure". The children are sent outdoors quite often and it is so funny to hear the teachers reminding the children that they must have their shoes and socks OFF before going outside. Once outside the children are given the garden hose to fill up a large bucket so they can dip smaller bowls, cups, pans in to mix the sand with water or just pour it out. This is the very thing our school at home would have kept the kids from for fear they would be all wet. Interestingly enough, only one child changed his pants afterward.
We found a place called Rockingham this Saturday. We explored around a bit and found the most unusual seashells we have ever seen. Here the beach is all limestone rock formations that jet out into the water. Unfortunately, I forgot my memory card for my camera. Just a ferry ride away from Rockingham is an island called, Penguin Island, so called for the little penguins that live on the island. The island is shut down during the breading season, to protect the babies. We plan on taking the short ferry ride out to the island, anyone who comes to visit we will take you also.
At the end of every school term the children get two weeks off. So, Carson and Elise get off school beginning next Monday. The kids at the international school happen to get a week off also that overlaps the second week for the younger kids. With this vacation time for the kids we decided to take our first overnight trip. We are planning on heading up north, where it will be hot in the summer, so we think it would be good to see it now.
Monday the 27th is a holiday the Queen's Birthday. Todd and all the kids get the day off.
Nathan turns 16 years old tomorrow! I have gone out and tried to find familiar foods for his birthday. American bacon is hard to find and costly, they serve the English bacon here, which is much more like ham. A Mexican dinner is what he choose, so that's what we are doing. When we visit home he will get his drivers' license, he finished and passed all the requirements before we left. Children may not drive until 17 and a half here.
Next time I write I will tell you about the whales, and the postmen. I have to run take all the older three to the orthodontist, who by the way, is a Texan, who was asked to come help out here 14 years ago for a 3 year contract. He said it's turned out to be a long three years but will never go home he loves it here. I'm lucky he is here, he was trained in Texas so he knows exactly the type of braces Mikaela is wearing and can work with them. Carson is going to see if he needs braces yet, and Nathan is getting a new retainer, as his retainer was a causality of the move.
Again our hearts go out to all the Houston folk, hope all is well and our prayers are with you.
~the 6 woodfords
Pam, Todd, Nathan, Mikaela, Carson and Elise