The kids were SO excited because she arrived on a Thursday that they actually didn't have school, so they got to go with me to pick her up at the airport!! Those of you who know me best, know that the kids and I got to the airport about an hr earlier than we needed too;) They were thrilled when she finally came out! Their were lots of hugs, kisses and squeals!!
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| Running and yelling, "MeeMaw!!!" |
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| Finally!! |
The first couple of days flew by! She was a trooper with the jet lag and immediately wanted to start playing!! We headed to the pool and had a belated birthday dinner for her the 1st day. The 2nd day, she played and swam with the kids while I was at a meeting for my refugee school. We also enjoyed some park time and of course some treats!! It was just so nice to have her here!! I couldn't stop smiling:)
It was the kid's Spring Break, so on Saturday we headed to Bali!! Man, we had some fun!!! The resort was fabulous and the beach was amazing! It was perfect for our kid's ages because there were not many waves and even Jake could stand up almost 100 yards out. The water was so clear and they would just put their goggles and flippers on and head out looking for fish! The pools were great too!! There was a fun water slide and plenty of friends to play with:)
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| Brent and I got a little jog in 1 morning while MeeMaw and the kids played:) |
In between enjoying the pool and the beach, we enjoyed some activities outside of the resort. We hired a driver on Sunday night and headed to Uluwatu, a temple with one of the most amazing views I have ever seen. On the way there, the driver stopped and let us take a quick tour of a little plantation where they make Kopi Luwak. The only time I had ever heard of this coffee was from the movie Bucket List. Anyway, if you haven't seen the movie, Kopi Luwak is coffee made from the seeds of coffee berries eaten and defecated by the Asian Palm Civet, or toddy cat. Yum, huh?? The tour ended with a tray full of coffees and teas to sample. It was actually pretty good once you got past the whole "defecated" thing.
Jake loved trying all the teas but wasn't too sure about the Kopi Luwak:)
When we got to Uluwatu, we toured the temple and then headed to a Kecak show...so crazy!! We loved it! It was about an hour long and there were about 50 men that chanted the entire time! It was so impressive! There were dancers and a man dressed as a monkey that was great! At one point he was kicking fire balls everywhere...very entertaining:)
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| The costumes and make-up were fabulous! It was crazy how they moved their fingers and hands to tell the story. |
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| The view and sunset were fantastic!! |
That was a late night, so the next day we spent more time playing at the beach and rented some paddle boards. That night we tried out Bali Collection, a little outdoor shopping area nearby, and then enjoyed an excellent Japanese dinner at a neighboring resort! |
| We played on the beach between shopping and dinner. Running from the waves never gets old!! |
There was a life sized chess board at the resort where we ate. Brent thoroughly enjoyed teaching the kids how to play!! Mom and I enjoyed watching;)
We headed to Bali Safari on Tuesday. We went on a super cool safari ride. The animals were so close!! At one point there was a cheetah just circling our bus. I am loving all of the animal encounters we are getting to have over here! We got to ride the elephants here too and of course feed them:)
We got to eat lunch while looking out at the lions. At one point, one of the lions chased a squirrel up a tree!
There was also a really nice little waterpark that the kids loved! Grown-ups had a pretty good time sliding too!
We had seen a brochure about riding camels on the beach the first day we arrived and I couldn't let it go! I mean, it's not everyday you have the opportunity to ride a camel! So, on our last full day we actually rode camels!!! How amazing is that?!? We all absolutely loved it!! They have got to be one of God's ugliest creatures, but they were so cute! And very high!
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| The views by where we rode were just unreal! |
5 days went SO fast!! We had a great surf and turf dinner at the beach that night and spent some time playing in the sand one last time and goofing off with MeeMaw:)
It was a fabulous vacation! We kept hearing that we needed to go to Bali, and now we know why!! Beach, pool, shows, great food, spa time...what's not to love?:)
We weren't ready to leave on Thursday, but it really helped having MeeMaw going back with us! We knew there was still plenty of fun to have:) We got back late Thursday night, so Brent worked from home Friday morning while the kids, mom and I ran some errands and restocked the pantry. We then headed to Din Tai Fung and the Cinderella movie! We took mom to Din Tai Fung when she came last year, but we of course had to take her back! We will definitely miss this restaurant when we move. Cinderella was awesome by the way!! We will definitely be buying that when it comes out! We all loved it! Even the boys!
We couldn't forget dessert! We finally tried out Magnum and were too full for dinner that night:)
Saturday we walked down to one of our favorite breakfast spots and then spent the rest of the day swimming and having a little Easter fun! We made cookies, dyed eggs and practiced hunting them! It was SO wonderful to have my mom here for all of this! We are so used to being with family for holidays and birthdays and we have missed it. It just felt more like home with her here. And she brought some great egg dying kits too!!
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| Yeah, so I kinda super glued the super glue to my finger. Egg dying is serious business:) |
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| Not looking while Lily hides eggs:) |
The kids always have a sleepover the night the Easter bunny and Santa comes. They love it, but it makes for a very early morning!
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| The Easter Bunny came!! |
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| Ready to hunt some eggs!! |
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| The Easter Bunny jammed those eggs full of goodies! |
We had Easter Bunny pancakes and of course some eggs for breakfast:)
The kids headed back to school the next day and mom and I headed to Central Market and Peter Ho for some shopping and girl time:) I loved having her to myself!
That afternoon we got to help out with the Easter celebration in Ella's class. I always love going in their classes and Ella was super proud to show off her MeeMaw! 
Tuesday, mom and I headed to Little India to see Brent and eat some delicious Indian food! Mom loved lunch and we got a little shopping in too...of course;)
In the afternoons, when the kids got home from school, we spent lots of time at the pool, reading, doing homework and playing games and the Wii.
Thursday was mom's last full day. The kids were thrilled to have a half day! We went for lunch at Baskin Robbins and spent the afternoon in the pool.
That night we had Bible class. We have a weekly Bible class in our condo on Thursday nights with up to 14 kids. It has quickly turned into my favorite night of the week!! I love these moms and their sweet kids and it is such a blessing to study the Bible with them. We always have a meal and then a lesson. I love hearing them pray and fill my condo with their singing voices! There is nothing more precious than the sound of a child talking to God and singing about His love. Our condo is full on Thursday nights and I absolutely love it!!! I am so glad my mom got to enjoy a class and see how truly amazing our friends are:)
So, MeeMaw is back home in America and we miss her lots! Thank you so much mom for coming and playing with us!! Please come back anytime!! We look forward to seeing you, PaPaw, all our family and friends in just 58 days!!!!
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