Atlanta, Georgia
May 16, 2011
Oh my, I had a lot of catching up to do. I'm glad I'm nearly done as this is the last post from our America trip. Now I can start blogging about current happenings!
Let me just say again how much I am enjoying life in Cebu. Loving our routine, our friends, our community, play dates, mango season, the sunshine, the swimming, the help around the house!, getting caught up on reading and blogging, the quiet nights and quality time with Andrey, cooking and hosting, and a refreshing in my spirit from the Lord. What he is doing in me lately brings me once again to a place of hope and anticipation for what's the come. I wonder what the next chapter will hold.
During our last week in the States we took a(nother) day trip to Atlanta - this time to pick up Ella's passport - the final accomplishment of this particular journey. Grandma and Grandpa joined us for a super fun day at the Georgia Aquarium.
It was crazy busy with tons of kids on end-of-the-school-year field trips but oh my goodness this was SUCH a cool place! I think the adults enjoyed it more than Ella, who seemed to be a bit tired and out of sorts the whole day. I think she was finally getting tired of all the travel, car trips, naps at odd times, unfamiliar food. The crowds really seemed to get to her that day. It's a good thing we brought the stroller. She was able to hide under the sunshade a few times to withdraw into her own space.
Another terrible photo but I want to remember that we saw penquins - one of Ella's favorite animals, thanks to an Elmo's World video we own.
There was an exhibit with SE Asian fish. I recognized many of them... from when I pick them out at the seafood counter at the grocery store! yum! Either Ella was super tired this day, or she prefers the experience at the grocery store of seeing all the dead, whole fish before I buy and bring some home to fry for her! We are eating more fish than ever these days and I love it. I really missed fish when we were in the States. Once a week is not nearly enough!It is so nice to live in a place with so much affordable, local, fresh fish available year-round.
We also stopped at the Civil Rights Memorial site in the neighborhood where Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and raised, Sweet Auburn. Unfortunately we didn't have much time and there is much to see. I would love to go back and spend a day touring his birth home and experiencing the Civil Rights museum in it's entirety.
On a side note, we attended the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama a few weeks ago - the church where MLK pastored from 1954-1960. It was also the location at which the Montgomery bus boycott was organized. The church stands only a block away from the former, original capitol of the confederacy during the start of the Civil war.
May 16, 2011
Oh my, I had a lot of catching up to do. I'm glad I'm nearly done as this is the last post from our America trip. Now I can start blogging about current happenings!
Let me just say again how much I am enjoying life in Cebu. Loving our routine, our friends, our community, play dates, mango season, the sunshine, the swimming, the help around the house!, getting caught up on reading and blogging, the quiet nights and quality time with Andrey, cooking and hosting, and a refreshing in my spirit from the Lord. What he is doing in me lately brings me once again to a place of hope and anticipation for what's the come. I wonder what the next chapter will hold.
During our last week in the States we took a(nother) day trip to Atlanta - this time to pick up Ella's passport - the final accomplishment of this particular journey. Grandma and Grandpa joined us for a super fun day at the Georgia Aquarium.
It was crazy busy with tons of kids on end-of-the-school-year field trips but oh my goodness this was SUCH a cool place! I think the adults enjoyed it more than Ella, who seemed to be a bit tired and out of sorts the whole day. I think she was finally getting tired of all the travel, car trips, naps at odd times, unfamiliar food. The crowds really seemed to get to her that day. It's a good thing we brought the stroller. She was able to hide under the sunshade a few times to withdraw into her own space.
The absolute best part of the aquarium was this massive tank with three or four whale sharks, huge manta rays (that's redundant right?), sting rays, swordfish, giant grouper, reef sharks, tiger sharks and a ton of smaller fish. It had the adults oohing and aahing for quite awhile - especially when the manta ray got really close to us and flipped over round and round. The graceful movement of this gigantic ocean creature brought me to an awe and reverence of God's amazing creativity. There was something worshipful about these powerful creatures being and doing what they were created for. It was like that feeling you get when you are in a breathtakingly beautiful place in nature and you feel the presence of God. These photos do not come close to doing the experience justice.
Another terrible photo but I want to remember that we saw penquins - one of Ella's favorite animals, thanks to an Elmo's World video we own.
The other really cool thing was seeing seahorses up close. I've never seen live ones before.
Checking out the beluga whales. They are such fun and sociable animals, so I learned.
There was an exhibit with SE Asian fish. I recognized many of them... from when I pick them out at the seafood counter at the grocery store! yum! Either Ella was super tired this day, or she prefers the experience at the grocery store of seeing all the dead, whole fish before I buy and bring some home to fry for her! We are eating more fish than ever these days and I love it. I really missed fish when we were in the States. Once a week is not nearly enough!It is so nice to live in a place with so much affordable, local, fresh fish available year-round.
We also stopped at the Civil Rights Memorial site in the neighborhood where Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and raised, Sweet Auburn. Unfortunately we didn't have much time and there is much to see. I would love to go back and spend a day touring his birth home and experiencing the Civil Rights museum in it's entirety.
On a side note, we attended the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama a few weeks ago - the church where MLK pastored from 1954-1960. It was also the location at which the Montgomery bus boycott was organized. The church stands only a block away from the former, original capitol of the confederacy during the start of the Civil war.
The mural outside the Civil Rights Memorial in Atlanta
Oh happy day! Ella has proof of citizenship and can now travel anywhere her parents can!
We were pretty giddy about having accomplished all we came to do. Thank you, Lord for miraculously arranging, guiding and timing everything for us and for making the impossible possible! Thank you Jesus for our treasure, Michella, our 'Gift from God.'
No comments:
Post a Comment