Photo Recap Part 8

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.

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.'

 

Photo Recap Part 7

Asheville, North Carolina

In early May we spent a week in a beautiful place with Andrey's parents, sister, brother-in-law and niece. We get about a week with these guys every year and it is a real highlight for us. A's sister and hubby are some of our closest friends. We're all fairly new parents of cute little girls only a year apart. We treasure our time together so much!

Ella and her little cousin A had seen each other on skype many times and this was their first time to meet in person. A has changed so much since Andrey and I saw her last when she was just five months old. Ella and A seemed to know each other well and love spending time together. It was very cute to hear one of them asking about the other as soon as they woke up each day.

This was taken by M on one of our many nature walks. Ella grew a special affection for Uncle M during our time together. It was very sweet.

Grandma and Grandpa bought a couple of chairs for the girls, which they enjoyed very much, especially the little cup holder where drinks and snacks were often stored.

Yay for sisters, daughters, n and cousins!

Sweet little A

At the Nature Center

Ella handed snacks to A one by one through the hole

Such cuteness! (Okay I am totally partial)

 

We stayed in a beautiful cabin just outside of the city. The cabin was on a small farm. There were horses, chickens, baby chicks and fish. The perfect place for a couple of curious little animal-lovers. Each day we got to take the girls to feed carrots to the horses, give pellets to the fish, play with and chase the baby chicks and collect fresh eggs. What fun!

Sweet times with Grandma

So nice to be out in nature every day...

It made for a great setting for a photo shoot.

It was a week for hair cuts

Time for a little bargaining - "I promise I'm almost done! I'll give you chocolate if you just let me finish!"

L and I had impromptu hair cuts at the Asheville Lovefest. We even made the local newspaper the next day.

L, you're next...

 

 

Hot tubbing! The girls LOVED swimming in the hot tub but had to keep the swim sessions short due to the overheating and lethargy that set in - especially for Ella who loves to keep her head under water for several seconds at a time.

We just missed the sunset off the Blue Ridge Parkway but got a cute pic of this precious little girl.

Grandma and Grandpa loved being with both their grandgirls.

Father-daughter

I had to include this one because Ella started doing this with her tongue and we soon learned that Andrey is not able to do it. So Ella will do it and look at me to do it and then say to Andrey, "Do it!" and he can't. Makes him feel a little left out every time.

These girls did a fair bit of rolling around on the ground together in random places.

At the Asheville Arboretum

I love this photo so much. You can see Ella's love for her Daddy - a picture of how far they have come.

Classic nerd shot

As I said, this is where things normally progress. Don't worry Daddy, you and me can squat with our heels on the ground like true Asians, Mommy can't.

Pure cuteness in curiosity

 

We just love A's beautiful and wild hair

Family time, what a blessing to be together. Wish it were longer!

The week did inevitably come to an end and the two cousins had to say goodbye at the airport. Thanks to some difficulty getting checked in, they had some bonus time together. Here, Ella is pointing to herself and saying, "Ella!" meaning this is MY space.

But A didn't pay any attention to that. She has her own little will to assert.

Some screeching to show her displeasure...

... but things turned around in the end when Ella realized this is pretty fun!

Just look at that smile!

Peek-a-boo!

We stayed in Asheville for a few extra days with Grandma and Grandpa and some friends. 

We enjoyed a sunny day trip to Chimney Rock...

And spent our last two nights connecting with old friends and their cutie little 2-year-old girl, Zoe.

We love Asheville and hope to be back again!