Tuesday, August 31, 2010

August Happenings: The Move

On the morning of the big moving all of our belongings into our new apartment, we made it out of the guest apartment on time and had a quick breakfast at McDonalds. Everyone was tired of the offerings we had at the apartment. We got to the apartment before the movers and dropped the girls over at neighbor's house who had offered to watch them for the day. What a blessing!

The container couldn't be brought into the city, so it was unloaded onto 4 trucks. Each truck was unloaded down in the court yard or inside the ground floor elevator lobby until everything had been unloaded. We have a phone to let people into the front gate which has a camera as well. We watched the movers for a minute on the camera.

In order to watch you have to pick up the phone, but when you pick up the phone the speaker comes on. In this pictures I was trying to whisper something to Jacob and he couldn't hear me and then we just the giggles at the situation! This day is always funny to me (since I have experienced it twice in 14 months), because you are on the verge of being extremely busy and exhausted but you can't do anything yet because you have to wait on the movers to get it all inside first!

After looking through the security camera a minute, we headed next door where we could see the moving trucks from our neighbors balcony. Keely got really excited seeing all of our boxes coming into the courtyard.

A lot of our boxes sitting in the elevator lobby waiting to go up to our apartment.

More boxes outside in the courtyard.

After all the trucks were unloaded, the boxes started heading into our apartment. Almost everything was brought inside before lunch except a few pieces of our Ikea closets, a living room chair and our couch. During the lunch break, Jacob and I started putting one of the closets together. That was our biggest hurdle in this move -- we couldn't do anything until our closets/wardrobes were put together. Due to their size it was better to put them together in a mostly empty room and most of the things in the boxes went into closets! However, having a semi-empty room with all of those boxes was interesting too! As we were working on closet #1 of 9 I realized it was starting to rain. Our couch and chair were still outside. We ran downstairs and thankfully there is a long awning that we were able to push the couch under and we brought the chair up onto our landing. Many friends came by to help with putting the closets together as I worked on putting the insides together (shelves, drawers, and rods). The girls and I left around 6:30 and Jacob came back to the guest apartment around 11pm. The girls' beds did get put together that day. The next day the girls sat on their beds with the Ipods watching shows while we unpacked their rooms -- later in the day they were able to play and they were excited to see their toys again. After that point it all runs together now! We slept in our own beds on night 3 and by the end of the first week most things had homes. We also had errands to run throughout the first week, so 3 full days of unpacking the rest of the time it was intermittent! Most things are unpacked but the boxes of books and a box of decorations that haven't seen light since Thailand. We need to hang the bookshelves when Jacob returns from his trip. We focused on hanging things on walls before he left. Unfortunately the way we hung them wasn't the best...so quite a few pictures are sitting on the buffet after #3 fell down. We tried using 3M picture hangers and our pictures are too heavy -- we'll have to use concrete nails in the end anyway! That's ok they are easier than drilling holes! Until my pictures are hung back up, taking pictures of our new apartment is on hold! Hopefully we'll have some soon!

Monday, August 30, 2010

August Happenings: The Zoo

August is almost over and we are finally to August posts! I don't really have too many posts about August so I may get all caught up over here! Than on to Project 365, huh?

Our first week here one of Keely's teachers and her daughters came to Taiwan and we joined them at the zoo. It was and the girls had fun taking pictures of everything with everyone's cameras -- so we only saw a few exhibits! We'll have to visit again!

Keely pumping water
(it wasn't raining -- we just all had our umbrellas out to keep the sun off of us)

Jordan pumping water



Keely discussing something about the exhibit

Taking pictures of the exhibit

We all had fun and are so glad we got together with Keely's teacher and her daughters! Hope to see all of you again soon!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Thursday, August 26, 2010

July Happenings: Disney Vacation Part 4

Saturday morning we woke the girls up bright and early to go to breakfast with the characters. I love how Disney has everything all thought out. About 30-45 minutes into breakfast is when the characters came out. It happened to be just when the girls had finished eating and were getting fidgety. Perfect for our family!

As you can see Buzz got in most of the pictures too!





On our way out of breakfast, Daisy was on her way out for a "break." She grabbed Keely's hand and walked us to the door and then took another picture with us.

Every time we walked by this statue, Jordan would request a picture with it. Can you tell she likes to take pictures with Mickey?

We had a great two-day vacation and were glad we were able to get a little break before getting on a plane to our new city of residence!

THE END!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

July Happenings: Disney Vacation Part 3

When we arrived to Main Street that morning, we were stopped by a cast member who asked us where we were from, where we lived and how long we were staying at the park that day. She then asked us if we would be interested in being the lucky family to be the honorary grand marshals for the parade day. Of course we would. Just hopefully we would all still be in good moods at that time came! We met them before the parade where they presented us with mouse ears complete with our names stitched on them on the back. They let us borrow mouse hands to aide us in waving during the parade route. They also gave the girls some stickers and notebooks. We then all walked to the start of the parade and waited for our ride.



The girls had a lot of fun with the cast members who accompanied us.

Hope they didn't mind how comfortable our girls got with them!


Then our ride arrived. We rode the parade route waving and saying hello to everyone. By the end all of our arms were ready to fall off! Even when we got done the girls said hello and waved to people we passed by for a few minutes!

The girls weren't too excited about the water part of the parade last time, but today Keely decided she was ok getting a little wet. Jordan wanted to join them too but then had to protected from the water! I was protecting the cameras and all of our other things!

After the parade we were in the perfect spot to get in line to take pictures with Mickey and Minnie.


We ate dinner and then headed back to the hotel. It had been a fun, but long and hot day!

TO BE CONTINUED...

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

July Happenings: Disney Vacation Part 2

As you can see today and from yesterday's post, we took a lot of pictures with characters. That was all by Keely's choice. After we arrived to the park, she announced that she wanted to take pictures with characters and we did do a lot of that!

We were in the castle area when we glanced at our watches and realized it was about time for the princesses to come out. We got in line and waited for our beloved princesses to come out. I had thought that only the first and last time did more than two come out at a time, but to my surprise three came out! Snow White was not there.

Cinderella talked to the girls and listened to them tell her things about their day.

Jordan has really grown fond of the princesses.


We then went and got in line to see Aurora and Belle. Both Aurora and Belle got on the girls' level and visited with them for a few minutes.

I don't think Jordan enjoys this part of the day, do you?



Jordan still giddy from her princess visit.


After visiting the princesses, we noticed they were getting things ready for the special summer characters to come out for pictures. We had noticed that Jessie and Woody were there and the girls had gotten fond of them after getting their collector card a few times and seeing them in the parade on a visit before. We thought we knew what line they would be in, but we guessed wrong! We did still get our picture taken with them though after we got in the right line.

TO BE CONTINUED...
(Sorry I'm really stringing this out, aren't I?"

Monday, August 23, 2010

July Happenings: Disney Vacation Part 1

When we found out that we were moving and that it would be at the end of a month that was going to be busy without moving, we decided to plan a little vacation on our way out of Hong Kong. And to what better place, but then to one of our favorite places -- Disneyland! Since a kid, Jacob had always wanted to stay at one of the Disney Resort Hotels. We also knew it'd be nice to be right there at the park. So we decided to go all out and stay at one of the Disney Resort Hotels for two nights, go to Disneyland for two days and then end our vacation with a breakfast with the characters before heading to the airport.

We didn't get to Disneyland until 11 the first day, because we kept finding odds and ends that we needed to do and "tie" up. It was too early to go to our room, but we checked in, left our bags and hopped on the shuttle to the park. We played awhile, but Keely was REALLY wanting to check out the hotel! With Keely's pleadings, after checking out the room we went swimming.

Jacob thought these child-sized robes were too cute and couldn't resist putting it on Jordan after her bath. There were animals made out of wash clothes in the bathrooms that the girls loved as well.

After getting dressed again from swimming we headed back to the park for dinner and the plan was to wait for fireworks. However, since our original plan of naps didn't happen neither did fireworks! At least the hotel was nearby! The girls did enjoy a Little Mermaid bed time story on the TV before going to bed.


The next morning we decided to have breakfast at the hotel. The girls were very impressed with the waffles and pancakes in Mickey Mouse shapes. Keely declared that it was the, "best breakfast I ever had." The girls kept squealing in excitement -- and we were amusing people all around us!


As we got onto Main Street we spotted Chip and Dale. Keely was so excited, but then I noticed a cast member standing at the end of the line -- meaning the line was closed. Keely was beside herself! We asked when they would be back and it was just 20 minutes later. The girls had saved their "allowances," and we went shopping in the gift shop while we waited. Keely picked out a baby Buzz Lightyear, which was carried everywhere that day. Jordan picked out a Minnie.




For summer they have had different "beach parties" at different times throughout the day. At one Donald was dancing to beach music while they blew big bubbles. Donald would shake his tail feathers when he danced.

Keely did too.

And some more.

Also for summer, at different times different characters came out to take pictures. Keely had been wanting to get one with Stitch and Lilo was there today as well.

TO BE CONTINUED...
(don't want to overload you on pictures!)

Friday, August 20, 2010

July Happenings: Disney with Friends

After a week of orientation, Jacob traveled with one of the teams to their city for a few days. That week had been busy for the girls and I as well with lots of errands during the day and dinners at night. Some friends were coming to town and were planning on going to Disneyland for a couple days in the afternoon. I thought it might help the missing of daddy and we agreed to go. I forgot though on the first day that we had a morning full of errands with one of the students before she left town. After getting her off on the Airport Express Train it was 1pm. It didn't seem worth going home to nap so we just got on the train and headed to Disneyland a little early. Unfortunately I forgot that it would be the hottest time of the day! After some heat meltdowns and a ride on It's a Small World (and being pestered by some ladies in line), the girls requested ice cream and I agreed. It was so hot that keeping the melting ice cream off of them was a chore though!
Even with the melting problems, Jordan enjoyed her Mickey ice cream.

After our treats we went to watch the parade. During the summer it's the water works parade and when we watched it before the girls didn't enjoy getting wet at all! Keely informed me that kids don't like to get wet! The real downside to that time was that one of the cast members in the parade danced right up to Keely and squirted her. I'm sure other kids wouldn't have minded but mine only like to get wet in the bathtub and the swimming pool! There are some dry areas, so we watched the parade from a dry area. We had a couple more melt downs while waiting for it to start, but cast members would come over and give us some more character cards. After the parade Keely begged to go to Tarzan's tree house (one of her favorite things to do). We were just about to get on the raft that takes you there when I realized I had missed a message on my phone. It just said, "Here." I assumed it was our friends and that they were at the park. I messaged back and then we got out of line to go find them. After a few minutes I finally realized it was Jacob messaging that him and the students at arrived to their destination! Oops! I felt really bad! Then we ran into the princesses and that made life better.

I really got a glimpse of little girls with someone they admire. Aurora talked to them for a few minutes and the girls told her all kinds of things about their day!


We were just about to leave when Keely reminded me that she had wanted a picture by herself too!

With all of our meltdowns and it being hot, we decided we would go get pictures with Mickey and Minnie and then go home. I promised the girls that we would come back the next day to play with out friends. When we got to Mickey and Minnie at the front of the park we found our friends standing there in line! I hadn't heard my phone when they messaged me!


Unlike with the princesses, Jordan doesn't like it when the characters touch her even though she will talk about them up until it's our turn to get our picture taken!

After pictures we decided we could handle one ride before we left and the kids chose one of their favorites, Autopia.


After nap time the next day we all met up again and rode a few more rides together. It sure is nice to have season passes!