In The States: Week 3

This week we visited Aunt Susan, Uncle Karl and Cousin Kyle. Granny, Uncle John and Christina were there too! The kids had lots of fun playing with each other all week long.

Our first night the kids couldn't part, so they all shared a bedtime story together.

The cousins all together.
(Keely 4, Kyle 3, Jordan 2)

We had a great day playing in the park and walking along a trail.

The kids even did some tree climbing.

The kids all helped Aunt Susan make peanut butter pie, though the kids did eat quite a bit of cool whip in the process too!

The kids did lots of crafts including this cute turkeys.
(Here they are saying Happy Thanksgiving but forgot to look at me as I took the picture ;)

All of the kids spent special time with Granny.

We enjoyed several nice afternoons playing outside. One day Keely and Kyle rode up and down the sidewalk on the bikes and another pulled each other up and down in the wagon.

Even Jordan took her turn pulling the wagon.

Thanksgiving morning we watched the parade. The girls enjoyed seeing the different characters, but at the end Keely said it was the longest parade ever.

Kyle and Keely stayed upstairs playing, but Jordan kept coming to the kitchen to help -- and got some licks, tastes and snacks too.

Thanksgiving day was wrapped up with pin the hat on the turkey.

And what better than hats to cover their eyes! Good idea Aunt Susan!

And Keely even helped Jordan go the right direction.

Friday we got to go to a football game and see Uncle John and the band. Unfortunately it rained during the first half but at least we got to enjoy the second half. Christina held Keely up to see the band better when they played.

The cousins sharing raisins.

Christina holding Jordan up to see the band.

Jordan wouldn't nap before we went to the game, but napped well in Daddy's arms standing right in the middle of the band.

Uncle John and Jacob with Keely and Jordan.

Uncle John and Jordan winking at each other.

Uncle John and Keely.

On our way home, it was bright turning take-off so Keely requested her sunglasses.

We had a great week and the girls have repeatedly said that they want to go back to Kyle's house!

In The States: Week 2

This week Keely started a month long of preschool. She made a friend the very first day and told me her favorite thing about the day was her new friends. We also did some cleaning out of our stuff that we have been storing in a closet in my parents' house. We both found clothes way too big --

including this great big heavy winter coat that fit Jordan too!

We also did lots of playing and resting too!

We found some good deals on games and got out Cootie to play with the girls. They loved it!

One afternoon we went out to lunch for pizza and then played games afterward. (A good friend of the family made these doctor coats for the girls and this day Jordan insisted on wearing hers every where we went).

The girls enjoyed mini bowling -- with Jacob's help of course!

Keely got really excited when we were playing Ski Ball and got some tickets!

More resting and reading books.

On Sunday after church we drove up to St. Louis to stay in a hotel for a night for a early flight out to visit relatives for Thanksgiving!
(Of course we still had to have our bedtime book even in a hotel room!)

In The States: Week 1

As you can see, I have gotten a little behind on blogging! My computer just doesn't seem to work when I'm in the States (read I don't ever seem to find the time to work on the computer). I'll do a little past-dating for a few posts so we have a few posts in November and December and remembrances of our time here to look back on.

Our first week was busy and also filled with getting over jet-lag. Thankfully this time no one woke up before 3am any morning -- so much better than midnight and up all night!!

In the Taipei airport, the girls played a few minutes in a play area before going to our gate. This little girl was watching a Hello Kitty episode (it was a Hello Kitty play area) and the girls sat next her to watch. Then Jordan kept scooting closer and closer to the girl and the girl get trying to get farther away! I finally had to help Jordan realize that the girl didn't want Jordan to get so close!

For some of the longer flight, the girls shared their two seats with each other and slept like this. Of course neither one was able to stretch out much so it only worked for awhile.

On our first full day in the States we took the girls to a Sesame Street Live show. It kept the girls awake!

Of course the girls had to get hair cuts. It had been quite some time since Johnny had come to our house to cut Keely's hair back in Hong Kong!

Jordan's last hair cut was last year when we were in the States.

One night my brother and his family came over for dinner. The cousins always have a good time playing together!

Fall Festival

Some of us moms got together and decided to have a fall festival for the kids in our apartment building courtyard. The girls had a great time. They painted pumpkins, searched for pumpkins, threw bean bags, did a prize walk and got their faces painted. We didn't have any costumes but we found a few accessories and improvised!

Jordan in her wings and butterfly headband ready to go out and have some fun.

Jordan painting her pumpkin.

Keely in her wings and headband.

Keely getting her face painted.

Butterfly Keely

The girls with their local "papa candy," (that's what they call Smarties because that's what Papa had when we were at their house last year).

Project 365: Favorites of August

Now that I have started the "Makes Me Smile" category I don't have as many cute pictures that don't see this blog. But old habits die hard! :-)

August 11

August 20

August 25

August 31