Back in the U.S.A.

We are now back home - doing laundry, paying bills and catching up on sleep. It was a tough trip back. As mentioned before, Trey wasn't feeling too well the few days prior to travel. His usual exceptional timing kicked in and he was at his most sick for the travel time. A bit of puking in airports, high high fever, and overall yukiness for the 30 hour trip home. Poor kid. But we are home and happy with some incredible memories. The trip was all I could have hoped for. My traveling group (shown below)could not have been more fun. I have spent 5 years dreaming of our return to Trey's birth country. New dreams are now being formed for 2017!

A full day in Hanoi. Puke.

This was our one full day in Hanoi. Trey has been struggling with a bit of a fever and sore throat so was glad he got a great nights sleep. This morning we waled down to the mausoleum / living area of Ho Chi Minh. It is a beautiful walk and where I used to run most days when we were here. Love that part of the city.
This afternoon we went to the water puppet show. So much better than last time. Trey was so excited to see it, but then fell asleep about half way through. The plan was to do a bit of shopping and have dinner at a fave spot, but Trey was complaining about being tired so we headed back to the hotel for a nap. He woke with crazy fever and losing the little bit of lunch he had. Poor kid. Last night in Hanoi spent in hotel with rice and sprite (Trey) and tiger beer (me) from room service. We still have most of tomorrow to enjoy - our flight isn't until 11pm. Fingers crossed he wakes up feeling better, and that I don't catch it for the long trip home!
Time to pack.....

Last stop - Hanoi

Sitting here in my room at the Anise hotel brings back all kinds of memories. This is where Trey and I spent the final 4 weeks or so 5 years ago. It is really cool to be here again, of course under much better circumstances. More on what's happening in Hanoi in a moment.
We flew to Hanoi from HCMC on the 27th. We left early on the 28th for. 4.5 hour drive to Halong bay. We spent that afternoon at the Asian equivalent of "Wally World"! It was actually kind of a cool little amusement park, but I think there were maybe 10 other people in the entire park. Kind of cool, kind of creepy. But a fun dolphin show followed by a very strange monkey and croc show (don't worry, they weren't in the ring at the same time!). The next morning we cruised Halong bay. It was pretty foggy making the views not what they could be, but still pretty spectacular. The best part was hopping into some little rowboats to go into parts of the bay you can't get into on the bigger junkets. I loved it, fog and all!
After lunch back on the bus to Hanoi. Quick repack, a little dinner and grab the night train to Sapa. The train took over 8 hours to go only 200 miles. It was not my favorite part of the trip, but Trey loved it.
Sapa is as beautiful as I imagined....I think. Most of the amazing-ness of the area was covered in fog. But We hiked to the top of dragon mountain for beautiful views of the town, walked up by a huge waterfall, and checked out the local market. Sapa is a really cool town with a great vibe. And, lucky for me every other store sold Northface (I think the real stuff but not entirely sure) since it was WAY cold/damp than I thought it would be. Day 2 we visited Cat Cat Village. Trey was bummed that he only saw one cat, but I think the pigs, views, crafts and hike made up for it.
The night train brought us back to Hanoi Got reacquainted with the city and had dinner at the pizza shop of a man we knew from being here last time.
Two more days in Vietnam. As I sit listening to the horns honk I am so happy. To have the opportunity to come back, and do it with such wonderful people. I am so lucky.
Happy new year!

Ha Long bay and Sa Pa

Two of the most beautiful places in the world. Both almost completely fogged in! Oh well, having a blast. Just heading to Cat Cat village. Will post some details tomorrow when we get to Hanoi. NYE will be spent on the overnight train. Trey thinks it is SO cool, I think it is a night of no sleep and worrying we are going off the tracks!!!!! Happy New Year my friends!

Epic

The past 2 days have been in.cred.ible! Yesterday (Christmas day) started with our usual breakfast delicious. The kids then realized that the staff had hung gift bags for them in their Christmas tree. So sweet of them! The people here have made this such a special stay. We then read the real Christmas story followed by lots of Christmas songs. It hasn't felt like Christmas here and, but that made it all come real.
We walked to a smoothie/ice cream store for lunch. The smoothies were the perfect way to kick the heat. An amazing bonus was the gal who ran the place invited us all back for dinner tonight! Said her mom is a great cook and they would love it if we came back. Wow. After some hanging out by the pool the owner of our hotel offered to take Trey and I for a scooter ride. The absolute best way to get a feel for the town. I am amazed how much this place has changed in the past 5 years. The thriving waterfront is one example. The bridge by the market is another as it opened up a whole new part.
We ended the day with a great pizza party. It took 4 hours plus to get our pizzas- they were delivered in waves and a power outage meant the last few were cooked over coals - but great!
Today. Holy cow. We did the "hot tour" of the area. That meant a boat picked us up at the hotel. First stop was brick making. Way more interesting than it sounds. Second stop local fruits and traditional music. Stop 3 coconut juice. Stop 4 coconut candy (eating it while still warm is so good). At this point the kids got back on the boat and we rode bikes to where they make sleeping mats. The kids took a motorized rickshaw to lunch while we go to cruise on the narrow, beautiful paths. Follow this with a delicious lunch followed by riding in tiny canoes back to the boat. A beautiful, hot, entertaining way to enjoy Ben Tre!
Tonight dinner at the smoothie gals was the best meal we have had on this trip. No better way to end this amazing stay in Treys birthplace. Banh Xeo, soup, spring rolls, fried rice, corn (Treys fave). Follow this with so many beautiful fruit plates.
Tomorrow we head to Hanoi. We will be in the north for the rest of the trip. Time to put away the swimsuits!

Christmas Eve

And what a Christmas Eve it was. Not really sure I can put today into words. We got to Ben Tre last night after about a 7 hour drive. Walked through town to a fantastic place for dinner. I may need to walk the route again and get some photos.
This morning we headed over to the care center where Trey spent his first nine months. Only one of the nannies are still there, but they called two others who came right over. It was beautiful to see their response to the kids, and the kids to them. We spent a few hours there talking (through an interpreter) and playing with the babies. Some of our travel group brought gifts for the older kids so as a thank you the kids sang a song for us. So cool!
Tonight we went to a Christmas buffet. Our hotel owner warned that they can get a bit vicious getting to the food. Happy to report no injuries.
Tomorrow we have nothing planned except enjoying Christmas. And hopefully getting my laundry back .... Details.
Merry Christmas!

Fairy stream

On our last day at our beautiful beach resort we did a little hike up the fairy stream. It was a pretty cool stream that runs through the red sand dunes. We hiked up to the top of one of the dunes for some awesome views. We didn't actually see any fairy, but some beautiful sites and a few cows. Lots more pool time and a bit on the beach to watch crazy kite boarders.
On our way to our room tonight we stopped by the pool where a trio was rocking a bit of Simon and Garfinkel. Good in any country!
Tomorrow will be (another) long drive as we head to Ben Tre. It will be about 7 hours - but based on our ride here that can mean almost anything!
I have cool pics, but alas the iPad won't allow me to post.

A day at the beach

Ahhh. This is relaxation. We are at a beautiful resort on the South China Sea. It is an amazing place with tons of flowers, views and kite boarders. Started with a morning buffet with about 5 million options and as many cups of coffee! Perfect way to kick off the day. A little beach time. A little pool time. A little park. A little ping pong. More beach. I have one happy/tired kid.
We had dinner at this little place down the street from the resort. We are now a group of 20 so you can imagine how that would overwhelm any place here. It took a loooong time for food, but totally worth it. We ordered a second beer since the food was taking so long, they had to call out to have more delivered.

Loving HCMC

What a fun day! Walked into town this morning to grab some snacks before we head to the beach tomorrow. It was good to get out and explore a tad. A little swimming before heading into the city. We did a little shopping at Ben Thanh market and stopped for ice cream. Roamed our way up to the Reunification Palace. A great idea except it closed at 4, we got there at 5. Oops. Oh we'll, it was pretty from the outside. Stumbled on a really great restaurant for dinner. The city is decked out for Christmas. It was amazing to see all the lights, people and posing! Such an incredible city. Trey and Jonah decided they are "brothers in spiky hair". I think they do pretty good star jumps too! I have a great photo of them that won't load. Will try again later!

Day one and a dang tall building.

We had a great day one. The area we are staying is in district 2, so not in the city. It is a much different pace out here. We chose it to have a way to rid ourselves of jet lag, and it seems to be working. We had a nice breakfast outside along the Saigon river followed by about 3 hours of pool time. It is somewhere in the 90s so it was perfect. Went into the city later afternoon without any real plan of what to do. Looked up and saw the Bitexco tower which Barbie had read something about. On the spot decision to take a look from the top. Viewing deck is on floor 49 and some pretty amazing views. Since I can't post any photos the link will have to suffice.
http://veryvietnam.com/2011-10-03/hcmcs-bitexco-tower-5-in-cnns-20-iconic-skyscrapers/
It's almost 8 and everyone is crashing. I am not far behind.
More tomorrow!

Made it!

I realize I am stating the obvious, but Holy Cow that was a long flight. Door to door it was 31 hours. Just waking up Tuesday morning and I am so excited to get going. Driving through the streets oh HCMC last night brought back so many memories.
Let's get this party started!

12.12.12

12.12.12....our 5 year Family Day.  And as my sister reminded me - a new moon.  I am excited for the possibilities!  We are leaving for Vietnam on Sunday morning.  After over a year of planning I can't believe it is finally here.  12 of us board a plane at 6 am.  We meet up with 4 more in Chicago.  And then 4 more on day 3 in Vietnam.  While I am not looking forward to the flight, I cannot wait to get there.  The smells.  The food.  The people.  Can't wait to see what has changed and what feels exactly the same. 

As I look back on the past 5 years I cannot believe this life we have together.  I had no idea what I was getting into!  Here is one of my favorite photos from 12.12.2007.  He was a little gumby boy!  Check out the socks that go up half his leg.  And those cheeks - don't you just want to squeeze them? 

Next post from Vietnam!

The countdown

Trey and I are so excited to head back to Vietnam!  We leave on December 16 for about 3 weeks.  The itinerary is almost final.  Saigon - Mui Ne - Ben Tre - Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Sapa - Hanoi - Home. 
Tickets are booked.  Hotels are locked down.  I can't wait.  I am going to try to reinstate the blog to document our trip.  So check back mid December if you want to follow along. 

Trey 3.5

It has been so long since I posted I may have forgotten how! But today felt like a long lost post was in order.

On my way to work this morning it struck me that today is Trey's half birthday. How did he already hit this milestone when just last week I was watching him blow out 3 candles? This summer has flown by and Trey has changed in a million ways. Most good, some not so much! He is a 3 year old after all. So here are my thoughts on my son in no particular order....

1. Trey is an outdoor kid. Not big into movies or tv for more than 15 minutes or so at a time. Loves to ride his bike, swim, scooter, play soccer and run around like a crazy man.

2. Loves his friends and talks about them all the time. He seems to get along well with most all kids (well, most of the time) and seems to be a pretty fun kid to play with. Is especially obsessed with a cute little blonde at daycare.

3. Loves his daycare. I have been so lucky to land in the perfect spot for us. We have a wonderful friend in Shelly. She loves my boy and takes such great care of him - he is happy to go there each morning and happy when I pick him up. Plus is with a great group of kids who he adores.

4. Is still the best eater evah! Prefer noodles to most anything - especially if they are spicy. If you ask him what his favorite food is he usually says sushi. Needs dessert every night or the day is just not complete.

5. Still goes to bed like a champ each night, and not too tough at nap time.

6. Amazes me with his compassion for others

7. Has rocked my world. 3.5 years ago I could never imagine being lucky enough to parent a little boy, let alone this one. He has put my life in perspective and made me a better person

8. So you don't think he is perfect....favorite word = poop. Favorite phrase = poke your eye out. Still has fits of epic proportions that leave me on the outside of his bedroom door wondering what the heck just happened.

It may be another 3.5 before I post again, but that is a little insight into the life of Trey.

Things about Trey

1. Eats most anything. Current favorites include hot dogs, sushi and rice. How a kid can eat SO much and still not gain weight is beyond me!
2. Finally learned to say (instead of sign) please this week.
3. Loves trucks and buses - points out every one he sees. Both trucks and buses are called "bus".
4. Loves his pooh and blankie.
5. Goes down without a fight, every time.
6. Is very good at stacking legos - spent an hour making beautiful towers this morning.
7. Says "GO" about 10 times a day. Does not know how to sit still.
8. Prefers being outside, even in the rain and cold.
9. Can throw fits of epic proportions.
10. Hates to get his hair cut

My boy

It has been a while since I have posted...thought I would give a quick update. We have had a great spring! Spent a week in Florida where he was spoiled rotten. Between his cousins playing with him 24x7 and his Nana loading him up on chocolate the boy was in heaven. Seriously, every time the phone rings Trey starts in with "Nana, Nana". Pretty cute!

Trey is loving hanging at the park and fighting with his cousin Tommy (same age). He takes a class once a week and the words are finally starting to flow. Finally, something beyond "NO".

I wish I had more interesting information to post. Our lives are pretty boring - in the best possible way. Lot of family time, lots of friend time. Parks. Walks. It is a whole different world for me, and I gotta say I love it. Mostly!

Happy Spring!

Trey is 2!

one year later

I cannot believe it has been year. Wow. He has come so far in 12 months. What an amazing little boy. Pictures...now and then (on Dec 12, 2007). We have had a great year and are looking forward to our first Christmas at home.

Howdy cowboy!

This picture cracked me up! We had the funniest night.

We are getting ready for bed and Trey decides he wants to wear his cowboy boots. They are the greatest things ever, but still a few sizes too big. He pulls them out occasionally but can barely walk with them yet so they usually come off quick. We ignored size tonight and put them on, he practiced walking in them then the boogy started. I was dying! He has been singing (well, making sound) and dancing tons lately and I crack up every.single.time.

For all his crabbing and pushing the limits lately (and trust me, he IS), one night of this makes it all seem ok!

And so starts the holiday season. Our first as a family. I cannot wait.

more than 50/50

I realized that Trey has now been with me longer that he wasn't. I am not sure why this feels like such a milestone, there are many others that are so much more important. But for some reason this really stands out for me. Maybe it is because he was only 2 months old when I got his referral. Maybe it is the sadness I felt for both of us for the 8 months we spent waiting to start our lives together. Maybe it is just because I am so incredibly lucky to be the mom to this kid. Whatever it is, threshold crossed!