Living It Up

So what have these two been up to the last few weeks?

They've been having all kind of adventures...in America! For the second year in a row, the grandparents talked us into letting Lee Anna and Sawyer make the trip back to the states to spend some quality time with Mimi, Papaw, G.G., Grandpa, and of course Jesse the dog, and have some good, summer fun, American-style!

 Sawyer and Papaw got bumped up to first class for their last leg of the trip to Florida!

Apparently they thought the 3 at the end of the movie title meant they were supposed to go see it that many times!

 By their third time seeing it, I bet they could have almost joined the cast!

They played putt putt for the first time and totally loved it! Lee Anna even got a hole in one! When they finished the course, she begged to do it again, and then said, "Well, can we at least just walk through and look at all the holes again?" 

They also spent lots of quality time in the water--in the pool, at the beach, and on the river!

And they've had all kinds of other adventures that I don't have pictures of, including a fishing trip where both kids actually caught fish! We're glad they've had so much fun, but we're ready to have them back under our roof again. When I told Sarah Claire they would be back soon, she said, "Yaaaaay! And I will hug them!" I'm sure there will be lots of hugs all around tomorrow night. Come see us, guys!

Out on the Town

A few nights ago, we ate dinner out and took a little after-dinner walk. Here are a few pics I took while we were out...

It's that time of year again. In less than two weeks, most of the folks in this part of the world will begin fasting from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. Several weeks before Ramadan, these little lantern shops start popping up all over the city. The folks in our country use them to decorate for the month, usually hanging them outside their flat or at the entrance to their building, although you can also buy a mini lantern on a keychain, or one as large as a small automobile.

Sarah Claire befriended this donkey on our walk. She really wanted to pet and hug him, but thankfully was content to have her picture taken with him.

Speaking of hugging, she has also gotten into the habit of stopping to hug most of the trees we pass. I'm not sure where this comes from, but I am sure that it makes for a dirty little girl by the time we get back home. 

And check out my fancy new shades! They were purchased on the same walk. We passed by the entrance to the metro (our subway) station, where there is always an amusing assortment of goods for sale on the street. That night we saw fruits, vegetables, sunglasses, Ramadan lanterns, shoes, shorts, t-shirts, kitchen bowls, pots & pans, blenders and other small appliances, and popcorn. We resisted most everything, but I did come away with this high quality pair of sunglasses. They may resemble a brand you've seen before, but if you look closely, you'll see that they are quite unique! 

You may be wondering where our older two munchkins have been lately. Well, they've been off having adventures without us for the past few weeks. I'll post more about what they've been up to soon!

Patience Pays Off

So this year's Fourth of July post turned out pretty cute. Here it is if you missed it. However, what you may not know is that that post was a whole year in the making. Last year, on Independence Day 2011, I came up with the idea for the "Happy Fourth" photos, and tried valiantly to get those two successful shots. But it was not to be. Unfortunately, the photos came closer to wishing you a  "Scrunchy Third" than a "Happy Fourth." Take a quick scroll through the pics below, and I think you'll see why I chose to forego the 4th of July post last year. 

What a difference a year makes!

A Special Holiday Message from Sarah Claire

Get it? 

We hope you had a great Independence Day!

Don't Try This at Home

Imagine my surprise when I found this view outside our front window this morning! Nevermind the fact that we're on the third floor. The A/C in the flat next door to us needed to be worked on, so this guy just crawled out the window and had a seat on top of it for a while. He had a lot more confidence in whatever was holding that A/C up than I would have! A few minutes later, he crawled back inside, and another guy climbed out and did the same thing.

I've never considered air conditioner installation a particularly perilous job...until today. Thankfully, all of them made it safely back inside without incident.