The Real Deal

As promised, here are the best pics from my first outdoor photo shoot of the season.

Photo Shoot Outtakes

I LOVE summertime! I know it'll soon be 80 or 90 all the time in my house because of our rather pathetic room air conditioner that we don't usually even bother running, but for now I don't care. It's staying in the 70s and I'm loving being able to dash outside without a coat! I'm loving being able to take outside pictures of Archie even more!!! During my recent photo shoot, I got some pretty cute pictures, but I wanted to share my funny "outtakes" with you first!

Who's Number One?

Hunter wanted me to compose his thoughts into a little story about this one. Remember how we taught our Computer Baby about the value of hard work? We've decided now that computer skills aren't enough. I think Archie's waiting for his number to be called for a farm job! "Please, please, Boss, pick me today!"

This is what happens to Archie after too many pictures. Don't worry, he recovered quickly!

The real pictures to come soon - Promise!

My wardrobe after pregnancy

The other day I realized my blogs are pretty much always about Archie, and I’m ok with that. However, I do occasionally have thoughts other than of my child and work so I thought I’d share a few of them. Summer has FINALLY arrived! I’ve been saying that for awhile meaning you don’t have to wear 500 layers to step outside your door, but now it’s REALLY here – short sleeves, summer skirts and everything! So, it was time for me to unpack my closet. WOW!!! I found a new wardrobe (kind of)! All my favorite summer clothes from two years ago that I couldn’t wear last year because I was pregnant! It’s like shopping without spending any money! Plus, I even have a few new tops my mother and mother-in-law sent.

In the picture, I’m sporting my favorite pink pants from before pregnancy, the new shirt my mom sent and my favorite Virginia Tech hat. Of course, I don’t have that much fun making a picture of just me so I posed with the real star who seems to always be modeling something new as fast as he is growing!

It's a day for smiles!!!

Last Wednesday was a really great day! Every few minutes, Archie was putting a smile on my face with his silly antics and baby cuteness.

While I was doing morning chores, he decided to help me with laundry by reaching into Daddy's closet (I admit I left the door open), removing the sock basket, and sorting the socks for me (aka dumping them on the floor).


Around lunch time, I took him out to visit a friend. He fell asleep in his stroller on the way back so we carried him up the four flights of stairs to our apartment like he was and let him continue his nap undisturbed.

Me-maw and Papa sent Daddy a present for his first Father's Day. I think Archie gave Daddy his own present when he - while wearing his matching Virginia Tech hat - whispered, "Daddy, I'm already a Hokie!"



I couldn't resist one more shot of cuteness as Daddy carried him up the stairs at the end of the day.

A Day at the Park

Recently, I went with some friends to our local botanical gardens (or plant zoo as we fondly call it). I had a blast although I wasn't successful in accomplishing one of my primary objectives: getting great photos of Archie. He just wasn't in the mood. Here's the best shot I snapped

I mean, why would you want to cooperate for photos when you could just stare at your feet?

This shot is pretty cute, too. Someone gave him a flower, which he loved! I just had to make sure he didn't eat it!

One of the hilarious things about the gardens is watching people take photos. People here use their cell phones to take pictures of everything. Going with my friends can be an exercise in patience when they snap an individual shot of EVERY different color flower they see! I snapped a shot of two folks photographing themselves. Around here, they don't "Say Cheese." They "Say Eggplant!"

There were also some fun things to do. I didn't try out the mini roller coaster, though.

Whoa! These bridges are crazy. They're actually quite difficult to cross to (especially the one with the swings in the second picture). If no one is behind you, the metal can bang into your feet and be painful! I REALLY didn't want to fall in because I didn't have a change of clothes and I had forgotten to take my cell phone out of my pocket. Thankfully, I didn't!


Kids loved the fishing pond, and I was pretty amused watching them catch mini goldfish. Don't think I can fry those for dinner!

Culinary Delights: Part I

One thing I love about living in Asia: the food! Prepare your palate because I will be leading us through a series on the culinary delights available here. Because some of the variety proves a bit shocking for the typical Western taste bud, I thought I'd start with something fairly tame: fruit! I love the varieties of fruit around here, and most of it is SO cheap compared to America. (Of course, in the tropical climate of my favorite place to vacation - Thailand - it's better, more varied and cheaper still!)

Shots from our local market where I buy fruits and veggies on the top floor. I think the fruit vendor was kind of honored when I told her I wanted to take pictures of her fruit to share with my friends and family in America. On the far left are delicious mangoes and a little to the right are some leeches wrapped in plastic. Archie loves the Elizabeth Melon in the basket at the top.

This is a mountain bamboo fruit. As far as I can tell, it has nothing to do with bamboo, though. It's really sweet and really good. The white part is for eating, the rest is skin and shell.

This gui yuan is a winter fruit. In my hand is from left to right is the fruit meat, the seed and the skin. It tastes like a grape only sweeter. Although it's trouble separating the fruit from the skin and seed, it's worth it!

IVs: The answer for everything!

When your nose starts running and the sneezing won't stop, what do you reach for first? The pillow, a glass of orange juice, Tylenol, an IV??? Here, they treat EVERYTHING with IVs from the common cold to diseases we would actually treat with an IV in America. Recently, Hunter had a cyst get infected. The doctor began a week of IV treatments to reduce the infection. They coupled that with a red light laser treatment that docs don't use in America. (Makes you feel comforted, right?) When a week later the cyst was larger, redder, and more painful, it was time to take action. A few days ago, Hunter had it lanced and is now going to the hospital every few days to have the dressing changed. Thankfully, he can get the IV from the nurse at our middle school, which saves a bundle of time from having to go into town to the hospital everyday. More often than not, Hunt's not the only one in the school clinic on an IV. They really like to treat colds with an IV of brown Chinese medicine that's popular throughout Asia. Does it work? Hmmm...Some people are believers, but I must admit I'm still a skeptic and won't be rushing in for one the next time I sniffle.

The front of the hospital where Hunter goes for treatment

Pictures from inside the school clinic