Spring Fair

The PTA here really knows how to put together a shin-dig. Whether it's the Fall International Food Fair, the Winter Wonderland, or this the Spring Fair. We all had a fun morning, especially Kaleb & Noe.



It was very hot and humid out, but we found a lush little corner to have a little rest.



Gavin hung-out in his stroller for the morning, and he did pretty good. It was so bright though, that all 5 of us wore our shades for most of the time. Gavin even wore an old pair of Kaleb's that fit him well. Isn't he a cool little cutie?

Breath of fresh air at Crystal Clear Lake

We hiked for 7 hours around Crystal Clear Lake today. It was invigorating for both the mind and body. Here we are out on a little pavilion on the lake taking a little breather.



In the sunshine and the shade! These pictures were taken about a minute a part, and in that time the sun decided to sneak off behind a cloud. Len was such a trooper today and carried Gavin in the snug-sack the entire day- my hero!



The beautiful 7-story pagoda on the lake. Yes we did hike up to the very top. It was nice to look out at the city of Kaohsiung.



I had to take a picture of these because they're called the twins.



A scenic shot with the twins and the pagoda. I just want to mention here, did you notice all of the pathways that actually go out on the lake are zig-zagged? We crossed a famous nine-corner bridge as well. The reason why is because ghosts can only walk in straight lines. So if a ghost is following you onto the bridge, once you turn a corner, the ghost will fall off into the water and you are safe. I love Chinese superstitions!

Foreign Flora & Fauna

I have always called the above flower a water-lilly. This weekend I made the connection that it is also called a lotus blossom. This flower was in a beautiful pond filled with pink, white, and purple blossoms.



This flower is one I've never seen before. It is very eccentric in bold red and orange. It grows on trees and our pathway by the lake was lined with them. Many of the older blooms had fallen off and lined our path. It was a surreal and enchanting walk.



These flowers are teeny-tiny and grow on bushes all over Taiwan. My kids call them honeysuck (I think for honeysuckle). Some of their friends at school taught them how to pick them and suck the nectar out. In the spring they give off the most gorgeous peach scent.



While we were visiting the 50 foot statue there was a man cleaning out a gross looking green aquarium. In Chinese he asked us to move because he needed to dump the water. Of course we moved, we didn't want that green gunk on our feet. However, soon after this green monstrosity (although now I think he's cute) comes creaping right by our toes. Then I realized it was his home the man was cleaning out. He was quite entertaining and soon gathered a small crowd. But doesn't he look like a throw-back from the Dinosaur era?



OK, ok so this is not a real elephant. But isn't it fun to pretend that Kaleb & Noe got to go on an elephant ride?

Chinese Religion on Lotus Lake

Most Taiwanese people practice a blend of Buddhism and Taoism with Confucian influence. They also worship their ancestors and great heroes. Lotus Lake was simply remarkable with all of the different temples and shrines on it.



These dragon and tiger pagodas are the whole reason why we came to Kaohsiung. I had always seen them in Taiwanese postcards and I wanted to see them with my own eyes. As the taxi driver lets us out, Len leans over to me and says, "there's your $1,000 picture" jokingly. I am just heartbroken to see them surrounded by bamboo scaffolding as they are being renovated. However, we spent 5 hours walking around the entire circumference of the lake, and I was not disappointed after all.



This was the first temple we came to. It is a newer one and was just gorgeous. Unfortunately, it was an extremely hazy day so none of my pictures turned out very clear.



This temple was just enormous. We went inside and checked out all 3 floors of statues of different gods. They were very ornate and the people were very excited to show us their craftsmanship. One roof was covered in thousands of 4-inch high gold statues of animals and people. It was a great experience, but at the end of it I had an incense-induced headache.



This was a huge water fountain that was inside the above temple. It had many gold dragons, and the main one had glowing red eyes. This probably would have scared me as a child, but Kaleb & Noe just took it in stride. Gavin was in the snug-sack with mom so he was quite comfortable too.



This monument was just enormous. The dragon in the front was a tunnel you could walk through. It had several switchbacks, so unfortunately you can't tell how long it was from this shot.



A kind man offered to take our family picture as we were getting ready to embark inside the dragon's mouth. He also told us that it is very lucky to go inside a dragon's mouth, but not lucky to go inside a tiger's mouth. Apparently, at the previous mentioned dragon & tiger pagodas you enter the dragon's mouth and then exit the tiger's mouth, then your luck is safe. For all of you from Vegas, this is why the MGM Hotel changed it's entrance. None of the Asian people wanted to enter the Lion's mouth.



One of the twin pagodas at this monument.



The pavilion out on the water at the end of this monument. See the cute kids behind Kaleb & Noe. I took several shots and they kept trying to get in my picture. I'm glad they're in it.



Ask Len and he'll tell you I am not a fan of statues. When I first saw this statue I was terrified. He's about 50 feet high. However, as we got closer I saw that he had kind eyes, so then I wasn't scared any more. Outside of his shrine was a little coin-operated machine that had a doll that went into a house and came out with a scroll of paper. The kids really wanted to do it, so we let them each have a turn. The scroll of paper you get is apparently your fortune. It was filled with Chinese characters and numbers. There were little books attached to the machines that helped you decipher what your fortune said. We didn't decipher their's, they were just a fun little souvenir.



At the very end of the lake was this Confucius temple. It was such a contrast to the other temples. Very peaceful and quiet. We walked around all of the grounds and buildings, and recharged our batteries.



This pavilion out on a little island on the lake just looked so serene to me. I think we all find sanctuary out in the quietude of nature.

Our GRAND Hotel Stay

For Spring Break, we took the kids on the HSR (High Speed Rail) train down to Kaohsiung for a 4-day weekend. In Taipei there is a famous landmark, the Grand Hotel (which we will stay at before we move). Anyway, it has a sister hotel in Kaohsiung so that's where we decided to stay. I felt like an early colonialist discovering old China, it was really cool.


The picture on the left (is my favorite) is a side-view of the hotel and some of it's landscaping. I love how they manicure the trees to look like boxes. The picture on the right is a shot of the front. However, standing at the edge of the hotel grounds I still couldn't fit the whole building in, it is pretty big.



Chinese people are very religious and there are literally Chinese temples on almost every corner. We found this tiny one out on the hotel grounds. It is a good reminder to me to keep my faith a part of my daily life.



Some of the detailed painting on our balcony.



This shot we took from Crystal Clear Lake and it is the back view of the hotel. Now you can kind of get a feel for how big it is. I also have to mention we ate breakfast at their "Western" restaurant each morning. However, don't let the name fool you. The only thing Western about it, was that the food was served buffet style. 99% of the dishes were Eastern though. I wish I had taken pictures of some of them, but I didn't want to look like an Ugly American, so I didn't. I'll just leave you with the thought of octopus tentacles in a beautiful silver warming dish- yum!

April Fool's...it's Easter?

Next week is Easter, but that's when General Conference is being re-broadcast in Asia. So, this week our Ward is celebrating Easter. Luckily for the kids, the Easter Bunny knows about such things and brought them some treats on April Fool's Day.



Thanks Easter Bunny for the candy and toys!



What cute kids in their Easter best.

At Easter time we are especially grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ who made it possible for us to become a family forever.

There be Leprechauns here!

Luck O' the Irish, it's St. Patrick's Day! We found some leprechauns too.



And here they be- Celtic Kaleb, Noric Noe, and Gaelic Gavin.



We are LUCKY and we are BLESSED to have found them!

After the party...

...the kids opened their presents and they were definitely spoiled! Here's a shot of the aftermath. They will have lots of fun things to play with for a long time.



They then stripped down to their underwear (not sure why) and started playing with their new things. Here is Dr. Kaleb enjoying his new stethoscope and doctor kit.



Here's Noe eating some more lunch after she played with her new make-up kit (check out her fancy jewelry too). What a beauty!

We were all wiped out when we were all done, so we just watched some Disney movies and vegged for the rest of the day.

It's time to Party!

This year Kaleb & Noe had their first friends party to celebrate their birthday! Daddy & Mommy were up until 2 in the morning and then up again at 6 to get everything ready for it, but it sure was fun! 15 of their friends (& 4 parents) from school, church, and soccer joined us for the celebration. All the kids decorated party hats- sports balls for the boys and princess tiaras for the girls. We served a meter-long submarine sandwich with chips and juice boxes for lunch. Afterwards we played "pin the nose on the clown" and "pass the parcel" (which were yummy candy bars, each wrapped several times each).



After the games it was time to serve the cake and ice cream. For their first 4 birthdays I always made them their own birthday cakes. However, this year I just ordered a sheet-cake from the school's catering services, and it was fabulous- strawberry flavored. I did make them cupcakes for their class party though!



I was so busy hostessing the party that I didn't get many pictures taken. This is the closest to a group shot that I got. Kaleb and Noe, you have really nice friends and you all had a fun party together! Unfortunately, we ran out of time, so we didn't open their gifts until after the party. They shared the joy though and gave each kid a cool loot bag (if I do say so myself) to take home with them. Kaleb and Noe, I wish you many happy returns of the day!