Beached!

Two days ago marked our 3rd anniversary in Penang.  Three years, already!?!?!  We signed up for two, and that went too fast, and there has been no slowing down with year three.  So much has happened in the last three years, it's hard to summarize, share and reflect upon.  It's been life changing, expanding, challenging, fun and the most amazing time of our lives.  As I sit here, I am full of gratitude for this experience, for the island of Penang, for the people who have come and gone, who have been my teachers, my friends and family, but most of all how I am forever changed by my time here.

The changes from this experience became evident to me during a recent trip to Thailand, where a very special day that I spent weeks planning went not so according to plan.  Here is the universe's reminder to me that best laid plans, are just plans and sometimes shit happens.

In March, my 75 year old Grandma visited us from the US for three weeks.  During her time in SE Asia, we took her to Phuket, to spend some time on a nice beach and cruise the beautiful Phagna Bay.  I hired a private boat that was able to accommodate all of our needs and keep us away from the hordes of tourists, while showing us the splendor of the Thai waters.    The days started off as planned, a nice gentle cruise through the mangroves, complete with kayaking and a gourmet lunch.

Eric took grandma on her first kayak ride and Adalyn and I hung out on the boat, drinking coconuts and snacking on fruit.  Once we were all back on board, we headed to a "deserted" beach that very few boats could go to because of the shallow coral reef surrounding the island.  Our captain assured us that with his flat bottom boat and years of sailing experience, he knew all the best spots around Phuket, so we went.  The beach didn't disappoint and it was very gratifying to give my Grandmother the experience of being on a deserted beach in Thailand.  We all hopped into the crystal blue water and enjoyed the waves and powdery sand.

We were in the water about five minutes before the captain hurried us out of the water as the tide was changing quickly and we needed to move, so we quickly boarded the boat.  Not long after we all made it back on board, we scraped a piece of coral, then we hit another, then Eric jumped out of the boat to help the captain and his girlfriend push, and then the inevitable happened...  we stopped.

We were stuck, stranded, beached.
Beached on coral, on a private boat, in Thailand.
Beached with my 75 year old grandmother.
Beached with my 11 month old daughter.
Beached until the tides shifted and the ocean came back to our boat.
Beached.

If this had happened three years ago:
I would have freaked out.
I would have yelled, screamed, swore, cried and ripped our captain a new one.
We would have been rescued.
I would have written a nasty review on every travel site and told every one I knew to never book a trip with this company.
I would have demanded and received a full refund.
I would have been a complete bitch.
I would have ruined everyone's day.

Instead this happened:

Adalyn slept

I breathed

Eric explored

We laughed

I showed the captain grace, and let his Thai girlfriend take care of the rest...

I made a memory with my Grandma that none of us will ever forget

And I did what my Mom always wanted me to do, I danced!

And you know what happened, the tide it came back, it lifted our boat and let us sail again.  We may have been beached but it was only temporary.  A short, in hindsight, six hours of my life, where I realized how much I have grown, change and shifted.

The best part of the whole day was the unobstructed sunset that we were lucky enough to see.  We were alone in the big bay, sailing back to the dock watching the sun set on a day I will remember for the rest of my life.

Adalyn: 13 Months

We spent most of Adalyn's 13th month in the United States, visiting family and friends.  This was a big month for Adi, not only did you take 11 flights, through 12 time zones, she started WALKING!  We officially have a mobile toddler.  She took her first steps at her Aunt Sandy's in Michigan and there's been no stopping her since.  She was a great traveler and really did well despite having her first ever flu/Asian plague.  She played with her grandparents, cousins, great grandma and aunts and uncles in Michigan.  Hung out with her aunt Jamie and uncle Brian in Texas and played with her auntie Jo Jo, uncle Al and Inayat in North Carolina.  It was a big month for our sweet girl.  Here are a few pictures and some videos.  Enjoy!

Look at all those teeth!

With her Great Grand and Momma

Adi's new daddy seat!

As you can see, she is very comfortable

Here she comes!

and she is so proud of herself!

Adalyn is ONE!

She made it, we made, Adalyn is ONE!  Our little girl is on the move and so much fun.  This month, Adi just can't sit still.  She is curious and into everything.  She loves to crawl and stand, and her first steps could happen at any day.  Her vocabulary continues to grow and her new favorite words this month were ten (the floor we live on) and shoes (because she gets to wear her shoes when we "go").  Her appetite is astounding.  She loves all food (well almost) and loves her international flavors as long as it's not too spicy.  She loves steamed fish and can eat half a fish herself.

To celebrate Adalyn's first year, we threw her a very big birthday party.  She had friends and "aunties" from all over the world come to her party.  All in all, we had about 40 people come to our place for Adalyn's First Fiesta.  We ate Mexican food, swam in the pool, ate cake and smashed our homemade pinata.  It was a great day.  Here are some pictures from the party and Adi's 12th month!

Pool Party -- We had some pool drama early in the week, but it all worked out!! 

Our "picnic" lunch for the kids

Her first bite of cake...

and she loved it

and shared with her momma

She really really loved it!!

Adi with her Auntie Maliga

Mommas, babies and Coronas! 

A sign of a good party, lots of shoes and strollers (prams) at the door

And then there was the Pinata, which Eric and I constructed and over engineered!

And a few more pictures from the rest of our month!

She is on the move and really can't sit still

So Much Joy...even with dish towels

Using her momma as her squatting pole

We are off to the states so we will see what milestones are in store while we are back in America!

My First Year as a Mommy

Today is Adalyn's First Birthday and it's my first year as a mom.  I'm a bag of mixed emotions today, I'm happy and sad, but mostly, I'm humbled.  This year has stretched me physically, emotionally and spiritually.  The highs have been high and the lows have been low.  The hours have flown and stood still. My relationships have grown and changed and have been challenged and reinforced.  I have been the student and the teacher.  I have been a mess and the one to keep it together.  Today, I have made it to the One Year milestone and I'm not sure if I should cry because it's over or laugh because I made it, so I plan to do both.  I will celebrate the amazing life of my precious daughter and the awesome job I have done this year.  I will celebrate the challenges and the successes and look forward to the next milestones as a mom!  Here's to year two!