Adalyn Is 2

We definitely did not miss this giant milestone in our little girl's life!  Adalyn celebrated her 2nd Birthday three different times in three different locations.  We had a pool party for her before we left Penang, a family party in Michigan and a small celebration for her at our new (temporary) apartment in Austin.  She was thoroughly spoiled and loved on for her birthday celebrations.

It's been a few months since an update on Adi but she continues to be an overall easy going little girl.  She is headed into her toddler years with big emotions and little reasoning but we love her all the way through her meltdowns.  She continues to be a chatty Cathy, talking in complete sentences and repeating almost anything that you say.  She is still super tall and skinny, a gene that she has not inherited from me, lucky thing.  Adi loves to swim and got a much anticipated pair of goggles for her birthday so she can see when she goes under water.  She also loves to read books, so much so that she is able to "read" her favorite 8-10 books verbatim with us.

As she enters her third year of life, things will be different for her.  She not only survived the move from Penang to Austin but showed me how to do it gracefully and happily.  She honestly was not phased by the pack up and move out of our home and the two full weeks of travel and living out of our suitcases.  As long as she was with her family, she was happy.  A life lesson for me.   And to complete an early start to travel, Adalyn has 34 stamps in her passport.  I hope she continues to be as flexible, easy going and well traveled in her upcoming stateside adventures.

Adi's Pool Party 

 

Complete with a Hello Kitty cake

Having way too much fun with her friends

Adi's Michigan Birthday celebration

One more celebration in Texas

Our Last Malaysian Vacation

On our last long weekend in Malaysia, and two days before the movers, we packed our suitcases and headed back to the Rasa Ria Shangri-La in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, where we spent four glorious days relaxing, reflecting and being together.  Although this vacation marked the end of our amazing Malaysian adventure, it was one of the best travel decisions we made.  It forced us to plan our packing and sorting and then took us away from home and gave us time to relax and enjoy our last precious days in Malaysia.  To say we had a great time would be an understatement.  We had an awesome time.  Our days consisted of walking the beach, swimming in the pool, long afternoon naps, playing on our patio, watching big and long sunsets and eating delicious food.  It was perfect and just what we needed before the big move.  We both highly recommend planning a last minute trip before an international move, it was just what we needed! Here are some pictures.  Enjoy!

Eric assuming his vacation position

Our amazing patio that walked out to the pool

And when the sun got too strong, we just moved our little party to our outside bathtub 

The sun setting on a perfect day

Ocean playtime, which was followed by pool time

We reached a travel milestone with Adi, she was able to "relax and chill" in her pool chair for an hour.  It was awesome!

And then there was this pool...

made even better with this little cutie in it

Still swimming but taking a break from the sun

A beautiful and special double rainbow on our way to watch the sunset

Daddy and Adi watching the rainbow

Our last Malaysian beach sunset did not disappoint

Our last beach sunset pulled out all the stops.  There were tears of sadness, joy, gratitude and for the unknown.  I know there is a pot of gold and the end of this rainbow, I just have to keep looking for it.

What a journey and adventure the last 4 years has been for us.  And just because we are leaving Malaysia, it does not mean that our adventure is over.  There is so much more to come.  We just have to wait and see what happens next.  

A Baby Shower for our Baby Boy

These lovely ladies helped me celebrate the upcoming August arrival of our little baby boy.  Thanks to my friend Sharon, we had a wonderful morning together.  This was a bitter sweet time for me to have so much happiness surrounding another new baby but also a time for goodbyes as many of my friends were away on holiday as we left Penang.  I can say that all of these ladies have made my time in Penang so wonderful.  All of them have played an important role helping me make my transition to motherhood and for that I am forever grateful.  Here are a few pictures of our fun morning together.

The cutest fruit platter in town, thank you Sharon!

Hannah was very excited about the baby in my tummy

Thank you for the beautiful quilt Sue!

And no party is complete without a cake and a picture of my baby bump

Thanks again Sharon!  You nailed it! 

Changes Are A Comin'

I have been stalling on writing this posting...stalling!  I've been quiet on the blog, quiet on facebook and laying pretty low around Penang.  But the time has come, I'm on a big heavy train and it's moving, really, really, fast.  I can't stop it and I can't jump off of it, so I'm trying to sit back and enjoy the rest of the ride.

I'm sad to report, but our nearly four years in Penang is coming to a fast and rather unexpected end.  We are headed back to Austin, TX on May 13.  Eric's company unexpectedly pulled in our contract from December to July. Because we are expecting baby #2 August 6th, we have to leave before I'm too too pregnant to travel.  To say that I am shocked would be an understatement.  I have had almost three months to process this move and I have just recently been able to accept that this is happening.  It's a bittersweet transition for us but it's part of our greater JennEric adventure.  

Eric, Adi and I are really focused on enjoying our last few weeks in this magical place that we have been lucky enough to call home.  We are eating out, spending time with friends, swimming in our pool, walking in the gardens, drinking fresh coconuts, learning how to cook local food, and enjoying being together.  Stay tuned as our adventure continues.

New Zealand: Mt. Cook

Our last major stop on our South Island adventure was Mt. Cook National Park.  We splurged and rented a chalet at the famous Hermitage hotel so we could enjoy the beautiful surroundings at our own pace.  Mt. Cook was the highlight of our trip.  Not only was the scenery absolutely stunning, but we were able to do three incredible day hikes that we all really enjoyed.  These pictures are beautiful and do some justice but the real deal is so much more beautiful.  

We arrived late afternoon and decided to do a quick hike up to Kea Point to view the Mueller glacier.  The weather was perfect for hiking, pants and a light coat, sun shinning and Adi in her backpack, pure bliss.  Soon after we departed the winds picked up and the clouds blew in. We were able to enjoy the view of the glaciers for a few minutes before hightailing it back to the car before the rain started.  All in all, a great hike, we were cold but happy when we made it back to our room.

The next morning, the clouds had yet to clear and it was cold!  We decided to bundle up and take off on the famous Hooker Valley Hike.  Adi was decked out in her cutest winter gear, complete with boots and fleece lined pants, we were determined to not freeze.

Cuteness overload! 

Once we got moving, this hike was phenomenal!  We crossed two swinging bridges and watched as the clouds lifted and Mt. Cook presented herself.  It was a magical morning.

Hooker Vallet and Mt. Cook in the distance

Before turning back, we stopped for a snack and some playtime for Adi, who was a trooper in the backpack for the 3.5 hour hike.  How many 21 month olds get to do this?  Seriously, this kid is lucky!

Adi enjoyed the hike so much that she took her nap in the backpack, which gave Eric and I a rare opportunity to have a "date" lunch of ham sandwiches and chips.  She slept like that for a good 30 minutes.

After lunch, we headed for the Tasmin Glacier.  The sun had come out and it was nice and warm.  A steep hike up to the viewpoint and we were amazed at the size of the retreating glacier in the distance.

There is a small boat on the lake..that's how big the scale of the glacier is

Our happy little hiker

The drive in and out of Mt. Cook is amazing, along an almost neon blue glacial lake.  Gorgeous!