Our Trip

Well the drive went okay. The first leg of our trip Layla cried two of the three hour drive because she didn't want to be in the car seat. Half way through the drive John was seriously considering buying Layla and I a plane ticket to fly on the way back home so we all wouldn't have to endure the screaming. However, day two of our trip was much better and we had renewed hope that she would get more used to the car seat. We have really enjoyed being in this beautiful city. We have enjoyed catching up with old friends and seeing the beautiful mountains. I have loved showing my parents around and they have been great about keeping Layla while I was in meetings. I am so thankful my parents were able to see some different cities while they were here visiting. 

This is our version of a potty break because there are no rest stops along the way. You pull over on the side of the road and hope your kids don't fall off the side of the mountain while you take them potty!

Mountain Peacefulness

This summer our friends Josh and Danielle were in America. They were so kind to offer us their car for the summer. So right before they left John went and got his drivers licenses. Which is actually not very easy since the translation into English on the test is horrible. We have enjoyed having their car for the summer. It has been nice not to rely on public transportation so much. One of the highlights of the summer for me has been the mountains. The past two Sundays we have loaded up the kids in the afternoon and driven up the mountain for a little hike. The kids have loved it and I have too. It is so peaceful up there and so quiet. When you live in a city of 4 million people ( maybe more) it isn't very quiet around here. We are so thankful we had a car to be able to enjoy some peacefulness for a while. Below are some pictures of the two times we have gone hiking.

You can really see the vastness of the city.

Not really sure what Zeb is looking at on the trail.

West Mountain

I have lived here for 6 years and never been to West Mountain. I think some of the times when people were going I was too pregnant to do the hike. Then last year when my sister Hayley and her husband Charlie were here, we planned to go till Zeb got sick that morning and we had to cancel. So this time when we planned to take my parents I was really excited and a little on edge that something else might come up to keep me from going again. The West Mountain was as new to me as it was to my parents. We had a wonderful time. We rode a chair lift to the top and then hiked our way back down the side of the mountain. I wasn't sure how my mom was going to take the chair lift but she survived. At times my children became as much the attraction as the mountain they came to see. The view was amazing and beautiful. I was so glad that I finally got to go!

At points in the hike there were tunnels dug out of the mountain for us to go through.

A view of our city from the top.

Family Visit Day # 6- A Bust!

Today we woke up with plans to go to the West Mountain. I have actually never been there so I was really excited to go and see it for the first time myself. However, when we woke up Zeb was sick so we had to cancel our plans. After a doctor came to visit we were still able to go down town to eat lunch and to see the sites. That afternoon we headed to Walmart so they could experience shopping in China. They were pretty overwhelmed! After the kids went to bed, Charlie was kind and let Hayley and I go out to get pedicures. It turned out to be a nice day despite our cancelled trip to the mountains.

Our counter tops in China are really low to the ground so Charlie thought it was best to wash dishes on his knees!

Thailand Trip Days 2 and 3

Not much happened our first day in Thailand. We spent most of the day at the hospital getting check ups done for the whole family. It mostly consisted of crying kids since they were recovering from all the hard traveling the day before. We put them to bed early that night and all the adults enjoyed a nice dinner from our favorite Mexican restaurant in Chaing Mai.

Day 3 of our trip was much more fun and eventful. We had well rested kids which made the day much more bearable. We rented a car for the week so we headed up the mountain in the car for a drive to see the sites. After lunch, naps, and a wonderful, long awaited haircut by me we took the Rupps to the Juniper Tree to show them where they would be living while they have their baby in Chaing Mai this summer. John and I lived there while we had Zeb and loved it. We would recommend it to anyone. Below are some great pictures from the day.

Here are Kayleigh and Bright at a overlook that we stopped at in the mountains.

Kayleigh on her favorite swing at the Juniper Tree. When we were there to have Zeb she basically wanted to swing night and day. She even chose to swing over going to the pool. I wish we could find a swing around here.