Sunday, December 6, 2020

Back in America 2020

At the end of August we headed back to America for new visas. When we landed we were able to quarantine on a beautiful ranch in the hills outside of Austin. It was amazing. 

The kids picked up some Texan culture right away. 

The view from our front porch

We continued to do school at home with the kid's Indian school and Hindi class for the kids over zoom each morning.  

Our days were filled with lots of legos sent over by Nana. 

We had plenty of time for family games as well. 

We saw cows, horses, deer and hogs in the fields around us. It was a lot of fun. 

There was also lake access for some fishing. 

The boys caught some big fish. 

I loved the morning sunrises and long dirt paths. 

After 2 weeks of quarantine we headed over to Nana and Popa's house. The kids were excited to open up "welcome home presents".

There is a public pool in our city that we usually take a membership with in the summer but it was closed during the lockdown. The kids enjoyed our small pool behind our house but they were really excited to dive into the big pool! 

They were also so excited to spend time with their Cousin Gage. 

We loved getting out for some family golf. 

One course we went to had so many deer running across the course. 

We were very excited for our first visit to Hobby Lobby. It is one of our favorite stores and put us all in the holiday spirit. 

We celebrated my birthday in September by having a get away for just Luke and I to San Antonio. 

We went to Alamo and other historical sites. 

We enjoyed uninterrupted conversation. 

We also stayed on the Riverwalk and had some great Mexican food. 

Awesome parks is one of our favorite things to find when we are in vacation whether in Asia or America. 


We found some great boba tea spots in town. 

We also got out for some adventures like kayaking which is a family favorite.  

We went to the beach with all of Luke's side of the family. It was such a sweet week. 

Now that the kids are bigger, the beach is a ton of fun! 


We had family photos taken on the beach and love the precious pictures we were able to capture. 


We went fishing on Uncle Bobby's boat one morning. 


There was a pottery painting shop near the coat so the kids made special plates for each set of grandparents. 

There was also a pirate ship that had fun actors and activities. 


At the end of September we left the coast and went up to my parent's house on the lake to spend time with them. This is the house I grew up in and I love being able to take our kids here every time we are in America. 

We also got to spend time with special friends including my best friend from high school. It's always such a pleasure catch up with her and let our kids play together again. 

 

Saturday, December 5, 2020

August 2020

By August our life started to fall into a good rhythm and we were able to find things around town to enjoy again. The biggest excitement was when the mall opened. 


The mall was decorated in orange, green and white for Independence Day. 

The fields were also beautiful in August.. such a lush green in all directions. 

We had more friends over for playdates. 

We also got creative. Ezra has such an engineering mind. He is always building something from our trash. This day he had made a sail boat to blow across the pool. 

I pulled out my sewing machine and taught Ezra how to sew. He loved it! 
He made a "sleeping bag" out of leftover fabric for his beloved stuffed animal MeMi. 

With the kids doing school at home we would usually sit for lunch together and I would read books to them. Our favorite was the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 

We went to a friend's house and their chicken had baby chicks that the kids were able to play with. 

We started going to a fun restaurant in town one night a week and having a chocolate fondue for appetizers then eat dinner. It was a fun tradition! 

Ezra and one of his cool lego creations. 

My every morning view.. the kids working hard at school. 

Madelyn's class was asked to wear patriotic colors for Independence Day. She didn't have a green, white or orange dress so we had to get creative. 

Madelyn loves getting in the kitchen to help cook when we go to friend's homes. 

Ezra loves to sit and enjoy all the awesome food. 

Madelyn crawled into my lap one day and fell asleep. She never does this anymore so I had to take a picture. 

Our favorite spot in town opened back up.. the foot spa! For less than $10 we can get a 45 minute foot massage in a comfy chair and it is amazing! 

I took my friend for some foot massages as well. 

Madelyn cracks me up... she is a hard worker in school but she likes to move while she works. 


We found an awesome new ice cream shop in town and were fans. They made lots of unique original ice creams, shakes and popsicles. 

We love to have friends over and show them how to play games like Mario Kart. 

Madelyn worked really hard and read 100 early reader books before we left for the States. 

At the end of August we flew back to Texas for new visas. This is how Madelyn hangs in the airport. She has obviously traveled quite a bit in her few years of life. 

One last amazing meal of chicken tikka kebabs and roti. 


Our flight got delayed and we ended up having to leave at 2 am. Madelyn was a trooper and stayed up with us the whole night. Ezra fell asleep about 30 minutes before boarding. 

We landed for our layover in San Francisco after an easy but long (16 hour) flight. 
First stop...  cheeseburgers!