Hong Kong Day 4 - Our Last Day!

On our last day we decided to take it easy. We had heard that the Stanley Markets was a must-see, so we hopped a taxi and headed that way. It was a beautiful day (really beautiful the entire week) and I'm always game for a little shopping. I had a few left on Christmas list and I really wanted to find something special for them. Of course, I loved looking at all the local vendors. You name it, they had it. The boys weren't as excited as I was about the shopping, so after a few stops, we headed to the Stanley Waterfront which was lined with cute little bars and restaurants. The was a neat little boathouse, the Smugglers Inn, and the Pickled Pelican were our favorites. We saw the Maritime Museum, a cool temple, got to watch a fisherman cleaning his net (which smelled a little fishy), and even stopped for a drink at the Pickled Pelican. We headed back to Kowloon to see the Hong Kong Museum of Art which was wonderful (and conveniently right in the middle of Beau's nap). Later that evening, we ventured out for some local dining. I did have flashbacks of the infamous scene in "A Christmas Story" with the ducks hanging in the window. Once again, we were pleasantly surprised by another delicious meal. Bennett loved that my fear of drinking the water resulted his getting to drink Coca-Cola which NEVER has happened and probably won't again.....he was up until 11 that night. :) After dinner, we watched the Harbor Light Show which is the largest permanant running laser light show in the world. Fletcher headed back to the ship and the boys and I headed back to our hotel to pack for our early departure back to Okinawa. Thanks Hong Kong for an amazing adventure!

Hong Kong Day 3 - Disney!

We just had to take the kids to Disneyland while on our trip. Lucky for us, we went on a weekday and had the park to ourselves. The boys couldn't wait to see Mickey Mouse. We rode the train, we rode Cinderella's Carousel, the Flying Elephants, the River Ride, saw The Lion King Festival, and the list goes on and on. I think the highlight had to be the parade. Bennett was so excited to see Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story 3. At the end of the day, we were glad we came, we saw, and we survived Hong Kong Disney! Thanks to Papa and Grammy for treating us to tickets and souveniers!

Hong Kong Day 2

Day 2 (which was really our first day to explore as a family) we decided to take the Big Bus Tour, a big double-decker tour bus that runs throughout Hong Kong Island. You can get off at several of the stops during the tour, sitesee, and then get back on. It was a beautiful day and a perfect way to see the city. We got off at Victoria's Peak and took the tram up to the top to check out the views. Gorgeous views and delicious food at the Cafe Deco. It was our first toast to being reunited as a family and I couldn't help but think "This is the life". Our friends Katie and Sean spent the day with us, so it was extra fun. By the time we hopped back on the bus, the boys were wiped out. We took a little break to go back to our hotels and freshen up and rejoined that evening for the Kowloon side of the tour. For those of you unfamiliar with Hong Kong, much like I was before this trip, Hong Kong is an island and Kowloon is a penisula. They are separated by a 10 minute ferry ride and both are wonderful to see. We hopped off the Kowloon tour at the Night Market and had dinner at a hole in the wall.....really....a hole in the wall. It was delicious AND super cheap! We had a blast looking at all the fun stuff the vendors were selling and even bought a few Christmas presents. :)

Hong Kong Day 1

Well, we did it! We made the trip to Hong Kong and survived! It was beyond amazing. I'll admit the traveling to and from was a true test of patience, but that's just the stage we're in right now with an almost 2 year old and almost 4 year old. There's just no easy way about it. So many moments I just needed about 2 more arms, but I'll say it again....we survived (and even had a good time). I took about 300 pictures, so I'll do my best not to bore you with them all. The boys and I flew out on Monday with Fletcher not getting in until Tuesday evening sometime. That left us all day Tuesday to find something to do. We wanted to get out and about, but not venture too far since we weren't sure when the guys would get off the ship. Our sweet friend, Katie, came and met us Tuesday morning. We took the ferry over to her hotel and let the boys play on the playground for a while. She was wonderful to spend the day with us while we all waited on the guys to get off. She has the kindest heart and unlimited patience.....AND the Tidwell boys are her biggest fans! They love Ms. Katie. About 7 pm in walks Fletcher and Mr. Sean. I have to say, Bennett and Beau were SO excited! Those two love, love, love their daddy and just about smothered him trying to show it.

More Thanksgiving Program Pics

I only got one of Beau because the crying began, but got a few of Bennett. Aren't the costumes funny? Not sure what the meaning is with the suits, but the teachers put a lot of time and effort into working with the kids, so we're grateful.