Cami waited so patiently for her birthday month.  She was counting down for two months!  This was the first year she was to have a ‘friend party’ AND she could get her ears pierced!  It was definitely something worth counting down to!

Cami’s party was 10 days before her birthday, due to scheduling at the local pool, where she chose to have her party.  That morning she lost one of her top front teeth . . . just in time to leave for her ballet grades!

Cami – Minus a Tooth

Along with a pool party, Cami chose a rainbow theme.  We found directions for a fun rainbow cake, which we cut into personal cakes for everyone (versus cupcakes).

Rainbow Layers

When all the little cakes were cut out, we had a lot of leftover ‘scraps’.

Instead of eating them (very tempting), we decided to try our hand at making tie-dyed cake pops.

I didn’t get a final picture of the pops after we dipped them in white chocolate and sprinkled them with sprinkles, but they turned out cute . . . and were REALLY yummy!

The girls (and Caleb) were so excited to get in the pool.  They found it hard to sit there for the instructional bit.

I was so grateful for one of the dads (and Chris) who volunteered to be in the pool with the lifeguard so the moms could just enjoy watching.

Singing Happy Birthday

Preparing to Be Dunked!

The pool reserved a part of the pool just for the kids at Cami’s party.  For older kids’ parties, they have a big inflatable toy they set up, but it wasn’t missed.  They had a great time playing with the floats and other things they threw in for them.

Cami

Hannah Meditating

Chris & Caleb

After an hour of swimming, the kids came into the party room, where they had a little tea-size meal . . . sandwiches, crisps, fruit kabobs, and veggies (with ranch dip – an American treat!).

The girls had a great time eating and talking.  I always forget that fruit is a British dessert and not served with the savoury portion of the meal.  All the British girls thought it was a treat to eat as many fruit kabobs as they wanted!  And the sandwiches?  Gone in a flash – tuna, roast beef and cheese, or ham and cheese.  I just remember my ‘friend party’ at about that age, where I sat there eating almost an entire bowlful of Skittles from the lunch table.

The cakes were a big hit – however, very sweet and big for these British kids.  My kids ate theirs in their entirety!

After opening her gifts, Cami handed out her favors to her friends.  Each received a colorful towel with a bag of goldfish (newly arrived in the UK!).

For a first ‘friend party’, Cami had a blast!  The girls were all from Cami’s dance classes and are just so gracious.  It was a fun party!

A week later, we were at the mall for some family time and surprised Cami with a trip to Claire’s to get her ears pierced.  She was very excited and not at all reserved in picking out the rainbow earrings she wanted.  For the first time in our history of getting the girls’ ears pierced, they did both ears at the same time.  Such a genius idea!

Finally, Cami’s real birthday arrived.  She was excited to open her gifts from her family.

She chose shish kabobs for her birthday meal and we celebrated with ice cream for dessert.

There is nothing pint-sized about this girl!  We love her to pieces and are so grateful for her spunky, determined personality in our family!

Happy 7th Birthday, Cami!!

Two days after returning from Singapore, Cami had a dance competition.  Without having practiced with her teacher for two weeks, Cami was a little nervous.  Add on the fact that her teacher put her in the age group division above hers (due to the fact that she was continually marked down for doing more advanced dances in her own division), Cami was a nervous wreck!

Cami went on stage and showed a lot of confidence, even though she went too fast towards the end, but she remained calm and waited out the music in her final pose.  Everything must have worked out because she placed 2nd.  She was beyond thrilled, especially since she knew that she had rushed – at least the judge didn’t know that!

Jorelle, Irina, Cami, Nicole

Two other girls from Cami’s dance class came in 1st and 3rd in their division.  Irina couldn’t have been more proud.  It was a good day for Kalinka Dance!

When we returned to Singapore from Pankil, we had one day to unwind and regroup before leaving for London.  We unpacked, did laundry, and repacked, but were content to just sit and relax, soaking up our last bit of family time.  Then there was an errand to be run that promised to be truly an authentic Singaporean experience, so Chris and I jumped at the chance to go.

We pulled into a long row of industrial warehouses, where we found the little garage called Tay Guan Heng.  Mr. Tay and his family run this factory that began as a joss stick manufacturer, 4 generations ago.  They still make joss sticks, incense sticks for religious purposes or other ritual events, but began branching out to reach more western markets, especially as more and more westerners came to live in Singapore.

Unpainted Joss Sticks

Now they make beautiful nativity sets with their own Asian feel.  Most of the nativity sets have to be custom ordered, but they come with your name and the year engraved on the back.

One of the amazing things about Tay Guan Heng’s work is that it’s all made using cinnamon tree saw dust . . . mixed with water.  Each piece of art looks like it could be heavy, but they are so lightweight.

It was fun to watch them work on orders while we were there.  No fancy equipment was used . . . everything is done by hand!  They had a wine bottle for a rolling pin . . .

. . . and a plastic knife for detailing (in addition to fingernails, scissors, popsicle sticks, pens, cookie cutters, sticks, and paper clips)!

When each piece is finished, they are put on a rack to dry in front of a fan . . .

. . . or put outside to dry in the sun.

As we wouldn’t be in Singapore in a month to pick up a custom order (and Heidi & Joseph are packing up to leave), we weren’t planning on being able to walk away with a nativity set.  However, there just so happened to be one that had been finished without a name on it, and the Tays very graciously sold it to us.

It was an amazing and insightful errand!  Hopefully, the Tays will continue this amazing work so it doesn’t become a dying art.

Taking the long trip to Singapore, we wanted to make the most of it and at least add one more country to our list.  After a long search and considering all the options, we decided on a little island in Indonesia.  When we made that decision, Heidi & Joseph thought it sounded like a fun get-away and joined us for a few days.

We were able to ‘hop‘ onto a ferry to Bintan Island, one of the bigger islands in Indonesia.  Thankfully, no one got motion-sick!

Caleb, Bella, Hannah

Leaving Port

As we arrived in Indonesia, there was such a stark contrast to what we had just left in Singapore.  Honestly, Indonesia is a country I thought I’d never visit.

Indonesian Port

Our host met us at the Indonesian port, helped us navigate our way through customs, and led us away to an awaiting bus.  We had to transverse (‘skip‘ over) this large island in order to take a boat from the opposite end.

Piles of Rubbish Floating in the Water

Once on the other side of the island, we ‘jumped‘ onto a little boat and tried to prepare ourselves for what lie ahead.

What would our island, Pankil, look like?

On the Look-out for Pankil

It was fun to try to guess which little island it could be.

Finally, our captain pointed it out . . .

Close

Closer

We had arrived at Paradise!

The Arrival

As we got off the boat, the entire staff was on the beach to greet us.  They had asked beforehand about allergies and food aversions, so they handed out freshly squeezed fruit juices, without any alcohol!

Before we could get too comfortable, we got a tour of the island.

Bags Following Close Behind

The kids were excited to see the huts we would be staying in.  One, in particular, was so much like a treehouse, that the kids just gravitated to it.  The treehouse only had one bed in it so that was an easy choice – Emma got to enjoy it for the duration of our stay!

Emma’s Treehouse View

The other huts/treehouses were all very nice and roomy . . . .

. . . with amazing views.

Of course, our outdoor bathrooms were much like glorified outhouses, but they made it feel a bit more like Gilligan’s Island.

As we continued our tour of the island, we followed our host down the main path that led from one end of the island to the other.

At the far end of the island, was a freshwater swimming pool.  We couldn’t finish the tour fast enough after that – the kids wanted to jump right in!

As we finished up the tour, we realized we could get wifi just about anywhere on the island.  Joseph decided this was the perfect holiday – phone in one hand, drink in another, and sun all around!

Days of Fun

For four days we had a great time relaxing poolside or seaside.  It was a great feeling to let the kids run and scream without worrying that they were bothering anyone.

We enjoyed huge meals, three times a day . . . seaside . . .

. . . or poolside, wherever the kids decided we would be at that moment.

There was always a branch full of bananas whenever you were hungry.

Or if you preferred sweet baked goods, those were plentiful as well.

The kids enjoyed having an open bar and helped themselves to fruit juices or chocolate milk whenever they had the urge.

Don’t forget snack time . . . twice a day!

Homemade Donuts

Fruit

Monkey Bread

Sometimes we dreaded dinner because we were still so full from everything else during the day.  We kind of chuckled as we remembered the website had said the kitchen is fully stocked and you wouldn’t go hungry.  That was definitely true!

We didn’t have any problems staying busy during our stay.  The island had an assortment of activities to choose from.

However, I would say that most of our time was spent by the pool.

Marianne

Snorkeling in the Pool

Snorkeling Children

Sea Shell Seekers

Tommy and His Lonely Head

Mt. Cousin

Kayak Fun

Hannah, Chris, Cami, Becca

John, Tommy, Joseph

Badminton

Action Shot!

One thing for certain – no matter what we did, it was just HOT!  After playing badminton for awhile, Caleb had beads of sweat over his entire face.

Beachside Frisbee

Sunset Snorkeling (Cami/Bella)

Chris & Joseph

One night the staff made a huge bonfire on the beach for us.  It was a great time to sit around and listen to some more of Joseph’s stories!

You can’t have a bonfire without having roasted marshmallows!  The staff was so nice to give us the only marshmallows they had, Haribo marshmallows.  We didn’t have sticks long enough so finally had to resign ourselves that roasted marshmallows wasn’t going to be on the menu.  Then we came upon the idea of using the beach lanterns.  Sadly, the idea was a great one, but the marshmallows were not proper marshmallows and didn’t taste very good roasted.  They ended up tasting like burnt sugar.

Roasting Marshmallows

The Scenery

Even though the island wasn’t very large, we never grew tired of the scenery.

Sea View from the Pool-end of the Island (High Tide)

Low-Tide

Beach End of Island (High Tide)

Low Tide

One morning, during low tide, we decided to go walk around the coral and see what we could find.

Another morning we took a hike across the island, staying off the main path.

We were able to find the ‘Big Buddha’ statue!

The Departure

Heidi and Joseph had to leave a day earlier than we did, so we ended up having two departures, a day apart.

It was sad to see everyone leaving, even though we knew we were going to see them the following day when we returned to Singapore.

Seeing the Benson’s Off

One more day in paradise . . . what would you do??

Emma spent a lot of time reading . . .

Caleb just relaxed . . .

and sometimes played games . . .

. . . but somehow the fun and energy had left with the Benson’s.

As the sun set on our last night on the island, the staff set up an amazing dinner just for us.  It was beautiful!

Long after dinner was over, we just sat out on the beach under the stars, talking.  It was the perfect way to end our time on the island.

In sharp contrast, no more than 16 hours later, we capped off our experience by having a full-blown thunderstorm as we prepared to leave.

Our lunch was cut short as the heavy rain leaked through the thatched roof of the hut.

We watched as the clouds came in and the rain just poured.

A sailboat anchored close to shore to try to wait it out.  It was a bit scary to see a bolt of lightning hit out on the water, no more than 200 yards away from that boat.

Maybe 10 minutes after that first lightning strike, another one hit the hut we were actually standing in.  We smelled smoke, saw sparks, the electricity shorted, and Chris felt the energy in his ankles (initially thinking he may have been hit).  It was a very intense moment with the staff running out of the hut, leaving us on our own for half an hour.  This experience really affected Hannah and she had a hard time calming down.

Hannah and Chris

After our long wait, the storm started to calm and some of the staff started to come back to our hut.  They did apologize, however, for taking so long but 2 of the girls had fainted after the lightning hit our hut and they had to take care of them.

Without much more delay, the staff had us bundled in ponchos with our bags in plastic bags, and saw us off on the boat so we wouldn’t miss our ferry back to Singapore.

We got off the island in one piece and Chris kept reminding the kids not to let the storm overshadow the rest of our time there.  The mood changed for the better, but I’m sure that had more to do with the homemade donuts the staff sent us off with, than Chris’s pep talk.

We really did have an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Life has been busy and somehow we ended up not having anything planned for the kids’ two-week Easter break.  When we finally realized it, we  jumped at the chance and booked tickets to Singapore to visit Chris’s sister, Heidi, and her family.  This was very timely as Heidi and her family are soon packing up to move to Mongolia as mission presidents for our church!

Life didn’t slow down as we prepared for our trip, and as in everything, things didn’t get done until the last minute.  We had to mail Uncle Jed’s birthday card in the airport!

Mailing Uncle Jed’s Card

The 12 hour plane ride to Singapore was very enjoyable.  Thank goodness for online movies!  We arrived at Heidi and Joseph’s in perfect time to go to bed for the night so it was a perfect situation and helped us kick jet-lag before it even started.

Joseph and Heidi were great in planning morning activities each day.  Then we’d be home in time for a quiet afternoon before the daily thunderstorms hit.

Day 1

Our first full day was spent at the Singapore Zoo.  With the change in temperature, the kids were just anxious to get to the splash pad.  Thankfully it was at the backside of the zoo, so we were able to scope out some animals on the way.

Walking Through the Zoo

White Tiger

“I’m watching YOU!”

The walk through the zoo was beautiful, in and of itself.  The colors and landscaping were beautiful!

“How close to the splash pad are we NOW?”

Finally we had arrived at the splash pad and the kids were thrilled!  Water everywhere!

To top off our morning at the zoo, we went to the elephant show.  It was a really fun show . . . and impressive how strong these guys are!

After our morning rest and the afternoon thunderstorms, we went back to the zoo for the Night Safari.

We decided to eat dinner there before the Safari opened, which proved to be the perfect way to get front row seats to the fire show.

We had a fun time on the Safari train ride to see all the nocturnal animals . . . some just walking right alongside the train!

Heading out on Safari

As we finished up our night with another zoo show, Chris was still working.  We’re not sure whether Blackberries are a blessing or a curse to enable you to work wherever you are in the world.  But it’s better having him with us on holiday rather than going without him.

Day 2

Our second morning was spent in China Town.

Even though we were already in Asia, being in China Town gave it a more Asian feeling.

Buddhist Temple

We walked by a number of temples, but the only temple we went into was the Buddhist temple.

Offering Prayers

The colors inside were amazing . . . so vibrant!

Pagoda

The rain started coming down so we took the opportunity and stopped in the market stalls to get the kids’ souvenirs.

Market Shopping

Bella and Hannah were so excited to find the Singapore Airlines dresses in the market.  These quickly became their Easter dresses . . . and prompted some fun airline role-playing.

Bella & Hannah

We had lunch in the city at a popular hawker centre, Lau Pa Sat – the oldest hawker centre in Singapore (it has been there since 1894).

Lunch in the Business District

I was a little nervous that the kids wouldn’t be too keen on it, especially some of our picky kids (AKA Emma).  But, Emma was thrilled with her chosen food!

Since there had been an early rainstorm during the day, the air was very humid and the kids had a hard time not melting.  After lunch, they seemed ‘done’ for the day.

Hannah, Bella, & Cami

Of course, being ‘done’ just meant the continual walking and touring.  As soon as we were back at the house, the kids were ready for the park.  Very conveniently, the American School is right behind the Benson’s house so it was a quick walk to the playground.

American School in Singapore

Ruling the Soccer Field

Day 3

On Thursday morning, we journeyed out to the Botanical Gardens.  The goal was to picnic by the Swan Lake.

Swan Lake

The grounds were beautiful and it was so big with a lot to explore.  It was really hot that day so any shade or water was what the kids sought after, making our picnic the one event before searching out some kid-friendly play.

Chris under the Waterfall

Thankfully, the children’s section of the Botanical Gardens is fully equipped with a splash pad!

Caleb

It was a great day out!

That night we went out — just the adults.  It was fun to go into the city and eat by the water’s edge.  It’s always nice to be with people who know what food is the best to order so you are ensured to like it . . . and of course the conversation is always great!

Heidi, Joseph, Chris, Becca

Day 4

On Good Friday, we tried to get out AND miss the crowds on a holiday.  We thought the best place to do that was on a hike.  However, a lot of people had the same idea as we ventured out on the Tree Top Trail.

Preparing for our Adventure

Right from the beginning we spied some curious creatures in the trees.  Many had babies attached to them and didn’t seem too shy of all the people.

Monkeys

The trail wasn’t the easiest trail, but the kids did a great job.

The reward was definitely getting to the bridge to walk through the tree tops.  Thank goodness no one had any serious height issues.

The Stephensons

The Bensons

Supposedly, on a clear day you can see all the way to Malaysia.  Even with the pollution fogging the sky, we were still able to get a neat view.

The View

The hardest thing about reaching your goal of a hike at the half-way point is having to come back down.  We were all hot and tired and had to take a few breaks, but we played some games to keep us motivated and no one had to be carried.  We were also able to see some interesting creatures on our way back down.

Creepy Crawly

This snake was just slithering on the side of the trail, taking its time.  We didn’t think much of it as it was so skinny and small, but after a quick internet search, we found it was a Blue Coral Snake, the deadliest snake in Singapore!  I’m glad we didn’t have any snake enthusiasts in our group who were inclined to pick it up!

Blue Coral Snake

Then as we were exiting the trail and making our way to the car, a large monitor lizard made its way through the grass.  The bird beside it kept trying to attack the lizard and we had quite a show!

Monitor Lizard

Day 5

Saturday was a busy day – full of lots of fun from the moment the kids woke up.  The Bensons get up EaRlY!!  So you can imagine what torture it was for them to find this note first thing in the morning . . .

Thankfully no eggs disappeared and the kids had a great Easter egg hunt together.  Thankfully the Easter bunny does things quite similar at the Bensons that he does at our house (egg hunt then a scavenger hunt for each child to find their gifts/candy) so no questions were asked, but much fun was had!

After the Hunt

Our big outing for the day was going to Marina Bay Sands to see the amazing hotel architecture there.

You can pay to go up to the top to see the view and the amazing infinity pool, but when we saw how much it was per person, we opted to take a picture.

We were there!

Plan B ended up being an amazing Lego exhibit at the art museum.  This ended up being the favorite event of the day for most of the kids.

Lego Works of Art

Since Legos is such a universal toy, this exhibit captivated everyone.  All of the pieces were amazing and it was great to learn more about the master-mind behind them.

The Thinking Man . . . Recreated

In one of the rooms, there was a great place to make your own shadow art.  It was a lot of fun!

John T.

Cool Caleb

Sassy Cami

Calm Bella

Cami & Chris

After the museum, we walked out to get a view of the Merlion, Singapore’s mascot.

Merlion

Blonde Cousins

Our afternoon activity was decorating Easter eggs.

The kids never asked why we were dying eggs even after we had already had our big hunt.  Maybe they thought deviled eggs taste better when their shells have been colored!

The kids were still keen on their afternoon trip to the school park so the dads ventured out again with them.  Soon after, we heard the thunderstorm roll in, but the the troops never returned.  They decided to stay out and play, staying under the school overhang when the lightning warning lights were on.

Wet . . . and Happy

Even after coming back, the kids were happy to dance around in the street and enjoy the rain.

Of course, it was the dads who got stuck carrying everything back as they tried to stay dry.

Day 6

We had a great day at church with Heidi and Joseph, hearing them speak in Sacrament meeting.  They are going to be amazing in Mongolia!  The cousins had a great time being together in church as well.

At home, the kids had some great quite time activities to keep them busy.

Girls Painting

Boys Doing Lego Kits

Then after a delicious Easter meal, we capped off the day celebrating Marianne’s 2nd birthday.

Happy Birthday, Marianne!

It was a lot of fun being able to celebrate a birthday with family.  There seemed to be a theme for her birthday this year . . . and the crown we gave her fit in with her other dress-up supplies.

Stay tuned for part 2 of our adventures in Asia . . . .

Royal Opera House

This week we had the chance to take a homeschooling field trip!  With the two other girls in school, we haven’t done as many fieldtrips as we have in the past.  But, when a group of women from church were going to check out the Royal Opera for a free lunch time concert, I thought it was the perfect field trip!

Cami has been insisting for the last year or so that she wants to be an opera singer when she grows up.  I thought this would be a great time for her to see what that really entails.  Sadly, with it being a lunch-time concert, it was in a long hall, rather than having a stage.  Our group didn’t come with our tickets until close to the start-time so our seats were in the back of the room.  I was so sad that we weren’t able to see the instruments and experience it up-close and personal . . . for the kids.

Both Caleb and Cami found it boring and long, but I loved sitting there listening to the music.  Maybe sometime we’ll have to do it again . . and sit closer.

Cami did enjoy walking around to see the different costumes from various operas and ballets.  This tutu was her favorite!

Russian Festival in Trafalgar Square

The girls’ ballet teacher is Russian, so their dance group is asked to perform at many Russian events.  It just so happens that once a year they get asked to dance in Trafalgar Square, but it usually falls on a Sunday so the girls can’t attend.  This year, it was on a Saturday.  The girls were excited about having this fun experience, until they woke up to freezing cold weather and lots of rain.

But, the show must go on . . .

When Chris arrived at the Square with the girls, it seemed practically empty.

But, as soon as the songs and dances started, people came from all sides of the Square to the main stage.

Hannah and Cami did well in their dance, as the only Americans (actually, the only ones with no Russian background).

Hannah even made it onto the big screen!

In the finale, all the performers came out and sang a song in Russian . . . guess which two of the group just bounced along to the music, not understanding any of it . . .

We knew London was full of diversity and culture, but we never thought we’d get so much Russian culture!  Funny enough, after 3 years with this dance teacher, the girls still don’t know any Russian words.

Since I feel like I’m celebrating 36 for the second time, it’s only appropriate that there be 2 celebrations, right?!  This weekend was Chris’s gift to me for my birthday . . . a get-away for the two of us to a hotel/spa just 30 minutes away from our home.

Our room was in an area of the hotel that used to be the stables of the estate.  For being relegated to the ‘stables’ our room was very comfortable and was called the Wellingtonia.  That cute little bear was the hotel’s version of a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.  So cute!

I was amazed that there was a television (along with a phone) right next to the bathtub.  If we were there for longer than 12 hours, we may have tried that television out.  I’m sure if the kids had been with us, they would have sat in there for hours.

The Passageway

The hotel had a definite charm of its own.

Entryroom Fire

Foyer Entryway

If the weather had been nicer, it would have been nice to explore the grounds a bit more, but it was cold and rainy so we just opted for a short walk around the close proximity of the buildings.

The Secret Garden

Cottages

Outdoor Spa Area

After a restful night’s sleep, we got up for a bite of breakfast and then decided to hit the gym.  Chris and I have both been on this workout kick since my birthday so the gym was actually something we were really excited about.  But, this gym was not like a normal hotel gym; this was more like I imagine a country club is like.

The Women’s Locker Room

We had a great time in the gym, doing our various workouts and enjoying the fruit they had laid out in various areas.  (I did not want to have a repeat of my first time at our local gym with a one-on-one with the staff – I had to run out early before I lost my dinner from the night before . . . I hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning – a mistake I won’t be repeating anytime soon.)

Chris on the Rowing Machine

After our relaxing workout at the gym, we walked around the rest of the facilities to see what they offered.  The pool area was beautiful and seemed very tranquil, but we aren’t big swimmers and didn’t want to sit poolside reading.

Pool Area

Instead, we showered and then headed to our appointment for a couples massage.

Pre-Massage

The last time we tried to have a couples massage was not a very relaxing experience because I couldn’t stop laughing through the whole thing.  It was just hard to relax when Chris was in the room.  This time was different, we had an aromatherapy massage so they asked each of us how we wanted to feel afterward.  We both chose ‘balanced’, rather than ‘relaxed’, etc.  Then they had us choose an aroma that matched up with that.  I did feel ‘balanced’ afterward and really felt rejuvenated.  Just in time to head home . . . back to normal life.

We arrived home to find the kids having a great time with our friends who were so great to stay with them for the 24 hours we were away.

Pit Marathon

It really was a relaxing way to start off my 36th year . . . again.  Here’s to a healthier, stronger, relaxing, and happier year!

It is no secret that Caleb dislikes competitions.  If they came around more often and involved more of the team, he may think differently about them.  But, because they happen so infrequently, there is quite a build-up for each one, which goes hand in hand with Caleb’s stress level.  He was happy to learn that he would have 3 others from his team with him at the English Championships.

Parallel Bars

The one bummer about getting all built up for this competition is that Caleb can only compete as a ‘guest’ because he doesn’t have a British passport.  It’s a good event to attend for the experience, but the intensity of the event still gets to him.

High Bar

Caleb was looking very strong during his warm-ups, but then he landed wrong on his floor warm-up and hurt his ankle.  Apparently the physio said his muscles haven’t caught up with his bone-growth and it’s pulling/pinching as soon as it is aggravated.  So, Caleb went through the entire competition with his ankle wrapped and continual applications of an ice pack.

Pommel Horse

There is something to be said for athletes who work through their pain and still try to get the job done that they have trained for.  It was neat to watch all the gymnasts and their perseverance.

Caleb & His Coach, Evgeni

As the competition was coming to a close, the senior gymnasts started coming in for their own training in preparation for their competition the following day.  We spied some members of the British Men’s Gymnastics Olympic Team.

Max Whitlock

Daniel Purvis

Once we got the print-off of everyone’s scores, we saw that Caleb would have come in 2nd place on Parallel Bars, 4th place for Vault, and 5th place for High Bar.  Pretty good for being injured – way to go, Caleb!

Caleb’s next known competition is his Elite Grades in November.  He took first last year, and will be able to try to place again this year.  It’s nice to see them get some recognition for all their hard work.

One of the sad things about getting old, is that I can never remember how old I am.  All year I’ve been thinking I was 36, and come to find out I was only 35!  I guess I should start subtracting my birth year by the current year to constantly check my age!  Anyway, I feel like I’ve been given another chance at being 36 years old.

My day was pretty low-key.  I got to enjoy my role as mother and teacher.  Caleb, Cami, and I did our normal homeschool routine and then I answered a phone call from the school to find I needed to pick Emma up from school, as she was sick to her stomach.  Once I got back from that, the day was almost over.

I did have one thing I wanted to do for my birthday – sign up for a gym membership.  I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time, but never seemed to have the motivation to do anything about it.  I finally decided my birthday was my new ‘New Year’ and that was my resolution.  I was making it happen.  So, here’s to a new year of being strong and healthy . . . my gift to myself.

Roses from a Sweet Friend

Chris tried to come home early from work, but the tube was down so he ended up getting home late, but insisted on still trying to make dinner.  Once dinner was simmering, he rushed off to pick up Caleb from gymnastics so we could celebrate.  A late dismissal from that and we were all at the dinner table at 9:00 p.m.

Hannah’s Fruit Creation for Dinner

There’s nothing like starting to celebrate your birthday once it’s almost over, but it is a birthday that we will finish celebrating next weekend.  Chris is so wonderful to give me little retreats now and then.  Last year he gave me a trip to Iceland, and this year we are taking a night away at a hotel and spa.

Of course, I’ll be taking my workout clothes, because it’s a new year . . . and a new me!