Our Many Blessings of 2012

2012 has passed and I wanted to wrap up on the many wonderful blessings for which we are so thankful for during our first year of living in Malaysia.

In May we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary with nine days in Japan. Springtime boasts the short lived cherry blossoms, but thankfully we were able to see them before they withered away until the next season. Sushi was some of the freshest we have ever tasted and the people were friendly and hospitable. Definitely at the top of the list for must see places to visit for anyone that has a chance to make it to Asia.

In June, my Mom came to visit and together we traveled to Phuket, Thailand and relaxed on the beautiful beaches of Patong while dining on local favorites foods and drinks at night. 

Kaes’ parents came to visit us in August and together we traveled to Laos to see Buddhist temples, eat fresh local food, and enjoy the beautiful sunset across the Mekong River.

In November, we traveled to Boracay, Philippines with our friends, Kelly and Alex, who live here in KL and are also from Houston. The powder white beaches, clear blue water, and friendly locals really made it a wonderful relaxing getaway from the hustle and bustle of KL. Kaes and I visited Boracay in January during Chinese New Year and loved it so much we wanted to come back knew Kelly and Alex would share the same love that Boracay has to offer.

December we were fortunate enough to go home to spend Christmas with family. Last year we spent Christmas in KL as we had just been home in October. The holiday season is never the same without the one near and dear to your heart to spend the best time of year. 

It has been an incredible year full of adventures and we hope to create many more memories in 2013. May the New Year bring you joy, love, and happiness throughout the year and always.

Happy New Year from Kuala Lumpur!!!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and very Happy New Year!!!

Our Christmas was spent anxiously awaiting the completion of work on our new house in KL. Christmas day was pretty quiet and we missed being home with family and friends, but were invited to spend Christmas dinner with some friends. Traditional dinner of turkey, ham, green bean casserole, dressing, and more desserts than you can imagine, made the day seem like we were at home.

After moving to KL almost two months earlier, we finally got to move in! The movers delivered and help unload all of our goods, and the feeling of sleeping back in our own bed was indescribable. Oh how we had missed it so much!

The pups were excited to explore their new yard and Jaek couldn't wait to jump into the refreshing pool to cool off. He loves to swim!

I have been travelling for the past 6 weeks to Singapore during the week and come home on the weekends. I have to say I am definitely ready to finally stay home and enjoy our home (as well as finish organizing and unpacking the rest of the boxes!!!) The house is in livable order, but needs a bit more attention in the office area and bedrooms. Unfortunately, our office desk top (made of glass) was shattered in the move, so we are waiting until a new desk comes in. Hopefully we will be able to get the office all sorted and looking more organized after, but for now, our makeshift desk will have to do.

Below are a few pictures (minus the photos of unfinished rooms) of the kitchen, dining, living room, lounge, and pool area.

The lounge area looking out to the patio and pool

The dining room looking out to the outdoor breakfast area and kitchen

The dry kitchen area

One of our first priorities to get the BBQ pit, smoker, patio furniture and pool area ready to have a pool party. We both worked very hard and were able to celebrate New Year's Day smoking some delicious pork ribs and grilling on the BBQ while sitting by the pool with friends. It was a great way to start out the New Year.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!!! xoxo

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Kaes and I are so thankful to have family able to join us over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Being away from home can make you miss family more than you know. Luckily, Mom and Mawmaw came to spend the holidays with us and it was such a beautiful time of year for them to visit. I was grateful they were able to come and see where we live and the beautiful scenery around Perth.

The week started off with walking along the trails through King's Park. We walked the Lotterywest Federation Walkway that is elevated 170 feet in the air and boasts exhilarating views of the Swan and Canning Rivers, local indigenous culture and the diversity of Western Australian flora.

A few visits to Mosman Beach, also known to be a local dog beach to take Jaek and Chloe to see some fellow friends. The water was crystal blue and the sand white as snow. They love trips to the beach and with all the running and swimming, are exhausted by the end of the day.

Swan Valley is also another popular spot to show tourists when they come to visit Perth. It is about 30 mins northeast of the city and known for the Caversham Wildlife Park and Swan Valley wine region. Mawmaw was so excited to see some "real" kangaroos and loved they they came right up to her and she could even feed them. After Caversham, we had a nice lunch at Cape Lavender in Swan Valley.

Christmas morning we opened presents and had a full feast for lunch. Jaek and Chloe love Christmas morning and are thrilled to see what Santa brought them!

December is summertime and quite hot in Perth, so we decided to take a trip out to Rottnest (Rotto) Island to spend the day. Rotto is an island off the west coast and takes about 30 min by boat to get there. The island is absolutely breathtaking with beautiful clear water and pristine beaches.

A Quokka {marsupial found only on Rotto and a few other places in the world}

To wrap up the last few days in Perth, we took a day trip to Margaret River which is a wine region south about 3 hours. Wine tasting is always a must when visiting Margaret River, along with the trying to catch a glimpse of the native kangaroos. For lunch we stopped into Providore known for its fresh herb and vegetable garden grown right outside the restaurant. I love to sample all of their delectable jellies, sauces, and chutneys. Their spices are so fragrant and I always end up bringing a few packets home with me! We then decided to head further south down to Augusta where the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse looks out between where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet.

I can't explain enough how memorable it was to have not only my Mother, but my 85-year old grandmother come to see where we live. I hope she had a wonderful time visiting Australia and enjoying the land down under!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I know this is a little late, but just wanted to post a few pictures from our trip home to Houston. Before we got to Houston, we stopped in Denver, Colorado to see Kaes' brother Richard and the family. I had not met Ashley, Matt and the boys, so it was really great to finally put a face with the name. The weather in Denver was chilly, but we missed the snow storm that happened a week before. The few days were nice to catch up and see everyone.

We finally got to Houston on December 15th. It was a dreary day, but felt great to be home. Dirk picked up Kaes and I took the rental car to go see my parents. Kaes and I try to "divide and conquer" while we are home to see as many friends and family as possible since we are always on a time crunch. We were both pretty successful with seeing everyone except for a few, but overall, had a great time visiting friends and family.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!!!