It's Official - We are {FINALLY} Moving!!!

Next stop....Calgary!!!

4 hours flying time from Houston to Calgary

We are so excited to finally be able to say we will be relocating to Calgary, Alberta, Canada this summer!!! I have waited {very} patiently for the day to finally come to say we can move out of Malaysia!!!

I firmly believe we will be in for a rude awakening with the very cold winters in Calgary as well as the cold temperatures throughout the year, but it could always be worse...it will definitely take some getting used to since we have lived in either Houston or the tropics our whole lives! Jaek and Chloe won't know what to think!!!

Kaes will have a new assignment in Calgary for 2-3 years initially. FMC Technologies bought a company called Pure Energy (now FMC Completions Services) and it is currently based in Calgary with U.S. headquarters in Denver. We are open to whatever timing is needed; just thrilled to be much closer to friends and family.

I'm planning to come back to Houston mid June while Kaes stays longer in KL to finish up his current assignment then come to Houston mid August. We would then go to Calgary to move into our house, hopefully receive our furniture, and start getting settled in. This also happens to be the most beautiful {and warmest} time of year. It will be perfect for us to ease into the frigid temperatures in winter. Kaes will likely start work in Calgary mid August which will give us {hopefully} about 6-7 weeks before the baby arrives in early/mid October.

My last days with FMC will be mid June before I head to Houston. I have been there 7 years and have had wonderful experiences in all 5 locations that we worked in. It will be bittersweet to leave, but as they say, when one door closes, another door will open.

A lot of changes are happening with our family that we are really excited to share and look forward to experiencing in a new country. It will be a busy next 5 months, but in the end, we know it will all work out for the best and we cannot wait to start a new adventure in a new country!

{Paradise in Mauritius} - Our 5 Year Anniversary Trip to the Secluded African Island

Sunrise from the patio steps off our bedroom

Mauritius is a French - influenced island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Madagascar in South East Africa.

To say that Mauritius is breathtaking is a mere understatement...the crystal clear blue ocean waters and powder white fine sand stretches endlessly.

We left KL on Tuesday evening April 30th and spent 6 nights at the beautiful Long Beach Hotel on the northeast side of the island in the town of Belle Mare.

Kaes was able to go diving the first full day {Wednesday} that we were there. Since I am unable to dive, I visited the luxurious Sea Spa that even had a traditional hammam bath! I chose the hammam followed by a white chocolate massage and was in absolute heaven!!!

The Sea Spa

Large school of barracuda

The food, resort atmosphere, and beach were a tropical oasis. The resort itself was massive with 5 different restaurants, tennis courts, rock climbing, sports center, two different kids clubs for younger and older kids, two large pools, spa center, and rooms expanding all across the beachfront. Every morning in the main restaurant we had fresh baked French pastries, crepes, fresh squeezed juice of the day, tropical fruit, spicy and flavorful Mauritian favorites, and an omelet station.

Beautiful blue waters, white sandy beach and perfect warm {not humid} weather made for a very relaxing and enjoyable 6 days.

Kaes did more diving and I relaxed between the spa, ocean, and poolside. It was definitely a tough way to spend a week ;)

Mauritius was a memorable destination and ranked high on our list of favorite places to unwind and relish in natural beauty.

Here's to 5 wonderful years and many more incredible memories together!!!

Full Photo Album Here

Girls All-Inclusive Spa Trip to Da Nang, Vietnam

Flight from KL to Da Nang was 3.5 hours. and stayed from April 12- 17

Helpful Hint: Get a green or white taxi when leaving the airport and demand on using the meter! Also, make sure they fully comprehend where you are going. Seems like a mundane detail, but the language barrier can pose issues. We experienced it first hand ;)

Sam, Kelly, and I stayed at the beautiful 5-star all-inclusive spa resort Fusion Maia Da Nang in our own private pool villa.

 

Friday, checked in to beautifully decorated serene room with our own private cabana and swimming pool. We decided to stay in for dinner and had lobster bisque and fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. After dinner, all three of us then had full body massages followed by head massage before bed. It was perfect end to our long day and ensured a blissful night of uninterrupted sleep.

Saturday, breakfast by the beach, swam in pool and got sun, foot massage followed by pedicure. Relaxed more in the room and went into Da Nang city to have dinner at The Waterfront on the Han River and listened a live music festival with violinist, saxophonist and local singers performing various types of music.

Heading to dinner at the Waterfront

Sunday, woke up and had a wonderful facial early in the morning followed by a full buffet spread for breakfast. We relaxed by the infinity pool listening to waves crash into the ocean and just enjoyed our afternoon in the lush surroundings. That afternoon we had warm pressure massages with oil followed by a therapeutic head massage. We are truly getting pampered!!! Dinner that night at the in-house restaurant Five consisted of bamboo smoked duck with red cabbage, cilantro, sprouts and candied apples and raisins followed by sweet potato gnocchi paired with tomato relish and salad. Dessert was a phenomenal coconut creme brulee with coconut ice cream. The food, service, and atmosphere have all been impressive to say the least!!!

The gorgeous dining room

Monday we had our usual 2 treatments at the spalon and then took the shuttle from our hotel into the town of Hoi An just 30 minutes away. Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.

Sam with her massive coconut at lunch in the Secret Garden

Tuesday morning was one of the most perfect days we had with beautiful weather. Most of the day was spent lounging by our pool (after our delicious breakfast of course) and getting some sun.

Wednesday was unfortunately our last day...I think we all had our fill of such great spa treatments over the past week. We started the morning off with one last delicious breakfast buffet and then had a facial and a 1-hour hot oil pressure massage. It was the perfect end to our relaxing week. After we cleaned up, we had one last lobster lunch out by the beach before heading to the airport on our way home.

It was a wonderful week and we had such a great time reuniting in Da Nang!!!

{Complete photo album}

What to Expect When You Are Expecting!?!?!

Current Cravings: Macaroni & Cheese, green apples, tomato soup, and chocolate Haagen Dazs ice cream

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting our first bundle of joy due to arrive October 14, 2013! I am currently 13 weeks and Baby d and I are doing wonderful!

The experience here in Malaysia has been very good so far with ultrasounds every time I go into the office. Since this is our first child, I didn’t know what to expect, but was shocked to find out that we could see our little angel each time we went.

I first went to the doctor when Kaes was in the U.S. and I was 8 weeks along – February 26th. The doctor was able to do a transvaginal ultrasound and confirmed I was pregnant and let me listen to the heartbeat! It was such a wonderful experience although I was sad Kaes was not there to share such an exciting time. I thought I would only have blood work and talk to the doctor, not knowing they would be able to see and hear so much right away!

Our second visit was at 10 weeks on March 20th This was the first visit Kaes attended and we were able to see Baby d right away. Baby even did a complete flip in my belly as we were watching!!! We knew right away we had a very active one on our hands! Everything looked normal and we discussed what would happen at the 12 week, end of 1st trimester appointment the next time we came in. I had no idea of all the tests to screen for and the abnormalities or diseases they could tell just by taking my blood. So many decisions to make and already I am worried to death!

Baby d at 10 weeks

The third visit was our 1st trimester follow up on April 2nd All looked well and looking for signs on the scan, Dr. Kiren (my gynecologist) said the baby looked normal and the signs of downs syndrome were not present. This is 70% accurate and a blood test could give us 90% accuracy on any other abnormalities present, but she saw no alarming signs. Thank the Lord! 

Baby d at 12 weeks

I am having blood work done this coming Thursday and will get to have another scan of Baby d while seeing the doctor. I can’t wait to see how much the baby has grown!

Other than our exciting visits to check on our growing peanut, I feel like I am over the worst part of morning sickness. It was a bit of a struggle many mornings, but drinking apple cider vinegar mixed with water has helped. Dr. Kiren was concerned at 12 weeks that I have not gained any weight, but I assured her that I had reserves to begin with, so not to worry :)

Our next appointment is on April 29th and we {should} be able to find out the sex of our baby!

What do you think? Girl or Boy???

Give us your thoughts and stay tuned for the next update!!!

Love,

Kaes, Kim, and Baby d

Namaste - Exploring the Himalayas in Nepal

Fun Fact: The Nepal Flag was officially adopted on December 16, 1962 and it is the only national flag that is not rectangle or square

Namaste!

Our trip to Nepal had many challenges along the way, (only 6 hours of electricity and during the hours
you never needed it, no hot water, beds harder than the ground, etc.) but was very rewarding for the
picturesque scenery and views it has to offer.

Friday morning we took a 4.5 hour flight via Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu, Nepal
and planned to stay exactly a week seeing the towns of Kathmandu, Bandipur, Pokhara, Sarangkot,
and Bhaktipur. Our hotel was only 6 kms (3.5 miles) from the airport and took over 30 minutes to get
there due to the heavy traffic and crazy drivers. My first thought of the city was “what on Earth did I get
myself in to??" Being a developing country, there is little to no waste facilities, so the streets were lined
everywhere you looked with trash. People lined the streets to sell their fruit, wares, name brand knock-
offs, or anything else to make money. Street dogs were everywhere (reportedly 50,000 in Kathmandu
alone) and cows, which are sacred to the Hindu religion and therefore not eaten, roamed freely and
were dare not disturbed.

Nepal is located to the north of India and the south of China

Later Friday afternoon after we got settled in our hotel, we went sightseeing around Kathmandu
stopping first at the Buddhist stupa - Bouddanath.

Prayer flags colored for the 5 elements:  Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, Sky

After having lunch on the rooftop of a café around Bouddanath, we visited the Hindi crematorium and
temple Pashupatinath. The temple was on the (insert name) river and was the most popular
crematorium in Kathmandu for the Hindu religion. Interesting was not the first thought that came
to mind, but more of morbid. The families of the dead waited and watched as their loved ones body
burned for close to 4 hours. The crematories were along the banks of the river and had about 7 to 8
bodies burning at a time. The odd part was that anyone and everyone could stand by and watch as the
families mourned the death and prayed during the very long 4 hour process. Needless to say, I am glad it
is not done that way in the U.S….

Mounds of wood placed over the deceased body to help burn

People gathered to watch their loved one being prepared for cremation and others just enjoying the show....

Upon leaving, we crossed paths with two religious men known as sādhus - which in Hindi mean "holy man" and denotes an ascetic, wandering monk with painted bodies.

Saturday we woke up and had a 200 km (120 miles) drive to the town of Pokhara with a stop in
Bandipur. Now 120 miles would normally take the average driver, on decent roads, about 2 or so
hours. But in Nepal, it takes 7. Yes, that’s hours. Cars that drive into oncoming traffic to pass a local
bus stopping every 10 minutes and driving up switchbacks around the mountain (passing cars on blind
corners as well) made for a very stressful drive. That and the fact that Kaes had to hunch down in his
seat just to avoid hitting his head in the mini compact car, made for a long trip.

Sunday we had a more relaxing day sightseeing around Pokhara and started the morning off at Devil’s
Falls waterfall and the cave it disappears into below.

Men and women both work very hard carrying materials in large baskets

Monday morning we started our grueling ascent trekking up the Annapurna Range of the Himalayas.
Our next stop was about 5 or 6 hours to the Australian Base Camp.

Below is a picture of the Annapurna range. The holy mountain of Machapuchare, which means “fishtail”
in Nepali, is the center peak. It is revered by the local population as particularly sacred to the god Shiva, and hence is off limits to climbing.

Our $8 USD/night digs at the Australian Base Camp :) It had a hot shower and a bed comfortable enough for us to crash on after our arduous climb

Tuesday we woke up and could barely move. The sunrise from the mountain we were on was breathtaking and we enjoyed the serenity before our onward journey down the mountain. The only thing that kept us going seemed to be the fact that instead of climbing up, we were heading down, so that had to be MUCH better. BUT...It wasn't. In fact, it was way worse than the day before.

Wednesday we left our View Top lodge in Pokhara to head to the airport and fly back to Kathmandu.
After checking back into our hotel in Kathmandu, we walked around the town Thamel to stretch our legs. Luckily, after doing a bit of shopping around the town, we came upon a spa that catered to people who had been trekking. For $18 USD each, we both got a full 1-hour Ayurvedic massage with hot oil, following by time in the steam sauna. Although a bit painful through the process, it was just what we needed to relax after our few days of intense hiking.

Thursday was Valentine’s Day and we started the day off early leaving our hotel at 6:00 am for a sunrise flight over Mt. Everest and the Himalayas. The flight was breathtaking and unfortunately the pictures do not begin to do it justice. We flew over the Annapurna range, the Langtang range, and Sagarmatha National Park that is home to Mt. Everest.

After our flight, we went to visit the old historic town of Bhaktipur known for its ancient architecture
and the generations of families that have lived there for hundreds of years.

Local lady dyeing the pottery and laying it out to dry

Spending the afternoon in Bhaktipur was nice, but we were really ready to get to our room for the last
night. The Shambaling Hotel in Bouda was a perfect ending to our vacation. Hidden away from the
hustle and bustle of the main town in Thamel, our hotel was quaint, quiet, and helped you forget where
you were. The customer service was impeccable and probably the best we have ever had in all of our
travels. The food was delicious, we had a wonderful hot shower, and the most comfortable bed (even
with a heated blanket) we had the entire trip. I would highly recommend it to anyone travelling to Nepal for the perfect relaxing end to your trip.

Nepal has many beautiful wonders of life to see and we were glad to check it off our list. It also made me appreciate our customs as well as the "things" we take for granted such as hot water, steady electricity, and heating.

Muay Thai Boxing & Lady Boys in Koh Samui, Thailand

As I have said before, the holidays in Malaysia are wonderful and we try and take every opportunity to use them to explore uncharted territory. The Indian holiday Thaipusam allowed us to have a 5 day holiday with friends to the beautiful island of Koh Samui, Thailand.

Kelly, Alex, Layla, James, Kaes, and I all left Thursday, January 24^th on an early morning flight to Koh Samui. There is a 1 hour time difference between Thailand and Malaysia, so we arrived with a full day ahead of us on the island. We stayed at the beautiful Amari Palm Reef resort on the east side of Samui of Chaweng Beach.

After getting settled into our hotel rooms, we spent the rest of the day by the pool and beach relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Friday we had the buffet breakfast at the hotel that was absolutely delicious! It was by far one of the most diverse breakfast spreads we have ever had and even more importantly had BACON! Since we don’t get pork too often in KL, it was nice to have it as an option each morning for breakfast. Turkey or beef bacon doesn't hold a candle to the real stuff. After more relaxing by the pool, we all decided to go get foot massages and then the girls roamed around the shops to see what kind of cheap knock-offs we could find.

Saturday was an interesting day full of lady boys! Me, Kaes, Kelly, and Alex decided to go get body massages this time instead of foot massages. When we got to the salon, the therapist they assigned to each of us was two lady boys!! Kaes was not excited and wanted to leave, but I told him there was nothing to worry about since I was laying right next to him. It was quite humorous seeing the look on his face, but he didn’t seem to enjoy the laugh at his expense J We both agreed it was some of the best massages we have ever had! That night we went to one of the famous lady boy cabaret shows that Thailand is known for all over the country. The show had some great performers and some of the ladies could fool most anyone!

Sunday was full of more lazy lounging, but at night we decided to attend a traditional Muay Thai Boxing match. Muay Thai is taught from a very early age and even boys as young as 14 were competing in this very intense type of fighting. Boys that didn’t even weigh 100 pounds all the way up to men up to 175 were involved in a series of 10 fights. Of the many times Kaes and I have been to Thailand, this was our first experience to see a Muay Thai match.

Monday was our last day before flying back to KL, so we had an easy day and had breakfast, then packed up our room. No trip to Thailand would be complete without a massage, so Kaes and I opted to get foot massages after a delicious Pad Thai lunch at a small local restaurant, and then headed to the airport for our afternoon flight.

  

We had a great, relaxing weekend in Koh Samui. It is definitely a quick and easy trip to get to for even a short weekend away from KL.