Hong Kong

Over Chinese New Year we went to Hong Kong to visit our good friends the Joslyn's. We had the best time and loved staying with them, we are already planning another trip back.

Leaving on the ferry from Discovery bay to Central.
Lan Kwai Fong
Victoria Peak
Star Ferry
BLT Burger with the Joslyn's
We took the kids to Disneyland Hong Kong and loved it. Though it is only about 1/3 the size of Disneyland California, it didn't disappoint. Walking down Main Street was exactly like Disneyland California it was crazy.

Tea Cup photo op
Toy Story land
Ford loved small world
The Parade
After Disneyland we headed into Kowloon to ring in the New Year (Chinese style)

We were stoked to be in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year, I guess you could compare it to being in Times Square for New Years.
We watched Fireworks over the harbor for 30 minutes, it was insane!
Star Ferry at night
The last day we took the kids by the Hong Kong LDS Temple.
Poor Ford was such a trooper being pushed around the city with his rain cover.

Despite the rain we still made our way around Kowloon.

Of course Reese asked Whit if she would make her a cake so they could have a little b-day party for her. She also asked some random Filipino lady for a chip while walking around the city that day. She is bold and hilarious!
Thanks Whit! You made her day!

Chinese New Year!

Reese had an amazing Chinese New Year concert at her school and performed two songs in Chinese. She did great and the kids all looked so cute in their costumes!

Beck also had a party to celebrate Chinese New Year at school.
Xin Nian Kuai Le!! Happy Year of the Dragon!

The day we got back from Hong Kong fireworks started at midnight and didn't end till the next morning! There were 10 different firework shows at any given time. Not the best picture but you get the idea.

Xuzhou

A couple weeks ago we got invited to a Chinese New Year celebration for one of ESCO's factories in Xuzhou. We decided to make a weekend out of it and took a 2 1/2 hour train ride north for 2 days. We stayed at a hotel that is on a lake and though it was cold it was still beautiful.


Notice this Santa says "Feliz Navidad" on it!


Friday night the kids had the night of their life. They (Reese mostly as Beck doesn't love the attention) were toasting (with coke) with anyone and everyone, watching various employees demonstrate their talents including a dance to "loosen up my buttons babe" by 8 guys, several karaoke-Esq performances, martial arts and more. A bubble machine, strobe light, hand clappers and balloons were all they needed to distract them from noticing the 350+ who had a cigarette in one hand, and a beer and glass of wine in the other! It was quit the experience. I had some guy come behind me and "lift " me up and turn me around towards the back of the ballroom to take a picture with me. It was extremely awkward to say the least!



Saturday morning we went with some of Tanner's co-workers to see the Guishan Han Tomb (think Egyptian pyramids Chinese style). The tomb was created for the sixth King Chu Liu Zhu and his wife who reigned during the Han Dynasty. It was amazing to think that it is roughly 2000 years old and was made with such precision. The water source for the tomb just right outside of the kitchen room has drains that lead outside. Still to this day they do not know where the water source comes from.

This guy was selling these handmade clay figurines. No surprise that Beck still has is and Reese's was broken by the next day!

Can't believe I caught this photo...it looks like a painting!

Christmas in the U.S.

We had the best time in the U.S. for Christmas! Of course it went by way too fast but we jammed a lot in and LOVED being with both families. We ate, saw Scrooge, went to LA twice, spent time with cousins, shopped, played at the beach, saw Santa, saw friends and family, skied, walked main, shopped, saw more cousins, drove cars (this doesn't happen in Shanghai and we miss it), and got spoiled. We have the best family!

We landed at 8:30am at LAX after traveling for about 20 hours and were greeted by my parents and Shirley's bagels. We got to my parents house around 10:30am somewhat unpacked and then left around 12:30 to drive up to LA to meet the rest of the Garlock's at Scrooge! Tanner asked me if I realized what we were attempting to do was crazy and I must admit it was. However, the kids were troopers they took a nap on the way to LA and on the way home and then partied until 10:30pm that night. The good news is we woke up the next day around 9am rested with no jet lag.

My Grandparents started taking their family to see "A Christmas Carol" which we all call "Scrooge" 50 years ago. It is our favorite Christmas tradition.

Beck even asked someone in the Tokyo airport who was on our flight to LA if they were going to see "Scrooge" too.

We went with the Thacker's one morning to the Beachcomber at Crystal Cove.

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We then met my parents at The Grove where Reese got her AG dolls ears pierced. She had been talking about it for months. The fun thing was in Park City after Christmas her cousins got their ears pierced and she got to go. She is counting the days till she's next!!

We love The Grove at Christmas.

This was probably one of Tanner's favorite days.

We ate lots of Mexican while in the U.S, gotta have some La Sirena. It is hard to find good Mexican here in Shanghai!

Though we live on the other side of the world...we still kept the picture with Santa tradition alive. Poor Ford was super sick with a double ear infection, good thing for antibiotics. Thankfully, he was feeling pretty good by his 1st Christmas morning.

Then we headed to Park City and got to spend some time with Andrew, Elyse and Isla before they took off to California. It is so fun that Isla and Ford are exactly 1 month apart, we can't wait for them to be best buddies.

We woke up early Christmas Eve morning to have breakfast at Sundance, it was totally worth it!

We loved having Grandma Mundy with us in Park City for Christmas. She is so helpful and the kids all love her! I love how Ford is looking at Grandma Nell.

Christmas Eve the Jolley's came up, we had a yummy dinner and dessert and acted out the Nativity. Tanner is always the donkey!

Ford's 1st Christmas!

Christmas morning was as magical as ever!

Santa found us in Park City and we all got spoiled!!

Since there was NO snow, we got a little creative. We spent a day at Olympic Park and had a blast! We took a tour and enjoyed the Alf Engen Ski museum.

The kids are standing in front of a pic of Grandpa's uncle.

The mustache makes this pic look a lot more real.

The weather actually made the conditions great for the kids. They both did amazing this year and even ventured on a couple runs with Dad and Logan on the "big" lift.

We walked Main in Calla and Ashtyn's wagon and Beck was in heaven. He and Calla are two peas in a pod. They are inseparable and are counting the days till Summer!

We had an early New Years adults only dinner at Snake creek in Midway. This has become somewhat on a tradition and it was the perfect way to end our trip!

We walked into our apartment just in time to ring in the New Year Shanghai style! Here's to 2012!!