I don't even know where to begin! Chris and I returned from a trip that will not soon be forgotten. I went through so many emotions and found a new perspective for life. The five of us experienced a trip of a lifetime. We left on May 11th at 7 p.m., arrived in Vancouver BC and had a 6 hour layover. We played a lot of cards and read a ton of magazines to help pass the time. Our flight to Hong Kong took about 12 hours, had a 2 hour layover there and then took a 2 hour flight to Cebu. Once we landed we had a 2 hour ferry ride to Leyte and then we could relax!

It is a beautiful place. The mountains are covered in coconut trees and the rice fields are spread over most of the ground. One of my favorite flowers is the orchid and everybody's front yard is full of them. Even though the scenery was breathtaking the people were even more beautiful. Coming from a completely busy and hectic lifestyle that I really enjoy I found myself in awe of such simplicity. Family is everything to them. Everyone has a role and they all take care of eachother. Even with very little material things they are content with what they have and rich in love.

After a 4 hour drive on a not so smooth road and a 20 minute boat ride we were in paradise, San Pablo. There are 5 hundred people that live here. Most of them have never left the island and have never seen white people. Electricity is run only when there are guests at the resort. There are no modern day conviences and life is about survival. Each morning fresh fish is caught, fruit is picked and I had no idea rice could be made into so many different recipes!

The snorkeling here was amazing. We went out every morning around 6 a.m., that is always the best time to go. It's like your in a whole different world under the water. Above is a blue starfish, we were very careful and returned him to his home after the picture!

The kids were so cute. I found myself just watching them play for hours. They all sing and dance and were quite the entertainers!

The last weekend we were there the town was having a fiesta. These people love to party! Chris got to help turn the pig as it was roasting. He thought this was pretty fun. There was a "disco" on Sunday night and we had a great time dancing with everyone.

The Philippino people are so warm and hospitable. They were much more generous than we deserved and took exceptional care of us. Our time there was very special.

After ten days in a relaxing enviornment Chris and I left for Hong Kong. We went from one extreme to the other. This is the most sophisticated and diverse city I have ever seen. We absolutly loved it and plan on going back. The energy is unreal and with 7 million people this city doesn't sleep. I love New York but I think I love Hong Kong even more! The architecture is captivating and the city is surrounded by moutains which makes the skyline even more beautiful. Everyone speaks english which made things very easy! The shopping is amazing, it's worth it to go just for that!

These pictures were taken from Victoria Peak. From the top you can see the entire Kowloon Peninsula. It was overcast that day but you can get an idea of how great the view is from here. The homes up here range from 50-80 million Hong Kong dollars. It's the one place in the city that is actually quiet.



We spent a lot of time down on the water just enjoying the lights at night.

We had an amazing time and feel so lucky to be able to experience different lifestyles and cultures. I am reminded just how lucky I am to live in a country with freedom and opportunity. We are surrounded by people that live very differently than we do but we all share the need for love and companionship. Life truly is a beautiful thing.

Chopstix anyone? Saturday night we were finally able to go to Chopstix. When we were in Vegas a few years ago we went to a dueling piano bar and had the best time. They have two grand pianos set up facing eachother and two guys that play and sing. You can make requests and get involved as much as you want. It kind of feels like one big group kereoke. Anyway they have opened two different ones in Washington, one in Tacoma and one in Seattle so now we don't have to go back to Vegas! By far I am probably the worst singer but when there are a hundred other people singing with you it kind of drowns out the bad ones like me! It really is a fun place to go with a group of friends.

Cori was pulled up on stage and sang along to one of her favorite songs. I think she looked pretty cute on the piano too!


Chris and I taking a break from singing our hearts out! We sound even worse together! Oh well, we had fun anyways.

Last summer Chris bought a motorcycle. He had talked about it since before we got married so I knew it was something he really wanted. It's not that I was scared to ride on one, but just concerned about not having any protection if we were to crash or be crashed into by someone else. We have a couple of friends who have been in some pretty serious accidents. Well it has been so much fun and now I want my own. Sunday afternoon we met some friends and rode for about four and a half hours. Now I have some good cushion on my booty but I was so sore afterwards! It was a beautiful day though and there is nothing like feeling the wind in your face while riding.