Family Pix at a Garden

We got out for a family photo shoot at a local "botanical garden." It was somewhat botanical and garden-esqe with various ponds, rocks, and pavilion-like structures. Here are some favorite shots.

Tall Flowers

These are in our apartment complex. Crazy tall. But really nice.
These almost look fake. [Which I checked, and they are indeed real. But I wouldn't have been all that surprised if they were fake.]

Big Playground

Lori had a ton of planning and preparations to make for homeschool so I took the girls to the largest city park. And since it had been raining for a few days straight, we were eager to get out. After 20 minutes in a taxi and about $4 in entrance fees we got there and entered an enclosed playground.
The girls were excited since the last time we went there the playground was closed due to painting the rubber-like floor covering. The girls were overjoyed to get in there and run around. It was about 70 degrees and ridiculously pleasant. Take a look for yourself.

I like the little boy checking out the "foreigners."
The trampoline was a major hit.
Afterwards, the girls were thoroughly exhausted. I was, too.

City Zoo

We had heard about our local zoo, but we weren't able to go until a couple days ago. General impression: Pleasantly surprised. It seemed pretty well kept with quite a few animals.

There were many different types of monkeys. A zookeeper was at one area and allowed the girls to feed them some plums.
The reflection makes it hard to see the monkey on the other side of the glass.
Val checking out the monkeys.
There was a large swan, geese and duck pond.
The big family hit was the red pandas.

South Mountain

It was a nice evening so we decided to venture up our city's south mountain - a place we hadn't been to yet as a family. It had recently rained so we were hoping for some nice, clear views of the city. It turned out to be pretty good.
The girls loved the view.
Me getting artsy.
Our family atop the mountain. Don't think we hiked all the way to the top. A taxi got us there. But to get down, we had to take a three-wheeled motorcycle/cart vehicle. It was low cost but high thrill. We were glad to get to the bottom.

Back To Our Overseas Home

It's been good to be back. Unlike last year, we came back to a home with beds, furniture, and places to put our belongings. Such a nice difference. It took about a day and a half to unpack our 10 suitcases. I'd say that's pretty fast.

Not so fast has been trying to get over jetlag. Lia and Val are seen here during their afternoon major-nap.
Continuing the theme from our previous post, Meg shows us how she can sleep in interesting positions.
I'm sure Penny the Penguin doesn't mind being her temporary pillow.

Stateside

We've had an excellent time in the States, and we're so thankful to have this time to rest and see family. Here are some pictured highlights.

Okay, it's not really a highlight, but our first obstacle was jetlag. In this condition, Meg demonstrates that she doesn't need to sleep on a bed.
American playgrounds = Awesome
Gardening at Grammy's
Ready to hit the road to Ohio.
Independence Day parade. The girls were besides themselves with joy at the reality of free candy.
We all enjoyed opportunities to be outside - especially to swim. And a day at a waterpark with family was really memorable.
Hanging out. I just like this picture.
Also very memorable was celebrating Craig's parent's 50th wedding anniversary. We had a surprise weekend planned which included a Lake Michigan cruise and a luncheon with many extended family members. It was a sweet weekend. The girls enjoyed the cruise just a wee bit.