Bali! Our villa...

For this vacation in Bali, we chose to stay in Seminyak. Seminyak is a cute little area and if I didn't have three boys with me...I could have done A TON of damage in shopping. One morning I set out with Luke and we managed to find a few gems to bring back to the states with us. He's the best shopping buddy. Aside from my Dad, he's a pretty good shopping buddy too. :)

Here is what our villa looked like...not a rough place to spend 6 nights.

This may have been their favorite part! A padded cabana = many hours of wrestling matches 

The bathrooms were partially open, so you showered with no roof over your head. 

Adam is clearly having a rough time.  

Breakfast was delivered each morning. I will miss the Balinese White Coffee! 

So much more to share....this vacation was wonderful!

Helllloooo Break!

To say that we are ready for Spring break is an understatement. Those in education will understand just how long a 14-week stretch is. The kids were tired, parents were tired and teachers were tired. It has been a long trek since Christmas! Tomorrow we are off to Bali - our final overseas vacation on this journey. We are ending it where we started. Bali was our first trip back in 2012 for fall break. We loved our time there and have learned there's so much more to see and do, so we decided to go back to the place "we always talk about".

We rented a villa with a private pool - which equates to our own space, no making trips to a big, crowded pool and lots of lots of time to relax and play together. Can.not.wait.

Here is where we were at two years ago when our traveling journey started in Bali....

This little guy was still 4!  

Love D's face - black sand, local beach 

Drew had just turned 2 

It's hard to believe how fast time has gone (in many ways) when I look back at these pictures. I am so thankful for the opportunities we've had and look forward to creating many more memories during the next week. We have seen and done a lot between then and now.

When we return, it'll be full speed ahead as we wrap up school and moving in just 8 weeks. For the next 9 days, we're going to RELAX, enjoy, and love up on these cute boys!

This Kid...

A month or so ago, I dedicated a post to Luke. It's only fitting that Drew gets his time in the spotlight. It's very hard to go through this stage in his life so far away from our families, as these years are truly some of the best! Incredibly challenging, yes, but also so much fun.

He is 3 1/2 - Going on 16. Sometimes 1, but mostly 16. The kid knows what he wants, when he wants it and how he's going to get it. He has a stubborn side that makes us question our parenting daily. He has a scream that can be heard from other countries. He has a fierce sense of "it's MIIINNNNEEEE!" whenever his brother touches something. But this kid. This little guy has two things that melt my heart daily. A smile and love for his family like no other. The "I love you Mamas" and "I love you Dadas" and "I love brudder" NEVER, EVER, EVER get old. When you walk in a room, Drew's smile instantly tells you how happy he is to see you.

I would never trade this little free-spirited, stubborn ball of love for anything in the world.

Full Speed Ahead

My head is spinning. People said the moving out stuff would sneak up on us quicker than we expected and they were right.

About a month ago, our landlords came over to see our furniture. We convinced them that renting this place 'furnished' to an incoming teacher/family would be easier and would possibly allow them to ask more in rent. It worked! They agreed to purchase all of our furniture and a few other appliances. That's great for us, because now we don't have to deal with selling it.

Our realtor has been asking us to send pictures of our place for possible incoming teachers. Last night we learned that a family of 4 is signing a new contract to take over our place in July. BIG help for us as we're being let out of our lease a month early and we stand to earn back a month's rent. Our landlords are also very happy and they probably think we're geniuses for the furniture suggestion. (In my head that's how it happened.)

The new tenants want to buy some of the additional things we have...also great because it makes our lives easier in the long run.... but I could really use a secretary to itemize and price out all of this stuff!

A moving company comes tomorrow morning to estimate our load and assess what we'll be shipping back home. We get a bigger crate going home and considering we sold off our furniture, I may need to do some shopping. Would hate for that crate space to go to waste.

Maricel. We hate the thought of saying goodbye to her. She has been such a blessing to our family and the boys adore her. Simply put, she is one of the hardest things about leaving Singapore. She makes this household run smoothly. Tonight she committed to another family and will move in with them the day we leave Singapore. It's a 2nd grade teacher at our school and they have 2 children. They are ecstatic to get her, we know they are a great family, and Maricel is much more at ease now that she knows where she's going.

It's all falling into place, but it's also shoving reality into our faces. We really are leaving. This chapter in our lives is coming to a close in about 2 months time. Wow.

Earth Hour

As we headed from the rooftop bar to dinner on Thursday night, we heard loud cheering and clapping. A short walk to one end of the mall had our answer...

The cast of Spiderman Two was in Singapore to support Earth Hour efforts. It's always fun to see US celebs here in Singapore!

Here you can see the video...

https://sg.movies.yahoo.com/video/earth-hour-2014-singapore-highlights-014241161.html

Fun Run and a Field Trip

On Saturday the boys participated in the SAIS fun run. Luke had to run a lap and was very proud of his medal. Drew had to run from one side of the field to the other. He proudly wore his medal that he earned for staying put on the line and crying. Well done, Drew. Our cup of pride is overflowing.

Today Maricel accompanied Drew on a field trip to the airport. They are studying transportation and how people get around in their unit right now, so this was a great way to see cars, buses & planes. They explored the airport, watched planes land & take off and ate a snack. Big smiles on this little guy tonight. :)

The kids got a "passport" and stamp from Air Brunei. 

Bintan, Indonesia

I took Friday off and we ferried a short 45 minutes to Bintan, Indonesia for a girl's night away. It was JUST what we needed. Lots of sun (okay, maybe too much of that), a few drinks, walks along the water, pool time, laughs and relaxation. It was the perfect way to end their stay here and I think we all left feeling relaxed and rejuvinated. And let's be honest, quite sun burnt!

Before heading out we had a quick breakfast on Orchard Rd 

And we're off!

This is the same resort Lisa & I visited last year when she was in Singapore. I love it there...simple, relaxing and beautiful!

Life is good!

I couldn't get over the water and it's 20 shades of blue. Gorgeous! 

Ha! Sister snapped this shot of Linds and I checking out our burns as we waited to board the ferry home. Our skin color provided a lot of laughs and strange looks. Yes, we are the sun-worshipping Americans who don't know how to apply sunscreen.

Never in a million years did I think I would be in Singapore and Indonesia with these girls. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience for ALL of us. I hugged them goodbye today with a heart full of memories, happiness & love. While I know they were looking forward to seeing their families again, I simply can't thank them enough for being here. They said many times that it was a trip they'll never forget. I couldn't agree more. It meant just as much to me.

And just like that.... our visitors to Singapore have all come and gone. It's a surreal feeling, as our time is quickly ticking away here. We have two more weeks until our Spring break, which will mark our final overseas family vacation as expats in Singapore. 

So much JOY these past few months with all of our visitors. A perfect way to wind down our time in Singapore! 

Feeling blessed & thankful. xx