A highlight of the trip to Seattle was being there to celebrate Graham's 70th Birthday. We had a nice family dinner out together and then went back to John and Amy's place for surprise Champagne and Snoopy cake. We also gave him a beautiful photo memory book with birthday messages and quotes from friends and family all over the world. The messages in it were so heart felt it brought tears to my eyes. I am so thankfully to have such an amazing Father-in-law in my life!
My Birthday Message:
Thank you for being such a good man and for always showing me kindness and love. It means so much to me to be part of the Wood family. Warm wishes for a Happy Birthday to you!
Labels:
Seattle
I recently learned that I posses an interesting hidden talent...bowling in stilettos. We celebrated our friend Chris's 50th Bday recently he had rented out a bowling alley for the evening. I initially only planned to bowl once in my high heels as part of a dare but I actually did so well that my team decided they were better off if they kept my bowling in my heels!
Team Lan, Lynn and Matt vs. Team Chirs, Kingsley, Marc
Later just and Matt and I were a team against Kingsley and Marc. We certainly didn't win but our group was the most mischievous and we certainly had the most fun!
Kingsley and Marc right before they attempted the very bad idea of bowling at the same time!
Labels:
Seattle
These trips back to Seattle are always a blur of trying to see and do way too much in a short window of time. We are often...ok actually always...incredibly exhausted after spending a few weeks in Seattle but seeing so many special friends and family is priceless. Because we aren't able to just pop over and see these people whenever we want - it makes every moment we have with them incredibly special.
Dinner with Gulay and Jen at Purple Cafe in Seattle. I am in love with their cranberry celery chicken salad! Our table was right under the vents though so we were all freezing during dinner.
Sharon and I met in Singapore at a ladies coffee group 4 years ago and formed a special friendship. She and her husband Dave moved back to Seattle last year but we keep in touch and I love that I get a chance to see her when I am back in Seattle.
Playing with our Nephew Jack who might just be the cutest thing in the world!
Dinner at Anthony's with our parents.
Ohanas Karaoke evening with John
Date night just Kingsley and I at Icon Grill.
Cuddles with Zeke
Labels:
Seattle
Our dear friend Angi is having a baby, and a Vegas style High Roller baby shower seemed to be a perfect fit. It was so fun to get all dolled up for the Sunday afternoon event.
Carmen, Amy, Angi and I
Only Angi could make being pregnant look so glam!
The decorations alone were very impressive.
Sasha the beautiful host
We even had blackjack, poker and roulette tables going throughout the afternoon.
We can't wait to meet the new addition to the Liddel family!
Labels:
Seattle
I made it back to Seattle last month just in time to watch the seasons change from summer to fall. I had a chance to breath in the crisp fall air and during the month I was there I observed the beautiful leaves turn from green to yellow and finally orange. There are so many things I love about Singapore but I do miss watching the seasons change.
I also made it back to Seattle in time for my friend Meaghans wedding. The 1920's themed event took place in a quaint town just outside of Leavenworth in Eastern Washington on a beautiful September day.
Shelley, Cynthia and I posing pre-wedding. We were roommates for the weekend and had such an ice time catching up together.
Meaghan was such a beautiful bride and planned every little detail of the wedding to perfection she even had 1920's furniture and staging done in the reception hall. It was such a special event that I felt fortunate be a part of.
Labels:
Seattle
Of course no trip is complete without a bit of adventure. Kingsley decided to take adventure to a whole new level when he experienced his first kidney stone attack in rural India. This required us to go to a small village hospital where he received interesting but adequate care. The stone was large enough to require surgery which we wisely chose to fly back to Singapore for.
Labels:
India,
Kingsley
The Grooms family very generously had Sari's and Dhoty's made for all of the foreign guests. It was such a kind and thoughtful gesture and I absolutely loved the sari material they chose for us.
At 6am the morning of the wedding I received a knock on our hotel room door and found a stoic older woman standing there. She stated "I have arrived to apply your sari". It was a bit of a shock as I was half asleep when she first knocked but I knew better than to argue with her! Within in 15 minutes she had me twisted, turned pinned and tucked into my sari. I was instantly transformed into an Indian Princess.
Kingsley and David wearing their Dhoty's
Once we arrived at the Brides house, where the wedding was to take place, we had Jasmine flowers pinned in our hair which smelled heavenly.
Eating breakfast at the brides house before the wedding ceremony.
We then spent about 2 hours sitting on the floor waiting for the wedding to begin in incredibly hot room crammed full of woman. The men waited in a seperate room.
The actual ceremony was simple but beautiful. Instead of exchanging rings they traded marigold flower wreaths. It was an arranged marriage by both sets of parents. The bride and groom had met only once about 6 months before the wedding at a 15 minute supervised visit with both parents in the room. Other than that they had absolutely no contact with each other until the day of the wedding. I remember how nervous I was on my wedding day, I can't even imagine what was going through her mind on her wedding day. They were essentially strangers that were committing to spend the rest of their lives together. It seems so foreign to me but they obviously are doing something right. The tradition of arranged marriages has been around for many generations and has been highly successful in India.
Labels:
India
