My Sister Got Her Mister

(Obviously I did not take this picture.  Photo credit: Slice Studios.)

My sister, Jessica, tied the knot with her man, Jason.  

The wedding was absolutely perfect.  Every i was dotted and every t crossed.  Jessica and Jason worked for just a few short months to get everything done and it was by far (besides my own, ahem) the most beautiful wedding I've seen.  Not to mention the fact that Jessica only gets more and more gorgeous with each year.  

Seriously.  B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L.

To add to the fun of the wedding festivities, I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid and Hannah got to be one of the flower girls!  I was a little worried how Hannah would do since she is not even one yet, but she did amazing!  She sat in the wagon perfectly and looked at all the guests as she was being pulled down the aisle.  I think it was due to all her practice being a celebrity in India.  I'm sure she thought, "Finally, people are starting to look at me again!"  Ha!

Unfortunately, we hardly took any pictures! Boo.  Thankfully my uncle captured some great shots.  I'm eager to see what the photographer has!

With the Bride, Groom and Ring Bearer

We are so excited for Jessica and Jason as they begin their new life together!  Congrats!

Himalayas. Part Two.

If you thought going to the Taj Mahal was an adventure, that was just the beginning.  Here's where the real fun began...

Up, up, up the mountains we go!  We were headed to Pangong Lake (to camp!!!!) in the Himalayan Mountains. It is about a six hour drive through the mountains.  With a driver who speaks no English.  And in a car with one seat belt.  (Sorry mom.)  Before we left, the company we were going with gave us 3 canisters of oxygen "just in case" for Hannah.  Lovely.

I'll be honest.  I had a bit of a bad attitude before we left.  I had even thought seriously about staying back in Leh (with Hannah) while the rest of our group went on.  I just kept thinking about how much fun it would be riding with a crying 10-month old for 6 hours in the car.  When talking about it with Bob, he said, "The only easy day is yesterday."  And so I went.

For whoever out there was praying.  Thank you.  Your prayers were answered.  Here is what Hannah did for the ENTIRE ride up the mountains...

She slept in my arms!!!!  For anyone who knows her, this is very uncharacteristic of her.  She's not a cuddler, not a sleep-in-your-arms type of baby.  But, thanks be to God, she did.  Amen.


The views of Pangong Lake are indescribable.  In fact, even the drive up was absolutely breathtaking.  I'm thankful that lots of people had cameras to capture the beauty as I held my sleeping  baby in my arms.

Pangong Lake

Family Pic by the Lake

Bob and Hannah

Me and Hannah (that's China behind us!)

We stayed and CAMPED here for 1 night.  The slogan of our "resort" was Luxury Redefined.  Ha!  Actually, for camping it was pretty nice.  There was a bed, sink, and even a toilet!  Impressive.  The resort prepared all our food for us and it was delicious!

And, for the record, Hannah did incredible!  She loved the cooler weather and getting to sleep in mommy and daddy's bed.  We never needed the oxygen that they gave us, but we did take a few pictures of us using it just for fun! (I had some killer headaches while we were there- the elevation was 14,000 ft- so I actually used the oxygen for real.)

What are you doing, mommy?

We drove back to Leh the next afternoon and Hannah SLEPT the ENTIRE WAY again.  The only difference was it took us 3.5 HOURS to get back down when it took us 6 hours to get there!!!!!!  Let's just say the ride down was a little scary.  I'm so thankful Hannah slept the whole way.  

Not only did we make it safely back to Leh, but all the way back to Hyderabad the next day.  Hallelujah!  And at this point, our India adventures are about over.  :(

I loved India, our team, and all the adventures we got to experience while we were there.  I hope that God has it in His plan for us to go back one day.  

Himalayas. Part One.

We took our 10-month old and 10 students to the Himalayas.  I know, we're crazy.  But we had a blast!  Here's the story:

We started our adventure at the Taj Mahal.  It is INCREDIBLE.  Some Wonders of the World aren't all they are cracked up to be, but this is.   If you are planning on going to India, you need to see it.  

Just a little warm...

However, let me advise you to go during the cooler months.  It was H.O.T.  My goodness.  It was probably close to 110 degrees or higher.  And we went during monsoon season so it was cooler than normal..... yikes.

All the girls at the Taj

The Taj is absolutely breathtaking.  It is made out of marble and semi-precious stones.  And it's hand-carved.  WOW.  Little did I know (I'm not really a history buff), it's actually a tomb.  One of the Muslim Mogul Emperors of India built it for his third (and favorite) wife after her death.  His other two wives have tombs on the property as well, but they are definitely not as neat.  And they are A LOT smaller.  I guess there's perks to being the favorite? :)

There are LOTS of photo opportunities at the Taj.  So, we took a lot of pictures.  And, you'll notice that I am wearing a backpack in most of them.  Guess that makes me a real mom?  I bet this is the first of many vacations I'll take when I wear a backpack.  Ha!

And, here begins just a few pictures...

Love these girls- Brittney and Taylor

Please notice how many Indians are also smiling for our photo

The next day we flew to the town of Leh.  It is a quaint little town in North India.  But here's the kicker.  We flew out of Delhi- elevation 743 feet- and flew into Leh- elevation 11,000 feet.  Talk about an altitude change.   We actually had to take special pills to help with the altitude change.  

Flying into Leh

Leh was gorgeous.  It's nestled in a valley of the Himalayan Mountains.  It has a lot of Tibetan influence and it is definitely apparent in their architecture.  They had these beautiful and intricate wood carvings above most windows.  (I hope you can see them in the picture!) We spent some time talking as a team on the roof of our hotel about what we had learned and enjoyed about our time in India.  It was amazing how close the 14 of us had become- really more like family!

In the afternoon we headed out for some shopping! Bob even gave in and got Hannah some jewelry.  And she accidentally stole a key-chain from one of the vendors.  Oops!  Don't worry, we returned it. :) I love shopping at the local markets because you get to barter.  I wish we could do this in the States!  

Outside of a local restaurant

Eating dinner by candle light in the hotel.  Partly because Hannah was asleep.  Partly because the power was out.

The next day (yes, that's right day 3 in a row of traveling), we loaded up in 3 SUV-like vehicles and began our trek UP the Himalayan mountains.

More to come...

10 Months

(Preface:  I actually wrote this post while in India...and am just now posting it!  Sorry, been a little crazy since we've been back!)
                                                                                                                                                             

What a milestone month!  Hannah has been outside the womb longer than inside the womb (TMI?)!  It is crazy to think how much babies change in their first year.  I still cannot believe some of the things Hannah can do!  (I know, I know...I'll be thinking the same thing when she's driving and doing Algebra....)

Hannah is such a fun, smart, inquisitive girl.  She loves exploring and with her ever-increasing mobility and (seemingly) unlimited bravery, she is up for anything!  Hannah is cruising on EVERYTHING.  In fact, it is hard to keep her still.  The team jokes that she is always moving, but it is so true!  We have to make sure to keep the door locked around here, or this little girl will escape!

Opening the drawers... 

All Smiles for Being 10 months old!

Flash...gotcha!

Hannah, you love to smile, laugh, wave, clap and just be with people in general.  You are so very brave!  You go in "autos" with mommy and the girls, have been to nearly every mall in Hyderabad and have willingly (and nicely) allowed lots of Indians to pinch your cheeks and clap in your face.

Best picture we got for 10 months!  This girl is on the move!

Happy 10 months, little girl!  Hard to believe you are going to be one year old soon!