Our Annual Trip to Seaside September 5, 2011

We headed to Seaside for our annual beach trip with friends this year this past week.  Unfortunately, there was a tropical storm in the near area, so we were only able to enjoy a few days of sun during our 6 day stay.  But we made the most of it by playing games, letting the kids run around and cooking up yummy culinary cuisine!  This year, Greg and Heidi (and their little boy Kendrick) went, along with Jennie & Matt, John & Diana and Roger & Karen (and their little girl Riley).  All in all, we had a great time and are looking forward to next year!

Sawasdee Krup February 5, 2011

We had a whirlwind trip to visit family and friends in Bangkok, Thailand this month. We were excited for everyone to meet Maylee and it had been almost 7 years since Amber and I were last there .  Amber’s parents had already been in Thailand for a month or so when we arrived, so it was great to see them and spend time with them as well.  On our way to Thailand, we stopped in Chicago to visit Stacey and Ryan for a few days.  We had a great time just relaxing … inside of course, since it was about 10 degrees outside.  Although, I did manage to get a 19 mile run in out in the snow.  Maylee did amazing on the plane ride to Thailand which took about 24 hours.  Once in Bangkok, we spent the first few days getting adjusted to the 12 hour time difference, catching up with family and eating like there was no tomorrow.  I day dreamed of food before I went on this trip and I am salivating now thinking about what I am missing.  The food in Thailand is absolutely incredible ….tons of fresh fruits, curries, street vendors and amazing desserts.  I could live on this food and be happy for the rest of my life.

After settling in for a few days, Amber and I took a 3 day trip to Saigon, Vietnam. It’s only an hour plane ride away but the country is so incredibly different.  The city is dominated by mopeds/motorcycles and it’s like playing human Frogger just trying to cross the street. The food in Vietnam was equally delicious, although noticeably different. Most meals consisted of fresh make-your-own spring rolls with rice paper, fresh basil, cabbage, green onions, coriander, and a variety of sauces to use for dipping. I walked out of every restaurant feeling like I didn’t want to eat for a week, but would quickly regain my composure and rally for the next meal. Our favorite restaurant was a place called Ngon an Quoc, which was a collection of the city’s best street vendors lining the walls of a gorgeous courtyard and ornate building. Items were listed on the menu and the servers would bring the food to you … we took a stroll around to look at what each of the vendors were offering and were really impressed with the quality of the food.  The city of Saigon itself is not somewhere that we would go out of our way to return to any time soon, but we had a great time and have some fond memories and great pictures to remember it by.

Once back in Bangkok, our remaining 3 days went by like a blur.  We met up with Amber’s dad’s friend, Poon (Thuey) and his family for an incredible dinner out one night. We visited Wat Solthon, the Thai Buddhist Temple  of fertility where we paid respects for all of the prayers that Amber’s family made to help bring Maylee into this world. We went with Moi and stopped for the best sukiyaki we’ve ever had on the way back. Moi pointed out that only really old people frequented the restaurant, but that didn’t matter as we absolutely punished every bit of food that came our way. On our last day we went to the Siribunrit family rice business to celebrate Chinese New Year with them. Everyone gives candy and money to the children.  Maylee was included and we are so thankful for all of their family’s generosity towards her. It was great seeing the extended family.  Portia outlined the Siribunrit family tree and pointed out who was who … I think I got it all down … they are a huge family, so it was a bit of a challenge. Conversation was  limited at times due to language barriers, but the family was so incredibly gracious that we felt right at home!

All in all, the trip flew by faster than we could have imagined. This trip was especially nice since we had already seen all the sights and there wasn’t so much pressure to get out and go sight-seeing.  Instead, we caught up with family and friends and just gorged ourselves on food. We’re so happy that everyone was able to meet Maylee and we are already looking forward to the next time that we can go!

Amber and Maylee pose right outside of our condo in Bangkok on our first day.

Amber getting her fix of satay at JJ food market

Visit & Trevor enjoy lunch in the Thai food market at JJ

Maylee is hot and tuckered out after a long afternoon in the Thai food market

We finally learned that this is dragon fruit.

Amber at one of the new subway stations near Sukhumvit (the main drag)

We had a heck of time finding this place. Didn’t know that there is a such thing as 21st Street, 21st Street sub-street 1, 21st street sub-street 2, etc etc

… to get the goods

Amber, Sumalee, and Portia at the Chinese restaurant in Chinatown in Bangkok

Dinner out with the Siribunrit family

Dinner out with the Siribunrit extended family

Wi-Chien (one of Amber’s uncles) and his wife enjoying time with Maylee

Amber getting ready to board Air Asia en route to Saigon

Dinner at Hua Toc our first night in Saigon

T&A outside of Hua Toc, the first restaurant we went to in Vietnam. Restaurants close at 930pm due to the Communist government, so we were rushed through dinner.

This lady worked hard setting up her portable fruit stand every morning. No idea what was actually on it.

This was the view from our hotel in Saigon, down a “quiet” sidestreet

Amber in the flower/plant market in Saigon

Trev posing with New Years decorations in the flower/plant market

Yay Communism!

This chick is making Amber’s favorite food. Don’t ask me to pronounce it, I couldn’t even if it was written in front of me.

One of many fish ladies at Ben Tanh market

Trevor on the meat aisle at the Ben Tanh market

Amber shopping for cool Vietnamese gifts. By the end of our stay in Saigon she had really sharpened her bargaining skills.

Amber enjoying food at our favorite restaurant in Saigon.

Making the coconut desserts at our favorite restaurant

This may look gross, but it is an awesome Vietnamese dessert … mostly coconut.

Amber in front of our favorite restaurant with all of the street vendors.

T&A with some Pepsi cartoon animal for Tet.

Pro-Communism advertisement. Those cartoon characters sure look happy!

Amber’s attempt at a sexy pic in front of an old car in front of the Vietnamese History Museum. Notice the lack of effort (although the 90 degree heat and 95% humidity is a valid excuse).

Hai!

Amber posing on the street in Saigon.

This picture doesn’t even do justice for the ridiculous number of mopeds out on the road. Crossing the street is a daunting process.

Trev posing in front of our awesome hotel … $42 a night!

Amber posing in front of one of the streets decorated with incredible lights for the upcoming Tet festival for Chinese New Year

Look at those guns!

Trev at the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, also called the Museum of American Atrocities. It’s a museum devoted to pics and descriptions of the Vietnam War as dictated by the Communist government.

Trev enjoying our last meal out in Saigon

Amber at Wat Solthon

Trev, Am, aand Maylee pose for a pic with the Buddha at Wat Solthon

Amber applying gold leaf to the Buddha at Wat Solthon

The offerings that were brought from people to the Wat Solthon, in hopes for fertility

Maylee just enjoyed watching the Thai dancers do a dance for her donation

Amber, Trevor, Maylee, and Portia outside Wat Solthon, the Thai temple for fertility

Ouen, Moi’s husband, enjoying time with Maylee

Common sight of Maylee napping in the car. Notice no carseats are used in Thailand.

The offering for the Siribunrit family deceased elders on Chinese New Year

Yo, Perm, Suchada, Trevor and Maylee

Chinese New Year with the Siribunrit family

Taking a tuk-tuk ride out on the town

Heading to Cali November 15, 2010

Trev and I visited California this past weekend to visit good friends and go wine tasting. Orla and Brad just had a beautiful girl Brie and it was so wonderful to finally meet the little munchkin.  She is just precious and takes after her mommy and daddy so much.  On Saturday, we headed up to wine country for the annual Wine and Food Affair, an event that Trevor and I have been keeping our eye on for a few years, but finally were able to make it happen this year.  It’s a two day festival in the Russian River Valley/Dry Creek/Healdsburg area of Sonoma that focuses on wine and food pairing – a match made in heaven! And that’s exactly what is was.  Hannah came for a bit on Saturday too to join in the fun. On the tail end of our trip we walked around San Francisco and hit up Chinatown for some dim sum.  We had a great time in California and hope to visit again soon!

Girls Weekend in the Big Apple September 27, 2010

My girlfriends in Atlanta decided to make a trip to the Big Apple this past weekend.  It was so wonderful to see my sister and spend time with the girls exploring the city. Heidi, Lisa, Sarah and I all flew out on Friday for the weekend and tried to immerse ourselves in the Sex and the City lifestyle.  On Friday, we headed to happy hour with my sister, her boyfriend Ted and their coworkers at Manitoba’s, a cool dive bar in Alphabet City.  We enjoyed tapas and sangrias at Esparanto’s, a cute Brazilain restaurant before calling it a night so we  could get some rest before a fun filled day on Saturday.  We started the day off by people watching in Central Park, followed by a stroll down Fifth Avenue.  Aura brought us to her company store at Loreal so we could stock up on beautifying goodies and products.  We walked down to Wall Street and then ended the afternoon enjoying food cart grub at the South Street Seaport where we could see Brooklyn Bridge.  Saturday night we headed to Brooklyn for a house party and sushi and ended the night with dancing at the China Room.  It was an amazing weekend with Aura and friends….can’t wait to go back soon!

Go Blue! September 7, 2010

We finally made a trip back to the Big House! It had been several years since both Trevor and I visited Ann Arbor together, so this was a special treat, especially since we brought Maylee.  It was Maylee’s first plane ride too.  She did awesome and we can already tell she will take after her mom and dad to be a world traveler.

We arrived on Friday and the place was swarming with freshmen moving into their dorms and houses and others preparing for the first football weekend.  We met up with a bunch of friends – Scott, Jennie and Matt from Atlanta met us there, Stacey and Ryan drove in from Chicago and Marc and Cheryl flew in from DC. We hit up our favorite Dominick’s and it was all that we remembered! Great food, great sangria and great atmosphere.  Maylee thoroughly enjoyed the pizza bread also.

We spent Saturday tailgaiting at the golf course with friends!  We had an awesome time and our hosts of the tailgate, Dustin, Paige and Joe really knew how to do it right. They had 2 deep fried turkeys, burgers, BBQ chicken, homemade baked goods, and more!  And we can’t forget fixins for bloody marys, mimosas and shotskis.

Before we headed to the airport we had breakfast with Stacey and Ryan at one of our favorite spots – Afternoon Delight.  All in all, we had an amazing weekend with friends and we’re hoping Maylee is our good luck charm to Michigan’s winning season

Happy Anniversary August 16, 2010

Trevor and I are celebrating our five year anniversary on August 20th.  It’s been the most amazing five years and I couldn’t imagine life without him.  So much happened….we got married, bought a new house, got our furry friend Brighton and then had our first daughter.  It’s been an incredible journey and each day I am so thankful to have him in my life.

We celebrated our anniversary by spending a few days in Oregon, which has always been a place we have wanted to visit due to their reputation of being a laid back city and for it’s award winning wine tasting.  It didn’t dissapoint. We started our trip spending two nights in Portland and one full day of walking the town….awe probably walked about 10 miles exploring the city and we fell in love with it.  It was by far the most laid back and relaxed city we have been to…No one was in a rush and cars actually stopped while they had green lights to let us cross the street.  We hit up 6 breweries within a 24 hour span and of course we didn’t even make a dent…Our favorite brewery by far was Deschutes, followed by Lucky Labrador and Amnesia. Everyone was so incredibly friendly and all the breweries welcomed dogs, kids and people wanting to sit back and enjoy a board game or a good book.  The hot weather in Atlanta followed us there, but it was perfect weather to be outside and exploring.  After our quick jaunt in Portland, we drove about 45  minutes to Willamette Valley Region, famous for pinot noirs, to continue our adventure.  Our first day we visited 6 wineries and ended the night having an amazing dinner at Farm to Fork restaurant.  Our second day we continued wine tasting and exploring the region.  We quickly learned that Pinot Noirs in this region are definitely more of the traditional and true Burgundian style with an earthy and mineral finish. We bought a few bottles of our favorites and ended the night with another amazing dinner at Tina’s, a small restaurant  focused on seasonal and organic fare. It was a perfect ending to a truly wonderful trip.  We hope to go back to Oregon someday soon….it was definitely a trip to remember!

Heading down to Paradise May 31, 2010

We’ve made a tradition of going down to Florida every year with our good friends. The past few years we’ve headed down to Destin over Labor Day weekend, but this year we decided to go on Memorial Day weekend.  As always, we had an amazing time with friends just relaxing and enjoying our time together.   This year, the crowd consisted of Trevor, Maylee and me, Greg and Heidi (and their little boy Kendrick), Lisa and Eric (recently engaged-congrats!) and John and Diana.  It was our first vacation with Maylee and she did so great.  Her and Kendrick were spotted in the pool checking each other out a few times  We had amazing weather and our house was located in Seaside, a quaint beachside area spotted with outdoor restaurants, boutiques and bike rental shops. We spent our days lounging by the pool and white sand beaches and spent our evenings cooking extremely large feasts enough to feed twenty.  The boys even fell in love with the game canasta….who knew? We all really enjoyed just relaxing and taking in the beautiful scenery.  Maylee and Kendrick were such good babies too and it was so fun to see them interact with everyone and their new surroundings.  It was sad to see the trip coming to an end, but we look forward to next year!

Maylee experiencing the ocean for the first time

Kendrick

Fun in the sun with Daddy

Maylee making footprints in the sand

Greg & Kendrick

Trev and Maylee enjoying the ocean

Trev and Greg playing frisbee

Happy little beach bum

Am & Maylee

Celebrating Lisa and Eric’s engagement

The Ladies – Heidi, Diana, Am and Lisa

Da Boys – John, Eric, Trev and Greg

Everyone hanging out at our pool

Kendrick making the moves on Maylee

He’s such the player

Pinata that Trevor got me for my birthday – it was so durable none of us could break it!

Contents of Pinata

Gourmet pizza

Gourmet Pizza night – BBQ Chicken

Preparing our meals – European style, eating at about 10pm

Am whipping up a ridiculously large salad trying to use every leftover ingredient in the fridge

John in the kitchen – where he belongs :-)

Heidi working hard to remove all the wine stains from the counter

“Green Dress” night

Girls weekend May 3, 2010

Trevor and I feel so fortunate to have wonderful family and friends. My best friends from college, Sarah, Stacey and Hannah, have been truly amazing girls and I can’t imagine life without them. It’s not often you can get us 4 girls together …with Sarah heading to Philly for her combined internship/residency, Hannah starting a graduate degree program in the fall, Stacey having an unpredictable schedule at Loyola and me being a new mom….BUT we made it happen in Chicago this past weekend!  We made the most of our short time together by relaxing, shopping around and going out for brunch. Saturday night, Stacey whipped up some mean mojitors before we went out for tapas and dancing.   Here are some pictures from the weekend festivities…

Trip to the Windy City October 12, 2009

Stacey and Rocky

At mile 24 cheering the boys on

Good job guys!

Enjoying potbelly sammies

Stacey & Am showing their potbellies

Trevor and I went back to our old stomping grounds in Chicago this weekend to visit our best friends Stacey and Ryan and for Trevor to reclaim the gold running the Chicago Marathon!….Well, OK, not the gold, but he did great! Trevor and Ryan have been training over the past few months to run the Chicago Marathon for the second time. The weather was definitely different that what we were used to in Atlanta, so we bundled up for most of the weekend. The temperature was about 30 degrees at the start of the race!  Stacey, Rocky and I cheered them on at mile 24, probably where they needed it the most! Congrats you guys to a great race!  Me and Stacey had a  pretty low-key just hanging out and relaxing! I’m so happy I was able to make the trip…being almost 34 weeks pregnant, I didn’t think my doctor’s were going to allow me to go, but with Dr.’s orders of taking it really easy I was able to!  We had such a nice weekend and we were able to hit up some of our favorite past hang outs – like Piece, Potbelly’s and Goose Island Brewpub.

Our trip to Destin September 6, 2009

Last year we spent Labor day weekend with friends in Destin, and we had such a great time, we decided to make it an annual trip! This year we rented a house in Santa Rosa (near Destin) and spent 5 nights there. The time we get to spend with friends is the best part of the trip - this year, Eric & Lisa, Greg & Heidi, John & Diana, and Roger & Karen all came down. We spent lots of time on the beach and at the pool, eating, playing games, and just hanging out and relaxing.  Here a link to the beach house we stayed at: http://www.beachseekers.com/Florida/SantaRosaBlueMountainBeach/ViewFinder

Lisa & Eric

Heidi and the cutest sun bunny

Kendrick’s first pool day

Greg and Special K – look at that smirk!

The Ladies of Santa Rosa Beach

Compliments of John’s garden

Lisa, Diana & Am enjoying the beach

Rockin’ out to Rock Band

Lisa & Eric

The Seevers

Chillin’ at our house

Am & Dee