Shifen Waterfall, PingXi

My biggest driving accomplishment happened when we went to PingXi and Shifen Waterfall. I borrowed a friends GPS but it wouldn't find our destination so I just winged it. I stopped once for directions but was totally patting myself on the back because I was on the right track. 

Once we got to PingXi (the place where the lantern festival is held) we got out and had a picnic before exploring the little town a bit. 

Lot's of sights and smells and "culture".

This sweet lady sold us these hats for about $1 U.S. each. That is a deal I can handle.

Grandma "Pixie" and Papa John with the three amigos.

I first heard about Shifen falls from Pinterest. I didn't put it together that it was so close to PingXi until I googled it. I was excited to go check it out but not holding my breath. 

                           

I was pleasantly surprised. It's rare in Asia that something exceeds my expectation.

But Shifen Falls definitely did. It was beautiful.

You can actually take a little train from PingXi up to Shifen waterfall which could be fun to do another time with different visitors (HINT, HINT- to anyone who wants to take it).

It was a stunning waterfall. I was so glad we went to see it. 

I was also glad we left Ander home with a sitter. It wasn't really an Ander friendly outing... though most aren't these days. He is a WILD man. But that is a story for another day. 

Grandpa Time

 My dad was certainly busy this trip. He spent literally hours, roughhousing with the kids out on the trampoline. They would beg him to go out and play with them and day after day, he obliged. It's a testament to his endurance and courage that he could handle 4 wild things at once. It is what the kids have talked about the most though so it was obviously their favorite activity.

 Nathan was gone most of when my dad was able to be here but we did all get to go and see Hunger Games together which was awesome (except that for some reason the ENTIRE audience broke out into laughter every time it cut to Gale watching the games from District 12. There were no words on the screen at the time as nothing was being said and other friends reported the same experience when they saw it. So strange. Anyway, I digress) but once Nathan left it was up to me to get us around which definitely stretched my abilities. We did eventually find the beautiful Calla lilly festival going on further up the mountain.

 Plenty of time loving on this little sweety pie.

And we also went to the zoo one hot day. We had a pretty good time, we got to see the Panda Bears which is always pretty neat. Aaand I even got us home without having to make an international call to have Nathan tell me where I was and where I needed to go, success!

Spring Break Visitors!

 When my parents heard that Nathan would be out of town for the week before spring break this year, they decided to come for a visit when they could both give me a hand and also get some quality time while the kids were home from school. It all came together rather last minute which is my favorite way. Before we knew it Grandma and Grandpa were on their way to us.

They arrived early Friday morning and decided they felt well enough, in spite of jet lag, to accompany Nathan on Aly's field trip to the strawberry patch. They literally left our house after arriving only a half an hour earlier.

 Aly was excited to have her dad and her grandparents go with to the strawberry patch. She enjoyed picking her strawberries and getting to eat strawberry ice cream.

I met them back at the school and Nathan and I took my parents to Din Tai Fung, the best soup dumplings in the world. So. Good. Not bad for a first day battling jet lag. We were so excited to have them!!!

Father Daughter Ball 2012

 This year, for the Father/Daughter Ball the theme was Alice in Wonderland. My options are limited and different than how I would go about getting a costume for Kennedy in the states. I find myself making do a lot, which is good for me, right?

Thankfully I have some of my old dance costumes with us so I sacrificed one and had a local sewing lady take off the sequins that had been on it and fit it to Kenna and she wore it over a Cinderella costume we had and it worked perfectly! (well, perfectly enough)

Nathan rented a tux and it was the first time he's worn one since we were married. He looked so handsome, I was a little envious I wasn't going out with him. He searched all over Taipei to locate a top hat since the invitation suggested he wear one, and Kennedy was really hoping he would find one.

 Kennedy, or rather, Ms. Alice, was wearing a hair bow, where her bow was made out of her hair. I ran out of time and ended up feeling like the practice run the night before had been a pinch better but she was thrilled how it turned out so I resisted the urge to keep primping and let her go.

 Not too shabby. It makes me wonder how easy it would be to do this if we didn't have 4 other kids running around and in the mix.

And of course the Mad Hatter has the fraction on his hat which upon Googling it's significance is supposedly the price of the hat, 10 shillings 6 pence. Interesting.

 They were off, headed for a night of fancy food, fun games and dancing. They were not disappointed. Kennedy looks forward to this night all year long. Truth be told, so does Nathan.

 This was Aly after they left. It's hard being a 5 year old -excuse me- 5 and a half  year old, when there is a magical Ball on the line. Maybe next year sweety peety. (I should mention Nathan took her out on a date the night before, lest anyone feel too sorry for her).

 

Kohen, however, was ready to party.

Not the King James Version

I know Eve was the mother of all living but I've never seen it interpreted so literally before. If that is in fact what one is to deduce. 

 Even after three years in Taiwan, there are some things that simply defy understanding... or explanation.

????????? Any ideas??? Anyone??????????