The Return to Hong Kong

Well, our summer in the states has come to an end once again. It has been a very busy and fun-filled summer, but never long enough! We start our journey back to Hong Kong tomorrow morning with our 12+ bags in tow...hmmm...I think that is how many bags we packed the day we originally moved to Hong Kong...Craig doesn't quite understand how we have so much going back...hmmmm...oh well...perhaps we try and fill our bags with things from home as part of our attempt to get that feeling of home while we are in Hong Kong.

Anyway, we have had some great family and friends time over the summer and tried to pack in as much as we could. We always seem to run out of time to get everyone in our schedule, but we do our best. The kids start school on August 16th so we must return and get acclimated to the time zone and the heat and humidity!

See you all soon!! As always, stay tuned to our blog for some more interesting adventures in Hong Kong over the next year...hoping to explore some new areas this year.

The Unattainable "Trophy"

Kyra chose to do two triathlons this summer, the first one being the Miracles of Mitch triathlon that she completed on July 14. The second one, the Chisago Lakes Kids Triathlon, is one that she's competed in for the last several years. This year she invited her best friend, Grace, to do it also. It was Grace's first triathlon and she did great!

Kyra has a bit of history with this race, which Craig and I find a bit amusing. The first year the kids did this race we really didn't know what to expect and signed them up on the morning of the race...no training, just decided to give it a try. Much to their surprise, Trey and Kyra placed fourth in their respective age categories. We were so proud of them and had a great time cheering them on. They decided they wanted to stay and watch the "awards" handed out, not really knowing what that meant. They watched in awe as the top three finishers in each age category were awarded large trophies. Right then and there, they both decided that they were going to really give it their best and maybe even do a little training before the race the next year...

Well, they were true to their word and gave it their all the next year...they were so supportive of each other and once again we had a great time cheering them on. They worked so hard and both ended up placing in the top three in their respective age categories. They were so excited and could hardly stand the anticipation of receiving their first "real trophies". The awards ceremony soon began and with a bit of disappointment in their hearts, they went up and received their paper certificates...alas...no trophies this year!

Well, despite their disappointment they both chose to participate again in the triathlon the following year, but without as much spring in their step or drive in their race. I wouldn't say they didn't try their best, but perhaps didn't feel the need to push beyond what they thought their "best" was...really...who needed another paper certificate that they know their mom could create at home? So, they did great again and we, again, loved cheering them on...and once again placed just out of the top three in their age categories. Their choosing to stay for the awards ceremony was almost like they wanted to feel like they weren't the only ones who didn't get trophies, like they can relate in their disappointment. But, no, it wasn't meant to be. They magically started pulling out fancy crystal statues as the awards this year. What? No paper certificates? Once again...left the triathlon a little more disappointed...

Oh no, you think the story ends there, but it doesn't!

This brings us up to this summer. Kyra was very excited to do a couple triathlons as she has come a long way in swimming this year being on the swim team in Hong Kong. One of the great things about the Miracles of Mitch actual triathlon is that they HIGHLY encourage the kids to SWIM the swim portion of the race. This is where the Chisago Lakes Kids Triathlon struggles. They generally have the kids swimming at such a shallow level of water that 95% of the kids run in the water instead of making any attempt to swim...because it is faster. I watched in a bit of dismay as the kids who are trying to "swim" get trampled by those who are "running the swim". For that reason, Trey opted out of participating this year...it was just too frustrating. Kyra, however, decided to do it despite that aspect. Coming into this summer she is probably the most fit she has ever been and so she was pretty determined to do her best in an attempt to FINALLY get whatever "trophy" they were giving out this year.

Once again, we loved cheering her on and had the whole family there to support her and her friend Grace. We could see that she was really pushing herself. Much to her pleasure, she placed third in her age category and graciously went up to receive her new backpack at the awards ceremony...huh?...backpack? oh well...she still had a great time...maybe next year???

Now for those of you who are saying she shouldn't be focused on the trophy, I will only say this...there were no expectations of such a thing until the moment they were given out the first year of the triathlon...and I say a little reward to encourage the kids to strive for their best is not a bad thing. Lots of life lessons being learned through these triathlon experiences... :)

Miracles of Mitch Triathlon

Kyra did an amazing job in her triathlon this past Saturday. It was EXTREMELY hot, so it wasn't exactly pleasant, but she pushed herself to do her best which was so fun to watch. It was a bit of a treat when a young lady approached Kyra and said "hi, I'm Amanda" and Kyra recognized her face as the girl that she was "racing for". She thanked Kyra for racing and raising money for the Miracles of Mitch Foundation. It was a great experience for Kyra. Trey and I were running all over the place in our attempts to get photos and video of the race so we were hot and sweaty after her race also! :)

I know that Kyra will be sending out her thank yous, but I want to take a moment and say thank you so much to those of you who donated to her cause...it is greatly appreciated!

July 4th in Minnesota

Well, I guess technically this really isn't part of our "Hong Kong" experience except that because we are living in Hong Kong, we have become somewhat like nomads without a place to really call home while we are in the States for the summer. Because of our change, our summers are quite a bit different than in previous years. The July 4th holiday weekend is normally a big family tradition for us to celebrate in Siren, Wisconsin while we stay at our cabin in that area. Since Craig won't be here until the end of July, I chose not to "open the cabin" on my own with the four kids.

That all being said, we were invited to my sister's place on the lake in Shoreview and the kids had a fabulous time seeing and playing with most of their cousins. The boys basically spent about 8 hours playing playing whiffle ball down on the beach. Throughout the day they seemed to attract various people to play...but the core cousins remained throughout.

The girls seemed to be more attracted to spending time on and in the water and that is what I captured on film this time around and thought I'd share a few photos.

It was a great day had by all!

Summer in the U.S.

Well, I'm not sure how much I'll post this summer, but we are about 3 weeks into our stay in the U.S. We miss daddy terribly but have been trying to maximize our time with family and friends. Kyra has already been to Bible camp, at which she had a fabulous time. Trey will be going to the same camp with a good friend in about a week. It is always a great time for them and I'm so thankful we are able to make it work this summer. I haven't taken a ton of photos yet this summer as we are just taking it all in and we have been moving around a bit, mooching off of our dear friends for places to stay. We are now in one place for the month of July and will hopefully spend the last two weeks here at the cabin with daddy!

Had to post this adorable photo of Keely with her best friend, Elyza!