tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52451682388421618842024-03-15T18:09:06.434-07:00My Emiline. Living. Kids. Crafts.Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.comBlogger218125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-81409915006738146942016-08-22T23:32:00.001-07:002016-08-22T23:32:41.488-07:00Grandma Jenny and Papi in Kyoto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My parents came to visit in April, and in addition to watching Will play tee ball and Clara dance, we took them to Kyoto! We only spent a couple of days there, with the first day being repeats of places that we visited before, so I'll just give a quick recap from our first day. </div>
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First, we went to <a href="http://myemiline.blogspot.jp/2014/09/kyoto-trip-fushimi-inari-taisha.html" target="_blank">Fushimi Inari</a>, one of my very favorite places in all of Japan!</div>
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Then, of course, we had to show them the <a href="http://myemiline.blogspot.jp/2014/09/kyoto-trip-kinkakuji-golden-pavilion.html" target="_blank">Golden Pavilion</a>!</div>
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And, then, to finish off our day, we took them to <a href="http://myemiline.blogspot.jp/2014/09/kyoto-trip-nijo-castle.html" target="_blank">Nijo Castle</a>, or, as we like to call it: Ninja Castle.</div>
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The rest of our time in Kyoto was spent going to new places, which I'll post about soon!</div>
<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-81244887530853609242016-08-22T22:48:00.000-07:002016-08-22T22:48:02.019-07:00Tee Ball and Ballet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
April was full of firsts for our family! William played tee ball and last season and had his first game on the same day as Clara's ballet recital! Here are a few pics of his game and one of his hits!</div>
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Back in the fall, Clara started taking ballet lessons and her first recital was in April. Her class performed Little Red Riding Hood. I was so proud of her for remembering all the steps and having such wonderful stage presence! I love watching my little Clara Bee dance!!!</div>
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I had a chance to perform too :) I took the adult ballet class last year just to keep up my skills and had fun dancing on stage with Clara.</div>
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<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-20181426508776931422016-08-21T22:54:00.001-07:002016-08-21T22:54:42.493-07:00Will's Art Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of the best things about our DOD elementary school here is the art program. William's teacher, Mr. Swigert, is phenomenal. He teaches the kids tons of different mediums and really makes art a wonderful experience for the. And, for us, each year he puts on a huge Art Show! They hang every piece of artwork from the school year and families are invited to come and walk around. We knew Will loved his art classes, but a surprise to us was that he won 1st place for his age group for his painting of the The Princess and the Pea! His was prize was that his piece is printed in the <i>Sun 42</i> book of art (I think it contains prints of all the winners from the Asia North region), and his painting will be framed and remain hung on the walls of the school here forever! Pretty awesome. I am so proud of my little artist!</div>
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He had several other projects displayed, but these two below were my favorites!</div>
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<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-44039382550543690492016-08-21T22:34:00.001-07:002016-08-21T22:34:51.857-07:00A Day in Yokohama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last year, we went down to Yokohama to visit the <a href="http://myemiline.blogspot.jp/2015/05/cup-noodles-museum.html" target="_blank">Cup Noodle Museum</a> and also visit Chinatown, but we ended up spending so much time at the museum that we didn't end up having time to walk through Chinatown. We finally found a spare day (a year later!) to drive down, explore Chinatown, and eat some dim sum. </div>
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After walking around a bit, we found an all-you-can-eat dim sum restaurant and gorged ourselves on delicious Chinese food :)</div>
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We explored a bunch more shops in Chinatown and had fun seeing all the unique souvenirs and Chinese grocery stores.</div>
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After Chinatown, we walked over to Yamashita Park right along the water. The kids ran around for a while and then we went and checked out a water safety (we think that's what it was about!) festival! The kids got to try on coast guard uniforms, sit on a mini police motorcycle, touch and hold sea creatures, and we watched a helicopter water rescue demonstration. It was pretty cool and quite entertaining for the kids!</div>
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We walked down the boardwalk a ways, relaxed on some grass for a while, happened upon an <a href="http://www.tokyoweekender.com/events/indian-festival-holi/" target="_blank">Indian Holi Festival</a> at the <a href="http://www.yokohama-akarenga.jp/en/" target="_blank">Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse</a>, and then walked down to grab some malasadas from <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g298173-d1832798-Reviews-Leonard_s_at_World_Porters-Yokohama_Kanagawa_Prefecture_Kanto.html" target="_blank">Leonard's at World Porters</a>. It was a packed day full of fun and delicious food!!</div>
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GPS Coordinates:</div>
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Chinatown: 35.443485, 139.646487</div>
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Yamashita Park: 35.445898, 139.649748</div>
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Red Brick Warehouse: 35.453239, 139.643139</div>
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World Porter's: 35.454264, 139.638782</div>
<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-73893467987157837242016-08-21T21:38:00.000-07:002016-08-21T21:38:48.624-07:00Moomin ParkHave you ever heard of the Finnish character, Moomin??? Moomins are big, white hippopotamus-type animals. And, well, before we had moved here, I hadn't ever heard of them either! But Japanese people love Moomin and so they are everywhere! In fact, nearby in Saitama, there is even a <a href="https://tokyocheapo.com/lifestyle/outdoors/where-dreams-come-true-the-free-moomin-themed-park-in-saitama/" target="_blank">Moomin Park</a> where the buildings look like the Moomin houses in the Finnish stories. It's a free park and it is completely charming. The houses are big with stairs, nooks and crannies for kids to explore. We went with a bunch of friends and our kids never wanted to leave. It would be perfect to bring a picnic lunch and a ball to kick around as well. But, the drive is well worth the outing!<br />
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GPS Coordinates: 35.830779, 139.344180Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-19173907813058609472016-08-21T18:23:00.001-07:002016-08-21T18:23:41.812-07:00Clara's 4th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In April, Clara turned 4! She wanted a Peppa Pig Tea Party, with princess dresses :) So, that's what we did! All of her neighborhood friends came over and we ate lunch, played musical "muddy puddles" (brown felt cut out like puddles), freeze dance, pin Peppa's face on her body, and then each of the kids got an umbrella so we had a big parade! Overall, I think it was a successful party for our 4 year old princess!</div>
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Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-76088748391903957282016-08-21T17:40:00.000-07:002016-08-21T17:40:42.774-07:002016 Cherry Blossoms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This year I didn't feel nearly as stressed out to get to every single sakura spot before the cherry blossoms disappeared like I did last year. Instead, we picked a few places we really wanted to visit and then just enjoyed the season! I loved going all over the place last year, but it was so much more enjoyable this year because it didn't feel like such a task! </div>
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Clara, Bennett, and I started out the season by going on a bike ride with our friends, Leanna VanDusen and Natalie Trowbridge and their little ones. We rode our mamacharis down the path out the east gate over to Show Park and back. These were actually some of the best blossoms I've seen! Almost the entire path (about 3 miles) was covered in blossoms making it feel so magical. We had a really fun day riding along with friends and enjoying the beautiful sakura!</div>
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We also went to the Hamura Sakura Festival this year, after having missed it last year. And it was wonderful! The path along the river is lined with sakura trees and they hang charming red lanterns from the trees during the sakura season. We walked along the path enjoying delicious festival food, playing little festival games, and Peter and I tried out the super hot foot onsen! It was a really fun day.</div>
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Some of the very best cherry blossoms every year are the ones here on base! We have several sakura lined streets, and so one day on our walk to church, we stopped and took some family photos with the blossoms.</div>
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And I can't forget to include shots from Peter's bike rides! Here are a couple of shots from the pagoda close by Tama Lake, just about 10 minutes from the base.</div>
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And, our last hanami spot this year was a repeat from last year, but we couldn't miss it because it's our favorite spot! We went back to Inokashira Park in Kichijoji to ride the swan boats and enjoy the sakura with hundreds of other people! </div>
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<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-75340643435391320592016-08-19T05:40:00.001-07:002016-08-19T05:40:31.559-07:00Benny our Big 2 Year Old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Back on March 13, Benny turned 2! He was totally obsessed with balls and planes, so we had a soccer ball cake decorated with planes, and he was showered with toy planes from the movies <i>Planes</i>, an Aussie rugby ball, play golf clubs, and several more balls! We love our cute Benny boy and his big personality!</div>
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<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-29387660686908921642016-08-19T05:17:00.000-07:002016-08-19T05:22:25.367-07:00Down Unda: Brisbane Days 7 & 8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After spending two incredible days on the Gold Coast, we hopped in our car drove an hour north to Brisbane. We checked into the <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bnedt-brisbane-marriott-hotel/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2" target="_blank">Brisbane Marriott</a>, which is located right in the heart of Brisbane and overlooks the Brisbane River, and set off to explore the city. </div>
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The first thing I wanted to do once we arrived in Brisbane was to visit the <a href="https://www.lds.org/church/temples/brisbane-australia?lang=eng" target="_blank">Brisbane Temple</a>. When I served my mission in Brisbane 13 years ago, the second area I served in was the temple grounds. The temple had just finished being built and I had the opportunity to serve at the open house leading up to its dedication. Serving at the temple open house was one of the best experiences of my mission. I had some of my most spiritual experiences during that time and I loved having the opportunity to introduce people to the peace and serenity of the Lord's house. So, as you can assume, I was anxious to get back to the Brisbane temple and to show my husband and kids this place that meant so much to me as a missionary.</div>
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After walking the grounds and taking a bunch of pictures, we crossed the street to Kangaroo Point to see the views of the city. Then, we walked down the stairs of the cliff and walked along the river for a bit, until we were too hot and anxious to go swimming!</div>
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We drove over to South Bank to check out their incredible swimming spaces. At <a href="http://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/south-bank/things-to-do/swimming-at-south-bank?sc_lang=en-au" target="_blank">South Bank</a> is Aquativity, an awesome splash pad that all 3 kids absolutely loved, a large pool, called the Boat Pool, and Streets Beach, a manmade beach right by the pools in the center of the city! And there is a large playground, shopping, and restaurants all around. And, as if it couldn't get any better, all of the aquatic spaces overlook the Brisbane River! Spectacular. If you ever find yourself in Brisbane, with or without kids, I highly recommend visiting South Beach! For lunch we hit up <a href="https://www.guzmanygomez.com/locations/" target="_blank">Guzman y Gomez</a>, and it was exactly what this Mexican food-deprived mama needed!! It was really a fun day and a great introduction to Brisbane!</div>
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Our 8th day in Australia (essentially our last day since we just woke up and headed to the airport on day 9), was probably my favorite and our family's most memorable day from our whole trip. We were really worried because the forecast all week leading up to our last day had been predicting heavy rain. And that was the day we were planning on going to Steve Irwin's <a href="http://www.australiazoo.com.au/" target="_blank">Australia Zoo</a>. So, we woke up that last morning, ate breakfast, and then waited. We waited for the rain to come. And we were back and forth, back and forth, as to whether or not we should go. It was still looking clear by 8:00ish, which is when we were planning on heading up to the Sunshine Coast to get to the zoo by 9. We decided to just do it! We hopped in our car, stopped at a convenience store and bought 5 ponchos, and then made the scenic drive an hour north to Beerwah. By the time we arrived at the zoo, it was still . . . clear!!! In fact, it never rained once the entire day!!! The weather was absolutely perfect and we had the BEST DAY EVER. I am so glad we went! And that the weather predictions were totally wrong!</div>
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Here we are, super excited to go in and showing off our best kangaroo hops :)</div>
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Australia Zoo is full of hands-on experiences. Touching lizards, holding birds, petting crocodiles (!!), seeing emus, otters, koalas, kimodo dragons, and of course, feeding kangaroos! We had a blast seeing all the animals and watching the shows. The tiger show was UNBELIEVABLE. The birds and crocodiles were amazing to watch as well. And somewhat frightening! Those crocs are scary!! Besides feeding the kangaroos, my favorite part of the day was getting to hold a koala! So cuddly!!! It was really an unforgettable day. So amazing. </div>
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After leaving the zoo, we decided to drive up the Sunshine Coast a little further to see its infamous coastline. Australia is full of gorgeous beaches, and we couldn't leave without at least taking a glimpse at one of the Sunshine Coast's most beautiful beaches, <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/qld1553" target="_blank">Shelly Beach in Caloundra</a>. We parked at a look-out point and caught some beautiful views before the sun went down. </div>
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Seeing this gorgeous beach was a perfect send-off to one of best trips we've ever taken! Australia, we love you!!!Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-20251212877710756512016-06-16T01:25:00.002-07:002016-08-19T03:26:28.802-07:00Down Unda: Gold Coast Days 5 & 6Day 5 of our epic Australian adventure took us from Sydney to Brisbane, well the Gold Coast, actually, but we spent the morning flying into Brisbane and then picking up a rental car and driving an hour south to check in at the <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/oolsp-surfers-paradise-marriott-resort-and-spa/" target="_blank">Surfer's Paradise Marriott Hotel</a>. All of the Marriotts that we stayed in in Australia were amazing, but the Surfer's Paradise Marriott wins FOR. SURE. It was unbelievable. Our room had an amazing view of the city, which is built upon canals weaving up and down streets, and right on the beach. And the rooms, food, and accommodations were awesome. But, the best part of the hotel was the pool! It was actually made up of a few pools, one of which was salt water with a man-made beach. And in the pool was reef with hundreds of fish that you could swim with and snorkel! It was really unbelievable. We could have spent a week at this hotel and been perfectly happy not ever leaving! But, we didn't have that luxury since we were there for only a couple of days and we had all of the Gold Coast to explore! We compromised though, and after getting settled in our hotel, we decided to just hang out and swim at the hotel for the rest of the day.<br />
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We couldn't leave the Gold Coast without dedicating a day to its beautiful beaches. We had really high hopes of visiting a few different beaches, but in the end, we decided to just hit up <a href="http://www.visitgoldcoast.com/places-to-see/burleigh-heads" target="_blank">Burleigh Heads Beach</a> and make a day of it. Burleigh Heads is gorgeous!!! There's a national park right on the beach, and they've got some great hiking trails and beautiful rocks and cliffs to explore. We didn't hike, but we stopped and took photos and enjoyed the views. They also had a really fun playground right by the beach that our kids had fun playing on while Bennett took a nap on the grass. Once he woke up, we set up camp on the beach and had a blast playing in the sand and the waves (which were HUGE btw). </div>
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After we had our fill of swimming and playing, we grabbed delicious tacos and gelato on the cute beachy-town streets of Burleigh Heads and then headed back to our hotel.</div>
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We let our kids swim in the pool while I got to meet up with a very dear friend, Emma Eriksson! Emma, her sister, and her dad were baptized while I was serving in Nerang in the Gold Coast 12 years ago! It was so, so, so wonderful to be able to sit and talk and catch up with her! She is an amazing girl and is very dear to my heart.</div>
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Then, after Emma left and we ate and rested a bit, I got to see more dear friends! Rachel and Kurei Smith, their kids, and Kurei's parents (who were all in Nerang ward when I served there) came to the hotel and we were able to visit while all of our kids swam together. It was such a fun reunion! Rachel and I had a special bond when I was a missionary and it was so good to reconnect with her. </div>
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The Gold Coast is such an amazing place, with people there that I love! Next time we will stay longer!!!</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 6962px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 6962px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></span>Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-2090031128054947602016-06-15T00:16:00.001-07:002016-08-19T03:26:58.452-07:00Down Unda: Sydney Days 3 & 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On day 3 in Sydney, we decided to take a tour bus out to the Blue Mountains. We used the company, <a href="http://www.oztrails.com.au/" target="_blank">Oz Trails</a>, and they were awesome. Our driver was extremely knowledgable about the landscape, history, including all of the Aboriginal history and lore, and he also taught us survival and medicinal, and apothecary tips using the local shrubs, trees and foliage. And the Blue Mountains are so, so, so breathtakingly gorgeous! </div>
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We stopped to check out an ancient Aboriginal carving of a kangaroo:</div>
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And continued on to a little hike or "bush walk" to a lookout point over Wentworth Falls. </div>
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This is the hollow tree that a didgeridoo is made of. </div>
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After Wentworth Falls, we got back on our bus and went over to <a href="http://www.scenicworld.com.au/" target="_blank">Scenic World</a> to see the famous 3 Sisters rock formation and more of the scenery within the Blue Mountains. We took the Skyway, Australia's highest cable car, the Cableway, walked through the forest on their Walkway, and then took the Railway, which is the steepest in the world! And it was steep! Our kids were practically crying they were so scared! It was awesome.</div>
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We took a ferry cruise home after a full day of visiting the Blue Mountains. It was a perfect day of beautiful sights and fun bush walks. I'm really glad we decided to go and see them. </div>
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Day 4 in Sydney was city time! We spent the entire day just doing more sightseeing within the city. We started out by walking down to the Sydney Opera House and checking the place out.</div>
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After the Opera House, we meandered our way through the <a href="https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/" target="_blank">Royal Botanic Garden</a> and let the kids run around, roll down hills, and smell the flowers. The gardens, right on the water in the middle of the city, are beautiful. Sydney really is one of the most scenic and beautiful cities in the world!</div>
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After exploring the gardens, we walked over to the <a href="https://www.sydneytowereye.com.au/" target="_blank">Sydney Tower Eye</a>, the tall tower that looms over the city. Along the way we had fun window shopping and checking out local street festivals and the city crowds.</div>
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Now, we've been to a lot of tall towers in our travels, but for whatever reason, our kids LOVED the Tower Eye. Actually, I think I know the reason: their 5 minute 4D movie about Sydney that everyone watches before taking the elevator up to the observation deck level! Our kids wanted to go back just to see the movie again! So funny. And, then after checking out the views from the top, we splurged and bought the cheesy green screen photos because they were just too funny!</div>
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We finished out our day by heading over to <a href="http://www.lunaparksydney.com/about" target="_blank">Luna Park</a>, a 1930s style amusement park. It was a fun atmosphere, but unfortunately our kids couldn't go on very many of the rides. But we had a fun time nonetheless!</div>
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We love Sydney! We had such a great time exploring and we'd love to go back again!</div>
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Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-74441980496459109282016-05-28T04:42:00.000-07:002016-05-28T04:47:55.432-07:00Down Unda: Sydney Days 1 & 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In March we did something that I've been wanting to do for 12 years! We visited Australia!!! Ever since coming home from my mission in June of 2004, I've wanted to go back and visit, and to take my family with me! Being here in Japan has opened up so many traveling opportunities for us, and Australia was one of them. It is so much more affordable to fly to Australia from Japan than from the states, so we figured that if we didn't go now, who knows when we ever would. And because the prices are so much less flying from Tokyo, we figured out that we could fly all 5 of us (well, we went 2 weeks before Bennett's second birthday, so technically we only had to pay for 4 tickets ;)) for the same price as if only Peter and I were to go from the states. So, in short, it was too sweet of a deal to pass up! And even better . . . once we arrived in Japan and conceived of this plan to visit my old mission country, we began accumulating Marriott points on our credit card so that we would have enough built up to pay for all of our lodging! Mission accomplished! By March we had enough points to stay at Marriotts in Sydney and in Brisbane for 8 nights for free! The hotels were unbelievable--they were in beautiful and ideal locations. It was absolutely perfect.</div>
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The flight from Tokyo to Sydney is LONG. About 9.5 hours. We took a redeye (with 3 kids--super fun btw) and arrived very early the next morning. Even though the flight would be rough, we thought it would be worth it to have a full day ahead of us that wasn't eaten up by traveling. Which turned out to be true, for the most part. We dropped our bags off at the beautiful <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sydak-pier-one-sydney-harbour-autograph-collection/" target="_blank">Pier One Sydney Harbour Marriott</a>, which is essentially right beneath the Harbour Bridge! The back of the hotel is on the water and it was gorgeous. </div>
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After walking around the Harbour a bit, we were starving, so we decided to pop into a burger place that looked pretty good. And, I don't want to brag or anything, but we happened to pick the best burger joint ever!!! Seriously, it was amazing! The place was called <a href="http://www.ribsandburgers.com/au/" target="_blank">Ribs and Burgers</a> and it was at The Rocks right by the Harbour. Peter and I each had "the burger with the lot", which in my opinion, is the only way to eat a burger when in Australia! The burger came loaded with beets, a fried egg, bacon, cheese, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, and pickles! Soooooo delicious. This is the food I have been missing since my mission!</div>
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After eating lunch, we opted to take a <a href="https://www.partner.viator.com/showDetail.jspa?productID=PRODUCT&productCode=5010SYDNEY&productName=Sydney-and-Bondi-Hop-on-Hop-off-Tour&destinationId=0&PUID=1074&setLocale=en&destinationName=" target="_blank">red, double decker Hop On Hop Off Bus</a>. This was a great way to see the city, especially since we didn't have a car and there aren't really any trains. Sydney is so beautiful and there is so much to see, but let me tell you, sitting in the hot sun on top of a bus the day after taking a 9 hour redeye flight with kids can make you quite sleepy! Hahaha, we may have struggled to stay awake, and more than a few us dozed off for a bit as well. Needless to say, we didn't "hop off" as often as we'd planned on doing! But, it was great nonetheless and we took it over to <a href="http://www.darlingharbour.com/" target="_blank">Darling Harbour</a>, which is a really cool area and has a super fun playground and water/splash pad area for kids. It was the perfect way to end a hot day of sightseeing. Well, the playground plus the yummy ice cream bars and Aussie treats and drinks that we snacked on of course!</div>
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At the end of the day, we strolled back past the <a href="http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/" target="_blank">Sydney Opera House</a> to our hotel exhausted, and ready for sleep.</div>
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Day 2 in Sydney we woke up and check out of our hotel and had a taxi drive us about a mile over to the <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sydmc-sydney-harbour-marriott-hotel-at-circular-quay/" target="_blank">Sydney Harbour Marriott</a> where we checked in to stay the rest of our time while in Sydney. Overlooking Circular Quay, this hotel was incredible! We had a great view of the Harbour and of the Opera House from our window. Gorgeous. </div>
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After checking out our new room, we loaded up and headed out to catch the ferry to take us across the bay to <a href="http://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/sydney-north/manly/beach-lifestyle" target="_blank">Manly</a>. </div>
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We had a fabulous day in Manly! We rented bikes, one with a half-wheeler attached for Will and one with a trailer attached for Bennett and Clara. Then we took off to explore! And, let me tell you, with 3 kids under 6, biking is so, so, so much better than walking! We rode over to Manly Beach and to the cliffs on the far end to explore "the wormhole". This was the perfect, short hike to do before soaking up the sun and playing in the water.</div>
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We hopped back on our bikes and found a little beach cafe after climbing on the rocks and through the wormhole. We ate delicious fish 'n chips, my very, very favorite Aussie meal, and then rode over to Shelly Beach to camp out for the rest of the afternoon. </div>
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Our day in Manly was absolutely perfect!!!</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5245168238842161884%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D7444198049645910928&media=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-EAG3Jn8y4Ig%2FV0lKVgEa3sI%2FAAAAAAAAICc%2FFSjx-ZjZtaExrJIOd2-8xQBj2tZLgU-ugCLcB%2Fs640%2FIMG_9712.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=kCBifK1W0n9g&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 12294px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5245168238842161884%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D7444198049645910928&media=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-EAG3Jn8y4Ig%2FV0lKVgEa3sI%2FAAAAAAAAICc%2FFSjx-ZjZtaExrJIOd2-8xQBj2tZLgU-ugCLcB%2Fs640%2FIMG_9712.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=kCBifK1W0n9g&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 12294px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-18425265861355964882016-05-20T06:10:00.000-07:002016-05-20T06:10:12.280-07:00Dental Conference in Guam<div style="text-align: center;">
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In January (I know, I know, still trying to get caught up . . . ), we joined Peter on an extended weekend trip to Guam. He had to go to present a couple of lectures of continuing education at the Guam Dental Society's Dental Conference. And since the Dental Society was paying for Peter's flight and hotel, we decided it was too great of an opportunity to pass up and we decided to pack up the family and all go together!<br />
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The only downer about the trip was that Will was plagued with a terrible stomach bug that hit the day after we arrived. Of course. We have traveled and had bad luck with sick kids so many times now that I don't know why I ever expect everyone to be healthy! Luckily, he was only sick for a couple of days and was still able to have loads of fun (despite a rough night of vomiting). <br />
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We stayed at the Hilton, which had beautiful pools, one of which was an infinity pool and another had a slide that Will pretty much spent the entire time going down. We spent much of the first two days at the hotel swimming and hanging out and letting Will recover.<br />
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It was pretty rainy one day, but we decided to go and check out the <a href="http://fisheyeguam.com/facility1_en.html" target="_blank">Fish Eye Marine Park</a> anyway! The Fish Eye is an underwater observatory about 1000 feet out in the water. We got drenched on the walk out there! But it was worth it! The kids loved seeing the fish out the windows and it was an easy, quick visit.</div>
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My favorite day in Guam was when we went to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60678-d310999-Reviews-Tarza_Magical_Adventure_Zone_and_Water_Park-Tumon_Guam.html" target="_blank">Tarza Waterpark</a>. A little old, and some parts rundown, but it was so much fun! And absolutely perfect for our kids! Will loved the rainbow slides and Benny and Clara loved the beach entrance to the lazy river. Peter and I tried all the big slides and had a blast as well!</div>
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One evening we went out to <a href="http://www.twoloverspoint.com/" target="_blank">Two Lovers Point</a>, the site of an ancient Chamorro legend of two forbidden lovers that run away to the cliffs over the ocean and tie their hair together before they jump to their death. Kind of a tragic if you ask me! But the views were spectacular!!!</div>
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Probably the funniest thing we did in Guam was going to a local morning <a href="http://www.visitguam.com/things-to-do/shopping/flea-markets/" target="_blank">flea market</a>! It was . . . not quite what we were expecting! Haha, it was more like a yard sale with a bunch of people selling their kids' old toys! Pretty funny. But, hey! We got Clara an Elsa Barbie doll with some little girl's scrunchie in her hair and Will got a nerf gun that works most of the time! So so awesome.</div>
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We also spent a day at the awesome <a href="http://www.picresorts.com/guam/" target="_blank">PIC waterpark</a>. The PIC is a hotel, but you can buy a day pass to their waterpark, which is what we did. They have everything--pools of all sizes, slides, water toys and obstacles, canoes, and a beautiful beach. And the lunch buffet was amazing!!!</div>
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After visiting <a href="http://myemiline.blogspot.jp/2016/03/matsumoto-castle.html" target="_blank">Matsumoto Castle</a>, we stayed the night in tiny little Airbnb apartment in Matsumoto (decorated interestingly in a manga theme . . . ) and woke up that morning to fresh snow! It was perfect! We were heading to Nagano to see the <a href="http://en.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/" target="_blank">snow monkeys</a> and we were excited to be able to see the snow monkeys actually in the snow!</div>
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It ended up being a very cold and icy hike, but it was worth it! Seeing the snow monkeys in their natural habitat, scurrying all over the place--practically running over our feet and bumping up against us--was amazing!</div>
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The workers at the park feed the monkeys three times a day just to keep the monkeys in the area, and we arrived right as they were getting their morning meal, so right as we walked up, the monkeys came scurrying down the mountain in a big herd. It was crazy! And then to see them run around, splash in the river, and soak in the hot springs was so awesome. </div>
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William had his camera with him and was totally into the whole experience. It was almost more fun to watch Will getting excited and following the monkeys around to take pictures than it was to just watch the monkeys!</div>
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Overall, it was an unreal experience! And one for the books--we can check it off our bucket list now!</div>
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GPS Coordinates: 36.732827, 138.462134<br />
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A few days after Christmas, we packed up our car and headed north to see <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6051.html" target="_blank">Matsumoto Castle</a> and the <a href="http://www.go-nagano.net/modules/contents07/index.php?id=1&mode=disdetailsisetu&cityid=107&junleid=2&indexid=1&kubuncode=1" target="_blank">Nagano snow monkeys</a>. It was a quick trip; we went for two days and rented a tiny Airbnb apartment (for $50!!!) that was about a mile away from the castle to stay in for the night.</div>
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<a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6051.html" target="_blank">Matsumoto Castle</a> is stunning! As we drove up to it, I felt like we had gone back in time. It is still in incredible condition and the grounds surrounding it are beautiful. </div>
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We spent the afternoon touring the castle and the grounds before heading into the city center to eat dinner. We found a delicious restaurant and then headed back to our cozy (but cold) apartment to set up our futons and get some sleep. Then, when we woke up the next morning, we looked out our window to see fresh snow! Since we were staying so close to the castle, we just had to drive over and take pictures of it beautifully dusted with the fresh-fallen snow. It was picture perfect.</div>
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Next, on to the <a href="http://www.go-nagano.net/modules/contents07/index.php?id=1&mode=disdetailsisetu&cityid=107&junleid=2&indexid=1&kubuncode=1" target="_blank">snow monkeys</a>!!! Stay tuned for a blog post coming soon :)</div>
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GPS Coordinates for Matsumoto Castle: 36.238908, 137.969001</div>
<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-60680794121320874992016-03-23T05:18:00.000-07:002016-03-23T05:18:26.057-07:00Christmas Lights at Seibuen Amusement Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Christmas day, after opening our presents, playing with all of our new toys, and eating our Christmas dinner at the conveyer belt sushi restaurant, Hamazushi, we went to ride some rides and see the lights at <a href="http://www.seibuen-yuuenchi.jp/" target="_blank">Seibuen Amusement Park</a>! Seeing thousands of Christmas lights and making ourselves sick riding the teacups and the swings was the perfect way to end our holiday! Our friends, the Okudas, met up with us and we really had a blast. It was freezing, but so much fun!</div>
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GPS Coordinates for Seibuen: 35.768868, 139.442848</div>
<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-83717121468224983582016-03-15T05:26:00.001-07:002016-03-23T05:08:45.108-07:00Christmas 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Christmas . . . was almost 3 months ago! Hahaha! I am so behind in my blogging, but I just couldn't not post about Christmas! We had a great Christmas season, going to ugly sweater parties, visiting Santa, and seeing Christmas lights.</div>
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On Christmas Eve, we went out for shabu shabu, and then we came back home to put on Christmas jammies, read Luke 2 together, set out cookies and milk for Santa, and the kids each got to open one present. Our kids are at such fun and excitable ages right now--it makes Christmas so magical!</div>
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We woke up early Christmas morning and the kids anxiously waited to go downstairs to see what Santa had brought!</div>
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We spent the morning opening presents and playing with all of our new toys, and then later we went to dinner at <a href="http://myemiline.blogspot.jp/2014/08/hamazushi.html" target="_blank">Hamazushi</a> and to ride the rides and see the Christmas lights at <a href="http://www.seibuen-yuuenchi.jp/" target="_blank">Seibuen Amusement Park!</a></div>
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<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-5266421077931117662016-02-15T20:48:00.001-08:002016-02-15T20:48:57.466-08:00Adventures in Vietnam: The Marble Mountains and Lady Buddha<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our last adventures in Vietnam were to visit <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298085-d454980-Reviews-The_Marble_Mountains-Da_Nang_Quang_Nam_Province.html" target="_blank">The Marble Mountains</a> and <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298085-d5531576-Reviews-Lady_Buddha-Da_Nang_Quang_Nam_Province.html" target="_blank">Lady Buddha</a> in Da Nang. The Marble Mountains are magnificent. They pop right up out of flat terrain and are entirely marble! It was incredible to walk through one of the mountains, feeling the cool-to-the-touch marble walls and seeing the extraordinary statues and carved out caves. And the temples and shrines built on the mountain were equally as impressive and beautiful!</div>
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To get up into the mountain and to see the shrines, we took a giant elevator built into its side. From there, we had beautiful views and could just start right on to the hike that took us in and out of caves and to see all of the amazing statues and things that had been carved out of the mountain.</div>
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Just down the street from the Marble Mountains is the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298085-d2528070-Reviews-Cao_Dai_Temple-Da_Nang_Quang_Nam_Province.html" target="_blank">Cao Dai Temple</a>. It was actually closed when we went, but there were some people who lived/worked on the property that let us in to see it and walk around! It was truly unlike any other temple/church I've ever been in!</div>
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And, lastly, we drove along the beautiful coast, past the round fishing boats and up another mountainside to see the giant Lady Buddha that stands watch over Da Nang. It was such a gorgeous day, and being up above city and the sea was absolutely breathtaking!</div>
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Vietnam was so so wonderful! I hope to go back someday to explore Hanoi and all of its many other beautiful coastlines and cities!Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-33991304549062663352016-02-10T20:33:00.000-08:002016-02-10T20:33:31.303-08:00Adventures in Vietnam: Beach Dayzzz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Vietnam was overall really relaxing! We went to the beach everyday the kids were in absolute heaven. We played in the sand, went boogie boarding, and Bennett was obsessed with running and flinging himself down on the ground over and over again. It was hilarious!</div>
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One day, while we were out swimming, a man came walking down the beach pulling an extremely long rope that was connected to a net or something out in the ocean. I can only assume he was fishing, but it was unlike any other fishing method we had ever seen! And since he was pulling it right through where our kids were playing, they decided to help the guy out! Here they are pulling the rope from beach:</div>
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And one evening while we were on the beach, a sweet lady came walking by carrying big pots on her shoulders. She was selling homemade, warm tofu with brown sugar and ginger for $1/bowl. I couldn't resist! So, she dished me up some in an actual glass bowl with a metal spoon and then she sat and waited while I ate it! It was so delicious! I would love to know how she made it!</div>
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While in Hoi An, we also did our fair share of pampering :) Peter got 2 or 3 massages, Clara and I both got our nails done, and I also got a massage! And none of them cost more than $7. Amazing. </div>
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Our other favorite thing to do on the beach was to eat at <a href="http://www.soulkitchen.sitew.com/#Soul.A" target="_blank">Soul Kitchen</a>! Soul Kitchen was just a few steps down the beach from our house, and it was great! We loved the food (and the convenience) and we ate there numerous times! Plus, being right on the beach, the views just couldn't be beat!</div>
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After an amazing 4 days in Cambodia, we hopped over to Vietnam to continue our adventures! We <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5807689?checkin=03%2F01%2F2016&checkout=03%2F02%2F2016&guests=8&s=dYAAuQme" target="_blank">rented another awesome house (through Airbnb)</a> in Hoi An, Vietnam that fit all 16 of us comfortably, and that was also just steps away from the beach. It was absolutely perfect. </div>
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The view from the back of the house was beautiful. Full of palm trees, greenery, and flowers. Then, just behind the yard was a path that led right down to the beach!</div>
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Hoi An is so beautiful--set along the coast, but once you leave the beach areas, you drive right through rice fields with water buffalo grazing and then onto the small city full of shops and businesses.</div>
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The first thing we did in Hoi An, besides run down to check out the beach, was to go to the <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/948" target="_blank">Hoi An Ancient Town</a>. The ancient town was a really neat little village with original homes, shrines, and shops, some of which were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Many of the especially old homes have been preserved and are on display in their original condition. It was fascinating to see what an old port town would look like. The town is now full of souvenir shops, restaurants, art and cultural displays and performances, and street food and vendors. We had a fabulous time walking around shopping, watching traditional Vietnamese dancers and singers, eating, and even taking a little boat tour down the river.</div>
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Those little, yellow, round cakes were potato-coconut pancakes and they were sooo delicious!</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5245168238842161884%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D5278707615848293693&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-9bezpA2gEL4%2FVrsRyKz-S7I%2FAAAAAAAAH0s%2FT9jeXdoU4Nk%2Fs640%2FIMG_8036.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=kCBifK1W0n9g&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 588px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5245168238842161884%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D5278707615848293693&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-9bezpA2gEL4%2FVrsRyKz-S7I%2FAAAAAAAAH0s%2FT9jeXdoU4Nk%2Fs640%2FIMG_8036.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=kCBifK1W0n9g&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 588px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5245168238842161884%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D5278707615848293693&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-eFDFAW-8GRA%2FVrsRiTnQzwI%2FAAAAAAAAHz0%2FpqkbNyKvNAY%2Fs640%2FIMG_8032.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=kCBifK1W0n9g&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 2954px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5245168238842161884%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D5278707615848293693&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-eFDFAW-8GRA%2FVrsRiTnQzwI%2FAAAAAAAAHz0%2FpqkbNyKvNAY%2Fs640%2FIMG_8032.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=kCBifK1W0n9g&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 2954px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-52353907876973077452016-02-09T04:16:00.000-08:002016-02-09T04:16:27.701-08:00Adventures in Cambodia: The Phare Circus, Pub Street, and Night Market<div style="text-align: center;">
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Aside from seeing the temples, my favorite part of trip to Cambodia was hanging out and shopping in the night market! We went down there twice (once during the day and the other time during the night), and I could have gone at least 3 more times! The market is filled with every souvenir imaginable, and for the most incredible prices! We bought clothes, wooden carvings, magnets, and snakes in a jar :) Our kids were in complete shopping heaven. And, then there was the food and the massages! We found a massage place in the market that was amazing. Massages: $3 for 30 minutes or $5 for an hour! We all got foot massages ($1 for 20 minutes), including Clara. And she LOVED every second of it! She is so funny; since going there, she keeps talking about wanting to go get massages. Such a little princess! <br />
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We also did plenty of shopping and eating around Pub Street in downtown Siem Reap. It's a really fun area with tons of restaurants, shops, massage places, and doctor fish tanks! Peter and I had gotten a fish pedicure in Bali, but we decided to do it again in Cambodia, and the place we went to had much bigger fish! And it was so much crazier!!! I was dying laughing, or squealing/screaming actually. It was crazy! And, sadly, all of my photos from the fish pedicure are missing, so I only have this screenshot from my instagram!</div>
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The other really amazing thing we did was going to see the <a href="http://pharecircus.org/" target="_blank">Phare Circus</a>. It was an acrobatic circus show, not unlike Cirque du Soleil, but without all the crazy stage production. The performers were incredible! And the whole story behind the circus was even more amazing. Phare not only is a circus, but they also have a school that serves underprivileged Cambodian youth. The circus is actually an appendage of the school, and the performers are employed graduates and students. The show was nothing short of amazing! Well worth the money. I'd highly recommend going!</div>
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Cambodia was, hands down, one of the most beautiful and astounding places I have ever visited! I don't think there's anywhere else in the world just like it! We had such an incredible time--I am truly grateful for the opportunities that we've had to travel since living here. I had never imagined that I'd visit Cambodia and some of these other Southeastern Asian countries, but I feel fuller now that I have!</div>
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Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-33225269435137011492016-02-09T03:25:00.000-08:002016-02-09T03:25:14.979-08:00Adventures in Cambodia: Tonle Sap Floating Village and Angkor Balloon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our last day in Cambodia was probably my least favorite day . . . Still really cool and we saw some amazing things, but I wouldn't have been heartbroken had we not done these two things. </div>
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First up, we went out to <a href="http://www.tourismcambodia.com/travelguides/provinces/siem-reap/what-to-see/76_the-great-lake-tonle-sap-floating-village.htm" target="_blank">Tonle Sap Lake</a> to see the floating fishing village. The reviews for going to see Tonle Sap Lake were pretty mixed, with a lot of negative reviews, and overall I think I'd probably agree with them. Going out on the boat felt very touristy, and the people running the operation were the only rude people that we'd come across the entire time we'd been in Cambodia. Then, out on the lake, there wasn't much to see, and the locals didn't seem to love the intrusion of the tourists, which is understandable. We were taken to a large floating dock that had some alligators in a cage in the water (they called it an alligator farm), some fish, and a large boa that Peter held for a few pictures (and a few dollars). And . . . that was pretty much it! We enjoyed the boat ride, but it was not an activity that I'd recommend friends to do when visiting Cambodia.</div>
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After the lake and eating lunch, we went to go up for a ride in the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d1595144-Reviews-Angkor_Balloon-Siem_Reap_Siem_Reap_Province.html" target="_blank">Angkor Balloon</a>. The Angkor Balloon is like hot air balloon, but it is tethered to the ground, so you just go straight up and then back down. We'd driven by the property a several times throughout our trip, and since we had time our last day, we decided to give it a go. We knew that it would be short (and quite expensive), but we wanted to see the amazing views of Angkor Wat. It was indeed beautiful, but again, I wouldn't have been too upset had we skipped the balloon ride . . . That being said, I think Peter really enjoyed it--or at least being able to get some great photos of Angkor Wat and the Cambodian countryside, and our kids loved it as well.</div>
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<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-84785105247906201922016-01-26T20:33:00.002-08:002016-01-26T20:33:34.431-08:00Adventures in Cambodia: Angkor Wat Half Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I previously mentioned, our trip to Cambodia was put into motion as a result of our friends, Peter, and I signing up to run the <a href="http://www.angkormarathon.org/" target="_blank">Angkor Wat Half Marathon</a>. Never having been a strong runner, this was a huge challenge for me--before this race, I had never run more than 3.5 miles before! I began training the end of the summer and ran very consistently up through the beginning of December until we left for Cambodia. And, after months and hundreds of miles, I have to say . . . I still do not love running! Ha!!! But, it was a great goal, and really helped me to stay fit over the last several months. I felt myself getting stronger, both mentally and physically with each training run (especially the long ones), which was worth all the effort in itself. </div>
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The race was awesome. It was in one of the most beautiful and incredible settings in the world . . . but it was HOT. The race was supposed to start at 6:00am, but we didn't end up actually taking off until about 6:40! With every passing minute, I just kept getting more and more stressed about having to run that much longer in the heat of the day! Almost all of my training runs to prepare for the race had been at 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning in Japan throughout the fall, meaning that I was used to running in temperatures in the 40s or 50s and in a much, much dryer climate. Combine that with then spending the two days before the race walking, hiking, and sightseeing in 90+ degree heat and very high humidity, and I pretty much set myself up for a rude awakening on race day! And that's pretty much what happened! I was hot and hurting!!! But, I eventually made it to the finish line, and even though my time wasn't as good as it had been in my training, I did it! I ran a half marathon, something that I never thought in a million years I'd be able to do!</div>
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Peter was awesome. He felt great and was entirely supportive and in great spirits. He took tons of pictures throughout the race; I especially love the ones of the local kids that came and lined up along the race route to watch.</div>
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<br />Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-46329089901091155972016-01-24T20:48:00.001-08:002016-01-24T20:50:09.297-08:00Adventures in Cambodia: More Temples, Hiking, and the Land Mine Museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
More sightseeing in Cambodia! Day 2 brought 2 more temples! The first was Prea Rup:</div>
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Next, we visited Banteay Sray:</div>
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After the temples, we grabbed lunch, and then, as if we hadn't been walking enough over the past 2 days, and hadn't sweat out every ounce of our body water, we decided to go on a 2.5 hour hike! What were we thinking, especially the day before our race??? We weren't thinking apparently! </div>
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We thought it would all be worth it once we got to the waterfall at the top. Except that it ended up being this: </div>
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SERIOUSLY! We were all dying. But, then, we started walking back DOWN alongside the river and we found this:</div>
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Much better! Then everyone cooled off :)</div>
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From the hike, we then headed over to the Land Mine Museum. It was really sobering to read about Cambodia's history and the US (among many other countries) involvement in such horrific events. I hope that visits to places like this help my family understand the importance of being responsible world citizens and loving human beings. </div>
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And back to our tuk tuk. I think one of my favorite parts of this trip was just having a chance to ride on the tuk tuk through the fields and villages. Cambodia is so beautiful and it was fascinating to see the country this way! The photos are a bit blurry, since we were moving, but I don't want to forget this amazing place!</div>
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Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5245168238842161884.post-12290159055787625282016-01-21T05:04:00.001-08:002016-01-21T05:05:22.815-08:00Adventures in Cambodia: The Temples of the Angkor Archaeological ParkDid I ever mention the reason we planned this trip to Cambodia and Vietnam??? We (my friends, Leisy and Melissa, and I) got it into our head to run the Angkor Wat half marathon, and we decided that that was a great reason to go and make a trip out of it! Peter and Leisy's husband, Kent, got on board to running with us and Melissa's husband, Brady offered to watch the kids, so, with the race planned, we decided to go for it, and to add Vietnam to our itinerary as well! <br />
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Anyway, we arrived in Cambodia a couple of days before the race, which gave us time to sight-see and get thoroughly dehydrated before the race! But, really, I ended up being pretty dehydrated during the race, but we'll get to that in another post :) We spent a full (and very, very hot and sweaty) day exploring the temples in the <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668" target="_blank">Angkor Archaeological Park</a>. We arranged for some drivers to take us around for the day in their tuk tuks, which was really fun and a very authentic way to travel through the area.<br />
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Bantay Cray:<br />
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Ta Prohm:</div>
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Popsicles and lunch break! I think that this meal, served at a make-shift restaurant in the park, was the best food we had the whole time we were in Cambodia, which is saying a lot since it was all delicious! I had no idea how tasty Cambodian food is!</div>
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Bayon (Angkor Thom):</div>
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Preah Khan:<br />
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Angkor Wat:</div>
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Emily Frandsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682162392387375558noreply@blogger.com0