We celebrated all day today with a costume party at Mom's Group and then pumpkin carving (first time ever in Hong Kong!) We also made donuts which is a family tradition I loved growing up.  The kids enjoyed all the festivities and may even get to do a bit of trick- or- treating this year (which would be another first). We told them they are lucky because they get to celebrate the American and Chinese holidays (:

Paine Pumpkin Patch

Josiah Michael,  October 2008

Annette Marie, October 2010

Annabelle Mei, October 2013

Since our kids were all born in the spring they all look similar as "fall babies." So who do you think Annabelle looks most like?

Annabelle's Laughter

Because the world needs this video and because I know Grandma and Grandpa will watch it 100 times in a row.
DSC 0679 from Christine Paine on Vimeo.

Overnight in Macau

 Last Friday we dropped the big kids at our friend's house for a slumber party and booked it down to Central to catch the 5:00 ferry to Macau. This excursion was the grand finale to a 10 day visit from my Uncle John and Aunt Kathy. Feel like we have had a lot of visitors? You're right- we've hosted 7 international visitors in 6 months (we are blessed!)

 Uncle John and Aunt Kathy are so much fun and very good sports. Having them here was like having grandparents around. It was so nice on the trip to had a 4:1 adult/ kid ratio and Annabelle loved getting spoiled.

 From the ferry we headed over to the casinos where we grabbed dinner at the Venetian.

 At 8:00 we saw the show "House of the Dancing Water". We have heard about the 250 million dollar (yes, that is US dollars!) production for years so this was our excuse to go. It was ridiculously good. So incredible that it is hard to explain. The show features over 80 gymnasts, circus artists, dancers, divers, actors, and motorcyclists and the set is constantly changing. There was so much happening most of the time I didn't know where to look.

 The next morning was gorgeous and we checked out the old Portuguese district near our hotel. Macau is such  bazar city/ country. I wouldn't want to live there, but it was a fun get away with people I love.

Laos

 I can't write too much about this trip since I wasn't on it, but I think the photos speak for themselves. The guys kept describing the trip as "epic". Apparently Laos is absolutely beautiful and they got to see a lot of it from their dirt bikes. I am so thankful that Jason has amazing guy friends that he could do this with. And I am so thankful that they all came back in one piece- thank you Jesu!

 These are the shirts they made for their trip since there were 8 guys total

Notice anything usual about this photo? Jason somehow lost his shirt by this point in the trip. I always wondered how he would manage traveling without my organizational help. (:

Koh Chang, Thailand

These beautiful people all survived lived together in Mozambique with us and we share such a bond.   Now most of them are working as missionaries in South East Asia. Our reunion brought together families from USA, Cambodia, Thailand and of course Hong Kong. Jason got the ball rolling by organizing a mens dirt biking trip through Laos (more to come on that). While they did that the women (7) and children (9) hung out at beautiful Koh Chang beach.  I was a little apprehensive about being solo with the kids for this time but I had lots of support from the other ladies and the respite from cooking and cleaning (which I love). Our days passed with simple pleasures of time at the beach, pool, swings and restaurant on the sand. But the sweetest times of all were sharing and praying together on the balcony once the kids were asleep.

Annabelle and Talia

Koh Chang beach was lined with swings

upside down puffer fish

Originally I had planned on riding the elephant with Annette and Annabelle, but upon arriving at the "mom and pop" place I assessed their safety standards to be sub- par. Josiah loved the ride with my friend Jo hanging onto him!

Feeding the baby elephant

Since all of our husbands grew out mustaches for their trip- we just had to surprise them with these shirts. Obviously we had a good time with them!

Credit for all awesome photos goes to Katherine and Paulina

Annette Around the City

 It has been so fun to get messages from friends saying they've seen Annette!! The Elle Fall/Winter ads are in 19 locations around Hong Kong and Macau and she is also featured in 4 photos in their catalogue. The funny thing is we have been so crazy busy the last couple weeks we haven't even taken Annette to the mall to see herself yet. That will be fun . . .