Family Reunion: Nauvoo

Shortly after we arrived in the US, we had the opportunity to travel to Nauvoo, Illinois and meet up with the entire Larsen family for a fantastic reunion.  We learned about our pioneer heritage and ancestors while talking about the foundation they laid for us in this beautiful city.  The kids had so much fun with their cousins, visiting the historic sites and running around at the condos we all stayed in next to each other.   Joseph and Maggie are pictured below in what would have been their attire a couple hundred years ago.  I am convinced Joseph would have been a blacksmith.  

 Ella and her cousin Audrie spent a good amount of time in the pioneer playhouse.

Pioneer toys and games were a big hit with all the children.

The main focal point and purpose of the city was at this temple, rebuilt recently to the exact specifications of the original temple.  It was breathtaking and my favorite part of the family reunion was spending time on the temple grounds with all my family.  While we were gathering there to take some photos, the kids got to be up close to the temple and enjoy each others company.  That is how I hope heaven is someday: a sacred place where we can all gather, laugh, have fun and share the bonds that unite us together as a family unit.

                      

You don't have to push a handcart, or leave your family dear; or walk a thousand miles or more to be a pioneer . . . you do need to have great courage . . .

Such cute boys.

 

Ella in the Joseph Smith store.

Dinner at the old hotel in Nauvoo. These 4 cousins sure had a lot of fun together.

May

The girls were in a play in May about dragons and pirates.  It was Maggie's second play and she did a fantastic job with all her lines, even prompting other characters on stage. She had a main part as Captain of a pirate ship.

Abigail landed the part of dragon on the island.  She was a little bit more shy on the stage as it was her first time and she was nervous.  Getting all that make-up off was probably the biggest challenge.

Georgetown, Penang

I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog and I better get started. Back in March, Joseph and I had the opportunity to go to Georgetown which is a British colonial historical city in Penang, Malaysia. It was the main colonized city in what was called the Straits--meaning the strip of coast down Malaysia into Singapore. Since I love British colonial architecture, it was a great place to see so much of it. Eventually, Singapore replaced Georgetown (named after King George III) in economical and political significance in the 19th century, so Georgetown is a bit of a ghost town with a lot of run down buildings and big plantation homes that would be stunning if they were all restored.

Below are the government buildings. They seemed to be totally empty. It was kind of strange that such beautifully restored colonial buildings were not really being used. Georgetown is just a small part of Penang, and the big business district is a ways from the old town.

The iconic clock tower. I think the Dutch actually built it? I'll have to check my facts on that one.







The Suffolk House--a pepper plantation first settled by Francis Light. He first came as an officer in the military. When he retired, he returned for commerce and set up this plantation which became the home of later governors and such throughout the history of Georgetown.





Now for the Chinese aspects of the trip. We learned of how the Chinese came down also for commerce and integrated into the Malay culture creating a whole new culture as they Chinese men married the local Malays. This influenced the style and language. Joseph and I stayed in "The Blue Mansion"--a restored home of a wealthy Chinese man known as the Rockefeller of the East. It was a fun and interesting place to see and experience the Chinese version of a home with open courtyards, balconies and rain in the house.

Below is the Chu Family Jetty--a very extended Chinese family that lives on houses out into the water and probably used to be fishermen.

Our rickshaw escort who took us all around Penang.


A very large, traditional Chinese temple that is privately owned by a large Chinese family. In a way, it is ancestor worship, as they send their ancestors on with lots of gold (fake) for their afterlife. It is also to please the gods, and for good luck to get to heaven.

Bottleneck Park

During Spring break, I took the kids to a local park famous for its unique trees imported from Australia.  The kids are pictured in front of the Bottleneck Tree.  I must admit, it was a very unique tree.

The park is Kampong style--a Malaysian architecture of these open thatched houses.

Here are the kids after working in the rice fields all day coming back with our family water buffalo.

We finished the morning with Kampong fishing where the kids get to catch little goldfish with nets inside the Kampong.  They had a lot of fun doing it, however the fish didn't last long at home.

The Merlion and Luge

Abigail studied Singapore history in her 5th grade class and had to pick an important monument or place in Singapore culture/history. She picked the big Merlion statue on Sentosa island. It is a lion head with with a fish tail and has come to symbolize Singapore somehow. I can't tell you much about it; you'll have to ask her if you are interested. So in February we all went out to Sentosa on one Saturday while she took some pictures for her project and then had a little fun on the Luge. Sentosa has turned into a resort and amusement park of sorts for Singapore.

Only in Singapore would you find a sign like this in the carpark: Warning: Beware of possible PEACOCK ATTACKS to cars. PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK. It then proceeds to tell you what happens during mating season when peacocks get aggressive and see their own reflection in the cars. Too funny.


The ride down was a lot of fun, albeit a little short. Sentosa doesn't really compare to the Rockies or Alps. Xander was just tall enough to ride his own Luge.



The ride down was fun, but so was the ride back up. That is Abigail and Maggie in case you can't tell.This little cutie was too small and played in the nearby water fountain while Joseph and I took turns going with the bigger kids.

Weekend Getaway

I had the chance to have a fun and relaxing weekend in Ubud, Bali with my sister over a weekend in February. Only a 2.5 hour flight, Bali is a very close paradise. I couldn't believe how pristine and beautiful everything was. The culture, the food, the Hindu architecture--all of it is enchanting, making Bali a unique and enjoyable destination. I could definitely go back and explore more of this Indonesian island. We stayed in central Bali--Ubud in a resort on one of the many river gorges in this area. It was a beautiful setting for a hotel nestled into the hillside. I had my first full massage in the outdoor spa overlooking the river.

We spent the first day exploring the main roads and shopping district of Ubud where I learned that my sister is much more decisive than I am and can drive a hard bargain. Cami also came with several restaurant recommendations and they proved to be winners. The food was as delicious as it was beautiful.

A street corner in Ubud with the Hindu offerings--rice and flowers wrapped in some sort of leaf. These offerings are littered all throughout the country in every conceivable setting.

We spent a day exploring some local craft villages known for their silver jewelry and wood carving. My favorite thing was meeting a lady who owned a shop and she let us have a look in her own living quarters--a Balinese style compound she shares with her married sons, containing religious structures and private rooms surrounding an open courtyard. Below you can see the entrance to her home as well as the courtyard with apartment. This is such a unique concept of a home and we saw the outside fences to these homes all around in Bali.

On our final day in Bali, we headed north to see an old palace that was once the home of a king and queen. It was nestled in rice terraces in a valley alongside a river. We didn't realize how many steps we had to descend to get there until we were climbing back up in the heat of noonday.Not far from the palace is a famous, old temple with sacred waters. We saw the sacred waters behind the temple, bubbling with a black smoke coming out just beneath the surface of the water. We were lucky to go on a day when the locals were their worshipping and performing all the typical rituals. Upon our return, we took a walk through the rice fields, stumbling on a quaint organic, outdoor restaurant situated in the rice fields. We stopped to share a very healthy tasting salad and beet, sweet potato, orange, passion fruit smoothie for me. I'm positively glowing--but I'm afraid it is more from the sweat and sunscreen rather than the organic serenity.