Teddy's Half Birthday

On February 27th, we celebrated Teddy's half birthday with half a cake. It was fun to celebrate this special day!

Neighborhood CNY Celebration

After making the lego lantern, we walked home along Chung Shan North Road and stumbled upon a neighborhood CNY celebration featuring local students.  These young women were doing an amazing job with their Chinese yo-yos!

Making Lego Lanterns

Teddy had a great time making a lego lantern to celebrate the new year.  He took a class with a few friends at his lego school in order to make a light-up lantern.  Very cool!

Taipei City Lantern Festival, 2013

For the second year in a row, we attended the Taipei City Chinese New Year Lantern Festival.

A photo of Kaia, Teddy and Cayden in front of the lion lantern.

The Taipei 101 with 2013!

2013 Family Photo!

Hanging out with Daniel and Cayden in front of the transformers lantern.  The boys were practicing heir kung foo moves!

This is always my favorite lantern with recycled bottles making the Taipei 101!

A beautiful recycled bottle flower.

A Taiwanese Astronaut!

A fun snake lantern.  Happy Year of the Snake!

A view of the lantern festival from above.

The whole group.  From left to right: the Arkinstal family, the Kowalec family, and the Russell family.

Puzzles!

Puzzle master Teddy, with help from Mommy and Daddy, finishes his first 1,000 piece puzzle. It's of his favorite movie, Cars!

Boracay

We had an amazing few days in the Philippines.  We took an overnight flight to Manilla and then to the island of Boracay.  This is just what we needed over the Chinese New Year holiday!

Teddy is on the boat to the island of Boracay.  It's 7am and we have been traveling all night so he looks a little sleepy!

Playing in the beautiful water!

On the beach at 8am.  Perfect weather!

At the pool at our hotel.  The boys are playing while I'm hanging out reading my book.

Enjoying a fried plantain with Teddy and bunny.

The pathway from our hotel to the beach. 

Running on the sand with bunny while the sun begins to set in the background.

Enjoying a few tropical drinks while watching the sun set.

The beach bar where we are sitting - Michael and Teddy are on the left.

Family photo as the sun sets.

Bunny enjoying a San Miguel!

Teddy playing in the sand while the sun sets.

Beautiful!

Enjoying a kid sized "Halo Halo," aka shaved ice!

Michael with a mango halo halo.

Another beautiful sunset on the beach.  Looks like Shana got a little sun!

The boys having fun on the beach.

Just after sunset.

Having dinner at a fun Indian restaurant.  Teddy was thrilled to sit on cushions on the floor.

A beautiful grotto with the Virgin Mary in the middle of the water.

Teddy, looking a little baked from the sun, in front of a cool sand sign.

Paradise!

Beautiful Teddy.

An amazing seafood dinner on our last night in Boracay!

The boys acting silly at dinner!

Mommy and Teddy acting silly at dinner!

Maybe a little too silly!

Family.

The boys surprised me on Valentine's morning with a beautiful message written in the sand.

My boys!

Teddy really wanted his picture taken in front of these wings painted on the side of a building.  So cute!

My beach tuffs walking back to the hotel after a fun morning playing on the beach.