Rob and Trish's Travels and Other Stuff Too

A Look Back at 2009

2010-05-31T11:46:00.007-05:00

Well, it's been a while but things are busy when chasing after a toddler. Time passes so quickly and Mavrik is a full-on little boy now! He'll be 2 this year and is Mr. Independent. I was wondering how this happened so fast and got to looking back at pictures from last year. So, below is our 2009 year in review.

We didn't travel to exotic lands or stay out late with friends until the wee hours of the morning like 2008, but our lives were filled with so much meaning and joy. Rob and I entered the next phase of our marriage together as parents and we learn something new everyday and how to truly work as a team. Mav is our world and we are so blessed with everything we have, especially each other.

In 2009, we had lots of firsts as a family - First Easter, First Vacation, First Swim, First Pro Games..etc. Rob and I took a trip to Singapore together for a week and revisited our previous life which is a world away, both figuratively and literally.

So this slide show is a look back at our 2009. I will try to post a look back at 2010 sooner than 6 months into the following year.

Cousin Ranson's Football Game

2009-11-02T20:30:00.004-06:00

On Halloween Day we got to see Ranson play football against the La Porte Texans. The game was fun and the weather could not have been better. Mav had a great time with his Aunt JJ.

Check Ingram out.

I love my Aunt JJ and her hair!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T20:02:00.006-06:00

Mav had a Halloween full of candy and decorations!

Getting read for trick-or-treating.

Meeting up with his little buddy across the street.

Our spooky house! Rob had it all set up with cobwebs and skulls that have glowing eyes. He even set up music to set the scene. We had little trick-or-treaters telling us our house was scary!

On his way to get some candy!

Enough trick-or-treating mom, I want some candy!

I like Almond Joy - just like Grannie!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE JACQUET ZOO!

Yippie Yi Yay - Mavrik's ONE!

2009-10-11T09:12:00.009-05:00

I can't believe it - a year has already gone by! How did this happen so fast? Mavrik turned one on Sept 24th and I am still trying to comprehend that!

On the day of his birthday, Rob and I took the day off and headed to the Children's Museum. Mav LOVED it!

He had a great time with Mommy and Daddy and founds lots of things to play with!

Then it was time for his big party the following Saturday! Cowboy Mavrik had lots of other buckaroos join his party! There were about 25 kids and just as many adults! It was a great time at the Stomping Grounds Playland - lots of space for everyone to run around and play. Mav enjoyed his party and thank you all for his wonderful gifts!

Here is his smash cake - courtesy of Jen - isn't she talented?

Time for the big moment!

What is this??

...mmmmm....

What are you doing Cousin Will?

Being ONE is FUN

Mav Baptized

2009-09-12T15:06:00.005-05:00

In less than 2 weeks, Mavrik will be one years old! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by!

Mav was baptized last weekend and got his hair cut a few weeks before that. Here are a few pics.

Look how happy Daddy is!

Mav and Will

Mav with his Aunt Treva (his Godmother)

Latest Mavrik Pictures

2009-05-02T09:33:00.005-05:00

Not too much is going on with us right now. We are just working, hanging out and playing with Mav. We are going on vacation pretty soon to Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop, TX. It will be a nice get-away locally. Looking forward to our first family vacation though!

As far as our fitness goals are going...I am going to run the 2010 Houston Marathon! In the meantime, we are hosting Whitfield Turkey Day and thought it would be fun to do a family 5K before we gorge ourselves! It's a kid-friendly, walking-friendly event. Anyway, I know I am going to have resistance, which is why I am giving six month's notice!

Rob has signed up for a real IRONMAN!! St. George, Utah, May 1, 2010. This is a 2.4 MILE swim, 112 bike 26.2 mile run! All in one day! 140.6 total miles! Can you believe that??? All at once! He is going to need lot of support and training.

Here some pics I took this morning in the backyard. He is getting really big - about 20lbs. He had to upgrade to a big-boy car seat. He eats, stands and tries to get on all four. Mavrik is 7 months old now and I don't know where the time has gone!

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-12T21:25:00.007-05:00

Look what the Easter Bunny brought me!

Playing the piano from Grannie.

ABC's

2009-02-20T21:13:00.002-06:00

New Stuff

2009-02-20T20:53:00.011-06:00

Well, I haven't posted in nearly two months and I am being asked to do so...I wasn't even sure anyone read this!

Rob and I signed up for the bike ride to Austin (the MS150). I am so bad at training for that - Rob is doing pretty well though. We also signed up for a half Marathon on March 15th in Seabrook, TX. We are excited but it's difficult to fit training (well, everything) in; but all the running and riding actually gives us both a little more sanity. I have always said that running is my therapy and I still believe in that! It's my time to think about everything going on in my head... or think about nothing and just zone out!

Now, I know the real reason I was asked to update the blog is to show new pics of Mav, so here goes: We were just hanging out in the backyard with Toni He tries to talk to us all the time. He is very chatty sometimes! Everything goes straight to his mouth right now - which always seems to be full of slobber! He also just started holding his own bottle! The only time he is really good at his hand-eye coordination is when it come to food!

The Year of Change - From Singapore to Sugar Land

2009-01-02T11:34:00.016-06:00

2008 took us from living in a high-rise in South East Asia to the suburbs with a kid in Texas! It has definitely been an exciting year!

Rob and I started out 2008 in Singapore; we traveled to Bintan, Indonesia;

then came home to pack up for the big move back to Texas. On moving day, I found out we were pregnant!

Instead of coming straight back to Texas, we took a detour via New Zealand. It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life. We drove all over the country, went hiking, rode in a helicopter over mountains and train through the country all while I fighting nausea and exhaustion.

We moved back to Texas in March with only our suitcases and partially-filled container of the furniture we bought in Asia. Rob started a new role at his job with much heavier responsibilities while I was still searching for a job. We lived in a 2-Bedroom crappy apartment for 3 months while looking for a house. Since we knew we were moving, we didn't unpack so we lived out of boxes during this time. It was quite a transitional phase for us, to say the least! Here is me at 15 weeks pregnant in that apartment - my enthusiasm is written all over my face!

We bought a car, Rob began adjusting to his new position and I went back to my old company - which proved to be a blessing! After the emotions of house-hunting, we finally purchased our home in June in a suburb of Houston! We are so happy with our selection and glad we had the patience to wait until we knew it was the right place for us.

Meanwhile, tummy grew and grew throughout the summer months.

Ike hit in September and while we faired better than many, it was still scary to go through a hurricane at 36 weeks pregnant then have no electricity in high humidity. I will spare you the images of my own sweat carrying around a huge pregnant woman during this time.

The following weekend after Ike, Rob turned 30 and we had a party at the house for him...then our little baby Mav wanted to join the fun and arrived just four days after his daddy's birthday, September 24th. He was 3 weeks before his due date.

Since then, he has filled our hearts with a love we didn't realize existed. He is an awesome little guy and we are so thankful he joined us - it has made 2008 the best year thus far. Since Mav has been here, he's been to College Station, Austin, East Texas a few times, Lafayette, LA and we just returned from New Orleans last weekend. We are still a family on-the-move, only it takes us a little longer now!

So, in the beginning of 2008, Rob and I were in high-rise in Singapore, still travelling when we could. Since then, we moved internationally, started new positions at work, bought a new home and had a baby. Here we are now with one child, our dog, and a home in the 'burbs. A lot can happen in a year! Happy 2009!

2009-01-02T11:29:00.002-06:00

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Santa Claus is coming to Town

2008-12-22T20:04:00.009-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Jacquets

Had a lot going on since the last post...

Pop Whitfield had surgery on his knee and is recovering during the holidays. Christmas is a little different this year but still good and we are hoping for a speedy and healthy recovery. Treva & cousin Will and Mav & I drove up to east Texas for Pop's procedure. Here is my dear sister and dad at the hospital.

Mom had her hands full with the grandsons:

We had a nice trip but daddy sure was happy to see his little boy and Mav was happy to see his Daddy!

Also - we got snow in Texas!!! This pic is when it first started...so there was a little more coverage as it got darker. I know this is probably comical to anyone that lives in climates with "real" snow...but it's Houston, so we are not picky!

Here are just a few random photos of our little guy; one after a bath and then getting dressed - you know how we like to dress up our child. :)

Yesterday was family Christmas with Rob's side. Of course, these days, Mav is the hit and Rob & I are old news...we only get to hold him when he needs a diaper change or has to be fed. That's good though - he is a very loved little boy and we would expect nothing less at these family gatherings! Here is Eddie - very proud of his folding flashlight that goes along with his folding shovel...your welcome Eddie.

After a long day...all the gift-giving just got to our little Santa-in-training...

The Smile that melts my Heart...

2008-12-04T16:58:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving/Christmas

2008-12-02T10:45:00.017-06:00

I think this is Christmas, 1979. I am the baby with the black hair being held by my wonderful sister, who would have been 8 at the time. It's all six of us children and been way too long since we were all under the same roof!

This picture came about because Mav and I went to east Texas last Monday to visit Grannie and Pop Whitfield! I wanted to look at old pics and we came across some funny ones. This is me...

and here's TJ, Toby and me - I guess something was really funny!

Mav had a great time in Neches. Here he is playing with Grannie.

and here is his first 4-wheeler ride ever - he's got the camo and all!

We drove back on Wednesday, then spent our Thanskgiving with Nana and Grandma in Houston.

We also decorated the house for the holidays.

It was also a busy weekend because after hosting a post-Thanksgiving BBQ at our house for the Jacquets, we went to our first wedding (our Neighbors who are now enjoying the warm sun in Ixtapa!) and went to the Rockets game. Mav has a lot of growing before he reaches Yao Ming!

And finally...here is one of our baby taken this morning. He is already not looking like a baby though!!! I can't believe he's only 2 months old. He's smiling more often, although my heart melts too much when he smiles at me to think about snapping a picture! Sometimes I think he already has his own look or style! He certainly has more style than his mommy and daddy when it comes to his hair!

B-B-Ba Bad...

2008-11-09T14:55:00.013-06:00

Our son is a wild one! He turned into a harley-ride'n quarterback over the weekend.

It all started so innocently as we went to our first A&M game as a family! Actually, it's even the first time Rob and I have been to an aggie game together! We met up with Heidi, Shaun and Mav's little running buddy - baby Riley.

Mav was too cool for school during the game! He slept the whole way up there and during the tailgating before the game, then woke up around kick-off and watched the game and everything going on around him. Then his shirt Papaw made for him really struck a cord! After he decided he had seen enough, he went right back to sleep and didn't wake up until we were back in Sugar Land!

Mav became A&M's "12th Man"

He's already trying to wear Daddy's ring...

He was so excited that he rushed home on his bike to try out for the Texans!

...and he made the team! YAYYY!!!!

Seeee Ya

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE JACQUETS!

2008-11-02T09:37:00.003-06:00

Party Party Party

2008-10-30T11:20:00.008-05:00

Well, October is the month of birthdays it seems!

First, mine was last Sunday. We spent the day together as a family - went to brunch together, then walked in the park and all came home and watched the Texans win a football game - then took naps! It was a great way to spend the day...however, next year is my 30th so I expect a little more celebration action for that one!

Here is Mav and I at the park.

and my boys at brunch:

Next was Ranson's birthday and William's - these are Mav's cousins and they share the same birthday. Ranson has a birthday party at his house and here he is with the Jacquet cousins:

We took our first road trip on Saturday and drove across state lines into Louisiana for Will's first birthday. This is his cousin on the Whitfield side. Here is Will and Mav - see how Will is hitting Mavrik!!!

Just kidding!!! It's just the way the picture looks - Mav is squirming and Will's hand is just hoovering over Mav's head. You can bet this picture will resurface when they are older though!

Mavrik has made the parenthood adjustment pretty easy overall. He's a good baby and is sleeping pretty solid during the night. I usually have at least one five or four hour stretch. However, he has had his fussy day here and there and he gets a little whiny in the evenings, but that is normal from the day's activities. We try and get out at least once a day either to the store, to visit someone or just a walk in the park. I just don't see how it's possible but we love him more each day and he somehow is still managing to get cuter...here is his 5 week birthday pic:

Our Punkin

2008-10-13T17:56:00.006-05:00

Well, Mav got to meet to Aunt Treva, Caitlin and William over the weekend and we spent time together going to the pumpkin patch. Mavrik slept through the entire outing, but I am sure he had fun! We picked out pumpkins and carved them too; also, Rob did a great job decorating the house for Halloween! Expect a "Griswold-ish" house when Christmas rolls around.

Baby Makes 3 (actually 4, with Toni!)

2008-10-06T12:20:00.004-05:00

Well, what a whirlwind things have been lately!

We had our bouncing baby boy on Sept 24th and posted pics of him here

He has been a joy and we are starting to settle in. He sleeps for a few hours at a time, wakes up to eat every 3 hours and spends lot of time making boyish grunting noises. I think he might be having his first growth spurt because he has been wanting to eat every 2 hours the last couple of days. We can also tell he's getting a little stronger, can turn his head during "tummy-time" and his head-full of hair seems to be getting lighter.

I can watch his facial expressions for hours - they are entertaining! We can't get enough of him and here are some more recent pics. Thanks again to all our family and friends for your visits and well wishes!

Quality time with Daddy:

Hanging out in the Swinger:

He is still wearing A&M even though they got beat really bad yesterday....

Showers and Storms

2008-09-18T19:23:00.010-05:00

Well, time is really passing quickly. I though this late in pregnancy, it might stand still. Guess we have had enough to keep us occupied.

I have had some wonderful baby showers! First one was thrown by Mom, Jen, Grannie, Sabrina and A. Carolyn. Jenne made the wonderful invitations and we drove up to Neches for the shower. We got some great gifts and thankful to everyone.

The cupcakes were awesome Jenni!

Next, Neeli and Marcy threw a shower at Neeli's house in Houston. It was a nice turn out and I was so happy to see everyone that showed up. I had a wonderful time and got some really great stuff for Mav!

Now on to the storms...I was supposed to have another shower this past Sunday thrown by Jenny (this is the third "Jen" sister-in-law I have in case anyone is keeping count). While my Sunday was still spent with in-laws, it was not for the baby shower - we cleaned up branches from Hurricane IKE!

Here is the sunset from our back yard just hours before Ike hit"

At Mom J's:

The baby shower is post-poned to this weekend! :)

Hurricane Ike was pretty intense! We rode out our first storm together huddled in the kitchen by candle light and radio. Well, Rob slept most of the time but I listened to 80 mph gusts and saw blue lightening from power lines. We are very thankful that we suffered no damage and only without power for two and half days. It's been 6 days since then and many are still in the dark! It was very hot and humid the first day without electricity but God sent his answer to many peoples' prayers in the form of a cool front! The weather has been awesome since the storm: fall-like, even!

Also, I have been nesting like crazy! Here is a picture of Mav's Room:

Other than that, we are awaiting our arrival! I had an ultrasound yesterday and Mavrik is looking healthy. He already weights just shy of 7 lbs! He's a big boy with a big belly and big feet! His arrival is only a few weeks away!

Tick Tock....47 Days left and Counting

2008-08-27T18:59:00.010-05:00

So we have not been up to that much since the last post.

Time is steadily getting closer to our son entering this world. We can't express how excited we are!!

Rob and I went to San Antonio as a last little "couple" getaway recently. It was HOT! We stayed on the riverwalk, shopped, ate, went to the Alamo. Check out the line - I am actually in line to see the Alamo where this photo is taken!

Here is Rob in his "happy place" - Luling City Market BBQ. It's on the way to San Antonio and I believe that if Rob ever left me, it would be for this BBQ.

We have also been doing things to the house. We painted and bought some new furniture - it's slowly coming along and we have plenty of time to fill it up.

I painted this shelf for Mav's room - we still need to hang it and I will post pics once his room is ready.

This weekend, we are headed to Neches for our first baby shower! I am so excited and very thankful to Mom, Jen, Jenne, Grannie and Sabrina for putting it on. They have worked hard and I can't wait to see everyone in east Texas!

Home Sweet Home

2008-08-06T21:47:00.004-05:00

Finally I have gotten around to posting some pics of our house. We live in the 'burbs but like it - Rob and I got wooden rocking chairs for the front porch last weekend so we are totally selling out!

The house is 4 bedrooms + study; it has a gameroom upstairs and a living down. We love having visitors so call us anytime you are near. We will put you to work! :)

Last Trimester!

2008-07-20T18:31:00.007-05:00

Only 3 more months until we meet our baby face-to-face! I can't believe it! We are starting to get really excited in anticipation of being parents.

We are doing well - settling into our home and trying to get used to the idea of all the changes in the next few months! You really can't prepare fully for something this life-changing until it happens, but we are trying! Here is a recent belly pic.

As far as our little one (according to the websites and baby books), he is now dreaming in my belly! It's mostly to develop brain activity, since he has no life experience to dream about! Wonder what is going through his little mind...???? He weighs over 2 pounds and and is about 15 inches from head to toe! He is learning how to cough, suck better and breath - all in one week! Its amazing how these everyday functions that keep us alive develop so quickly in our mommy's belly!

The next 3 months will be where the baby starts gaining weight - he is filling out and becoming more "baby" looking - instead of "alien" looking. Another exciting thing is I have started to feel him hiccup! Almost every day now - it's cute - I really enjoy getting to feel his little kicks and movements - everyone says I will be tired of that in a few weeks - but I love feeling him now!

I will be having a baby shower in August/Sept - there is so much stuff for baby!! We are taking a new parent class soon too. Rob and I are both the youngest and we feel better about objective help.

Anyway, things are going well...I just went up to Austin over the weekend for Heidi's baby shower. It was so great seeing her again - it's fun we are pregnant together and she looks great! I hope I am still this happy at 35 weeks!

Rob recently did his half ironman in Lubbock. He, his mom and Nana drove up there and he competed - he did a great job! I was really impressed with him because we have had so much going lately, that he hasn't been able to train as much as his last half Ironman, however, he finished in good time and did wonderful!!

How did this Happen so fast??

2008-06-12T21:38:00.003-05:00

He's growing - and so is my butt! :)

Halfway There!

2008-05-26T16:53:00.006-05:00

Hey Everyone!

We have made it to the 20 week mark! Here is my latest belly pic. It's starting to show and I'm real excited!

Baby & Pregnancy Countdown Tickergreat free widgetsWidgetbox

In other news...we are closing on our house in 3 weeks!!! We can't wait until we are out of this apartment. We have been living out of boxes in a 2 bedroom apartment since we have been back - which will end up being 3 months by the time we close. It can't happen soon enough! Also, we have had only one car between the 2 of us so Rob being the logistical genius he is, has to be creative both at work and outside of work.

I reluctantly post this picture of our house because I am afraid I am jinxing the process...we are all set to close on the 13th next month...which to add to my fear is Friday the 13th!! However, everything looks good to go so far - we have had our inspections, builder walk-through and meeting with the lender - are just waiting for the next 3 weeks to pass.

It's an exciting, but anxious time as well - currently we are in-waiting with a lot of big stuff: house, jobs (that's a whole other blog!), car and of course, our baby. Hopefully, by the next post we will be a little more settled - FINALLY!

Basketball and Sportscenter

2008-05-07T20:52:00.010-05:00

This week has been a great one for us so far! We had the anatomy scan on the baby today and found out that everything looks healthy!!! It was so cool to see out little baby bouncing around in there. He is an active little thing!

We got some great ultrasound pics (well, I think they are great) so here they are!

Another exciting thing is we are getting closer in the home-buying process! I dont want to jinx it but when we get closer, we will send another message.

In the meantime, Rob and I are over the moon about our visit with the doctor today. Our due date is October 14th!

Here is is sucking his thumb.

And lastly, a profile pic

14 Weeks

2008-04-15T16:17:00.008-05:00

Hey Everyone! Well, as almost everyone knows now, Rob and I are going to be parents!

It's an exciting time, with coming back to the states, starting new jobs and knee-deep in house-hunting; but the most exciting time won't appear until mid-October!

I have been feeling good now that I am in the second trimester. It's kind of hard to comprehend there is a baby in there!! Although Rob and I can tell my belly is starting to swell; to everyone else, it just looks like I have enjoyed a little too much Mexican food since I've been back.

We got to hear the heartbeat last week and it was so awesome! We could also hear little Baby J moving around in there - it's good to know the baby is already active like his mommy and daddy. We find out if it's a girl or a boy in just 3 weeks - so we will keep you posted!!

New Zealand

2008-04-01T14:18:00.007-05:00

Before coming back to Texas, we decided to take a detour, via New Zealand! It was the most amazing trip we have taken thus far! I can't describe it in words and the pictures don't do it justice either.

We flew in to Auckland, then another flight to Wellington and a boat ride to Picton. We finally got to sleep in a bed after all that. Our trip was a blast, we got to go whale watching (in which I got sick!) We also took a helicopter ride in Milford sound - which was AWESOME! We then drove around and took a train back to Christchurch, then flight to Auckland - Rob went back to Singapore for a day and I went on to Texas. In all, we travelled by plane, boat, car and train. It was a great way to see the beauty.

We are here now and finally starting to get settled - it's quite a process and we are still adjusting but things will slow down soon - we hope!

Rob & Trish

On Our Way

2008-03-01T08:02:00.002-06:00

Well, less than 12 hours before we get on a flight and it will be my last time to be in Singapore in the foreseeable future. :( It's exciting, but sad to leave the friends and life we have known for the last few years too.

On the up-side, we are going back via New Zealand! Rob and I are spending 10 days there and can't wait to enjoy the time, relax and take a breather after moving from Singapore and before we do it all in reverse on the Texas side: unpacking, moving in, saying "Hello's" and starting up the other "life" stuff (bank accts, jobs, insurance, leases, setting up phones, cable...etc)

Our time in Singapore has been a blessing - we have seriously enjoyed our years in this country and we will miss it. We have met a wonderful mix of friends here that I hope we remain in touch with for years to come. Its a shame that time passes so quickly but you never know where our future will take us and we are open-minded to other "adventures".

I will post NZ pictures once we are settled in the States - I arrive March 12th and Rob on the 15th. We look forward to seeing our friends and family in the US and will sincerely miss our friends in Singapore.

Lots of love!
Rob & Trish

A LOOK BACK AT 2007! WELCOME 2008!

2008-01-03T23:35:00.000-06:00

BEEN AN AWESOME YEAR, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT 2008 HOLDS. WE LOVE YOU ALL AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

Countdown

2008-01-03T20:49:00.001-06:00

Todd & Jenni: Congratulations, December 15th, 2007

2008-01-02T00:51:00.000-06:00

Wish we could have been there for the wedding, but it was nice to read the play-by-play here.

We love you and can't wait to see you soon!

Merry Christmas and Ho-Ho-Ho

2007-12-26T23:17:00.000-06:00

Well, Christmas has already come and gone now. How did that happen?

Rob and I live in a country in which only 15% of the people here identify themselves as "Christians". The country is primarily made up of Buddhist and Taoism (which is a Chinese philosophy) and about 15% Muslims. However, Singapore does not disappoint when it comes to Christmas decorations and shopping!

Rob and I went on the main shopping street, Orchard Road, and captured this shot at one of the major department stores (like Dillards or MACYs).

Notice how it says "GOD" in the lower right corner? The store actually has a bible verse in front! In full view for everyone to see...no shame or fear of offending anyone! Here is a close-up of what it says and a "sliding story" of the three wise-men set-up on the side of the store

Look at all the people on the street! Its a very popular area at any time, but having the excuse to shop makes Orchard Road so crowded that you can barely even walk! Here is a picture I was trying to take of Rob in front of the big Christmas tree...as you can see, common courtesy really shines as I captured these 2 dudes walking by...if you look closely, you can see Rob's head in between those! I laughed and laughed at that!

Anyway, with all the political correctness that surrounds Christmas, I just want to say that I am proud to say Merry Christmas to anyone and everyone. I love that Singapore recognizes that people around the world celebrate holidays in different ways and with different religions. Somehow, the country has done a good job of letting each celebrate according to their traditions without feeling bad for doing so. When someone wishes me "Selamat Hari Raya", I am not offended but pleased they thought of me on their own day of Celebration. Merry Christmas is not meant to be "preachy" or offensive and it really burns me when people take it that way. Anyway, here are some other pictures of our Christmas time; our tree and a few of the Christmas gatherings we attended or hosted.

Speaking of different religions and stuff, we hosted a party at our place the Sunday before Christmas. We had a good turn-up of about 25 people...of that, 13 were from different countries! It was very cool, some of our friends that stuck around Singapore to celebrate the holidays are from the UK, Japan, Phillipines, Barbados, Germany, Denmark, Canada...etc. I think our Christmas is going to be a little less diverse next year...

Our First Year Together

2007-12-01T09:53:00.000-06:00

Aren't we cute? Just kidding! :D I didn't want to be totally cheesy!

Well, Rob and I enjoyed our first year of marriage together and I have to say that it's been a blast. We have had lots of fun this year...just a few events as we look back.

In January of this year, we were lucky enough to travel to Krabi Thailand, Feburary was the month I started my degree plan with ECU in Perth. Then in March, I offically started my own personal training company, Sweat Fitness and Rob also completed his first Biathlon. At the end of March we were able to go to Cambodia, then just a few weeks later, we found ourselves back in Texas! At Easter, we received the good news of Todd and Jenni's engagement! When June rolled around we headed to Phuket, Thailand for another holiday. In August, we got the news that Dan was getting married so we hopped on a plane back to Texas. From that point, Rob started his heavy training and completed a long-time goal he had for himself: a Half IRONMAN, which he finished better than his expected time during the month of September. Then in October, Rob and I finally went to Europe together for the first time. William Whitfield Goforth was born in October on the same day as Ranson...2 nephwes with the same birthday! Rob and I have 15 neices and nephews now from the ages of 18 to one month old! Most recently, we just returned from a trip to Bali, Indonesia and now Christmas is around the corner again!

Among other things, Rob has travelled more around Asia (for work), I experienced an earthquake, we have both completed running events and welcomed another newphew into the world. It hasn't been all bliss though...it's still very hard to be away from family and sometimes we really miss the conveniences of home. Also, we have had to make a lot of decisions about life, where we are living, our future and careers. With jobs and school and travelling, this first year has seriously flown by! It seems like we just got married.

Well, as we are trying to save money for a house/cars...everything for when we go back to Texas, we are also trying to take advantage of our time here. Rob and I cashed in our miles and headed to Bali! This was an appropriate place to celebrate our first anniversary because we got engaged here! It's probably the last time we will be in Bali for who knows how long. It was nice and wonderful! As usual, we relaxed on the beach, enjoyed the fresh air and added in a little adventure! We climbed a volcano!!! We also bought furniture...I know this is boring, but we were excited - it's super cheap in Indonesia and hand-made; the quality seems sturdy enough so it will be going in our non-existent house.

About the volcano...it's still active and we even got to go the crater. We woke up at 2am and hiked up the volcano with a guide in the middle of the night. It was a fun moon and we were huffing and puffing as we made the mile hike upwards during the night. At the top, we had a little breakfast (and coffee) in some make-shift shack and watched the sun rise! It was so beautiful! Here our our pictures from our latest trip. Oh, and the yellow sashes we are wearing was out of respect, we were told it's a "Holy Mountain".

Welcome to the World William Whitfield Goforth!

2007-10-26T05:30:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to say Rob and I are so excited to become new Aunt/Uncle this week on October 24th!

Congratulations Treva and Jeff for the newest family member; weighing in at 9lbs and 9oz! Yikes!!

We love you!

55:55:55

2007-10-26T04:54:00.000-05:00

I ran the Great Eastern Singapore Womens 10K (6.25 miles) last Sunday with an official chip time of just under 56 minutes. Only women were allowed to run - although I saw a few questionable "women" in the race - and 8,200 showed up for the event. The Kenyans finished in 33 minutes! They were amazing!

I was quite pleased with myself but sooo exhausted. After Germany, my illness got even worse during the week and I ended up seeing a respiratory specialist. My ear completely clogged up and I could not hear anything out of it, my throat remained sore and my chest hurt. I went to the doctor to get rid of this mess quick-like so I could run the 10K Sunday. When I said that...he laughed at me and told me I was not running!

My birthday was Friday and I was feeling so bad that I called off my own party! How sad is that? By Saturday I was feeling better and on Sunday...well, I didn't listen very well to my doctor's warnings and ran the 10K anyway! I felt alright except for a little cough and no hearing on the left side. I hadn't really worked out all week or ran but I was determined to do this thing.

Honestly...it felt harder to me than when I ran the Houston Marathon...which is 20 miles more! It was so tough but I never stopped and kept pushing through. Rob was there to cheer me on and 2 other girls from my basketball team also ran. I finally finished in 55:55:55!

After I finished, Rob and I both came home and slept 3 hours! We later went to watch the SG Basketball team play (Rob has season tickets and I went with a few girls) and we were home and asleep by 9:45 that night!

I went back to the doctor yesterday and my blood tests came back...turns out, I have "walking pneumonia"! I am still on meds but honestly don't even feel sick any more other than tiring easily. So with that...I am really proud of myself for running and thankful I was able to sleep when I finished!

We don't have too much planned in the near future. Rob has clients in all this week and next and Halloween is just around the corner! I start another term next weekend - this one is going to be tough! In a few weeks, Rob is going to Melbourne for a Horse Race or something (for work) and then we will be getting ready to go back to Texas in December for Todd and Jenni's wedding!!!

Germany and Denmark - October 2007

2007-10-16T02:08:00.001-05:00

We went away to Europe for about a week - I tagged along Rob's work trip to make it a "fun" trip.

This was no typical work trip though, the reason we were going was to celebrate the 10th Anniversay of BBC then take part in the festivities of the Gallimarkt festival in Leer, Germany. The country proud of their beer-drinking sure did not disappoint!

After flying 13 hours from Singapore, we landed in Frankfurt, Germany. By luck, we had Guenther and Tine on our same flight. I'm going off-track for a second...Guenther and Tine both work for BBC, the company Rob worked for in Houston. We have known them for years, oddly enough...never expecting we would also live in the same city with them half way around the world! They came to Singapore about a month before I did and have been good friends ever since. Guenther is German and Tine is Danish - we left them with plenty of tips in mind and set off to explore...

We lucked out and got a Mercedes as our rental car! It had a GPS...which was of no help to us when we realized it was in German!

After driving lost around Frankfurt for 40 minutes, we finally got on the correct road to Hamburg. You can imagine the typical husband/wife banter when lost in a non-english-speaking foreign country. We finally got on the right track, then stopped for breakfast and my wonderful husband was able to change our GPS to English!!!

I am told that the drive from Frankfurt to Hamburg is only 4 and 1/2 hours...well, we made it in 7. Mostly because we took a few breaks, ate twice and enjoyed the countryside. Our GPS led us right to the front step of our hotel in city center of Hamburg. We named her "Frau Cedes" and thanked her for saving our marriage! :D

Hamburg was awesome! It's such a beautiful city that doesn't even feel like a city. The buildings are old and unique and rivers slice throughout the city. We lucked out with perfect sunny weather in the 50-60's. After running for an hour the first morning, I don't think Rob and I were even sweating.

One story to add here...we sought out the red-light district in Hamburg. It's just as you would expect...dirty, grungy and all types of people walking around. We stopped for an outside drink to "people-watch". We saw guys stumbling around, a punk-dude puked right in front of us and another guy stop and point and say something to me...not sure what he was saying since it was German but I am going to pretend it was something nice. This is at 3 in the afternoon!

Keep in mind...it's not all crazy...there were plenty of regular folks walking around too and a few baby strollers. So don't let your imaginations run too wild. Normal life takes place here too, next to the XXX shops were grocery stores and cafes. In fact, we saw one guy taking his invalid wife/gf(?) to the grocery store, it was sweet until we saw them come back by only to see her holding a case of beer on her lap. I guess they only needed the essentials and he was making use of her situation.

Moving on...the city was absolutely gorgeous and most major European cities seem have a red-light district. Heck, even Singapore has a red-light district! I would go back to Hamburg any day and suggest the same to anyone that travels Germany.

On to another city I enjoyed...we drove 3 and 1/2 hours to Copenhagen where Rob's "work" began. The first night we met up with Rob's colleagues for a traditional Danish evening. We started out first to the Absolut Vodka Ice Bar (well, this part's not traditional). The entire Bar is made of ice!!! The chairs, the bar, the cups, the walls...EVERYTHING. It's the coldest temp I have ever experienced in my life and the novelty wore off after about 10 minutes when my hands were aching! It was -23 degrees F!!! Holy Schnikees!!! Here is a pic before, they provided us with coats/gloves:

This is one of the APC Danish guys...a pic just to show you the inside of the bar and the ice walls.

We later moved on to having pork, potatoes and Aquavit, traditional Danish schnapps. Are you seeing a theme here?? Rob and I have been on a health kick for the last 6 months...we were not used to this!

While Rob worked the next day, I walked around and explored the city and snapped pics.

After that, we headed another 5 and 1/2 hours on the autobahn to Leer, Germany...headquarters of BBC. The first night we attended the anniversary party and it was so much fun. I got to see people from the Houston office I knew so it was nice to meet up with familiar faces.

The next night was the Gallimarkt party...the whole city celebrates Gallimarkt. The city center is full of carnival games, carnival food and make-shift pubs. Leer was such a cute city and we went when it was lively and also great weather.

The last day - Rob and I had enough of sleep deprivation, too much jager and cognac (ughhh!), the cold weather and jetlag. Plus we still exercised I and think our systems got overwhelmed. Rob was sick the last day and I started getting sick on the plane ride home. As you probably know by now, it wouldn't be a trip if we didn't cause harm to ourselves in one way or another.

I am so happy we got the experience to go to Europe together. Everyone I met with the different offices and all the visitors that flew in were so nice and hospitable. Even some inviting us into their homes and showing us traditional things about their home country. We had a blast and feel very lucky to have gotten the chance to go together.

"Auf Wiedersehen!"

Feeling a little Rattled...Literally

2007-09-12T21:59:00.000-05:00

So...there was a major earthquake that hit Sumatra, Indonesia last night.

Rob is in China this week so I was home all alone, just after 7pm last night. I was sitting at the computer and all of a sudden, my chair was rocking back and forth. I was taken off-guard and was like..."what in the world???" Then I heard a soft tapping noise so I got up to find our hanging lamp swinging around. It was moving back and forth a little too much for comfort.

At this point, I a few things went through my mind...well first, my heart rate shot up and I immediately had adrenalin pumping.

Rewind to earlier in the day, our washer was leaking water...I had pulled out the washer and dryer and checked all the hoses and it was spinning hard and rocking all around. So at first, I thought it was a crazy spin cycle...but the washer wasn't going...

Then, just about 20 minutes before I felt the shaking, I heard a loud roar, like a jet or something. I thought maybe the shaking was from that...wrong again.

Even though I was scared, I was not in panic mode...just confused. I looked out my window and my neighbor was cooking dinner like nothing was happening. I didn't care though...at this point, I am still watching the light shake and I don't want to stick around to see what else would happen. I walked outside my door and everyone was just as normal as can be. Our other neighbor had their door open and the kids were watching tv, no one was running outside or no commotion whatsoever.

This all took less than a minute.

Now, I know you are not supposed to use the elevator in an earthquake, but judging from everyone else, I was being much more pro-active than they were. I just felt I had to get away from my living room as quickly as possible, so I felt safe enough to take the lift down. I just didn't want to be in my living room all alone with stuff shaking. In fact, at this point, I am thinking I am the only person feeling this so I am super-confused!

I got to the first floor in what felt like a millisecond because my mind was racing...but still, everyone was normal as can be on ground level. There were kids in the pool, some playing basketball, couples seated at the tables laughing and eating...aunties walking around...nothing unusual.

I walked around to let off some steam, thinking it was some sort of crazy structural issue only in block 12, floor 35, unit 13...After 10 minutes I was back in my place and immediately called Rob.

He didn't even say hello, He just said "Are you okay?" I was like, how did he know???? Well, in the meantime, his colleague from Singapore had SMS'd him and told him there was an earthquake and he was calling me at the same time I called him. He told ME what happened and chills overtook my whole body and I thought HOLY CRAP! The reality of what just happened hit me in that instant and I have to say it was a freaky experience! I realized there had been a major natural diaster and I just experienced a tiny slice of it without even fully knowing it.

Below is taken from the 28th floor of an east coast condo...this looks worse than what I experienced though! The east coast (which, linear distance, is only 10 miles away) felt the impact a bit more, it appears! Had I felt it this much, I would be writing an entirely different story and would have flown down 35 flights of stairs!

At least the girl giggles at the end!

It was just a little shaking, nothing bad and most people didn't even seem to notice, it seemed. However, on the news, it said they had evacuated high-rises in Singapore and had video clips from Jakarta of the same kind of shaking I experienced.

If I felt this 360 miles away, I can't imagine what the folks in Sumatra felt...I really hope they are safe there are minimal damages. At least it's not another disaster like the tsunami in 2004. I can only pray there is not a high death toll.

On to other natural disasters...I hear of a tropical depression headed for Galveston. Please be safe everyone! Take neccessary precautions and we will be keeping an eye on the storm from here!

Love,
Trish

Jenny & Dan: Tiki Island, August 25th

2007-09-05T19:06:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Dan & Jenny on the big day! The wedding & reception were very nice and we really enjoyed coming in for the wedding. You both have great families and it was nice getting to go back to celebrate with you all! It was a quick trip back to Texas but we wouldn't have missed it for anything! Let us know how Maui is!

We love you guys!

Rob and Trish

IRONROB

2007-09-04T20:14:00.000-05:00

He did it!

70.3 miles using only his own power for six and half hours....

Rob completed the half IRONMAN last Sunday and I could not be more proud of him! He worked so hard for to reach this goal for himself. Througout his 15 weeks of training, he logged 180 miles running, 560 miles biking and 26 miles of swimming, as well as hitting the gym once a week to lift! He also cut out the heavy drinking and watched what he ate.

This was an amazing goal for him to reach, he set it for himself, worked hard and acheived it. He has come a really long way!

Let me talk a minute about Rob's weight loss; alot of people think it started just before he moved to Singapore. He actually started losing weight WAY back in 2003 after his first MS150. A short while later, he decided to cut out fast food and alcohol for 6 weeks. At that time, both made up a huge part of Rob's diet, so replacing that with water & home-cooked food...and eating throughout the day...helped shed pounds alone. This encouraged him to keep going.

He also got the exercise bug...more MS150's, marathons, biathlons, triathlons and ultimately the half Ironman. This has been a process that has taken about 3.5 to 4 years. He has worked hard and had to have will power...of course it can't be all work and no play! Its all about balancing everything in order to stick to it and make it a lifestyle...afterall, life would be a little less fun without Mexican food, ice cream and the occassional night out until 5am!

Below are some pics of the event...I made signs and cheered him along the entire time! From the 7:25am swim start at the beach, to the finish right in the center of the city. The finish line was a happening atmosphere, it took place on the "Floating Platform" with a great view of the city, lots of people, music and booths. As far as watching, I wasn't bored at all...this stuff goes hand in hand with my college education and new career path....so it was really fun for me to watch. I honestly thought I would get bored after 4 hours, but it was fun being a spectator too...I love this stuff anyway!

Now I have been right next to Rob when he has "hit his wall" during competition. He becomes very stubborn, grumpy, wants to sit down and never move again! (Sydney Marathon last year!). When he does get back up, he hates every minute of it until he finishes! This competition was totally different. The entire time, he looked really good, dare I say, Happy! I never saw him looking like he was hurting or hating it. He seemed to soak up every second of it and looked good throughout the entire event.

Rob wouldn't be Rob without a bit of friendly competition and trash-talkin'. Mikael, from the office, also did the event. They have done tri's and biathlons together in the past, always with some bet or wager on the line. however, this event is so big that neither one of them could really talk trash after finishing it.

As far as recovery, he's has also done well - still getting around just fine but a little sore.

So...any other psycho crazy long events in the near future???? I think he is done for a while. Maybe stick to 2 hour competitions like half marathons and olympic distance tri's.

This event was a qualifying event that included elite athletes from 48 countries. The top guy finished at 3:49:59 and the top female at 4:11:23. Rob finished with a respectable 6:22:40; in his age group, he was 61 out of 126.

Awakening the 8 Year Old Kid in All of Us

2007-07-23T20:39:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered what it would be like to see a 90 metric tonne (nearly 200,000lbs!!) real-life sized Tonka truck hoisted off the dock and lowered into a tween deck in a ship just with just enough space to fit it?

Well, I never did either until we turned the corner on the dock and I saw this huge yellow machinery towering over us with just the black tires being almost twice as tall as Rob.

This one of the really cool parts of Rob's job. The BBC Zarate was loading these trucks in Singapore (which is rare to watch a loading here) so since this job is the reason we are here and all, Rob and I decided to go onboard and watch it.

I didn't realize all the engineering that went behind loading. For instance, as these huge cranes pick up the truck off the dock side, it pumps in water on the sea side of the ship to counter-balance the weight. Ironically, if the ship didn't take IN water, it would capsize!

Also, there are 2 cranes onboard to help in loading cargo; while one crane was hoisting the truck, the other was on standby to aid in the balancing act. If the ship started to favor one side, then the other crane could swing out to help correct the center of bouyancy. Luckily it didn't need to do this...although Rob said it's happened before where the ship didn't take on water and 16.5 tons of cargo started swinging making the ship rock like a swing set! The crane operator had to drop the cargo into the water! Yikes!

Anyway, I think I learned more in these few hours of watching the cargo load than I did in my shipping classes when getting my maritime degree!

This was as cool as when TJ took me to see how the planes are contructed at Cessna. It was really neat to see. I know the Whitfield men would have liked to see this...so in your honour, I have posted a few pictures...these are taken with Rob's camera phone.

Winners of the Losers

2007-07-18T21:14:00.000-05:00

APC Singapore hosted a client appreciation Volleyball Tournament last Saturday. It was a great opportunity for Rob and I to showcase our volleyball skills, landing us in the championship...of the losers.

One great thing about Singapore being a small island is that an overly-capitalized beach is never too far away. The tournament was held at Singapore's "resort get-away island", Sentosa. It's actually a pretty island but the rate they are building on Sentosa seems like disneyland will be in our backyard soon.

Anyway, Rob's office rented out part of an outdoor bar/grill area and 2 volleyball courts. The games started at 11:30am and lasted until about 3pm. The weather was nice and hot for us but rained at lunch, just long enough to cool things down.

Rob and I were on team APC1, along with a couple of his German and Danish colleagues. About 50 people showed up with their families and friends so it ended up being a good turn out.

Sadly, APC1 lost the first 2 games and we were matched up to play with the other APC team in our final game to play for last place. I should have put more thought into joining the host team! We finally won a game against the APC2 team, making us either the Winners of the Losers or...Losers of the Losers...??

The team that won was an all Danish guy team from the Danish shipping company, Maersk. I am convinced they had been practicing and training for months leading up to this. Probably even hired new people just to play on this Saturday! (just kidding!)

The fun lasted for us until around 5pm, but some stayed and continued the party until well after dark!

Stuff + Phuket, Thailand

2007-06-24T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!

To catch everyone up on things, I have finished my first term at ECU and just started semester 2 yesterday. School sure didn't go by this fast when I was at A&M! I am taking Nutrition and Exercise Programming this semester, so it's really interesting to me!

I have also been pushing forward with my new company! I am currently working on launching my website for SWEAT FITNESS! Check it out if you can at SWEATFIT.com It's still a work in progress so don't expect too much at this point! I am a certified personal trainer and will make appointments with clients at parks, homes and gyms to help them reach their fitness goals. I am a vendor at my first fair next month to try and get clients!

Speaking of fitness....Rob is becoming Superman before my very eyes. He's really been training hard for the upcoming triathlon on July 28th and get this....he is doing a HALF IRONMAN in September (on your birthday dad!)! He's been cycling, swimming and running like crazy. I am so proud of him. The half Ironman consist of a 1.2 mile swim plus a 56 mile bike ride and finishes off with a 13.1 mile run! Can you believe all that at one time? Here is the route around Singapore - he's basically going around the whole country! Just the yellow part is swim...so you can really see how much he is doing in one day!

We just got back from Phuket, Thailand...many of you may recognize this name because it was one of the places effected by the tsunami in Dec. 2004. They have re-built hotels, the landscape is pretty and it's a booming tourist trap again! It POURED rain the first few days we were there. There were some very strong winds and heavy rain and we thought we were in a *spontaneous* monsoon at times! It's was okay though - gave us the chance to truly relax on vacation. We hung out in our room, watched DVD's, took in a few massages and daily naps....not bad! The sun finally came out around the 3rd day so we got some sun and returned with tans afterall! We did a few 'adventure' tours...we went white-water rafting, elephant trekking and snorkeling.

The main thing was getting away, unplugging and enjoying time with each other - which we managed to accomplish! Oh, and yes, as usual, Rob got sick to his tummy and I needed first aide. It wouldn't be a trip without him having MUD-BUTT and me injuring some part of my body. He took meds and was only ill for 24 hours...I just sliced my hand on some barnacles. No worries though - we are back to normal now!

Missing Texas

2007-05-07T02:54:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone! It's been a little while since I have updated this but wanted to say hello to everyone.

The main reason I have not updated this is because we were just in Texas!! It was a blast and we really had a great time seeing everyone and enjoying mexican food at our favorite places! We miss our friends and family and the air and trees and everything. It's great living in a different place, but HOME is great too!

After I left Texas, I arrived in Singapore 2 days later after being bumped from my flight. It wasn't that bad though b/c the airline was very good about compensation. I returned to a very happy visit with Mark and Pat who flew in from Australia the night before and headed back to the UK a few days later. It was great to see them and I had a nice visit. Afterward, I had to bury my nose in the books and study for some mid-terms!

Meanwhile, Rob, and another colleague from the Singapore office (Kim) were busy pedalling their butts from Houston to Austin for the MS150. Rob had a WONDERFUL time and said it was one of the highlights of the entire trip (including Brazil!). He enjoyed the scenery, weather and ride away from traffic lights and psycho taxi drivers we are used to putting up with in Singapore! Below is Kim after the first day of riding.

After they did the ride, Rob and Kim went to Sao Paulo for a 3 day conference. It was another 11 hour flight to Brazil from Houston, so these boys were tired! Still, somehow, they dug deep inside and continued to "work". This included the hard task of getting to the conference hall by 2:00pm every day, then drinking until 5am. What troopers they are! Then after another 3 days breathing recycled air from 35,000 feet, they finally made it back to Singapore.

I have been very busy studying for my classes. It's definitely a challenge for me and I am having to do lots more preparation for classes than I remember. Even though I have been out of college for 5 years, I still have to retrain my brain to be a 'student' again! I am enjoying it though and I am trying to soak up all the information I can in regards to exercise science.

Friday night Rob and I finally got an evening to ourselves. We went to the park and enjoyed a modern take on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The stage was built around the audience and we brought a picnic of wine to the park and a blanket to watch the play around us under the 1 star you can see in Singapore - what a night!

Oh, one more thing, I have a myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/trishjacquet

Siem Reap, Cambodia

2007-03-25T21:15:00.000-05:00

Well, we did a weekend trip from Cambodia and it was quite a departure from our usual beach, sand and sun excursion.

It was actually one of our better trips because it was so different and unexpected.

We arrived early Friday morning and went straight to our hotel, dropped off our bags and headed out to see the temples.

The temples were built centuries ago; it's amazing they let tourist climb all over them...it's unbelievable actually. Considering these structures are over 1000 years old and considering the amount of tourist traffic they receive, they are in surprisingly great shape still with so much detail carved in stone. Depending on rule of the country, some temples started as worship to Hindu, then changed to Buddhism and carvings were altered to look like Buddha.

Our hotel was situated near the center of town, called "Old Market". There are many restaurants and pubs here and it's very touristy. We enjoyed it and had really nice exotic food like pizza, shrimp and nachos!

The 2nd (last) day, we took a bumpy ride out to the river. Transportation was a carriage hooked up to a little motorcycle. At one point we had to stop at a gas station, which we discovered was just a shelf on the side of the road with old glass bottles full of petrol.

We went out to the river to view the "floating village", which is a town on water. This was only supposed to cost us $10 per person, but once we got there, we were charged $20 per person! Sadly, we know the people will never see this money - everything goes straight to the government.

We got on the boat and our guide was really informative. His wage was only $20 per MONTH. He actually lived in the floating village with his 9 siblings - this was something out of a movie! They live on the water because the area floods during the rainy season. These 'houses' are shards of sticks formed around rafts and the water is only a meter deep. Surprisingly...some have tv and internet! They don't have electricity or running water, so tv's are battery powered.

The whole experience was kind of an eye-opener for us. We have never seen poverty like this in our lives. Despite the conditions they live in, they seemed to be very happy. We saw many smiles and most went out of their way to welcome us. Even though the children have nothing, they still seemed good-natured and laughed and played with each other. Of course there were beggars and land-mine victims and people trying to sell you crap you don't want, but you kind of cut them some slack since most live on a $1 a day. Anyway, we really enjoyed the trip, Siem Reap is becoming a popular tourist destinations so 5-star hotels are moving in along with nice places to go. It was very good for us to go there.

The Day of Infamy - Singapore Biathlon 2007

2007-03-25T20:47:00.000-05:00

Below is a story about the biathlon Rob competed in with 2 of his Danish colleagues from APC...

Throughout the history of sports, there have been few dates that will always be known as a great performance by a certain athlete or a particular team. Many fans may know May 6th 1954 when Ray Bannister ran a sub 4 minute mile which until then had been the unthinkable or February 22nd 1980 when the USA Hockey team upset the mighty Russian Hockey team in the Olympics

All these dates hold a special place in the history of sports. The newest addition of infamous dates will be March 17th 2007! On this date, a soft spoken and humble young man from Texas competed against the mighty Viking athletes from Denmark! The morning of March 17th 2007 was not a typical Singaporean morning. There was a little bit of magic in the air that only the Texan could smell. As the three APC athletes made their way to the starting line, all seemed to be in high spirits and strong determination for the upcoming biathlon.

The first stage was a 1500 meter open water swim in the Singapore Straights followed by a 10 kilometer run in the tropical heat. As the starting flag was lowered, the 3 APC athletes hit the water with all their might causing a mini tsunami that was felt a few meters away by some small children playing in the surf.

As the athletes rounded the offshore buoy marker and made their way to shore, it was the Texan that had a slight lead on the Vikings. The fans erupted with cheer as the local fan favorite had made his move to the lead. This lead would not be given away for the remainder of the day!

The event was a success and all finished in respectable times.

Let it be known, Rob is the 4th fastest American that competed in Singapore!...something to brag about...his finishing time was 1:26! The other guys were 1:33 and 1:47. Good Job Robby!

Gong Xi Fa Cai! - Happy Chinese New Year

2007-02-19T19:05:00.000-06:00

So it's time for Chinese New Year! It seems to be the biggest holiday of the year for the locals; most the city shuts down and it's a time of massive celebration! 2007 is the year of the Pig. From what I gather, it's a time to start fresh. The Chinese will pay debts, buy oranges for good luck, and clean house. There is a family dinner, and the married give red envelopes of money for good luck to the unmarried. I read yesterday that the Chinese only consider you an adult if you are married (I'm sure that is an old school of thought that has carried over into this tradition); and the gift is more about the color of the envelope - since 'red' is lucky - and not the money inside.

Rob and I tried to absorb some local culture by going to Chinatown the eve of New Year. Most expats here go on vacation during this time but we dropped the ball on that one and waited too late to get a ticket to go any where. By the time we checked, most things were filled up or too expensive. Think of trying to get a plane ticket to go somewhere for Christmas when it's Dec. 22nd. We underestimated how much of a holiday this is!

Chinatown was hoppin' though - Mom J, I know now why you enjoyed it so much! It's streets and streets of vendors and the place is very 'alive'.

We learned of our "luck" in this Lunar New Year....Rob is the year of the HORSE (1978) who are supposed to experience good fortune this year. The Horse is also the year of those born in 1954, 1966 & 1990. I am the year of the SHEEP (1979) where basically nothing is supposed to work out as there are 'unlucky constellations' for the Sheep this year. Oh well...it's Chinese astrology so believe what you will.

The 2nd day of the New Year, we went to a music festival called Good Vibrations. It was mostly DJ's and people we had never heard of from Australia, US and the UK. Jurassic 5 was there as well the Beastie Boys. We only knew their really old stuff, so sadly, out of a 9-hour festival, that means one song! We are not very hip but it was a fun anyway!

What's happening, Jan 29

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Hey Everyone...

Thought I would make another post to say what's happening. First, I want to say happy birthday to Blake, Caitlin and Nana! We hope you enjoyed your day!

Rob and I have not been up to much lately. He has been busy playing in his basketball league every Tuesday and Saturday...and doing a really good job while trying to keep his cool against discriminating refs! Some of the calls are UNBELIEVABLE and their justification is that Rob's bigger than some of the other players! Anyway, I start playing ball this Saturday too! Above is Rob's team.

Yesterday I went sailing on a "cutterketch" with a mix of 10 people. It was really nice but the weather and wind kept getting a little nasty! It was fun but felt like we were on the high seas at times! I forgot the camera but here's a picture of the boat.

Also, yesterday Rob left for Korea and Japan and will be gone for a week :-( he's there for work and also doesn't have the camera. We have to get better at this!

Other than that...I have been filing documents to get my Singapore visa and name legal, etc...by the way, I am officially "Trish Renee Jacquet" ...very strange thing to change your last name!

I also applied to an Australian University that has a distance learning program here in Singapore. If I get in, I will earn a BS in Exercise Science and actually get to graduate in Perth, Australia! I am so excited about this opportunity, so wish me luck that it all falls into place! It's a nights-and-weekends course so some of my opportunities to travel will slow down; but we will find a way to get away now and then!

We love you all and wanted to say hello. Hope everyone is doing well and please let us know how things are going with you too!

Trish

Thailand - Jan 3-7th

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Rob and I went to Thailand for a little trip and thought we would take advantage of the beautiful lands nearby!

We flew into Krabi, Thailand, stayed there for a night, then woke up early the next day and took a longboat to Railey Beach, Thailand. This peninsula is only accessed by boat and has no roads...as secluded as it sounds, we discovered it was overrun with tourists and backpackers from all over the world! It was still beautiful though!

The first day we explored the beach area and hung out around the area. The next day we took an all day tour which allowed us to kayak, snorkel and lay on the beach. It was really cool and the water was emerald green and the day was great! I sliced my toe later that evening walking in the water to catch the longboat back to our hotel.

The next day, we signed up for an all day dive trip. Rob was so excited, however, nature had different plans. He woke up ill but tried to persevere. We went on and took a 2 hour boat ride out to Phi Phi islands for our first dive site. It was so gorgeous and full of coral, clams, fish, starfish...etc. Although, diving at 18m when you are nauseous and cold is not a good idea! When we got back to the surface, we knew we were done for the day! Still, it was a nice boat ride and if you are going to be sick, it's a much better view than staring up at the ceiling at home. Rob is doing much better now but I am glad to be back in safe Singapore!

Fittingly, it rained the day we had to leave. We caught the longboat back to the mainland and remained soaked until we got to the airport hours later.

We are back in Singapore safe and sound now and had a great experience and met plenty of friendly people. It was a great trip, and all the unexpected things - crowds, poopers, rain, injuries - just make it that much more memorable!

Welcome to Our Blog!

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I hope that everyone has had a Happy New Year and settled into 2007!

We thought instead of sending out emails every time we had pictures and stuff, we would create a blog and keep updated with what's going on with us on this side of the world!

We both have a really great group of friends and family that mean the world to us. It would be a shame to let an ocean stand in our way of communication with you all, especially in this day and age of technology!

We love you all and missed you during the holidays!