Summer Roundup

So the rest of the summer after we returned from the States was spent swimming and enjoying the relative quiet here in Indonesia as most other expat families were away for the whole summer.  We ended up sponsoring a few new embassy families who arrived this summer.  It is something I enjoy doing but it is a lot of work.  Tanner was getting used to the whole Bishop thing, but that was difficult since not a whole lot of changes could be made or callings issued since most of the ward was gone for the summer as well.  Just before school started in the middle of August, we took a little family getaway to Singapore.  It was a good trip, but it is also difficult to try to relax when you know what you are coming back to.  School starting, new people to welcome, and lots of work to be done in the ward.  Singapore is an interesting place.  The official language is English there and it is quite a melting pot of cultures and people.  It is a very clean and very expensive country.  We stayed in a nice hotel, The Fairmont, in downtown.  It was really great because it was right next to a big mall and we just went downstairs every morning to the food court and got yummy doughnuts for breakfast!

We rode the subway EVERYWHERE, and went out to Sentosa Island a couple of times.  Sentosa is a fun family place to go that has beaches, an aquarium, and even a great luge ride (see below).  Tanner wanted to try the indoor skydiving, but for whatever reason, it didn’t end up happening.  The aquarium was super small but they had a dolphin show that was cool and they had a movable walkway through a tube surrounded by marine life that we all really liked too. 

Everyday after we would get back to the hotel, we would go swimming with the kids. 

They had a great kiddie pool, and when everyone was good and tired, we would go to dinner.  The second night we were there, we decided to try this yummy looking Italian restaurant that was in the hotel.  It was REALLY REALLY good, and it was really busy.  The kids were so tired and started dropping like flies.  First, Audrey fell asleep in her chair, followed by Andrew, who just laid his head down on the table and zonked out.  Clark just kept zoning out, and Tanner and I were loving the peace and quiet!

The next day, we spent the morning at Pasir Ris Park.  It had a few great playgrounds in it, and we rented bikes for the whole family and we biked around the park.  We all loved it!  The next day we went to the beach at Sentosa and also rode the luge ride.  It was a total highlight.  You take a ski lift up to the top where you are given your ‘sled’.  It was super fun.  Tanner went with the boys first and then I got to go with them a second time around. 

Overall, it was a great quick little getaway and a good way to round out our great summer!