Crickets, Elephants and Fish

Hello to everyone.
This will be a short blog with just a few photos as we are now in packing mode.  We felt compelled to stay up and support the U.S. in the World Cup and the game was on over here at 1:30 am.  Three hours of sleep is really not a lot as we got up to go to Mass this morning as well. 

The above photo is of Shawn eating a cricket.  Yuck.  The photo below is of Hilda being grossed out by Shawn eating the cricket.

Here are a few photos of the group at Angkor Wat.

Ok,Hilda, being the trouper that she is rode the elephant.  You would think that Larry rode an elephant to work every day he was so relaxed on the thing!

After Hilda and I left with the girls, the guys went touring the various temples.  Things weren't quite as easy as they should have been.  The photo below is of Larry fixing a flat tire on the tuk tuk!

Gotta love the fish!

Hilda opted out of fish cleaning and after a wonderful visit to a floating village we ended our Siem Reap trip.  All went great and we head home on Tuesday.

Bye and see you all soon!

Mattie's First Communion

So the first of our girls made their 1st Communion.  It was so beautiful and of course wonderful to have Hilda and Larry here for Mattie's big day.  We went to the service which was lovely and Mattie got to do the first reading from the Old Testament.  She naturally had it memorized.  She read it to me to practice and all I remember is that it is from the Book of Genesis and had the name Melchizadech in it.  I'm sure I spelled that wrong.  Anyway, she has a memory like a herd of elephants! 

                          
                            

Hilda and Mattie!

 

 Mattie and her sisters!  Greta doesn't understand that when we say "say cheese" she's supposed to smile, not just say "cheese"

 

Mattie and Father Bob who gave her her 1st Communion

 

 

After the service we all went eat at our favorite restaurant here.  It is kid friendly and the waitresses also will watch the little ones for us! 

The first thing Hilda ordered was the wine!

I just really like this photo.  We haven't done too much touring around Phnom Penh as it's been pretty hot, but we'll head to Siem Reap on Thursday for our big trip.  Hilda has to wear a blindfold the entire way (it's a 5 hour trip) as the drivers here freak her out a bit!

Hilda and Larry's Visit Part 1

Hello to all,

I've decided to try and write a little at a time to tell everyone about Hilda and Larry's visit.  So Hilda is Shawn's mom and Larry is Shawn's cousin.  Today was their first full day in Cambodia and they are doing great.  Larry has so much energy and is willing to try and do just about anything.  Hilda is too although the heat is tough.  She's had a lot of new experiences already.  She got a little confused about the mosquito net over her bed and asked if she was just supposed to cover up with one, like a blanket.  She was a little concerned about it smothering her but was vastly relieved to learn that it simply was draped around and over the bed. 

Poor Hilda was so tired when she arrived but she hung on until the evening.  She even managed to try a new food.  The fruit above tasted much better after we peeled it.

Larry was fine though and took to Cambodia beer like a veteran traveler!

Hilda and Larry's first tuk-tuk ride.  Hilda calls it a toot toot.  It's so funny we don't correct her!
Shawn followed us on his motorcycle.

All was well after a few margarita's!
So we went to the National Museum and after seeing all of these beautiful statues and carvings Hilda's favorite piece was this huge urn.  Turns out that back in the day...12 or 13th century...they would put the deceased King inside this urn in a kneeling position.  He stayed like this for 3 months then they cremated him inside the urn and the ashes fell out of the bottom.  These ashes were then placed in what is called a stupa where they rest in hopeful peace.  Larry and I decided that Hilda just can't pull herself away from funerals or anything relating to funerals, even in Cambodia.  She looked for a postcard of this huge urn but alas, the powers that be didn't deem it worthy of a postcard.  We had other ideas so we had to sneek back to take a photo as you weren't really allowed to do this.

Don't worry all you St. Henry parishners...we'll have her on an elephant in no time.

More to come!