Florida Reunion

I'm finally posting our Florida pictures! I am a slacker!


Here are the girls waiting to leave Saturday morning (while their parents run around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to remember everything that needed to be packed). We ended up only being about an hour behind schedule. For us, that's pretty good! Brooke was beside herself at the thought of seeing Meng Meng again.

Several hours of being stuck in the car can be boring, so it didn't take long for this (below) to happen. Actually they were really good travelers. (They got thru a 15 1/2 hour flight from Hong Kong to Newark without driving anyone - even me - crazy, so this was a piece of cake.) And we were really lucky in that we avoided all the storms that plagued the whole area. Driving could have been horrible and we only hit rain once, for only a short time.

The girls were much happier when we finally got to the beach. Hurray!

After getting the keys and discovering the beach had turned into a giant wind-tunnel (off-shore storm), we finally made it up to Debbi's condo. Here's the view from the 19th floor balconey.

Then Meng Meng arrived with his parents! Here is Allison, his mom. He was shy for about 5 minutes and then he just wanted to play with Ke Xin! He and Olivia took to each other right away, also. They were like the Three Muskateers!

It was time for bed and Meng Meng refused to let Allison get him dressed. He wanted Brooke to help him instead. Very cute!

..........................Kiss good night!!!

Everyone was up bright and early the next day (Sunday). Does somebody look happy?

We headed down to the beach after breakfast. It was Brooke's first time in the sand. She kept wiggling her toes in the stuff.

Holding hands on the beach! Brooke looks like a body-builder because her suit has floaties sewn into the top of it. The ocean was way too rough, so we jut played in the sand and looked for shells right at the shoreline.

The water was cold, but Olivia loved it anyway. Here she is posing/dancing on the beach.

Mark, Brooke, Meng Meng, Allison, and Ken on the beach, with Olivia in the water.

The haze in the distance is sand swirling in the air. It was really windy, but warm. They were flying "double-red" flags along the beach to tell people NOT to swim. We had the beach almost all to ourselves, which was great!

Is this guy going to be a heart-breaker when he grows up, or what??????????????

On the beach, in the middle of a wind storm, Ken finds a ladybug on his sleeve! The ladybug is the symbol of China adoption. Allison and I decided that it was a sign they would be adopting again!!!!! Ken showed the lady bug to Meng Meng. It was SO sweet - until Meng Meng smashed the ladybug off Ken's sleeve and then squished it in the sand!!!!! Oops! Maybe not so sweet after all? I guess Meng Meng likes being an only child! Ha!

..................................Roark family portrait.

................................Myers family portrait.

The condo had a pool, but it was COLD (colder than the ocean)!!!! Mark and Allison were very brave and got in with the kids. Olivia did fine, but poor Meng Meng was sooooooo cold, his teeth were chattering. The swim didn't last long (much to the relief of Allison and Mark).

Clowning around in the condo.

Mark reads a nap time story.

Meng Meng and Brooke share a favorite snack of yogurt!

That night, Mark and Brooke went to dinner with Meng Meng, Ken and Allison (where Brooke insisted Meng Meng eat his broccoli!). I stayed at the condo with a sickly Olivia. She was TOTALLY emotional, overly tired, and ran a high fever, which broke in the middle of the night. By morning, she was "right as rain" and ready to play on the beach again. Kids!

We were back down to the beach the next day (Monday). The beach was still very windy with double-red flags.

This picture keeps posting sideways, but it's a view down to the beach from Debbi's balconey. That's Mark, Ken and Allison with the kids in the middle of the picture (looking like ants).

More views from the balconey. There are 2 pools (one is partly indoors, partly outdoors), a hot tub, and then the big pool (adults only).

Brooke was tired of the wind and took a break.

.........................Wrestlemania!!!!!!

Meng Meng was turning 3 soon, so we had a mini-pre-birthday party with yummy cupcakes!

All too soon, it was time to head home again. Meng Meng tried to help Brooke with her shoes & socks. (Prince Charming and Cinderella??) You could tell they were close while in China - helping each other dress, eat, etc. They acted like they'd never been apart.

Goodbye, Florida (and Debbi's condo. She's got it for sale, in case anyone is interested...)

The kids hugging goodbye for the 100th time. Unfortnately, Brooke hugged little Meng Meng so hard, she knocked him down onto the cement parking deck. Sheez!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was ok, thank heavens, but it was not a good way to end the trip. Allison, Ken and Meng Meng were GREAT roomates and, hopefully, we'll be spending lots more time with them in the furture! We've been home almost a month and Brooke is still asking to go back to the beach to see Meng Meng, and to go to Meng Meng's house, and to have Meng Meng come to her house, and ... I think she still likes him, just a little. : )

Before we ever made it out of the city limits, Brooke was fast asleep again. What a great trip! Thank you Allison, Ken, Meng Meng and Aunt Debbi!!!