We survived Hurricane Sandy!

I received a comment from a blogging friend that he hasn't heard from us since my last post in Baltimore, when we were preparing for Hurricane Sandy! Thank you, David, for your concern!! We are fine! In fact, we were untouched inside the four strong walls of our friends' old home. The storm started before 9am on Monday and faded away during the early morning hours on Tuesday. The winds were UNREAL... unlike anything that I have ever heard or felt. For hours, I expected any minute that the windows would be sucked right out of the walls. It rained and rained and rained HARD! The power flickered off and on all day, but we were fortunate to retain power, (although I’m quite certain we would have more than survived without it for a few days!) In one simple sentence: It was an adventure. A first anniversary to always be remembered! Despite Sandy, it was a great trip! ♥♥♥

Friday and Saturday were especially a lot of fun! We arrived in Baltimore by 10am and were warmly greeted by our dear friends, Sambat and his smart and adorable daughter, Elsie. I couldn’t quite remember how old Elsie was, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw her again (I had only ever met the Long family at our wedding one year ago.) When I got in the backseat beside her car seat and I said, “Hi Elsie! How are you?” and she responded, without hesitation, “I’m pretty good. How are you?” I knew she was well advanced and, over the course of the next few days, she continued to IMPRESS me! ♥♥♥

For lunch on Friday, we ate at a delicious and beautiful Indian buffet. So, so, so good. I could not stop eating! Afterwards, the four of us explored Baltimore city around the bay. We walked a lot! Laughed a lot! And took a lot of pictures! At 5:00, Sambat’s wife, Danielle, joined us and we went to the National Aquarium. Aquariums are one of my favorite things and it wasn’t even my idea to go! SO FUN! The jellyfish exhibit was very cool (I’ll spare you all the pictures!) and they even had a DOLPHIN SHOW! ♥♥♥

 On Saturday, we explored the streets of Washington DC between the Capital Building and the White House. There is so much to see in DC and I wish that we could have seen so much more [I saw a lot on a school field trip in 9th grade, but I wanted my husband to see it all!], but I enjoyed just walking hand-in-hand with Titus; and the weather was beautiful! We started our day at the United States Botanic Garden – a beautiful living plant museum – where we had a picnic lunch outdoors at the First Ladies’ Water Garden. Another big sighting of the day was, of course, the White House! The pictures of me in front of the White House… are not good… but below is a good picture of my husband! Just beyond the White House, we found a 24/7 worship experience happening for 40 consecutive days before the elections. Very cool experience! I made a new Spanish-speaking friend and explained to her that many people think America has no hope, but as certainly do! We have a living hope in Sovereign God and we must seek Him to lead our country, homes, and selves! ♥ ♥ ♥

Other adventures include: shopping at the Asian market, an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, Titus teaching Sambat how to cook, puzzles with Elsie, and movies in the evenings. ♥♥♥
Again, despite Hurricane Sandy, we had a wonderful time in Baltimore! I wish that we lived closer to the Longs and the Novs, our two Cambodian-American couple friends who cannot only relate very well with Titus, but understand cross-cultural relationships.♥♥♥

Love, Love, Love,

Jewel