Our Mini American Adventure!

Dear friends,

We have returned to Singapore after a brief visit to our homeland!  As you can see from the schedule posted in our last post, we certainly kept ourselves busy.  Between weddings, job training, and family time I’m not sure exactly when we rested:).  Our trip back to the US was wonderful–it was great to see so many family members and friends and do a little bit of traveling on the side!  Below are just a few highlights from our trip Stateside.  We did so much it would be impossible to mention it all here…

I flew back a few days before John and was able to spend a couple of very relaxing days with his family (now my family too:) in Orlando.  Steve and Lucy even picked me up from the airport in a pick-up truck while playing country music.  I really felt like I was coming home:).  After a lovely couple of days of watching “Wife Swap” with Steve, hanging out with Lucy, and reading magazines with Robin, I was off to Greenville, SC to see my brother for a night!  Patrick was such a gentleman–he took me to get cheap Mexican food, chocolate chip pancakes, and to Atlanta Bread Company.  He also accompanied me around Furman to see a few friends on the faculty and staff.  It was a jam packed 24 hours, but it was so great to see him!

The next day, from Greenville, SC, I embarked on an adventure with a group of five other girls to nowhere else but New York City for Tyner Ray Lollis’s bachlorette party!!!!  Still at bit jet lagged at this point, I boarded the fifth plane in four days I was just happy to be on a plane with someone that I know!!!

The view from our hotel room!

Tyner, Leanna, Mandy Lee, and I flew up to NYC to meet Megan and Lauren for a grand weekend adventure.  To start, Leanna found us an AMAZING hotel room in Times Square–in fact, our room overlooked the famous center of town!  After a nice night’s rest, we were up (by 11:00) and off to Central Park where we watched some Michael Jackson impersonators (this was shortly after his death) and had a brief photo shoot!  Then, we headed to a Thai Restaurant for lunch (the only Asian food I ate while in the States–I love you girls!!!:) and then to Anthropolgie for two hours for some “power shopping.”

I was still jet lagged, so power shopping for me included grabbing a seat and watching the other girls try on some dresses.  That night was the big “night out.”  So we gave Tyner a few gifts, then headed out on the town!  We started out at a nice little restaurant and bar and then went dancing!

Girls in Central Park!

We even found a few NYC fire fighters to take pictures with our group!!!  We didn’t arrive back at our hotel room until 4:30 am.  We proceeded to chat until 5:30 when we looked out our window and noticed the sun was coming up over Times Square.  So, what do we do?  We go back out!  We were in our pajamas and skipped down the street, did cart wheels across the middle of the road, and Lauren even got a talking to from a police officer because of her “FU” shirt.  We didn’t got to bed until 6:00 am which pretty much put me back onto Singapore time.  Hello jetlag…again.  Despite that, it was very much a weekend to remember.

After NYC, I flew home to see my parents (finally!!!  after seven months!).  We grabbed some dinner (at Applebees–yum!) then headed home to see grandmother who lives next door!  I spent the week shopping, seeing my grandparents (who came all the way from Tennessee to see us), having a little party for Whitney and just enjoying being at home with family!

That weekend, one of my dear roomates from school Whitney Hoagland Byrley married Chirs Byrley!  The wedding was beautiful, held in a church in Louisville and the reception was at Louisville country club!  The day before the wedding, we had a little bridesmaid fun at the nail salon, then a bridesmaids brunch and then had a delicious rehearsal dinner at an old house near downtown Louisville.

Whitney with her sassy bridesmaids!

Since John was at training in Chicago, Mom was my date.  She was one hot date;).  The next day, John flew in (we happened to run into Dan Ennis and his sweet girlfriend, Lauren, while at the airport) and I headed to Whitney’s house to prepare for the festivities!  We wore beautiful gold dresses and crystal earrings Whitney had made for us just for the occassion!  It was a beautiful wedding and reception!  After the reception, we tried to make it back to Shelbyville for some of my high school friends’ wedding, but a terrible storm blew up and we never made it (sorry Tory and Mallori!).  The next morning, I put John on a plane back to Chicago and met Courtney for breakfast.  Then, back home for me to take a nap:).

The next week brought lots of rest and relaxation (and preparation to go back to Singapore).

Daddy and I not watching horses at the Shelbyville Horse Show

We even got to go to the Horse Show on Wednesday night where we ran into lots of Shelbyville friends including the Deckers (Jessica and I went through high school together and were pretty much best friends on the cheer squad.  I think we were sanity partners:).  I had forgotten how much I missed going to the Horse Show!  I don’t think I saw very many horses:).

On Thursday, my parents and I left Shelbyville to start the drive to Charleston, South Carolina for the wedding of Tyner Ray Lollis and Zeke Lollis.  We stopped halfway at my grandparents house in Knoxville, Tennessee for the night–it was so great to get to spend a little extra time with them!  After a nice long drive to Charleston, we made it in plenty of time for the rehearsal dinner.  John was still in Chicago, so I went solo until I realized that Mr. Simon Lehtinen was also there solo.  We decided to be dates for the evening:).  After the dinner, we went to South End Brewery where my parents met us after their date night!  I was so impressed–they stayed there with us until the place closed down!!!

The next day was wedding day–we went to a beautiful historic home in Charleston for the Bridesmaids Luncheon and to get ready for the big event!  I had my hair done at 12:45–and had to keep it nice all day!!!  I managed, but if you know me you know that was a tall order:).  Once everyone was ready, we were ready to get Tyner down the aisle!  We wore navy blue dresses (each style was different) and pearls–very pretty!

Bridgette and I are ready to Bridesmaid!

The wedding was held in a beautiful chapel at MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina), very close to the historic home where the reception was also held!  We had a great time, enjoyed some southern food and danced the night away (including a little David Allen Coe action).  After the reception, we all went out and spent some more time together at a swanky little bar until it was time for bed.  I stayed with my parents that night and upon arriving back at the hotel, I learned that they had also just returned–they had gone out after too!!!  They were a couple of party animals that weekend:).  I am so proud!

The next morning, after a tearful goodbye to Mom and Daddy, John and I were off to spend some time with Furman friends at lunch and then Matt Kuhn and Elizabeth Goss for the afternoon!  It was so great to see you all again!!!!

Simon and John at the swanky bar!

That night, we drove to Savannah to have dinner with Landon Mossburg and finally, the next day we headed back to Orlando!  Our time in Orlando was spent relaxing, golfing (John), shopping, and stock piling tortillas for our trip back to Asia (they are now frozen in my freezer in Singapore).  It was so great to see Lucy, Steve, and Robin again.  And….Lucy took us for a ride in the car:). Our last night there, we spent with Miss Mandy Petitt (soon to be Drinkard) at City Walk at Universal Studios.  She got to share in our final US Moe’s experience for a while.  It was epic.

Early the next morning, we were off to the airport and twenty-eight delightful hours later, we were back in Singapore.  Our trip back to the States was AMAZING and made us realize how much we really do love the good ole US of A and especially our friends and family back there.  We are loving out Most Excellent Adventure over here–but can’t wait to see everyone again!

Next entry, I’ll update you on everything that’s been going on in Singapore for the past few weeks–it’s a lot.  We’ve moved and John is working in Malaysia for at least a month.  More to come on that soon.  Keep reading!!!!!:)