2010 was a year of ups and downs, wonderful wedding bliss, and sad loss, but it ended on some very happy notes.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas we were fortunate enough to get to travel home with family, but both holidays were actually spent in Singapore. With Thanksgiving around the corner, Kate and Adam started decorating their Singapore apartment with Holiday Cheer, and when Thanksgiving Thursday came around, they decided to get some roast bird, but not many restaurants serve turkey in SE Asia.
So we enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner with legendary Peking (Beijing) Duck! The skin was slow roasted, crispy, and absolutely delicious. They even carved it at our table! MMMMMM.... Duck.
In the spirit of giving thanks and giving back, our friends, Kelsey and Jeff, organized a buffet dinner the following Sunday at a local restaurant to raise money for the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation which helps get poor children in Vietnam off the streets and into school. They sold tickets to over 150 people, and most of our good friends in Singapore were there to enjoy some traditional American Thanksgiving food (although few of our friends are American) and contributed to a great cause.
Shortly after Thanksgiving, Adam's company flew us both back for annual sales meetings and Black-Tie Holiday Party. Kate and Adam spent quite a few days catching up with friends and business in Pennsylvania and partying it up in downtown Philly.
That trip to the US allowed us to zip back to Illinois for about a week of family time! We spent the time going through wedding pictures, having early Christmases, and just enjoying the company of both of our awesome Families. We miss you all already!
However, as all trips home seem to be, this trip was past in the blink of an eye. Before we knew it we were back in Singapore apartment-hunting, preparing for Christmas eve, and getting back to/ready for work. We even spent one whole day with good friends over to make mulled wine, introduce Brits and Aussies to Egg-Nog, and watch christmas movies to get us into the holiday spirit.
As Christmas approached and carols filled the air, our stockings were hung by the flatscreen with care. Ornaments dangled and presents stuffed under the tree, even Bella had some gifts she could tear open with glee. So on Christmas morning with Turkey-a-roasting, we shared gifts as husband, wife, and pup with some nice wine for toasting.
All-in-all it was a lovely first married Christmas together, but it wasn't the same being away from family. Thankfully we were able to see our families before and call in on Christmas. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for, and we're so glad you are all a part of our Adventure!
Happy 2011!
Adam and Kate
(and Bella)
