Vietnam 2007 Revisited!

Our friends from Connecticut (Marybeth, Mark and Max) sent us a CD with pictures they took from their 2007 Vietnam trip and 2009 Reunion. Of course we were with them in both cities (Ho Chi Minh and Washington DC). ;-) I took a trip down memory lane viewing the pictures this past weekend. It feels like it was just yesterday that we were there!!

I have some of the same pictures and there were a lot of new pictures I didn't have. I am so grateful for Marybeth's pictures. I know it sounds silly but now I feel like I was actually in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. There I am, in the pictures...proof positive that I was there at the beginning of it all.

In a way I'm glad all of Sebastian's baby pictures are in photo albums instead of on digital albums. It's harder to get to his pictures because they are mostly stored in bins. I get all sad and weepy eyed when I revisit both my baby's pictures.

Ava trying to figure out why we would put her in a hammock when she was safe and warm in Daddy's arms.
Michael wearing the rice hat we bought for Sebastian on the Mekong Delta tour. Ava chowing down on breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
A family portrait
Marybeth, Max, Ava and I taking a dip in the pool and getting acquainted. I didn't even pack any swimmies for the pool and had to borrow one of Max's. Yeah, I'm the mother second time around and forgot! I think swimming was furthest from my mind ;-)

Taking an afternoon stroll in downtown HCMC.

Marybeth, Max and I posing with the ladies at the dress shop. Marybeth had her dress custom taylored, I didn't. Although the size I bought probably would have been equavilant to their "plus" sizes (American size).
Another family portrait.
The front of Tu Du Hospital. They have the largest Maternity ward in Vietnam and that's where supposedly, Ava, Max, Allison and Logan were either born or dropped off at this hospital.
The statue in front of the hospital. I forgot the significance of the statue but it's probably self explanatory when you see the "mother, father and child".
Downtown scene in Hanoi (I think).
Marybeth, Mark and I with the babies.
This was the usual scene outside our hotel. We are probably waiting for a taxi to go out somewhere.
Ava and Allison chilling on the floor. We got together in one of the hotel suites and had a wine and cheese party and the babies got re-acquainted (again).
Our family group shot. I had to laugh at this picture because of Logan and Max leaning into Ava. This was on the last day in HCMC and we were getting ready to head to the airport for Hanoi. It took us SEVERAL attempts to prop the babies on the hotel lobby sofa but they kept falling over. We ended up taking pictures with the facilitators (Sandy and Paul) holding the babies because that was the only way we could get them sitting up. Even Paul and Sandy were laughing during the picture taking because the babies kept looking if different directions or squirming.An airplane shot as we were leaving HCMC for Hanoi.