Hong Kong

Yes, we took a family trip to Hong Kong in April and in case you're wondering, it's a 15-hour flight (direct) from Chicago. The reason was to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday and for a family reunion. My grandmother has 8 children and when you include their spouses and their children, the number of people gets pretty high. Almost everyone was able to make it. We had a traditional Chinese banquet to celebrate her birthday and I really enjoyed seeing family I hadn't seen in years, including 2 cousins who were born in the 11 years since I'd been there last.

I think the trip was a good experience for the kids. It took them a little while to get used to their new surroundings and Ava was able to eat some Chinese cuisine. Alex, however, did not eat one bite of Chinese food. Not one. Fortunately, we usually wound up eating at American restaurants so Alex did not starve. Food issues aside, the kids had a fun time visiting Disneyland, Ocean Park, Victoria's Peak, and swimming in the hotel pool. I have to thank my uncles Alfie and Henry and their wives Colleen and Mandy for taking us around the city. I know Ava won't remember a thing but hopefully, Alex will remember a few snippets of the vacation.

For pictures of our trip, just click on the play button.

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