Congrats 1st Lt Walton!

Troy took a long-awaited step up from butter bars Second Lieutenant today. Enjoy some photos of his promotion to First Lieutenant!

Lt Col Miagany lead the ceremony and said some very nice things about Troy. :)

When asked who would pin on his bars (read: change his rank that he wears on his uniform), Troy chose the Colonel and his wonderful wife. How lucky am I? 

Poking him with a new, silver rank insignia.

The Colonel showing me how it's done.

The Colonel told me it was okay if I wanted to kiss him.. I jumped on that one! ;)

Being sworn in as a 1st Lt.

Repeating the oath.

The Colonel had many nice things to say about Lt Walton, but my favorite was when he chose three words to best describe him. "Quiet, Confident, and Competent- all things necessary to be a great Marine leader".

A boy obviously took the photo because he did not get my cute shoes. Darn boys!

One proud wifey!

After the ceremony, Troy was able to thank all the Marines who helped get him to this point and spoke some sweet words that had me fighting tears.

I am so proud to have a husband who takes such pride in his career and country. Thank you, Lt Walton for allowing me to join you on this challenging yet wonderful journey.

The Peak and Ozone

I really appreciate the comments on the last blog, keep 'em comin'! 

One of our favorite viewers, Kaylie, asked about the photo of the junk ship. :)

A Junk is a Chinese sailing vessel originally launched during the Han Dynasty. They are known for their sturdy, sea worthy sailing ability on long voyages. While there are many replicas, this one is the only original left in Hong Kong! 

On our last full day in Hong Kong we decided to go to The Peak during the day. The Peak is Hong Kong's most popular attraction. We jumped on a tram and headed way up a mountain. At times, the tram was more than 45 degrees elevated, I was afraid to topple down the tram if I moved! As our ears popped and we traveled higher, the view got better and better!

Downtown Kowloon, very fun architecture!

The old-fashioned tram we took to The Peak.

 When we got to the top on the tram, we took numerous escalators through shops and restaurants until we reached the very top, with a breathtaking view of Hong Kong.

Kowloon from 428 meters above sea level.

Hong Kong countryside...we are in the clouds!

Don't lean over too far!

We can tell our grand kids we kissed at The Peak!

 

While we were hanging out in the clouds, our belly's started grumbling and we knew it was time for a Hong Kong signature dish. Dim Sum is a Chinese dish that consists of dumplings filled with different meats and vegetables. They are traditionally served in baskets with tea to drink. We got ours to-go so we could enjoy the view, making up for our lack of tea and baskets. We chose four different types: Shrimp and chicken, BBQ Pork, Deep Fried Beef, and Shrimp Springrolls. They were so delicious that my mouth is watering as I type...  *wipes off keyboard*

 

Dim Sum=Delicious! Unanimous decision that the BBQ Pork was the best (white, fluffy ones).

That night, we tried to go to The Ritz again for dinner. We wore our best dress- and Troy put on real shoes. Disappointingly, they could not fit us in without reservations. I had heard about Ozone, and we decided to go there since we were so close. Ozone is the tallest bar in the world, located on the 118th floor of The Ritz. We took a regular elevator to the 102nd floor where we were guided to a fancy elevator, designated just for Ozone. 

The elevator to Ozone.. it was pretty awesome! (Excuse the crappy pics, we really need a better camera!)

When we entered the bar, it was like nothing I have ever seen! I felt like we were in a Vegas movie with the plush couches, fancy lighting, expensive drinks, and high class atmosphere. We were literally in the clouds and the view was spectacular at night!

My (way too small) Cosmo and Troy's Hong Kong Beer. $27 USD, outrageous! We could only afford to stay for one drink!

If only the photos could capture the atmosphere, it was awesome!

The view at night, you could literally go outside onto the balcony and be surrounded by clouds!

Had to get a shot of us looking all snazzy- only to be denied at The Ritz!

The bathroom in The Ritz was phenomenal! Dream bathroom!!

Cheers to a fun, successful Hong Kong trip! Thanks for reading! <3

Nan Lian Garden and Symphony of Lights

On our second full day, we decided to adventure into the city and see somewhere that everyone was not recommending. While we enjoyed all the recommendations, we wanted to have a true cultural experience, not just a tourist experience. We stumbled upon the Nan Lian Garden.

The garden is very unique because it is set deep within the bustling city, surrounded by sky scrapers, highways, and tons of people. As soon as we entered the gates, a feeling of peace and serenity overtook us. It is such a great escape in the middle of the city.

There were many buildings surrounded by interesting plants, ponds, waterfalls, rock structures, and gorgeous architecture.

We got lucky and explored the area on Wednesday, when entry to the art museum is free. We were not allowed to take photos, but seeing the Buddhist artwork was breathtaking. There were depictions of his entire life, clay sculptures of Buddha and his important members of the ministry, and  a tour guide who was able to explain the meaning of these things to us in English.

My favorite, such brilliant colors against the drab background of the city.

The Buddhist Temple attached to the Nunnery. The feeling upon entering was so unique and reflective.

 We were also not allowed to take pictures inside the temple, which was the best part! There were giant, golden Buddha's, sections dedicated to different types of prayers, and history lessons throughout. We were able to witness a woman teaching her child to kneel before Buddha and pray for health and wealth. It was so sweet to see a mother sharing her heritage with her daughter in such a constructive way.

Pondering the meaning of life.... and sweating. It was HOT!

The coolest little ponds, with dragons squirting water onto lily pads.

 That night, we wanted to see the Symphony of Lights. It is the world's largest light show and happens on the harbor every night at 8 pm. We decided to take a dinner cruise to get the best view possible, one from the harbor! Little did we know, the dinner cruise was not as classy as we expected! The boat was a giant pink structure with 1970's decor and horrible carpet, the food was less than desirable, and the dainty Asian singer had a little trouble belting out The Macarena. But once we headed up to the top of the ship, the view was incredible. 

This was a fresh fish market on the ferry pier! They were literally still swimming in their little containers and the ladies pulled them out, chopped off their heads, and packaged them up for shoppers!

Our "cruise ship".

The city at night, from the harbor!

For the light show, lasers shot off of buildings on both sides of the harbor. They were accompanied by fun music and made for a romantic setting. It was hard to get them in the photos, it was definitley better in person.

About the time we decided it is time to invest in a better camera!

A cruise ship coming to port- a bit classier than ours!

The last remaining original "junk" ship in Hong Kong. Really cool to see!

Hold on, Troy is at the wheel (or whatever it is called on a ship)!

Stay tuned for some more Hong Kong adventures!
(And leave some comments, darn it!)
:)

Happy Birthday, Buddha!

On our first full day in Hong Kong, we jumped on the Metro and headed toward one of the must-see sights, the Big Buddha. A few Metro stops and a short walk lead us to the gondolas meant to carry us to our destination. For a Tuesday, it was incredibly crowded and we had no idea why! We decided to take a gondola with a 360 degree view, even the floor was see- through! 

Traveling to Lantau Island.. home of the Big Buddha!

This is the part where I prayed... Big Buddha, if we are going to crash down in this scary gondola, please let it be now while we are over the water!!

Leaving the city.

There was a trail to the top that would have taken forever to walk! The gondola took about 25 minutes.

The pretty countryside behind us!

Great views!

Our first peek of the Buddha. Two German kids in our gondola said "Das Big Buddha!"

When we got to the top, there were tons of cute shops and restaurants. We headed straight for the big man, quickly realizing from all the signs that it was his birthday! What are the odds we chose the day to visit the Big Buddha being his Birthday? It was amazing to see everyone worshiping and praying. Much different than a typical church service back in the States. Some were making laps around the Buddha, others were kneeling, bowing, and singing out prayers. 

One of the cute restaurants in the village.

The wishing tree.. I wished that Troy and I could have many more fun vacations together!

We had to walk up that mountain to see him!

Gates heading in to see Buddha.

So. Many. Stairs.

Happy Birthday, Buddha!

One of Buddha's buddies.. but not quite as large.

That night, we tried to go to the Ritz for dinner. Although we were dressed business casual, Troy's sandals with khaki's denied our entrance and we sulked to a nearby pub. I guess you can take the Redneck out of Kentucky but you just can't take the Kentucky out of the Redneck! ;)

Luckily, I scored a delicious Cider Beer at the pub. Yum!

Yep, that's a bracelet Sheri.

My favorite thing about Troy being on Leave? Scruffy cheeks with glasses!

Love this photo. :)

Tune in again soon for more Hong Kong fun!