Day 327 - Climbing

Thought of the day: Jasmine has recently started doing her piano practices in the morning instead of in the evening.  It's amazing how much difference such a small change in her schedule makes.  Practicing piano in the evening had always been a bit of a struggle for us because she was already pretty tired after a day of school and was really not eager to do more stuff. Now that there's no more piano practice after dinner, everybody can relax and rewind during the quiet time in the evening. Of course, getting up early every morning to help Jasmine with her practice is by no means an easy task for a night owl like me, but it's a small price to pay for more peace and harmony in the house. Change is not always good, but sometimes it can be. In fact, I believe that not being afraid of making changes is a secret ingredient for happiness and the change of Jasmine's practice time proved it!

Photo of the day:

Lila in the climbing gym getting her first climbing lesson today. Jasmine didn't start climbing until she was quite a bit older, but we are doing it differently for Lila because I think she is ready for it. I hope this change will work out well.

Day 248 - Forest Adventure

Thought of the day: This afternoon, a friend's family took us to a forest adventure park at the foot of Mt. Rigi. We climbed up and down ladders, walked on wood planks and wires dangling high above the ground, and zipped through the forest. The courses we did were not particularly hard and there were minimal risks with the safety belays. However, the height at which we attempted the "stunts" made it all very exhilarating. For many a time, when I was on a shaky "ground" and stared down at the forest floor which seemed impossibly far away, I could feel my heart pounding and legs shaking. Alas, we did it all without a mishap, which was exactly as expected. To experience fear and conquer it alone can be indeed exciting. How much can you take and how far can you push yourself? I am sure this is a question that many of us long to find out.  An activity like this may give you some clues. And the best part? It may look or feel dangerous but it's really as safe as it gets. We can't wait to go back one day. Hopefully we'll have the time, and courage, for the more challenging courses next time.

Photo of the day:

Jasmine walking high above the forest floor. She had a great time. Unfortunately Lila was not old enough so she missed the aerial fun.  She did make it up somewhat in other activities offered in the park including high speed chutes, petting zoo, and playgrounds.

Day 142 - America

Thought of the day:  It's a day of disasters and scares.  Before I boarded the flight this morning, I heard and read about the 8.9 earthquake in Japan and the ensuing tsunami and nuclear emergency.  It was, is, a terrible disaster indeed.  And then a few minutes prior to landing, it looked as if our plane was engulfed in smoke that came out of nowhere.  It was eerie and I had never experienced anything like that before on my frequent flights.  The ride in our small plane got bumpy soon afterwards. Some passengers screamed. I was a little scared too but there was nothing I could do other than holding Lila's hand tightly. Luck for us - it was just a scare.  The smoke came from an ongoing Lefthand Canyon fire in Boulder - the third major fire near Boulder in just a few short months - and not from the aircraft. After going through a bit of clear air turbulence, the aircraft proceeded to land smoothly.  I was, needless to say, quite relieved when we landed.  At the same time, I couldn't help thinking how powerless we are over so many things - earthquake, tsunami, fire, plane crash, to name a few.  Yes, the chance of any of these happening to us is very small, but it's still a miracle that we survive every day.  Not only our life is a miracle, every single day of our life is a miracle too.

Photo of the day:

Passengers taking interest in the huge "America - Why I Love You" map displays in Denver International Airport.  Everything in DIA looked beautiful to me today after the flight experience.