Around the world we go.

Again.

This time for MY brother's wedding.

Yes, Thomas and Amanda are getting married!

Bags packed, ready to go, we boarded the plane for Singapore.

From Singapore we were taking the NEW non-stop flight to Newark. Eighteen and a half hours onboard one plane flying almost halfway around the planet sounded fun... and it was!

Devon enjoyed looking out the window at the clouds and the wings of the airplane. I wonder what he thought of the experience? He seemed to take air-travel in stride, never questioning the fact that we were zooming far above the earth in a metal machine.

(This only goes to prove that the fear of air-travel is a learned response.)

In Singapore we had 12 hours (overnight) in Changi Airport until our flight to Newark.

Fortunately, we are very familiar with Changi Airport (which is the nicest we have been to) and knew about the Transit Hotel.

The Transit Hotel is situated inside the terminal itself.

It was very much like the movie with Tom Hanks where he lives inside the terminal building.

We were able to walk off the plane straight into the Hotel without clearing customs and immigration.

We had a nice bath and settled down for a sleep.

In the morning we walked around the airport enjoying the lotus gardens and fishponds.

We ate avocado sandwiches (which Vistara kindly packed for us before we left) and then headed straight to the gate and boarded for Newark!

Onboard the Singapore Airlines flight to Newark we were blessed to get three seats (instead of two).

We could spread out and relax.

The footrests on our aircraft flipped-up to support your entire calf and foot area. Luckily this was enough to lay Devon across without having to hold him. (photo right)

He was a fantastic traveler, sleeping the night away.

Eighteen hours on a plane is a long time for anyone, let alone with a young child, however we made it safe and sane.

Devon was even voted the 'best baby onboard' (unofficially).

Singapore Airlines is to be commended for making such a long journey such a pleasurable one.

I must have been told a thousand times not to sit on countertop in my parent's kitchen.

Yet here Devon is, sitting on the counter, eating rice for dinner. I'm not sure whether it was a weight, size or grandchild exception, but somehow he got away with it.

We arrived back in Philadelphia safe and sound. The weather wasn't quite what we'd expected. It was colder.

The 12 hour time-change was quite extraordinary. It was a complete shift of our body-clocks.

After experiencing a 12 hour time-change, I would recommend (if you were ever to do it yourself) getting prepared.

The most adventurous way is to stop somewhere on the way (something in the 5-7 hour time zone range) to begin the time-shift. Stay there a few days, see a new country or city, get adjusted, then fly the whole way.

The other option is to stay up all night and sleep all day (as much as you can) beginning two days before leaving - though who has time for that?

We stayed up late, got up and ate pasta for breakfast... skipped lunch and ate cereal just before bed...

The daytime is nighttime, the nighttime is daytime. (Ex: 9am=9pm 10am = 10pm; 4pm = 4am, 5pm = 5am).

We also had the opportunity to graffiti my parent's new patio area with colourful children's drawings.

Sun, star, moon, eye, tree... the things that Devon recognises and can say.

Within a few days we were up visiting Memom and Poppy at their house near New Hope, PA.

Memom and Poppy are Devon's great-grandparents. It was great to give both Devon and them the opportunity to spend time together. They enjoyed each other's company very much.

Memom made a delicious lunch while Poppy played with Devon.

I learned a lot watching Poppy play with my boy. He taught while he played. He did this in a way that was so natural, like repeating the names of objects, that had Devon grasp the names and concepts effortlessly.

This is something I have since brought into my play that has made a huge difference to both Devon and I. Thanks Pop!

Read & See:
Memom and Poppy.

We also visited Nana while we were home.

Nana is 100 years old! (soon to be 101 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA).

She is Devon's great-great-grandmother.

It's always a pleasure to visit her. Devon enjoyed the spring air by running around the garden.

The bride of my brother.

Not only that, but I am the photographer to have taken these photographs! >>

Yes, it was my honour to have the opportunity of being the photographer at my brother's wedding.

I LOVE taking photographs, I love my brother and his new wife, Amanda.

What I enjoyed most about the day was that I was usually the closest person to them.

I was there, taking the photographs.

Like these three. I was the only person who got to see their wedding from this angle. What an honour.

Thanks Tom and Amanda.

I also enjoyed the fact that I could walk anywhere at any time, including the church balcony. (Someone saw me leap over a table at the reception.)

It was a WONDERFUL day. Everyone had a great, GREAT time. Everyone was there.

To see the whole wedding day, click here:

Tom and Amanda Clark
Wedding in New York

We visited Amy (nee: Lang) & George Lookenbill's beautiful country house in the mountains.

Amy is my cousin. Her mom and my mom are sisters. (That's her, laughing>>)

Brad and his wife Jamie were there. (Brad is Amy's brother, my cousin.)

It has been a long time since we hung out together... really since we were children [over twenty years ago!]

George taught Devon how to climb and balance. Which he now wants to do with EVERYTHING!!!

Up, down, up, down, up, down.

Thanks George!?!

Devon was also introduced to BIG dogs.

He even got to feed them and say 'lay down doggie'.

He liked them.

George also gave him the experience of dirt-biking.

One look at George driving the bike around the driveway and immediately Devon turned and said, "Devon brummm," and pointed to the red motorbike parked inside the garage.

HE wanted to drive one!!!

He sat on it, but seeing as he couldn't reach both grips at the same time, and his feet didn't reach the gears, we thought it wasn't the best idea.

Here we find Devon and his Auntie Shawn brushing their teeth in Brooklyn.

He's quite an amazing child.

He loves to brush his teeth.

It's as if he somehow remembers how to do it...

Cute eh?

Uncle Tom sure made for a louder and more highly refined sense of play.

Outrageousness mixed with love.

Here we laughed about the 'Artichoke Incident' as Devon helped reinstall a new garbage disposal system.

He also learned an art.

That of football (which he could say instantly.)

He laughed and laughed and laughed and played.

Thanks Uncle Tom.

It may look like a park, with giant trees, green grass, rimmed hedges, bunnies, squirrels, and hedgehogs, but it's not!

It's Coach's back yard in Glenside.

When I visit, the first thing I notice is the trees. Giant trees creating giant canopies over the gardens.

Ahhhh.

I see Devon liked it too! >>

Once upon a time in Brooklyn.

A miracle occurred.

See the whole transformation of a square garden into a circular haven.

Within two days a garden was born out of the overgrown mass in the back, and the patchy grass got an uplift.

We did the gardening on our second visit to Brooklyn. Go right to the garden transformation, click here: Gardening in Brooklyn.

As I said to my mother on the phone the other day.

"When we come and visit, we STAY in the house with you. We're AROUND all the time, for weeks.

If we lived back there (Philadelphia) we'd BOTH be working, we'd be living somewhere else, and we'd only get together several times a year on birthdays and special occasions.

This way is much better. AND we see you MORE than we would if we lived in Ireland or America."

Being home reminded me of what I love about America.

The people.

Devon remembers you, ALL of you.
It was a great visit.

This year I found it (mentally and emotionally) stressful getting on an airplane to America. No, not for fear of 'terrorism.' I know that basically people around the world are peaceful.

As adventurous as the four weeks were set to be, the part I found most challenging about going to the USA was the fact that I WAS an American...

Read more about how feel about the current state of affairs, click here:

America - circa 2005