Happy October! Lots has been happening over here. We recently got back from a holiday in Bali! It was a wonderfully relaxing getaway. We spent a few days exploring then opted for the pool, family naps and some room service. Jack was a great little traveler. He made all sorts of friends with his waves, claps and smiles. He loved splashing in the pool and eating lots of solid foods (except for watermelon, which he threw on the ground). Thanks to the Pattersons we met a new Balinese friend and tour guide. Wayan drove us all over the place. We saw ornate temples, a traditional play, the monkey forest in Ubud, a gorgeous coffee plantation and rice paddy (my favorite!), the Bali zoo, and finally his own home to join his family for a traditional dessert drink. Another one of the highlights was renting a scooter and getting out on our own one day. Between the CRAZY drivers (and I mean nuts!) and the fact that we left Jack with the nannies at the resort, I had a heart attack the whole time... but I'm so glad we did it! Now we'll never forget bribing the police on two separate occasions to get out of a ticket or jail or whatever happens to scooter-ers without a proper license (thanks to the language barrier and some extremely laid back renters). We had a lot of fun and I'm so thankful for another opportunity to see another piece of the world.

In other news, we're still waiting to find out what's next for us. For now we're soaking up our little island. Our 3rd anniversary, my birthday (#28onthe28th), and the USMC birthday ball are around the corner. Also, Mom is coming to visit!!! We're so excited! Jack has lots of kisses and high fives to give.

Now for some pictures...

The Bali zoo was a lot of fun. It was the perfect size to wander for a couple hours. We had the opportunity to hold a baby crocodile, a monkey, and a bearcat.

Jack was so excited to ride Adele the elephant!

The excitement was so exhausting that he fell asleep.

The next few are from the coffee plantation/rice paddy. Like I mentioned earlier, this was one of my favorite parts of our trip. The people were so kind, it was seriously gorgeous, and it was fun trying all the different teas and coffees. This is where we tasted kopi luwak... the kind where the critter eats then poops a coffee bean. Don't worry, they clean it!

The Ubud monkey forest was so much fun! J particularly loved trying to feed them bananas (although one big grumpy monkey stole both bunches). Jack was pretty fascinated by them as well.

Jack loved some fresh coconut water!

We saw so much of this. It's a huge part of the Balinese culture and religion (primarily Hindu) to prepare and place offerings everywhere.

The next few are from our driver's village

Last but not least, a gorgeous batik store in Ubud.