This grandma...

...can work circles around any grandma I know! I guarantee the lady carrying the fruit in this picture was more than 70 years old and can squat more weight than half the Sooner football team (just had to get in at least one cheap shot on the Sooners!)

We're both feeling a bit better today. We're still not out of the woods completely, but definitely taking every precaution to ensure that Ho's revenge doesn't rule the day (fyi: Ho's revenge is the Vietnamese equivalent to Montezuma's revenge). We're in great spirits and enjoying every moment. Thanks for all of your wonderful comments. We look forward to reading them all each and every day!

Sad, but true, I (michael) was awake at 6am this morning to watch the Minnesota Vikings game on the Asian ESPN affiliate. Usually all they show is the English Premiership Soccer matches, Cricket, or Grand Prix Racing. We also get an international version of CNN and the BBC, but that's about it. After a wonderful breakfast (both western and eastern options) we spent some time in the room and Sarah went down for her morning nap. This girl definitely knows how to sleep! When mom and baby woke up, we went to the market (only 5 minute walk) and looked around a bit and bought a few items. If you've ever been to an international market, this was no different. There are vendors everywhere eager for your business. There are many many clothing shops, watches, cologne, hand bags, jewelry, food...and everyone is ready to "give you best price." Of course, negotiation is the name of the game :-) We picked up a few things, but mostly wanted to see what was on offer and who had the best prices. Heather was fitted for an Ao Dai (native Vietnamese costume) as well as a "dressy" outfit, all to be made by hand.

Sarah has quite the personality on her! She is generally very happy, but still gets a bit cranky when we change clothes/diapers. She keeps herself quite occupied with a few toys and smiles at the pictures we show her of the grandparents and Rosie the dog. She also does really well in the baby carrier in all the different positions (front, side, back), which has really come in handy when we are out and about. We went to dinner tonight with our friends the Perryman's (see photo) and Sarah at everything we threw her way, she definitely has quite the appetite!






Tomorrow we are picking up Sarah's Vietnamese passport, have our first interview with the US immigration office, and a medical examination. If all goes well, we will have free days Thursday and Friday before flyinig to Hanoi either Saturday or Sunday. We still won't have a definite date set for our return, but so far everything seems to be on schedule to arrive the morning of the 21st back to Tulsa.

Good night from Ho Chi Minh city! -michael and heather