In late June, I had a business trip to Penang, Malaysia that Em and I thought would be fun to extend for an early anniversary celebration. Thanks to the amazing help of our good friends - Ryan and Aimee Bowman - were able to leave the older three kids in Shanghai and have a weekend celebration in lovely Penang.
As this first picture captures, it was a anniversary celebration that had Silas in the middle of the action!
At the recommendation of a co-worker we stayed in the Lone Pine Hotel in the Batu Ferringhi beach area. One of my personal favorite spots at the hotel were the large hammocks that were slung underneath the massive pine trees on the property.
It was also nice to walk along the beach, which is along the Malacca Straight.
Silas was a big fan of the swimming pool at the hotel as well as his new toy boat!
The food in available in the area was incredible. A new drink that made us smile was the Chrysanthemum Tea that went by the brand name "Chill"; I called it my "Chill Pill"!
Silas had his first ice cream in Penang and it was a huge hit!
There was also amazing sea food - including Emily's favorite TomYum Soup with shrimp. As you can see from our table we not only enjoyed the food, but the milk tea and fresh fruit drinks as well!
On Sunday morning we hiked in the nearby Penang National Park, which is known for its dense forest and beautiful beaches.
As some points along the way it was hard to know where the trail was! In this picture it is on top of the rocks and over the large tree root on the far right hand side.
Here are Emily and Silas braving the forest trail!
Finally after a sweaty 2 hour hike we reach our destination: Monkey Beach!
On Sunday evening our friends Rob and Kay Eberz - who live in the area - were so kind to watch Silas so that we could have a special anniversary dinner. Here we are with our seafood themed dishes. Both were incredible!
Even more incredible than the seafood, the beaches or anything else I saw in Penang was the fact that I have been married to my best friend for nearly 15 years. What an amazing gift from God to live out the wonderful blessing of marriage with such an amazing women! I am convinced the best is yet to come!
