INDIA (the much awaited post!)

Don't you want to eat them all up?

We got to spend two great weeks with our family in India. It was a lot of fun to see everyone, enjoy good food, watching the children (cousins) play together, and just catch our breath after approximately two years of work and no break/vacation. Boy, it feels good to just be, just wake up in the morning and not have a ton of things on a to-do list, race against the clock every minute of the day, and crash dead tired in bed every night...

Ella had an absolutely fabulous time! She loved every minute of it, got to be in Hrishi's cousin's wedding to her delight, played with cousins galore, and was delighted with all the love and attention she got from her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and about everyone else in the family! She was a princess wearing these beautiful outfits my sister-in-law carefully selected and had sewn for her. She also enjoyed all the accessories (jewlery) that came with them! All in all, she was in heaven.

I love how the bright sunlight reflects int the beautiful peony pink silk dresses.

And how the shadows play in this picture...!

As there is so much to write about our trip and I don't think I'll get the time to do it before I forget most of it, I'll let the pictures do the "talking" and sprinkle a comment here and there.  Ella loved spending time with her cousins, running around the house, playing dress-up, watching movies, tending for azoba's plants, eating fresh mangos from the backyard, picking coconuts, riding camels, horses, and visiting a snake park at the local zoo. One day Hrishi and I took the kids to the circus, they had a blast. Another time he took them all to the movies.

I'm just so grateful for family and their love and thank them all with all my heart for the wonderful hospitality they provided. I particulary enjoyed my shopping trips with my sister-in-law, dear Appu, who is a fashionista and knows Pune shopping centers like the back of her pocket! And sleeping in, and eating yummy modocks (a delish Indian sweet), and chicken biryani made by aai, my mother-in-law who is an EXCELLENT cook, and the anniversary dinner, and all the beautiful gifts I got, etc., etc.

These were all taken in aaji and azoba's backyard in Pune and at the farmhouse. The plants and flowers are  breath-taking.

Hrishi got to play golf on a PGA-quality golf course in town and catch up with some very dear friends from Omaha who have since moved back to India, and with childhood friends. I'm so happy for him that he got to spend time with his dear friends!

(It was a special reunion for these three musketeers above, as it was ten years ago that they had started playing golf.)

My beautiful sister-in-law and brother-in-law Appu and Dada. Isn't she gorgeous? And she's so wonderful, loved spending time with you dear!!!