Finally, a Flower Frenzy...off to the Gardens

THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE FOLLOW UP TO THE FLOWER THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY KIRA HAD LAST WEEK. I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO GO TO LONGWOOD GARDENS (IN PA) FOR SUCH A LONG TIME AND YESTERDAY SEEMED PERFECT. IT WAS LIKE A SHOT IN THE ARM OF AROMATHERAPY INTERSPERSED WITH HAPPINESS AND LOT'S OF OH MY!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE GARDENING AND AROMATHERAPY, SO THIS WAS SUCH A TREAT FOR ME. YES, I'M THAT EASY TO PLEASE. GIVE ME FLOWERS AND SEND ME FOR SOME MASSAGE AND THAT EVEN BEATS FINE CHOCOLATE! TAKE A LOOK AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN. HONESTLY I DON'T THINK THE PHOTOS DID THE GARDENS JUSTICE, BUT CLICK ON TO ENLARGE THE PHOTOS.

THE GARDENS HOSTED AN EXHIBITION OF ORCHIDS INSIDE SEVERAL GREENHOUSES THAT COVERED OVER 4 ACRES. WHEN YOU WALKED IN FROM THE FREEZING COLD, YOU WERE GREETED WITH FRESH, WARM, SCENTED AIR. BESIDES THE BEAUTY OF THE MANY LANDSCAPES AND FLOWER BEDS AT YOUR FEET, THERE WERE THESE AMAZING ORCHID TOPIARY'S EVERYWHERE. MY OLFACTORY SENSES SEEMED TO SCREAM "I'M FEELING GOOD"! I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A BEAUTIFUL RAIN FOREST, WITHOUT THE RAIN, BUGS AND HEAT!

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING AND JUST ABOUT AN HOUR FROM OUR HOUSE! MUST GO BACK FOR MORE! I TOOK OVER 200 PHOTOS, BUT DON'T WORRY, ONLY THE BEST WERE POSTED. SCROLL DOWN FOR A TASTE OF SPRING AND ENJOY.




THIS WAS JUST A STREET ON THE WAY TO THE GARDENS!  





THE ORCHIDS WERE EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED, UP AND DOWN




JUST CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO SEE THE DETAILS OF OUR TRIP HEREA X














THESE TINY ORCHIDS WERE JUST HANGING ON A NEAR BY WALL.  I THOUGHT THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL, CALLED SNOWBIRD

ANOTHER BREATHTAKING HYBRID ORCHID


THIS WAS MY FAVORITE (IF I HAD TO PICK) BECAUSE OF THE RUFFLED PETALS AND COLORS.  THEY ARE HYBRIDS UNIQUE TO LONGWOOD GARDENS

INDEED IT DOES.  LAVENDER IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES!  OOOOH THE ENTIRE PLACE SMELLED SO GOOD!
LOOK HERE, THESE SMELL SO GOOD!
MOMMA AND KIRA MOMENT

YES YOU ARE SOOOOOOO CUTE!
AWH, NOW I KNOW WHY I BOUGHT A NEW CAMERA!  FINALLY SOME GREAT PHOTOS.

A TYPICAL TOPIARY ADORNED WITH GORGEOUS ORCHIDS
OVER A BRIDGE AND UNDER SOME TREES, IT'S OFF SHE GOES!  
THIS WAS GREAT, KIRA GOT TO RUN AROUND AND EVEN TIRE HERSELF A BIT.

THE ORCHIDS WERE EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED, UP AND DOWN

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL TOPIARY OF ORCHIDS

THE SUN WAS SETTING IN THIS INDOOR GARDEN.  NOTICE THE COLUMNS OF IVY

Happy New Year 2009

These photos were from google and the celebrations around China.  I'm not that good with the new Nikon yet!

When we were in China last year the decorations were just starting to go up around the hotels, inside restaurants and shops.  Giant red lanterns were placed outside the hotel we were staying in and you couldn't help but feel that this holiday was indeed significant for a country steeped in tradition.
I took this photo outside our hotel in Bejing last year.  These lanterns were huge!

What is so interesting to me is how connected I still feel to this country.  I enjoyed our trip, met amazing locals as well as adoptive families, and managed to squeeze in a few of the sites.  Our focus was on all the paperwork and appointments we had to finalize before departing, but I wanted to absorb as much as I could and take home significant items for Kira to have from her birth place.  So in a sense, celebrating the Chinese New Year, also marks the time we were in China to adopt our daughter, indeed one of the greatest celebrations of my life.

So this year I took a few photos of Kira in her new country and home, but also in her traditional Chinese outfits.  She didn't need any Red Envelopes as she already found all the change in my coat pockets!