our long journey to austin: part one

Hello there! I hope you’ve all been having a lovely summer (Northern Hemisphere) or winter (Southern Hemisphere) 🙂 The season is quickly coming to a close and this update is long overdue, but nevertheless, here it is.

I mentioned ‘The Big Move’ in my last update at the start of the year and we have finally made it! There was an unexpected hold-up with Kevin’s visa which kept him in Australia from April 5th to June 29th, but it was a glorious day when I heard the news that his US visa had arrived on June 27th.

Before I get into what’s happening now, let’s back up a little bit.

In late February, Kev, Josiah (nearly 6 months at the time) and I left Australia and spent one week in Hawaii on our way to Louisiana, where we would spend time with my family over the Easter holiday.

Hawaii was stunning, of course. Our experience had a few kinks, including an Airbnb booking where construction was taking place (um, really?), loads of rain and lack of sleep due to a jet-lagged baby boy, but we still had a wonderful time and are thankful for all of the beautiful, big-hearted people we met along the way. Here are a few of our favorite moments from the trip (photos taken with our new Canon 6D):

Our friends Dave & Sav (fellow Aussie/American couple who love to travel) had just been to Hawaii and told us about this sweet little hidden beach with sea turtles. I couldn’t get a good photo of the turtles, which were absolutely amazing, but you get an idea of how special this spot really was.

little bird

sea turtle bay

baby j

The Pillbox Hike was the perfect size for climbing with our little man in the carrier.

pillbox family pic

twin mountains

pillbox hike

We drove around most of the island of O’ahu and came across the cute little town of Haleiwa (which is also very famous, which we discovered later). We stopped for garlic shrimp at a food trailer hub in the area and ended up hanging out with a cool local guy who was selling coconuts. Josiah couldn’t get enough of the fresh coconut water. A bit later, we happened upon Matsumoto’s Hawaiian Shaved Ice. They were MASSIVE! And no, we didn’t give Josiah any of that sugary frozen goodness 😉

haleiwa

coconut guy

matsumotos

The vibrant flowers and rock formations off the coast were reminiscent of Tahiti, where Kev and I honeymooned back in 2011. There were little gems like this everywhere we turned!

vibrant flowers

holy rock

On our last day, we were driving around once again and saw this food truck just near Diamond Head Crater, a famous hiking spot on the Southeastern tip of the island. What was a simple decision to stop for a little snack turned into making some very fun new friends! We hung around for a while and chatted with the young men who started the business (called Banán, check them out). They are three high school friends who scattered across the States for college and then moved back to their hometown to start the food truck. Being an entrepreneur myself, I was super impressed and left inspired.

banan

Part 2 of the story coming soon!

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here’s to 2014

Happy New Year!

We’ve had an amazing year and wanted to take this opportunity to give you a little recap, plus an update about what’s ahead for the Lingberry clan. Enjoy and we wish you the very best in 2015!

Grace & Peace,

Kevin, Sydney & Josiah

The Lingberries Oct 2014

GROWTH & PREPARATION

While 2013 was a year of adventure and world travel, 2014 has been a year of growth and preparation. Growth in that we added a new member to our family, our sweet Josiah Tiger, and preparation in that we are moving to the US in February 2015! We’ll tell you more about that towards the end of this post, so keep reading 😉

THE MALLARD HOUSE

The year began with us moving back into a house that we’ve shared with four other people at a time (and a variety of people at that!) since August 2012, off and on. We’ve loved the time we’ve gotten to spend living with others, investing into their lives and being blessed by their friendship. We would often have house family dinners or breakfasts, discuss life and faith, play board games and just enjoy community as a shared house. It’s a bit different, but it’s truly been a blessing.

The Mallard House

EXPECTANT

In late January, I (Sydney) found out that I was preggers. I decided to wait to announce the news until I could tell my family in person… nearly two months later! It was a bit tricky waiting, but I loved the look of shock and delight on my mom’s face when I broke the news. Absolutely priceless.

Pregnant Syd

MR. JOSIAH TIGER

On August 31st at 2:03pm, our long-awaited little man arrived… a whole 10 days early! My mom (or Mimi as the grandkids call her) flew in four days earlier, just in time. He has been the best baby any parents could ask for. He has had a strong neck since he was born and is already able to hold his head up mostly on his own. He’s also rolled over a few times already and LOVES to smile, especially at blondes (haha). We are loving every minute with our little man.

Josiah TIger

ON THE WORK FRONT

The idea for Tiger Tonic Iced Teas had been brewing (pun intended) since early in the year and became a reality in late July at our favorite Saturday markets. Three of the six weekends rained out (thank you Aussie Winter!), but it was still an amazing experience and established a firm foundation for the future. Kev is now working as a barista at his friend’s cafe in the city and Syd is a full-time mom, working on Tiger Tonic as time permits. We’re thankful for the opportunity to work and save in preparation for the big move.

Tiger Tonic

THE BIG MOVE

Lastly, we are nearing our relocation to the US. It’s been over a year in the making and we can hardly believe it’s less than two months away. We fly out of Sydney on February 25th and will spend a week in Hawaii before arriving in New Orleans. Then, we will plant our little family in Austin by summertime. Yet another new season is ahead and we couldn’t be happier!

Now that we’ve found a good groove with the baby life, we will try to keep this blog updated more regularly! Thanks for reading. Cheers mate!

 

meet josiah tiger

After 38 weeks and 5 days of anticipation, we are proud to introduce to you the newest Lingberry:

JTL

Josiah Tiger Ling
Born at 2:03PM on Sunday, the 31st of August, 2014, at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Weight: 3.12kg (6lbs 8oz)
Length: 49.5cm (19.48 inches)

Sydney was incredible through it all. I am just blown away about how well she handled the whole pregnancy & delivery. Her contractions started around 3:40am Sunday morning, then active labor started at 11:30am. He officially arrived at 2:03pm. She is feeling great and we are beyond excited to finally have him with us.

There is much more to say, but we’ll leave it at that for now.

With love,

Kevin, Sydney & Josiah Ling

the story of tiger tonic

TT_Seal_Lg

There are several things I’d like to update you on, but for now, allow me to tell you a story.

One day in early February of this year, the thought popped into my head about how much I enjoy Thai Iced Tea. I first had this deliciously creamy beverage during my visit to Thailand in June 2009. Not only did I love the tea, but the colors, culture, people and massages (oh yes) have all remained a part of who I am. Here are a few photos from that trip:

thailand2

thailand3

thailand1

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6 weeks in the motherland

From late March to early May, I visited family and friends in the US, specifically Louisiana, Texas and Los Angeles. Here’s a recap of the highlights!

The morning after arriving, I surprised my mom with the news that I am “with child” 🙂 I gave her a ‘Happy Easter’ card from Kev… Of course, it wasn’t really an Easter card, but rather an announcement including a photo of my first ultrasound. Her response was priceless! It was definitely a great way to kick off my visit.

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something’s brewing over here

The Ling Family Cups

The photo says it all… This coming September, we’re having a LITTLE LING!

We are beyond excited. This bun in the oven will soon be our very own little Cajun Asian and we can’t wait to meet him or her.

I (Sydney) am already 18 weeks along (nearly halfway) and feeling great. No nausea or sickness, for which I am very thankful.

Fun story: My first ultrasound was on Kevin’s birthday, 11th February. I mean, what gift could I have gotten him that’s better than showing him his soon-to-be firstborn? Hehe.

So that’s it! We’ll have more updates for you as we go along, but we are so glad that we can finally share this wonderful news with you. 🙂

With love,

Kevin & Sydney

hens, thunderstorms & a chow chow

Just the other Saturday, I attended my friend Diana’s ‘hens party’ (what we Americans call a bachelorette party). If you’re not yet familiar with this type of party, it is simply an event to celebrate a girlfriend who is about to get married (and shower her with love, sweets and the often embarrassing naughty gift).

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three years & counting

On the 8th of January, Kevin and I celebrated 3 years of marriage, which just about marks 3 years of my time in Australia as well (wowsas!). To celebrate, we took a few days to get away to the “rainforest” of Bulli (pronounced “bull-eye”), about 1 1/2 hours south of Sydney. We stayed in ‘The Yurt’, which we found on airbnb.com (our favorite accommodation booking site). The Yurt is a round, standalone mini-cabin with a kitchen and bathroom built in. It was just up the hill behind the owner’s house just minutes from Bulli beach.

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