A Much Anticipated Meeting AND The Circus!

Today we finally got to meet one of my very favorite bloggers and her awesome family. Many of you will probably recognize Jackson, Shane and Finley from Pho for Five. Laurie keeps a very active, funny, and insightful blog. She has a ton of readers and is practically a "mini-celebrity" in the Vietnam adoption blog world.

I first started reading Laurie's blog long before Juneau even came home. Before "Pho for Five", her blog was "Pho for Four", and before that it was "Journey to Jackson". That was back when our blog was called "Journey to Juneau". Laurie and Travis adopted Jackson from Vietnam, then started their second adoption for Shane shortly after. Laurie and I both found out we were pregnant at almost exactly the same, and we were both in the process of completing our adoptions and also having biologic babies. Basically, we were both freaking out simultaneously!

To make our situations even more similar, Laurie and Travis are also in the medical field. Laurie graduated from medical school, and is currently pursuing a career in dermatology. Her husband Travis is a medical student, and like Cris is acting as a full time stay at home dad while taking a "break" between his 3rd and 4th year of med school to earn an MBA.

Needless to say, we have a lot in common! It was so great to finally meet their awesome family in person after following their story for almost 3 years. I'm not sure how they do it, but they make having a 1.5, 2, and 3 year old look way easy.

We headed up to Denver this a.m. to meet Laurie's family and go to the Ringling Brother's Circus. All 5 kids had a great time, and were so cute at the circus. They especially enjoyed the tigers and elephants.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed the show (And the cotton candy!)

Our five cuties!

from left to right: Nova and Juneau, Shane (who was born in the same province of Vietnam as Juneau, and is 2 months older than her), Jackson (one of the most beautiful kids i have every seen...seriously! take a second to vote for him as the Fan Favorite for the next face of baby gap by clicking HERE), and Finley (1 month older than Nova, and a teeny tiny little ball of spunky cuteness)

The circus was very elaborate, with tons of performers, music, animals, clowns, and some very impressive acts. The elephants were by far the coolest performers, and even stood on their heads! crazy!



After the circus we headed back to Laurie and Travis' house for lunch, socializing, and lots of playtime in their rockin' playroom.
We had a totally fun day, and can't wait to hang out with the "Pho for Five" crew again!


Our awesome day was sponsored by Mom Central.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING ZANG ZOOM®: Through the mystery of magic and the mastery of skill, audiences will be spellbound as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING ZANG ZOOM®, a thrill-filled, mind-blowing circus spectacular where family fun is no illusion.Magical Zingmaster Alex and his assistant, the alluring Levitytia, lead audiences through a kaleidoscope of color and imagery revealing extraordinary worlds of fantasy, flight and phenomena that celebrates the uplifting spirit of the circus and wards off a cynical Mr. Gravity and his team of “heavies” who try to bring everyone down.

Be mesmerized when a four-ton elephant disappears before your eyes, and a gravity-inducing nemesis transforms across species into a ferocious tiger. Stand in awe as a dazzling trapeze artist performs a perilous, anatomically unimaginable one-arm speed-spin high atop the arena floor, and two formidable, female human cannonballs are blasted through the air in a daring, awe-inspiring display of bravery. Become electrified as the dangerous double wheel of steel, the gasp-inducing high wire and soaring gigantic swings defy both gravity and logic.

Fun-filled magic merges with traditional circus arts to create a world of infinite possibilities where apprentice illusionists levitate their parents with a wave of a wand, and audience spirits keep rising as the high flying circus is (literally) turned upside down.

Perhaps the most magical of all, watch in amazement as an incomparable array of exotic animals including a herd of majestic Asian elephants, magnificent Bengal tigers and elegant Arabian and Friesian horses join forces with our human performers to create an experience that will surprise and delight Children of All Ages, rendering us speechless and reminding us that the magic of The Greatest Show On Earth® lives forever in our hearts and imaginations.

While each touring edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is different, all feature amazing Asian elephants, fascinating tigers, family fun and so many thrills that you will be on the edge of your seat all night! To enhance your night at the circus, you get two experiences in one. The All Access Pre-Show begins an hour before show time, live on the circus floor. The Pre-Show provides the opportunity for kids to interact with performers, try on costumes, and get up close and personal at The Greatest Show On Earth.

Mom Central is excited to extend the following special family offers; look for the box marked “MC Promotion” when purchasing tickets:


*Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code “MOM” at select ticketing channels. Offer good on all weekday performances, which includes all weekday evening and Friday matinee performances; minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.

*Offer #2: All weekend performance tickets will be $4 off the original price.

*Offer #3: Get the best Circus Celebrity, Front Row and VIP seats available – We have reserved seats in these sections just for you! Enter the code MOM. No discounts available on these sections.

* Not valid on Circus CelebritySM, Front Row or VIP seats and may not be combined with other offers including special Opening Night pricing. Other fees may apply.

The above offers are good in the following cities:
Denver: September 30 – October 11, 2009
Boston: October 14-18, 2009
St. Louis: October 15-18, 2009
Cleveland: October 21-26, 2009
Rosemont/Chicago: November 5 – 29, 2009 *available for purchase on Sept. 8. 2009
Auburn Hills: November 18-22, 2009
Charlotte: January 27-31, 2010 *available for purchase on Sept. 12, 2009
Atlanta: February 12-21, 2010 *available for purchase on Sept. 12, 2009
Cincinnati: March 10-14, 2010 *available for purchase on Sept. 21, 2009
Dayton: April 29 – May 2, 2010 *available for purchase on Sept. 21, 2009

To learn more about Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey shows touring the country this year and to find shows in your area, visit the Ringling site at http://www.ringling.com/. And don’t forget to use the special discount code when purchasing tickets online!