My baby is 2

Happy Birthday Gracie!


Gracie celebrated her 2nd birthday last Saturday the 8th (of Dec.) and it was a blast. She was so cute. She helped me and a friend make cupcakes in the morning and seemed to understand exactly what was going on. I had been telling her all her friends were coming over, which consists of a lot of Jie Jie s (big sisters), ge ge s (big brothers), and a di di (little brother).

I prepared several games, made a cake, sent Matt out for a bunch of snacks and drinks, and felt good about not spending over 400 yuan like we did last year at McDonalds. This year I think the grand total may have been 100. (About $13 U.S.) Her friends starting arriving at 2:30 and kept streaming in until after 4:00. The party was supposed to be from 3 - 5, but it was more like 2:30 to 6:30! We had competitions with a few magnetic fishing games and a small basketball set. It was a frenzy. Those kids, ranging from 1 to 12 had a ball.


When it was time to sing Happy Birthday and cut the cake I had a hard time pulling everyone away from the games. Adults were also enjoying the free moment to chat with new friends and watch their children play. Finally we got everyone together and sang Happy Birthday both in English and Chinese. (Today at KFC, we go there to play on the playground, Gracie sang along with Sheng Ri Kuai Le and then announced, "Happy Birthday!") She was really into it being her birthday. I had made a cake and 24 cupcakes thinking that would be enough, but surprisingly our Chinese friends like cake even more than us and had to have a try of each. The sweet and snacks were gone within a few minutes. It was like a bunch of locusts came through. I was glad they enjoyed the cakes, but Matt was sad there wasn't any left over. Even Gracie was asking for cake the next day - but no cake was left in our house!

Opening presents was also another big deal. We had asked people not to bring anything since she already has enough, but of course everyone did anyway. Gracie sat in her A-Yi's lap and opened one present after another until she finally got to the last one, a Little People Manger Set. She had seen it on top of our closet several times and begged for it, so she was thrilled to finally be able to check it out. There is an angel on top that when pushed plays a short version of Silent Night. I started explaining what the toy actually was, and when Gracie touched the angel and the song started playing all the children and adults alike were mesmerized. You could have heard a pin drop. That was the quietest moment of the whole party.


We really loved having so many friends and neighbors in our home. It made us feel very settled. It has been harder making relationships as a married couple studying Chinese than it was a single English teachers, but I feel that the relationships we've made are very solid. We are also blessed to have old friends in this city, and everyone knows old friends are the best friends!

Hair Raising Day!

So it is a very typical day in our city - rainy and wet, windy and cold. I would rather not go out into the muck and mire but it is Sunday so the family bundled up with umbrellas in hand and headed for downtown. All was well, but when it was time to come home I remembered that I needed to go buy Gracie some clothes to wear around the house and/or sleep in. **... oh, I just had to stop writing and go into the stairwell to try and determine who was banging so that I could ask them to stop before they woke Gracie - this is also a daily occurance.....*** anyway, so I needed to get Gracie some cheap play clothes and since we were in the area I thought it was a good time. Of course we had to go to the bank first which meant walking about half a mile from where we were. Then we had to backtrack and walk another half mile or so to the store. Now Gracie is starting to get really heavy but we had to hold her because there were gray puddles everywhere... so poor Matt is trying to manage the Michelin baby and an umbrella while avoiding cars and bikes that never seem to have any rhyme nor reason to the direction in which they choose to go. So by the time we are at the store it is Gracie's nap time. So I hurry to buy a few things and made good time - 10 minutes later I was ready to come home. Our friend Dave was with us and I knew he had hoped to get lunch. I was hungry and I knew Matt had to be hungry so I offered to bring Gracie home and let the boys go out for a bite. That seemed reasonable to me at the time. I mean I have often gone to the market or grocery and come back lugging Gracie and several large bags. What I didn't figure into the equation today was the rain - which leads to a filthy mess!

We live in a pretty nice community now. We like it a lot regardless of the constant banging - but because taxis and cars aren't aloud to drive around inside the complex we have to walk a good way from the gate to our apartment. On a nice day when we aren't carrying loads of groceries it isn't bad, but on a day like today it was insane. Gracie was too heavy so I had to put her down and she wouldn't budge. Not a step! Frustrating. Granted it was already 15 minutes past her nap time. So finally I coerce her to our building but then she starts pitching a fit wanting to hold something that was in one of the bags. So here I am trying to just get us home before the outburst that I am sure is on its way and there is only 3 flights of stairs separating me from my destination. Juggling the umbrella, bags and Gracie I shot up the stairs. Too Late!!! Gracie was screaming. So you're thinking, well at least you're home. Yeah, but now we have to get the shoes off before going 3 feet pass the door. I, of course, have on these impossible boots (aka - I can't step on the heel and get them off in a hurry), so I am just trying to get Gracie situated because I know if I put her down and take my hands off her she will take off and track all of China into the house. Then I realize her pants are all yucky from walking home. So I proceed to pull those off too - and her leggings and diaper come too... the diaper was soaked so I just discarded it and pulled the leggings back up. Now I have to act quick! So I get my boots off and rush down the hall to put a diaper on Gracie. Mind you, I still have on several layers including my wool coat. Once in Gracie's room I pull out a diaper and sit on the floor and before I can get her down she pees all over me - dry clean only pants, my wool coat - everything! Puddle in the floor! So I LOST it! I was hot, exhausted, and now peed on! Finally we got the mess cleaned up, our clothes changed and an hour past Gracie's nap time I turned off her light and fought with her to put her head down. Yikes! What an afternoon.

....into the same day... 7 hours later.... Gracie is in bed for the night. She has only been asleep about 10 - 15 minutes when we hear what sounds like WWIII. No kidding. Of course we knew if was fireworks - we had them for a wake-up call this morning too. Somebody over here got married today. I rushed to Gracie's room just as she was beginning to freak out. Poor thing - she gets so scared when firecrackers are set off nearby - can't blame her. It's not like it's just a few, no! the strand probably contains at least 1000 tiny bombs that fill the air with the most horrific noise and smoke you have ever heard or seen. It is a sight to behold, but not when Gracie is around! Ah, China. What an adventure!

backtrack... My mom came to China!

Well on September 7 the impossible happened... my mom stepped foot on Chinese soil. It was a comedy of errors from the beginning. At the airport Matt, Gracie, and I waited to see her pretty face along side my also beautiful Aunt Merylyn. An hour and a half after their plane arrived there was still no sign of them. Matt thought he had spotted my mom, but wasn't sure. I was finally able to go over to a special exit and get a better look. Sure enough, I saw Mom and Aunt Merylyn standing with a small crowd at what seemed to be a carosel. I thought maybe she couldn't find anyone to get her luggage down - but come to find out their luggage was still on the plane. The door was stuck and they couldn't get the luggage off. This was an unforeseen blessing actually because the airport had the bags delivered to our door the next day. The only real problem was my mom and her blood sugar. She is diabetic and the stress of the trip had shot her blood sugar sky high. She had really scared my aunt, but by the time she got to us she had taken her shot, eaten an apple, and seemed fine. Apparently on the plane, at oh about 35,000 feet a black substance started dripping from ceiling. Of course my mom decided it was hydrolic fluid and thought the plane was sure to crash into the Atlantic ( she hates flying anyway). A few minutes later my aunt smelled it and it had the faint scent of coffee. The captain came out to check and everything... really freaked everybody out. The finally discovered a leak in the galley and it was indeed coffee.
We had fun in Beijing. Gracie knew her Meme from Skype and it was fun to just be together. We saw the Great Wall, Tiannemen Square, the Beijing Zoo, and the Temple of Heaven. I got to catch up with some old friends and we ate lots of Mexican food! We stayed at ELIC headquarters so it was neat seeing old & familiar faces. Matt caught of with some of his buds there. We had a really nice time - Mom and Aunt Merylyn sported Matt's boxers the first night which was a great bonder for what would happen next!

We had planned to go to Xi'an but the travel agent I had enlisted did a number on us and the trip fell through. Instead we just came back to our home... and the very next day Matt was sick as a dog. Fever, diarrhea, you name it! I had to sleep on the sofa. My aunt was concerned about getting sick herself and since she has had stomach trouble in the past opted to move to a hotel for the duration of Matt's illness. That really stunk - even though I know it was probably best. Mom went with her of course and for those few days I bused to them and went out all day then brought Gracie home for dinner and bed and went back to see them. I was glad when they came back to our house.

I had been planning their trip for a long time, but you know what they say about the best laid plans... not only was Matt sick, our nanny was also our of commission. So I was the lone ranger wanting desperately to take them out and about but not able to do all the things I had planned so long to do. It was so frustrating!
The most awesome thing we did was go to Billy's village. Mom and Aunt Merylyn had a ball. They traipsed down to the fields and cut some sugar cane with Billy's dad, they met all the neighbors, and shared in a feast prepared by Billy's mom. It was a great experience for us all. Gracie had so much fun running around that village. You would have thought she grew up there.
Toward the end of their stay I took them to Jingdezhen and Longhushan. Jingdezhen is the "china" capital of China. I got two huge porcelain pots and they bought tea sets and vases. We had a great driver who did his manly duty of hovering close enough to carry all our stuff around but far enough away that he was bothered by the shopping maniacs. That evening we were to stay in a 1 star hotel or maybe a negative 1 star... not quite sure. It was most definitely the dirtiest, most bacteria ridden hotel room I have ever stepped foot in. Thankfully my aunt wasn't willing to rough it (I would because I'm cheap). We moved to the Jingdezhen hotel - which I would recommend - but don't eat the breakfast, YUK! It was a good time, I shared an oversize twin bed with my mom and slept like a baby. Our trip to LongHuShan (Dragon Tiger Mountain) was pretty cool. We took a short boat ride out into the river to watch a recreation of ancient coffin placement in the crags of the vertical mountains. Afterward we hiked and took pictures then went back to find our driver. The ride home was uneventful - thankfully.

My birthday was the 25th and we had a little party. That was nice. It was also the Mid-Autumn Festival which is celebrated by eating moon cakes and taking a stroll to view the full moon. We ate a few moon cakes, and we saw the moon. We also pigged out on chili and birthday cake. The next day was my mom's last day and we basically spent the day packing and hanging out. It was hard to see her go, the time she was here passed by too quickly. Sometimes I wonder if it was all just a dream. I am soooo thankful to my cousin Lisha who made the trip possible and to my Aunt Merylyn who planned it up and came along. It was a great time despite the snags.

"Pea." "Nose."

Why do kids like putting things in their noses anyway? I guess it is just a new and interesting experience. Gracie is definitely into new experiences. So tonight we are eating dinner and Gracie is more or less playing with hers - peas, bamboo root & beef, spinach & pumpkin. When I look over she points to her nose and says "pea" - "nose". I understood immediately and felt on the left side of her nose noticing a bump where there was obviously a pea lodged. I couldn't see it but I just kept rubbing down until finally it showed at the edge of her nostril and then came out. I told her to blow and what was left flew with great force onto her tray. Oh my goodness, what am I going to do with her? I am so thankful that she can communicate or I would have never known. Guess I better start teaching her all the other words she may possibly need to tell me in a crisis.
: )

A Delightful Guest

Well we have had another busy week, but a joyful one! Our friend Peggy came to visit from America and shared some wise insights while she was here. Now I have to say Peggy has the energy of an ant... she got up early and powered on all day long. She was selfless - I mean the lady didn't even get to see the Great Wall, and when she was asked to join a group of friends on the evening of our only planned outing, she gladly relinquished her playtime to have a few hours of quality time with new friends. Wow, she really pumped me up and encouraged me with her servant heart.

Peggy taught several English classes while she was here and the students just loved her! She told them all about the beautiful state of Florida and then shared some much needed information about sexual purity, a course she has been teaching as a volunteer in Florida.

We did get to see one small mountain and a village wedding as an alternative to our day trip. Mei Ling Shan is just outside our city so we spent a morning climbing trails, taking pictures of unique structures (like a table and chairs made of rock that resembled a mushroom), and inspecting humongous spider webs with their hosts magnificently standing guard front and center. At the top of the mountain was a giant lake and a beautiful view so we took a few minutes to enjoy the breeze and talked about this and that. Before trekking back to the bottom where our chariot (a Chevy van) waited, we stood as intercessors and joined hearts and hands as we thought about the weeks blessings and those we'd seen and spoken too.

On our way to the mountain we took a "right" turn, although I think our driver would disagree. He didn't exactly know where he was going and after asking directions from a local man took us down a small street where a wedding was taking place. When we saw the old Model T era car we knew we had to get out for a photo op. (Unfortunately all the photos are on Peggy's camera.) After inspection the truck filled with appliances, the baskets containing a live chicken, eggs, a sack of raw meat, and some other goodies, and all the other gifts being brought out to be stuffed into one of the cars that were lining the road, we asked an old lady who it was getting married. Surprisingly she said it was her grandson. They brought out handfuls of wedding candy and sunflower seeds to us and then we were escorted in to see the bride and groom. We gave them a little gift and as we were leaving we blessed them. Another lady standing nearby announced that she was blessed, that she indeed knew the One who gives all blessings. How cool is that - she happened to be the old woman's daughter. I asked her to share all those things with her mom and she agreed. About that time the firecrackers were set off and we were only about 5 feet away. We decided it was definitely time to go and our driver promptly turned the car around to go back the way we'd come. I just love 'right' turns.

The week was full and I was sure glad to be able to sleep pass 6am today, but what a blessing to have such a delightful guest in our home for a week. Now I just need to blog about my 3 weeks with mom and Aunt Merylyn. I figure that'll take a few days so I'll save it for later!

Independence Day

Celebrating the 4th of July in a foreign country isn't exactly like spending a day at the lake. We did however have a cook-out, kind of, and someone graciously set off a very long string of firecrackers in front of our building (in our honor I'm sure!) The day was really great and somewhat typical, but some really great things happened today as well.

For starters our old friends Eric and Kara arrived in Nanchang this morning along with several college students to spend a couple of days revisiting the city. Eric lived in Nanchang and worked for ELIC back when Matt and I were here and he was also in our wedding; his wife Kara also worked for ELIC in another city and so we were friends with her as well. It was sooo great to see them again.

Later in the morning I met up with my friend Dora and we went to meet the new landlord. That's right, the new landlord! Because we have a new apartment. Matt met up with us and after we haggled for new mattresses, read and tweeked the contract we signed it and paid the deposit! We are so excited to move into our new place on August 1st!

Once Gracie got up from her nap we decided we should go shopping for the party we held tonight. Once we arrived at the foreign market we discovered that for the first time ever there was no ground beef - not good when you are planning to grill burgers! Fortunately there were imported frozen patties from Australia at about 3 times the price so we loaded them into our buggy along with all the fixins for scruptious burgers. We also had potato salad, baked beans. and an assortment of chips. Oh, and cookies!

On the way home from the store we had a very chatty driver which we really enjoy, but the ride home was full of all kinds of excitement. About half way home we came up on an accident - a car and a motorcycle had collided and the motorcycle didn't fare too well. It's driver was sitting on the ground about 5 feet about from the mangled bike. The car suffered a hole to the window where I suspect the motorcycle or it's driver hit. This is a common occurance, but always disturbing. Thankfully the man didn't seem critically injured - amazingly! Driving on we thought we'd be home soon, but our driver decided to pull over to run an arrand. We were trying to tell him we couldn't wait because we had meat and no time. He didn't listen - he just insured us it would only take half a minute. A minute later he came back to the car and we were on our way again. So funny!

Back home I started putting groceries away and then Matt got a call from our friend Yao who works at the train station. Our friends were having trouble getting train tickets because they were all sold out, but Yao had called on all his resources and came up with the tickets and Matt had to go immediately and buy them (well Eric had to buy them) which left me with Grace and a lot of food to prepare. Already 4:30 I knew we wouldn't make our 6:00 mealtime... but we were thankful the tickets had been provided!

The best part of our cooking experience was Matt trying to cook on the grill when he got home. A charcoal grill, which he has never used, cannot be lit and ready. He learned that the hard way, so after an hour of trying to get it started and burning right he finally gave up and came in to cook the burgers in a skillet 3 at a time. So everyone ate in shifts. It was yummy and thankfully everyone seemed to enjoy just hanging out. (The grill was burning hot by the time we were finished eating!)

When half the people were ready to leave a Chinese friend asked if we were going to sing the National Anthem. So we did, very terribly! It was awesome.

Happy 4th everybody! God Bless America.

Sleepy!

What' s up with the 5:3o revelie? Gracie thinks if the sun comes up she should be up... glad we don't live in Alaska! This kid is full of energy at 5:30 and won't give in until we are up and playing with her. Yaaaa! I'm so tired. This morning she decided to take an 8:15 nap.... wonder how long that will last? One thing is for sure, she won't sleep at her regular naptime and will most definitely spoil our shopping plans for the afternoon. Such is life... she is in control for sure!

Service with a smile!

I have had this pair of cropped pants with a big hole in the crotch that has been there for several months, well since last summer actually. Anyway, the other day I loaded Gracie up in the stroller and she and I went to the dry cleaner. I thought I might be able to get my pants sewn too. Sure enough I came across a set of tailors who had set up shop in an alley between our place and where I was going. I stopped and showed her where the seam had busted and left my pants there for her to repair. On my way home I stopped by to pick them up and they were good as new. Quick service with a smile - and all that for 5 mao... oh that is the equivilent to about 7 cents. Can't beat that deal!

An Amazing Testimony

Crash = Death
That is what the Chinese think of when they think of traffic accidents. You would just have to experience the traffic here to understand why they think this way. I, by the way, agree with them.

My friend came over this morning and told me an amazing testimony. She was riding her bicycle on her way to work, I think after lunch, and was hit by a bus in an intersection that didn't have any traffic lights. She said she thought she was dying at that moment when she realized she couldn't avoid the accident. Both her and the bus driver applied the brakes, but it was too late. She was thrown to the ground and even hit her head.

To everyones amazement she stood up and seemed to be unscathed. She began to praise the Lord because she knew He had saved her, and the collegues that were with her even acknowledged that her God should be given thanks.

The bus driver wanted to take her to the hospital but she said she felt fine. Her friends persuaded her to go in the case that she might really have injuries that weren't visible. She went and had a CT scan and everything was fine. The bus driver then took her back to her office.

When they arrived at her office her collegues began to berate the man and demand he give my friend 200 yuan as compensation. She said she didn't want it - she was ok. Her collegues continued to blame the man and ushered my friend to her office area so that she could not return the money. (This is a common occurance in China - and sometimes in an accident the guilty party will flee to escape demands for compensation. People often fake injury just to get money.)

After work she called the driver and talked to his wife. She told them she did not feel comfotable taking their money and wanted to return it. The wife was moved and said she wasn't like most people. My friend suggested that the lady call her when she had time and maybe they could get together and even become friends. The lady agreed. Today my friend is having lunch with the man who potentially could have killed her, thankfully her life was not in his hands. NO - indeed her life is in the Lord's hands. As a result of all this my friend had an awesome opportunity to be salt and light to the world around her.

Chinese Flavor

People often ask me if I can cook Chinese food. Well I think I can, and although I don't use as much oil or salt I think it usually turns out pretty edible. I just thought I would post a photo to prove that yes. indeed, I can cook Chinese food Chinese style.

Here is one of our favorites: Green peppers with black bean sauce
Also being served is carrots with red peppers and garlic, and of course a bowl of rice.
This was our lunch today! Yummy!

I'm pooped

This has been a long week and its only half over.

Matt went out of town to visit with some friends and Gracie and I have been hanging tough for 4 days now. I'm so tired; it's only 9pm and I feel like I'm about to pass out.

I thought I'd be snuggled up next to my sweetie on the couch tonight watching some downloaded show from the States, but he missed his plane so he's hanging out in the airport waiting for the next flight and I'm playing around on the computer. What a bummer. I feel bad for him though, after rushing to catch a ferry in HK only to find out there wasn't actually a ferry leaving at the time he desired, he hopped a train then waited in immigration and customs lines forever, only to be ripped off by a taxi driver who got him to the airport about 20 minutes too late. To top it off he lost one of his packages... a gift for Gracie. So after an already tiring week Matt will come in around midnight and of course we will want to stay up and talk and then we'll be even more tired tomorrow morning. 6 am comes too early and 4 hours of class is hard to endure, especially when you're dead on your feet.

I'll be really glad for Matt to get home. I have no idea how single mothers do it day after day after day. I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful husband!!! I just wish he were here now to help me with the load of homework I've been putting off all afternoon. Yuk!

Gracie loves her baby

While in Hong Kong we ran into Connie, an old friend from our days with ELIC. It was such a blessing. She still lives in our city and was returning the same day as us so she offered to have her friend drive us to the airport - which was an answer to prayer since I had purchased a few too many taco shells and cookies for Gracie. I had no idea how I would manage my luggage, Gracie, her stroller, and the new bag of food I had collected. I just asked Dad for some favor and he put Connie right in our path. It was great getting to spend time with her, at home she is so busy and we live about an hour from each other (even though it is the same city). Amazingly we got to check in together at the flight counter and ride next to one another all the way home. In the airport she blessed us again by purchasing a doll for Gracie.

This baby doll is really special because she is Chinese. Connie and I agreed that in all our time in China we have never seen a Chinese baby doll (other than the porcelain type that should be kept well out of a child's reach). So Gracie got a new doll. I didn't think she would pay it any more attention than she does her other stuffed animals and toys, but I was wrong. She drags that baby all over the house. She has a bigger baby that Mimi bought her for Christmas that she adores and I didn't think she would allow another baby to share her space. She gives them equal attention, pretending to put one to bed while hugging the other. It is really cute to see her mimic the things we do with her. Yesterday she did something really cute. She woke up well rested and happy and commenced to playing independently while we got ready for class. I walked into her room once and she was reading a book, the next time I walked in she was reading to her baby. She had that little doll sitting in her lap and she was just a babblin as she turned the pages.

Grass-less

Oh what is a tree hugger to do?

The weather here has been quite nice for the past week. It seems that we just about skipped over Spring and started Summer early. That is fine with me because I like warm weather and it is nice to finally be able to go outside and get some fresh air without freezing to death.

Matt and I decided to take Gracie to the park a few days ago so that she could run around freely and play. She really loves other children and there are always plenty at the park. She also loves bubbles, so I took a bottle with us. When we were at the park earlier in the year we noticed some people practicing Tai Qi and other exercises on a lawn in the park. We thought that would be the perfect place to let Gracie chase bubbles, but when we got to the lawn we noticed a flimsy fence made of rope wrapped around wooden stakes circling the grass. THere was also a sign which I can only imagine read, "Stay off the grass" when what they probably wanted to say was,"Don't poop, pee, throw cigarette butts, sunflower seed husks, or trash on the grass." The latter would have been ignored, so they just simply made the lawn inaccessable. Why is there no place for a child to play in this city. All the playground equipment is actually some sort of exercise equipment and we were told Gracie was too little to play in the inflatable fun house. It is amazing how fragile most people think a 16 month old is... they follow close behind her and try to prevent her from ever falling and gasp when she does. Don' t they know she is a weeble wobble (aka Toddler) and is in fact very fond of falling, climbing, bumping into things, and getting dirty. Of course the only problem is that when she falls here we have to make sure she dodged the spit, poop, pee, etc that can be found on any given sidewalk, road, garden, step, restaurant floor, etc, etc, etc.

Oh what is a tree hugger to do? No I'm not actually a tree hugger, but I do love the great outdoors and the thought of Gracie not being able to even play in the grass unsettles me a bit. Especially after seeing her have so much fun in Thailand. (see picture below)

Oh, well I guess her rice box will have to suffice for now. Yes, she has a rice box in lieu of a sand box since there is no clean sand to found. It's a close second! If you have any other ideas pass um on, I'm always looking for more ways to entertain our little adventurer.

Thailand Adventures

Sawadee Ka
Who ever said vacation with a one year old is vacation? I think they should have a pseudonym for such an adventure, something like: no-nap-innovation or won't-eat-vegetation or something like that. Actually, Gracie was really good, but travelling can be hard on the little one especially when she leaves everything she is accustomed to for 3 weeks.

In Bangkok, our first stop, we stayed at the YWCA. The taxi driver couldn't find it - drove right past it several times - and we were dead on our feet when we finally crawled into our bed(s). The Y is actually a hostel, so our room had 3 beds, which we pushed together to create a sort of haven where Gracie was able to sprawl and roll without bumping into us or falling off the bed. She slept well (at night anyway).

Oh, I almost forgot that on that first night in Bangkok I had to go to the hospital to have my eyes irrigated. Matt was helping me wash Gracie's hands and when he squeezed what he thought was the little soap bottle it burst and spewed hand sanitizer all over my face and in my eyes. Ouch! I wasn't sure what effect alcohol might have on my eyes so I called the hospital and of course they said I better come in. I don't think it was necessary, but I went and they did basically the same thing I did, except they used saline instead of tap water. 1200 baht and 2 hours later I returned to our room with the incredible mattress island and finally slept.

On our second day in Bangkok we went to the hospital again, but that visit was planned. All 3 of us had check ups and Grace got some immunizations. I was very impressed with Bumrungrad International Hospital - and I understand why it is becoming so popular for Americans to go there for medical care. It was clean, professional, and relatively cheap.

Day 3 was spent at the dentist, also located inside the hospital.

On Day 4 we tried to go sightseeing. Well, we did go sightseeing. I don't know why, but it seemed that every time we got in a taxi there we were taken to the wrong place. On this particular day we asked to be taken to a specific dock to catch a type of ferry that would take us along the river and drop us near a museum. The driver decided to take us to another dock - and the business there wanted us to pay 2000 baht for a private boat. No thanks. We had to walk about 2 miles back to the right dock. As if that weren't enough walking we then got off the boat at the wrong dock (not our fault, I might add) and had to walk about 2 or 3 more miles. It was so hot! To top it all off the museum wasn't even that interesting. The best part of the day - the payoff for all our hard work - was the patch of grass where Gracie was able to play. We captured it since it was her very first time to play in the grass.

Day 5 we had to go back to the hospital again for more immunizations. Then we just walked down one of the major roads there in Bangkok and spent the evening at the night bazaar where we had a fairly nice dinner. I was vacationed out already, even though the vacation hadn't even started yet.

Jom Tien

Our second destination was Jom Tien where we met up with some other Americans and enjoyed fellowship with them and Gracie got to play with other kiddos. She loved that but of course they all swapped germs and Gracie got a cold. The best part of Jom Tien was making new friends and seeing how the Lord just provided exactly what we needed to be rejuvenated. The worst part of Jom Tien was the ever so present prostitutes. Those were mostly in Pattaya (the neighboring beach) where we went to get diapers and enjoy Western food and Starbucks.

In Thailand most people ride from one place to another on a tuk tuk (3 wheels contraption) or a Song Tao (a truck whose bed has been modified with a bench seat down each side). We took Song Taos to and from the grocery and restaurants. There were these neat little signs affixed for passengers that read "Normal fare is 20 baht" but somehow we kept getting charged 150, 200, 250.... Of course I always bargain and once even got away with paying only 30 for me and Grace to get to the grocery store.

We went out to Starbucks one night and regreted it. Although the iced coffees were nice the view wasn't. We were so ready to get out of dodge but of course the drivers all wanted to charge us 300 baht to get home. I negotiated for 200 and agreed to let the driver pick up a few more passengers. This guy drove down every street in Pattaya trying to pick people up. Matt was so mad. Of course it was all my fault and I was banned from bargaining for a fair rate from then on. We were all pretty sick to our stomach at seeing the foreign men attached to the Thai ladies and the bars doubling as brothels where women sat ready to swarm the next man that approached them. Sex is a big industry there, which made us wish we weren't there at all.

Oh I almost forgot the one other really great thing about Jom Tien... big swimming pool! And Gracie went swimming for the first time! She loved it, of course. She wanted to swim away from us... guess she's going to be a little fish like her daddy. Unfortunately the beach was really nasty so we didn't dare take Gracie out for her first date with sand in Jom Tien.

Phuket

Our third stop was Phuket. By now we were wishing we could just go back home but we were glad when we arrived and saw our room that was located right on the ocean (although we didn't have a view - contrary to the false advertising we bought into when we booked the place.) Oh well, the room was splendid and I wasn't too sore about the view since the bathroom had a huge free standing tub and separate shower, the room itself was well furnished and great for lounging, and there was even a shower right outside our door. We did however have to walk through a restaurant to get to the beach, that experience would have been a bit more uncomfortable if every one who ate there hadn't also been in a bathing suit.

The beach was great! Gracie played in the sand, tore through all the sandcastles Matt built for her, and charged the surf with no fear! Seeing her have so much fun made the trip! That was what I wanted - to see my baby girl enjoy something new.
I'd say we saved the best for last, except for the fact that we all got sick our last full day there. I am sure it was food poisoning for me and Matt. I ate a skewer of half raw chicken before realizing it was raw which left me moaning and miserable in the bed all the next day. I did lose a pound and the french fries I tried to eat for lunch. In the midst of our sickness Gracie ran a fever for 2 days and we had to take her to a clinic. She ended up on antibiotics and couldn't even get her follow up immunizations before we left. Oh well, I guess we needed a reason to be ready to come home again. Needless to say it was good to get back to China.

Thailand is nice in small doses. Maybe we'll go back next year.... but definitely not for 3 weeks!

Boys will be boys... and girls will be girls

Grace is always doing something to show us how intelligent she is... for example she started shaking milk out of her sippy cup a few weeks ago and when I told her to clean it up she promptly began wiping the floor with a cloth.

Recently we received a box of clothes from a friend. Her daughter is two so she sent us some of her summer things. Gracie really enjoyed going through the box with me and I let her play with some of the clothes we decided not to keep. She started trying to pull each piece onto her head, which pretty much resulted in a pile behind her. She was able to finally get this little dress over her head and I helped her get her arms through. Some get-up! She is soooo stylish, even at a year old.
I am happy to see that she has taken an interest in clothes. She also knows what to do to with a brush, pony-tail holder, and chapstick (lipstick). Girls will be girls. I look forward to a lot of sleepovers, makeovers, and shopping trips!!!

"Gracie, Show Mommy how the piggy eats!"

One of Gracie's favorite new foods is spagetti. I saved all the whole grain I mailed myself for her and about once a week she has a feast. On this particular day sometime mid-December she decided it was taking entirely too long to pick up each little piece so she found a quicker way to get the sketti in her mouth. It reminded me of that little kid on "A Christmas Story" , Randy was his name I think... anyway his mom is trying to get him to eat and asks him to show her how the piggies eat.... go piggy go! If you look closely at the photo below you can see the spagetti all over Grace's face and coming out her nose. That kid is something else!

Gracie turns one!

Happy Birthday Gracie!

On December 8th Grace had her first birthday party at McDonalds. We were thr first to arrive so Grace and her friend from the neighborhood (above) hung out and played with their baloons while we waited for the other 3 children and 11 adults to arrive... wah! It was something else.

Gracie seemed a little grumpy when we first arrived and I was worried she might not enjoy her own party, but A-Yi (her nanny) soon arrived and she turned on the smile. I had planned to let Gracie eat cake and icecream but she endulged on hamburger buns all night and wasn't the least bit interested in the sweets. I guess that was a pretty good trade off.

We bought two cakes because we figured she would have her way with one of them... and she did. Below is the fancy shmancey one. It was the best cake I have ever eaten.... just below that you can see Grace checking out the minature we bought her to destroy.

She loved digging into the foamy icing, but to our surprise she didn't taste it... instead she decided to share it with her favorite person - Fan A-Yi. It was really cute watching her feed several handfuls of mushy cake to our nanny before giving up to open presents.

Grace got a lot of presents and had no trouble tearing them open. Among her gifts were clothes, a singing, dancing flower with the face of a child, a windchime, a ball, a playhut in the shape of a bus, a cell phone, a book, and some other little stuff. Her favorite thing though was none of the things I listed above... no, she loves the musical clam. Shown below, it sings techno (yes, club style music) at a very high decibal and has a spinning flower in the center. She points at the clam several times a day and request it be turned on. I can only take it in small doses, but she loves it. When we opened it I thought to myself, "What is this and why would anyone buy it for a one year old?" But I guess they know something we don't know because she loves it!


So we partied hard, everyone got their fill of cheeseburgers and french fries , Gracie got a load of toys and other dong-xi, and at the end of the night we left a huge mess. You can see that for yourself down below. I learned something new that night. Although the Chinese have many customs about gift giving and seem to give gifts all the time, they were surprised that the children at the party received a gift bag. I had fun buying little things like a tin piggy bank, little markers and notepad, candy, and a small game. My friend Stephanie said this was the first birthday party she had ever been to that she took home more than she brought. Her daughter now comes regularly to play with Grace... maybe the small gifts did the trick???Leaving we were met with torrential rains and no taxi. I got drenched standing next to the road trying to flag one down while everyone else stayed in the foyer of the department store where Mickey D's is located. It was a pretty fitting end to a whirlwind of a night. I cannot believe my baby is finally a toddler. WOW! I love that Gracie!

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving! It was pretty good on our side of the world. Matt, Gracie, and I had dinner with another couple at a ritzy hotel here in town. They had a turkey shipped in and everything. The only problem was the large group of Americans staying at the hotel who also wanted some of that turkey. So we only got a slice, but it was good. We didn't really mind having Thanksgiving with so many white faces either. Especially since they were here adopting babies. They had a lot to be thankful for, some had waited years to come pick up there little bundle of joy.

My little bundle had turkey for the first time and I'd say she liked it! What she enjoyed more than turkey was tearing a napkin to smitherines. That is her favorite pasttime when she can manage to get away with it!


We celebrated again on Saturday with about 30 Westerners potluck style. My friend and I cooked the turkeys... my 3rd turkey, and the best yet! This guy went all the way to Shanghai to procure the birds and brought them all the way back. We cooked because we have the ovens. We had to cut the thing in half to get it to fit, and of course that meant I cooked turkey for about 7 hours instead of 3 and a half. But it was well worth the effort and since I was the cook I kept the bones and made what is becoming a tradition... turkey dumplings! Yum dindly yum!!!

We have a lot to be thankful for this year! God has been so good to us. We have had a great time with our sweet baby girl. She has proved to be the biggest blessing we could have ever hoped for, and on top of that the Lord has kept her healthy and strong. We are all thankful for our health and know that many are lifting that request up to our Father daily... we are so thankful for those who remember us back home! We finally made it back to China this year. We have longed to be back in this land, and here we are! Our house sold, we drove cross country, we saw a lot of our family, and we celebrated our 3rd anniversary this year! That's just the beginning of all the blessing we have had showered on us. Most of all, we are thankful for our Jesus! He is so faithful, even when we are not. He not only died for us and saved us from eternal death, but He feeds us daily the bread of life. Praise Him for He is good! And remember to give thanks in all things.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chinglish... just an example

The more I study Chinese the more difficult it becomes. One would think that having a large vocabulary and basic grammar in a second language would make translating simple text somewhat easy, but that is not the case at all. I think, for this reason, maybe I could find a job writing manuals or something for Chinese companies. It seems they really need some help.

Matt's coffee pot broke this week and that is a minor catastrophe. Somehow we managed to find the receipt and warranty, so I went online to see how to get it repaired or replaced. While I was searching for our product I discovered a plethera of Chinglish examples on the company site. I copied the description of our coffee pot below, but if you want to see more just go to www.acachina.com. If you have nothing better to do, it's a fun way to spend a few minutes.

		vcm683t Classical style and color, the market accepts degree tallly; 1. High-power of 825 watts is designed ; 2. 12 cups of large capacity, the coffee delicious food not enjoyed to the limit; 3. The filter screen of canning separate type , durable and easy to be clean; 4. LCD shows , the electron is controlled, more intelligent; 5. But filter the basket portably; 6. Defend a water clock of protectors ; 7. Prevent outside and overflow the protector.

Wo de Jia... aka - my house!

Our house, in the middle of the street, our house... it is something to behold. Beside the fact that something undoudtedly breaks every week, we are very thankful for our humble home. It is relatively nice and clean. I've decided to give you the grand tour, so sit back and enjoy!

This is the view from the front door. Our living room is pretty kid friendly. We removed the coffee table and bought a rug so Gracie would have a place to crawl around. I know it is a little dark, but we rarely turn on the lights during the day. That is the Chinese way.
Straight ahead is a hallway where you can find the entrance to our bathroom, our refridgerator, and washing machine. The kitchen is at the end of the hall.
Our Bathroom... no shower stall, but we did bring a shower curtain with us which keeps water from splashing on the toilet. That's one less thing we have to dry off when we are finished bathing. After trying several kinds of mops we finally found a cool squeegie with a long handle to dry the floor.

Our kitchen. 2 burner stove and 2 fans in the window - very cool!

This is the view of the living room as you leave the hallway
(kitchen, bathroom, laundry room)!
The door you see to the left is our room...and next door is Gracie's room.
Across from Gracie's room is the office (not pictured due to clutter!)
Entering our room!

The balcony connected to our room. These are my plants!!!

This is our room again, taken entering from the balcony.And last, but not least... Gracie's room. She was not happy that I was
taking her picture in lieu of getting her out of the bed when she summonsed me.
Hope you'll come again soon. I know the hike up to the 6th floor is tiresome,
but we always enjoy your company!