Funny little things...

A recent adventure by Hunter was helping us dig some trenches in our backyard for a rain-gutter.  He LOVED digging.  He even got up early one morning and started before 7am on the digging project.  My favorite part of this "adventure" was the conversation I had with him while digging....
"I feel like I'm in the movie "Holes" but they were being forced to do it to build character.  But really, they were slaves to the people who were looking for buried treasure - it wasn't at all about building character.  Yeah, I'm like the kid in holes."
Hunter dug like he was in holes and he really was a huge help in our project - thanks Hunter!  Maybe there was a pinch of character building in our project?

A recent conversation between Cole and myself:
C:  When can I marry Emily?
Me: ummm, after high-school.  Wait, you'll want to be a missionary first, then you can get married.  I'm pretty sure Emily will want to marry a return missionary.
C:  What?  No way am I waiting THAT long!
Me: ummmm, sorry, but I think that's the way things will go.
C: No, I think we'll get married after 1st grade.  Yeah, after 1st grade.

Danny's new catch-phrase:
"That's too fair"
Me: don't you mean, "no fair?"
"No, TOO FAIR MOMMY!!"
Me:  ok.

My adventures in China

So did you know that I went to China last week?  Just hopped on a plane and went!  Actually - there was a lot of planning and preparing - passport, a Chinese Visa, and well, the ticket too!  

My parents are in China for 5 weeks as faculty advisers for music students who are doing an internship there.  As they were preparing to go, my mom kept suggesting that I should find a way to come visit while they were there - knowing my dad would be busy and she wanted to show me China!  It took time and lot of promises for my sweet hubby to let me go and of course, I had to beg and plead the help of family and neighbors (once again) so I could do this opportunity of a lifetime.  After finding a DEAL of a ticket and also putting the bug in my sister's ear - we were on our way.  It was a week of adventure with my parents and my sister!!

So, here I am with over 700 pictures and wanting to "sum it up" for a blog post.  I don't think it is humanly possibly (I guess it is, but it would be VERY LONG and VERY BORING for you!) but this is my condensed version.  I spent the majority of my time in Tianjin and Beijing.  Enjoy....

Lots and lots of bikes in this HUGE city (Tianjin has 13 million people!)

This is the aisle of OIL - JUST OIL.  There aren't just jars, there are VATS of oil.  They cook with a lot of oil.

My mom, Lara and I at Forbidden City.  I assumed this would be a large place - I didn't even fathom the massive size of this historical landmark.  It was awesome to see in person.

Typical potty - it's called a Squatter.  I came home grateful for my regular potty and for toilet paper. 

Lara and I dressed up in a little garb - we were suckers for the little tourist money maker - but hey, it cost us 75 cents each!

A view from up high with the Forbidden City in the background.... that's just 1 of 3,000 buildings.  I don't think I'm exaggerating.

Luckily, most restaurants do "picture menus" now to help with the tourism.  Some of the "translations" were very funny - this is just one of many!

This was a dish of celery and lily bulbs... and I loved it.  Chinese food was excellent.  It is NOT American Chinese - in any fashion or even remotely like it.  It was delicious eating - but at the same time, I don't want Chinese for another month.  I had my fill and I'm grateful to be home eating my cheesey, unhealthy American foods again.

 

This is a dish of Eggplant and it's SOOO good.  My mom thinks that it's a different type of Eggplant than we typically see in the US - and it probably is.  Plus - they know how to season it with their fancy oils too.  This was one of my favorites.

This is a funny picture from a museum that was showcasing the "modern conveniences of today's China."  One of them had this scene and it has to make you laugh.  My dad has sincerely seen footprints on a 'seater' and then realized that this is not so far from the truth!

One afternoon we stopped to have our portraits done by a street artist.  The picture wasn't any good - but the group that formed to watch the foreigner (me) was worth the money.  It started with a handful of people watching then slowly grew to over 20 people.  I thought I would help the poor artist's business - but when we walked away, so did the crowd!

We visited the Great Wall of China outside of Tinajin.  You can visit different parts of the wall at different locations and typically, this is not crowded and very isolated from the typical tourism.  It turns out that we were there just 2 days before the annual "Marathon on the Great Wall" - so there were tourists there from all sorts of countries.  They were required to walk the wall before doing the run on that Saturday - how they ran this thing, I'm in awe.  We walked (HIKED) for more than 2 1/2 hours and the next two days were filled with agony EVERY TIME I stepped down... I thought I was pretty fit - I guess the Great Wall defeated me.

We started at the "high part" and worked our way down to the where the bus would meet us.  But, it isn't all down - oh no, it's UP and down, and UP and down.....  Here's a set of UP stairs!

It was the most beautiful day to be at the Wall - clear skies and so many picturesque views.  It was simply amazing to be there in person.

After the hike, we had a meal in a little restaurant there.  It would be considered to be a "farmer's market dinner" - we just ordered a "meal" and we got what we got.  I tried almost everything - but there was a plate of whole fried birds - ewww - and a plate of whole fried fish - ewwwww - and I just couldn't stomach those.

                          

We also visited the Ching Tombs.  I don't know how to capture the adventure of this spot.  The buildings on the top looked like the Forbidden City - (as the emperor and empresses would come here once a year to honor their ancestors) and then they were also buried here.  We were able to see 2 tombs - you go down inside the building and it felt like Indiana Jones (as my dad mentioned it would!).  I also think it compares to seeing pyramid tombs in Egypt... just Chinese style.  It was awesome.

Inside the tomb - looking at the coffins!

We visited Summer Palace - a retreat for the Royal Families in the summer time as it was higher in elevation and little cooler.  There was a lot more green here - beautiful pine trees and HUGE lakes.  I thought it would be huge - but once again, I can't even comprehend how big this "Palace" was.  The entire area is the Palace - it has to be twice as big as NY Central Park...  maybe bigger?

Empress Cixi's Marble Boat - of course she needed a marble boat.  No, it doesn't float.  It's supported and unmovable.

My parents have good friends there who have generously put them up in their "2nd apartment" which they typically use for teaching and as a guest house.  Here's a couple shots of where we stayed and I felt VERY fortunate to be able to stay with my parents.  We didn't have to deal with a hotel or the university housing - which was plan 1 and 2.   Lara and I traded off the bedroom bed (twin size) with the couch.  Chinese beds are HARD AND FLAT!  It could have been a table top really.  I understand that the Chinese are very uncomfortable in the US beds - they are too soft for them!

We visited "The Temple to Heaven" which is another spot where the Emperor would go once a year to worship the Gods.  Once again, I was in awe of the size of this spot.  It was more park-like with big trees and fewer buildings.  I was taking Lara's picture next to the oldest tree in the park and this girl ran up and wanted her picture with Lara too...  (the girl's boyfriend had the camera rolling quick).  I just imagine the photo sharing later on... "Oh look, here I am with a foreigner!"

We went to the famous "Pearl Market."   It's a big building with oodles and oodles and oodles of booths and vendors - grabbing your arms pleading for you to buy something from them.  Each floor has a different "theme" - whether it's clothing, shoes, bags, coats, or jewelry - lots and lots of jewelry.  I bought some pearls and wondered if I should be buying more as I watched wholesalers from the US buying there to bring them back to the US!  My dad is the master of bartering - none of us would buy something without him there to barter it down.  I wanted to record him in action but thought it might be a little rude.

This is just one of a thousand booths - my dad is bartering on behalf of Lara here.

I had famous "Bousa" - a breaded dumpling and a traditional food of Tianjin.  Very yummy.

This was our last fancy feast before coming home.  A professor wanted to treat my parents and their daughters - it was a FEAST!  As you walk in the restaurant you can choose your meat...

Luckily, our hosts chose fish.

So a fancy meal in China starts with cold dishes (kind of like a salad - but not salad), then hot dishes, then the fish, followed by soups and then they kept ordering more and more foods.  I think the host really enjoyed watching Lara and I struggle with our chopsticks and try all the new things.  It was an amazing meal and summed up the Chinese food experience for us.

After 24 hours to fly home (well, to LA!) we stopped to stay with our favorite friend, Laura!  She ROCKS. I'm so grateful for her hospitality and willingness to come get me in LA - much better than sleeping in an airport for 12 hours!!

If you ask me what my favorite part of my trip - I really can't say.  It was all amazing.  I think I loved the sightseeing best - but at the same time, I loved the interaction we had with the colleagues of my parents.  That was unique and eye opening.  I'm also very grateful to my parents for being willing to do so much in such a short window of time.  We wore them out as there was never a dull moment!  Thank you to the many who helped me here at home so I could go.   I couldn't have done it without the family and neighbors who helped with my sweet boys at home - THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

Cole turned 6!!

 The streamers were strung...

Each one had their place...

The balloons were filled...

But where is the boy who's birthday we cheer?

Why he's on the couch, sick, sick, sick, sick.

Luckily, we were able to postpone the big party for 2 days later and all the friends came!!

We played lots of silly games: races with balloons between their legs, Hokey Pokey, Blindman's Bluff, Wrap the Mummy, and even had a pianata.  Cole said it was the best birthday party, EVER!  whew....

Some of Cole's favorite things:
He loves to create, create, create!  Luckily he got lots of paper.
He loves Texas Roadhouse - and we went there to celebrate as a family.
He loves Mario Bro's on the Wii - hence the Mario cake.
He loves his friends and I'm so grateful that he has so many in our neighborhood.  It's a great place for this little man to grow up!
I can NOT believe my baby is getting so big - it's fun but also a pinch of "where did the time go" for mommy and daddy.


We love you Cole!

For the teachers....

My boys made sweet thank you notes for their teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week.  What I didn't expect or even encourage them to do - was they taped some of their money to their cards because they wanted to give their teacher's something special.  Hunter wrote "for the spa" with his $2 in change and Cole just labeled it as money with his loose change.  I thought it was sweet and I'm so curious what the teachers' thought about that unusual addition to their cards.  I can honestly say, I received many gift cards as a teacher - but never did someone tape a bunch of their "change" to it!!  The cards were very much from the boys and not their mom.

Easter

On Easter Sunday we had the wonderful opportunity to just be at home in the morning since our church meetings didn't start till 1pm.  We spent some time with the boys talking about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and his ultimate sacrifice for us.  We have a darling "easter egg" tradition (which a dear friend made for me) that each egg contains a symbolic item of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.  I'm amazed at how much my boys do understand and know - and I'm grateful they are learning the real meaning of Easter.  We then watched an animated video meant for families about the tragic event - this was how I wanted to spend Easter morning - focusing on Christ.  I knew our boys were going to have LOTS of fun egg hunts with cousins later that day!  I'm grateful they all sat and listened.  It was a very special morning.  

Later, that morning - Shayne did an awesome little egg hunt/scavenger hunt for the boys.  They ran from clue to clue and had a great time scouring the house to find their prize - we gave them a plaster kit to make stones to place in the flower beds.  That was a fun hunt.  After church we went to Shayne's family celebration.  All the cousins scoured a nearby park for eggs that literally overfilled their baskets.  I love this picture of Connor jumping up for his treats - he looks like he's flying!

Doesn't Connor look so grown up with braces?!?!  I can't believe how much these kids are changing and it scares me because I know my own children are only a few years behind their big cousins!

All the cousins showing their loot.

I guess it was too much to carry with his hands....  these kids got LOADED with candy and coins - lucky kids!

After being with Shayne's family - we went to my family celebration.  That's a treat to be able to enjoy both of our families and both traditions!  My family always hides the hard-boiled eggs...

Then we roll the eggs at eachother to crack them!  The eggs are then made into our famous EGG-STUFF dinner (creamed eggs on toast).  My boys aren't huge fans, YET.  I'll keep trying every year!

I love having family close by - such a blessing in our lives!!  And I'm grateful for the importance of Easter's true meaning in our lives - I know my Savior lives.