Charlie, Lola, Lily & Caedmon welcome Uncle Phil and Auntie Danielle to China!!
I can't believe it's been OVER a month since Phil and Danielle first arrived to China!! WOW!! It seems like we met them at the airport a year ago- and yet it seems like just yesterday. We are so glad to spend so much time with our precious family!
This is my and the kids' first time at our city's new airport- it is beautiful, and spotless!
We all just had to wear our Packer apparel!
After a long adventure on their end- they finally made it!
first day trying to fight jet-lag :)
It's always such a weird and awesome feeling the first couple days when relatives/ friends visit. Is this really happening? Josh is still in awe/ wonder :)
Our first bus trip together on our way to Green Lake
This is a moment I've been waiting for for 6 weeks! Since I cut my finger and had stitches, we hadn't been able to enjoy any swimming in these hot months. A few days earlier, a friend took my stitches out (or should I say guitar strings- they were SO thick). It really hurt, but the kids were by my side, reading to me and giving me kisses :). Pool- here we come!
the kids latest pastime- drawing on any available surface with white board markers
(Dass and Viv have been observing and finally decided to join in w/ out me noticing- only using non washable markers- which I discovered requires a lot more elbow grease to remove!)
Who knew we were even related! (Comparing my and Phil's skin tone)
This looks morbid- I found this dolly after cleaning up the kids' room after quiet time. "Hadassah, what happened to Eidel?"-mom "She fell down and banged her head so she needed a cast." -Dass :)
Another surprise! Vivianna decided to finish feeding Olivet while I was in the bathroom. What a helper.
"Good thing for big sisters or I would be starving!"- Olivet
Olivet just adores Uncle Phil! She actually took her first steps with Phil and Danielle watching! And her favorite person to walk to (with zeal) is Uncle Phil. Now Olivet is cruising all over the place.
Lil and her friend Natalie copied and colored some pictures they found. Good friends!
Uncle Phil making egg yoke/ chalk paint with us. The paint color turned out magnificently bright- but by the time pics were done- both of my hands were needed to assist :)
Two minutes after squeeling "I don't want a naaaaap!"
"The Sleepover" by Hadassah
Sarah and I after a pre-natal check up! She came right to the house and even had a baby heartbeat checking gadget with her. So cool!
(Did I announce baby #6 yet? Oops- probably not. We are excited to meet baby #6 at the end of March!)
"Thank you Auntie Karen and Uncle Steve for birthday money! My mom took me to Toys R Us to by my pretty princess dress. I wear it everyday!" -Hadassah
Lil used her allowance to buy this little card maker/ stamper.
The moments before watching the first game. Go Pack! The mustaches were to last as long as the Packers won. They were gone the next day (happy/ sad)
We had a team retreat a couple weeks ago and visited China's deepest and "least polluted" lake! Too bad it rained all three days!! We still managed to have lots of fun and even enjoy some time out in the rain.
Phil and Danielle weren't huge fans of this super spicy Chinese meal at a near by restaurant. Seeing their reactions made me realize how far my tastebuds have come (or gone) over the years- now I sometimes crave food that at first living in China I couldn't stand! Bring on the spice!
Sunday School at our house!
I was so glad to have Danielle's help! I was able to spend lots of time on the craft with the "crafters" while Danielle played with the kids who weren't fans of a markers/ glue and rice combination.
Zane making me soup
Ci ci stocking up on groceries
Smile if Jesus loves you! :)
Cade used the allowance he's been saving for a long time to buy a lego pirate ship!
Caedmon would play with legos all day long if I let him!
With Uncle Phil and Daddy's help- here is the finished piece of art!
Happy Birthday Dad! Josh turned 32 this month. Here is a hard to come by Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew from Phil and Danielle along with a Packer T-shirt!
Josh was so sick over his birthday and our recent travels- but at least he was able to enjoy a little bit of his homemade cranberry/ raspberry/ strawberry b-day cake! I did frost it, but now I wonder where that picture went.
We love our dad!!!
We got Josh some sunglasses and a sweatshirt.
Phil and Danielle have been such willing helpers. Here they are helping us divide and measure out the bulk flower we buy. Phil couldn't get over how awesome/ old-fashioned this seemed. "FAYgHgH!" (inside joke :)
And finally- Phil helped pull out Cade's second tooth!! Good thing for sibling moral support! After Caedmon found his hidden clues the next morning, his coupon was revealed: a Farris wheel ride with Uncle Phil & a snack of his choice at the near by park! Maybe next month I will have pics of these two up in the air!
