part 1 part 2

We also hoped to purchase some inexpensive kites which we had done six years ago, but there were no kite vendors out today. Instead, there were people hawking fake Olympic souvenirs everywhere you turned. I went ahead and bought a ski cap with the Olympic logo for 10 yuan and no sooner did I buy it than we walked past a vendor who offered us... more

part 1

Since we knew the younger kids wouldn't be able to walk very fast, Jeff headed out with them and Alyssa while Taylor and I ran over to the other store. We also ducked into a music store to buy a few Chinese CD's and DVD's since it would be our last opportunity to find them inexpensively. Why we weren't thinking "taxi" by this point escapes me, but we just assumed it would be a short jaunt.

Taylor and I started walking... more

January 13, 2007

We woke up today to our last day in Beijing, as well as our last day in China. Part of my heart is sad, but part of me is also relieved to be heading home. Familiar foods and my own bed are starting to sound pretty good after two weeks here.

One of the reasons we decided to stay in this area of Beijing was because we would be within walking distance of the Forbidden City. At least that is what we thought.

Simon, our guide, wanted to pick us up by noon... more

I wrote here last week about our square-foot gardening endeavor, and wanted to update you on how things are going.

I apologize for being in-absentia for most of last week, but just as the rain that has recently fallen here from the skies over the past few days, we have had some storms brewing in our home as well.

The big, green, jealousy monster has reared its ugly head so bad this week that I wanted to either... more

The salespeople had a good time helping the boys skate and were curious, wondering about our family dynamics and how we ended up with two Chinese boys.

When we agreed to buy the shoes was when the bartering began. The prices they quoted were beyond ridiculously high, and I wondered how many people actually give in and pay a much higher amount than they should. I told them repeatedly that my friend had purchased Heelys just last month for 10 U.S. dollars and they told me no way.... more

January 12, 2007

Before we left Beijing, we wanted to do some bargain shopping, so Jeff, Caleb, Ben and I headed out this evening to a market that used to be an open air market but has converted to stalls inside a multilevel department store type building. Simon, our guide, wrote out the directions in Chinese for our taxi driver, and we left Micheline in the care of Taylor and Alyssa back at the hotel. Alyssa is still quite sick, and Taylor said he has had enough of being a tourist, so he consented to stay at... more

part 7

We headed out to lunch and I was famished, hoping for some good Chinese food. Simon, our guide, decided that since Ben and Caleb are both Hubei boys, that he would take us to a restaurant that specialized in food that you would find in Wuhan. I was less than thrilled as the choices were extremely limited in what some of us would be willing to eat. Lots of fungus, kidneys, a huge variety of fish and turtles, eels, snakes and seaweed.

... more

part 6

We had friends who did the hutong tour just last week and who were told that the home they visited was worth about $500,000.00. Either inflation is way out of control, or the home they visited was considered on the wrong side of the tracks! ;)

The woman who lived there was willing to answer any questions that we had about her life there, and even though the home was very small, I liked the fact that it... more

part 5

After leaving the elementary school, we hopped back into the pedicabs. Caleb and Ben began to holler again, encouraging their drivers to go faster. When one would pass the other, the one in the lead would shriek with delight.

Our route took us past a frozen lake where people were renting what looked like gliders that they could take out across the ice. Ben was not amused that we could not just stop... more

part 1

I found myself just holding on to the papers for about a week, praying for the comfort that I received earlier in his adoption process that told us to press forward. I emailed my very dear friend, Cindy, whom I knew would understand, because one of the children she has adopted can be quite difficult. Would God send me two incredibly difficult children? After all, I already had one child who was no cake walk. Her reply was a huge answer to prayer... more