First Impressions

I love this place!

The weather is nice. When we arrived it was hot. They say the last few weeks have been record breaking hot for here, but it's not as hot as Texas. Then it rained a couple days and now it's actually really cool, feels like fall.  Don't ask me what the exact temperature is, it's all metric so I have no idea. 

There's hardly any bugs! Love this about our area. I don't know if it's because of the desert climate, or the extreme cold winters but there really are very few bugs.

I love riding the city buses. I get on and think, Wow, it would have taken me FOREVER to walk this far. Because pretty much you walk everywhere. You can also get taxis here but... We had to take two taxis from the airport to our friend's house where we are staying because all our six suitcases would not fit in just one. The taxi I was in with Little Bear had a minor collision. Nobody was hurt thankfully, but I was a little shook up. I'm told crashes are rare around here, and I remind myself that my driver didn't want to die any more than I did. But I'm still a little nervous in taxis.

The food smells soooo good. And it tastes good too (most of it). Unfortunately so many of the dishes involve noodles or bread which I have to avoid. But I'm sure as we continue to explore we will find more options. I did find almond milk at the Carrefour grocery store so that's exciting. At least I think it's almond milk but I can't really tell because...

I am illiterate. This might be ok except that I am a label reading freak. I like to know what's in my food. Now I can only look at the pictures on the label and guess what it is. We all know how reliable that is.

Saw this at the refrigerated section at the grocery store. Not really sure...

We Made It!

We are finally in China! After 48 hours of traveling it is wonderful to have solid ground under us again. Most of the trip went really smoothly with Little Bear sleeping most of the 13 hour flight. Once we got to Taiwan we were able to get a room in the airport hotel and get some sleep, a shower, and a couple hot meals. Unfortunately something in one of those hot meals did not settle well with Little Bear so we spent the last 12 hours trying to console his misery and clean up messes. Poor little guy, he is such a trooper. But we made it. And so did ALL our bags! We are so thankful to be here.

(This post is a little late now, but getting internet is a little bit of a hassle here.)

Goodbye Is Not Forever, It Just Feels Like It

Today we finally leave for China. Woohoo! I'm so excited! We are finally going! This is what I have dreamed of doing since I was a little girl. This is the life Mr. Adventure and I have planned on since we met. This is what we have spent these last two years telling so many people that we are going to do. This is my dream. And I am living it.

Oh but I hate saying goodbye. I'm so sad to be leaving you. You are my family and friends. We may have cried together, or held back the tears. But they were there. I may not have said much because I stink at goodbyes. But what I really want you to know is that I love you. Our lives have been made richer by the time we have spent together, and I will treasure the memories that we have made.

Thankfully these are not the days of William Carey or Adoniram Judson whose mothers dabbed tears from their eyes with lacy white hankies as their son or daughter sailed away on a rickety wooden ship knowing they would never see them again on this earth. That's dedication my friend. Wow. I am so thankful for modern technology! We can stay in touch so easily through Skype, Facebook, emails, FaceTime, phone calls, and many other apps or social networks. It's not the same as actually being together, but it sure helps.

We Have Our Tickets!

The time has finally come and we have purchased our tickets. We fly out on August 4th, only 18 days!!! In just two days we'll be all packed up and heading to Texas for two weeks of final goodbyes with friends and family, a visit to the Chinese consulate, and then we're off!

That is unless something terrible happens like the dog eating my passport. Oh wait, that did happen. No joke. The delivery guy set the envelope with all our important documents within reach of the dogs. Such incompetence! Tut tut! Thankfully they weren't quite digested and were found scattered along my brother-in-law's driveway with nothing worse than a little dirt and a few teethmarks.

Right now our living room is crowded with six large suitcases, three rolling carry-on cases, and piles of stuff. There is some order to the madness. Some. But no worries, Mr. Adventure is a master packer. I'm not so good at it. I put like two things in a bag and wail, "It'll never fit!...". Yes, that actually happened this morning. Fifteen minutes later, exactly fifty pounds of luggage was neatly stuffed inside my little purple suitcase. Hmm, I love him...

Look Who's One Year Old!

 Happy Birthday Little Bear!

Yes, Little Bear is one year old now. It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we brought him home. He has brought amazing joy and challenge to our lives. Was he really just this little?

Why Turning One Is Awesome:

You get to ride in the car facing forward!

You can eat honey without dying of botulism.

(there wasn't actually any honey in his cake, but isn't he cute? :) 

So What Has The One-Year-Old Been Up To?:

 

Exploring the world

Playing with toys

Playing with shoes

Going fishing

Reading books

Climbing stairs! 

Trying to be like daddy (he put it on himself!)

Playing outside

Those Who Stay Behind

You see us in Conferences with our colorful displays and presentations, and you think, "Wow, they are really doing something great. What a grand adventure!" But do you ever think of those who tell us goodbye? Grandparents, sisters, brothers, cousins, parents, friends. They let us go, not knowing when they will see us again or how often we will even be able to talk on the phone. They miss us, worry about us, and may even fear that we are endangering our lives. Do they want us to go? No. Do they want us to obey and serve the One Who left all for us? Yes. Do they think we may be a little bit crazy? Probably. But they love us, support us, hold the ropes, do their best to share our excitement, and ultimately trust us into our Father's hands.

Mr. Adventure is out in the wilderness teaching a survival course for the next two weeks so Little Bear and I are spending the time with my family. As the time approaches for us to fly out to China, I am so thankful for a few weeks to be together. We are cherishing every moment.

Happy times with Grandad

My dad was diagnosed with Lymphoma this past December, and is undergoing chemotherapy.  He is responding well to the treatments. We are trusting the Great Physician, and enjoying the time we have together.

Loving on Nana

Playing with cousins. 

I think they had more fun showing him how to play with their old baby toys than he did playing with them. :) Little Bear may not remember these times, but they certainly will. I am so privileged to have such a loving supportive family. Thank you for letting us go.

Have Baby Will Travel

Little Bear has spent the entirety of his little life traveling the States while we raise support to move overseas. He is an MK through and through. 

Little Bear loves people. And everybody loves a chubby baby! Everywhere we go, people stop and talk to him and he just eats it up. One black lady in Georgia even stopped her vehicle in the middle of the parking lot to roll down her window and sweet talk to the cute white baby.  He is a great conversation starter whether we are at a meeting, out shopping, or eating at a restaurant. Even though he is less than a year old, he has already added a whole new dimension to our ability to reach out to others.

Hugging a new friend in Tennessee.

I get asked all the time, "How well does he travel?" Well, he's a baby. That being said, I think he does pretty good in the car. Maybe I'll do another post sometime about traveling with a baby and share some tips that I've found make it easier.

We don't normally let him watch movies, but in the car Baby Einstein is a lifesaver!

We always have a stroller with us in the back of the van. Thankfully he loves strolling around because he is way too heavy to carry around very long! He may look fluffy, but those rolls are dense.

Cruising around, seeing new places.

We eat out a lot. It's an unhealthy but necessary part of our life. Our favorites: Chipotle and Chick-fil-a.

Munchin' on nuggets and fries at Chick-fil-a, Yum!

I love it that he gets to play with all kinds of new toys all the time. Every nursery he visits has a whole new set!

Exploring a new toy bin. Literally. He is chewing on it.