Isn't it Funny...

how a beautiful 75 degree day can do wonders for the soul wherever you are!! We enjoyed our first day in Tianjin today when the temperature was not above 85 and it was fantastic! There was a nice little breeze and the sky was extremely clear! Our "new" normal is beginning to fall into place and the kids are very excited to start school this week!

Last Friday, Ellie began to prepare for school with her new student orientation. El and I were able to meet her teacher, Ms. Sayers, and a few classmates that are also new. We found out that there will only be 10 students in her class this year so I am even more excited! El's teacher is originally from Australia, but was previously working at a school in the Philippines. She seems very caring and excited to be here! She gave us a tour of the school and Ellie was most impressed with the playground (she did not get to see it before!). She was very brave the whole time as long as she had a very tight grip on my hand!

I do have to say driving to the school is quite humbling. The school is located about 15 minutes from our house. The majority of the drive is through city streets and a wee bit of highway. After you turn off of the highway you drive through a "village" right before you get to the school. This "village" as you can see below is simply tents and buildings that are falling apart. Ellie realized on Friday that this was the way some people had to live and I think for the first time she also realized how lucky she is. I hope this image sticks in her mind and humbles her as it has me. I also hope that she learns compassion for those who are not as fortunate. She will pass this "village" daily and I think it is possible she will learn more about life from this scene than she will in school, we'll see.

I haven't mentioned Danny in these past few posts and that is because he was going to "meetings" in Hangzhou, about a 2 hour plane trip south of Tianjin close to Shanghai! He did actually go to some meetings, but he also ventured out to a favorite among the locals, a KTV. KTV's are basically buildings with private rooms for karoke. When he first told me he went, I giggled and assumed he just had a couple of drinks and watched others make fools of themselves!! Further into the conversation I found out that my wanna be John Denver husband sang Country Roads and Annie's Song, plus a few more. Thankfully his boss sang more than him so I think his job is safe!! In other Danny news, he was able to go golfing on Saturday with a group from the American Chamber here in Tianjin! I think he had a good time - it just wasn't his best game of golf!!!

Today we enjoyed a yummy breakfast at the Sheraton, our Sunday morning ritual before church!! The servers know us now and immediately when we sat down Coop had a big chocolate donut put right in front of him. Now we usually wait until the end to indulge in the pastry section, but he took a bite right away and there was no turning back!! The breakfast consists of tastes from around the world. There is Western food (omelets, french toast, bacon, sausage), European, Chinese, and Japanese sections. It takes at least an hour to eat everything I like! The beauty of the whole thing is the kids get so much attention from the servers and so much food, that they are good pretty much the whole time!! Now at the end, Coop needs at least three wipes to clean his face and most of the time I end up changing his clothes before church!!

After church we drove to TEDA to meet two Deere families for a barbeque. We had a great time at their gorgeous, sprawling house (that's what you get for living in the suburbs!). It truly felt like we were back in the states - they even have their own little backyard! We were jealous, but then we reminded ourselves that we have the SOS medical center in our "backyard" - it made us feel better!! Cooper finally met a little friend who is also 2! They had fun kicking the ball and Coop even gave him a big hug! We were laughing that one of the families, Jeff and Robin, lived about 3 blocks away from us in Bettendorf, and we end up meeting them in China!! We also were spoiled with delicious food - spinach salad with blue cheese, filets, potatoes, and my very poor attempt at deviled eggs (they weren't even close to yours grandma!!)!


I'll leave you tonight with Eensie's major excitement of the day! We were almost halfway to our friend's house when he decides he has to go to the bathroom. He didn't just have to go pee, he needed to, you know. I look around the van and found a plastic bag and am pretty sure it is going to have to do because when Eens has to go, he has to go!! Thankfully, Danny explains what is happening to our driver and he quickly finds a government building that houses a bathroom! Danny takes Eens in and runs out two minutes later for wipes! A few minutes later Eens bounces out and tells me, "I pooped in a squat pot!" How exciting my dear, how exciting!!

Have a wonderful Labor Day, they don't celebrate that holiday here in China!!

The have's and have not's

Well, it's hard to believe this, but we have been living in China now for a month! It has flown by for the most part, of course some days drag, but there were those days back in the States too!! We have spent this week playing with friends, exploring some more, and checking out Ancient Culture Street. The kids start school next week and even though I am so ready to start a routine, I will miss all of our bonding time that we have had this summer!! I might even miss the constant bickering, we'll see! El and I go tomorrow morning for her orientation. She is pretty nervous, but she is really coming out of her shell here so I know she will be just fine!!

Yesterday we went to Ancient Culture Street with ayi! It is a street lined with shops that sell traditional Chinese arts and crafts! They also have street vendors, some Peking opera installments, and tons of shoppers. Eens wanted a panda made out of some sort of sugar concoction. This will give you an idea of how popular we are here...we were the only people standing in front of this vendor when he began, by the end, there was a television camera, about 10 people taking pictures and another 30 people watching what all of the fuss was about! The boys also decided they needed Chinese masks and El insisted on a dainty fan! Of course, this drew more attention to us, but we're pretty used to it by now! I got some artwork for the walls and will go back soon with Danny to pick out more!! It is lovely and very inexpensive if you consider the time that goes into each piece!

Yes, that is a tv camera beside Eens!

Elllie has been spending a ton of time with the little girls in our compound. They go back and forth between houses playing board games, Polly, watching movies, and seeing which house has the best snack! Her friends are from all over the world and I couldn't be more proud of El for looking only on the inside and not seeing the differences. I keep asking myself why adults can't be more like children in this area and see people from the inside out!!

I was very fortunate today to have some mommy time!! Yippee, it had been a long time coming and I'm pretty sure it was well deserved!! I went to Starbucks - yummy - and had coffee with a new friend who just arrived with her family from the states. Then we got to do, as my mother-in-law, would say, a little retail therapy!! On the drive back to her place, we shared all of the places we had found and traded business cards that we had collected!! This is the only way to get around in a taxi or with a driver because there is no way I am going to attempt to say the names of these streets!! Our next jaunt may be to Beijing to explore IKEA!!! I need a "normal" sized garbage can! I hope you're up for it Sharon!!!


I'll end today with my reflections on what I have and have not done this past month...


I have...

watched proudly as El mastered her 2 wheeled bike

ate food that I have no idea what it was

cried over a sad movie that I thought was a romantic comedy

been frustrated

been confused

found granola bars after looking at 5 different stores

washed dishes on Saturday

played our 5 games over and over with the kids

watched men pee on the side of the street

learned that a little dirt won't hurt anyone

used my pocket dictionary daily

watched Ellie play with little girls from all over

witnessed pure joy on my children's faces

forgotten my 9 year wedding anniversary

cried over pictures

laughed out loud

giggled over the pronunciation of so, so (mama huhu)

drank at least 2 cups of coffee a day

kissed all of Cooper's booboos

watched Eens become the best big brother

enjoyed all of the bonding with my family

I have not...

had a massage

drank the milk

done laundry

gotten used to almost being hit by a bus daily

let my children see me cry when I am homesick

learned much Chinese

lost my sense of humor

stopped shopping at Gymboree (the internet is a lifesaver!)

bought an air purifier

stopped exploring and learning even though it is exhausting

stopped missing the states

lost Faith

I'm not sure when we will be able to call this "home", but for now I am thankful that we made it through our first month and we are happy, even though at the moment I have tears in my eyes!!!

It Was Bound to Happen

Yes, it was bound to happen, my dear daughter took her first real tumble off of her bike yesterday. She actually landed in a rosebush of all things!!! Her leg, as you will see below, took the brunt of the fall! Sweet Ellie aslo learned a very valuable lesson that I think will last! The reason she fell was because she chose not to follow the rules and then lie - ouch. We have some very sketchy sidewalks behind our houses that lead to a park. She was with her friends and they wanted to go to the park. We allow the kids to go to the park, but they have to walk, not ride their bikes. El rode her bike and crashed right into the bush. I was chatting in the management office so I had no idea she had fallen. When I was walking back home I see her little Japanese friend waving at me saying "Ellie". I smiled and said that it was okay if Ellie played at her house. I continued walking. I look around and the mom is running after me (they do not speak much English) and motioning for me to come in. I realize finally that she does not want me to come in for tea, something is wrong. I walk in and there is El on their couch bandaged up. They were all distraught!! It really looked worse than it was! I brought her home and started cleaning her up. She told me she fell on the road, but I noticed that there was mud on her legs. I probed a little more and the truth spilled out in sobs. "I'm so sorry I lied to you mommy, I rode my bike down the sidewalk and I fell. I know you are so mad at me. I'll never do it again." I did the worst thing a parent can do, I was completely calm and nice. She kept screaming and wanting me to get mad, but I refused. When the drama ended, she asked why I was so nice about her lying, and I told her that I was upset with her for not following the rules and then lying, but I thought that she had learned a valuable lesson. What I failed to mention to El was that I, too, had done something very similar when I was her age!! My mom and dad told me I couldn't ride past the cemetery (yes, that was the border), but I disobeyed with my friend and we ended up getting chased by huge dogs all the way home. I never ever rode my bike past the cemetery again!!!

The leg...

The culprit!

I think I have finally decided what to do with Coop this year!! I went to another preschool yesterday, only to learn that only one person spoke English. I don't really feel comfortable leaving him unless he can communicate his needs. We then went to Gymboree Play and Learn. It was so clean and the classes sound like so much fun! I never got to go with El and Eens because there wasn't one close to us. I do have to go to class with him, but I think it will be a great opportunity for me to meet other parents of 2 year olds. If I understand correctly (I'm never 100% positive), 90% of the staff speaks English, but the majority of the children are Chinese. It may also prove to be great for Coop and I to practice our Chinese! We will go to 2 classes a week - I think music and gym! Then I decided on the days I volunteer, I will leave Coop with ayi. He absolutely loves her, and I know she loves him too! I think this will work, but we'll see!!

Could you leave this sweet face 5 days a week at preschool?!!!!

We need to say a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JENNI!!! Our little puppy turned 10 years old this month (we're not sure of the exact day since we got her through the Humane Society!)!! Rob and Steph are spoiling her so much more than we were able to! Steph went and bought her a doggy cupcake for her birthday! We love you two so much and are so thankful you are taking care of Jenni! Rumor has it that they may actually be enjoying her!!

I'm not so sure she really needs that cupcake!!

Other little bits of information that I am finding out are...manicures and pedicures are fun to have in your house, we are able to sign up for cable (Nick, Cartoon Network, ABC, NBC, etc...), and having dinner cooked every night for you is a true treat! However, none of these things can ever replace our wonderful family and friends in the States!! We miss you! I'll leave you with a few pictures from today!

I'm a Bad Tooth Fairy!!

You know, when you finally have to admit you're bad at something it is really not that easy! I knew all along that I was not as good as my mom at being the tooth fairy or santa, but now I know I don't even come close!! You see, I believed in santa until I was probably 12 years old. I'm sure I probably had questions, but I loved the magic of Christmas morning and I never wanted that to go away! I have attempted to recreate this magic for my children, but it is not as easy as my mom made it look! I have tried so hard to be a good tooth fairy for Ellie. When she lost her first tooth, the tooth fairy left a certificate, sprinkled gold stars around her room, and gave her money. The second tooth, she got money, and it has pretty much went downhill since then! The bottom line is Ellie found her last two teeth that the tooth fairy had taken. She found them in the same baggies she had left them in under the pillow, so there was no doubt that those were hers!!! She didn't tell me right away, instead she put them in my purse. When I first saw them, I wondered why I had put them in my purse. Then it dawned on me, Ellie had been working at my desk the day before and they were in the drawer. I asked Ellie if she had put some teeth in my purse and she said that she needed to put them back under her pillow to get some more money. She didn't really ask too many questions about why they were in my drawer, so the tooth fairy's identity may be safe for a little while, but I'm not sure for how long!!

Besides the tooth fairy event, we have been having a fun weekend!! Yesterday we started the day off with some shots - which is always fun!! The kids were able to start their rabies shots here since there is a shortage in the US and Danny and I started our Japanese Encephalitis shots. Both of these shots have to be done in a series of three so we get to go back to the SOS (international medical clinic) next Saturday and do it again! Coop was the bravest out of the 3 and poor little Eens had to go last, so he was distraught!! Nurse Nancy was very sweet and caring - I'm sure she is thrilled that she has to do this 2 more times!!

After the shots our friend David, who has helped us get our residence permits, and his girlfriend Nancy came over and took us to a traditional Chinese lunch! They called it the "forest" and I was a bit scared. My first thought was that we were going to the middle of nowhere to eat lunch in a forest, and then I thought, maybe we were just going to a restaurant with a few trees! Neither presumptions were correct. We went to this lovely restaurant that truly looked and felt like a forest. We ate in a private room seperated from everything else by bamboo. There were at least 100 different dishes to choose from and all of the seafood was alive, until it was needed for a dish! There were even two seals swimming in a pool - don't worry, they were for show, not to eat! The food, company, and atmosphere were wonderful!! The kids even behaved and Ellie was thrilled that they had 1 "normal" potty there!!!

After lunch, David took us to a new club he is opening. It's not a club, club, it's a place where you can go and play board games and computer games. It is sort of like a coffee house, but with games. I will be very interested to watch and see if this concept catches on here. He has done a great job decorating the place and he is very excited to officially open up in a couple of weeks!!

After a quick break at home, we headed to Nanjing Lu to meet Jennifer and Kevin for dinner at Papa John's!! There is something about restaurants here and the way that the food tastes better. Danny and I are not sure if this is because we've been away from American food, or maybe they are able to find fresher ingredients, or maybe these western restaurants are so new here they try extra hard to make everything perfect so they can stay open. I'm not sure, but it's kind of funny when Papa John's is considered fine dining!! We definitely enjoyed the food and the company. I feel that meeting Jennifer and Kevin was a true blessing for us. We have many of the same philosophies on raising children and we like a lot of the same things. God was definitely leading us when we met them and we are so thankful everytime we are with them!!

Today we went to church and it was packed and hot. There is air conditioning in the auditorium, but today everyone that was away for the summer was back and the tiny units could not keep up! Coop also decided that he would have nothing to do with going to the nursery, so I had to keep him on my lap for the sermon. I'll be honest, I really have no idea what the nice man was talking about. Between trying to fan Coop and telling him not to shout that he was ready to go, I had very little time to listen! Thankfully we were sitting next to a new couple that just got here with their four children. They completely understood and I'm hoping we may have made new friends out of the adventure!!

This is a picture of the TV tower close to our house. It is great when it is actually clear outside because we can use it to reference how close we are to home!! We've had two clear, beautiful days in a row, which is shocking!!!

Danny has the little ones outside so I am enjoying a few precious moments of quiet!! Only 7 days until Ellie starts school!!! I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful family and friend filled weekend!! We're sending lots of love to you all!!!

We're official!!

Today we went to the police station and received our residence permits. We are now officially registered to live in China and we may come and go out of the country for the next year! I had to make three trips total to the police station to get this accomplished! Today, the third time we have been, my driver gets lost. We end up driving in stop and go traffic for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in the back of the van, Eens has decided he is sick to his stomach (sound familiar T?!). I find a tiny ziploc bag filled with Leapster games, dump those in El's bag and tell Eens to puke in there! He sees the bag and decides to dry heave a little and he is done! I am so thankful because if he would've vomitted in the bag and I would have had to look at it, we would have needed another bag for me!!! Disaster averted and mission accomplished!

We also became official today by buying some DVDs. It is amazing how quickly the movies are put on to a DVD here!!!! I wonder how that happens?!! I felt a little bad about this, but my kids really needed some new movies and Danny and I missed a lot of the movies out these past 6 months while preparing for our move!! Does that make it okay?! I bought 13 DVDs for about $10. This is quality entertainment at a great price!!

The third St. Martin has started to ride a bike now!! Last week we put Coop on Eensie's bike and off he went. Eensie's bike is a little too big, so on Sunday we bought a smaller one. Our front porch is starting to look like Walmart!! We don't have a garage, so all the bikes and stroller sit out there where they are somewhat protected from the rain!

My dear Cooper may have earned himself a vacation to preschool a couple days a week after this past hour. First he was running in the house (which is against our "rules") and he ran right into the fish bowl. It dumped, he screamed, I screamed, and the fish stopped moving. I immediately took off all of his clothes because the water was pretty nasty! Then Ellie, in her motherly role, ran and filled cups of water for the fish - they moved again!! Lastly we cleaned up all of the water while Cooper repeated, "No, no do tat again!" Okay! I gave him a quick bath and let it go! Only to find him 10 minutes later with marker all over his face. All I could do was laugh as he repeated, "No, no do tat again!" Sure Coop!!!

Today I was finally able to meet Jaramee, a friend who I have been e-mailing for the past few months about our move. She brought her adorable daughter Maeli to Tianjin and took me to some hidden treasures in Tianjin! She lived in Tianjin for almost 3 years, she now lives in TEDA, which is about 1 hour away. She took me to buy the DVDs, and to 2 import stores!! We found all kinds of things we have been missing. Danny is going to be so happy because we found tortilla chips, salsa, and granola bars!! I am so thrilled to know where these stores are - how fun to have American food!! I did pay $10 for a box of cereal, but I figure it is worth it to see my sweet children smile in the morning!! Jaramee also called her massage therapist and mani/pedi lady and gave them my information so they can come to my house! I cannot wait! It was so nice visiting with her and listening to all of her stories from here in China! The only sad thing is, her husband will probably be transferred back to the states in the next few months! I will enjoy spending any time I can with her while she is here!!

I hope all of your kids are enjoying the start of the school year! Gracie - I hope you had a great first day of kindergarten, you are such a big girl!! We miss you!

Go US!

Yes, we are living in China, but totally cheering for the US in the Olympics!! At least I am, I'm not so sure about my dear husband!! If you don't want to know the results of the gymanstics tonight, you should stop reading now!! It is so funny how nervous I was watching Shawn Johnson perform tonight! I think I even had butterflies in my stomach for her!! And then, when she won the gold, I cried - I was so happy, I think I could cry just thinking about it!! Yeah, Shawn!! She appears to be such a grounded individual and I admire the brave faces and smiles she puts on even when she most likely would rather be crying. She is a fantastic representative for the US and such a positive role model for young girls!

All of the preliminary soccer matches are finished in Tianjin now, so the city is getting back to normal! We are thankful that we now have full access to the Sheraton. It was serving as the "Olympic village" while the soccer players were in town. There was a huge green gate put around it and guards about every 5 feet, no joke! We have been able to swim and workout again. We also enjoyed the delicious breakfast on Sunday. Ellie ate about 4 plates full of food. She is already asking when we can go back! I think that may be part of our Sunday morning routine before church!!

We enjoyed another lunch with Jennifer and Kevin after church. They have truly been so helpful and welcoming to us. They have introduced us to a new restaurant every week and we love trying the different foods and giggling about our weeks! This week we had to admit to them that both Danny and I forgot our anniversary! I am so dependent on my calendar and it is not hanging yet, so yep, I forgot our 9 year anniversary. We'll make up for it next year when we celebrate our 10 year!!

The "engineers" started painting our house yesterday. I love not having white walls!! I had them paint some of El's room pink (of course!), Eens and Coop have a blue wall with yellow (Eense insisted on yellow somewhere) roads soon to come, our dining room is an olive green (maybe a tone lighter), the kitchen is yellow (nice and cheery), our bedroom is cream (kind of boring!), and the living room will have one red wall!! I also had a gentleman come over yesterday to measure my family room for a custom made rug. I figured he would make me choose from his patterns, but oh no, I got to pick a pattern and then choose all of the colors I wanted to be on it. Here is the kicker, it is a huge rug that covers almost my entire family room, it will be made by HAND, and it is less than $1,000. This will definitely be something we will bring back with us!!

Danny had the day off today because the government decided that on Tuesdays due to the Olympics and summer heat, that they would turn off partial power for his factory. Without power, it is very difficult to make tractors, so he stayed home and did a little work! He also played with us! We went to Nanjing Lu shopping and took the kids to lunch! We bought Starbucks mugs from Tianjin and spent $15 on a bag of coffee(I'll be shoving a lot of that in my suitcase when we come home in September!). I also got some big sunglasses to feel cool and please my dear brother-in-law Michel!! It is amazing how much better we are getting around after only 3 weeks! We only had one strange, unexplainable event happen. We found Cold Stone finally and we ordered the kids ice cream. They put the cotton candy ice cream on the stone and then I pointed to sprinkles for the add in. She put the sprinkles in and then she also added some cake and blueberries!!! I just stood there wondering what went wrong!! The kids ate it because it was ice cream, but I personally thought it looked disgusting!!!

After shopping downtown, we brought the kids back and they stayed with ayi while Danny and I ventured to the flower and silk market with Grace. We found beautiful lillies at the flower market! I was able to buy the vase and 7 lillies for about $7. I love competition! At the silk market I was looking for fabric to make curtains for El and the boy's rooms. I found fabric quickly because there were five floors of stores to choose from! Then, for about $20 I bought the fabric and Grace talked them into making the curtains right then!! Danny also found a dragon figurine that is a bit scary, but he is quite pleased with it!

I must begin practicing my Chinese. My teacher gave me a ton of homework and I don't want to disappoint her!!

Dinner at the Park

So, last night we were driving home from a dinner we had thoroughly enjoyed with a family from church. We are not out at night too often, so I am always very interested in watching people and what they are doing - my inquisitive nature gets the best of me! I think it is better to say that, than I am just plain nosy!! Anyway, I look over at a park and I see this fire. At first I am alarmed that there is a fire at the park, but upon closer review, I realize that there is a man standing there cooking his dinner in this bonfire. I wonder if I will ever get used to the things I see out my window? You see we are very shielded as expats. We enjoy cheap manicures, pedicures, and massages, help in our homes, homes with more than 2 rooms, and an inexpensice cost of living. Looking out the window and watching how many people here lives makes me want to do something. I guess you could say I am on a soul searching journey trying to figure out what my place is here. One thing I would like to do is help in an orphange - Danny is terrified I will want another child, but really all he needs to do is put me on a 12 hour plane ride with our three and I'll promise to be done! I'm also thinking about helping Chinese students with their English. I think this would be very interesting and I could possibly get to understand the people here better and understand China on a deeper level! I'll keep you posted on this journey!!

As I mentioned above we were able to get together with a family that we met at church last week. We had such a good time over dinner and dessert! They have 4 children so our kids had a ball. Ellie especially enjoyed their hamster - I am just going to pray that I do not have to get a hamster!!! Of course, we can't have a quiet night wherever we go, so I'll call last night, the night of a bunch of water! Coop found and dumped water everywhere he went. First he sat at the table and insisted on using a big boy cup. I hesistated, but let him try it. Bad idea - onto the floor it dumped! Next after playing with the hamster, I insisted that my children scrub their little hands. I realized after a bit that I have not heard Cooper for awhile. Danny finds him in the bathroom washing his hands like he was told, only he had pushed the stopper down so water is now trickling over the sink! I'm not sure if we will ever be invited back, but we had a really good time!

The family we were with last night is here with a Christian company. One of the schools here is part of the company and they also have a business entity. The thing I found most interesting about this company is that no matter what your position, you are paid the same, everyone lives in the same complex, and other requirements, like language training and health insurance are the same. It is communal to say the least! The people that come here basically give up very good jobs in the States to come here with their suitcases. I was inspired by their ability to start fresh in a new country! I don't know if I would have the courage to do what they are doing! I wish I could say that I would.

We are now the proud parents of a daughter who can ride a two wheeled bike!! Yippee! After a week of many falls and a few scrapes, El has finally mastered her new pink bike! I was thinking just two days ago that I was going to have to call my mom and beg for her to send me some training wheels, but El surprised me and now my mom can send more practical stuff like baking soda to neutralize the smell in the fridge!!! I have to say that Danny was extremely patient and loving with Ellie during the learning process. I think the patience needed to live in China is wearing off on him a little!!!

The kids and I visited their new school yesterday! The school is still not put together from all of the summer work, but it was fun to look at their classrooms and see where they will eat and play!! El is most excited that she will have her very own locker! I am most excited that the two first grade classes only have 12 students with 2 teachers in each!! As a teacher, I know what a wonderful learning opportunity this will be for her! Eens is most excited that there are scooters and bikes to ride around the garden outside his room. I am excited that his teachers have been in early childhood education for years! He will have about 20 children in his class and 3 teachers! El and Eens start school the week of September 1st. El goes Monday and Eens starts on Wednesday. This will give me a little time to ease into the school year!

Today we went to an amusement park that is not far from our house. It was much more fun than Danny and I could have imagined! We were a bit nervous about the safety of the rides, but were pleasantly surprised. I've found that if you go into something here with not many expectations, many times you have a good time! Of course, we had the usual chaos when we tried to buy the tickets. We ended up with the wrong ones, but figured it out pretty quickly and I was able to explain to the lady what we needed! The kids loved the rides as you can see from the pictures! They also loved fishing for some real live goldfish. I guess fish are better than hamsters!!

Last week I said that I would post some pictures of the inside of our house. Here they are. I'll post more when I get all of the paint done and we receive our sea shipment. Then I can show you before and after - how exciting!! The last picture is of the washer/dryer - it does both! I have no idea how to use - thank goodness for ayi!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! We are off to our Saturday night destination - TGIF!! Afterwards we may go on a jaunt and try to find Coldstone Creamery (we heard they just opened downtown!!)! We miss everyone a ton!