We are back and just fine!!

I do apologize for not blogging in almost a week! We made it back somewhat uneventfully last Friday to China. We did add an extra stop in San Francisco just for fun (not really - we flew on frequent flyer miles and that was the only way to get back before the 6th of January!!). So, our journey back took us 5 hours on a plane, a night in a hotel, another 13 hours on a plane, and then a 2 hour ride home! It was long and exhausting to say the least. In San Francisco we had to retrieve all of our luggage and take it to the hotel with us for the night - not easy when you have 11 very full bags and 7 carry on items, plus pillows!! We arrived at the hotel late, so they had no bell boys working to carry our stuff up to our room, which meant that Danny and I had to load some of it onto 1 cart and take turns going back and forth until it was all safely in our room!

The next day we did enjoy a quick breakfast before loading the shuttle (thank goodness it was decent sized bus) and going back to the airport! United is not as busy in San Francisco as it is in Chicago, so there were no lines and the representatives were extra good to us. One of them even gave us 7 seats so that the kids could stretch out and actually sleep on the plane! This made that portion of the journey very easy!!

Once we arrived in Beijing two of our wonderful drivers were all smiles ready to cart all of our belongings! It is so nice to arrive back and see these two men always with smiles on their faces, even though they know that they are about to carry and lift luggage that is about 5 times both of their weights!

We arrived back at our new home just in time for some tv watching, a tubby, and bed!! I wouldn't say that it gets easier every time to come back (there are still plenty of tears and pits in the stomach), but I can definitely say that this time when we came back, we were coming home!!

Happy New Year to All!! We hope that 2010 is filled with lots of love and laughter for you!! May you cherish each day and each adventure that might come your way!

Spreading holiday cheer!

It took two days, but mom and Ellie finally finished all of their Christmas baking. Danny even helped which was shocking, but I think he just wanted them to finish quickly so he could go shopping!!

We even attempted to do a gingerbread house. I've decided next year we will just do it from scratch. Our expectations are too high when we look at the box and it never turns out the way they show it!! Therefore, if we do it ourselves, we can't compare it to anything. Regardless, I think the kids house turned out just perfect!

Christmas - Kimler Style

A little dancing, singing, eating and santa were all we needed for a proper Kimler style Christmas party! The party was actually a celebration of life for my grandma and grandpa who we miss so much! Christmas was always their favorite time of year, and many of my memories from childhood center around our crazy Christmas gatherings! This year I loved every minute of being with my aunts, uncles, and cousins - it is rare that we are all together in one place at the same time! My mom and aunts organized a balloon launch to honor grandma and grandpa, they did all of the food, and they organized a santa to come for the kids. As you can tell from the picture, Coop wasn't really too sure what to think of Santa! By Christmas morning he came around to liking the idea of Santa thanks to all of the goodies he received!!

My cousin Lance brought all of his DJ equipment so he played music the entire party! Eensie and Coop were in rare form on the dance floor. El was too busy playing with the "best cousin in the world", Gracie! Those two cannot get enough of each other!!







Thank you to my wonderful mom and aunts for a great night! I know grandma and grandpa were smiling down on us and most likely having a good laugh!!

Strike!!

We got to participate in Eensie's newest favorite pastime, not once, but twice while we were with my mom and dad! The kids loved the bumper bowling, but still seemed to get quite a few gutter balls. I really can't talk - I'm pretty sure they beat me at every game - bowling is just not my thing. On the other hand, Danny and my dad were both attempting a 200 game - they were close, but not quite there!!

Eens is already talking about his plans this summer to bowl multiple times a week! The bowling alley is about 5 minutes from my parents, so he may get his wish!! I'm sure my dad and grandpa will try to convince him that golfing is a bit more fun in the summer!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

Our little dog walker El, thought just maybe we would end up with a white Christmas! Unfortunately, by Christmas day we had seen more rain than white stuff, but that didn't dampen our spirits! When we got to Libertyville we got to enjoy a whole year's worth of snow! I think I'm ready for some dry Tianjin air now!

On a side note, I think El was petitioning to get a puppy the entire time we were at my mom's! She walked Jenny everyday, she loved on her, and she fed her. I cannot believe how responsible she was, so just maybe a little puppy will be in her future!

Festival of Lights

These were some of the kids favorite light displays at the Peoria Festival of Lights! It was so much fun being close to all of the Christmas traditions that I did when I was little! When I get sad about being away from family, I have to remind myself that we probably spend more quality time together now than we have in the past. When we lived in Bettendorf, we would visit our families for a day or two max, but now we get to stay for extended periods of time!! We just hope we don't wear out our welcome!!

Reunited...

And we all love it!! We miss our Jenni so, so much!! She continues to be excellent with the kids, even though she is now 11 years old! Thank you Rob and Steph - we can tell by her belly that she is very loved!!!