Check out the last few posts....

I just wanted to ask you to check out the last few posts. I have several new ones clustered on in here during my brief trip to the US and want to add the "back posts" that I can't post due to restrictions in my good 'ol home country as of now.

Hope everyone is doing well. I would love if someone would plan to visit us in our last few months in China! We have had such an amazing experience and I just want to share it with everyone I can!

I guess I may have to change the name of my blog. I hate doing that. If I do, any ideas? Or should I just keep it the same name?

My heart goes out to my current home country!

If you look at the blogs I keep up with, Starfish is one of them. It looks like they have a new site for the cleft babies they take care of so I am adding this one to my list.

It is this time of year, that we look at ministries that we would like to support (as in my family does). I will definitely be supporting this one with my prayers and I hope, too, financially in the coming year.

God has really transformed me in the area of giving. I know it is God, because I know how I approached giving before I was closer in my walk with Him and before when He wasn't in my heart. I pray that Starfish can meet all their financial needs to help these sweet children, in Jesus' name.

http://www.chinesestarfishcleft.blogspot.com/

Surprise to Meredith - 2009

Meredith and the newest addition to her extended family, Austin! This is Caroline and Timmy's first baby and he's precious, with cute "Squiggy" hair going on.

We have been friends more years than we have not! Here's MB, Meredith and Libby (L to R).

Meredith blowing out her candles and Aunt Linus goofing in the background (she's teaching Lane well as you can see to be the Ham!)

Our "alter-egos"!

Just moments after giving Meredith a birthday "scare" of her life! But we can definitely say we were the first to wish her HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Libby cooked up a scheme to surprise Meredith on her 40th (I mean 30th) birthday. Libby asked if I could come. I was certain it would NEVER happen, so I was a little hesitant to check prices of tickets. However, the price from Shanghai to Virginia was about the cost of 2 tickets from Dallas to Virginia in past years and since I didn't get to go last year to visit her, Jeff was OK with it (of course he gets an all guys trip to Siem Reap / Ankor Watt, Cambodia out of it!

Fascinated by Fascinators!

My Aussie pals, Sue and Jeni, looking great all decked out. They also won some beer and an awesome candlestick holder that Sue gave to me.

Here's some of my friends husbands and their pals joking around with all the hairpieces! The Aussies know how to have fun!

Here's my friend Kirsty with her homemade hat and the one that introduced me to fascinators. To give a hint: People on "Sex in the City" know what they are!

Here I am with Nicki and Sophie who is from France.

Here I am with my friend Charlotte from North Carolina I believe and her friend in hot pink and the big hat that won 2nd place in the best dressed contest.

My friend, Kirsty, was able to get me into the much coveted Melbourne Cup Party in Shanghai. The Melbourne Cup is called the "Race That Stops a =Ccountry" and is a big, big deal in Australia. Here are a few pics from that. People all over were wearing fascinators and other assundy horse racing party attire. So, can anyone tell me: WHAT IS A FASCINATOR? Did you know before this posting or had to "google" it? This makes me really want to go to the Kentucky Derby when we come back to the U.S. Hope they use fascinators at that, too. I kind of like them!

Halloween Night 2009

Coby and Sara-Jane walking around trick-r-treating.
Chailey, Fiona (MB), and Christie.

Captain Josh and Jeff as Tony Romo.

Josh and MB as Fiona!

Our 3 boys enjoying Halloween Night. Yes, that is Grant as the goblin face.

Here are a few pictures from Halloween night 2009.

When Chinese and English collide

I read this on another ex-pat's blog and had to share it! I would love to know what about converting Chinese to English would make this the right way to translate this?

Motorcycle dilemma

Yes, I fell off the motorcycle and got a little cut up. Not only did I ruin a brand new pair of tights (new style footless), my cell phone broke and I tore a relatively new sweater AND was late for bible study.

I think we are going to give it away. Too much trouble! And I am a danger to myself. However, I was warned by Zhang Wen Zhong that the steering was off. I was never a good listener!

Happy Halloween!

Here are a couple of pics from our Halloween Party on 10/23 (Friday night). Grant had fun doing his Haunted House with 3 of his friends and we had fun bobbing for apples and pin the nose on the pumpkin and guessing Mrs. Goodwitch's secret ingredients (had to touch yucky stuff and guess what it was like cold spaghetti for intestines, this weird fruit here called Lychees for eyballs, jello jigglers for guts, and cauliflower for the brain (with some slime goop on top for effect)

Thanks Mom and Dad G. for the great bag of bugs, spiderwebs, candy and other cool stuff we could use at the party, too. There's nothing like getting a package in the mail to get us above and beyond excited!

Mom, Barbara has the original costume now, but I had one made here in China (as you can see on me)! Coby has the costume on you gave him and Grant wore the cape you sent, but it isn't on him here. He is wearing the skeleton T-shirt.

Halloween Party 2009

Grant and his buddy David Ho who is from Korea!
Here's our whole family!

MB and Marina! MB and Coby and Ding Yi and her daughter Yi Nuo. Ding Yi is my Chinese teacher!

H1 and N1 were in the house (Anne Smith and Julie Meyer)!

Grant planned a Halloween Party in his head and then started inviting people. We started getting the RSVPs and realized, yes, he's told alot of people about this party (that we didn't know we were having)! Anyway, so on 10/23, we decided to have a party. Here are a few of the pics from that. I had 2 costumes made for the event (and then the real Halloween). Hey, I might as well it is much cheaper to do it here than the US.

MB the Motorcycle Mama

Here's Jeff on it. He looks much better trying this out (of course provided it wasn't broken!)

OK, here’s the picture. It is embarrassing, but it is now posted. Y’all happy? I am not actually driving it as it is broken down at Concordia, Grant and Josh's school.