Arranged Marriage

Please meet Jack's wife, Sarah Grace Dean. Here we are settling the details of the arrangement. As you can see, we are all smiles! Emma Grace is the big sister and of course had to take part in the negotiations! Congrats to our long time friends, the Deans, on their precious little one! We look forward to sharing many beautiful grand kids with you!

High Speed Chase anyone?

We sort of live in the Mayberry of China. It's a small town and everyone and knows everyone (especially the foreigners). If we call for take out at one of the local restaurants, they will often tell us what the other foreign family likes to eat! The town gates shut at 8 am, 12pm, 2:30pm, and 5pm for the whole town to go to and from work. (Everyone here works for the same giant factory in our town) The walk to and from the factory takes 5 minutes at most from any point in town. There are two bus stops on the half mile stretch of main street. (Main street is the only street in our town really) No stop lights and not much crime. So as you can imagine the police aren't in high demand. For a long while we didn't see much of them. Until....
they got this awesome piece of crime-fighting machinery! Now, you can see 3-4 Barney type police cruising main street throughout the day. They start at the north gate and head to the south gate, which takes all of 2 mins in this puppy and then turn around and head back again! I really want to ask them for a ride but haven't worked up the nerve just yet!

My mom really is here

I realized yesterday that I have yet to post a picture of my mom in China. Some of you may be starting to doubt that she really came with us! That's because we left our camera in America and she has this great new camera that she's been busy using so she hasn't actually been in many pictures. But I made sure to get one of her yesterday so there is proof that she came! These photos are from our "picnic" yesterday. While the guys were watching the UNC game, we opted for a visit to the park and a picnic lunch instead. (Entertaining a bunch of babies and toddlers while watching a game is not my idea of fun so we let the guys off the hook and took the kids out for the morning!) We packed a picnic lunch but it's illegal to picnic here. Well, picnicking is not really illegal but sitting on the grass is for the most part. So we ended up in the courtyard of a really fancy hotel. It was the perfect spot for our gang and we'll probably visit there again! EG was so happy to play with her friend Kayleigh.

We talked about her friends from China A LOT while in America but I am pretty sure she was starting to think they didn't really exist. But now that she's seen Kay Kay in person again, I think she believes us! Notice Kayleigh is sporting some awesome UNC gear!

Yes that's two double strollers and one single stroller in this picture. The kids out numbered the adults.

Eating chips while lovingly gazing into your babe's eyes....that's multi-tasking!

I love this photo. Children are precious....

The Faces of Jet Lag

One week Jet Lag Update:

EG and Momma Nette-"What Jet Lag?"

Jack (and thus EA and Andy)-ummm, we're a work in progress. Up twice last night. We like to ease into this whole China timezone thing!

Chuck E Cheese...almost!

As you know, my daughter grew to love Chuck E Cheese quite a bit while we were in the US. She has mistaken Baal for Chuck E. She often says, "hold you Chuck E." when falling asleep, and in the morning when we ask her what she dreamed about, she always says "Chuck E. Cheese" with a big grin!

Yesterday, she proved her love for ole Chuck E has not dwindled since we left the USA. We had an accident with the door and her toe nail came totally off! She's gonna be fine and we were talking with her about Jesus being able to fix it. At first she starting saying, Jesus fix it!" but soon starting saying "Chuck E fix it!"

These rides aren't quite as good as Chuck E. Cheese but they'll have to do! They are sprinkled all over our little town and we pretty much can't go on a walk anymore without EG asking to ride them. She was scared of them for a long time but all her time spent at Chuck E Cheese in America made her an expert rider! These rides are really loud, which is a lot like Chuck E's place but they don't come with bad pizza and a giant mouse dancing on stage. But EG's not complaining...she's just happy to have a daily reminder of her first love!

Six Shicks

We took a break from unpacking yesterday and enjoyed a visit from the Shickleys. We pulled out the pool, played four square, bubbles, water guns, soccer and had a picnic! The Shickley girls even went on a nature hunt in our apartment complex and made a "nature soup" with their findings. Everything is in bloom here these days so their soup was very colorful! My mom is amazing me with her knowledge of plants. There are probably 30-40 different types of plants in our complex and she knows most of them! It was a really fun day!

Check out EG's diaper! I didn't have any swimming diapers her size. This diaper was truly a ten pounder!

Cupcake Time!

We're excited to be back in our own kitchen! First on our agenda, of course, was cupcakes! EG was a great helper!

You can't make cupcakes without licking the spoon...

and tasting the fruit of your labor! Jack gobbled his right up and was all smiles!

Enjoy!

In the Courtyard

Here's a little video for you guys! Enjoy!

Getting Settled

From my lack of blogging you can guess how our first few days back have been...BUSY! EG has gotten over jet lag like a pro. sleeping 12 hours the second night we were home. Jacky Boya, on the other hand, is taking it a bit slower. We were only up with him twice last night, so we're making progress. When we got up at 4:30 this morning I was confused and thought it was 6:30 so Andy and I started our day. We finally realized that we were confused when the sun didn't come up so Jack and I both went back to bed! My mind isn't working quite right.

On another insane EA note, I found a dirty diaper in our luggage as I was unpacking this week. I have no idea why I packed a dirty diaper. I guess packing while trying to take care of two little ones makes one insane. I thought I should blame it on EG but it's doubtful that she was the culprit. She is really good at throwing away dirty diapers and sometimes even throws away our cloth diapers! I can't believe I wasted a couple precious pounds of luggage on a stinky diaper!

It's been great to back in our home and to see our friends. EG is beside herself happy! I think she really knows we are home. She keeps finding things and saying, "remember this!" My mom is having a great time seeing our world and has been a big help.

What I should have packed instead of that dirty diaper was our CAMERA! My sister called and told us she found our camera in her room. Dratts. My mom has taken tons of pictures while she's been here so I'll have to post those soon. Our camera will be sent over in the beginning of April so there will only be a one week gap without a camera. I know the grandparents will be relieved to hear that!

Well, EG is outside with Xiao Li buying some oil and washing powder so I need to go take advantage of this precious time to get a few things done.

Recap of our Journey

We are slowly getting settled in to our home. The weather here is incredible and our water is back on so we are thankful. China was sure to have the water turned off for the first 24 hours after we arrived home from our 30 hour journey just to remind us that plumbing is not the strong suit of this country. We were in desperate need of bathing after the journey so we boiled water and took baths the old fashioned way. Welcome back to life on the wild side Huffmans!
All in all we had a great trip over. Having my mom to help was a huge blessing and per usual Korean Air did not disappoint. From the extra seat on our long flight and the stewardess wiping EG's runny nose to being moved to business class on our last flight, we really got some royal treatment. Check out our smiley little guy who slept almost the whole way over. EG had to carry her own weight this time! I remember when Kacki bought this bag for EG when she was just a newborn. I couldn't imagine the day she would be old enough to use it and here she is toting it around the airport like a big girl! Next trip Jack will be sporting his own bag too!Momma Nette stocked EG's carry-on with plenty of new surprises. Her faves were the stickers and the lip gloss rings.Here we are on the long flight. Check out Jacks little bed. Notice EG decorated his area with her stickers.
Another reason to fly Korean Air. Once we landed in Seoul, EG was able to burn off some energy on the playplace and we got a last bite of American food before heading to the land of rice and noodles.

ARRIVED! How does one pack clothes for three years for people who change wardrobes every few months, toys, some key grocery items only available in America, baseball gloves for kids in whom we are determined to instill a love of throwing the ball around on Sunday afternoons, and those instant grits? Well, as you can see it takes a lot of bags. Our friend Marlene as well as Xiao Li and A Xin met us at the airport. They were a huge help and many friends have made sure our fridge was stocked with meals upon return.

Xiao Li continues to be one of my biggest blessings outside my family. Our home was so cozy and clean when we arrived and she had homemade pumpkin bread made and fresh flowers around the house. Her service to our family makes living in a foreign country so much easier. I can never adequately express my thanks to God for his abundant provision for our family. From the smooth flights and Mama Nette coming along to our warm warm welcome back to China, God is busy blessing our socks off.

HOME!

Just a quick post to say we made it home. Our flights went really well. Having my mom there was a huge help. On our long flight, there was an extra seat for Emma Grace and on our last flight we were moved to business class! Since we flew through the night, EG slept for about 6 hours of the long 14 hour flight. The flight attendants also took her and played with her for a while to give us a break. I love Korean Air, by the way! Jack was just incredible. He did a lot of eating and sleeping and surprisingly little pooping!

Well, we should go to bed now. It's 3 am here. Oh, I get to sleep in my very own bed. HOME SWEET HOME!

Instant Grits? Yes, I am Impulse shopping now

When packing to go overseas for a long long while, there are "must take" items like clothes, computers, deodorant, chrisco, and chocolate chips. Then there are "will take if you have room" items, like Andy's stuff. HEHE, just kidding, I mean like certain toys, scrapbook stuff and grocery items like cake mix. Then there are items, like instant grits and a banana saver, that you end up packing because you make a last minute run to walmart and know you have a few more inches of space in that last bag. (The banana saver is really cool-you clip it on the end of your banana so it won't turn brown. I feel like I am always wasting half of a banana so this thing will come in really handy if it lives up to its big claims. Ok, I am digressing here.)

The point is that we got all our stuff in our bags-the must haves, the will take if there's room items and even the instant grits, which I hardly ever eat, by the way. But just not having the option to buy them in China and the fact that we're down to 16ish hours before departure, the instant grits seemed like a really good idea when I was booking it through Walmart.

I will breathe a big sigh of relief when my family finally sits down on an airplane in Raleigh and and even bigger one when our wheels hit the ground in our city in China. These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of packing, goodbyes, and fussy babies. EG is getting teeth and has a cold. Jack now has the same cold and we made a quick trip to the doctor today. He's ok to fly and we will just have to manage the symptoms for both of them. Please pray for health for our little ones and peace and safety for us as we make this journey.

I have some good photos from our time in NC and of Jack's 3 month birthday, but those will have to wait til we're settled in to our home in Zhong Guo.

Thanks to all of you who made us feel so welcome and loved while in the US. It's been so encouraging to see you and we'll be missing you!

HUFFMANIA

We love the Huffmans. We're down to our last hours with the Huffman gang. We've had a GREAT time hanging out with Andy's family while living in WV! From multiple trips to Chuck E Cheese, to giant bubble baths, and Chocolate Milk and Cakes, Emma Grapes (my favorite nickname for her) has had a great time with this crew! Jackie Boya (as EG calls him) has also enjoyed the fun! Thanks so much Kathi, Tim, Katie, Al, and Mary for loving us and especially for showering our kiddos with so much love. Here's a photo recap of our time with them!

Aunt Marv, Aunt Kay and the Awesome "Unca" Al!

Kacki has changed A LOT of diapers for me! Thanks Kathi!

Poopaw has stolen EG's heart!

The muscially talented Huffmans!

Ready for CAKES!!

Playing outside on the deck!

JACKIE BOYA just hanging out!

Oh, we're gonna miss these dogs!

The four of us enjoying the great weather out on the back deck!

These are the days we'll think back on and smile!

My child is obsessed with Chuck E Cheese now and even dreams about him!


Those fajitas were amazing Tim! (check out my new glasses!)


We're sad to leave but so grateful for all the fun times we've had together these past few months! We love you guys!