Jet Lag :(

It's almost 5:00am on Wednesday morning but my body thinks it's almost 6:00pm Wednesday night. We tried to avoid jet lag, but apparently we didn't do a very good job. John got sick on the trip home and is (hopefully) sleeping right now. He skipped work yesterday because he can't miss anymore classes this semester. I hope he's feeling better today. I don't think I've cought the cold though - thank you Lord!

There will be many blogs and pictures to follow but I just got home Monday night and my in laws brought Malachi home yesterday. They're still in town so I wont even have free time until tomorrow. So it'll probably be a little while until I get anything published. I'm sorry if you're having a hard time waiting to hear about it, but I couldn't do my blog in china. It's one of the things that the country wont let the people have very freely.

I did email my family during the trip (Bethany I'm sorry I forgot to include you in those I really should have).

I've missed home and my blog and your blogs and freedom on the internet and the sky and all kinds of stuff. I've got all that back now so I'm getting pretty happy.

Love you all, will update soon!

So long, farewell Auf Weidersehen, goodbye

I realize it's funny that I used German in my title there, since we're going to China, but I like the lyrics, I think they are the perfect title to my goodbye blog.

Not my forever goodbye, who knows when that will be, this is just a temporary goodbye. To let you know that I love you guys, will miss you guys, but will see y'all soon.

I guess this sounds a bit melodramatic but I'm kind of in a weird mood right now. My baby is gone and John and I can do whatever we want for the first time in a year and 10 months - it's such a great and yet horrible feeling. I miss him already but at the same time I'm so relieved for the break. This vacation is going to be so good for John and I, it's sort of like a second honeymoon.

Thing to pray for:
- safety in travel (cars, planes, buses, trains)
- safety in country
- successful business meetings
- rest and relaxation
- that the Lord would speak to us and that we would obey
- little to no difficulty in communication
- easy, fun shopping times

We leave tomorrow at 9:00am central time, we get there 8:00am central time on Tuesday - never before have I traveled for 23 hours straight. We leave the morning of the 17th and get back on the evening of the 17th (that's where we get our day back :) Check here for updates throughout the next two weeks.

Love and God's blessings to all.

funny video

I was laughing so hard by the end of this that I was crying.




This is just funny.

Things that I always wanted in a job

- Flexible hours
- High pay
- High level of activity
- Easy to work with coworkers
- Be my own boss


- Flexible hours - I get to nap in the middle of the day sometimes!
- High pay - well, no I don't get paid - but I do get other rewards and benefits.
- High level of activity - It doesn't show around my waist but I am pretty active with him, and now he's starting to run!
- Easy to work with coworkers - He's almost two so it's becoming a little harder, but I'm not worried about the terrible two's.
- Be my own boss - done and done!

I'd say that 4 out of 5 isn't too bad.

We're leaving in about four days. I'm so excited about it! While we're gone keep an eye out for a blog entry to let y'all know that we're doing well and having a great time.

Toilet paper, bruises and half an apartment full of water

Malachi was playing in the toilet (with out consent of course) yesterday afternoon when I was doing dishes. When I finished a neighbor (Donovan, 15ish) came over to show me the Christmas cards and wrapping paper that he was selling for school. I heard Malachi whining in the back of the apartment, so I went to check what was going on. When I got to the bedroom my feet went out from under me and I fell on my left elbow and hip. I now have internal bruises and am waiting for them to show up on my skin.

The water was in the back bedroom, bathroom, and closet. I didn't get as upset as I probably could have because I immediately went into "fix it" mode. I asked Donovan to come help me for a sec. I stripped Malachi of his clothes and I gave him to Donovan to watch while I cleaned it up. After they left I stripped of my wet clothes and got into some dry ones. I started throwing my towels on the floor and assessing the damage. There was water, everywhere I was so scared about what was getting ruined.

Shortly after I started that another neighbor came over to ask a favor. I apologized for not being able to do it (going to be in China that day :)) and she offered to help, she called her daughter and had her bring more towels down. While our towels were soaking up water we started moving everything out of the bedroom and closet to our deck. I started picking up the towels and eventually my tub was full of towels and pillows that were either under or next to the bed on the floor.

She then went to get a mop and started moping up the water that the towels didn't pick up. The floor under the bed was so gross because I haven't cleaned under there in a year - so embarrassing.

She had to go prepare dinner for her family so then I was alone. I was completely overwhelmed, but I did ok. I brought Malachi to another home - one with a friend of his so they could play. She fed him dinner and let him play with Isaac for over three hours, it was such a big help. I spent that whole time washing and drying laundry. There was so much to be done! When John got home from school we got Malachi and put him straight to bed.

I eventually did five loads of laundry last night, one this morning and I have one more that needs to be done, but I'm out of quarters and that's after borrowing a bunch from Chris and Holly - thanks guys! I mopped the floor last night with my neighbors mop (side note: I've been using a Swiffer Wet Jet since Christmas and I think I wanna get a mop. I've never liked the stringy mops, but it did such a great job and it looks so much better then the wet jet, anyway...)

So basically I worked for five and a half hours straight last night relaxed a bit went to bed, got up early and started over again. I got up, showered, cleaned the bathroom (Wednesday chore) and did more laundry, put away the stuff that was in the closet and under the bed and then pigged out on cookies and watched Friends (of course I was also taking care of Malachi, feeding him and whatnot and I took John's car to the shop).

My body aches because I went to the gym yesterday morning with a girlfriend and did weights, then did all the work in the apartment later. After sitting down to watch a couple of episodes of friends getting up was pretty hard to do.

This really is filling up my time and helping for it to go by quickly - which I was afraid about.

China update: John talked to David Rigsby this morning. He and his wife are the ones in Qinhuangdao that we're going to stay with. I'm getting really excited to meet them. They're actually going to be in Beijing on the day we were going to their apartment so we're meeting them in Beijing and having lunch and then later that day we're going to their place. We might have a bit of shopping left to do for the trip but I don't think anything major.

I'm going to do Pilates, I hope it helps my soreness.

One week!

Only one week until China! Malachi got a hair cut today and looks great! I got my eyebrows done and they're stinging :) I haven't done that in way too long, but they look great. I spent less than I thought I would have too and they look better than I expected, so I guess I got great value :)

I've finalized Malachi's packing list and I guess I can start working on packing his things that he wont need this week. I've not finalized our list yet, but will do that today and start packing things that we wont be needing.

This is so exciting I can't believe that a week from this moment I'll be traveling to China...CHINA!

I think something awesome just happened. I think Malachi just asked me what I was doing. Of course it was in half real language and half Malachi language, known only to me and John. But still it was great.

He's doing so well developmentally. He's putting together his own sentences. The other day he grabbed my purse then came to me and said "I got purse!" This morning he said "I sit," after sitting on the stairs outside. He's such a smart little boy.

It really is amazing to watch him grow and develop. It gives me a new appreciation for what God has done/is doing to create people. They're so complex and intelligent, I don't understand how people can think we developed from Gorillas.

I guess I should put laundry away and feed my son lunch. I'm sure I'll write once more before I leave.

Have a great week everyone!

Went to the zoo today

We had a lot of fun and I wanted to share some of that fun with you.