Mid-January Christmas Greetings

Yesterday's mail held a bumper crop of Christmas cards.

Yes, Christmas cards.

It's been nearly two weeks since we took the Christmas tree down and packed the decorations away, but we are receiving Christmas cards as if it were mid-December. I am reading each letter and hanging each card and photo up in the kitchen.

I guess living in China and getting mail very s-l-o-w-l-y, and only once a week to boot, really spreads out the season.

I'm not complaining. :-)

Girls' Game

Nannie, Gwen, Maggi, and Grandma play a mean round of Go Fish on New Year's Eve.

Small Cousins with Caleb

Caleb has occasionally bemoaned the fact that he has no cousins his age. Being the oldest child of the oldest children on both sides of the family, he waited a while for cousins to come along. We have encouraged him that although he doesn't have cousins his age, he has really cool younger uncles... this is true, and has been awesome for both him and Seth.

Now that Caleb does have cousins, albeit much younger cousins, he is turning out to be quite popular with them. He hunted high and low to find the perfect Christmas gift for Caden, who is ten years his junior. That gift was a super cool, battery powered, lights and action toy machine gun. He called my sister before buying it to see if she would approve of this choice for her four year old. She did, and was Caden thrilled! He couldn't seem to wipe the grin off his face. Caleb got a BIG hug from Caden. :-) Caleb also had fun with the little girl cousins. Maggi, who is four, asked her mom several times while we were there if she could have a big brother like Caleb. He chased them, tickled them, and generally created much mayhem and screaming. The girls loved it! Here Emma Clare is happily in his clutches.Caleb was anxious to hold his newest cousin, Samuel. He generally doesn't take a lot of interest in babies, but soon after Samuel and his mama came in, Caleb quietly came up to me and said, "Can you get a picture of me holding him, Mom?" Even though Samuel doesn't seem especially happy in this photo, I think Caleb does. See his little smile? The look on Caleb's face reminds me of my two blonde preschool boys, Caleb and Seth, carefully cuddling their newborn sister, Madelyn, and whispering to her, "I'll take care of you, little baby. You're my precious baby in the world."

Home Again

Waking up at 3:45 a.m., quick showers, dressing sleepy girls.
A ride through empty streets to the airport, on the first day of the new year.
A short flight and then a long layover at O'Hare.
Fourteen hours in the air.
Movies, naps, airline food, general fussing.
Landing through overcast skies, touching down at Pudong airport.
Immigration, waiting for luggage, customs.
A sea of Asian faces, and Mr. Wu!
Miraculously fitting seven large pieces of luggage, numerous carry-ons, and seven people in the car.
Opening the door to our place at last.
Kitties purring, luggage in a pile inside the door.

Home.

We're Here, For Now

... in the US, enjoying our other life for a few more days. Loving cousin time and game time. A bit of "regular" shopping, meeting our darling new nephew, visiting with aunts and uncles we haven't seen for a long time. Harlem Globe Trotters and cross country skiing. Celebrating Seth's 12th birthday several times. Eating and laughing together. Fighting colds and playing ping pong and pinochle. Watching Anne of Green Gables and Man Versus Wild. Taking pictures, but not posting them.



Just three days left.