fallen off the face of the earth?????

If you are my friend and you feel like when I moved back to the US, I just fell right off the face of the earth, then read on.

I think my friends in China who I saw regularly might feel this way about me and I also think my friends in the US might feel this way. (Actually I feel this way) Somehow living overseas, I was better able to keep in touch with people on both sides of the world. This year it feels like I am doing a really crappy job keeping in touch with everyone, both in the US and in China.

There's grace which I spoon myself a heaping portion of each day. It's taste is sweeter to me this year than ever before.

The sweetest part of my year long exile from earth has been the Lord. His love for me is strong and I am enjoying it more than ever. I can barely keep afloat between the transition, my sin which rages in me, the sin of my family, and the BUSYNESS of life in this strange strange country I am now a resident of. What is keeping me afloat is the Lord and intimate times with him and deep love pouring into my heart.

Andy and I have been talking about how to slow down and we can't really come up with anything at this point. Life is just so daily, as my friend Laura says. And on top of that we are buying a house. So it looks like for now I am stuck. just thought I'd check in and let you know I am still here.

FANCY NANCY!

I mentioned in a recent post that Andy was the guest reader for Emma Grace's class. He was supposed to bring in 2 of her favorite books. Of course he had to bring in a Fancy Nancy book. For those of you who don't live with a 3 1/2 year old girl, I thought I would introduce you to Fancy Nancy. She's pretty awesome. She's the main character in a series of books about well, herself. She loves being fancy and she loves making everyday life into fancy occasions. She has very loving albeit unfancy parents who she tries to "accessorize." She loves french because it's fancy. Fancy Nancy is a precocious little red head with a penchant for all things fancy. I love her and I love how her parents embrace her uniqueness and play along! In the first book, after Fancy has given them a lesson in how to be fancy, her parents suggest they all get dressed up fancy and go out for a dinner at a "fancy" restaurant. They get all accessorized and head out for dinner at the King's Crown, a local pizza joint. Nancy is thrilled and so proud of her parents for their progress in fanciness.

Well, Emma Grace is pretty much in love with Nancy. She loves all things fancy-crowns and glittery stickers and flowers and purple and pink. For Christmas, Tim and Kathi got her a Fancy doll and a matching outfit for her to wear! They even bought her Nancy's dog (Frenchy). And to top it off, they took Emma Grace out for a Fancy Nancy dinner one night! Here is our Fancy Nancy, enjoying her fancy drink.

This man loves his grand daughter! Thank you Tim for a delicious and very fancy meal!!

Jack terrorized the restaurant after about 2 hours of being there, but for the most part did really well.

Fancy's not-so-fancy parents.

FANCY NANCY DOLL+FANCY NANCY OUTFIT+FANCY DINNER=ONE REALLY HAPPY LITTLE GIRL!!! THANKS TIM AND KATHI!!! You're awesome!

BIG BOY???

We love to play this game in our family called "Tiny Baby." It's basically where I pretend our kids were just born and we have to hold them carefully and we ohh and ahh over how cute they are and how tiny they are. THEY L O V E it. (and it's awesome because if I am having trouble getting back to go to bed I just play tiny baby with him and "put tiny baby down for a nap" and he goes right to sleep. YES, I trick my kids into napping when I'm desperate.

Sometimes Jack will say, "I'm not tiny baby, Mom. I'm a big boy! I'm a guy!" cuteness. For the most part these days, Jack does feel like a big boy to me. He's lost his baby look. He runs and jumps and eats dirt and breaks bones. He loves school and trains and harassing his older sister. For the most part he really is a little guy and not a baby anymore. But we (both he and I) are holding on to one aspect of "babyhood" and both of us are unwilling to give it up. Yep, the paci. No shame from either of us about it. We collectively love the paci and he is actually planning to take it to his senior prom. In all seriousness, we try to only give it to him at naps, but sometimes it makes it's way outside the bed! Right before we took this picture, he was riding a scooter with sun glasses and a paci.
BIG BOY? Well, for the most part!!!

Guest Reader

This week Andy was the guest reader for Emma Grace's class! They are studying "the west" this week (note the bandannas) so he gave them cowboy boot stickers to get things kicked off. He brought in two of EG's favorite books to read-FANCY NANCY, of course and If you give a pig a pancake. (those weren't western in theme, just her faves) The kids liked it especially Emma Grace. How fun to have your dad and little brother (mini guest reader) show up for a visit to your class!!!!

Emma Grace loves her classmates. It's been such a blessing from God to have such a fun and loving environment for her to learn and play!!!