Getting back to our Rural Roots

I haven't been on the blog much as of late but I blame that on slow jet lag recovery! We are still getting up pretty early with the Bean and the time change last night didn't help! Oh well! When our awake times coordinate with daylight, we are spending lots of time outside! We are helping EG get back to her country roots-lots of playing outside, picking up rocks and sticks, looking at horses, deer, cats, and birds! Yeah for nature!

looking at some hawks...

Katie and her boyfriend fishing the pond. I think Emma Grace may have scared the fish away!

One day it was really cold so Andy and EG bundled up and went outside to find some treasures! This picture is for Xiao Li-check out this mushroom Xiao Li-how much could EG earn for this one? (Laura will you show this to Xiao Li?)

And this week when it was FREEZING (literally) outside, we did lots of playing inside with some new Grandma toys-which included an umbrella!

Emma Grace has been surprising lately with her use of Chinese-when we tell her to say thank you, she chooses to say it in Chinese! How fun that she is starting to really use her small Chinese vocabulary! We all miss China but we are enjoying our time at home. We basically hibernated for the first week and we're slowly coming out of our cave! We have managed to eat Chic Fila twice though!

There was an Ugandan Children's Choir at church this morning. Most of the kids are orphans. They came to promote partnerships with local churches here in America. I literally cried the whole time they sang. Not sure why-maybe pregnancy emotions? I was just so overwhelmed at the thought of different nationalities worshiping God in their own special ways. I get tunnel vision-thinking only about China and America and it's good for my heart to be reminded of how God is at work in all nations!

On a final note-EG is doing great with her Grandparents! We were able to leave her with my mom one evening and yesterday when we went out for a breakfast date. I am feeling more and more confident that we'll be able to leave her to go on our anniversary trip! We are really picking up the pace next week-trying to visit with lots of friends. I am so thankful we came home a little early. We really needed a week to recover and get adjusted.

Well that's the update for now. For all our murder mystery friends-it looks like you guys had a great time! Wish we could have been there!