My Strength and My Portion

Saturday, July 10, 2010

2 weeks in the US=

4 really happy grandparents

2 kids who really love their aunts and uncles...I mean really love them!

7 Trips to Walmart

10 nights to get over jet lag

1 Wedding

37 family members hugged

3 Fish caught

4 scrapped knees

1 water balloon toss

1 really fun 4th of July bash with family

3 calls to China

6 new lamps picked out by my mother-in-law

2 Husson's Pizzas

3 great meals from Chef Tim

1 night of staying up til 2:30 to talk with my mother-in-law

1 teary eyed reunion with my brother

4 visits to Chick Fila

1 visit to Chick Fila dressed as a cow

9 visits with old friends

1 botched cupcake attempt

787 miles on a UHual

2 new cell phone numbers

1 new apartment

1 really grateful family!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

We are continuing to find interesting ways to entertain ourselves between the hours of 1 and 5 am. Thankfully 3 out of 4 of us slept through the night last night. Jack was up for several hours but he had aunts, an uncle, and a Kacki taking care of him in our stead.

When our waking hours and daylight have coordinated, we've been spending LOTS of time outside. EG caught three fish with Papa Dan!

Jack has been getting back to his redneck roots. Here he's sporting the almost mullet while driving a lime power wheels.

My parents went only slightly overboard with stuff for their grandkids. Included in their purchases-a sprinkler and a sandbox.

EG made a bubble snake with Mama Nette

Jack is obsessed with this piano. Pano and A-tar (guitar) are two of his favorite words. He asks me to play the a tar about 10 times a day. (I can't play and I always tell him we'll have to wait til Dad gets home. He says, "Ok" and then asks again about 5 minutes later!) He now also asks to play the pano just as often!

We've enjoyed our time so far, but we are really looking forward to getting over jet lag and enjoying America in the daylight!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Jet Lag 2-Huffmans 0

It's 9:03 am. So far this morning we've read books, gone to the 24 hour Walmart twice, were the second customers in line at Biscuitville this morning at 5:30am, played outside for an hour+, had 1 1/2 baths, watched cartoons, had second breakfast, and now we're getting ready to go to the Library. At one point this morning about 4 am I found EG squatting on top of my parent's potty like she was using a squatty. It was a funny reminder that we are in no way adjusted to life in America just yet! The best part by far has been seeing my parents and having them enjoy time with our kiddos. So good to be loved by family.

Our trip went well overall but it was by far the most exhausting route we've traveled in the many years of flying back and forth. The 7 hour layover at JFK went by fairly quickly but at that point I started feeling really dizzy and nauseous like you do when you've stayed up all night at a friends sleep over. Our whole family took a 6 hour nap yesterday and totally bombed the "get over jet lag quickly" plan. Oh well. Today, though we got off to an early start, we are feeling a lot better and really hoping to get back on the beat jet lag bandwagon.

Today EG told my mom that her body still feels like it's in KC (our little town in China). It's so true. Our bodies and our hearts are still there really. In moments of silence on the plane or riding in the car I've felt deep sadness rising in my heart as I think about the life we are leaving behind. I am excited and hopeful and really grateful for where God is leading us, but I know we will never really "get over" China. I've just been trying to nestle down in the love of God and remember neither place is my home and remind myself that he's the one leading so I can be content and trust him, and enjoy where he has put us! So now I'm off to enjoy where he's put us...MEBANE PUBLIC LIBRARY HERE WE COME!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Our Last Week

Our Last Week has been a mad dash to the finish line! I've been really thankful for the sweet fun times we've had with friends these past few weeks. I'm also really thankful the packing up part is over. Wow. That was a lot of work. Here are a few pictures of our last week!

Saying goodbye to friends

Andy took some amazing photos of the University where he taught English!

The sky was just amazing that day!

We had an insanely fun time playing putt putt golf with Matt and Laura and some local friends. This place felt so much like Myrtle Beach!

I managed to only beat a couple of our local friends, who had never even heard of mini golf until we took them to play!

I spent a good bit of time using my golf club as a pool stick,

trying to get my ball out of weird places.

Andy won the first course and was crowned King of Mini Golf!

One last meal at McDonald's with every other foreigner we know!

We've said many goodbyes. Wang Shu Shu, one of our favorite drivers.

Si Ran and her parents

We attended a Fancy Nancy Party for Kayleigh's fourth birthday.

Cuteness abounded.

At the party Xiao Li met the family she will be working for after we leave. I am so thankful for them and so glad God is providing for both them and for our sweet Xiao Li. Saying goodbye to them was the hardest. Lots of tears.

We spent about 3 full days of the past week packing up everything we own, selling/giving it to our friends and then sleeping on a mattress on the floor one last night. The walls are all repainted white, in Chinese fashion. We took the kids back to see it and say goodbye. They actually loved running around the empty apartment!

We of course had to holler out the window at Milky G one last time!

One last photo with Milk G and Ye Ye.

Goodbye with sweet Julianna.

This is how EG and Zhu Zhu feel about saying goodbye.

After a moment of sadness, silliness ensued.

Jack saying goodbye to the La Jiao (hot peppers). He is the biggest Chinese food eater in our family! He's going to have a tough adjustment to western food.