Life

This is the post where I go completely random. So stay with me people. (Keep in mind that a line of ***** is my way of telling you that there is another thought coming). Looking back through the last several posts, I just haven't talked that much about the kiddos. Life is just marching right along for them. It seems that every time I turn around they have grown [again] and need new clothes and shoes. In just a month Becca will be 10. I know that I will talk more about this as it approaches, but it is amazing that my first baby is getting so big. And the crazy thing is that many of our friends here often meet her and think that she is older. While part of that is her height (she is over 5 ft or 1.5M), really it is her maturity. She has recently begun knitting. She and another friend in our neighborhood have started a small business knitting things for other kids stuffed animals. They even created their own currency. She is so like her father in that regard! Cause I know that never had an urge to sell things like she does. She keeps telling me that I should open up a restaurant or bakery. I reply, "I will if she organizes it."

wait, when did she turn into a teenager?

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This has been such a great year for Josh. We have seen him grow and really become comfortable with who he is. And what a great journey that has been. He is forever our sweet one, but this year he has discovered even more about himself. He loves football (or soccer) and plays daily with his friends. But our boy who was once such a homebody, that his ideal day would be to stay at home, now has plans. One Saturday a couple weeks ago he informed us at breakfast that he was going to be at friends all day. This has also transferred into our traveling. He loves to travel or go on as we term them "adventures." Seeing new things, exploring new countries, and of course figuring out where everything is on a map. He was the one that I worried most about with our move to China. As he cried when anyone would mention China in the months before our move, we felt such guilt! I kept thinking, "what are we doing to him? will he ever be okay with this big change?" But as we look at him now, and see the many ways our life here has shaped him, and we are thankful.

our adventuring little man exploring in the jungles of Vietnam

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And T, our little 美恩 . I continue to look at her and wonder how our life here is shaping her. Who knows? But she is embracing the journey. Honestly, I don't think she even sees it as unique. It is just her life and she considers that normal.

I love these moments. We didn't ask him to read to her. He just loves to read and so when she asked, of course he said: yes. And he does the best voices when reading aloud to her. Melts my heart every time.

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And Chinese class is. I don't know how say that more. It is. . . hard. Yep. Interesting, sure. And this week brought another 60 words to learn. Yesterday I had a talk with a Chinese friend and pretty much our whole conversation was in Chinese. Sometimes I had to revert to English for a word that I don't know. But that is one of my main goals for these next couple of months is to talk more and more in Chinese. 2 years in (of studying full-time) and I am not even close to being fluent. Such a hard language! Occasionally, I take moments out from writing the characters (and writing, and writing, and writing some more. unfortunately, the ONLY way to learn to write them is to do it hundreds of times), and wonder what my next step is. Do I continue on with classes? Look for a job? Volunteer more? Right now, I am unsure. Though one thing we don't see in our immediate future is going back to the US. Somehow, while life is good and easier there, it just doesn't seem like the right place for us. Because life here is also rich and wonderful. Challenging, yes. Frustrating at times, definitely. But oh, so rewarding. In those intangible ways that are hard to identify. But I look forward to seeing what they are with you along our journey.