Coming Home

The last day in Shanghai we went to the park one last time so Ali and Aisha could play.

It was a crazy day but we made it with the help of our awesome friends.

This is our favorite concierge!  I will always remember his cheery disposition and kind nature.

Here we are just before we got into the van.  Our last moment at our Shanghai home.

Getting started on our first leg of the trip.  Ali settled and went right to sleep.  

I can't figure this new blogger feature out so for now the photo will be sideways.  

We're all still smiles here so it must have been relatively early in our trip.  By the last leg we'd all had it. Ali vomited right before we landed in Boston.  It was not pleasant but I'm glad it didn't happen on one of the other 2 flights.

We made it to Boston after a LONG journey.  I decided not to travel until the kids are at least 10.  Seriously.  We left our apartment in Shanghai at 6 pm and got to our hotel in Boston about 30 hours later.  Everyone went right to sleep and slept for what felt like 2 days.  6 days later we found an apartment and we were so excited that we didn't even think about the fact that we'd all be on the floor that night.... except for James.  He brought his Pack n' Play- smart boy.  The next day we bought groceries and Jimmy tracked down a mattress for us and a crib for Ali.  We all had the best night's sleep that night.

unpacking:

 There is a little forrest out my kitchen window and a pond with ducks and geese just beyond that.  I can't believe we found such a perfect place!  Here is Ali looking out at her new park...

and the pond behind our place.

Our new home feels like heaven!  It is quiet and peaceful and absolutely beautiful.  I am in love with the area we live in.  Sometimes when I go to a new place I find a piece of my soul there, like it's been waiting for me to come and feel at home.  I thank Heavenly Father every day for watching over us and bringing us to this little part of heaven.

4 Months Old!

Our James is 4 months old and it's hard to remember life without him.  He is such a special part of our family.

It also happens to be Mother's Day and I am glad to be this sweet boy's mama!  

We all love his chubby cheeks!  

I love this new chair that Jimmy picked up for James.  It makes it so much easier for these two to play together.  Ali brings James toys and plays on the tray with him.  He loves his big sister!

18 Months!

Our sweet, amazing, adorable, smart, funny, kind, loving, happy girl is 18 months old! What a joy she has been in our lives! I cannot imagine my life without her!

Her new love is coloring. She asks me to draw something (usually a kitty) and then scribbles over it.

She loves to sit on the counter and help cook and explore the ingredients.

Here she is with her best church friend Jed (on top) and his brother Zeke (in car). Love these boys! Jed is So sad that Ali is leaving! He wouldn't let her out of his sight last week at church and asked us if we have enough pictures of them together.  We are going to miss them so much!

Our Saturday General Conference was held at the clubhouse of a member's complex. There was an awesome playground where we played and ate lunch in between sessions. It was the first time Ali has ever played on grass in bare feet! She loved it!

She loves to wheel or wear her backpack!

On the way to church she rides in her stroller but likes to hold onto the bar in the metro.

This is Ali's best friend in the whole world, Aisha. She asks to see Aisha at least 100 times a day. No matter what floor we're on in our building she'll walk or point to what would be Aisha's apartment and say "Isha" over and over. She gets absolutely giddy when they get together. It's going to be so sad to say goodbye.

Sweet little toes!

Eating Snacks (My mom gave me the idea to put snacks in this pill container and it is a big hit!  She loves opening the compartments.)

Being Silly

I love it when she wants to play with her bows and flowers. This particular photo is so cute and she reminds me of a little Czech girl dressed in her kroj.

Such a classy cleaner- hair all done up and wearing a tutu!

One day, we cleaned the stroller and then she decided that she wanted to eat her lunch in it.

I just love this girl!

Moving to China was a huge adjustment for us all but Ali was such a trooper! It wasn't easy going from a life surrounded by nature and quiet to a life of constant noise and concrete. At times she has been frustrated and I worried that certain things were going to become part of her personality. However, as I watch her play at home and out among other people she is just a sweetheart. She has learned and grown so much and I'm so proud of her for the person she is becoming! She has learned to be patient and to endure tough situations.
Ali is so cute when she tries to say a new word.  She always looks just as surprised as we are that she said it.  It's so cute!  Her favorite words to say are Mama, Dada, J (for James), puppy, baba, da (panda), and kitty.  Her new words this week are park and slide.
We LOVE you so much, Mary Alice.  Thank you for being you and for being our sweet girl!

Chinese Stuff

We have enjoyed spending time with James and Ali so much that we almost completely stopped taking pictures of our life outside the apartment! We do have a few photos of some Chinese stuff and here they are:

This is the street we walk down to get to the park. Usually there are a few other people but not this many. Some shops were being torn down and the street was so full of people stopping to watch that they were stopping traffic. This seems to be so typical. The people are so fascinated by funny things. (I guess I am too, since I'm fascinated that they're fascinated.) If ever someone is working on the escalators there is always a passerby filming or photographing the operation.

This is us on the way home from church in the subway. Jimmy has James in the Bjorn and Ali is asleep in her stroller. I am relaxing! What a sweet husband! (Jimmy teaches primary so that leaves me to chase Ali while holding James for 2 hours. Luckily Ali got to go to nursery last week! Can I get an amen and a hallelujah?!!)

We went to the zoo! It was a first for Ali and James. They were both asleep when we got there but then eventually woke up. While they were asleep Jimmy and I walked almost the entire thing mapping out what we thought Ali would enjoy the most.

The zoo is right next to an elementary school and they visit during the day. Getting through all those kids was a zoo itself.

This is Ali and me at the park- but the real reason I posted this pictures is to show the people behind me. Going to a park in the morning in China is a real treat! There are so many interesting things going on. The people will lay a piece of newspaper out and play cards on it. It's just something to see; bench after bench being used as a card table. Supposedly there is no gambling in China but I'm pretty sure there is gambling in China. Even these sweet little old ladies are throwing down the RMB.

This little girl was bundled up as wide as she is tall! And those pants she is wearing are the famous split pants. She is wearing a diaper which is typical but I haven't been able to find out why they put diapers on with the split pants. Kind of defeats the purpose. It could be that it was chilly that day, but there were plenty of other bums sticking out so I'm left to wonder.

This is by far my favorite thing about going to the park in the morning. People bring these darling wooden bird cages and hang them up in the trees. Then they all stand there facing the birds and watch them chirp away.

Most ladies walk hand-in-hand or linking arms.

Another cart- This one is full of cacti and other plants.

Last Saturday we had our first family picnic.

Are you looking for a mate for your son or daughter? This park is the place to be on a Saturday. Thousands of profiles are on display and you can see people studying the potentials for their child, or maybe themselves. It is amazing!

THE Visit

Several months ago my parents came to visit. It was, in a word, AMAZING! It didn't take me so long to post about it because it wasn't amazing. It took my so long because my mom had the better pictures on her camera and those got loaded onto Jimmy's computer. We don't get to see Jimmy very much and I still haven't retrieved the photos from him. But I just need to post what I have. My mom came for three weeks to help with James and Ali. I could not have done it without her. She helped out SO much I cannot even put into words how much we needed her here. She played with the kids, cooked, cleaned, read stories, bought groceries, stayed up late, woke up early, and everything in between. One of the greatest things that happened while she was here was that Ali learned to have fun and play with someone other than me. It was a huge learning experience for her.

Snuggles with Grandma

Could this be any cuter? NO!

Synchronized diaper changing!

After three weeks my dad came. It was a treat to have him but he also brought treats!!!! And this was after my mom brought a whole suitcase (or more) of treats with her!!! Aren't they the greatest?! They brought so many American goodies and ingredients that have helped us survive these last 4 months.

Grandpa and James! These two were so cute together they would just sit on the couch and talk to each other.

We are so grateful to them for coming and all the help they gave. We love you Grandpa and Grandma!

3 Months Old!

James is 3 months old and just gets sweeter and sweeter every day! He could not be more cuddly or cute! He loves to smile and giggles all the time! I love snuggling this little guy and kissing his sweet face till he can't take it anymore!

Poor kid had asthmatic bronchitis for almost his whole 2nd month. He seems to be a lot better now. The only good thing that came from it was getting to weigh him at the doctor's office. So at 2 1/2 months old he weighed 17 pounds and was 25 inches long! Wow! What a cutie!!

He likes to sit up and be part of the action.

He just started trying to suck his hand.

James is so easy going and such a good sport.

I walked into the living room to find Ali laying on James watching her show. He wasn't even crying. She gives him kisses all day and I love it almost as much as he does! Ali can make him giggle without even trying! I'm so happy that these two have and love each other!

We love this little guy so much!