Concordia Class of 2012

Senior year - very fun!

First round of class pictures at the Bund.

Look Who's 14!

We've had such fun celebrating Lindsey's 14th birthday!! Bowling with friends, a steak dinner at Yasmines, Dairy Queen ice cream...quite a treat! We also decided to take in a few more of the local Shanghai tourist spots we hadn't seen yet....

* Science & Technology Museum - the favorite ride with cool 3D sunglasses was a watermelon cart that started in the mouth went all through the digestive system and yes ended in the toilet! Despite being in Chinese, everyone clearly got the jist of what it was. Also a great colorful & fun place for Joseph to climb around.

* Wild Animal Safari Park - we had been warned to stay away from the section where you can feed a live chicken to the tigers - good call on that one! Beautiful park...a spattering of animals, but a fun day to be outside walking around seeing people & things!

Shanghai - Again!

It was yet another tearful farewell at the XNA airport...this time more aware of where we were going but also even more aware of what we were leaving behind. We learned very early in our trip back that God is continuing to go before us and protect us. In Detroit, due to a 5 hour delay with Joseph napping on my chest, we found that he was having difficulty breathing and after a paramedic visit & two ambulance rides he ended up staying at the Ann Arbor UM Children's Emergency Room for the next day. Not sure if it was asthma or a virus but lots of breathing treatments later he was released to travel!

Now back in Shanghai, life is once again crazy and busy. School is in full swing - Kelly in her senior year, Lindsey in high school, Zoe & Abigail loving their classes and Megan with lots of homework! Both Kelly & Megan have started as Ambassadors for the school - hosting new students, touring new families - helping kids who were in the same position they were just one year ago.

It has taken a couple of weeks to get used to Shanghai again - the humidity, the lack of blue sky, the people (everywhere), and the work schedule (long hours, lots of travel). We've also seen a little more of Shanghai - going to the eyeglass market (for Joseph's new glasses!), the camera market, and music street to buy a Ukelele! Today was also a new experience as Kelly & I were walking through People's Square, where they were holding the monthly Shanghai Marriage Market! Doting parents there with hundreds and hundreds of fliers 'advertising' their children with all the critical details (height, weight, salary & education). The children are not present - that just wouldn't be right! Some things you just have to say hum....

Scenes of Summer

Home...what a wonderful word, what a great place, what fun we had!!! Family reunion at the Outer Banks, swimming in the pool every day (without a required swim cap!), a complete evaluation for Joseph at Children's Hospital Philadelphia, the 8th birthday party for Zoe & Solomon, Joseph 'driving' in Josh's Jeep first thing every morning and an 18th birthday barn bash for Kelly & Katie Sue. Throw in lots of time with friends, lots of visits with family, eating at our favorite restaurants, driving ourselves and shopping and you've got yourself one wonderful summer vacation!