Shanghai...

As some of you may know, our adventures in China are over this summer.  We are beyond blessed, grateful and humbled by the time we have had here - our lives are forever changed!  We are so sad to leave and also excited to be heading back to Arkansas - exactly where we were hoping to return at the end of this assignment!  More on the move later...but in the meantime it has meant that we are trying to capture as much of this amazing city & culture as we can with the time we have left!  So this post is just some pictures of the Shanghai skyline as we've been out and about recently and our three precious Chinese kiddos!



Photo from the Bund of the PuDong skyline

Sunset over the Bund (taken from PuDong)















Photo from the Bund at dusk...you can see the new SH Tower being built.  It dwarfs the World Financial Center (that is currently the 3rd tallest building in the world).  At what height does it become architecturally impossible to continue to build safely??

Photo from the World Financial Center - overlooking the top of the JinMao Tower, the Pearl Tower and HuangPu River.

Peasant Farmer Painting Village

Last weekend was an adventure Saturday out to JinShan Peasant Painting Village!  It started with the road trip with Mr. Xu who has in recent months started to drive really fast.  You can't really say anything to him as he could 'lose face' so you just buckle up and pray!

The village was fun as the painters are all there in the shops (painting until you walk in to look around).  They pretty much only speak Chinese but they will just keep talking and pointing out different pictures.  And almost all of them have some time when they were published in a magazine or newspaper..and even if it was 10 years ago they will still have the newspaper there

to show you!

After the painting village we headed over to FenJing, a local water town...mainly in search of food.  Often times this is where our plan completely falls apart - it will be past lunch time and either everything is too crowded or we can't find any place to eat.  But not today!  We found a great local restaurant (it is always best not to think about health inspection standards in China!).  We ordered off what looked good from other tables and a piece of paper with favorite meals that Kelly got from her China Reign Ministries trip back in summer 2010!  Couldn't read a thing on their menu but we got some fabulous tomato&eggs, stir fried green beans, stir fried rice, eggplant, and kungpao chicken.  If you repress the memory of me getting peed on when I took a specific daughter (who will remain nameless!) to the squatty potty - it was all good!

Catching Up With Life

What happened to Spring and the rest of the school year??  So much activity I can't keep up with it...and certainly can't keep up with blogging it!  Here are some highlights from May and June....
Andy again hosted his loveliest young ladies to the Girl Scouts Daddy Daughter Dance.  Abigail wanted to wear the same dress as last year (and apparently she hasn't grown much taller as it still fit perfectly!).  Zoe had a dress made by Kitty - very fun to pick out the design and material!  Joseph...well he just wanted to go to the dance!

Due to some tax regulations the SH P&G Sales office moved from Huaihai Road in Puxi across the river to the Lujiazui Financial District in PuDong.  Amazing location of the office  - 40th floor looking out over the World Financial Center and the new SH Tower.  In traditional China style they also majorly celebrated the office opening...complete with a ribbon cutting and a serious lion dancing show.  Quite entertaining to say the least!

May was a beautiful month (if you don't pay too close attention to the air pollution index!).  Most weekends you would find Andy, Zoe, Abigail, Joseph and I out walking and often ending up outside the hospital to get some yummy street food and then up to Bubble Tea for slushies!  Family time (well a lot of the family), outside 'fresh' air, exercise and just watching the crazy pace of life in SH!

And when that crazy pace has just been too much what do you do...sneak off to Head to Toe for a foot massage!  This was a first for Zoe & Abigail!  We thought they would laugh/giggle/squirm through the whole thing...instead they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, soaking up the relaxing environment, talking to the ladies there in Chinese.  You really can't go wrong with a 1 HOUR foot massage (that starts with your back, neck, shoulders) for just $12.  Uh oh though...they're hooked!

In early June was the Dragon Boat holiday...a great reason to have 3 days holiday from work!  Lots of rain in June (the plum rains as they are called) making it quite dreary but some great decorations around Shimao to brighten it up!