Hanging with the Schwartzman's!!!!

What can make a great vacation even better - when some of your best friends in the world show up for a visit! Thursday morning after getting back from Yangshuo we headed back to the airport to anxiously await the arrival of Solomon, Eli and Shawn & Anita Schwartzman! The squeals of excitement from Abigail & Zoe as the boys came through security were priceless and the kids were inseparable for the entire week! It was such a blessing to have them here, share our Shanghai world with them, and spend time just being with such close friends! We also got our fill of China sight-seeing in - especially with a weekend trip up to Beijing. 10 of us (everyone but Kelly & Megan who stayed home alone for the weekend!) took the overnight sleeper train on Friday - according to Eli...this was the B.E.S.T ride E.V.E.R! We hit some of the big sights - Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Place, acrobat show, hutong tour, Drum tower and, of course, the Great Wall. We learned the hard way it is best NOT to go to the big tourist cities on a holiday weekend (it was Chinese Labor Day) - luckily we just kept talking and enjoying each other's company even if just going slowly in traffic (oh and we taught our tour guide how to play the 'I'm Going to Grandma's House' game in the car, to which he said - P my name is Peter, I'm going to Grandma's and I'm going to bring...can I say a church?!') Whew - were we ever exhausted but so proud of the kiddos as they hung in there through all the sites! Back in Shanghai we went for walks, played at the park & the school, went out for ice cream and did all the fun stuff you do hanging with friends! Some highlights - listening to the laughter of Zoe/Solomon/Abigail/Eli, staying up at night talking, Andy & Shawn getting a few runs in together, Anita wheeling & dealing at the fake market (we went back a few days later and they still remember her!), playing Ninja on the ferry on the HuangPu river, Anita doing a backflip at the park and the Chinese people nearby then trying to copy her!, Eli and his paparazzi photographers everywhere he went (cute, blond, curly hair, he was simply irresistible for the Chinese, some of whom tried to remove him from his parents arms!), and drinking Cokes - for way too many meals! We could have stayed home every day, all day and still had a FABULOUS time just being such special friends again - we are so grateful for their friendship and their visit! We miss you guys again already!!