Life AFTER China... according to the Cannons

Blogger's Remorse

2011-08-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a long, long long time since I sat down and posted. Since February, I've purchased a yoga studio with two other partners, Lee haS left for a year long deployment, we've braved a whole summer with mom working full time, our dog has had puppies, we've lost a gerbil, two frogs and a hermit crab, and in general we've been busier than we've ever been in our entire life!

Whew, what a mouthful..... Let's back up to the yoga studio. While living in China I kept feeling that I needed to find a job, but there was nothing there that really suited me. When we got word that we'd be returning to the States, I again felt that I should find a job but also felt very strongly that I should be patient and allow the right opportunity to present itself. I went on an interview (singular, mind you) and realized right away that a position in typical corporate America wasn't going to be a good fit for our family. I posted lots of resumes, entertained a few ideas and ultimately, just as I knew from the beginning, the right opportunity presented itself to our family.

I had been attending yoga classes at a nearby studio for about 2 months, when the studio became available for purchase. I began to investigate, not knowing how in the world I would manage to come up with the capital. I met with the studio owner and her broker, felt really good about things and then got word the next day that she had accepted an offer from a cash buyer. I was disappointed but somehow not heartbroken, feeling as though things would still work out.

The buyers were looking for a manager for the studio and so the studio owner put me in contact with the buyers, who interviewed me and hired me on the spot. I was very happy! Two days later we met over dinner with Lee so we could talk and get acquainted. Richard and Paula Albertson turned out to be a great couple who offered me the chance to not just manage the studio, but to be a partner as well. So, through a roller coaster chain of events, I found my dream job (I don't have to wear shoes all day long!) and feel so satisfied in my career field. I am home each day by about 2:30 and am able to work from home if necessary. I get to practice yoga for free (not that I have the free time very often!) and I get to promote something that I truly believe in wholeheartedly.

You could argue all day with me that there is no God or that He has no part in our everyday life, but I'd never listen to a word you'd have to say. I don't particularly believe in coincidence, but have a firm belief and knowledge that the Lord only directs and blesses us as we listen and follow based on faith. What an opportunity of a lifetime for me and my family! I must say that we've been blessed in ways we could never have forseen.

Stay tuned for more on Lee's deployment and the blessings and challenges that it has brought to our family.

World's Greatest Compliment

2011-04-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

Recently I received the best compliment ever.

I'm not married to my brother.... you will all sigh a breath of relief for that admittance. But what that means, is that I'm not married to the King of Words of Affirmation, for any of you '5 Love Languages' readers out there. I'm not married to the guy that gives glowing praises in the form of flowery, romantic compliments. Given that my love language just happens to be Words of Affirmation, I soak it up like a sponge. For any of you who know my brother, he absolutely ruined me for all other men in the 'compliment' department. We roomed together in college, so I spent 3 years enjoying all kinds of ego boosting compliments about how pretty or smart I was, what a good friend I was, or any other number of glowing words of encouragement and brotherly praise.

Anyway, I digress.

A few days ago I was riding bikes home with the kids after school. As we rode through a tunnel of leafy green with delicate slices of brilliant blue sky and perfect dapples of shady patterns splashed across the pavement of our oak lined street, I told the kids "Isn't this street the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" We rode along quietly enjoying the soft scent of new leaves and newly cut grass. I was truly absorbed in the moment and caught completely off guard when my little Cooper said (after quite a long pause of deep thought) "Actually, it's not mom, that's you!".

Oh be still my beating heart! My sweet, sweet five year old managed to take my breath away for a fleeting moment of tender mom heaven.

Salute to Captain Fun

2011-04-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

As a new working mother and recently 'single' mother, due to Lee's deployment, one of my chief concerns has been the kids. I've worried about leaving them home alone, about having them feel abandoned or that I don't love them because I'm so busy all the time. Balancing home, work and church life has been a challenge since I purchased the yoga studio.

One evening before Lee left I was particularly stressed because I had to go to work and Lee was stuck in meetings. In desperation I looked across to yard to see Tyler Gambone, our neighbor's 19 year old son, playing outside with his little brother and 2 sisters, ages 3-7. Out of sheer panic, I asked him if he'd possibly be able to watch the kids for a few hours 'just until Lee gets home'.

Tyler's one night stand in gig has turned into an extended 'amusement park vacation', if you will. Tyler is getting ready to go to training with the Army as a National Guard Reservist. That leaves him currently unemployed and unattached, all the better for us! He's my #1 go to guy when it comes to babysitting and errand running. He takes Ally to gymnastics when I can't, he helps around the yard and best of all - he's an awesome babysitter.

I come home to a clean house every time. Yes, ladies, you heard right.... my 19 year old male babysitter cleans up with the kids each time he babysits. The kids adore him, I mean downright adore him! They once called Lee and I on our date to find out if we could 'stay out later, please mom, please'. If I come home early from work, the kids are mad at me. They dubbed him Captain Fun.

What did Captain Fun do to earn his stripes, so to speak? He plays board games, rides bikes, rides ribsticks, he plays goalie in full hockey gear.... allowing the kids to whack him with their hockey sticks. Tyler plays catch in the yard, brings over potato guns (when parents are home, of course), teaches the kids to play basketball, lets the kids crawl all around and on top of his jeep. He helps with homework and cooks macaroni and cheese.

Today was my all time favorite. It's Good Friday and the kids are out of school. I got home at 2:30 to find everyone swimming in the backyard pool.... but the kicker is that the pool was FULL of WATER BALLOONS! We had a festival of colored globes floating in our backyard lagoon. Some of the balloons had two or three smaller water balloons inside them. You just can't beat Captain Fun in terms of good times and lots of smiles.

So thank you Tyler, for easing my conscience and keeping my kids safe and happy when I'm not around!

A Gal's Best Friend

2011-01-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

Some say diamonds are a girl's best friend, but I beg to differ. I've got a little sidekick that really makes me smile. She doesn't require much, just two square meals a day, a ride in the car as often as possible, and a few potty breaks (preferably in the neighbor's yard). My little companion loves to sit on my lap when I drive around town running errands, which makes my husband cringe at the thought. She goes absolutely and fantastically bananas at the sound of my car keys jangling, barking, dancing on hind legs, running frantic circles around my legs and in general causing complete mayhem until we walk out the door together.

We got Brescia (brae-schia) when she was probably only 5 weeks old, while we were living in Shanghai. I had asked the local pet shop owner if he could find us a miniature schnauzer puppy. Much to my surprise, the following week he called to say he'd found one. So, we went in to the shop and without warning, fell irrevocably head over heels in love with our little darling. When I suggested to the pet shop owner that she was too young to take home, he offered to keep her at the shop for a few more weeks. Of course, I had meant that she should be returned to her mother! So, we took her home to our loving family and she's been a joy ever since.

After she came home from her first haircut I was certain they had given me the wrong dog! She went from this:

To this:

She's such a loyal little companion. She follows me from room to room, watching my every move. She knows the jingle of the keys, the flip flop of my shoes and even recognizes the snapping sound of my running socks being put on. My little pengyou (friend in Mandarin) runs my 6 milers with me twice a week, she goes tot he store with me, waiting in the car... she pretty much goes where I go. If I am behind closed doors she just waits by the door patiently until I come out.

She's a gal's best friend and I couldn't ask for a more faithful companion.

Thanksgiving Plans

2010-11-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

So this year we are having Thanksgiving with our friends, Angie and Brian Kehl. We met them at our one visit to the Brandon Ward, back when we thought that's where we were supposed to go to church. As it turns out, after meeting them just once we really, really like them! They just got back from 4 years in Germany and have 3 kids that more or less match up with our kids.

Grandma and Grandpa Cannon are in town for Thanksgiving and we are so happy to have them here. Originally I had told Lee that I just wanted to have the holidays by ourselves, since he's leaving in April. But then, I thought about it and realized that I really wanted to have the Cannon's with us, to see Lee once more before he leaves for almost a year. It's been a year since he's seen his parents, and I just didn't want one year to turn into 3 because of a deployment. While I wish my parents were here to celebrate, I'm looking forward to lots of visits from them while Lee's away and am already working out my summer trips to visit them in Atlanta. :-)

So, between the three families, we've worked out the following ideas for Thanksgiving:

Turkey (of course0
Ham, because the turkey I had already gotten for free is only 12 lbs.
Green Beans
Sweet Potato Fluff
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Orange Knots (Angie's family tradition) - sweet knot shaped bread with an orange glaze (You Can Never Have Too Much Bread!)
Cranberry Sauce
Grandma Cannon will make some fancy Jell-O creation :-) (I think whipped cream is involved)
Angie's bringing some sort of cranberry dessert.
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie

Angie and I had a fun time discussing our menu, deciding who will cook what, and talking about our favorite family traditions.

I'm not sure if we'll have enough to eat! Ha! I'm excited to share Thanksgiving with new friends, happy to try new recipes and Thankful for another prosperous and healthy year for my family.

Shanghai Immortal

2010-11-14T14:29:00.001-08:00

It's been almost four months since we left Shanghai, yet questions continue to pelt my thoughts like painful showers of hail, unexpectedly surfacing in a random springtime storm. Why are we Stateside again? Why were we uprooted from our home, our life and our friends, without choice? Why are we in this hot place, where winter never comes but fall taunts with false promises that peep quietly around the edge of a distant corner yet never materialize? Why is making friends so painful and hard. Will I ever really find a satisfying rhythm to my life here in Tampa?

Take warning, there will be no glorious moments at the end of this post. No epiphanies of gratitude will frost the edges of my lamentations.

I miss the bustling city, the dirty sidewalks filled with dark haired Asians, the faces of whom I never thought would haunt my waking dreams. I ache for the smells of bread being fried in a cauldron-like container of hot oil, set upon a propane fire. If only I could just walk across the street, greet my favorite fruit vendor with a smile and a receive her traditional greeting of "Have you eaten today?" I want to peruse the selection of greens, smell the tomatoes for freshness, bargain with the vegetable man over his overpriced mushrooms. I want to take a special trip down the canal side street, even though it's not really on my way home, just so that I can go through another vegetable market where they sell my favorite frosting-less Chinese version of cupcakes, which are baked in a dutch oven heated by charcoal. In that market all the vendors, dressed in their many layers of dirty coats, leggings and gloves with the fingertips cut off, would stare at my white face. They would all whisper about the 'outside person', ie, foreigner, that is in their market. I'd smile, ask them in Mandarin what the price is for their spinach, and enjoy the look of shock as they realized that this foreigner not only speaks a little Mandarin, but savors each tone, each inflection which gives meaning to the words that are spoken.

Strawberries aren't in season right now. If I were in China, I'd yearn for a big plump strawberry (because they aren't available in the off season) hand chosen from various baskets to ensure I was getting the very best berries for my RMB. I'd watch the lady dump my chosen basket into a plastic bag. She'd set it on her scale and tell me the price, rounding down to make me feel like I was getting a good deal. Now I just go to Publix, choose the best looking plastic box of strawberries, no matter the season. I won't have a say in the price, and the berries although always available won't taste nearly as sweet and some sort of satisfaction will be lost in the impersonal process of putting them in my cart as I amble down the aisles of the overstocked grocery store, living in the land of plentiful.

I miss my housekeeper. Plain and simply, I loved her help around the house. I loved the freedom of no dishes, no laundry and a break from cooking dinner whenever I pleased. However, to be even more bluntly honest, I miss her companionship. Ying began working in our home when neither she or I spoke even a word of each other's native tongue. Over the course of two years, we learned to communicate. She taught me to speak Chinese, to understand more than just the words, but also the people, the culture and the way of life. She became my closest friend in Shanghai. I find immense satisfaction and joy in serving my family again. My offerings of manual labor fill a void in my soul and bring fulfillment to my life that was undeniably missing while Ying shouldered my burden for two years. I ache for Ying to walk through my front door, smiling and eager to see me.

I miss my Shanghai Branch family. Being an 'outside person' in a city of 18 million Chinese could render you feeling quite helpless and alone, if not for the genuine love and tenderness shown by the members of the Shanghai Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We arrived in Shanghai on a Monday and our first week was so scary and overwhelming. It was such a relief to attend church for the first time the following Sunday. We were welcomed with an exuberance that I have never before experienced. We were invited to dinner, invited for play dates, invited for lunch, invited for just about any sort of social occasion that you can imagine.

Holidays in Shanghai were never a lonely event. Thanksgiving was full of love, laughter and people. The Butters family would invite 50 of their favorite people into their home to share turkey, mashed potatoes and all the traditional dishes, simultaneously sharing their love and friendship. I don't think Thanksgiving will ever be the same for us.

I miss the thrill of searching out a rumored 'Western' restaurant where you hope that just once, the food will be right. Of course, it never tasted like the food at home, but for some crazy reason just exploring the city and chasing down that shadow of a hope was always exciting and fun.

I miss the seafood department at the grocery store, where one could buy anything from live shrimp to live bullfrogs or turtles. Picking out the choicest cut of meat or piece of chicken with your bare hands and 10 of your closest (or not so close) fellow Shanghai residents was always high on the list of exciting things to do on a Saturday. Just in case you're in the neighborhood, NEVER go to Carrefour (the local version of Walmart) on a Saturday. I'd rather have my toes run over by a scooter than go shopping anywhere in Shanghai on a Saturday.

I'm still aching for the sights, smells and sounds of my favorite city. I'm still longing for a crowded subway ride, or eating dinner at a restaurant with my winter coat still on because they don't turn the heat on in the winter. I'm still yearning for a nice long conversation in Mandarin.... hungry for a piece of Chinese bread with salt and chives. I'm still dreaming of a trip to the Science and Technology Museum's subway station, where you can find the city's best fake market.

Shanghai will forever linger in my heart. Somehow it's etched into my soul and has changed me. I think I feel much like someone who has lost a dear friend to death. I know I must move on, I know I must let the ache and anger over leaving go, but somehow am afraid that if i do, I'll forget the city that I loved so much. How do you move on without forgetting? Does the memory of friends and treasured experiences become less important, less vivid or less monumental if you move past the pain and allow it to settle into a mellow warmth in your heart? I'm not sure and I'm terrified to find out.

Morning Ah Ha's

2010-11-09T05:48:00.000-08:00

This morning I had a great Ah Ha Moment. As I scanned the kitchen and my family, each one jetting about doing their own private morning ritual, it dawned on me that I'm doing it all wrong. OK, well not ALL of it, but some of it.

Here's my daily cycle:

Get up, get the kids moving.
Start the kids on breakfast or getting dressed, depending on whether or not they are eating free breakfast at school.
Pack lunches.
Hurry to the table to read scriptures.
Get everyone out the door for school so they can arrive 30 minutes early (they REALLY like to get to school super early, don't ask me why).

We either ride bikes or take the car, depending on the weather and the after school activities schedule.
I arrive home to a disheveled home, full of breakfast dishes, clothes from the prior day's ritual nightly shedding for pajamas... newspaper strewn about the living room.... dad's snacks from watching football.... my untidy mess of shoes (I NEVER put my shoes away)... toys randomly mixed with school papers, homework and yet ANOTHER fundraiser paper from school...

I stare at the mess, shrug in frustration at the futile efforts of keeping a tidy house and amble off to my clean bedroom for an hour of watching TV, reading a book or napping.

About 9ish I decide that as much as I want to be a lazy couch potato, it's just not in me to leave a messy house. So I get up and start the day's inventory of to do's. I steadily work my way through house cleaning chores, laundry, grocery shopping, random yet necessary errands and somehow 2:15 comes way too soon and I am back at the school picking up my angels.

We flit from home to play to homework to after-school activities. About 5:00 I start panicking (yes, I do this EVERYDAY!) about what I'm going to cook for dinner, recommitting to getting an earlier jump on dinner tomorrow. Somehow I get dinner together only to play unsympathetic ear to the many and varied complaints from my family about what I have chosen to prepare.

Yesterday's meal was french fries and frozen chicken nuggets, by request from my aforementioned angels. I never put out purely prepared frozen food heated in the oven at 425 degrees for 12-17 minutes, but acquiesced. Lee wasn't thrilled at the prospect, so I made creamed tuna on toast for him, which I don't really care for, so I made myself a salad. Proud of my ability to please the crowd, I plopped down into my seat at the table only to discover that I had failed to purchase more ketchup, and dinner was on the verge of ruin. Of course, not two bites into the meal, I was allowed the honor of holding audience to the symphony of complaints about the french fries I had chosen to purchase and cook (at 425 degrees for 12-17 minutes). "Mom, you shouldn't buy these french fries next time." "Yeah mom, they're too spicy." "What ARE all those little black things on the french fries mom?" "Mom, do I have to eat ALL my french fries?" "If I don't eat ALL my french fries, can I still eat my Halloween candy after dinner?" You got it folks, somehow, after preparing three separate meals to please the family, I managed to screw it all up!

So, we clean up dinner dishes, I go for a run and come home to find Lee helping the kids with homework (thank you dad!). I set up Family Home Evening, we have our lesson, have ice cream, I scoop Cooper up off the carpet where he has fallen asleep during the lesson, get ice cream dishes into the sink, tuck in the girls and plop down onto the couch with my laptop to watch my shows with ear plugs while Lee watches Monday Night Football. 15 minutes later he is snoring, the TV is blaring and I decide that my bed is a better place to finish my show.

Finally, the day is over. The house is destroyed again. The dishes are only partly done by my sweet children who do the dishes every night, but never quite up to my standards. The table and counters are still littered with crumbs and the sink is half full of pots left to soak (ie, left for mom to handle). The living room is once again strewn with random bits of evidence of the life we live: twizzlers laying halfway out of the package on the table next to dad's recliner, keeping company with a half drunk glass of squirt, separated into layers of squirt and melted ice. Children's socks turned inside out lay in small piles. Half finished book reports echo 4th grader questions in my mind as I walk past; "Mom, do you think this is a good conclusion sentence?" The dog stares at me expectantly as the rest of the house sleeps...."Please take me out, just one last time?" I finally make it to the bedroom, but the cat is reluctant to relinquish his.... no make that MY spot in MY bed. Lights out so that I can listen to the snores of my exhausted husband, who has spent the day working for his family, only to come home and spend his evening doing homework with his kids.

Morning begins again, deja vu like, as we repeat the cycle. So, what's my morning ah ha moment? Before I started writing, my ah ha moment was that my kids should spend part of their morning helping me recover the house. This morning I had them helping me separate dirty laundry. I THOUGHT my ah ha moment was that they should be helping me more. Though I haven't changed that realization, my moment of clarity has shifted, after writing this post.

Here's the amazing Kitty thought for the morning.... none of those daily details that I've so carefully crafted in a written devotion to the disorder in my life are really all that bad. Actually, they aren't undesirable in the least bit!

Waking up to a house full of children means that our life is full of LIFE. Watching kids bustle about the house in seeming disorder and chaos is a sign of vibrant life, of healthy children. How blessed are we to have healthy, happy children? Cleaning up breakfast dishes (again!) simply indicates that our pantry is full, our bodies are well fed. We have the means to purchase food for our families and the strength to prepare and serve it. Standing amidst the disorder of the home, shrugging my shoulders and climbing into bed for an hour is only possible for me because my husband works hard to provide for our family, so that I can stay home and be available for my children and husband. If we weren't so well taken care of, I'd simply be leaving the chaos behind closed doors as I too hurried out to join the masses of the work force. Instead, I am able to pace myself, choosing which tasks to conquer at my own whims and desires.

Of course it's not all peaches and cream. We take our lumps as they come. I'd rather be in China. I'd rather be soaking up the culture, complaining abou the filthy and smelly city and the rudeness of Chinese people, who for some unknown reason, refuse to conform to my ideas of a polite society. However, the Lord has seen fit to have us here. People keep telling my to Bloom Where You're Planted. Maybe I'm not quite ready to embrace that saying just yet, but at the very least, I can be thankful for the amazing things that the Lord has provided for me and my family.

Halloween in Mayberry

2010-10-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

Finally, our last box is unpacked and I have a blissfully peaceful moment (post trick or treating) to sit and blog. It's been ages since I've cracked open the laptop and poured out my soul for the world to lap up in small doses.

I think we've moved to Mayberry, only it's 75% retirees who all hang out drinking together at seemingly every chance they can get. Our first day in the house was met with wonderful well wishers who not only came to welcome us to the neighborhood with plates of homemade bread, but also stayed to talk for 20 minutes and never really left. We discovered that not only are our neighbors nice, but they are sincere and intimate people, who aren't satisfied to just wave as you pass, but instead want to know you and love you.... right from the very start.

Let's begin with out next door neighbors, Joe and Mel Gamboni. Joe is an airline pilot, getting ready to retire. He flies once every two weeks to some far off land, returns a few days later, bleary eyed yet cheerful. His 20 year old son floats in and out of the house, but more often than not (when he's not working or being a part time soldier in the reserves) can be found out in the front yard playing with his half brother and sisters. Mel is Joe's second wife, and is an equally VERY part time flight attendant (maybe gone once a month), also mother to their 7 year old daughter, 5 year old son and 2 year old daughter. Despite the age difference (Lee and I are guessing 15 years) Joe and Mel are an awesome couple. They are vivacious, friendly and on course to be our next set of close friends. They ordered us pizza the day the moving truck arrived, welcoming us to the neighborhood with Papa John's style! We are so happy to report that not only are Joe and Mel really great people, their children are equally pleasant and a joy to be around. Our kids (Cooper mostly) spend their afternoons floating in and out of the neighbor's house, with both sets of kids alternating between whichever house has the best snack for the day. If Joe's older son is home, they are always next door because he is like a big play toy, constantly wrestling with the boys and teaching them great things like street hockey.

We were invited to the Gamboni's Halloween party and dutifully bought costumes and headed next door to hang out with Joe and Mel. Lee and I are not really the costume type, but figured we'd better suit up to nurture the relationship. Really, we were expecting a somewhat socially painful evening of making lots of small talk with people who really weren't interested in us, but just being polite. Boy were we wrong! As is turns out, the Gamboni's closest friends just happen to be all the neighbors on our street! EVERYONE was from the neighborhood and EVERYONE was at least 50 or older. Early in the evening Lee asked me if we were old enough to be there! If you're thinking this was a dull party because the average age in the house was 60, THINK AGAIN!!!! The music was loud, the party was crazy, the beer keg was flowing, jello shots were passed out and the dancing was rocking the house! Of course, Lee and I enjoyed watching all the crazy folks with a buzz and headed out early to get ready for the following Sunday's 8:15 am meetings (we left around 11 pm).

Joe was 'The Green Fairy', complete with green leotard, green tutu, wings, etc.... Hilarious!!!!

What we didn't realize when we bought our house is that the neighbors on our street are more like family than anything else. Craig and Cindy live across the street. They've got grandkids that are over almost everyday. Craig sits in his lawn chair when he's not tinkering in the garage or doing yardwork, and watches his little 2 year old granddaughter toddle all over the place. Cindy talks to my kids like they're her own. She'll spend 20 minutes talking to you every day if you have time. We love them to pieces. At the party last night, Craig and Cindy and about 3 other couples showed up in white t-shirts decorated with music notes, crazy hair do's, wacky sunglasses and music notes painted on their face.... what were they? LOONY TUNES! In case you were wondering, they all live on our street.

Lee and I were Pocahontas and Woody (the theme was cartoon characters).

Tonight was Halloween. Instead of leaving our candy in a bowl on the front porch while we took the kids out, we left it with the retirees two doors down. They had several tables set out to house candy bowls, pizza, and ice chests full of beer and wine. At least 10 of us left our candy with them and they sat out eating pizza and drinking beer, living it up while handing out a street's worth of candy. We got home around 7:30 (trick or treating is 5-7 strictly in our neighborhood) and the party was just getting started at the candy tables. What a neighborhood!

Here's our ghoulish crew. Eve, the crashed and dead airline pilot (Joe was not impressed!)... Ally the vampire and Cooper the 'Army Guy'.

Mayberry with a twist.........

New Friends

2010-09-24T13:40:00.001-07:00

Moving is hard on everyone. I worry about the kids making new friends and fitting in. I worry for Lee, hoping that his new work environment will be a positive one. I worry about settling into our house, about finding the right mix for our lives. Every time we move, the concerns are generally the same, with minor variations.

One thing that I struggle with personally is making new friends. I've found that men are less prone to need intimate friendships beyond their spouse. I hate to generalize and do not in any way mean to say that men don't need friends. However, men get much of their daily social needs met in the workplace. No matter what country, city or state we live in, Lee will always have interactions at work and will always be able to develop relationships in that environment.

Women are creatures of a different nature. We thrive on deep lasting friendships with other women. We need our 'girl time'. We need someone with whom we can talk and talk, even if it's not about anything serious or deep. When you relocate a stay at home mom, it takes a lot of hard work and effort to explore, find and cultivate satisfying relationships.

I think making new friends is a lot like dating. You meet someone you think might be a good fit for your personality and then one of you has to be the brave one- the one who goes out on a limb and makes an invitation to socialize - someone has to ask the other out for a first date, so to speak. Then, you try to find an activity where you can get to know each other, but you choose carefully. If you have young children at home it's a little easier because you can use them as an excuse to socialize, or to end the 'date' if things aren't clicking. After the 'first date', if it goes well, you are left wondering if she liked you as much as you liked her, or vice versa. Should I call her, should I wait for her to call me? How long should I wait? I don't want to be a stalker, after all! It's a precarious process and I've found that you can live in a place for years and never find 'Mrs/Ms. Right'.

I made a new friend today. We sat next to each other at the gymnastics gym, talked politely for awhile and I got up the courage to give her my phone number. She gave me her number but I was too nervous to call. Maybe it's just the action of stepping outside one's comfort zone. Lucky for me, my new friend was bold and called me, inviting me out to lunch. I was a little nervous.... what would we talk about, just the two of us, face to face with no children to hide behind? I couldn't even remember exactly what she looked like, having met her only once.

So I made sure to get to the restaurant a little early, so I could scan all the incoming patrons. I actually worried the night before about this lunch date. Usually I just rely on making friends at church, which is comfortable and safe. Much to my happiness and relief, lunch was so fun! We had plenty of things to talk about, we had a lot of things in common, and we spent over an hour and a half gabbing. Maybe she won't become my new BFF, but it sure was nice to get out of the apartment and make a new friend.

Just an Ordinary Day.... Thank Goodness!

2010-09-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day. The weather was perfect! Lee has had a full month's vacation since we arrived in Tampa, using up his vacation time leftover from China. It has been wonderful, hanging out all day with Lee.

This morning we got up together with the kids and dropped them off at school. We then had breakfast together at a tasty little restaurant across the street from the school called The Brunchery. Then Lee dropped me off at a friend's house and he went off for a game of golf. My friend Allison and I took a 6 mile walk, which was invigorating and fun. I really needed some girl time. Lee has been a wonderful companion for the last 8 weeks, but a girl needs her girlfriends! After the walk Allison took me to the golf course so I could pick up the car and go get the kids from their half day at school. It was such a gorgeous day that I decided to walk the mile to the school instead. I had the dog with me, who was completely worn out from her 6 mile walk. She was a bit resistant to the idea of walking back to the car with the kids and actually sat down in protest a few times along the way!

We headed home to swim at the apartment complex. The weather was in the upper 80's - perfect for swimming without getting too hot. I cooked up my first tuna casserole ever, and it was yummy! The kids protested, except Cooper who loved the casserole until he found out it had tuna in it. Mind you, he doesn't even know what tuna is, but it sounded gross so he immediately changed his mind about the macaroni he was eating. It was funny, but also annoying.

After dinner I took Eve and Cooper to karate. Ally wanted to come watch so we each brought a book and sat companionably reading side by side. We came home, checked homework, signed folders, read a story, said prayers, did tuck ins, and finished up a great day. Hopefully tomorrow will be just as uneventfully blissful as today!

Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa FL

2010-09-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I declared that I would not spend another day cooped up in our stuffy little apartment. I did my research and concluded that a visit to The Florida Aquarium would be the perfect (and most affordable) solution to my apartment blues. We spent a lovely two hours at the aquarium and then proceeded to purchase a one year family membership (my affordable activity suddenly wasn't so affordable anymore!).

With our membership paperwork came a blue sheet of paper, listing reciprocating facilities where our membership would gain us various discounts. So for the last week I have been scouring that blue paper for deals. So far we've eaten at two restaurants which each offered a nice incentive and today we went to the Tampa Zoo for FREE. Wohoo! For the month of September, members of the Florida Aquarium receive free entry to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.

I love this day and age because technology makes our lives so much easier. I was able to peruse the park's website and glean lots of useful bits of information, like the fact that the Zoo has two water parks for the kids to cool off in. So, we started our adventure with a little water play to get nice and cool before trekking through the forests of Asia, the prairies of Africa and the Florida Gulf Coast.

I was initially quite doubtful as to the quality of the zoo, given that our visit began with lots of unsuccessful attempts to find the animals in their habitats. However, as the day progressed, we found lots of fun and unique exhibits.

I think one of our favorite exhibits was Stingray Bay, where we got to hand feed stingrays and touch and feel them in the tank. For the low affordable price of $3, I purchased two shrimp and one small fish (same size as the shrimp) to feed the rays. It was so neat! They actually swam right up to us and took the food right out of our hands. They got really aggressive and splashed quite a bit, which surprised us all!

We also got to give the kids a little lesson on the facts of life.

Eve and Ally's responses were identical "Eeeewwwww!!!!"

We saw manatees, which I had never seen up close before.

We saw some interesting animal interactions:

The kids got to ride the log ride. Ally is my daredevil, through and through. She was ready to go again and again. Eve didn't quite think too highly of the her log ride experience and Cooper was on the fence.

We made friends with a giraffe:

And some goats:

Overall, it was a pretty good day at the zoo. And the best part was getting in free! (Ok, not really the best part, but it didn't hurt my feelings too much...)

There are still a few weekends left in September, so who knows... maybe we'll do it again!

Update on the Baby Deer

2010-09-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

You might remember our wonderful experience with the baby deer in my parents' backyard this summer. It was truly a memorable morning for the Cannon kids. My dad recently emailed to say that our sweet friend is alive and doing well. I guess she/he is still paying regular visits to their backyard, but this time she's brought along her mother.

Thanks dad, for sharing these pictures with us. What a magical moment! I'm so thankful we were able to share it with two of my favorite people in the whole world!

Thankful

2010-09-05T17:42:00.001-07:00

11+ years ago I married my handsome prince and left the world of unwanted roommates forever. I was SO thankful to never have to share my home with someone I didn't like ever again. For all you previous roommates out there (Tanya, Rebecca, Ernie, Jill, Brian, etc.....) I'm not talking about you.

Likewise, when I got married I left the world of apartment dwelling far, far behind, much to my pleasure. Actually, come to think of it, I don't think I ever did live in an apartment.... with the exception of a few months in San Diego before we got married.

Just a few things I'll be thankful for when we move to our new home and leave our apartment forever:

A kitchen with a pantry.
A dishwasher that doesn't just move the food around, but actually cleans the dishes.
Having an eating area big enough that I can get up from the table without moving the table to get out.
Not having to store food in my linen closet due to the aforementioned lack of pantry.
Not having upstairs neighbors, across the hall neighbors, or sharing a wall with neighbors.

In our new house I will be so thankful for:

A safe neighborhood for my kids to ride bikes in.
Having enough space to walk without bumping into furniture.
Living one mile from the elementary school instead of 10 miles away.
Not having groups of random teenagers hanging out near my front door at midnight.
A garage, so our bikes don't have to be stored in Cooper's bedroom.
Not having to carry groceries from the parking lot to the apartment.

Here's a few extreme luxuries I've missed in China and can't wait to have again in our new home:

Water/Ice dispenser in the freezer door
Deep freezer for food storage
3 car garage for all our toys
A swimming pool in the backyard
2 cars
A separate room for an office/guest room.

Brandon, FL

2010-08-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

So here we are, living in Brandon, Fl ( just outside of Tampa), rudely displaced from our adventures in ChinaLand without even a how do you do. It's been a whirlwind crazy stressed out time that started early July when we were informed that we would be transferred from Shanghai to Tampa in 30 days time. Unfortunately, given that we were in the States at the time, with prepaid non-refundable vacations waiting for us, we couldn't actually start getting ready for the move until flying back to Shanghai, one short week before having to turn around and fly back to Florida, where we had just been vacationing. Exhausting. One word to sum it all up. Bone wearying exhaustion.

The kids and I began the summer mid June in Suwanee, Ga (northeast Atlanta) at my parents house. 10 days later we got the news about our transfer, so I had to go purchase a car, rather than plunk down WAY too much money on a rental car for the summer, as we had previously planned. We then travelled to Hattiesburg, MS to visit my brother and his wife. Usually, I just refer to them as my sister in law's family because she and I are such good friends I almost forget about my sweet brother! (No offense, Ernie) After 9 days in Mississippi Lee flew in to Gulf Port (one hour south) and then we headed to Tampa for some recon work. 3 days in a somewhat lacking La Quinta Inn left us feeling a little grimy (heat + humidity + air conditioner in hotel that didn't quite work= feeling grimy). 7 days of lovely bliss followed at Fort Myers Beach. 7 days of different, but nice vacationing in Pompano Beach ended our sojourn in south Florida. Lee had different flights than the children and I to return to Shanghai, so he headed out via Chicago (I think). The kids and I flew from Miami to Toronto, Toronto to Vancouver, where we spent the night and then finished the trip the next morning to Shanghai. Whew!

Our week in Shanghai was a complete blur of activity. We had a house to pack up, a car to sell, friends to say goodbye to, last minute 'must have' purchases to make, animal transportation to arrange and the list goes on. I struggled with whether or not to bring the kids to China for one last week, but in the end felt that they needed that time for closure. I am thankful that they were with us, even though it was a considerable amount of extra work.

We arrived on Wednesday afternoon in Shanghai. Thursday morning at 9 am I had a 'garage sale' to give away/sell America food and China electronics. Mostly we just gave away a lot of stuff. Friday and Saturday were spent running around town getting things done. Sunday the movers came and we then moved to a hotel for the duration. Right in the middle of all this, our clutch went out on the Chinese car. It took 3 trips to the dealer to get it fixed. On the third trip, I had to yell and scream (literally, my throat was sore for two days) to get the car fixed properly. I had about 20 people gathered around staring at the wai guo ren (foreigner) screaming, yelling and throwing things. In the end, they finally fixed the car and thoughtfully delivered it to me at our hotel.

Somehow, only through the grace of our Maker, we were able to get the house packed up, get the car fixed and most miraculously, get the car sold in a week's time. We didn't even bother to try to adjust to Shanghai time. We all fell into bed exhausted each day at 7:30 or 8:00 pm and we were ALL awake every morning around 3:00 am. It made for a very interesting week.

Flying back to Tampa was also pretty painful. We took a 14 hour flight to Newark, NJ where we spent the night at a not so nice hotel. Luckily for us the hotel had a passable restaurant. Once again, we all fell into an oblivion of sleep by 8:00 pm and awoke at 3:00 am with nothing to do but wait for daylight to break. I can't even describe feeling so tired that you are so dizzy that you are worried you will fall over. We had to maneuver 10 suitcases through the airport at each on of our connecting flights. When you are that tired, dealing with the suitcases, customs, baggage claim, shuttles to hotels, dinner and tired kids is an actual nightmare....a living breathing waking nightmare. I shudder to recall the horror!

I took my first taxi in America in over 25 years when we arrived in Tampa. The nice gentlemen called us a mini van taxi, which we crammed full with all our luggage, two sleeping kids and one tired mom. Lee and Ally rented a car and met us at the apartment. My taxi driver was a Chapel Hill graduate, class of 1992, and immigrant from Africa. He was a crack up and at least he was nice and energetic the whole drive home. Eve and Cooper slept through it all and I ended up carrying them both asleep on my shoulder through the hot parking lot into our new temporary apartment.

Whew! What an experience this summer has been.

I'm still tired. I'm still worn out. I'm still not ready to be in Tampa. I'm still longing for Shanghai.

We've found a house, put in an offer and it's been accepted. We go to enroll the kids in their new school on Monday. School starts Tuesday. We've spent the last week house hunting, getting physical examinations done on all three kids so they can enroll, furiously faxing requests to previous doctors for shot records.We've shopped for school supplies, we've shopped for school shoes, more than anything we've taken the dog out to pee since we no longer have the freedom of turning her out into the fenced in yard.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I am looking forward to a day of rest in our little apartment. Looking forward to no realtors, no houses to view and no more online hunting through endless piles of real estate listings.

Trip to the Everglades

2010-08-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

As much as I hate to admit it, I've been a fan of CSI: Miami for a long time. Granted, I stopped watching it two years ago when we left the US, but still. I know the characters are cheesy, the plot unlikely (and that's being generous) and the storyline incredibly predictable, but I like it. The biggest reason I love watching CSI:Miami as opposed to the other CSI shows is it's setting. I love all the scenery, love the beach scenes, love the helicopter shots of downtown and especially love all the Everglades scenery.

So, when we decided to take an airboat ride in the Everglades, I was pretty darned excited. We spent the week in Ft Lauderdale, which is on the northeast side of the Everglades. I researched, researched and researched some more to find the perfect Everglade tour for us. What I found was that because of our location, the tours within easy driving distance were all very, very touristy and designed to move the maximum amount of bodies through in as little time as possible. I think we would have really enjoyed taking a more in depth tour, maybe canoe rides and camping, but alas - it will have to wait for another day.

So, we piled into an airboat with 20 of our closest tourist friends and took a very well oiled 30 minute tour through the sawgrass rivers with a tour guide who repeated the tour, word for word at least 12 times each day.

Oh well, it was still pretty stinking cool! We saw 3 or 4 alligators, including a brand new baby about 2 weeks old. Our tout guide told us to keep our eyes open for the baby, that it was about 12 inches long and hard to see, and low and behold our own Ally was the first one to spot him!

All the alligators that we saw were within the first 5 minutes of the tour. They were 'tame' alligators, meaning that they have been trained to come up to the boats in search of treats. It was still pretty cool to see them swimming through the water up to our boat.

We had a tough time getting shots of the kids in the boat because it was crowded, and they are short. :) But Lee managed one of me!

The pen behind Lee and the kids had at least 10 alligators or so. There were some pretty big ones!

This bird was also trained to come get treats. He followed us around on the boat. He was sitting about 5 feet from where I was sitting on the boat.

It was so hot, we were all sweating by the end of our 1 1/2 hour time on the gator farm. After the boat ride Lee actually asked my if my shirt was wet from sweat or did I get splashed on the ride. Ha! I just sweat a lot!

Hopefully sometime soon we can go back down (in the fall, preferably) and camp in a less touristy part of the swamp. I found a few really cool 'ecotours' where you can have a guide go with you. I'd love to slink through the swamp on a quiet canoe! We'd better be sure to bring our bug spray!

State of the Union

2010-08-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

I've decided that you can pretty well judge the general state of affairs by your experience traveling the 'friendly skies'. I use the term 'friendly' ever so tenderly and with the utmost regard, of course. As I sit in my cramped assigned seat across the aisle from my children flying Air Canada from Miami to Shanghai, I sit reminiscent of things past and things longed for.

One of my favorite genres of fiction is historical fiction, particularly novels about the simpler pioneer days. I love Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series as well as Gerald Lund's historical fiction The Work and The Glory series . L.M Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables is also among my favorites, to be read over and over again. What I love about these books is imagining a world where people were intrinsically polite and friendly. How different would my life be if I could trust my neighbors, leave my doors unlocked at night or let my children roam free to play without a watchful eye glued to their little bodies in an effort to safe guard their innocence and safety? I love to lose myself in stories of service and a higher law of ethical purity and morality. I also love to picture the days when our money actually held a reasonable value.

My day started out with a 45 minute drive to long term parking, where our car will remain for 11 days while we return to Shanghai to say goodbye to friends, our sweet ayi and to tie up our lose ends. The kids and I took the shuttle to the airport, navigated today's modern mystery of checking in and going through security and sat down to a delicious and nutritious meal of McDonald's (for the discounted price of $22.96... 3 happy meals and a salad). I bought 2 packages of gum, two small bags of candy and a Runner's World magazine for another steeply discounted price of $15 (can you hear the sarcasm dripping, oozing and running freely?)

Just $93 and change later (parking fees included) we boarded the airplane. At the risk of being tactless here, I'm going to tell you that we spent over $5,000 on our tickets from Shanghai to the States. That's A LOT of money! That's more than most citizens of the great nation of China make in an entire year! While I am thankful to Lee's company for sending us home each year, I am speechless over the cost.

As we settled into our seats, we listened to the flight attendant going through her safety announcement, followed by her announcement for the price of food on board, followed by the price for headsets, alcohol and finally, if you are cold please allow us to serve you by selling you a blanket and pillow. I only heard part of the announcement.... feeling slightly irritated over having to purchase a crappy meal onboard. Cooper begged for $3 headphones. I could hardly refuse, knowing that we have a long journey ahead of us and that because Ally and Eve already had headphones, I could not deprive him of the same treatment. So, I handed the flight attendant a $5 bill,again irritated that something that once was free now costs money. I was politely told that they do not accept cash, only credit cards. GRHHHHH. A short amount of time passed and Cooper asked for a blanket. We had packed our blankets in our suitcases to make our transition during the 48 hour trip and the three airports we would go through a bit easier. Much to my disappointment and anger, when I requested a blanket I was told it would be $3, please. That's when I told my flight attendant just how pissed off I was that I could spend over $5 grand on airline tickets, have the first two flights delayed by a total of 8 hours, causing me to spend the night alone with 3 children in a hotel, without a how do you do from the airline, only to be charged for every last iota of service that should be included in an airline fare to begin with! To which she smugly replied "I'm sorry ma'am, that's just our policy". The outrage! If I could have thrown something at her, I probably would have. Shortly thereafter, she approached me at my seat, apologizing for the policy and then telling me that my yelling at her "was not appreciated". I apologized for getting upset, but explained that even though she was 'just doing her job' by telling me I'd have to buy a blanket, that it is also part of her job to field concerns, explain policy with a calm and polite manner, as well as to help ticketed passengers be comfortable and satisfied.

Here's where I say that the general state of our miserable existence is evident in the simple experience of being a passenger aboard ANY airline in this current day and age. I know, I know..... It's a little melodramatic to say 'miserable existence', but I'm feeling just a little low right now. I'm afraid of repatriation. I'm afraid to return to the US, where everything costs an arm and a leg. Try taking your family ANYWHERE halfway interesting without spending $100 easily. Don't dare to go out to a restaurant with 2 adults and 3 kids. There's another $50 big ones! To say I am scared is an understatement!

I'm disappointed with the fact that there are NO Customer Service standards in our world anymore. When was the last time you had a concern actually taken care of satisfactorily when you called a call center? Was your call even answered by someone who speaks English as a first language? Was that person even located in the US? My flight attendant offered a customer comment card, which I gladly accepted, thinking that at very least, I could write down my frustrations. She delivered a card with a website address written on it. Great, just one more way that I can be ignored. This way, it goes through cyberspace where there is no accountability whatsoever.

I want to live in a world where neighbors are friendly, people know each other's names,where our children are safe from evil doers. A place where common courtesies are extended on an every day basis, rather than as an exception to normal human interaction. I want to live a life in which treating a customer with respect is not going above and beyond the call of duty, but merely the way things are. I pray for the day to return where children are polite and respectful to their elders because their parents raised them to be that way. I'm feeling a bit disenchanted with the state of the world today... even a bit helpless to change it, a bit as though I am in a sea of unending waves, crashing one after the other that I will never be able to rise above. Is our society disintegrating at such an exponential rate that nothing can be done to save it? IS teaching our children and raising them to be amazing people enough to combat the throngs of parents who don't do the same? I used to feel that, as an American, I had the freedom and the power to overcome and attain anything I dared dream of. Where did that empowerment go? Can we really stop the downward spiral? Obviously no matter how many tea parties we organize, despite the throngs of people who may amass to protest current political movements, no matter how many times I fill out the customer survey, no matter how many times I ask to speak to a supervisor..... no matter the effort, it seems as though it is out of my hands.

Now I realize that this blog post is particularly negative. The blogging culture is generally one of "Look What We Did Today!" "Wohoo! We're Having a Great Life!" or "Look at my Cool Kid's Awesome Achievements!". Most of my blog posts play out that way as well. I love bragging on my kids, bragging on my husband and even on myself. Blogging is a great outlet for me. While I realize that we generally don't put all our emotionally difficult trials out on public display for the world to see, those trials are a huge part of who we are. You are bound to see more of my struggles laid naked to the world in the ensuing months. That's not to say that I'll be poring my heart out, sharing my most intimate thoughts or airing the proverbial skeletons in my closet. I just plan on getting a bit more 'real' with my posts. I have a feeling life is about to get a little bumpy as we transition back to life in the States!

Out of Order Blogging

2010-08-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

I've been know to be a bit feather brained at times..... a bit harried, even a bit of an airhead, depending on the day and situation (I SWEAR having babies destroys brain cells!). So, here's a little out of order blogging.

We spent a week (in July) in Mississippi with my brother and his beautiful wife, Rebecca. They have 4 gorgeous kiddos, little Erne -age 9, Nigel -age 7, Emmaline -age 6, and Max -age 2. Just like Rebecca and I were best friends in college and have been inseparable ever since, the Cannon cousins and the Smith cousins were a tight bunch of kids the whole week.

The week was filled with trips to the library, Happy Hour at Sonic, riding bikes around the neighborhood, watching movies ordered from Netflix (this was new to my kids) and most widely enjoyed: swimming at the neighborhood pool. We have swum in years past with the Smith clan, but this year was the most enjoyable by far because 6 out of the 7 cousins can swim now. We spent almost every day swimming, sunning and snacking poolside.

Max was looking tre chic in his goggles, floaties and life vest. He was feeling CONFIDENT!

Here's a karate kick from Cooper!

Nigel, chilling poolside.

These girls were in hot pursuit of this neighborhood boy riding a yellow whale.

Aunt Rebecca, sporting her UGA hat and sunglasses. Looking good!

To say that the week was 100% relaxing would be misleading, to put it mildly. With 7 kids in the house, all 9 years old or younger, we had our hands full. There were varied altercations between cousins every now and then. Mealtimes were not necessarily quiet. Getting everyone loaded up to go anywhere was a chore and a half! But the end result was well worth the effort. What a fun bonding week for the cousins and parents alike! Big Ernie and I got to go on a brother sister 'date' and enjoyed an evening of sushi and a 'tour' of Hattiesburg. Rebecca and I tried our hand at a girls night out, only to find that the movie we wanted to see was sold out. So, without missing a beat we detoured to Chili's (my favorite restaurant) where we shared Skillet Queso and dessert. Yummy! Of course, we gabbed and gabbed (but when do we not?)!

Lee flew into Gulf Port, MS towards the end of the trip. The next day Rebecca took us to Ernie's plant and Lee and I got to tour the factory. Unfortunately Ernie was out of town on business :-(, but he arranged for a foreman to give us a tour. I had no idea that my brother had such an amazing job! So much responsibility and so much to manage! Wow! I was blown away and MEGA impressed.

I just wish that I had taken more pictures of the cousins playing together. Thanks for a great week Ernie and Rebecca! We love you guys!

Falling Off the Wagon

2010-07-31T05:15:00.000-07:00

I've been doing so good.... I vowed that I wouldn't go crazy this summer eating all the wonderful rich American food that I love so much. I've done pretty well so far. I've maintained some semblance of order, exercising at least 3 times a week. I'm sure one day of freedom won't destroy me for life, but if any one day was my day to splurge, yesterday was it. I started the day with Krispy Kreme Donuts.... my absolute favorite ever. I drove 15 minutes each way just to get to the shop and proceeded to eat 3 on the car ride home. YUMMY!!! I rationalized telling myself that I would have a very healthy lunch FOR SURE. Then, hanging out at the pool while Lee golfed, I overheard a group of families discussing plans to order pizza for lunch. I decided that would be a perfect solution for our lunch needs. So, away I went with 3 pieces of pizza. Where did my self control go? It was perfectly lovely, eating perfectly delicious pizza in my swimsuit, lounging in the sun. OK, strike two. Dinner time rolls around and we decide to treat the kids to Olive Garden because they have been asking since we arrived in the US 5 weeks ago. Can ANYONE eat healthy at Olive Garden? Those breadsticks are to die for, the fettucini alfredo is my all time favorite at Olive Garden.... Steee rike 3!!!! But it was one delicious day, though. :-) Oddly enough, I feel no guilt whatsoever.

Blue Skies; Lazy Drifting; Ocean Breeze Dreaming

2010-07-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

We spent two days digging trenches and building castles.

The kids were digging "their rooms", as in a bedroom for each of them.

They somehow hoped to fill the trenches with water and got so frustrated when the water disappeared!

I spent HOURS building these two sand castles and in the end, they weren't nearly as impressive as I thought they should be!

In the end we had to fill in all the trenches because the sea turtles were nesting and it was dangerous to them to leave any holes of any sort.

Go To Your Happy Place

2010-07-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

After what felt like an eternity of house hunting in Tampa, it would be putting it mildly to say that we needed a break from reality. A 12 hour drive from Hattiesburg to Tampa with our three kids was only the beginning for both children and adults alike getting sick of being in the car. Day #2 was spent driving around Tampa to get a feel for the area. It began with 2 hours in a clinic for Ally's swimmer's ear infection and ended with a tired crew of kids, tired of being in the car with absolutely no destination. Day #3 was spent with a realtor who, although touted that being born and raised in Tampa (she was in her early 50's) couldn't even give us directions to her house! We spent an hour waiting for her to map out our day's search and that was just the beginning of our ill fortune with Donna. Day #4 was Sunday, so we went to church and then visited model homes, putting the kids through yet another grueling day of boring grown up stuff, where they weren't allowed to yell, run, play or relax. By the end of our sojourn in Tampa, the grown ups were equally exhausted and frustrated. On Day #5, we loaded up the car (no small feat) and were off to Ft. Myers Beach for a week of fun and sun.

I think I speak for our entire family when I say we were in great need of a get away. Having just received the news only 2 weeks prior that we were being transferred from Shanghai to Tampa, we were all feeling the stress and worry associated with making such a big transition with only one month's notice.

We arrived around 4 PM, tired, disheveled and somewhat irritated with one another. It was with a huge sigh of relief that we greeted our vacation house.

We rented the upstairs of the 'Glass House' and were thankful that there were no tenants on the bottom floor during our week stay. Here's the view from our patio:

The house is located on a little island called Little Hickory Island. It is one of many in a string of islands running parallel the west coast of Florida. Because it is a little out of the way, it allows for quiet and uncrowded beaches.

Our neighbors to the right were quite interesting to observe. After 2 or 3 days of trying to figure out this family, we finally talked to them, learning that they meet at the beach every year as a family. Because each child is grown with families of their own, they spend a week at the beach, coming and going as their schedules allow. At any given point there were 8-14 people at the house, speaking a medley of Spanish and English, tinged with Cuban and Ecuadorian accents. Ally asked one day "Mom, just how many people ARE there in that house?"

We spent the week sunning:

Swimming:

Playing in the sand:

And even found time to fit some good old fashioned grilling into the mix:

Where the kids and I found relaxation and our slice of paradise on the beach, Lee found his quiet joy on the golf course. When I met Lee, his passion outside of work was golf. Year by year, he slowly relinquished his free time (bit by bit) to raising children, meeting the demands of his wife and keeping up with the house, lawn and the Jones' in an exhausting effort to maintain an equilibrium. Happily, dad was able to get back to the basics by spending a couple of afternoons hitting a little white ball around a really well manicured field! Yeah Dad!

We live in a world filled with distractions. The world our children are growing up in is vastly different than the one we remember. When I was a child it was safe to roam the neighborhood unsupervised for hours. My mom could leave me in the car while she ran into the grocery store. It was safe for me to stay home alone. In our modern and technologically advanced world even the precious innocence of childhood is no longer sacred and we must protect their virtue with a vicious vigilance. So with utmost sincerity I say: Cling to your families, cling to their innocence. Cherish the time you spend with them. As a family, find your happy place and savor everything that makes that place special. Our next step is to take our home, wherever it may be, and ensure that it is our Happy Place.

House Hunting Part I

2010-07-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

It's no secret, it's no surprise;

house hunting sucks, no matter what disguise!

Ok, no more silly little rhymes. It's been 4 years since we last bought a house and I forgot just how frustrating it can be. A few things have changed in the last 4 years which are making buying a house more complicated for us. Most importantly, 4 years ago Lee and I were younger, immature/inexperienced and even just a little greedy. Our previous home purchases (before Texas) had been much smaller and affordable. When we moved to Texas we thought we could afford the moon... if it came with a 30 year mortgage! I guess we just fit in with the rest of the US, thinking we could buy anything and everything on credit. We qualified for the loan, so of course we should be able to afford it, right??? After 2 years in Houston, living in my house of dreams complete with 3200 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3 and a half baths, hardwood floors lush tropical landscaping and a pool in the backyard, I can honestly say that we felt like we were drowning. Who knew that life could be so expensive? Who knew that taxes, insurance, gymnastics, electric bills, a rise in gasoline costs, and life in general would eat us alive? I am sure an older and more mature and wise couple would have known, but were certainly not at that place. There are some lessons you can't learn by taking other's advice. There are some lessons that are only learned through experience.

So, that brings us to the here and now. Here we are, after spending two years living abroad... After two years living in someone else's house, living with furniture that's not mine... ok, let's be frank - After living with Chinese built crap that doesn't work I am sufficiently humbled and thankful for American quality workmanship. Now, I must digress just for a moment (this is MY blog, after all!). I've spent two years living with plumbing that allows for only ONE person at a time to use the water. If Dad's taking a shower you'd better NOT use the sink in the kitchen. Don't do laundry. Don't flush the toilet even though it's a whole floor away from the shower! The rent for our house was $3000/month... that's US $$$$ (thank you ABS for paying that absurd rent!). You'd think that for that kind of money, you'd be living the high life! Instead, our ceiling in at least 2 rooms had sections that were sagging and threatened to fall at any moment. Doors that don't lock, sliding glass doors held together with drywall screws... Ok, there's my digression for you. After the last two years, I am sufficiently humbled. (Isn't that a humble enough statement for you?)

So what's the point of my rambling? Does anyone even care if I am going anywhere with all this nonsense?(Remember you are Following At Your Own Risk here) The point is, Lee and I agreed that we are content to own or rent a smaller, less expensive home if that's what it takes to live comfortably. We'd rather have money to go on a date once a week, to pay for gymnastics, to buy a few extras, not freak out over the cost of ordering a pizza every now and then. Having said that I'd like to use the time old phrase "Better said than done"!!!

We set a budget for a house and promised to stick to that budget no matter what. But what we didn't know was what that budget would buy us. Back in 2000 when we built our first house in Navarre, FL we paid $125,000 for a custom built house. It's been 10 years, so we figured that a budget of $200K would be sufficient.

We found out a few things about ourselves as we dove into the housing market of Tampa, Fl. First, I found out that I am a lot pickier than I thought I was. Here's what I don't want:

A neighborhood with 2-4 cars parked at each house spilling out of the driveway onto the street.
A neighborhood where you can shake hands with your neighbor through your bedroom windows.
A neighborhood where all the trees have been clear cut.
A house with wood rot from stem to stern.
1 hour commute time for Lee.
C, D or F rated elementary schools.
30 year old homes that are falling apart.
A tract home built with the cheapest materials possible.
Man made ponds shaped like squares.

I've always known Lee and I have very different opinions about life, but I didn't know just how different they were until we started house hunting again.

What he wants:

Land/acreage.
A farm-ette.
A detached garage with mother in law suite.
A historical home built in the early 1900's in the historical district.

What that translates to for me:

No neighborhood friends for the kids.
No cul de sacs for the kids to ride bikes in.
No close neighbors... me spending my days alone, with no one to talk to.
Animals to care for.
Lots and lots of daily chores.
No friends for the kids means my children will follow me from room to room with little to no breathing space (the only situation in which I feel claustrophobic).

What I want:

A neighborhood with lots of children.
A community center with a large pool and play sets, gym facilities, etc.
A pool in the backyard.
Neighbors in the same socio-economic bracket.
A well manicured lawn.
Potential to make friends with my neighbors... or at least interact every now and then with another human being.

What that means for Lee:

Lots and lots of neighborhood covenants which will not allow for large machinery left in the driveway.
Covenants that will also not allow for ongoing generator testing (generators are LOUD!)
No room to tinker and experiment uninhibited.
No opportunity to engage in his favorite hobbies.
No farm animals.
Life in Suburbia.

So, how do we reconcile our Needs/Wants and Opinions? We've searched the web until there is nothing left to search. There are no leaves unturned, there are no corners unexplored. What to do, what to do? We are at a loss. We lay in bed at night discussing the pros and cons of each lifestyle.

I grew up with horses and LOVED it. Anyone who knows me knows that I've always wanted horses again. Now that the prospect is here staring me in the face, all I can think is: How much will horses cost? You can't just have one, because riding alone is boring. How much land do you need for 4 horses? Who is going to feed those horses every day, twice a day? How much will land maintenance cost? We'd have to live in the middle of nowhere! How do we go on vacation with a little farm to care for?

We've discovered that we really won't be happy settling for less. We really aren't as humble as we thought we were. There are more 'un-negotiables' than we thought. In a nutshell we thought we were willing to settle for less....but are we really?

Are we really, really willing to settle for less?

Cousin Party 2010

2010-07-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

OK, I must preface this posting by saying that I am 2 weeks late in reporting. I've gotten seriously behind in my blogging and am playing catch up.

Every year we, the Smith family clan, convene at the Clan Chieftain's Castle (aka Grandma and Pappou's house) for an all out cousin party. Parties in the past have consisted of parents dropping off their kids and running as fast as they can for the hills.... Technically, we've taken shelter in Uncle Brandon's family owned lake house, near Milledgeville, GA. For two years running, all cousins 3 years old and younger went with the parents to the lake house while the rest stayed at grandma and pappou's house and ran amuck. Past cousin parties have included candy necklaces, personalized with each cousin's name and worn to signify full rights and privileges to the candy drawer in between meals. This candy drawer contained a bag of each grandchild's favorite candy and was open for perusal as long as meals were eaten. We parents observed in wonder as the grandparents set rules and managed 6 grandchildren 8 years old and under. To say things got wild and crazy would be putting it mildly, at best. Each cousin party would conclude with relaxed and refreshed parents, candy crazed children and grandparents who very well might have fallen dead from exhaustion.

This year, with 7 eligible grandchildren ages 9 and under, the Smith Clan decided to alter cousin party parameters, including all grandchildren (9 total) and including the involvement of the parents. The candy drawer practice was abolished (whew!) and activities ranged from horseback riding to movie watching in the basement to swimming at the neighborhood pool.

I couldn't resist putting this one in of my nephew Max. He was trying so hard to be dramatic and pitch a fit, when in reality, all he succeeded in doing was looking cute!

I'm going to be selfish here and not post pictures of each cousin.... sorry everyone! Needless to say, horseback riding was a complete success on all accounts. Even the littlest of cousins got a turn on the horse (OK, so one more picture of horses after all!)

Other wild and crazy activities included such things as Dinner Time, which sounds simple enough, but when you have 9 cousins all 9 years old or younger, believe you me it is both WILD and CRAZY.

After two crazy and harried days of fixing breakfast, lunch and dinner for this bunch of hooligans, we decided to serve cafeteria style, rather than attempting to have a family style meal. We set up an assembly line on the counter, filling 9 plates (custom ordered, of course) and calling the children one by one to the counter to "order" their food. Whew, it was exhausting!

I think pool time was both my favorite and least favorite activity. I love swimming, love sunning and love being at the pool. However, trying to keep eyes on 9 kids at one time was more challenging than one might think! Here are some fun shots from pool time:

The kids all LOVED this daredevil slide that is new to the neighborhood pool. I gave it a whirl too and it is pretty fun.

Pappou was man of the hour at the pool. The kids LOVED all the attention from their pappou.

Another favorite activity was the birthday party. Grandma hosted a birthday party to celebrate the birthdays of all the children because we are not together for birthdays. She let all 9 kids participate in making the cake from scratch and even helped each child write his/her name in frosting on the cake.

Kudos to Grandma for the patience of Job while managing this activity!

My lens was dirty, so the picture came out fuzzy - sorry! Grandma and Pappou gave each child 'birthday' $$$ to spend at Wal-Mart and we spent the better part of an hour allowing the kids to spend their cash. You'd be amazed at just how careful and choosy a kid is when they are spending their own money!

It was an amazing week. Although crazy and stressful, it was also wonderful. We loved having Grandma & Pappou, Ernie & Rebecca & co., Little Steve, Libby & Brandon & co. and me and my kids all under one roof. It was great to wake up each morning to smiling faces, breakfast pandemonium, Grandma and Pappou hosted fruit parties on Pappou's bed, trips to the park, swimming, grabbing Zaxby's for 10 people, hot afternoons where Uncle Ernie made Harry Potter wands for all 9 cousins out of tree branches using his pocket knife... we can't forget the many twice a day Sonic runs for Aunt Kitty (Large Diet coke, easy vanilla please), kids in swimsuits playing in the sprinkler, Braswell and his fluffles - OK, he calls it his Baebeeeee.

We got to see old friends...

And watch the talented Uncle Ernie entertain kids:

We were thankful that Grandma and Pappou opened their house so that we could make memories and share love.

Next year Cousin Party 2011 will be a little different. With grandchild #10 (Go Libby, Go!) on the way, one house just isn't big enough to hold all the love and excitement and wonder of 10 grandkids, two grandparents and 8 parents. So, it is with a heavy heart that we bid Cousin Party 2010 farewell and adieu. Hugs, kisses and Sonic Drinks to all those we love in the Smith Clan. See you next year!

Travelling the Big Blue

2010-07-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

Every year we journey across the pacific enduring 14 grueling hours of flying followed by hours of layovers with three kids in an airport; we brave customs and the Atlanta airport (which is no small feat) to come home to Georgia to visit family and friends. This year's pilgrimage began much the same, with the exception that we flew Air Canada to save quite a bit of money. Note to self: NEVER fly Air Canada to save some $$$. A full 5 days BEFORE the flight, somehow the airlines knew that the flight would be delayed by 4 hours, but still couldn't manage to rectify the situation. At least I was forewarned and didn't show up to the airport 4 hours too early! What this delay meant for us was that we missed our connecting flight in Toronto and had to spend the night in a hotel. Imagine 14 hours on a flight with 3 kids (did I mention that Lee didn't travel with us?) where they, blessedly, slept for most of the flight. This is followed by customs, the collecting of luggage and navigating a new airport with three kids in tow and then catching the shuttle to the hotel (again, not small feat!) at 11 pm. Then imagine getting to the hotel room at 12 am with kids whose bodies don't think it's time to sleep! For us it was time for lunch, not time to sleep. So, I did the only sane and rational thing that a mother could do and gave each child 1/3 of a tylenol PM, told them a Pipi Longstocking story to settle them in and we all enjoyed 3 hours of sleep. I should not fail to mention that I resorted to the Tylenol PM only after 2 hours of trying to manage them in the cramped hotel room, jumping from bed to bed.

For some reason, I held the deranged idea that the following morning's flight would actually be on-time. Silly Kitty, Trix are For Major Airlines!! Due to 'weather' in the originating city, our flight was delayed by three hours. This time we had no warning. We were sat helplessly watching as the flight continued to get later and later.

Luckily, we made friends at the airport, like we so often do, with a great guy named Chris. You know how your mom always told you "Don't judge a book by it's cover"? Well, Chris looked like a mean burly biker dude, but turned out to be a soft and cuddly tatted up biker dude.

He passed the time coloring carebears with the kids, taking Cooper to buy candy and eating pizza with us. The time passed a lot faster with a friend to hang out with.

We also made friends with a Chinese American family travelling from Shanghai to Chicago, where they live. As the mother was also travelling alone with small children, we had a lot to talk about. Her two girls were about the same ages as our kids and they got along really well. I was thankful for the added company as well as the insight I gained from chatting with the mother.

Thankfully, our flight from Toronto to Atlanta was relatively painless. We did have to wait for the aircraft to be refueled after we boarded. Getting to Atlanta was such a relief after 36 hours of travelling! Grandma and Pappou were happy to see us. They had patiently waited at the airport for 3 hours due to the delays that weren't announced until AFTER they had left their house!

Whew! With our luggage in tow, we made the one hour journey from the airport home, enjoying a stop at Sonic along the way for dinner.

Deer in the Suburbs

2010-06-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

Our first morning at my parents house, in Suwanee, Ga (NE Atlanta) we had a wonderful treat. I walked out onto the deck while I was talking to Lee on the phone and got the sweetest little surprise. My parents deck is about 10 ft off the ground and as I stood at the railing, I looked down to see a teeny tiny little baby deer curled up in a little circle, sleeping. I called the children out to see her and before I could get back with a camera my dad (the biggest kid of them all) was down petting her, which (of course) was an open invitation for the kids to follow suit.

Of course, I'm really no better than the kids. I was so taken with her that I scooped her up for a closer snuggle.

I told Lee that I wanted to keep her. He asked "What would you do with a pet deer?" "I don't know," I replied "But I still want to keep her!"

We called the Chattahoochee Nature Reserve and asked them what we should do. They said this was their third call of the morning (8:30 am) already! They said that mamma deer usually leave their babies for several hours at a time. They said that based on the fact that she let us touch her, she was probably 5 days old or less! day They also said the mamma probably felt that our yard was a safe place. So, they instructed us to wipe her down with a damp cloth to remove our scent and to leave her alone, that the mamma would return. She was so so sweet. Her little hooves were still a little soft and her knees were wobbly. When she first stood up I was sure she was going to topple right over.

When we finally managed to tear ourselves away from her, she actually tried to follow us up the stairs!

I couldn't stop taking pictures. She was such a beautiful miracle, living proof of our Father in Heaven's love for us. It was the perfect start to our vacation. The only thing that was missing was our Dad!

I Think It Was Worth The Pain

2010-06-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

Two posts ago I reported on Cooper's painful biting experience with his cute little friend, Yi Hung (pronounced YEE HUNG).

Yi Hung's sweet momma brought us some lovely fruit, which was delicious.

I thought that the fruit gifting was the end of the biting incident. Really, kids are kids. Stuff happens. Kids move on... I'm pretty laid back and hold no grudges. Yi Hung is way too cute to dislike :). Today I came home from a day out on the town with the kids to discover that the biting incident was far from over. Much to my amazement and embarrassment, Yi Hung's parents had delivered the following reconciliatory gift:

Seriously? Beautiful little toy laptop that teaches English and Chinese. I can't imagine how much it cost; it even has a mouse that plugs in and a stylus. Wow! I immediately asked our housekeeper what the proper etiquette would be. How should I respond to such a gift? What is the proper Chinese custom? Her response was "Nothing, they have a lot of money. They own several houses. Don't do anything." Of course, my proper (achemm) Southern upbringing would not allow for such non-response. I immediately did what any self-respecting Southern woman would do in such a similar situation. Three hours later we delivered homemade crescent rolls with homemade strawberry jam delicately wrapped in pink fabric, then placed in a little basket. I hope it conveys the message that we still love little Yi Hung :). We are learning new things everyday!

On a side note, I learned today that if you invite guests to sleep at your house, and if you offer them your bed to sleep in, the guests MUST leave money after spending the night. This money (if I understood correctly) is to welcome in good luck and good fortune to the home. Interesting! My housekeeper and our neighbor's housekeeper gave me this cultural lesson this afternoon, while we were waiting for the bread to rise. We love our housekeeper, Ying, and while I won't claim to dislike all the wonderful cooking and cleaning she does, we mostly keep her around for all the amazing Mandarin she teaches us and for the cultural insights that I could never get on my own.

Bathtime Fun - Cannon Style!

2010-06-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Not too much to tell about today. Eve and I went to the hospital to have her eyes tested. We had to put drops in her eyes at home to dilate them and then went in to have it checked. As it turns out, she is borderline for needing glasses. So, we'll check back in three months to see how her eyes are.

We then picked up Ally and Cooper from home and went out to do some Father's Day shopping at the Fake Market. We picked out lots of fun gifts for dad and some awesome gifts for friends and family. We had lots of fun! The rest of our day was pretty uneventful. :) That's not a bad thing, necessarily.

To get Cooper off the computer (he's obsessed) I bribed him with a bath. Eve decided to jump in after I sent her in to check on him. Here's what I found after she never came back:

No wonder she went in and never came out! (I should mention that I did NOT put any bubble bath in the tub. The little sneaky sneak used shampoo!)

Just a few minutes later, I answered a quiet knocking on our front door. Our sweet neighbor (the mother of Cooper's little biting friend) brought over some fruit for us to try. I didn't quite understand everything she said, but I think it was a friendly gesture to compensate for yesterday's biting incident.

I'm not sure what they are called, but they taste a lot like blackberries. They have a small pit in the center and taste great with sugar and cream (yes, we immediately westernized it!).

Yummy!

Just a Normal Wednesday

2010-06-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

Today was a nice quiet Wednesday. Today was Dragon Festival Day and almost all of China took a day off for holiday.... except Lee, of course. That poor man had to go to work when almost everyone else was sleeping in and relaxing! Here are a few things that we did today:

Decluttered Ally's Room (No small task) Here's the trash from her room.

Decluttered Eve's Room (Remarkably easier) This is a considerably smaller amount of trash, although it's hard to tell.
Went out to lunch with dad, who managed to get off work by lunch time!
Took the electric scooter to the little repair shop, where we got a new tire and inner tube installed for $11.
Took the car into the repair shop, where we got a new tire. Not nearly as cheap!

Dad relaxed in the office.
Dad got a nap.
Mom worked on her blog.
Kids played on the computer and roller bladed all over the house.

Cooper's little friend next door bit him. Sadly, that is NOT lipstick!
Mom made dinner.
Kids did dishes.
I'm still sick, so Diet Coke is off my menu.... so let's add a headache to the list!

It was a good day.

What Happens When Mom's Sick For A Week

2010-06-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

My kids are such troopers. School got out on Thursday, June 10th and, of course, that's the day that I got sick. They have been so patient and so wonderful about helping me rest and taking good care of their mom. It can get kind of boring, hanging around the house all day with a sick mom. My kiddos made their own lunches, or got Ying to help where necessary. They entertained themselves Saturday. When I finally dragged myself downstairs to catch a taxi to the doctor (Lee had to work), I found tents made of blankets and sheets scattered about the house. I smiled at the kids and was so happy they could take care of themselves more or less.

Cooper was given a pair of hand me down roller blades (we love seconds!). He just recently became OBSESSED with his new skates. Given that our house is wall to wall marble and wood floor, the kids have a pretty good route for skating and riding scooters and wave boards. Here are a few fun pictures of what happens when mom is sick for a week!

The kids' computer is in the kitchen, so we can monitor what's going on. You can't see it very well, but all three are on the computer and at least two of them are wearing roller blades.

Eve had the grand idea to take some bubble wrap they had discovered early and put it on the ground to skate over. Three sets of roller blades make quite a ruckus flying over bubble wrap! I couldn't get a great shot of Ally and Eve because they were going too fast!

What could be better than roller blades in the house AND bubble wrap? Add in a noodle for extra whacking power!

Gastroenteritis

2010-06-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

Day 1 Thursday

6:25: Woke up, got my kiddos ready for their triumphant last day of school. Took Cooper to school, went to the gym where I attempted to work out. Only 5 minutes into the stationary bike I couldn't figure out why I was so tired. I switched to weights and some light yoga.

10:30 Arrived at the kids school, hung out for an hour and watch the end of school festivities.We drove back into town (school is 30 minutes out on the outskirts of Shanghai) and had lunch at Subway.

12:30 Arrived home, where I crawled into bed, feeling tired but still not knowing why. Lee called and we argued on the phone about the most trivial matter. I didn't realize until later that I was sick, which makes me cranky and unreasonable.

1:30: Crawled out of bed with chills and a fever. Insisted on getting everyone's opinion on whether or not I was hot. Crawled back into bed, insisting that even if they didn't think I had a fever, I knew I did!

3:30: Woke up covered in sweat, ran to the bathroom. Hershey Squirts!!!!
The rest of day 1 was a big repeat of the last two time entries... You know how when you have a fever, everyone has to know you are sick and agree that you are burning up... Ok, maybe everyone isn't like that, maybe I am just a sucker for attention!

Day 2 Friday

8:30: Woke up thinking Thursday was just an off day. Breakfast went down ok, but didn't taste right...

9:30: Eve, Cooper and I met at Tracey Butters house. She was kind enough to go with us to the Children's Hospital to teach us how to navigate the maze of socialized medicine in China. Eve needs glasses, so we went to see the opthamalogist. I was very thankful for Tracey's help. She had to leave about halfway through, but we managed to figure it all out.

11:00: Returned home, feeling tired and still not great. Hershey Squirts persisted. I was thankful when Ying showed up at noon to take over the shift. I spent the rest of the day in bed, painful gas, yucky fever, achy body. NOT GOOD!

Day 3 Saturday

Lee had to work. I was grumpy and still feeling awful. Diarrhea for 3 days in a row was getting old! Fever for three days, COME ON!!! I finally decided it was time to go to the doctor. I called the clinic and much to my dismay, found that Dr. Annie Jiao was the only doctor with available appointments. Surprise, surprise. Disappointed, I told the receptionist I would rather lay in my sick bed for one more day than waste a trip to the doctor if Annie Jiao was the only doctor available. Much to my surprise (Chinese don't do sarcasm) she actually laughed. Apparently I'm not the only one that thinks so highly of Dr. Jiao's abilities.

11:00: I ordered pizza for lunch. There was no way I was spending a minute on food preparation.

11:30: I called the doctor's office back, deciding that even Dr. Jiao was better than nothing. Happily, they had cancellations and I was able to see a better doctor. Lee came home from work to watch the kids and help at home.

2:30: Dr. Sally Harris examined me, deciding on gastroenteritis as my affliction. She also told me I was dehydrated and told me to drink 3 bottles of Gatorade before going to bed that night. I returned home, feeling validated, with such a fancy name for my illness, I must need and deserve lots of sympathy, right? So, Lee asks "What exactly is gastroenteritis?"... not really knowing what my very serious and complicated diagnosis actually meant, I looked it up. Uuuummmmmmm "Stomach Flu" was my uncomplicated, very basic and not so serious sounding answer.Didn't make me feel any less pathetic, just less entitled! I sent my little errand girls to the corner store, which is only a few minutes walk from our house, for Gatorade.

5:00: Two bottles of Gatorade later, my dizziness was gone, my painful joints no longer hurt, the pain in my back had disappeared and I actually came downstairs to visit with my kids for the first time in three days. Why hadn't I thought of Gatorade as a solution to my problems? Dehydration? Are you kidding me? $.75 later (drinks are dirt cheap here) I was (comparatively speaking) feeling like a million bucks.

7:30: Lee came home from taking the kids out to their favorite restaurant and I was actually ready to spend time with my kiddos. Wohoo for me! :)

What have I learned? Diet Coke, although by best friend in almost any situation, is not a good companion when you are sick. Staying hydrated makes all the difference in the world. Now if I can just get rid of the runs! Ha!

Confessions of a Slacker Mom

2010-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I triumphantly declared our new and amazing scripture study and FHE habits. I proudly touted that Me and My Family were living righteously, following the light, standing tall.

I stand here today to admit before my beloved friends and family that I, Kitty Cannon, have fallen off the wagon. When did it happen, where did I go wrong? How could I stray so far from the straight and narrow? Where is my Iron Rod and why have I not held tightly to it? Oh, the woes of a fallen women.

As I sit before my computer, listening not to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but to the worldly strains of U2, I vow to do better. I commit to overcome and rejoin the flock. I WILL rededicate myself to my calling of mother and teacher. I WILL SURVIVE!!! (wait, that's not quite right is it?) :)

We are gonna pick ourselves up from the dusty ground upon which we've fallen and we are gonna make our way through the mists of darkness and start reading our scriptures again! We ARE going to have Family Home Evening this week!

Stay tuned for more from The Trials and Tribulations of a Fallen Mormon Mom.

NanjingMan 2010

2010-06-03T02:55:00.000-07:00

Friday May 28, 2010 dawned just like any other day. My day was filled with Yoga, a trip to the kids' school and 5 trips to different sporting goods stores to gather supplies for Sunday's race. I was feeling a bit anxious, to say the least.

1:00 pm

Lee called at 1:00 to say that he had to work Saturday and wouldn't be riding the bus with me to Nanjing. I felt my blood pressure rising, rising rising. I couldn't seem to get my head around going to Nanjing for my long awaited race without Lee there by my side. I was so stressed I could think of nothing else. Our good friend Bryant helped me out by purchasing a train ticket for Lee. Whew! Suddenly I could manage my life again, knowing that Lee would be there by my side for my race.

Friday evening Lee and I packed our bags, checked our equipment and rechecked our supplies. We then headed out for an evening of relaxing, with dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant followed by foot massages with our friends, Bryant and Elizabeth. Since Bryant is the one who talked me into doing a triathlon, I subjected him to all sorts of last minute questions about the race. I am sure I was driving him crazy by the end of the hour.

Saturday 6:00 am

Even though I didn't have to leave the house until 10:00 am to meet the chartered bus to Nanjing, I woke up bright and early at 6:00 am, full of anticipation. At 8:00 am I kissed Lee goodbye as he left for work, knowing I would meet him later that night in Nanjing. It sounds so simple to meet someone at a designated place, but in reality, when you've never been to that place and it's in a foreign country, it's a little nerve racking. At 10:00 am I got into the car and drove to Bryant and Elizabeth's house, where we packed the bus with all our equipment, bikes, gear etc. I was still feeling nervous because I rarely travel without Lee. He's my caretaker, my organizer. He's the one who makes the reservations and books the airline tickets. He's the one who checks us in at the hotel, hails a cab and makes sure we all get where we are supposed to be. I didn't like not having him there with me.

By noon we had reached our second pick up point, where the majority of the other folks were waiting to be picked up by the bus. I looked out the window as we pulled up to see a group of very athletic, very fit and very prepared looking people. Talk about some fancy bikes! Whew! I felt a bit intimidated to say the least. We finally hit the road for our 3 hour bus ride to Nanjing. Everyone was pretty subdued along the way. I had a lot of time to worry about the following day's race.

We got to Nanjing later than expected and got a bit turned around. By the time we sorted things out, checked into our hotel rooms and got back on the bus, we were pretty late for our orientation dinner. We got there just in time to get some chow and sit down for our orientation. I was feeling pretty calm at this point... that is until they started to go through the bike route. It was very confusing. They used PowerPoint slides to go through each intersection, telling us turn by turn how to navigate the course. I was sure by the end of the slides that I would never make it through the course. Talk about feeling nervous again!

10:00 pm

We didn't get back to our hotel until 10:00 pm, where we agreed to meet again in the lobby at 5:20 am for the race. We still had to go upstairs and put our bikes together. Lee had (mercifully) managed to meet us along our bus route from the dinner to the hotel and I was so happy to have him with me again. We proceeded to put together my bike, Lee's bike and two other participant's bikes before falling into bed at 11 pm. Although Lee didn't do the triathlon, he brought his bike so he could get around the course and around town.

Race Day, 4:54 am.

I woke up with a start and realized that I had not set my alarm clock right. Lee and I were due downstairs in 26 minutes. I knew at that point that my day would not slow down even for a minute until the race was over. Lee and I hustled to get dressed and get all our gear downstairs so that we wouldn't get left behind. Bryant came down to the lobby just shortly after we did and it was obvious that his morning wasn't going so well. His pedals were mounted wrong! So Lee and I sent the rest of the group on without us and stayed behind to help Bryant with his pedals. I was, again, very thankful to have Lee with me. Not only did he assemble 4 bikes the night before, but without his help Bryant may not have been able to race. It took quite a while to get the pedals sorted out. Bryant (who is fluent in Mandarin) very resourcefully approached a little van which was stopped at a stop light and offered him a small sum of money to take us and our bikes to the race. Whew! We crammed our bikes and our bodies in and off we went.

6:25 am.

We finally arrived at the lake, where we would complete our 1/2 mile swim. I was amazed to find that the lake was very well populated by older Chinese men and women, who were out for a morning swim.

We set up our bikes and our gear to transition after the swim. It was really fun to see everyone getting ready. This was my first race of any kind and I really enjoyed watching everyone stretching, talking and getting ready.

Here we are testing the water. I'm wearing black bike shorts and a black sports bra, standing in front of the two guys not yet in the water (on the stairs).

This guy cracked us up in his underwear! He was NOT a participant!

7:15 am

There were about 100 of us participating, more or less. I'm not a very fast swimmer and this was my very first open water swim, so I opted to hang out at the back of the group rather than get trampled in the mad dash. The whistle blew and off we went!

Lee was my hero. He took some amazing pictures and worked the whole race long to capture the event for me. I was so surprised later to see just how dedicated he was to documenting the race. Here's a shot of me doing the breast stroke.

Although I had trained for months in the swimming pool, nothing could prepare me for swimming in a cold lake with 100 other people at 7:00 in the morning. The water was very dark and very murky. In the initial scramble to get started, I felt a little panicky and crowded. I remembered everything I had read about open water swims and took a minute to clear my head and start again. Although I had practiced and practiced and practiced my freestyle stroke, I ended up doing the breast stroke almost the entire swim. I couldn't seem to get my groove on and everytime I started freestyle again I got out of breath and tired. 21 minutes later I thankfully got out of the water and made my way to my first transition.

At the first transition I dried off my feet and put on my running shoes. We had to run one kilometer from the lake to our bikes and along the way I stopped for a potty break. I knew I had 2 hours left of the race, and lets just face it - I can't hold it that long!

Lee thought it was hilarious that I had to pee during my race and couldn't resist the opportunity to document the event. My honey ran the one kilometer with me to the bike transition, with his camera around his neck!

I chatted with the women next to me as we both got ready to hit the road. She told me that she had come in last the year before. I was so impressed to see her at it again, excited and ready to have a great time.

7:45 am

Getting out on the road was a little scary. The swim course was very well set out. There were huge inflated buoys in the water marking the route and everyone was in the water swimming and easy to see and follow. By the time I go to the bike transition, almost everyone had left already. There was no one to follow and no signs indicating the way. I felt nervous setting out on my own. Lee wished me good luck and I started pedaling.

The course was so beautiful! I felt like I was in the middle of a national park. I quickly came upon a volunteer who directed me to the first turn. I was thankful she was there to show me the way. Soon enough I encountered more and more riders. I was thankful for the company. Shanghai is very, very flat. I had been training for months with no hills whatsoever. Nanjing is NOT FLAT! At the first major hill I thought I would have to get out and push my bike. I passed a girl walking and decided that I wasn't getting off my bike unless I had a flat tire. After overcoming the first hill I regained my composure and just kept pedaling. Bryant passed me going the other direction. He had made it to the turn around point and halfway back before I had even gone 1/3 of the bike route! I enjoyed seeing his familiar face as he raced past me. Man he was fast!

One of my biggest fears before the race was that I would get a flat tire and not be able to finish the race. I went to 4 different stores to get what I needed before the race to be prepared. At almost the halfway point I passed a poor rider who had a flat and didn't have the tools he needed. I was grateful to be prepared.

While I was busy tackling hills, Lee was busy finding just the right spot to camp out and take pictures. He found a great corner with a clean dry drainage canal to sit in. Here's a beautiful view that he captured:

During my ride I was passed by and also passed a group of 13 year old boys with their fathers. I loved seeing them in action. We rode together off and on for about 25 minutes or so. These awesome dads stuck with their boys for the entire race. I was really impressed with them. They were German and it was fun to listen to them with their boys. At the halfway point of the ride, I pulled out my energy gel to give me a boost. I watched the dads handing their boys muffins and bread to give them energy to finish the ride.

I came flying down the road and was really happy to see Lee sitting in his spot, smiling at me with his camera as I came past.

My girls later asked me why I was going so slow. Ha! I was getting ready for the turn! Lee hopped on his bike at some point and raced to catch up with me. I was happy he was with me as I came into the second and final transition point. My 16 mile bike ride was over and I was ready to head out on my 5 mile run.

9:00 am

Elizabeth was waiting for me at the transition point. She told me to dump my stuff and go!

I was feeling tired but ready to finish the last section of my race. The boy standing behind me was part of the group that I had been biking with. I started my run, only to be passed right away by the boys and their fathers. I tried not to feel discouraged by the fact that a bunch of kids were going to beat me!

The running route was equally beautiful. It looped around a lake (not the same lake that we swam in). It was a very busy day on the running path. As I jogged I had to dodge local joggers, electric scooters, bicycles, kids and dogs. After I got over feeling like my legs would melt into a pile of mush on the pavement, I really enjoyed my run. The scenery was so interesting. There were women selling hammocks and children playing with their parents. I ran and ran and ran. Out of all the segments of the race, the run was the hardest. I remember thinking that I would know I was close to the halfway turn around point when I saw the German father/son group heading towards me. They had long since disappeared from my view (that's just how slow I am!). I finally reached the turn around point and walked for about 100 feet. As I jogged back towards the finish line, only 3 people passed me on their way to the turn around. I knew that I was probably one of the last participants still running. One of the 3 passed me after they turned around. I wanted to walk so badly, but kept telling myself that I wouldn't finish last.

As I jogged along, willing my body to continue I had a wonderful experience. I began mentally thanking each part of my body for all the hard work it had done that day. I thanked my arms for pulling me through the water. I thanked my legs for pushing so hard up each hill. I especially thanked my knees for all the torture they had endured over the last 4 months. As I systematically went from one part of my body to the next, I felt overwhelmed by the love that my Heavenly Father has for me. I am so thankful for a body that is healthy and strong, for the wonderful feeling that I get as I exercise and use my body for good purposes. I was tired but felt so good as I continued onward.

About 100 yards from the finish line Bryant and his children and two other children were waiting on the sidelines to cheer me on. I was so happy to see them! The kids joined in and ran with me, which really made me smile!

10:00 am

As I crossed the line I was so tired. I actually asked Lee and Elizabeth "Where's the line? Did I cross it? Can I stop running?"

Wohoo! I did it! I finished! Those last two runners didn't pass me! Yehawww!!!!

After cooling down, we biked the 10k back to the hotel, cleaned up and packed and headed down to pack the bus. It was 11:30 am and we still hadn't eaten breakfast yet. We were starved! We had McDonald's for lunch, loaded up on the bus and headed back to Shanghai. After about an hour of drinking beer (of course Lee, myself and Elizabeth and Bryant didn't join in) everyone finally settled in for the long ride - most of us catching up on all the sleep we had missed out on the night before.

So what's next? I'm currently trawling for the next race, much to Lee's dismay. :) I do get a little obsessed when I get into something and Lee is looking forward to a break from all the tri-talk. With any luck, he'll be racing with me next year!

Obsess Much?

2010-05-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

My triathlon is in 5 days. My triathlon is in 5 days. My triathlons is in 5 days. What should I bring? What should I eat the night before? What should I eat the morning of? How should I set up my bike? How can I make my swim more effective? Will the water be too cold? Do I need a wet suit? What if I get a flat tire? How am I going to sleep the night before? How am I going to sleep tonight?

My mind is buzzing with a million questions. I wouldn't say I'm nervous, exactly. More like anxious for it to hurry up and be Saturday so I will be on my way to Nanjing. I've been working since January for my first triathlon and I hope I don't spoil it by obsessing too much.

Back in January when my yoga teacher's husband suggested that she and I train together for a triathlon, I thought the idea was nuts. I could barely run 5 k without dying. I love to swim, so I figured that would be the easy part. And I've been an on and off again biker since college. So I somehow came up with the idea that this would be a good goal for me. 4 months later, I am so glad I've stuck to my goal and worked hard.

Learning to swim properly is really challenging. My first session in the pool was UGLY! I got about 15 minutes into it, mostly swimming the breast stroke, and called it quits. I watched many many many YouTube tutorials on how to swim freestyle. I also watched a few on doing flip turns, but have decided that's a skill to master after the race. Anyway, to put an end to my rambling, I can now swim a mile in about 40 minutes. It's not impressive, it's not a great time in the swimming world - but I'll take it :).

I have also spent the last 4 months working up to a 10k run. I do have knee problems, so by the time I get to 8k or so, I'm in a bit of pain. I can consistently run the 10k in about 70 minutes - again not impressive but acceptable to me for the moment. I really had to get past the mental block of running 6 miles all at once. I know tons of people run marathons and half marathons... I just don't happen to be one of those people!

I have to say I have not focused on the bike as much as I probably should have. Shanghai is flat, very very flat. With no hills, you would think that it would be pretty straight forward. However, being close to the ocean, what we do have is lots of wind. Saturday I went out for an 18 mile ride. It should have taken me about an hour, but with the great headwind that blasted me the entire ride home and with the rainstorm that began at about mile 9, it took me more like 1 hour and 20 minutes to do my 18 miles. Again, don't think I'll impress any serious riders with my statistics.

I was feeling pretty confident so I decided to ride my 14 miles and then immediately run, since that's what I will have to do race day. I rode a good ride that day and made it home in 50 minutes. I felt GREAT! Until my feet hit the pavement and I started to attempt a run. Oh. My. Gosh! I seriously thought my legs were going to melt into a giant puddle of goo on the sidewalk! I eeked out 4 or 5 k and called it good. The following attempt 2 weeks later was much more successful and I managed 14 miles on the bike followed by 7k running. Whew! Imagine my relief when I received an email telling all participants that the run would be shortened to 8k due to road construction!

What I have realized through all this training, is that to accomplish any goal you must first remove the obstacles in your mind, clearing the path for success. The difference between my first and second attempt at riding followed by running was that I knew that if I just kept running (nice and slowly) that eventually the fog would lift and I could go about business as usual and just run. So, while I haven't practiced the swim, bike and run all in one training session, I know that if I am careful and persistent I can do it. I've practiced, I've trained and I've done as much research as possible to reach my goal. Now I just need to stop obsessing and relax and clear my mind. I don't plan on being a superstar and I've accepted the fact that I will be walking a little bit of this race. That's ok with me. I'm just excited to get out there and do my best!

Field Trip at the Bio Farm

2010-05-07T01:37:00.000-07:00

Today was another perfect spring day. Eve had a class field trip to the Shanghai BioFarm, where they grow organic whole foods, using no pesticides and no chemical fertilizer. The farm is 12 miles from our house, so I decided to be eco-friendly myself and bike to the farm. It was a glorious spring morning and it only took me about 45 minutes to get there. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning ride. I got there with plenty of time to spare and enjoyed chatting with a few other parents who had arrived early. Eve and I enjoyed hanging out together, enjoying the tour and the sunshine. We learned about crop rotation, we saw a bug zapper powered by the sun, we saw a caterpillar trap that uses female caterpillar pheromones to attract and trap male caterpillars. We learned about allowing plants to reseed themselves rather than using biologically altered store bought seeds. It was quite a fun little trip. Eve and her partner Allison had lots of fun picking their own vegetables:

If you look closely you can see that Eve is standing in a row of broccoli. The tour guide told us that you can make soup from broccoli leaves, but I'm a little skeptical.!

We learned all about herbs and the kids got to guess different herbs by rubbing the leaves in their fingers and smelling them. That was lots of fun, too! At the end of the tour the kids got to create artwork using plants from the farm. Eve was very meticulous in her creation. I had to help her finish up before we got our sack lunches out (mom was starving!).

Isn't my girl a cutie! She's so full of spunk and sparkle! We had a great picnic lunch together to finish off the event. Eve came home from school with an armful of great organic vegetables that she got to pick herself.

A beautiful spring morning in Shanghai

2010-05-06T03:58:00.000-07:00

I am SOOOOO happy! Spring is finally here! We've been waiting and waiting and waiting and finally it came! Cooper and I shared a great start to a perfect spring day. We started the day out by walking daddy to the front of the neighborhood, where he waits for the van that takes him to work each day. It is very normal here for one's company to provide transportation to and from work. So Lee rides in a van with several other men each day to work. Anyway, we took Brescia along and she was super excited to get to run free for a little bit. Cooper and I continued on to the vegetable market, which at 7:30 am was a very busy place already. Along the way Cooper found a 'tree', which he insisted on carrying.

I love the fact that Cooper was completely comfortable walking to the market in his flip flops and pajamas. So Cooper and I picked up some vegetables and came home. I took Cooper to school and came home and made a carrot cake for our Relief Society bi-monthly birthday lunch, where we celebrate all the sister's birthdays for those two months. We celebrated May and June birthdays. Happy Birthday to Tracey, Kierston, Cora and Lori! I came home full and happy. I then went to the pool and swam for 40 minutes and am proud to say I swam 1400 meters. :) I was super happy with the achievement (I'm a little tired now!). I came home and tried out a newly found recipe for sweet and sour chicken and it turned out great. Thanks to Chew Yian for her awesome, super yummy and super quick and easy recipe! The family was pleased.

So now, I'm winding down from a great spring day. Lee's offered to be super dad and go pick up the girls from piano lessons and I'm gonna settle down with a good book. Happy May to everyone and I hope you're enjoying spring just as much as we are!

Family Hair Cut Night

2010-04-30T02:33:00.000-07:00

We have a favorite salon, Lee and I.... Yes, you read right. My HUSBAND has a favorite salon. He also has a favorite massage spa. :) I don't mind the massage spa too much myself. Anyway, we love to go to Head To Toe as often as the pocket book allows. They are a wonderful staff of Chinese who are all very proficient in English. They offer western style services, complete with great top 40's music piped in and Diet Coke and Doritos while you get your pedicure or hair cut. The kids LOVE to go to Head To Toe too. Eve and Ally get their nails painted and Cooper always suckers some cute little Chinese girl into giving him a sucker and painting his thumbnails with cool skulls and cross bones or most recently, the Shanghai Expo mascot:

I was really impressed with the nail tech's ability to fit this guy on Cooper's thumbnail.

Anyway, last night we decided impromptu to get family haircuts. Here are a few before shots:

In China, they do something a little different when you get a shampoo and haircut. First, they wash your hair (of course). But instead of taking you to the sink and having you lay back, they use a bottle of water to add shampoo and water to your hair while you are sitting right there in the haircutting chair. Check it out:

Ally and Eve both got matching haircuts. We are taking a vote to see if they looked better before or after the haircuts, so Please leave us a comment with your vote on the girls' end product. Here's a picture of the family after the haircuts:

Sorry, I took this one with my iPhone, so it's not so great.

This cute girl has chosen Dani as her Western name. She gave the girls their shampoo. She learned English just by working at the salon. I am very impressed because her English is great!

We got 4 haircuts, 3 shampoos, and I got eyebrow waxing all for the grand total of $30! I don't know how we are ever going to come back to the States!

Don't forget to give us your vote on the girls' hair - there is no wrong answer!

Why????

2010-04-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

We've lived in China for almost 2 years now. And for 2 years I've been wondering why. Not why do we live in China, just WHY? For example, why, when I am cruising down the road at 60 kph, does a huge construction truck deem it acceptable to pull out in front of me, causing me to slam on my brakes, skid, to a stop and then WAIT while he pulls out at about 5 kph? 5 mph is pretty darn slow, but 5 kph is even slower! You may think I am exaggerating, but I'm not. Why oh why, is it ok for dump trucks to be filled so far above capacity that as they are driving, huge (I mean Cooper sized) chunks of clay are falling off left and right? Why is that ok and why don't they get pulled over and fined? Why do the student drivers (all student drivers are in specially marked cars with black and white checkered siding) drive on 6 lane highways where the speed limit is 80 kph when they are so bad at driving that the instructor is actually leaning across the car steering for them? Why, why, why? Why is it equally acceptable to run into me with your grocery cart, cut me off as I'm reaching for a carton of milk, push me out of line to have my produce weighed? Why is it not a problem to spit on the floor of the grocery store, or to have 3 grocery store employees gossipping so fervently that I actually have to run over their toes with my cart to get them to move out of the aisle they are blocking? For that matter, why is it ok for a grocery store employee to refuse to answer my inquiry because she doesn't work on the chips aisle, she works on the dried fish aisle? Why, I ask, why....

Why is it not a health code violation to sell and transport meat in the below displayed fashion?

Gross, right? I live in a country where you may both wear pajamas and slippers and spit anywhere you please.

To continue on my why ranting, why do I have to endure an absolute torrent of "Aren't you cold, aren't your children cold? You're not wearing enough clothing!!!" ie, "You're a bad mom!" from the very same people whose 6 month olds are out in 30 degree weather wearing a million layers of clothing and split bottom pants with their bare tushies exposed to the elements! Who is the bad parent here?

Why did I pass a man who stood on a sidewalk, which was bordered on one side by the street and the other side bordered with grass and a river, and he chose to urinate on the sidewalk rather than on the grass. Why? Why didn't he go home to urinate, and if that was too much trouble, why didn't he turn a mere 90 degrees and urinate on the grass where no one would have to walk in it or risk their split bottom pant wearing babies walking through it?

Why did our neighborhood guards (to begin with, why do I even need neighborhood guards to guard my oh so not secure front gate, since they are sleeping on duty about 50% of the time) think that it would be better to have me read a notice written in chinese characters than to tell me what it says? They know I speak Chinese because I talk to them all the time! I DO NOT read characters. You have to know some insane amount, like 2000+ characters to be able to read a newspaper.

Why is my 4 year old having nightmares about getting his toes run over by an electric scooter? He's now afraid to cross the street for fear that some idiot scooter driver will not pay attention and will run over his feet. I would chalk it up to a small child's vivid imagination, except for the fact that it's a very real possibility!

Why did the lawn mowing men even bother to come mow my lawn? I watched them systematically mow around the toys and garden hose, rather then pick them up and move them. I'm not kidding, they mowed AROUND the toy trucks in the yard. WHAT THE HECK? My friend watched the apartment complex hired cleaning lady dust around his laptop, which was sitting on the table.

Why is it ok for police to sleep in their cars or watch people run red lights, while they are sitting at the very same red light? No tickets, no nothing. Of course, they are the worst ones about running red lights. Why is it common to find workers sleeping on the sidewalk at various times of the day? Littered about, three or four of them asleep making it difficult to navigate the sidewalk?

Speaking of littering, why is it normal to see someone throw their trash out of their windows as they are driving? Cigarette packages, coke cans, empty juice boxes.... why?

Why did I watch a woman run to catch the bus, to successfully reach the bus and just as she stepped forward to the door, the bus driver actually closed the doors in her face and drove off? She stood there, open mouthed and then shrugged her shoulders and walked back to the bus stop to wait for the next bus. Why? Wouldn't you be yelling and mad as all get out? Wouldn't you write down the bus # and call and report it?

Why do they not enforce any sort of transportation safety codes in China? Here's a truck, whose owner has used all sorts of random parts to build tall sides to enable a larger cargo capacity:

It's a little difficult to tell, but all those multi colored panels are different pieces of metal, or grating or whatever he could find.

This is a close up of the random pieces of scrap metal he used as braces for the random sheets of metal he used to increase the height of his truck siding.

Why do I have to pay for parking at my friend's apartment complex? If I want to drop by for a visit, I have to pay to park my car! Why??? The same goes for restaurants, some grocery stores, and all malls.

Why, when I paid $125 for my iPhone screen to be fixed (I dropped it!) didn't they also replace the $.25 black cover on the bottom that was cracked in two?

Why, when it's 30 degrees outside do they not only NOT turn on the heat in restaurants and grocery stores and fitness clubs, but then open ALL the doors to the outside, and welcome in the cold... then walk around all day in floor length snow suite type coats? If you're cold, SHUT THE DOOR!!!!

Why, in a city of 18 million, and growing, do they clean the sewers by hand? (Yes, that pole is hand made from bamboo and fish net).

I guess I could go on forever and ever with whys. I live in a crazy country! I really love many, many things about China, but somedays I wonder if the positive outweighs the negative. I mean really, did you really just URINATE on the sidewalk next to me? Really, really???

I keep waiting to fall in love with the Chinese people, and it just hasn't happened yet. What's that John Mayer song "Waiting on the World to Change"? In the words of Dory the fish, I'm gonna "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

I think I'm going to have a diet coke now. Whew, I'm stressed! :)

Disclaimer... Follow at Your Own Risk

2010-04-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

Just a quick blurb, following yesterday's energetic post. I have never enjoyed writing in a journal. It's somehow tedious to me. When we moved to China I started blogging to help my friends and family keep up with us. I discovered that I really like blogging. I don't know why it is so much more enjoyable than writing in my journal. Maybe it's because I put more effort into it, knowing that someone else may choose to read it. I like posting pictures of our life, I like thinking out loud as I write. I recently saw an ad that offers printing and binding services for your blog and I really liked the idea of this being a form of our family history - like journalling and scrapbooking simplified into one easy and fun task. As I've continued to blog, it's gotten a lot more personal for me than it was at the beginning. What began as a way to help family members peek in at our lives has become more of an outlet for me and has become so much more personal and intimate. That said, I love that my friends and family can read and follow us on our blog. So, as I write and share......just remember - read at your own risk.

I'm a RockStar!!!

2010-04-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

I've found it. I've finally found my talent. You know - the one I was born to do. The one that makes me skip my after-the-kids-get-on-the-bus nap in the morning. That talent that makes me feel like a rock star... I know you are all dying of anticipation but I'm going to make you wait for it. You have to meander through my hazy thought process to get to the really juicy stuff. Not to worry, it's worth it.

I'm really a jack of all trades. I'm good at a lot of things, but really could never say I was excellent at any one thing in particular. I guess if I had to choose, it is better to be pretty decent at lots of things than to suck at most things and excel in only one. I should be thankful - only for half my life all I could see was that I wasn't 'the best' at anything.

For example, in high school I was runner up for "Most Talented" in my senior year. We even had a run off vote to break the tie, not that I won... I should have been thrilled that I made it that far, but instead was mad that I didn't win. I applied for a nationwide scholarship with my employer, El Chico Mexican Restaurant, that same year. I should have been over the moon when I found out I came in second. Yeah, I know, it was a nationwide competition and I came in second. That's gotta count for something, right? Again, disappointed. I always got supporting or chorus roles in the musicals in high school, but never the lead. In college my voice instructor 'guided' me towards a new major. Again, disappointing. During my horse training/showing days, I came home with lots and lots of lovely 2nd and 3rd place ribbons. I should not fail to mention that I was 15 years old and competing against professional horse trainers who spent every waking ADULT minute living their profession. But again, I was disappointed.

Now I'm 34. I have graduated from college (where I really was happier as a business major than a music major). I've had the chance to work a few office jobs and then have felt pretty successful running my own business managing properties and rentals. And, I'm finally feeling pretty on top of this whole wife and mom thing (I know, just give me a minute to blink and my kids will be pre teens and I'll be moaning in agony). So, still I feel that I'm a jack of all trades until recently.

So here it is, here's the earth shattering announcement about Kitty Cannon and what's she's really good at and can't stop talking about. It's yoga! I absolutely love yoga! Last year my friend told me that she had started doing yoga and that she thought I would love it. Without saying it so bluntly, she basically said that I'm pretty high strung and that she thought yoga would help bring balance to my life. Again, put ever so gently and delicately as to not upset the in reality EXTREMELY high strung Kitty Cannon. So, I didn't really give it a second thought for about 6 months. Then my friend told me she got her certification to teach yoga and invited me to join her class. Wow! Can I say that from my very first class with Elizabeth (friend, not sister) I knew that she was absolutely, without a doubt, fantastically right about my needing yoga to balance my life.

I love it. I love the focus that it forces me to cultivate. I love the individual challenge that it brings to me personally. There is no competition when you walk into that studio. It's just me, my mat and my mind. It doesn't matter what the woman next to me is doing, but matters what I am doing. It doesn't matter if I can't achieve a particular pose that day, but more importantly what matters is where I am today compared with where I was yesterday, or a week ago or even a month ago. I love the feel of my legs as they shake to support my body as it is challenged to rise above what I thought I couldn't do. I love the feeling of achievement that comes when I learn a new pose or improve on one I have already learned. Somehow, in some crazy way that I don't understand, yoga clears my mind. It calms the 'voices in my head'. I can leave my day-to-day worries or aggravations (in China I have a lot of aggravations) at the door of the studio and walk in ready to be a total rock star.

I'm really good at yoga. My thick body, the one that I've always wanted to trade in for a slimmer and more 'petite' body - my muscular body, complete with a waist that will never, ever have that teeny tiny bikini look to it - that same body that I've never been able to love is awesome at yoga. How did it take me 34 years to find this out? Why did I never know that I am just inches away from a split, or that I can fold in ways that most people wouldn't even dream of? Why did it take me this long to find this one little thing that makes me feel amazing? I feel a tiny bit like Ammon from the Book of Mormon, who says:

"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things...".

I'm not good at yoga because I am some superior being with super human powers. I'm good at yoga because God gave me a strong and healthy body. He gave me a body that He expects me to use for all kinds of service to others, but also to use for my own happiness and joy. Really, you'd never think that an exercise class would bring about a spiritual connection. But for me, yoga has answered a long sought after plight to love my body and to love myself. I may not be the best singer out there, I'm certainly not the most patient mom or the 'coolest mom ever'. I'm not the smartest or most successful business woman that ever walked the earth and I'm most definitely not an award winning blog author. BUT, when I walk in that yoga studio the entire world outside of yoga stops for an hour and a half and I am A ROCK STAR!!!!

Family Home Evening - A Miracle in and of Itself

2010-04-06T05:05:00.000-07:00

As a child, we didn't have Family Home Evening, aka FHE, on a regular basis. My mom did her best to get FHE going, but with my dad not being active in church at the time, she had her hands full contending with 4 kids. So, having FHE on a regular basis in my own home has been a challenge for us. Lee is really supportive, but so tired from working hard everyday that the responsibility falls mostly on my shoulders. For a long time I was upset that he didn't get more actively involved with planning and presentation. I just thought "Well, if he's not going to be in charge, we just won't do it!"

In church a month or two ago, one of our counselors in the branch presidency gave a great talk on families and on Family Home Evening. He said that his wife had taken FHE as a personal calling. This particular brother works many, many hours of long hard work in addition to his time consuming church calling. It was so easy for me to sit and listen and to understand why his wife took over the FHE responsibilities. I was really humbled to realize how unfair I had been to Lee all this time, expecting so much from my tired husband yet completely understanding another husband's role as non-coordinator in respect to FHE. What Brother Wilde said that day really hit home for me and helped me understand and support my husband, who does so much to support me and our family. So I've decided that I really do want to follow the counsel of my church leaders, and to do that effectively I need to adopt Alison Wilde's philosophy - I'm taking Family Home Evening on as my own personal calling.

So, I printed out two calendars at the beginning of March and we taped them to the wall next to the table in the kitchen. I gathered a stack of stickers and our Book of Mormon. I then instructed Ying (our housekeeper) that the scriptures are not to be "fan hao'ed" which is my Chingrish adaptation of 'put away'. In our house, we speak in a rather confusing mixture of Spanish, Mandarin and English. 'Fan Hao' (pronounced fawn how) means to put away and I am always yakking at the kids to 'fan hao' all their 'dongxi' (dohng shee).... meaning stuff. I also tell the kids 'Chi famos'(churfahmos) almost daily. 'Chifan' (pronounced chur fawn) means 'to eat', but I love adding the spanish verb conjugation for we, which is '-amos' (think Vamos!) to call the kids in to eat dinner. Anyway, I digress.... Back to the subject of my post - we have a calendar for daily scripture study and a calendar for FHE.

I am so please to announce that for the month of March we had 100% FHE and 93% scripture reading!!! Wohooo! We celebrated our success by eating at Papa John's Pizza for dinner this past Saturday night. The kids love Papa John's and it's probably daddy's least favorite pizza joint in Shanghai, so we did dad a favor celebrating while he was away in Rhode Island. We have printed a new calendar for April and are well on our way to great habits. It would be so easy to try and weasel out of my commitment, if it weren't for my dedicated children, who are there to keep my on my toes. If I ever lack motivation, that calendar is right there, staring at me and my kids are there to remind me and help me stay on track.

My sister in law has titled her blog "Brilliant in the Basics" and I love her quote from Sister Julie Beck:

"Live in your home so that you're brilliant in the basics, so that you're intentional about your roles and responsibilities in the family. ... think in terms of precision, not perfection."

Many thanks go out to all the amazing people that I am privileged to know here in Shanghai. Our branch is absolutely filled to the brim with wonderful and devoted members who inspire me to try harder and to be better and to be brilliant in the basics.

Why I LOVE Attending Church in China

2010-03-21T04:19:00.000-07:00

Church is 3 hours long. That's a pretty big part of our Sunday and some Sundays I have to admit that I would rather be home reading a book, taking a walk, drinking a Diet Coke or just taking a nap. However, going to church in China has given me a new perspective on church attendance.

On any given Sunday in our branch, you are likely to hear a prayer given in Korean, a testimony given in Japanese, you can listen in to the interpreters helping translate the meeting to Chinese... you can chat with a friend in Spanish or Italian or listen to families from Australia or New Zealand and enjoy their lovely accent. Besides making for a very interesting event, it's really changed me quite a bit. Through interacting with so many different cultures I have felt testimonies that are clear and true and I have heard stories that strengthen my faith. Today was our District Conference (instead of Stake Conference) and we were able to hear the conversion story of Sister Goo, who is the matron of the Hong Kong Temple. Here is the condensed version of her conversion:

As a small girl living in China in the 1950's (I might be off on the dates), Sister Goo's family escaped and went to Hong Kong. Unfortunately she wasn't able to come with them and was left behind to live with an aunt. Later, her father paid a woman to take Sister Goo and claim her has her daughter at the crossing. Sister Goo was very young at the time. She had to memorize the name of the woman's daughter that she was pretending to be. Once in Hong Kong, her family was contacted by the missionaries. At that time, they were very closed to foreigners and she remembers thinking of the missionaries as "foreign devils". Through interactions with friends and over a long period of time, she began attending church meetings regularly and got very involved with the church. She gave her simple testimony of prayer and praying about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. She described to us how her parents would not allow her to be baptized. She would return on Sundays from attending church, where she had multiple callings (even though she was not baptized), she would arrive home to find the house locked. Her mother would lock her out and leave her on the front step with no dinner for hours. Sometimes her friends, seeing that she was locked out, would bring her dinner. At the age of 15 she and her best friend were expelled from their Lutheran school for associating with Mormons. She was too afraid to tell her mother what had happened. Her father, not supportive of her religion, but less strict, arranged for a tutor for her and her friend so they could be gone during the day without her mother knowing she had been expelled. However, rumors finally found her mother with the facts of her expulsion. One weekend while her parents were travelling to Macaw, she was baptized, lying to her parents (who happened to come home early from the trip) and the missionaries about having permission from her parents. After being baptized, she remembered the importance of repentance and told her parents and church officials. Things became very difficult for her at home. One of the missionaries at the time was from Idaho. He wrote to his parents about her trials. They had 6 boys, and invited her to come to America and be their daughter. At the age of 16, she got on an airplane to America. She shared with us that she cried all the way from Hong Kong to Japan. What an amazing story! I cannot imagine what it would have been like to be left by your parents, only to be snuck across the border later... then to be routinely locked out by your parents, expelled from school just for your association with the LDS church... what an amazing trial of faith! I am so thankful for the examples of others.

Wednesday night we celebrated the Relief Society's birthday with our fellow Relief Society Sisters. It is so wonderful to be in a room full of women from all walks of life, from all corners of the earth, and to share the same burning testimony and love for one another. We spent the evening eating dinner and socializing and finished the evening by watching a video put together by a few of our sisters. Several sisters recorded their testimonies and conversion stories and they were compiled into one video. As we watched and listened to testimonies in English, Chinese, Korean and given by sisters from many other countries, our hearts were full and we felt the unity that the gospel brings. I am truly thankful for these experiences I am having in China.

Where Did My Babies Go?

2010-03-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

The other day, as I was watching Ally and thinking about the little young lady she's rapidly becoming, I came to the startling realization that I am no longer a 'young mother'. When I left high school and went to college, I thought "Holy Crap! I don't live at home anymore!" But, I lived with my older brother, who always looked out for me and my parents sent me money every month to help out. So I really wasn't alone or on my own.... not really a responsible adult just yet. Then I got married. I moved across the country and was truly on my own, paying bills, going to work everyday. I felt pretty good about being so independent. Then, as a new mom I had another "Holy Crap" moment. As I held my daughter in my arms I thought "Holy Crap! I'm a mom! I have to take care of this little human being 24/7 without fail!" It scared me. I fit in at church and in the community with all the other young mothers... moms with babies and toddlers. It was a pretty comfortable place to be. Our kids were so young that we didn't really worry about the influence of peer pressure, homework assignments, choosing the right outfit, censoring what the kids watch and read... I was a "Young Mother" (at least in my own mind) for several years. Even when Ally went to kindergarten I thought of myself as a mother of small children because Eve was only four and Cooper was a baby.

Recently it occurred to me, after I had the 'Facts of Life' talk with my nine year old, that I am no longer a "Young Mother". I don't have babies at home anymore. I can't sit around having conversations with other women about nursing, changing diapers, going through the "Terrible Twos", etc. When I shop for Christmas presents I no longer get to go to all the fun little toys for preschoolers. I am so sad that I can't buy princess dress ups and barbies and baby dolls and strollers. We left Houston and gave all that stuff to Goodwill. How sad! Cooper is still only 4, and I am clinging to that for dear life (just ask Lee, he'll affirm), but really, he plays games with his sisters, is almost completely self sufficient, and really only calls for help when he wants help wiping his tushy! So, I had yet another "Holy Crap!" moment, accepting that I no longer have babies in the house. They are all in school, happy to leave me everyday, happy to explore and discover a world beyond mommy. I decided to share some of my favorite baby pictures. The quality isn't so great, due the fact that digital cameras weren't always what they are now.

Enjoy my walk down memory lane!

Bikini Evie! She loved, loved to dress up in her favorite grass skirt and swimsuit top.

Eve loved the piano even as a baby!

Eve is showing off her new earrings... my big preggers belly got caught in the picture.

Evie and Grandma

Ally's first day of kindergarten.

Just hanging out in the car. (we just threw that seat away this summer!)

Halloween 2002

Bathtime for Ally with Grandma Cannon

Before Ally banned me from doing her hair!

I miss Ally's curls!

Cooper as a newborn.

Cooper sleeping in the bouncer (after crying his eyes out for 1/2 hour while I cooked dinner!)

Coop sleeping again....

Cooper came home from his church nursery class feeling very "Thankful for My Ears!"

He's gonna use that shovel and move the whole mountain!

Here's to moving on to our next 'station' in life, gracefully and with no regrets!

Speed Boat Tour in Thailand Part II

2010-03-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

The speed boat tour in Thailand was so fantastic! I just couldn't fit it all into one blog posting. Here are some fun pictures of the girls on the boat:

Ally and Emma, looking a little uncomfortable in those jackets.

Look at those braids!

These are two cool dads!

Just hanging out on the boat...

The canoes that we took were really fun. We tooted around and saw some neat caverns.

We went to a Muslim village which is built completely over the water. It is home to about 1500 people who survive on tourism. We ate lunch there and then walked around looking at shops. We were accosted by a lady with a monkey who wouldn't let us leave without taking pictures - and of course, giving her some money.

Buying ice cream in the Muslim village.

Lunch - left us all a little hungry....

Lee leaving the village.

More of the Muslim Village.

We left our resort rather early - before 8 am - and spent the entire day on the boat. By the time we finished lunch (the heat was so stifling that I actually felt a little sick during lunch) we were all pretty tired. We got back on the boat and headed out to an island to swim and relax. Everyone on the boat fell asleep.

The Finotto Family Snoozing

My two guys...

For some reason, Ally and Eve never fall asleep!

Lee took this picture to emphasize the Diet Coke I managed to find....and ice....

Just hanging out in the beautiful water.

This was an island beach, only reachable by boat. The whole beach was lined with tourist boats.

The whole day was phenomenal! We had such a great time and saw so many fun things. I think that Thailand should be included among the MUST DO's in life. One must get married, to enjoy the deep commitment and companionship that comes from promising your life to someone else. One must have children, to experience service in it's purest form. One must have a commitment to God, to experience the pure joy that comes from dedicating your life to follow the Savior... and finally (but certainly not most important), one must visit Thailand, to experience a real tropical paradise!!!

Vanna and I hanging out at the back of the boat.

This doesn't even look real! Fabio took this picture and then played around with it. Pretty neat, huh?

Speed Boat Tour in Thailand

2010-03-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to blog part 3 of Thailand because our friends, the Finottos, promised me a disc with their pictures from Thailand. Fabio is a great photographer and I knew he had taken some fantastic pictures that I would love to post. When I opened the disc of pictures tonight, I wasn't disappointed. Fabio has some neat lenses and knows how to do some pretty cool stuff. I am positive that he didn't have the disc ready for me sooner simply because he wanted to edit, clean up and improve on his photos using his fancy computer programs!

One of our favorite things we did in Phuket was a speed boat tour. We left the hotel before 8 am and boarded a speed boat with about 25 other people. We toured around many beautiful islands, including 'James Bond Island', where a famous scene from a James Bond movie was filmed.

The kids had a great day, speeding around on the boat. Gianmarco and Cooper were great buds for the entire trip. Gianmarco is six and Emma is 4, just like Cooper. Those three kids were inseparable!

Cooper and Emma taking it all in.

Cooper and Gianmarco hanging out on the bow.

On our tour, we did some really cool stuff. We motored through some amazing forests, where the trees were growing in the water. I wish we had some better pictures, but if you look closely you can see the amazing root systems.

We had a great time at our first stop, which is James Bond Island. Of course, the guys were most impressed to be there!

Another really neat thing we did was take canoes/sea kayaks on a little tour inside the little inlets of the islands. I really enjoyed this. While we were on the kayaks, we were able to get really close to the shore (where the neat trees are) and due to it being low tide, we got to see walking fish up close!

Here are a few pictures of us in our kayaks/canoes...

We also got to go through some neat caverns:

Our boat went right through here!

After getting this far into our Speed Boat tour, I think I'll finish up the rest on a separate post. The Muslim village and also the last island we visited were both really interesting and will be better covered in the next post.

Triathlon Training Update

2010-03-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

Two months ago I decided to train for a triathlon. The idea was daunting, to say the least. So, I found a plan and got started. It's been 8 weeks of hard work, and I'm still not ready for my big day yet. But, I am pleased to report that I am making progress. When I started, I could only run 4K before feeling like I was going to die, right there on the side of the road. I hadn't ever swam laps of any sort and it had been years since I rode a bike for more than a short ride to the kids school. I am please to report that I can now run 8K in an hour.... and still live to tell about it! I usually ride about 14 miles on Saturdays and my swimming is coming along. I was so proud when I swam 1200 m. I still have a long way to go. Each event wipes me out.... I have to be able to swim 800m, bike 23K and run 10K, all on the same day, without really stopping. So I still have some major work to do. Taking the time to reflect today on my progress has been really encouraging. I still have 2 1/2 months before the big event and it is easy to get discouraged. I am having a lot of fun training and can't wait for the big day. I am enjoying learning how to swim properly. I've been watching all the youtube videos possible to help me improve my stroke. My favorite website, www.beginnertriathlete.com, is really helpful and I love reading everyone's stories about their first Tri. One of my big motivators is to be able to send in my story to be published on the website. Today I completed 8K without wanting to puke at the end, which is a great achievement.

Today I posted this on Facebook:

"What's the best thing about pushing yourself to finish the 8K run you started??? Knowing there's a diet coke, hot bath and a plate of cheesy nachos waiting for you at home! Talk about a runner's high!"

I'm going to sign off now and go enjoy some cheesy nachos. As my good friend Vanna always says "Ciao!"

Scuba Diving

2010-03-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

Lee has wanted be to get SCUBA certified for the longest time.... yes, THE LONGEST TIME. He started trying to convince me after Ally was born. Unfortunately, getting certified is both costly and time consuming. At that particular time I was just a wee bit distracted by having two babies in 17 months, and spending the better part of 3 years either being pregnant or breastfeeding, neither of which are terribly conducive to learning how to dive.

Finally, after 9 years, I have both the means AND the time - amazing how it only took 9 years to get both to occur simultaneously. Lee bought me lessons for my 34th birthday present. It took two days in the classroom/swimming pool and 2 days (4 dives total) in Thailand to get PADI certified, but, I DID IT! Yeah! Poor Lee... he watched my brother get certified, we watched my sister get certified, he took a dive trip with both my brother and father, all not so patiently waiting for his wife to get it done. (I know, I am just a tiny bit sarcastic today... I think it has something to do with the crappy weather outside.) Anywho, in spite of my somewhat sarcastic undertone, I was really happy and excited to get certified. My classroom instructor was an English guy, nice enough but dumb enough to try and argue gun control with me and incredibly stupid enough to insult Americans while sitting in a one on one lesson with me in the classroom.... not my idea of a good teacher. Regardless, I learned the skills, took the tests and enjoyed my dives so much more than my classroom time.

My first two dives were beach dives. My instructor and I took a tuk tuk to the beach, geared up and walked into our dive site. It was a really nice reef and even though it was so close to a public beach, it seemed well kept and surprisingly was unpopulated with divers. It was a little scary at first. I am a natural swimmer and swim twice a week, winter, summer, and fall, so that wasn't the scary part. Breathing underwater was really a lot easier to adjust to that I thought it would be. The scary part was learning to maintain buoyancy.... learning how to float at the right depth without bouncing all over the bottom of the reef. Once I figured that out, it was so much fun! We saw lionfish and so many beautifully colored corals. It was so neat.

Here's an example of a tuk tuk. (This wasn't ours)

The boat dives the next day were even more spectacular. The kids stayed at the resort's kids club while Lee and I took the whole day for our dives. Our dive master was Italian... don't remember his name, but he was a really nice guy. We took another tuk tuk to the pier, where there were literally hundreds of other people waiting to get on busses that would take us down to the end of a really long pier where all our chartered boats were waiting.

Here's a view of the harbor as we were setting out for our dive.

So we took a chartered boat with about 20 people, all going on their own separate dives with their own dive masters. It was interesting because I was worried that with all those people the dive site would be crowded, but it wasn't. We went out about an hour and a half out to dive some reefs off of an island (I don't remember which island it was.) Of course, I got sea sick, I always do! I took some dramamine on the boat, fell asleep in the sun and got a burn before we even got to the dive site.... grhh...

We really had a great time, despite the early sunburn. The sun is so strong in Thailand. Lee and I both put SPF 30 as we were leaving the pier and I was only sitting in the sun for about 25 minutes, so it didn't even occur to me that I would get burned so quickly.

So, we really enjoyed the day together. We had a great Thai lunch on the boat, we enjoyed listening to all the languages being spoken - I remember hearing French, Thai, Japanese, Hindi and English. After lunch we had our second dive, which was really the coolest. There was a school of young barracuda that we swam through. It was so neat - a lot like the school of fish on Finding Nemo that made all the shapes for Dory to guess. We swam right through the school. They sort of parted for us and then just filled in right around us as we swam.

It was a wonderful experience, spending the day with Lee and starting a new hobby together. I can't wait to dive again! The only downside to the whole day was that I was so, so tired when we got back after 5 PM that night. I felt like I was on the boat until I fell asleep that night!

Here we are on our way home from a great day!

This the view of the islands as we headed home.

What Makes the World Go Round?

2010-03-02T03:07:00.000-08:00

It's often been said that money makes the world go round. I would have to disagree; control makes the world go round. I don't mean the kind of control that a mighty country might have in the international community. I'm not referring to the control that is obtained by buying a certain percentage of shares of a company. Nor am I even referring to the control we can exercise over the ones we love, whether it's intentional manipulation or the control we have without even knowing it.

The control I am referring to is self control. We have daily choices to make - all day, everyday. From the choice of what color socks to wear to what route to take to work, or whether or not to bend the truth a little, our ability to exercise self control is always present, always there for us to master. As I watch my children, fighting over the remote control, I see them choosing how to react, how to manipulate the situation. When my girls are sure that the world is coming to a crashing end because one sister won't share with the other, it's amazing how quickly they are able to make amends and resolve the situation on their own when faced with my very small intervention of "Either work it out lovingly between the two of you, or I will take it away." Suddenly, the situation changes. At first they were 100% sure that they had no choice but to yell and scream, but quickly realized that they did have power to come to a mutual agreement.

So, you are wondering, where I am going with this whole dissertation on self control? We all go through highs and lows in our lives, peaks and valleys, periods of turmoil and periods of peace and satisfaction. Recently, our family came through a trying time... a definite valley. As we have pulled together and made difficult, yet righteous decisions, I have seen the power that comes through exercising self control. I have seen changes that come through making good choices. I have felt the peace that comes when a family works together as a family to follow the Lord's path, even when you're not sure where it will take you.

I had surgery in October and took quite awhile to recover. During that recovery period, I had some time for serious personal reflection. I have many strengths and many weaknesses. One weakness that I particularly dislike is my lack of patience with my children. I tend to be short with the kids, yelling instead of talking things through. I didn't even realize just how unacceptable this was until spending some time with a wonderful friend here in Shanghai. After a year of watching her with her children, it finally occurred to me that I could be that kind of mother. I struggle with anxiety and have for so many years. Whenever I feel out of control and anxious with the kids, I have (in the past) just blamed it on my medical condition. My kids and I refer to my medicine as 'brain medicine' because it helps my brain produce all the chemicals that I need. When I am particularly grumpy, Ally usually asks "Mom, did you take your brain medicine today?"

So back to the surgery (I promise it all ties in). Last night Ally looked at me, as we were making cookies, and asked if my surgery had anything to do with my brain. I told her no and asked her why she asked. She replied that since my surgery I had been much nicer... much more like Sister So and So, and wondered if they had fixed my brain. It made me so happy to know that my efforts in self control were paying off. I have admired this sister and tried to imitate her interactions with her children, in the hopes that imitation would help me get where I wanted to be, which is a more loving, patient and kind mother. What joy I felt, knowing that even though I struggle, and even though I really do have to maintain daily medications to feel emotional health, that the gift of free agency is there for me to take advantage of. It is so easy to look for a scape goat, to look for somewhere to place blame, rather than taking responsibility and accepting that the consequences of our actions are real and tangible.

We teach our children to exercise self control each day. We teach them through little mini life lessons and we teach through example. So, today I stand on my very short soap box, feeling pleased that in at least one area of my life I've managed to exercise a little self control. Now, the trick is to keep it up, continuing to "be loving and gentle in deed and in thought, for these are the things Jesus taught." We are promised great blessings when we endure to the end. I don't think that means that we just continue 'being', living and breathing. I think that means we have to keep making good decisions, every step of the way. We have to keep on keeping on, even when it would be so much easier not to.

Money doesn't make the world go round, using our power and agency to exercise self control is what makes us happy and complete.

Paradise is Possible!!!

2010-02-26T01:05:00.000-08:00

Thailand has been a dream of mine for a long, long time. Our first year in China we watched all our friends as they vacationed in far off exotic places. We looked on quietly, saving money, paying off debts and being conservative. Lee and I drooled as we watched one family tour Egypt, salivated as another toured Asia, stopping in Vietnam and Malaysia... another close friend travelled to the Philippines. We watched our expat community disappear each holiday as we stayed behind claiming to enjoy how peaceful the city felt while we quietly dreamed our dreams and saved our pennies. Thanks to my husband who manages money much better than I do, our turn to be exotic, daring and adventurous came!

I have to warn all my readers right here and now that the following blog entry will be nothing but ooey, gooey mushy ravings of a girl enchanted with the far off land of Thailand. It was truly the most beautiful amazing place I have ever visited. From the moment we got off the plane and started our hour and a half long car ride to the resort, I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty and character of Phuket. We drove through lush mountains, passing pick up trucks filled with men and women returning from a long day of work. The hot wet tropical air was overwhelming as we sat in our jeans and sweaters, dying to get to our room and strip our of our oppressive clothing. My first thought was "We should move here, we HAVE to move here!"

We got to the Hilton and my dream come true began. Pictures just don't do it justice. We were welcomed in to an open air lounge where we were served the most delicious juice (still don't know what kind of juice it was) and given cold refreshing wash cloths to freshen up with. There was music (some sort of stringed instrument) being played by beautiful Thai women. I thought I had died and gone to heaven right then and there!

(This was taken a different day, but really it was two women our first day there.)

This is the first view as you come up the stairs to the reception area.

Here's where we checked in, with couches to the left for relaxing.

Our stay in Paradise had a slight hiccup.... we were tired, a little jet lagged and very hungry and not at all in the mood for bad news. When they informed us that they had overbooked and wanted to put us at a different resort for the night we were slightly put out, until they offered to upgrade us to a suite and give us a free dinner at one of their restaurants for the entire week. We some how found it in our hearts to overlook the overbooking problem. We ate at the restaurant downstairs each night we were there, which turned out to save us quite a bit of $$$! Sails was a buffet restaurant with a different theme each night. Here are some pictures of the Italian night...

This is the bread table. It was amazing all by itself!

One of the several buffet tables. You could ask for custom made pasta!

This was OUR table. We sat there every night. The kids really liked the familiarity and knowing what to expect.

This was the dessert buffet. YUMMY!

Little tiny individual cups of chocolate mousse.

Yummy cake!

More yummy cake.

This is the outside view of the restaurant.

Lovely wait staff. They were so sweet to us every night.

I know there are a lot of pictures of the restaurant, but we spent a lot of time there! In case you are wondering, I DID gain a few pounds this trip. I vowed to use the beautiful health club while on vacation to continue my training, but alas, between the scuba diving, elephant rides, speed boat tours, beach trips, massages and the three swimming pools I did not find time to work out. I will have to make up for it now that we've left paradise and returned to the real world!

So that's enough for today, mostly because the pictures I want to use are on Lee's computer and he's at work! So, in conclusion of Paradise Part One, I'd like to send out a HUGE shout out to my dear husband, who made my dream come true and carried me off like a princess to a foreign tropical island and treated me like a queen!

Stay tuned for more adventures in Tropical Paradise!

Getting Ready for Thailand

2010-02-15T21:55:00.000-08:00

I've been dreaming about Thailand for years. I once watched a movie based in Thailand and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. So, tomorrow we are getting on a big jet plane and heading out over the big blue! I am so excited! We are all so excited. The kids are bouncing off the walls with excitement. So, in order to prepare for the big event, we dutifully stayed in bed 'til 9:00 this morning, dragged our lazy vacation butts off to breakfast at our favorite little restaurant and then did the only thing really necessary for a trip to Thailand... headed to the salon for haircuts and a painted toenails. Cooper and Lee got haircuts and came out looking spiffy and handsome. Eve and I got our toenails done! Miss Ally missed out on the fun because she was playing at a friend's house.

Cooper always has a way of wrapping all the ladies around his finger. He charmed one of the spa girls into painting a skull and cross bones on his thumb nail :). As for me, well, I'm not packed, the house is a mess, there's laundry to be done and a dog to get off to the kennel....but, my toes look good! Thailand, here we come!!!

Stay tuned for my next post.... I'm sure it will be full of great Thailand pictures. Hopefully we will all be sporting great tans too!

Reaping the Rewards of Motherhood - At Long Last!

2010-02-15T04:01:00.000-08:00

Many feel the deep satisfaction of rearing children when witnessing the success of their children- you know, the first word, first solo ride on the bicycle, listening to their child read their first sentences..... watching your kiddo in a play or celebrating an A on a report card. Or course, these joys are indeed proud moments in my epic journey through this drama called motherhood. However, for me the real true satisfaction and most pure form of gratification parenthood can provide is summed up in the pictures below:

Still Seoul Mates (11 years of marriage celebrated in Style!)

2010-02-15T01:56:00.000-08:00

I am so proud to be married to my USN sailor. Living in China has made it difficult for Lee to maintain his active drilling reservist status, but through a lot of hard work, Lee was able to find a unit in Seoul, Korea to commute to monthly for reserve duty. This month, his reserve weekend just happened to fall on our anniversary weekend. Lee has been suggesting to me for months that I accompany him on a trip to Seoul, so this month gave me the perfect opportunity for a quick get away. The kids stayed home with Ying, our lovely housekeeper, and Lee and I hopped on a plane and zipped up and away for a quiet weekend.

At the airport in China, I couldn't find a Diet Coke in the vending machine, but did find a beer!

First, let me say that I stepped on post (it's actually an Army post) and felt like somehow I'd taken a 1.5 hour flight to America. I experienced reverse culture shock in all it's force as I walked into the Dragon Hill Lodge (a very nice mini resort just for service members) and everyone was so polite! No one pushed to get into the elevator, people apologized for crossing in front of you, even though they were a full 5 feet away, children said excuse me and best of all, no one stepped on my toes or elbowed me while waiting for our table at dinner!

Actually, really, best of all I could buy American products at the Exchange (PX). I felt a rush of euphoria as I combed the aisles searching for nothing in particular. It's amazing how finding something so basic, like a pack of sewing pins, can change your day. I had Taco Bell for lunch the first day, which really made me smile!

Seoul was freezing butt cold (yes, that is a technical term), hovering around 30 degrees Fahrenheit for our entire trip. I bought a pair of earmuffs, which I have never had the need for before. Here's my run down of lovely American delicacies consumed Friday, Saturday and Sunday:

Doughnuts... yummy... Taco Bell.... Outback Steakhouse...breakfast of chex mix, cheetos and diet coke... Navy Club for lunch....On The Border....doughnuts (again).... Taco Bell (again)... topped off with some crappy Korean run burger joint at the airport, which I ended up dumping all the contents into the trash can. So, needless to say, I gained 2 pounds in 3 days! Ouch! I'm still working it off!

This was at the crappy hamburger joint in the airport in Korea.

I enjoyed spending $250 US dollars at the Commissary on dried goods for the next 2 months. I usually hate grocery shopping, but can honestly say that shopping was a pleasure. I bought BRAS!!!! YEAH!!!! While shopping at the Exchange I paused, looked at Lee and said "Wow, it's so quiet in here!" I can't remember the last time I had a quiet shopping experience in China. Can I just say "Yeah for America style shopping!"? :)

So, I didn't do much sight seeing in Seoul, I didn't hit the pavement to learn about Korean history or culture and I didn't eat any Korean food. But, I did have a great time that weekend! Lee and I saw Avatar (my first movie in a theatre in 8 months) on the world's largest IMAX screen. Great Movie!

Another great example of Engrish at it's finest! This fine specimen was in the taxi.

So maybe on my next trip to Korea I will take some tours, see some culture, learn something new. But for this go round - my thanks to the service members at Yongsan Army Base for providing me with a little slice of America to satiate my need for a little bit of home. I think I can make it 5 more months 'til our next trip stateside!

Chicken Fingers Part II

2010-02-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

Again, I am obsessed with taking pictures at the supermarket. I have no earthly idea why I just can't stop myself, but it's true. Maybe it's because in general I am obsessed with food... who knows. Anyway, after my original chicken fingers post, I was in yet another supermarket and came across some fun (or disgusting) varieties of chicken feet... Hope you've got an appetite! These babies are bound to have you comin' back for more!

These little tasties are pickled in some sort of brine and have hot peppers.

Here's another variety of pickled chicken feet. Mmmmmm, it's delicious!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Feet

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Ok, obviously not chicken feet, but worth the post.

Chicken Fingers - The Real Deal!

2010-01-30T23:20:00.000-08:00

I am sort of compelled to take pictures at the grocery store. I know, it sounds sort of crazy, but I just can't help myself. My most recent find are the most lovely, delectable chicken fingers. Normally, Chili's has my absolute favorite chicken fingers in the world, but these are quite tempting. Who knows, maybe I've found a new favorite!

This one looks like it doesn't want to be eaten! I think it's giving me the bird (no pun intended!).

Then again, maybe I'll just go for the whole bird!

My little sickie

2010-01-30T22:46:00.000-08:00

Last night I woke up about 2 am to tinkle and get a banana. I walked past the couch to find my little Cooper. He had pulled the cushions from the back of the couch down a little (flat on the seat of the couch) and was sleeping on top with my scarf and coat wrapped around him. At his feet I found my little Evie sleeping perpendicular, also on top of the cushions that should have been vertical... she was sleeping with her legs thrown over the back of the couch and her body angled so her head was almost falling off the front of the couch. I tried to find the camera, because they were just too cute, but couldn't get the picture taken. Anyway, I made my way back to bed for what I thought was going to be a restful night. About 2 hours later, Cooper made his way into our bedroom, puked at the foot of the bed (luckily on the floor) and then again on the floor NEXT to the toilet. I helped him clean up, fed him a little banana and water and put him back to bed. At 6 am I found him puking again, on the floor next to the toilet (I really gotta teach that kid the right way to have a good puke!).

So, daddy stayed home with the little puker and I took Ally and Eve to church. I hate it when my kids are sick! It just makes me sad... Cooper asked me at the table this afternoon, after watching the family have homemade waffles (no mix involved in our family!), "Mommy, is it ok to eat waffles when your tummy's mad?" Poor little guy...

Here's a picture of my sickie asleep on the couch:

Simple Pleasures

2010-01-29T01:40:00.000-08:00

I have been told that I don't post often enough and. I have to admit that this is true. It isn't due to lack of time, because I have plenty of free time. It isn't due to lack of material- for China is truly full of writing material. I think the source of my lack of posting is that I fear I will bore my readers with my completely normal life. My sister in law recently started blogging and posts almost daily. She is an excellent writer and is always full of interesting things to say. I realized that just as I enjoy and look forward to reading her posts, many others might enjoy reading more about my day to day life. It doesn't have to be a huge event to warrant a blog entry.

So my topic today is the simple, pure, uncontaminated, unblemished joy of motherhood. Last night I was talking to Rebecca (my sister in law) on the phone. She had called me from the car as she was dropping her little ones off at school. As I listened to her say goodbye to Nigel and Emmaline, I had a moment of clarity, a moment in time that reminded me of just how much I love my little ones. As I heard Rebecca saying "Goodbye, I love you, have a great day!", I could actually feel her smiling at her kids as she said good bye. What I realized is that one of my favorite parts of my day is sending my kids off to school. More importantly, I realized just why I love that part of my day. It isn't because I get the whole day to myself, although that is a bonus... It isn't because I can finally have my own quiet thoughts when they are gone and it isn't because I don't have to listen to the constant little altercations that happen about every 1.5 minutes when they are home. I realized at that moment, that I love sending my little ones out each day to experience a fresh new day... a day, as Anne of Green Gables would say, with no mistakes in it. I love giving them my love, sending them with a prayer and a smile, encouraging them to learn great things, to nurture great friendships. It's the idea that they will accomplish something that day, whether big or small, that they can't accomplish with me. I love the excitement they feel as they leave my safe nest and venture out to school. There is the very real chance that they will come home sad from a hard day or disappointed from a heartbreak. They might get hurt at school or get sick during the day, maybe have a fight with a friend or get frustrated with a teacher. But..... maybe they will make a new friend that day, maybe they will try something new, learn a new trick during recess, or create some wonderful art project. I am thrilled each day as they set out to explore and learn, thrilled at the prospect of who they will become, how their experiences will shape them forever.

I've heard that it's the simple pleasures in life that are the most important. May tomorrow bring you simple pleasures.

Green What?

2010-01-20T02:03:00.000-08:00

With my new goal of completing a triathlon in May of this year, I've decided that one great way to ensure success is to clean up my eating habits. All of you reading this are bound to think "Oh great, Kitty's going to announce the world, again, that she's given up Diet Coke." For all of you who might have thought this - YEAH RIGHT, GET REAL!!! I've realized that I just don't think that's going to happen. So, I need to be extra diligent in eating well to ensure great health and to minimize injuries along the way. I've vowed over and over again to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, but always fall back into the habits of my favorite thing in life - BREAD. I LOVE BREAD and can't seem to get the fresh salads in when there's great bread in the house. I had heard about green shakes before, probably from my mom, so I decided to look into it. What could it hurt? Right? So, I got adventurous, googled green shakes, read lots of recipes and then ventured to the vegetable market for some supplies. Before I tell you how it turned out, here's what I put into my blender/juicer:

1 medium carrot
1 banana
5 mandarin oranges (fresh)
1 cup cold water

several ice cubes
flax seed
a little splenda for good measure
1/2 lb fresh raw spinach

My kitchen is a disaster, there's chunks of carrots all over the place! But guess what?! It's fabulous! You wouldn't believe how great it tastes. I came in to Cooper, had him close his eyes and give it a try. He even liked it! I have found the answer to eating my veggies! Wohoo!

Sea Trials

2010-01-17T22:45:00.000-08:00

So, I'm copying my sister in law's post (sorry Rebecca). My brother is off to Wisconsin for a business trip and she posted the pros and cons of having a husband gone. I liked the post, so here's my version:

Lee's out on sea trials on a ship he's been working on since August and he'll be gone for nine days. Here's what I like about being a temporary single mom:

1.) We get to eat cereal, pb&j's and Ying's fried rice anytime we want without worrying about setting the table or having more than 2 main courses for dinner.
2.) We get to go to Papa John's for dinner! Lee hates Papa John's Pizza and the kids and I love it!
3.) I can sleep in the middle of the bed with my dog and not run out of covers!

Here's what I hate about Lee being gone:

1.) My best friend's not here to share my day with.
2.) My bed gets lonely really fast without my sweet snoring man on the other side.
3.) No hubby to sit with at church or text with during the third hour of church!
4.) No daddy to tuck in the kids at night, or to waveboard with around the house.

So, while the cat's away, the mice will play - the house will probably get messy, we'll order too much pizza and eat at McDonald's too much... but you know we'll be counting the days down 'til Daddy gets home!

Working Towards a Goal

2010-01-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

It's the new year and time for goal setting, right? I've been struggling to come up with some good goals for the year. A few weeks ago a friend's husband suggested that his wife and I train for a triathlon together. My initial response was "Are you joking?" However, the idea just kept nagging at me. So, I started exploring the idea and just couldn't let it go! I found a great website with free training plans for beginners and I'm off and running, literally! I have 16 weeks to train, and then off to Nanjing for the big race on May 30th. I am so excited! I am a pretty competitive person by nature, just ask anyone who knows me! :) My training schedule has me training in each event twice a week, and working up over 16 weeks to a 800 m swim, 24 km bike ride and 10 km run. I'm supposed to do all that in 2 hours 30 minutes. AGH!!

Today I ran 5.5 km in 40 minutes, so I guess I have some work to do to get ready! Stay posted for updates on my crazy goal!

Shennong Stream

2010-01-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

During our Yangtze River Cruise, we took a wonderful day trip up the Shennong Stream. We disembarked from our river cruise boat and boarded a smaller boat which took us most of the way to the stream. The views were absolutely breathtaking. I know that our pictures don’t do it justice, but I hope you can catch some of the wonder of our trip. We were on the smaller boat, which held about 100-125 people, for about an hour. We then moved to canoes that carried about 15 people and were rowed by a crew of 6 men. The scenery was so beautiful that it was more a spiritual experience for me than one of touristic nature. As we moved along, watching the countryside and mountains pass, my testimony of the heavens was strengthened and deepened.

It was really fun to see these goats on the mountainside. I hope you can see them. Note the brilliant color of the water in the first picture. When it is not overcast, the water is an even deeper jade green. This stream was used by the Badong people to transport goods between villages. Before they built the dam, the stream was 30 feet lower, and rather shallow. Below is a picture I found taken before the flooding of the gorges. Note the major differences between the picture I found online and the pictures we took.

These were before the flooding of the gorge. Here’s a view of what it looks like now:

We took the above picture from our boat. Each boat had 6 men rowing and as we went along, the men started up a competition between boats to see who could go the fastest. Watching them row was almost painful! Long ago, when these boats were the main source of transportation for the villages and when the stream was shallow (before the dam) the men would row naked. When the stream got too shallow they would get out and pull the boats using ropes. It was explained to us that they worked without clothing because their homespun cloth was so rough that when it got wet it would chafe and rub their skin raw. Here’s a picture of what it used to be like:

Aren’t you glad that’s not your job? Our tour guide on the boat was a pretty girl in her early twenties. She sang a few of the old folksongs for us, which was very captivating. As we rowed through the gorge it was almost silent, except for the sound of the oars quietly slapping the water. We were so far from civilization that there were no sounds of airplanes overhead, no sounds of trucks passing nearby or even the sound of a small engine chugging through the water. There were probably about 15 of us on the canoe and for a time we were all quiet, just taking in the beauty of God’s creation. Then, as our tour guide began to sing, I felt oddly small and insignificant. She sang a duet with the oldest rower, who was about 70 years old and actually not rowing. It was a love song, sung in call and response between the two. She was standing at the front of the boat, and he at the back. Wow! It is so easy to get hung up on all the cultural differences that we experience daily. But as I listened to this love song, so different from our culture, yet oddly the same, I realized that we really aren’t different at all, but merely all our Heavenly Father’s children. We were able to capture this beautiful girl as she sang to us.

After we returned from our canoes to the small boat that would take us back to the river cruise boat, I felt a quite peace that remained with me all day. The following pictures are just more of the amazing scenery that we encountered that day.

I have so many wonderful pictures that it is really hard for me to choose which ones to post. I think I will have to stop here and hope that I have been able to share the serenity and beauty of this place with you. It really was my favorite part of our whole China tour. These last three pictures are of my very favorite things in the whole wide world (not in order of preference!):

My three gorgeous kids!

Here’s my two favorite guys in the whole world!

(My mom once asked Cooper “Why are you wearing your daddy’s face?”… he was really confused!)

Yangtze River Cruise Part 2

2010-01-07T02:36:00.000-08:00

Here's the next installment on our river cruise adventure. I wish we had taken some pictures of the cabins and inside views of the boat, but we didn't, sadly. The whole time we were on the boat I felt like we were staying in a glorified double wide trailer! It was nice enough, but still very Chinese. For example, under the low grade berber carpet, you could feel the welding seams of the deck! Some places were actually dimpled and our whole stateroom was kind of on a tilt. We upgraded our room, for a nominal fee, of course. I can't imagine what our original cabins would have been like to stay in! Our staterooms were on the highest deck, just under the sundeck, which meant that we got to hear all the feet of everyone who took a trip topside. We also were in the very very front of the boat and had a sitting room with bulkhead to bulkhead ( ok, in common language that's wall to wall) windows with a great view of everything.

So here are a few pictures from the Three Gorges that we passed through. There were so many amazing views. If you are interested in seeing more pictures, you can go to our picasa site and check them out at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lkcannon1 .

One of our absolute favorite things about the river cruise was getting to see all the little villages along the way. It was so neat (for lack of a better word) to see how the rest of China lives. We are so sheltered in Shanghai because it is so urban. After we got back from our trip, a long time China expat, who has been in China for 8 years (I think) and has travelled extensively, said to me that she was glad that I finally got to see the real China. I can't imagine living the way these people live, just surviving must take every ounce of strength and every bit of living breath to make it day to day. How blessed we are! What a sheltered and fortunate life we live!

I hope you have enjoyed some of my favorite pictures from our trip. I will probably add two more postings sharing our river cruise experience. Stay tuned....

Chinese Doctors

2010-01-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

So, this is a short little blurb about something funny that happened to me today at the OB/GYN's office. I went in for my annual female check up. First off, the heat was out, on a cold 35 degree morning, so getting up on that table was a bit chilly. After the visit, the doctor sits down to talk to me about the exam. She says that everything looks normal, except that she couldn't seem to get a location on my IUD. I am starting to hyperventilate at this point... she goes on to say that she had a patient who had 3 children (like me) and due to the looseness of her cervix, the IUD had shifted and she got pregnant. My breathing shifts into overdrive at this point. Then she says "Over the next few months, when you get a chance, you should make an appointment for an ultrasound so we can verify the placement of your IUD." OK, anyone see anything wrong with this picture???!!! I am thinking, "How about we do that ultrasound NOW?!?!??!" Of course, this is China and I have to make an appointment, not at the front desk where I checked in, but over the phone, for a new appointment to do that.

I'll keep ya posted!

Fall Trip Part 3

2010-01-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

FINALLY!!!! Part 3 of our fall trip!! The moment you've all been breathlessly waiting for is here! I got a little distracted with all the holidays, but the kids are back to school and I am FOCUSED! That's right Ernie, you have to fucus, fucus, fucus....(imagine a Mexican accent trying to say focus and you get the point.)

We boarded our riverboat in Chongqing, and after being pretty tired we were ready to hit the rack when we got to the ship. There were very few children aboard the cruise. I only remember seeing one or two other children, one of which just happened to be in the cabin right next to the kids' cabin and also just happened to be Cooper's age. I'll post a few pictures of her later. Our seating was assigned in the dining hall and we sat each night with the family next door, so Cooper got to be pretty good friends with this cute little Chinese girl.

Here's a picture of our great riverboat. Check out the sophisticated gangway! All free floating planks with no railing at all! Super Safe! We took the cruise from Chongqing to Yichang, spending three nights and 4 days on the boat, passing through the Three Gorges and through a set of dam locks. Really cool stuff! I think this was my personal favorite segment of our tour of China. Unfortunately, the trip was really foggy and we have considered taking the cruise again in the late spring, or just taking a camping trip because the scenery was truly breathtaking. I'll include some pictures of what we saw along the way. Many of the buildings that you will see look uninhabited, but have folks living in them.

The kids had an absolute blast! They had their own cabin and felt like Grown Ups. They had total free run of the boat too! The boat had two game rooms, one with mahjang tiles and video games and another with card games and chess, chinese checkers, etc. These kids OWNED that boat! They made lots and lots of friends over the 4 days that we were there. There were a few tourists groups aboard, one of which was primarily Americans and Canadians. Two couples in that group were young grandparents with grandkids the same age as our kids and both couples fell in love with our kids. Ally learned to play chess on the cruise and I discovered her playing chess with one of the grandpas while the wife played connect four with Eve and Cooper. We actually ended up on the same flight from Yichang to Shanghai at the end of the cruise.

Cooper, like always, won the heart of every Chinese female staff on the boat. One evening Cooper asked if he could return to his cabin because he was done eating. Lee and I finished dinner about 5 minutes later and decided to go make sure he made it to the room. We went up one deck and spotted one of the beauty salon workers, who looked as if she was hiding something - she looked like a kid with her hand in the cookie jar. Upon closer inspection, this is what we found:

What a crack up! Cooper came to breakfast one morning and the table next to us, the one with the American/Canadian tourist group, all said in unison "Good morning, Cooper". Cooper, in shock and amazement, said "How do you know my name?". They replied that EVERYONE knew his name! Here he is with all the entertainment staff that ran the bar and shows onboard:

We passed some truly amazing countryside along the way. We also passed something that both Lee and I found to be beyond comprehension. Lee had been told that there are shipyards all over China, on the riverbanks of major rivers. Here's some pictures of the "shipbuilding" efforts in some parts of China.

I don't know how much you can see in these pictures, because of the fog and the quality of Blogger, but they are basically building a ship with no drydock, out in the open, with the ship on rollers so they can push it down the hill when they are done. Mindblowing!

Here's a picture of our cute kiddos hanging out topside:

We really enjoyed the river trip. I still have tons and tons of great pictures to post, but I think I'll start a new post with pictures from the Three Gorges, the dam locks, and the Shenong Stream, which was phenomenal! Look for more posts in the upcoming future! I'm out of time today, but don't want to put off posting what's here already.

The Tale of the Three Trees

2009-12-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

Our home teachers came over last night and shared the most wonderful Christmas story with us. I had never heard it before but it was really moving and touched my heart. I would like to share the book with you.

The Tale of the Three Trees

A traditional Folktale retold by Angela Elwell

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first lettle tree looked up at the stars twinkling like diamonds above him. "I want to be covered with gold and filled with preciouse stones. I will be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. "I want to be a strong sailing ship," he said. "I want to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings. I will be the strongest ship in the world!.

The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and busy women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave this mountaintop at all," she said. "I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me they will raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world!"

Years passed. The rains came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.

The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and siad, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest," thought the first tree. "I shall hold wonderful treasure."

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters," thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship fit for kings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me," he muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brough him to a carpenter's shop, but the busy carpenter was not thinking about treasure chests. Instead his workworn hands fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once-beautiful tree was not covered with gold or filled with treasure. He was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took him to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ships were being built that day. Instead the once-strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. Too small and too weak to sail an ocean or even a river, he was taken to a little lake. Every day he brought in loads of dead, smelly fish.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" the once-tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted to do was stay on the mountaintop and point to God." Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him," her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveller and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveller fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. He knew he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry, jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.
But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled beneath her, the third three knew that God's loved had changed everything. It had made the first tree beautiful. It had made the second tree strong, And every time people thought if the third tree, they would think of God.

That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

At this most wonderful time of year, we turn our hearts to Christ. We celebrate His birth, His life and His gift to us. I we can share His message of peace and love with those around us. Merry Christmas!

Crafting in China

2009-12-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

It's the Christmas season again, and I am happy to report that my yearly tradition of card making is alive and kicking here in China. Last year I went to a friend's house and used all her supplies to make cards. Thanks Melanie Bang for helping out last year! But, she was busy that day and I just sat making cards alone watching Ugly Betty. It was nice, but a little lonely. This year I decided that it just wouldn't do to be all alone making my cards. In the States, every year I would go to a Stamp a Stack with my great friend Jacqui. I miss you Jacqui! So, this year, in honor of Jacqui and all our fun times stamping, I got a small group of friends together to work on cards. Even though we couldn't bring Sonic drinks for each other, I have the good taste to associate with lots of Diet Coke drinkers. We stamped, ate pizza and pasta from Pasta Fresca restaurant, and had a great time talking and laughing. I had a new friend come from PuXi (an hour from where we live). I had never met her before, but we had a blast and I look forward to lots of fun stamping sessions in the future with Catherine.

(Ok, I have to write this. Cooper, who is now 4, just came in totally naked yelling "It's wipey time Mom. I'm done pooping!" then "Mom, did you hear that slurpy sound? That was my poop coming out!" I am totally dying right now and just had to share!)

Anyway, here are some fun pictures from our day. Vanna is the tall brunette from Italy. Maya is the cute Japanese American doll with her sweet little daughter Rhianne. Catherine is our new friend sitting with me and Vanna. We are going to start a monthly crafting club because we had such a great time!

Kitty, Vanna and Catherine

Whew! What a mess!

Maya, Rhianne and Brescia the Dog

Cannon Fall Family Trip Installment #2

2009-11-22T23:36:00.000-08:00

Here's installment #2 of the Cannon Fall Family Trip. After our rather full trip to Beijing, we enjoyed a little slower pace in Xi'an. Upon landing, we found that the lovely weather we had in Beijing was to be enjoyed no more. We exited the small airport in a light, constant drizzle. In Beijing we were met at the airport by our tour guide and all 7 of us were escorted to a 10 passenger van, which took us all around to the sights. We expected the same reception in Xi'an and were surprised when our guide led us through the foggy, dark and damp parking lot to a 20-25 passenger bus! The kids thought they were in Disney Land! They ran up and down and all around. After we got on our way, again to our surprise, the guide pulled out a microphone and began to tell us all about Xi'an and what we would be doing in our next 2 days. Again, the kids were thrilled. (The tour guide actually let the kids play with the microphone the next day, much to the adults great discomfort and annoyance!)

Our first stop was an ancient village which had been discovered and excavated, and I believe is about 3000 years old. The adults were impressed but the kids didn't see what all the fuss was about. We saw some old home sights and old grave sights.

An ancient grave site.

At that point it was about 11:30 am and the tour guide informed us that our next stop would be the Terracotta Warriors factory, which was just 45 minutes away and that we would be there for an hour and then on to lunch. I took one look at my kids and in laws, thought about my hungry tummy and how I knew the kids wouldn't last that long, and informed the guide that we would have to eat before the factory. She didn't really understand why the 8, 7 and 4 year olds wouldn't last until 1:30 pm. (Of course, everyone who knows me knows there's no way I would last that long either!). So she took us to a Chinese food tourist trap with horrid buffet food that everyone tried our best to muddle through.

The Terracotta Warriors factory was interesting enough, but mostly just a place to sell tourists expensive Chinese crap... OK, stuff. Lee and I have been waiting to invest in just the right "China" memento, so we fell victim to the factory and purchased a great warrior that stands about 4 feet high. He's pretty cool! The only other interesting thing to include here are the kids posing as warriors.

Each child chose a small warrior to purchase. Eve was very, very careful in her selection!

Aren't they all so CUTE???!!!

On to, in reality, the only reason to visit Xi'an... the Terracotta Warriors. Lee was sooooo excited to see this amazing exhibit. We were amazed when we learned that all the warriors on exhibit were found in broken and crushed and painstakingly reconstructed piece by piece. Each warrior takes between 2-3 MONTHS to put back together. Can you imagine the patience required to restore this amazing find? Rather than list what might be false information, I went to Wikopedia and this is what I found about the Terracotta Army:

"The Terra Cotta Army (simplified Chinese: 兵马俑; traditional Chinese: 兵馬俑; pinyin: bīngmǎ yǒng; literally "soldier and horse funerary statues") are the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China. The terracotta figures were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the second Ming Emperor. (Chinese: 秦始皇陵; pinyin: Qín Shǐhuáng Líng). The figures vary in height (183–195 cm - 6ft–6ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include strong warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 100 chariots with 400 horses and 300 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.[1]"

Here's the first pit we saw. Really amazing!

Close up of part of the pit.

Here's the farmer that discovered the warriors.

If you are interested, you can read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army. I really enjoyed everything I learned while I was there. The kids remained interested for longer than I expected. We were there for about 2 hours and they did pretty well. Actually, us womenfolk were totally over it and ready to move on after about an hour!

That night our tour guide graciously informed us that our dinner would be a buffet of steamed dumplings filled with lots of lovely kinds of meat like fish and who knows what. She was really excited to share that all the dumplings were shaped to look like different things, like little pigs and such. As delicious as that sounded, we politely informed her that we would prefer to eat at Pizza Hut. She was surprised and amazed that we would turn down such a delightful feast. We assured her that as disappointed as we were, we would manage quite well at Pizza Hut, thank you very much.

Some examples of dumplings... can be tasty in small doses, but a whole buffet worth???

In Shanghai, we are blessed with many many English speaking Chinese in the service industry. Usually, if I can't get by in Mandarin, there is someone who can muddle through it in about equally limited English. Xi'an, however, is much smaller than Shanghai. There were no English speakers to be found in Pizza Hut! I was very nervous, as the entire group was relying on me to order the meal and get every one's special "with this, but without that" and "half cheese, half meat lovers" properly ordered. To my relief, our meal miraculously arrived as ordered and more importantly (because who knows if what I am saying is what I intend to communicate) as desired by all members of the group! Yeah! Whew!

The next morning we fought the fog and wished for better weather. We toured the city wall of Xi'an, which is quite old and has been reconstructed. We spent a brief time on the wall, then headed to the mall to buy some warm clothes for the kids and Grandma. After that we were off to the airport for another scintillating meal of crappy Chinese food. We have really come to appreciate Ying's cooking! We came home and told her how happy we were that she was cooking again!

Here we are on the City Wall of Xi'an with our tour guide.

Stay tuned for the third and final chapter of the Cannon's Fall Family Trip!

Beijing in the Fall

2009-11-12T01:03:00.000-08:00

We are so thrilled that Lee's parents could come visit us last month! Dave and Ginna arrived the last week of September and stayed until the end of October. We really enjoyed having them here. We took a fantastic family trip and toured China for 9 days. First, we hit Beijing, touring the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, the Temple of Heaven, Tiananman Square and the Forbidden City. Whew, what a trip! We were in Beijing for 3 days and two nights and we filled all of our time touring around and seeing the sights. The Great Wall was so fantastic, but so crowded. Here's a great display of just how crowded it was.

We had beautiful weather in Beijing with clear skies that we rarely enjoy in Shanghai. We ate lots of traditional Chinese meals, actually too many for our tastes. After a few not so great meals, we opted for McDonald's! The kids were thankful. One thing we love about China is that McDonald's soft serve ice cream cones are about $.35, so we always get ice cream when we go!

Here we are at a Chinese Dinner - which totally sucked, by the way!

We had a really tough time getting a good family picture on the Great Wall. There were so many people because we went during a national holiday. We knew it would be crowded, but it was our chance to go. We took a cable car up the mountain, which was a harrowing experience for me. I am fearless in many respects, but I HATE heights! Here's a view from inside our car as we are ascending the mountain.

Beijing was so great and there is so much to tell and so many pictures to show. We went to the Forbidden City, which was totally huge! If any of you have seen Disney's Mulan, the Forbidden City is in the scene with the Emperor, when Mulan comes to warn them that the Huns are still alive. It was really fun to stand there with the children and have them recognize where we were!

The Forbidden City

I loved these guards - having to be so serious!

I could show a million pictures of our trip, but I think I'll have to end here. We did so many fun things that it is hard to cover it all. I think I will do a few more separate postings on our Fall trip, so stayed tuned for more amazing travel reports from the Cannon Family in China!

So it's been ages.....

2009-08-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

So it's been ages and ages since I posted and I don't even know where to begin. I think that instead of trying to backtrack and cover the whole summer, I will just start fresh today. Maybe you'll get some out of order posts later if I get around to it!

Yesterday was Cooper's 4th birthday. He was soooo excited to be "Big Enough". He spent all day telling me what he is big enough to do now that he is 4. First, he said that he is "Big Enough" to go out of the neighborhood by himself. Unfortunately I had to correct that misconception, much to his dismay. Later he told me he was "Big Enough" to play Webkinz World. After that it was "What AM I "Big Enough" to do now?", as if turning 4 magically changed him overnight into a new and improved, more responsible, taller and all around BIGGER boy. He's growing up too fast!

We went to Johnny Moo's for dinner, per the birthday boy's instructions. We took Dorothy Butters with us, who is Cooper's bestest friend. Dorothy's mom, Tracey, decided that since they were well chaperoned it didn't quite count as a "date". Dorothy did, however, come dressed in her best party dress for the occassion. Here are some fun pictures we took:

Cooper is well known at Johnny Moo's. He always makes friends wherever he goes! The manager loves Cooper and always gives him suckers when we go.

Dorothy Butters has got to be one of the cutest kids I have ever met!

At least one of the kids ate their meal.

Cooper was proud to have his name on the birthday board.

The lego table at Johnny Moo's holds some secret draw that no other lego table can beat. For some reason the kids love legos at Johnny Moo's but don't play with them anywhere else! We have legos at home - not as interesting.....

May/June Birthday Lunch

2009-06-09T02:15:00.000-07:00

Every two months we have a birthday lunch to celebrate all the Relief Society Sister's birthdays from that month. Here's a fun picture of several of us at Taylia Olsen's house.