Not today!

Quick update...today was not the day I would pick for Lucy to start having diarrhea and throwing up!  She has only thrown up once and it was 4 hours ago, so hoping maybe there won't be too much more tonight.  But she also had a fever.  Our flight takes off in less than 8 hours...would LOVE prayers that she recovers completely and no one else comes down with this bug while we are traveling.  Thank you.

Winter goodbye, hello sunshine!

They say this has been the coldest winter here in 30 years. I believe it.  We have had stretches of weeks on end where it did get above freezing.  Weeks!  I am from the south and this cold cold winter is not my thing.  Mostly, I have been staying inside. But staying inside with 3 small children has other issues that come with it.  So, despite the fact that traveling for almost a month with 3 small children is not small feat, I am excited.  Excited to be warm, to be able to go out, to not have to spend 30 minutes getting everyone bundled up to go anywhere.  Excited to drink mango smoothies and eat red curry.  Even though my husband has some big responsibilities and will not be around much for the next 10 days, I am excited.   Do pray for safe travel on Friday (Thursday night USA time...5:50 pm..yes it is an early flight!) and for good transition for the kids.

 Chris has been giving final exams in his English classes...as well as having end of the semester parties. The boys went to one and were very popular, as you might imagine.

Bennett...is a nut.  So many times lately Chris and I have just shaken our heads and laughed at this guy.   The things he says and does are just hilarious and funny and sometimes really rebellious and not so funny.  He mis-hears things and mis-prounouces them many times a day.  He comes up with the funniest things too. Last night he slept in his underwear and pretty much wore that all day today. Despite the aforementioned record cold weather we have been having. Not really sure what he is doing in this picture.

 Some friends' of ours spent the week at Jason and Angie's place...so we got to see them a good bit too. They were here for pizza night...Jaden is about 6 months older than Lucy and they actually played together.

 And all the kids LOVED to play and wrestle with Bryan Shu Shu.  Guess who's pigu is the one showing at the top of the pile? I just bought him a one piece...shorts and shirt connected...bathing suit so we would not look at his rear for the next month.  Just cannot keep his pants up...for lack of a bottom.

 A and B have been home from school and actually been playing together rather well, despite the bickering that erupts every 30 minutes (or sometimes 3 minutes) or so.  Here they were playing "butterflies".  They started as caterpillars, emerged from their cocoons as butterflies and then flew the world.  Literally, this is Bennett butterfly on an airplane (guess his wings couldn't carry him that far) watching his personal video screen while traveling from America to China.  And then on to Thailand.  Yep, these boys have traveled!

Austin Butterfly on his seat on the plane.

The oldest 4 in our family all got haircuts this week, Taobao summer clothes and suits have all arrived, poor Chris has exams to grade and music to prep but we are getting ready.