Oh the Places You'll Go

So when I got home from getting Cora her 2-month shots today (yuck!), there was this interesting package waiting on my doorstep.  If my heart could leap for joy over an item, I swear it would over this... :)  (And my heart can leap for joy over an item. I was downright giddy.)

So, what might this odd-shaped package contain?  Here's a hint... you can find its likeness in the picture below...

About a year and a half ago, we went and visited a good friend of ours in Zhejiang province.  It was rice harvesting time in the countryside, and everywhere we looked, there were farmers with these giant baskets.  I have this odd penchant for the everyday items farmers use... if I were a Mongolian nomad, I might be thrilled with a plow disc or a John Deere tractor.  And it isn't the first time that I fell in love with a farmer's basket...

So, I asked one of the farmers if I could buy his basket.  He wanted $100.  I laughed.  At the next bend in the road, our (Chinese) friend asked a different farmer if he could buy the basket.  The guy looked at him like he was a wee bit crazy, but said sure... and sold it to us for about $3.

It had been used by his family since the mid-1990s, as evidenced by the writing on the side of the basket.  It also had his family name painted on it, and to me it looked positively amazing.

But then there was the challenge of getting it home.  I checked it on the airplane.  I didn't have a box big enough for it, so I just showed up at the airport with my basket and was sent to the oversized baggage area by an incredulous ticket agent.  The old guy at oversized baggage was bent over laughing when he saw the foreigner with the farming basket... he laughed so hard he cried, which is an unusual thing for a stoic Chinese gentleman.  I was a little embarrassed, but the basket was totally worth it...

By the time we got to Beijing, Jacob had his exit route carefully planned out.  He made a beeline for McDonald's and left me to "get the baggage."  But really he just didn't want to be there for the moment when my basket came tumbling down the luggage carousel.  Sure enough, as it made its way around the belt, my fellow travelers were elbowing one another and whispering and pointing at the basket.  Who in the world would bring such a thing to the metropolitan city of Beijing?  The crazy foreigner, that's who...

So the basket sat in my apartment for the last year and a half... sadly, in a corner, as it was simply too huge to fit in our small living area.  But I schemed and dreamed about getting it home to America.  But it is HUGE!  Like 2 feet in diameter and nearly 2 feet tall!  We didn't have room in our luggage (though some suggested I pop Cora in it and claim it was my baby carrier), so I left it behind, hoping it could be shipped later but too practical to bite the bullet and pay over $100 in shipping fees for a $3 basket.

But then my dear friend Joan brought it home with her on the plane!  And though it technically exceeded the size restrictions, no one charged her anything. (yippeee!)  It arrived, safe and sound in Madison, WI carrying 50 lbs of her clothing.  She then wrapped it in plastic and popped it in the mail to me... and for about $17, I ended up with this on my porch today.

I am one happy gal.  Now, there's just one more item I'd love to get home from China... an amazing farmer's hat that is nearly 3 feet in diameter and made from straw.  It's incredible, and would make a great wall decoration!  Anyone interested in being a courier? :)

Goodbye China, Hello USA

Life back in China feels like a dream.  A foggy one, that I'm already starting to forget.  For me, it hasn't sunk in yet that we aren't going back.  It feels like just another trip home.  I think taking care of Cora helps to distract me.  Jacob seemed a little down yesterday, and when I asked him what was wrong he said the finality of our decision was starting to sink in.  I know it will happen for me... will it take a few days? Weeks? Months?  Will it hit me as I'm walking through the grocery store?  Or doing dishes?  I wonder what I'll do... it's not going to be easy, I know.

Little things amuse me.  We were in the grocery store and were waiting in line to checkout.  The cashiers were all busy, with one or two people in each line waiting.  My mother-in-law commented on how busy it was - and don't get me wrong, for our small town, it was busy.  But my mind immediately flashed back to the week before when I stood in line for 45 minutes behind about 10 people to check-out.  Busy-ness redefined.

Or at the airport in Seattle.  The train arrived and as I was waiting to get on, I felt an urge to inch forward to the doors before anyone had even exited the train.  I'm used to elbows and pushing, and suddenly I realized I was the only one preparing to push my way on.

I also find that overhearing others' conversations, and being able to understand all that they say, is distracting and sometimes surprising.  I'm probably going to become entirely too noisy.  Oh, and commercials on TV.  We never watched Chinese TV, so for the most part, I don't watch commercials.  (Except when I intentionally went online to watch the Superbowl commercials - my favorite? Darth Vader/VW.)  Suddenly I feel the same old pressure to make my life better, faster, and more indulgent.

So that's a taste of what coming home has been for me these last few days... but right now I want to record our last week, before it feels even more fuzzy and dream-like.

We spent lots of time with friends... meals, pictures, laughter, conversation.  My favorite moment?  When one of our friends told us that we'd need to bring Cora back in a few years, so she'd understand her "roots."  That made me smile...

Do you see that red envelope tucked into her blanket?  That's called "Hong Bao" (literally: red envelope)  It is a traditional gift... you put money in it, and give it to someone on a special occasion - a birth, wedding, Chinese New Year.  Cora got several Hong Bao to celebrate her arrival, and I saved them all...
thought it'd be neat for her to have someday.

We also gave Cora her first haircut.  I know, a little early, right?  I wouldn't have - if it weren't for the unfortunate mullet she was born with.  I still might have left it alone, but then I found out about a Chinese tradition where they cut a baby's hair and make a calligraphy brush from the trimmings.  I thought that seemed like a beautiful way to preserve her baby hair, so the night before we left, Cora got her first haircut.

We spent time at the foster home, too.  Saying last goodbyes to the children.  I promised Ethan that I'd try to see him when he comes to America with his family... if I can figure out where he lives.  I love this picture we took with Vincent.  He loved holding Cora, but sometimes he'd get distracted by something else, and she'd topple off his lap onto the couch.  It made me laugh, but it worried the nannies!  Doesn't he look as proud as punch to be holding a baby?  Robert had to check my belly one last time to make sure there was no baby still inside... I can't wait for all those little guys to join their families... I'm thrilled that they are all matched.

The trip home was tiring and long, but at the end waited our families.  Cora meets my parents tonight, but she already got to meet Jacob's parents (that's his mom down below).  We know it is good to be home with our families right now... good for all of us.

There are a few more pictures on facebook... but Cora wants to eat now, and there's no putting off a hungry baby.

A Hoppin' Poppin' Celebration

Get it? Hoppin' for the rabbit?  Poppin' for the fireworks.  I know, bad joke.  Someone should really stop me.

Would you believe that 3.5 years of living in China, and we'd never seen a Chinese New Year fireworks display until last night?  Shameful, I know.  One year we slept through it.  (Lame!)  And two years we weren't in the country.  This was our final chance, and we stayed up until midnight last night to ring in the Year of the Rabbit.

And wow.  The Chinese know how to do fireworks, that's all I have to say about that.  It is sheer over-the-top madness.  You can buy what would be considered professional-grade/for-the-experts-only fireworks on the street here.  And so every single household puts on a display rivaling your local city's Fourth of July celebration.  And they do it all at once.  It is 360 degrees (as in the whole horizon) of fireworks, and it is exhilaratingly spectacular for the sheer size and spectacle of it.  I LOVED it!

This video was shot a couple of years ago in central Beijing, but it pretty much sums up what we saw last night.

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In case you missed it, I have the good news of the year... ROBERT HAS A FAMILY!  His new name is Jace.  Robert has been on my heart for such a long time, and many of you have joined us in praying for his family to find him.  Yet again, God answered!  Just a few weeks ago, I was wondering why... and now Robert is joyfully celebrating his new family.


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A family who works at the foster home as house-parents for a group of older girls, the Rippees, are in the process of an adoption.  I've mentioned them before.  As you may know, all foreign workers at the foster home are volunteers, so the Rippees need some extra help funding their adoption.  Right now they have a t-shirt fundraiser underway... Maybe you want a new shirt?

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And last but not least - we are 8 days away from departure... we especially need your prayers right now, as we have a {sometimes} fussy infant, a sick daddy, a sleep-deprived mama, a torn-apart house, and a list of people we'd like to see before we go.  EEK!  It sounds worse than it is, actually... we're doing pretty well, but I know it's because so many people are praying for us.

I really need to take some time to write about how God is carrying me through this journey... hopefully will find a moment in the next day or so.  But until then, know this.  I'm actually EXCITED to go home, right now.  Still a little sad to be leaving {I'm sure there are many more tears to be shed in the next week}, but mostly excited about the "next chapter," whatever that is... and I'm learning more about God's faithfulness as we walk through this season of uncertainty...

In the Bag

So the baby bag has provided more amusing moments...

The beloved bag... 

Oh how we'll miss it when we go home to USA!  

(It's a friends; we're just borrowing it.)

The other morning, we were in a driver's car on the way to church.  We'd brought Cora in the bag, but when we pulled up in front of our friend's house, I took her out of the bag to hold her so that there'd be more room for them to sit.  (I know - horrifying that we don't use a car seat.  We would, but none of the drivers we know have seat belts in the back seat.  Seems better to hold her than to strap her into a seat that just becomes a projectile device in the event of an accident.) I asked Jacob to have the driver open the trunk so we could put the bag in.  The driver opened the trunk and turned to see what Jacob was getting from the backseat to put away.  When he saw Jacob pick up the zipped bag, a look of horror and shock spread across his face.

You could see him trying to conceal it a little bit... he already thinks we're a bit 'off' for carrying Cora in a bag instead of in a 12-inch-thick (no kidding) bundle of blankets.  (Have any of you seen the documentary Babies?  If not, you need to.  You know the Mongolian baby, and the way they bundle him up in preparation for the trip home from the hospital?  Well the Mongolians and Chinese share similar baby-bundling traditions.)  But back to the driver.  Though he, along with most others here, think the bag is strange and that foreigners have crazy child-rearing ideas, he usually lets it go.  But he would have none of this.

"Where's your baby?" He asked, in a semi-horrified voice.  I was sitting directly behind him so he didn't have a clear view of me holding Cora. Unfortunately for us, he didn't seem too surprised to see Jacob putting the bag in the trunk... a sort of "I-really-wish-they-wouldn't-do-this, but-I'm-not-surprised-that-they-do" kind of response.

We felt more than a little vindicated when we could point out that I was in fact holding our baby.  And not putting her in the trunk.  And then we all got a good laugh.  Turns out we aren't totally crazy foreigners.

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Kevin, Ganlu, and Cora

And then there was the other day at the office.  Yet again we took a sleeping Cora in her bag on the cold walk up to the office.  (We'd probably carry her more, but it's just so darn toasty in that bag, and Beijing winters are COLD!)  Jacob set her down on my old desk, but since she was soundly asleep and not stirring, the bag just looked very bag-like.  One of my co-workers, Kevin, turned to say hello to Jacob and me and asked, "Where's Cora?"

Realizing he hadn't yet encountered The Bag, I didn't miss a beat and said, "Oh, we left her at home."

"You what?" Kevin asked, with a look of incredulity.

"Well, she's asleep," I said.  "And we really needed to get out of the house.  I'm sure she's fine.  Le Le's there."

Kevin's eyes widened, as you could see him trying to decide just what to say in response.  Unable to keep a straight face any longer, I started laughing and told Kevin I was just kidding and that she was in the bag.

His response?

"Well, I saw the bag, but I never dreamed you'd put your baby in it!"

It is more reasonable that we'd leave her home, I suppose.  That's how we do things in America.

Update: An Unimaginative Title for an Unimaginative Post

Time flies.  Cora is almost 4 weeks old, and we're only 2 weeks from departure.  So much has happened these last few weeks... I'm sort of on autopilot.  Our excitement in going home is offset in our sadness over leaving... and we're left feeling a little numb.  Our anticipation about something new is offset by our fear of the unknown... and we're left feeling a little numb.  In spite of the numbness, I sense God giving grace/peace for each and every day.

Motherhood.  Wow.  It's overwhelming to me, in good ways and bad.  Cora's precious and beautiful, and I'm growing to love her deeply.  (I don't think I was one of those moms who bonded the minute I laid eyes on her... But, I know it is growing and those feelings are "overwhelming" in their own way.)  Some days I feel like I have it under control.  And then there are mornings like today, which find me dissolved in tears sitting on my bed staring at a baby I can't get to stop crying.  Jacob came down with a cold, and in an effort to keep Cora and me healthy, he's keeping a bit of distance.  I know it is for the best, but this morning it left me feeling very alone.  That's the other kind of "overwhelming" I feel... an "I can't do this, let's go back to the way it was before, what were we thinking" feelings.  This too shall pass, I know...

One of my fears was that having a baby would so alter Jacob's and my relationship that I wouldn't recognize it.  That hasn't happened, really.  It has been a big change, and we know that right now is the hardest part as we adjust and figure out a new normal (especially in the midst of all the other big changes), but I think now we have something bigger than ourselves to focus on.  We've been patient with each other and worked together as a team.  I know we can do this... and when I see him looking at her like this, my heart melts a little.

We've had to start saying goodbyes... Though we don't leave until Feb. 11, most everyone else has already left.  (At least our Chinese friends.)  They are all going to their hometowns for Chinese New Year.  And so the goodbyes began.  Most of them haven't been quite as hard as I imagine, mostly because I feel very deep down that I am not saying goodbye forever.  We will be back.  Maybe not to live, but certainly to see the people we love.  It's funny, we came for the children, we stayed for many other reasons, and as we leave, what we are most going to miss most are our friends.  Friends who have loved and cared for us in amazing ways... who have taught us the true meaning of "community" and showed us that independence isn't always the best way.

Meeting Alison, our oldest China friend.  (Not in age, but in length of time known...) :)

Alison's kids and their friend peek at Cora in her bag.

Cora meeting Nancy, who came to visit from Inner Mongolia.  Nancy was our Chinese teacher when we first arrived.

We got to have a girl's night before we left... some of my closest China friends.  Grace (foster home Chinese director), Debbie, Ganlu (foster home web designer), me, and the other Grace (foster home medical manager)

Yesterday they had a goodbye party for us at the foster home.  Everyone went around and shared memories, thoughts, and words of encouragement with us.  They had a powerpoint with pictures and video from our last three years in China, and then had a time of prayer and a meal.  It was precious.  The things people shared helped me see that we were able to make some kind of impact -- we'll never really know how big/small, and that's ok -- not only on the kids, but also on the staff and community.  It's funny, the things they said about us reflect the version of ourselves that we always aspire to be.  Compassionate, humble, servant-hearted, friendly and loving... they don't remember the days when we were self-serving, angry, arrogant, and unkind.  (And yes, there were plenty of those days.)  There was once a day I elbowed a pushing lady out of my way on a crowded bus... When she asked in an irritated voice what my problem was, I sarcastically retorted "What's yours?  Why are you pushing?"  (You should know that pushing is TOTALLY acceptable here... I was the only one irritated by it.)  If she'd been at the party, her memory of me wouldn't be the same as the other ones shared... I want to grow to be the kind of person who leaves the "aroma of Christ" in all circumstances and situations.  Not just in the ones where I'm "ON" and in "Christ-like" mode.  I guess I just don't want there to be an ON/OFF switch for that.  (How did I get on that from a general description of the party?  Oh well, blame my bone-tired momma brain.)

Letters and emails and notes and comments continue to pour in from so many of you... telling us that you're praying for us, sending us your love.  Offering help/support in things as diverse as baby supplies to places to live to job leads!  You're writing us words of encouragement and keeping us close to your hearts.  I can't express how much it means.  When I'm overwhelmed, I regularly take a deep breath, close my eyes, imagine all of you praying for us, and try to steady my heart on Him, remembering that those are the ones He keeps in perfect peace.  Thank you for journeying with us.

Every post needs a little icing, so here's Cora in one of her more awake moments.  Really this is for the grandparents, who rarely are able to Skype with us during her most awake times.

Not Yet!

Still no update of any substance.  So I bring you this picture, snapped by a friend of ours recently.  This was taken up at the office where they are doing some construction work.  And yes, he is taking a sledgehammer to the ledge he is standing on.  There's really nothing else that needs to be said about that... except perhaps: why!??  (If you've spent much time in China, sites like this won't surprise you too much.)

In baby news (since I know that's what everyone actually wants)... had another appointment today.  Baby is perfectly fine by all counts.  Just one laid-back babe.  But if he/she doesn't get moving on their own terms in the next two days, he/she will officially be handed an eviction notice Thursday morning.  I'm scheduled to go in at 8am Thursday morning for a hit of contraction juice (i.e. pitocin) to hopefully kick things into high gear.

It isn't my first choice.  I'd rather this kiddo get things moving on their own... but our doctor assures me that I'm a good candidate for this.  My body is showing lots of other signs of being ready to labor -- including lots and lots of contractions -- but they just aren't regular.  So she thinks in my case it'd probably serve as a trigger and not necessarily send us down a road with a lot of other interventions.

I just need to sit back and relax.  Maybe nature will still take over.  But if not, pitocin isn't the end of the world.  And it is nice to have an "end date" in my mind.  Keep praying for us!  We're going to need it these next few days!

(And yes, we will post something on here or on facebook as soon as we can!  They do have wireless at the hospital, so we should be able to inform you relatively quickly when we have news to share.)

Christmas in China

Merry Christmas everyone!  For those of you in the USA, you still have a few more hours to celebrate.  It's Sunday morning here, and I think Jacob and I need to recover a bit from the holiday celebrations.  We're hanging out at home today, playing with our dog and just resting.

We kicked things off with a Christmas Eve party at a friend's house here.  We joined about 20 other people around steamy bowls of hot pot and ate until we were stuffed.  It was pretty tasty, but the fellowship was even better.  Christmas in China can be pretty hard.  (I should know - this is the third one of the last four that we've spent here.  It's hard because you are so far from family and a culture that generally acknowledges it.  But it is the first one that I didn't spend at least part of the day crying!  So I'd say that's success.)  Anyway, because so many people are far from their own families and traditions, we do a pretty good job of coming together.  We've never been to so many Christmas parties as we have in China... and it helps make things feel a bit more like they should.

We started Christmas morning with a doctor's appointment.  Odd, I know.  But it isn't an official holiday here.  It was actually OK - I mean, if we're sitting around waiting on the baby anyway, it's kind of nice to feel like you are at least doing something productive in that department.  And the official verdict: wait some more!  Nothing much to report, other than increased weight gain (on my part), which I chalk up to the intense holiday baking I've been doing.  And, a baby that continues to be doing quite well and seems to be quite cozy, unfortunately.  (The cozy part - not the doing well part.)  We do know the child isn't deaf.  During the weekly non-stress test (standard operating procedure here in your last month), our little one was decidedly uncooperative.  The test monitors the baby's heart rate and ensures that it responds the way it should.  So, when it moves, the heart rate should climb and then fall again when it is still.  Well, our child wanted to sleep through the test, evidently. And no movement = no results.  So the nurse gets a metal cup and a metal medical instrument and starts banging them a few inches from my stomach.  Within about 10 seconds, the child was squirming.

No wonder he/she doesn't want to come out...

One thing I've learned through three Chinese Christmases is that I always miss the holiday meal.  I had my heart set on one this year, so after the doctor's appointment, Jacob and I treated ourselves to our own Christmas celebration.  We went to the Grand Millennium, a 5-star hotel in downtown Beijing, and gorged on enjoyed a beautiful Christmas buffet.  It wasn't quite the same as being at home, but the food was excellent and they had all the holiday must-haves... turkey, ham, prime rib, stuffing, gravy, etc.  We spent 1.5 hours just enjoying a quiet lunch and talking; we're really trying to make the most of these last days of "coupledom," for we know it will all change very, very soon.

Then we went home and did what people the world over do after eating too much.  We napped.  And then it was time to get ready for our next big party... another gathering at another friend's house.  This time everyone brought holiday-ish appetizers and drinks.  We made mulled wine and hot spinach artichoke dip with homemade sourdough bread.  Someone else made homemade summer sausage!  Can you imagine?  It was actually really, really good!  After hours of eating, talking, laughing, and playing games, Jacob and I came home and talked with some of our family.  (Hopefully we catch the rest of you this morning!)

It was a wonderful Christmas... though our celebrations did seem to involve way too much food.  I'm so thankful that we had a special day with so many people who we love.  Next year, when we're gathered around tables with our families, I'm sure part of me will be remembering this Christmas and wishing we could spend it with our friends here, too.

Well, that's all for now.  I'm going to go eat a piece of my yummy homemade pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream for breakfast.  That's perfectly normal right.  Hey, it did start out as fresh pumpkin, so really I'm having a vegetable for breakfast.

Merry Christmas to all!

What's Happening

Everyone loves pictures, right?  Well, I thought I'd share a few more photographs from our photo shoot with Amber.  And, pictures from the baby shower Amber hosted for us last weekend.  That's right -- more than 30 photos for your viewing enjoyment!  I'm not sure when the last time I posted so many pictures at once was...
Side note: Notice the central theme here is Amber.  Don't friends like Amber rock?  I feel particularly blessed, because I have women like this in my life in abundance!  

35 week checkup went well.  Doctor continues to tell me I'm the picture of health!  But, she did tell me that even though I feel good, I really need to take it easy these next couple of weeks.  I'm trying my best to listen.  Though I know I'm not huge, I seriously don't know how much bigger this child can get. I'm not sure there's room for both of us here.  Kinda ready for the next 5 weeks (give or take) to speed on by... though I am relishing my last taste of freedom and few responsibilities.

Unless you count walking this mutt every day.  That's real responsibility, right?

She's a weird dog.  She lounges about in odd poses like this.  It makes me laugh.

I don't think she knows how drastically her life is about to change.  That makes two of us.

So... what else... oh yes, back to baby shower.  We had a great time.  More than 40 ladies joined the fun.  There was a lot of laughter.  We ate, played shower-y games, and opened gifts.  Because we're leaving and have very limited suitcase space, and because showers aren't really a Chinese tradition and I didn't want all my Chinese friends to feel like they needed to buy us gifts, the focus of the shower was to bring a square of fabric.  We're going to make a quilt of all the various fabric... it will be the world's most visually stimulating quilt, but it will be full of many special memories.  (Which is far more important to me than receiving umpteen bibs.)  We did get a few necessities for the baby as well... some diapers, a few outfits, etc.  I think we're mostly set.  And so far, our apartment hasn't turned into baby-ville... which is just what I was going for.

I baked a cake today.  I even made up the recipe.  It was a chai spice cake, and I was so excited to try it.  I took it out of the oven, cut a steaming slice, handed a slice to my good friend Grace, took a bite, and realized... I forgot the sugar!  I was going to throw the cake away.  (It was very odd tasting.)  But Grace, who is Chinese, insisted on taking it home with her.  Later she texted and said she and her roommate loved it.  I think that's a little odd, considering the way the concoction tasted, but the Chinese aren't that crazy about sugar, so I guess it is plausible.  It's also plausible that she was just being really, really nice.

And all was not lost... actually half the batter hadn't yet baked, so I tossed in some sugar and some extra spice and baked it and voila... sugar craving fulfilled!  (And this time, Jacob didn't throw away half the piece I cut for him.)

Tomorrow morning I'm making sweet potatoes for 50+ children at the foster home for their annual Thanksgiving feast.  This is my third year to do the sweet potatoes.  My favorite part is that the nannies always think they must be healthy since they are sweet potatoes and willingly give the kiddos seconds (and thirds).  I don't tell them that they probably have more sugar than the pumpkin pie.  Figure the kids need a good sugar rush now and again.

We'll be eating our Thanksgiving meal on Friday.  And, we do get the full works... turkey, stuffing, etc!  I'm soooo excited.

Speaking of Thanksgiving and being thankful... You guys make my list!  I've so enjoyed reading the comments and encouragement you've given after our last post.  Having such a warm and loving community definitely makes the prospect of our transition more exhilarating and exciting and less frightening and overwhelming.  We love you guys.  Please keep praying for us.

And with that, I'm off to bed.  G'night!

Life Keeps Moving

This is one of those weeks when I'm acutely aware of the things I miss by living on the other side of the world. Take my "little" brother Daniel, for instance. (I say "little" because he towers over me, has shoulders the size of boulders, and a neck that looks like a tree-trunk.)  A sophomore in high school, he's a kicker on the football team and just an all-around great kid. I haven't seen him play football, but I did get this picture of him kicking. I hope I get to watch him play at least once before he graduates!  And, I'm missing my 10-year HS reunion this weekend.  If I were home, I'd be able to see people I haven't seen since graduation and watch my little brother play -- all at the same time!  

I think it is cute that he chose the same football jersey number as my other brother, William. He probably doesn't want me to say that's "cute," though. However, I don't think he reads my blog, so it doesn't matter. Speaking of William, he and his wife, Jessica, arrive in China TONIGHT! They are spending 10 days with us, and I'm excited to show them around. I haven't seen Will in over a year, so I'm super-excited to hug him and Jessica in person.

Another big event I've just missed is the birth of my nephew, Greyson Dean McKean. Jenny, who many of you know as Scarlet Threads' distribution manager, gave birth to this precious little bundle just a couple of days ago! Mom and baby are doing well, and I'm sure that Jenny is especially glad to have him in her arms now... Aren't they both beautiful?

In other baby-baking news, we are just a few days from officially entering the 6th month. Before I can blink my eyes, we're going to have a picture like the one above. It's still hard to believe, but made slightly easier by the increasing amount of movement. (I actually saw the baby kick me last night. It was a little Alien-esque, to be perfectly honest. And it made me laugh. I think it just freaked Jacob out.)

Random question.  Jacob and I are really trying to keep our life as simple as possible when it comes to the baby, and not amassing tons of trinkets and toys.  But, we know there are a few things that would probably be invaluable, some of which might be hard to find in China.  We have a few people who have offered to serve as couriers on their trips to China in the next couple of months and bring us things we need.  For you mommas out there, if you had to choose one or two items from your days with a newborn, what would they be?  We're gathering ideas and putting together a list so that we have ample time to get the true essentials ordered and sent to these kind folks. 

At the foster home's adorable-beyond-description triathlon this week.

We are doing well. I have finally entered the no-barfing stage of pregnancy. And, my energy level is mostly back up to normal. And, this is the best time of year in Beijing weather-wise. In fact, last weekend Jacob and I went on a scooter ride through a neighboring village, and it was one of those moments I wanted to freeze in time, for the day when I no longer see everything as being so commonplace...

a little boy harvesting onions with his grandpa. a smile as big as the great wall plastered across his face.  a toothless man with a bright smile selling peaches on the side of the road. a hunched-over little old lady who came by while i was buying some. he gave her all the ones with bad spots.  the sheep grazing beside the canal; their shepherd reclining on the grass hill.  a village with flowers planted along the road's edge. someone wanted the area beautiful, which honestly isn't something that gets thought about much in most villages.  a group of old men playing mah jong in front of their homes. grandmas with babies in the park.  an actual sunset.  the sky was clear and the sun was orange. laughing and pointing children calling out laowai (foreigner) and shouting hello.  riding on a narrow road through corn fields, almost ready for harvest.  farmers with their bikes parked beside the road, bending over in the fields. 

 It is the side of China I love.  It is the side of China I wish I could show you.    

The Gift

Did you see this post on our Scarlet Threads blog?  It meant a lot to me, and I just wanted to share it with those of you who don't keep up with both.

You Know You're in China When...

After lunch, your hosts break out the scale and the tape measure to take your height and weight. Then, using a handy-dandy swivel card, calculates your BMI. The results becomes an after-lunch conversation subject.  (This was mostly for Jacob.  They gave me a break due to pregnancy.)

And you know you've been in China a long time when this doesn't seem at all strange or surprising to you.

I should also share with you the details of this lunch. An older (and very sweet, adorable) couple in our apartment complex has really been reaching out to us and wanting to be friends. I think it mostly started because they like our dog. Anyway, they invited us over for Saturday lunch, and when we arrived the table was set with a feast, the key components of which were dumplings stuffed with a green vegetable, shrimp, pork, and egg, beef cartilage, thousand-year-old duck eggs, battered/deep-fried shrimp shells and heads (the meat had been used in the dumplings), tomatoes with sugar, cucumbers/garlic/vinegar, and boiled soybeans.

The aforementioned eggs; picture from Wikipedia.

I was encouraged to especially eat a lot of the shrimp shells. They are supposedly very good for my baby's bone development.

I personally think I should get extra points for eating meals like this as a pregnant westerner.

Seriously, though, they are dear, dear people. We're going to have them over soon for Western food. Not many Chinese villagers of their generation are keen to try new foods, but they are super-excited about it. This is the same couple who I taught to bake Western-style bread. We're thankful for their friendship and willingness to reach out to us and befriend "the crazy foreigners."  They are a blessing to us, and we hope we are to them, too!

Talking Head

So this is kind of fun... I did a radio interview on the foster home for a program produced and aired on China Radio International called Voices from Other Lands. According to their website, it's a half-hour magazine show devoted to the experiences of people from around the world who are visiting, living, and working in China. The purpose of the program is to inform as well as entertain, providing insight into China from an international perspective.

You can listen online, but it's about 25 minutes long. 

Can I just say it's weird to hear my own voice?

Community

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about God's provision. I told you there was more to the story. After a truly restful Sunday -- one where we stayed home from our normal Sunday routine due to the fact that Jacob woke up with a sinus infection -- I'm ready to share.

But first, a bit about my Sunday... Mango and strawberries with granola and yogurt for breakfast. Yum. Then a loaf of bread prepared and set out to rise in the warm spring sunshine. A couple of loads of laundry washed and hung - I love the way the patio smells with laundry drying in the sun.

Mid-morning our ayi came… While dusting, she commented on a little wooden figurine sitting on the TV, a "shelf elf" my uncle carved out of wood. I pointed to a small cross hanging on the other wall. "He made that, too," I said. "What does it mean?" she asked. I didn't know how to answer her question in Chinese, so I pulled my Chinese Book from the shelf and found the passage in Matthew that would give a better answer, and she sat down to read. Our Ipod cued the next song in the playlist… words about His resurrection came from the speakers. I smiled to myself, soaking in the poignancy and the sunshine, and whispered a prayer for those words she read to sink deep and take root.

Later she asked if Jacob and I ever fight. I laughed and said of course… everyone disagrees at times. In my broken Chinese, I told her we do not go to sleep if we are still angry, for tomorrow the problem would grow bigger if we did. She smiled and nodded and said she'd thought we never disagreed. Despite our attempts to convince her that Jacob was fine, she called her son to bring Jacob medicine… "Take one tonight, and you will be all better," she promised. (He isn't, but she won't know.) And she made arrangements to cook lunch for us later this week, something she's wanted to do for a while. She spent most of her morning planning her menu in between tasks… Do you like jiaozi? What about ribs? She'd pepper me with questions in as she passed from room to room.

She left and the bread baked. Grilled cheese for lunch. Preparation for a study on Ephesians we're starting in our small group this week… the assignment: read through the whole book and pick out the main themes. The word that stuck out to me? Prisoner. That, and "live a life of love."  That's a part of scripture I identify more easily with… living a life of love. Being a prisoner is harder for my soul to understand. But I'm growing to love the nuances of my faith more and more. I fell asleep mid-book. (And it's a small book!) But Sundays are for napping. After I woke and finished my reading, I looked up recipes for dinner. Suprisingly, I had everything on hand for Spaghetti Carbonara. Yay! Something new. I put LeLe on her leash and walked to the village to buy some vegetables for a side dish.  The dust storms have passed and Spring finally seems to be in the air.

I think our sweet dog makes me more approachable. People seem unafraid to come and talk to me, as long as her leash is in my hand. Perhaps it's really her… pulling me towards her old friends, tale wagging with joy and anticipation of their attention. Everyone smiles and the conversation quickly turns from "What do you feed her?" to "Where are you from?" to "How do you use an oven?" One of the older couples has recently purchased one, and the old man is interested in learning to make bread. I try to describe the steps, but before long, I have an invitation to come to their home to teach them to make bread. They're so excited… I plan to go later this week. It's interesting how our cheerful pup has widened our community here.

Dinner cooked, served, and dishes done. I'm rarely this Home Ec-ish and feel a sense of accomplishment with my domesticity. A few hours left before bed, and I sit down to tell you the other part of our story (albeit with what is now a rather long intro)… about our other community.

You. The ones on the other side of this blog.

If we were isolated and alone in this, we wouldn't still be here, and we're thankful for how God has used this little blog to build an incredible support network and community for us. Though some have told us we should link up with an agency or work under the leadership of church, one of the things that we most love about our "non-traditional" approach to this lifestyle is that we don't have one particular denomination or fellowship behind us. It's a bit odd to be thankful for that, I know, given that it might give us more security if we fit the traditional paradigm a bit more, and I know there is wisdom and good reasons for those models.  But we feel so blessed to have supporters from all walks of life, denominations, and many corners of America… we think it reflects the Kingdom in a beautiful way. Some worship with their hands held high as a worship band leads them to the throne, while others kneel low and encounter the King to the soft cadences of a priest's prayers. But we all worship the same Father, and together we're working to build His Kingdom in this little village… We wouldn't have it any other way.

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There's a wee bit more to this post, but it doesn't really fit here tonight. So there will be a part three.

For Joy's Sake

So we have this fun little contest going on at Scarlet Threads right now... a Name-an-Apron contest. We're slowly debuting our new Spring Line, and we want you guys to get in on the fun. Winner gets a 50 percent off coupon, so hop on over (like a spring bunny) and give us your entry!

I love Scarlet Threads and what it's about... it's so much fun to merge creativity with dreams of making a difference for China's women; a creative and compassionate cause!  It's perfect, and I'm thrilled to see it taking off.  But not really because of the aprons... it's much deeper than that...

Stories are so important... they shape our lives.  And for the last few years, I've been surrounded by women like Joy, each with unique and beautiful stories.  (That's her up down below, pumping water in her family's home this last year.)  They are stories of hope, of perseverance, and of provision... but all too often, they are also stories of poverty, of brokenness, and of struggle. These stories have worked in my heart and birthed a new vision for this season of my life.  Scarlet Threads is part of that vision coming to fruition, and though it can't help every woman I know and love, it can help some...

Joy's story is beautiful and uniquely hers, but in some ways, it is the story of a thousand other young women like her.  Here it is, in her own words...

To understand my situation today, I think it is important to understand where I’ve come from. I have a younger brother and a younger sister.  Because of the One Child Policy, my parents were fined for both my brother and my sister.  Because we couldn’t pay the fine, the government took almost all of the furniture from our home and some food when we were young.  Even before they did this, our family already had very little… we were often short of food and lived in a house that leaked when I was young.  My mom has a very bad temper.  Due to the difficulties our family faced and the loss of our possessions, she lost hope and got angry frequently, sometimes even passing out. 

Despite our family’s situation, I did very well in school.  I was one of the top students in my class, always in first or second place.  But after middle school, the pressure of having all three of us attending school was more than my family could bear, and I wasn’t able to continue my education. Instead of going to high school, I went to a Secondary Vocational Health School after middle school, hoping to be able to support my family earlier.  I dreamed of being a doctor, and didn’t understand until later that I wouldn’t be able to achieve this dream with just a 3-year basic educational program completed.  But, I wasn’t able to continue pursuing an education after the Health School, so I started to work to support my family.  While working, I tried so hard to further my education and learned English during these years.  Since finishing the health education program, I have been supporting my family with my meager income, and I’ve been under a lot of stress and pressure for most of the time.

I have always wanted to do something to impact people’s lives in a meaningful way.  I have been praying for God’s leading for a couple of years, and He revealed his answer to me last year.  I went to a women’s retreat (Beauty for Ashes) in the fall of 2008. I had always felt like I have so many problems that need God’s help, but at the retreat I discovered I am really the lucky one.  There are women who have been hurt so much, either from their marriages or their parents, and they have been carrying the bitterness all their lives.  Seeing so many broken hearts and emotions, I was shocked.  Is.61:1 says – He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives.  God is the one they really need and so many of these women were healed at that retreat.

This is only part of Joy's story, but it is what brought her to the place she is today... seeking to go to the USA to get her undergraduate degree in counseling/psychology so that she can come back and help "people with Biblical principles; to restore emotions and help heal broken hearts, families and relationships."  Due to the fact that she doesn't have a high school diploma and because of her age, she's no longer eligible to attend university in China.  But, she's been accepted to a university in America and is in the final stages of being considered for a full-tuition scholarship.  If she's awarded the scholarship, she'll still need to pay for her living and travel expenses.  As you can see from reading her story, she cannot afford this on her own. 

I'm sharing this story because I know there may be some of you who God will ask to stand alongside Joy during this season of her life.  If that might be you, drop us an e-mail and we'll put you in touch with Joy.  I can attest to her character, commitment, and trustworthiness... she has a heart to not only further herself, but to use her skills to bless the people around her. 

I think it's beautiful, and it's my honor to share this with you... for Joy's sake!

What It's About

Early in her marriage, Dou's life was simple and happy. She and her husband worked as farmers and were experiencing the joy of raising their son. Their home was simple and clean with basic electricity but no running water. Dou found great joy in keeping house and working alongside her husband. But in 2006 their whole world changed when her husband was diagnosed with heart disease. He received a surgery that saved his life, but it left his heart so weakened he was unable to work. The medical bills and daily medications completely drained their resources, leaving them in a state of poverty that to that point they had never known. {Read On}

The story Caroline wrote about our new Scarlet Threads packaging queen, Dou, especially touched my heart.  We've known Dou since we came to China, and she's such a sweet lady... so gentle, particular, and kind.  We've wondered for a while how we could help her, but we wanted to do it in a way that preserved her dignity... The fact that we're able to employ her, helping her to provide for her family -- AMAZING!

I feel like the luckiest girl around.  Seriously.  Do you know how many mornings I wake up and think, "Wow!  Do I really get to do this?!"

Festival Dancing

So last Sunday was lantern festival, the final festival of the long Spring Festival holiday.

A couple of years ago, we really celebrated the holiday. Like seriously got involved. Well, I didn't. I was in a staff meeting. But Jacob channeled his inner performer -- buried really, really deeply on most days -- and joined the festivities. (After much cajoling and convincing by elderly Chinese women. One cannot say no to elderly Chinese women.) You really must visit the links to learn the full story, if you haven't already.

I am a beater of dead horses.

I just can't pass up an opportunity to re-share one of my favorite Chinese memories of all time, and I don't know how many more opportunities I'll have. (Though I'm sure I'll come up with a few more.)

This video was dug out of the archives for your viewing enjoyment... watch it a few times to really appreciate it fully. And this, my dear bloggy friends, is my husband who never, ever dances. (Nor do I.) We didn't even have a dance on our wedding day. I love that he participated in this.

As I look at those feet shuffle, I know it isn't something I'm soon going to forget... nor is anyone else. When we got in the car with our driver on Sunday morning (the day of the lantern festival), our driver motioned towards the festival going on in the background and asked Jacob why he wasn't over there.

After all, he asked, didn't he have a fan dance to do?

Days of Stillness: Pet Birds for Sale

Days of Stillness: Brick Factory

Days of Stillness: Cave Dwelling

Days of Stillness: Ribbon Dancer