Please forgive me

Dear readers - all, I think it's now about 40 of you, please forgive my lack of posting. I took a three week trip home to Utah to spend time with family and friends. And that's just what I did. I spent four days in the mountains (earlier post), time with many friends at dinners and just chatting, a day at the zoo, and many dinners with family where all manner of American food was consumed enmasse. Sadly it added to my "masse." But the gym membership will help fix that. It's odd to be back in China. I won't say glad, because I desperately miss the people and familiarity of home (but no, mother, I am not homesick). But I am back delighting in the oddities that are China. I have laughed a lot over the last 5 days (day 1 back we both slept most of it because of sheer exhaustion and Daniel got sick). It's a full 30 hours from bed to bed. Pheew. Rough.

But I am trying to continues to enjoy this with the same enthusiasm I started with. As I would get asked about China and if we are having a good time the only things that came to my mind were the good things. The people, the food, the experiences and the adventures. It's an experience I never expected to have, even in a million years, and we are loving it. So I am at it again trying to create good memories. (Although the pounding upstairs has gone from jack hammer to some sort of fast rhythmic regular hammer pounding in nails sort of sound.)

Here are a few pictures from my fun, calorie burning day at the zoo with  my best friend Eryn and her kids - all three of them.

 Cute little blondies! Wagons are a good idea, by the way.

 Baby Zuri and momma. I hope to pet a baby elephant in Thailand and ride on an adult.

 This guy was so lazy, it jsut cracked me up. I have felt like that too. It was a warm day.

 At the elephant program.

 Last year when we tried this Grace freaked out! We had put her on the large elephant over by where the elephants are and it made a noise and she was not having it the rest of the day. This year went much better. She was still hesitant, but she participated.

 She was so excited to ride by herself, like a big girl. I was only inches away the rest of the ride, (no need to worry Laurie!)

 He was digging being out of the stroller.

 I want a kid like him. he was so chill and go with it the whole time, even in the heat. Handsome little guy. I'm so glad I got to see him while he was still a baby baby. He hit 3 months while I was there. He's going to grow a lot between now and Christmas! Then I will see him at about a year! So crazy.

 Enjoying the shade.

 I'm not really sure what Amelia's face was, but she is little Miss Personality. It was a fun trip.

What's the zoo without measuring against the gorillas?

Such a fun trip. I'm so glad I got to see as many people as I did. If I missed you, Ii'm sorry. We'll try again in December!