Putting up Rachel's tree

We always said that when we had kids we wanted to have a tree especially for them to decorate however and with whatever they wanted. Aww, isn't that just so June Cleaver-ish? Yeah, that's what my friends think when they see that Rachel has her very own tree in her room to decorate, however, since we are such close friends, I'll let you in on a little secret . . . I just like my Christmas tree . . . and I don't like candy canes on it, I don't like popcorn strung on it, I don't like beautifully colored angels and santa's from art class on it, I don't like cute paper chains of red and green on it . . . I'm particular about the tree I get to sit and look at in the dark with a cup of hot chocolate after Ra has gone to bed. However, lest you think me a grinch, or christmas tree snob, I DO love to do those things and put them on trees . . . other trees. So, to solve the delimma, Rachel got her very own Christmas tree (50 yuan) to put in her room and we can decorate it all season long as the mood strikes . . . so far we have balls, as you can see, an angel, santa and a couple of decorated sugar cookies hanging from ribbon (but they taste too good to put too many on!)

Rachel drew some christmas pictures to display under her tree
Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus (mary is the one with long hair she informs us. Dad says it's when she saw the angel maybe?)

and a merry christmas tree

The Family Tree

And mommy can never wait too long after Thanksgiving to put up the family tree . . .

Dominos Scrabble

A family night game of Dora Dominos was going quite well until during a brief break we came back to the table and Rachel had decided she was done with Dominos and wanted to play . . . scrabble?

Thanksgiving Weekend

First, i want to make the disclaimer: we voted DAN the photographer for the weekend (nicest camera always wins!) and we managed to not get a single picture . . . so as soon as he read this entry and feels so badly that there is no picture attached, i'm sure he will send me a great one and i can edit it in (wink, wink, giggle)

EDIT: well, i can't figure out how to get the actual pictures here, but here is the link to some fun shots from Thanksgiving

http://picasaweb.google.com/danielandsara/ThanksgivingInShenyang2007

thank you Dan, for your speedy response to my "challenge in a public forum", sorry my editing was not as speedy!

So, as last year, we gathered with friends (that we met in the States just before arriving in China) for our Thanksgiving celebration, however this year it was bittersweet. We so very much enjoyed getting to spend time with our dear friends, the kennedys and ernos, however we sorely missed the laughter and joy from our friends, the Clarks, who returned to the States just a few months before.


We truly have chosen a life of good-byes. who *does* that? I'm not sure, but I am sure that we are all where we are for reasons quite beyond ourselves . . . we love you, Mande and Ty! Your presence was noticeably missing in our gathering . . . but we kept memories of you alive through Chex mix and green bean casserole! ;)


Here is one great pic for you from the weekend!



We have the best friends EVER! The K's brought us the wonderful CHINA EDITION of Monopoly!! How cool is that? Who needs language classes when you can sit and play monopoly all day and learn the characters for many common districts, streets, cities and even the character for JAIL. Now how handy is that? And what Monopoly lover would not love playing Monopoly with the highest bill being 5000 (rmb) and the highest rent for "park place" being 20,000 (rmb)?

(stephanie, i don't know if you like Monopoly, but you would LOVE this, and of course, Jerry would LOVE playing it with YOU!)

Mom's Cinnamon Rolls Are a Hit Again and Again!

Mom, you would not believe how wonderfully well your cinnamon rolls go over EVERY time we serve them to our friends! Thanks for teaching me how to bake such yummy things so I am able to bless my friends so often! Who would have thought those years and years (and years and years) of rolling up rolls during commercial breaks would have made such a deep imprint?

Here is Rachel's version of the recipe, mom. Thought you might enjoy it!

CINNAMON ROLLS

10 cups of sugar
10 cups of flour
10 cups of butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
3 cups of milk
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
1/2 cup baking soda
some oil

Our Thanksgiving Photographer (I)

well, we spent thanksgiving with our dear friends the kennedys again this year, but this year we had a new man behind the camera . . . Noah! Here are some of his first shots . . . the subject matter improves tremendously in "our thanksgiving photographer (II)". But i would say if you were going for that "artsy look" you've got it down! I especially love the statement made by the picture of the cleaning supplies in our bathroom! (we love you guys!)

Our Thanksgiving Photographer II

he improved for sure as time went on . . .



one of my favs . . . how cute are they?

and as if he asked them to pose . . .

this one could seriously be entered into come contests, don't you think?

the girls getting ready to perfom, i think, for the masses.

Thanks Noah! We didn't break out our camera near often enough, so it was nice of you to catch some memories for us! (i think we had camera envy and didn't want our little kodak guy to feel, well, you know, little) ;)

eggs for breakfast . . . daddy-style!