Jammin' in the Taxi! by Tiffany

This was way too fun a taxi ride to not share!  We all piled in on our way up to the mountain.  This driver was very friendly and offered to put in some music.  It was typical Chinese music - very beautiful and calm.  We smiled and gave our approval with a thumbs up to which he grinned.  Then, out of nowhere, the music switched to a loud, fast paced American song.  "Everybody say hey", "Everybody say hey" so we did and within seconds we all broke out in song and dance!  The taxi driver was having a blast right along with us!  We got his number - needless to say, we'll be calling him again!

Update - by Tiffany

I am sorry that we have not written in such a long time!  Since school started back, we have been busy, busy and whole weeks pass in what seems a couple of days time.   We realize the brevity of the time we have left here and we are trying to live with an urgency for making the most of each day and opportunity.  So much need surrounds us.  
Things are going really well though - I will try to fill you in on some of them:
We are continuing to chip away at all the paperwork in the adoption process.  We are at a bit of a standstill as we wait for a letter from our doctor that will be acceptable to the Chinese government concerning Deryk's medical history.  Until then we are filling out everything we can so that we can quickly move forward once the letter clears.
Well Spring has certainly come as you have seen from all the beautiful pictures and we are LOVING the warm weather!  We are also enjoying the beauty of things coming to life around us in a new way.  I don't know what the difference is, but it just seems extra amazing, beautiful and wonderful!
The kiddos are doing well - Hannah got a bike which she LOVES.  She takes it all over campus and to the store for us.  It has a little basket on the front for groceries!  She also enjoys riding to the Chinese tea gardens near our apartment to sit outside and work on stuff she is writing or reading.  She loves the independence and she is very reliable and mature with it!  Ayden got roller blades and is learning quickly.  If the kids are going somewhere that he can't keep up by skate, then Hannah pumps him on the back of her bike (not with the skates on!).  They both bought a fish.  They came home from the store awhile back and were all excited by their new find - so they researched how to care for them and asked if they could go buy one.  We said yes - they are loving having a pet!  They even read that you can "train" them to eat from your hand if you feed them at the same time each day and to go through a hoop in the water?!  I don't know about all that, but they are pumped!  
The four kiddos have formed a little group where they go outside around the neighborhood and help the campus street sweepers to clean.  The kids have made it their mission to show them love because street sweepers seem somewhat looked down upon here.  The kids bought brooms and gloves and now they go out and sweep right beside them.  The "helpers" as the kids have named the street sweepers, seem to love the kids!  It is sweet.
We participated in another Chinese Poem Competition  between departments at our college.   The Foreign Language Department took 3rd place.  They probably would have fared better without our contribution - seeing as our Chinese is not so hot - but they somewhat insisted that we take part!   Now the guys are in the middle of a week long basketball tournament between departments - we'll see if they fair better.  Either way it is a lot of fun!
A couple of weeks ago we went out to a beautiful natural area very near our campus.  You go quite a ways up a little mountain to the top where there is a stream flowing through the hills - it is breathtaking.  There are tea fields just lining the hills and there were people harvesting the tea leaves as we walked by, so we stopped to watch for a bit.  Later that day we passed a sweet older man standing outside his home.  We said hello and stopped to "visit" as best as you can with a language barrier.  He invited us into his home made of dirt floors and mud/clay/rock walls.  His family was in the kitchen drying the tea leaves they had just picked.  It was so neat to see.  Then they offered us fresh green tea - such an amazing experience!  We returned the next weekend to visit some more and bring food to our new friends.  We couldn't say much so we just smiled and sang.  We are supposed to come back for dinner next time!  How I would love to be able to speak more - and we are working on that - but in the meantime it is amazing to see what all can be communicated even without words!  
I will close for now.  Until the next time....love and blessings to you all~
Tiffany

SPRING!!! --by Wendy

Our campus is bursting with color lately.  It's absolutely gorgeous!  Here's some pics.

 

Coupled with the beautiful scenery is a lot of construction.  I mean

A LOT!

Pics from our hike last weekend

Trying to decipher the bus schedule....in Chinese.