SEPTEMBER 22 UPDATE

(Please note: I've been saving the following 3 updates since I didn't know how to add pictures to a post. I decided I wasn't going to post again until I learned how to add pictures. So that's why there are suddenly 3 new posts and a bunch of pictures. The pictures include some from our family vacation to Branson in July.)

Amanda has had 3 game days now. They are undefeated so far. In fact, they (the jr. high A team) just beat our highschool JV team yesterday! Amanda had quite a few serving points in that one.

EARLY SEPTEMBER UPDATE

Thankfully, we have settled in to the "new normal". I think we’re up to 5 gallons of milk a week now. (And that’s with no cold cereal…we eat cooked cereal for breakfast.) I’m trying to get it down to only visiting WalMart once a week but the hard part is WHEN to fit it in without 2 little helpers taking up all the room in the cart. Seems like I’m cooking more often now. Whatever happened to leftovers?? It’s all gone these days. (Not really…I just have to make more to begin with.) But we even had two nights last week with impromptu company and fit everyone in and had enough to eat, so once again we are thankful for how God provides for our growing needs with this house he lead us to 6+ years ago.

Wendy has already cooked for us…Chinese dumplings. We had eaten some when we were in China, so we sort of knew what they should look like and taste like, and she did a great job. She worked so hard on that meal. She seems to be feeling comfortable here and hasn’t appeared to have any homesickness. She has even enjoyed using skype to talk with her folks, once with web cam. It’s still so amazing to be able to talk to someone in China, clearly hear and see them…all for FREE! We even got to visit with them ourselves. They have already invited us to come visit!

Today Wendy helped me make a cake, so that was another first for her. We told her she is already becoming "Americanized" since she now asks for 2 scoops of ice-cream instead of one. (i.e. They don’t eat much "dessert" in China, so most of our sweet stuff is too sweet. For example, when she copied me in licking one of the mixer beaters after making the cake, she said she didn’t like it because it was too sweet! Imagine that!)

Josh has had two more games, and Amanda is still waiting on her first V-ball game of the season. (They have a much shorter V-ball season this year.) Andrew has found a new buddy (who lives "2" minutes away), and Daniel and Jaiden are as busy as ever.
　
　
AUGUST UPDATE

Wendy has arrived!! As you may remember, we are hosting a foreign exchange student this year from China. Wendy (Wen Qin) has been here one week now and seems to be doing great. We have had an extremely busy week getting her school clothes and supplies, shuttling Josh and Amanda back and forth for soccer and volleyball practice, meetings and meet the teacher night, etc. School starts Monday, and life has to slow down (at least from 8 AM to 3 PM)!

Daniel and Jaiden are getting more creative at getting in trouble lately, so they are vying for attention too. They also think they are starting school on Mon., so I better come up with something that will feel like school for them too. (Josh, Amanda, and Wendy will be at Longview Christian School this year, and Andrew (4th grade) will be homeschooled.

Amanda is adjusting to sharing her room, and is anxious for her volleyball games to get going. Josh just had his first highschool soccer game today. The highschool team played against the alumni, and Josh scored one of their two goals.

Andrew has hit it off real well with Wendy and continues to climb trees and practice basketball skills. His latest interest is reading about the basketball greats like "Pistol" Pete Maravich, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson.

I won’t tell you how many miles I put on the van this week, as I’m sure this is an unusual week. But I am so thankful Mike will be able to take the big kids to school this year! (At least that’s the plan for now.)