It's Christmas morning here in Dallas, bright and early as the effects of jet lag have obviously not completely worn off of this traveler as of yet! The Joseph family has been in the States for almost a week now, and we are LOVING it! The flight over was as good as could be expected. Friends keep asking, "So what do you do on the plane for that amount of time (11 1/2 hours from Beijing to Seattle, then another 4 from Seattle to Dallas, totaling about 24 hours in travel from the time we leave our apartment in Tianjin and arrive back at my parent's house in Big D)". My answer--"I'm not really sure!" But somehow we all make it in one piece, with sanity mostly intact, and the kids even all managed to sleep at least a little. We were very thankful for an airplane that had individual screens at each seat to pick your movie or music. Kevin and I did decide that maybe we've been in China a little too long after Karis and Eli both first picked to watch Xi Yang Yang (a Chinese cartoon, in Mandarin, of course!) rather than any of the other English movies or short-programs!!
After a long night's sleep at my parent's house (and having to awaken several of the kids at 11am!), we met with my two oldest friends and their families (the Bakers and the Campbells) for brunch and play time. Noah awakened at my parent's house to look out the window and utter a huge "Whoa!" when he saw the grass, the blue sky, and the yard to play in only separated by the window pane in front of him. And then he met their chocolate lab, Josie, and the state of ecstasy was complete! We practically had to tear him away to get him to our friend's house--where again, he resumed his state of ecstasy! The kids can't get enough of being around their favorite friends and family members, of being able to run inside and outside to play (without having to bundle up or go down the elevator to get there) without even needing adult supervision, of riding around in the mini-van and car seats (which, surprisingly, all of them are LOVING!). Their questions and comments keep us in stitches. Hud's most frequently asked questions are, "Mom, where are we now?" and then secondly, "Where are we goin' next?" It's so cute to see his three-year old mind trying to wrap around what all is happening around him. But I am so thankful that as much as he seems slightly confused, he isn't bothered by the constant change a bit, but seems to enjoy every "new" experience that he is having. He has also asked a few times why Mr. Du isn't driving us around in his van (our Chinese friend who we hire when the whole family needs to go into Beijing for an airport run or doctor's visit)!
Our time with friends and family has been so sweet. We were sooooooo encouraged by our friends from our home church when we were there on Sunday. They had us share a little bit about our past year and a half in China, and we were so humbled and blessed by their genuine concern for us and our family, for wanting to hear the details of our "new normal", by the hugs that we received, and by their desire to help us as we "stock up" on some basics before we return to China in two weeks (like socks and underwear that don't have too many holes in them!!) We then spent almost three days at my relative's ranch out in the country of central Texas, where we got to ride four-wheelers (that we keep calling three-wheelers, since that is our main form of transportation in TJ!), feed a camel, throw rocks in the creek, roast s'mores, find and collect all kinds of treasures (including some fossils), go coyote hunting, and even shoot their first guns (my dad helped Eli and Hud shoot a .22). They had a ball, and it was so refreshing to enjoy the clean air, the warmer weather, and the sweet time of fellowship as a family.
We had one day upon our return from the ranch before Kevin's family came in town from both coasts, and the thing that Kevin and I keep commenting on is how much we can get done here in just 1 day! We were both able to run a bunch of errands AND spend time with friends we dearly love. My parents were gracious enough to watch all 6 of their grandkids (ages 6 down to 9 months) for us to go out to dinner with my brother and sister and their spouses. We had a much-anticipated meal at Chuy's, my favorite Mexican food restaurant in town, and then coffee at my sister's coffee shop. The cousins all had a blast playing together--we're amazed at how quickly they have become good buddies already!--and the 6 of us grown-ups had a great time visiting over chips and queso...And I'm hoping it won't be my last bit of TexMex before heading back East!
I'd better run to fit the last few things in the stockings before kiddos are up and at 'em, but will sign back in later with more reports from the "West"! Love to all of our dear friends back in TJ, and hope that we can bring some of the Texas warmth back with us in a few short weeks...
