Ed's trip to Beijing, China

Ed said that the Eagles Nest, the home of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics,

was as cool looking in person, as we all thought it was watching events there on TV

not too long ago. There wasn't a sporting event taking place inside,

but Ed went in to check it out anyway, and found it full of snow.

They had filled it with snow hills for kids to go there sledding and snow-sculpture making.

Although Ed was half-way across the world, he couldn't escape from the winter weather.

We were having blizzards back home in North Dakota while he was gone,

but at the same time they were shoveling the snow

out of the Beijing city streets. At least Ed didn't have to get too

homesick and miss all the fluffy fun.

The Chinese New Year was about to take place at the end of Ed's time there. He was supposed to be in China for work for 4 weeks, but knowing his final week would have been spent sitting in his hotel or participating in the local festivities, he opted to come home a week early (I had been having a horrible time while he was gone with everything from Noah with pneumonia to the vehicle breaking down). Below you can see lots of red festive decorations for the upcoming parties. Also, notice the extensive system of cables above the roadway... they use many cable cars for their mass transit in Beijing.

Ed poses in front of one of the Palaces at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

In his Beijing hotel, Ed was able to soak in the jetted bathtub,

while watching TV through the "window" from his bathroom into the sleeping area

of his hotel room. I think I'd have "privacy issues" with that,

but I guess that's what the mini blinds are for.

A very unique feature I'd never heard of before.

You can see where the Great Wall of China goes into the sea.

It's an amazing structure that defies comprehension...

it took over 1,000 years to construct, and to think of the tools

and techniques that must have been used all those years ago....

boggles the mind.
The Forbidden CityThe Great Wall of China

Ed hams it up for the camera on a golden horse statue at the Great Wall.

He wasn't the only one, his escorts and new friends from the LM Plant, China,

were also sitting on the statues, laughing at their antics.

Skiing with the Confirmation Kids

This weekend, I took the 8th grade confirmation class skiing (7 kids and myself), and we were ready to have a FABULOUS day!! The forecast was for a perfect day of low 30's, no wind, and the sun was shining brightly! Ben got his snowboard buckled on, and hit the slopes.

I was able to catch him at the bottom of the hill for a quick pose

before he headed back to the chair-lift for more fun.
The afternoon was cut short, because one of his tumbles on the board was more than just landing in the snow... he landed hard on his left wrist. Unfortunately, I was already at the emergency room with one of the other kids that twisted her knee pretty bad, so Ben had to wait at the chalet for a bit while I tended to his classmate. I got her taken care of, returned to the ski resort, just to pick up Ben and return with him to the ER.
Thankfully they were fairly quick, and in just a couple short hours, we were back out the door with a cd of the drays to share with our doctor later this week. There doesn't appear to be a definitive break, but the navicular (sp?) bone may be fractured, and apparently that is a tricky situation, calling for further attention (time will tell).

Despite the unplanned end to Ben's day, he had fun with his friends, and the final photo was taken at the church parking lot snow hill, where there were tired smiles from all the guys. I hope the day spent at the hospital isn't an indication of what any future trip would hold, but I think the kids would all go back in a heartbeat...

and maybe I could get a few runs down the hills myself next time.

I guess that was simply a lesson to the kids that

even the best planned outings can have unexpected things come up.

We all just have to make the best of it,

and try to get the most out of every day that the Lord gives us.

Celebrating 2!

Happy Birthday Dear Noah, Happy Birthday to you!! Noah actually tried to blow out his candles (both of them) but just didn't get the hang of it (of course Ben was nearby to help blow them out).

We laughed and tickled all afternoon! Noah was having SUCH a great time!!

I think this is one of my all-time favorite pictures of Noah! It truly captures his amazing eyes, his gentle smile, and just how much of a blessing he is in our lives! It's hard to believe that this beautiful little boy can have moments of terrible temper tantrums and tears. It's the joyous moments like the one captured here that make all the difference in the world... reminds me of what's really important, and keeps me focused on the bigger picture in life! God is so good!!!
Noah sits with Grandma Karen, looking up at the birthday balloon that got away (only to the ceiling in the family room... still retrievable, thankfully). This picture looks so dreamy and precious... that's an accurate summary of the birthday weekend~ precious!

We tried to capture the overall pulse of the day with a family photo... you can see that the center of attention was NOT wanting to stop the hockey playing to pose for the camera. This is a glimpse of how a 2 year old really does have moments of reality (tantrums, ha), that remind us to cherish the better moments when we can.

Matt's Performance!!! Bravo

Matt is having a phenomenal first year in college! He's finding his niche and able to expand on his passions.... the arts!
He was cast in a fabulous dance production which was a series of dance numbers, all with different themes. This was the only one that I was able to copy pictures from, but it truly was one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen. Matt was the only male, and his strength and talent was top notch! (seen above, back, right,catching the girl).

Since the audience isn't allowed to take photos, I had to rely on copying some of the pictures that the cast had taken from back stage (that's why the stage lights are glaring). Matt's the one huddled on the right above.

In this shot above, you can get a sense of Matt's core strength, as he lifts another dancer in perfect rhythm with the music, adding to the overall tempo and grace of the dance.

Matt has so much fun with the cast, and all the great people that together make up the Theater & Dance Department in the School of Fine Arts at UMD (University of Minnesota - Duluth).

Matt, I love you so much, and couldn't be more proud of the wonderful job you're doing! Keep following your dreams, and never settle for less than true joy!! You're a blessing to anyone that knows you, and you show us all how great our God is, by filling your life with talent, and the endless opportunities to truly shine!!! LOVE YA KID!!! (love mom)