Green Grass Growing, Birds Chirping...

I don't think that either of us have ever been happier to see spring roll around than we are this year! We have finally been able to peel off the long underwear that has been glued to our bodies since November (that's about 4 months if you're counting) and wear a comfortable jacket or ride our bikes to school. We're putting up some pictures from the end of February on this post of what is called the Lantern Festival (the pictures have been borrowed from our friends, the Edminsons), the festival marks the end of Spring Festival for the Chinese and to us marks the beginning of the death of winter. If only it would stay dead. Anyway, Chinese lanterns were hung all over the city and a huge display was set up in the people's park where hundreds of people gathered and walked around. The displays were nice, as you can see from the pictures, but it wasn't amazing. I think most Americans would have been bored walking around the town square whereas the Chinese here think it's just incredible. Sometimes I wonder if aimlessly walking is a national pastime here in China.

Now that it's warming up and we've committed to a second year here in China, we're also starting to spice up our apartment a little. I think it just makes it feel a little more like a home when it's got a few plants, a picture frame here or there, and book "shelves". We're trying to get our porch area to look and feel nice so that we can spend our mornings and evenings enjoying a book or just talking. We'll see how it turns out. Right now we have a few plants out there and now...(drum roll please)...two lovebirds! I should really let Tiff tell you about them cause she's done some research and hopes to have these birds somewhat trained. I didn't even know you could train a bird, but if she can do it then I think it's a great idea. Once we get a few more plants, a small carpet for the floor (it's just concrete right now) and a couple chairs we'll be set. Hopefully by that time the sun will be out much longer and it will be comfortably warm. I really can't wait.

There's a lot that I wish we could tell you guys but really can't. Another gentle reminder of "Big Brother" came this last week when our Internet site along with the Edminson's site was blocked here. We're not sure why they were blocked exactly, but we hope it doesn't last forever. Despite all that we've still had a few amazing opportunities in the past week and I even got a package in the mail the other day from our Australian friends with a Chinese/English "Word". It's very exciting! Both of our Chinese studies are coming along as well. I've been going through a book and doing individual tutoring between classes which has been really helpful. I'm finding it easier and easier to catch on to the written language but my ability to comprehend and speak is quite horrid. Sometimes I get so proud of myself after looking at the pages of Chinese characters and sentences that I'm writing until one of my second graders comes up and laughs, correcting many of my errors and I don't even know what they're saying to correct what I've written. Uggh. Progress is still progress, though, even if it isn't as easy as Spanish was.

As much fun as we're having over here, we're still counting the months (almost 4 now!) until we can visit everyone. This semester is going to fly by so fast I can already tell, but interestingly I would rather it go by slowly in order to enjoy this weather and the way this city changes in the different seasons. I've had two teachers tell me already that they could never be away from their family for this long, and as much as I miss seeing some of you I can't help but argue that we've stayed in better contact with many of our friends and distant family by being away. It will be very refreshing to be back home and even though we are not part of any organization, the meaning of the word "furlough" has just become so much more clear.

Well, we have a lot of work to do tonight - Tiff just learned some new Chinese dishes and we're going to try them out on the Edminsons for dinner. We can't wait for you all to try some of them as well! We'll be seeing everybody we can in Dallas and will even be taking a trip to Arkansas while home in August. We really wish we could hit Seattle and maybe Nashville, but we might have to wait on that until we get back in 2008. Thanks again to all of you guys for your love and support! Take care and we love you all.