Little Men

 

Why God Created Little Boys
God made a world out of His dreams
of majestic mountains, oceans and streams,
prairies and plains and wooded land,
then paused and thought...

"I need someone to stand
on top of the mountains, to conquer the seas,
explore the plains and climb the trees.
Someone to start out small
and grow sturdy and strong like a tree,"
and so...

 He created boys, full of spirit and fun,
to explore and conquer, to romp and run,
with dirty faces and banged up chins,
with courteous hearts and boyish grins.

When He had completed the task He'd begun,
He surely said, "That's a job well done."

Each morning this little man along with so many others greets me, I have little men who adore me, and I love them, they are my "Little Men."  They have seen so much and look so wise even when peering out from their tiny faces...These are the little men who will one day shape their world, but right now they are shaping mine!

I Wonder Why...

 My friend Amy's children used to listen to this song that had all these really random things that this little guy was singing about and the chorus went something like, "I wonder, wonder, wonder, Why?...."  There are days here where I go from one, "Wonder Why" to the next, some of them random funny things and others very serious and contemplative- however this was one of those kind of days when both were very intermingled.  First up on the ever present Wonder Why list was that once again we entered the hospital and saw the Cash line for those waiting to pay before they entered the ER- as an ER Nurse this is a very foreign concept to wait in line at an ER to have someone give you an estimate on the cost and have you pay before you are seen and then the fact that you will be seen in order of arrival not in order of acuity...

 Next up was lunch of course it was Chinese food, wonder why you would go out for some other kind of food when you cook Chinese food at home too.  I wonder that a lot but here it is unusual to go out for anything but Chinese food and we have gotten good at finding the items we like on the menu and even trying the new stuff... today we ordered Chicken and green peppers, we were really excited because the waitress told us it was a very special Chicken because they prepared it with no bones.  In case you are wondering why this is special, usually the whole, and yes I do mean the entire whole chicken is chopped bones and all and put into the dish.  We all liked the sound of that so when it arrived we were all looking forward to enjoying little chicken bits minus the bones when we noticed that we were not just eating chicken...oops she forgot to mention that along with the chicken and green peppers there were, snails...wonder why?

After that lunch you can not even tell me that you wonder why I grabbed the Dove Chocolate and did exactly what the wrapper said!

Boys, Boys, Boys...Boys 'n Cars

I love cars...not any particular one, but a beautiful car or the sound of a HOT engine will turn my head every time whether it purs or roars...I love cars.  If you are finding this hard to visualize you must understand that some of my earliest memories are of the undercarriage of a car, the smell of grease or diesel, and handing Daddy tools...I started as soon as I could crawl and Yes, there are pictures to prove it.  I was Daddy's girl when it came to cars- we won't discuss helicopters in this post. 

 All of that introduction just so I can share with you the fact that more than cars I love the way cars excite boys...
   There are few boys I know, or even grown up boys who will not pause when it comes to cars- something about the way God made them.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that God has His own "Hot" rides that all guys identify with ..."The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands," (Psalm 68:17a)  So when some special hand made trucks and cars arrived I had a delightful time delivering them to some of the boys in my life!  They all respond the same... big grins, rolling to make sure the wheels all spin well, and the noises- how do all little boys know what sound a car makes?  You should have heard the "engines!"

 

 Boys and their Toys...

 

"VROOOOOMMMMM"

Wang Chuang Gong Yuan- The Park

Our Chinese Teacher is a wonderful gift, she actually enjoys spending time with us and since she with us doing varying levels of classes everyday we are very glad that she enjoys being around!
    Yesterday we all went to the park and zoo together, we were going to see the flowers too but well we saw some but for the most part the children were there to play- we all loved the wonderful Fall weather and the fun afternoon.

The air filled hamster balls for people, on the lake, were by far a favorite.

 Then it was a short walk further to the zoo and lots of animals- though this will be like no other zoo you have ever been to before, unless you have visited one in China.

Yes- you could have just played "Reach out and touch" with the bears and all the others for that matter...

 Time to feed the monkeys...

 And the Bunny rabbits...

Interesting culture note, everyone's birth year is represented by one of 12 animals.  As birth dates change each year with the lunar calendar it is actually more likely to have someone ask what animal you are than when your birthday is because by knowing your animal they can get pretty close to your age without difficulty.  Laura and I are both Snakes...1977 for those of you who would rather not have to look it up.

Lots of photos are part of every outing...just grin and enjoy it!

Happy Haircuts- Not really...

    I remember talking with the Marines in my life quite frequently about haircuts, it's just part of the military life and there were even Friday nights at our house when the laundry room turned into a barber shop because they were going to have early morning inspections and need hair cuts but didn't want to miss pizza!  Can you blame them?   This week our boys got hair cuts and I was so reminded of the recruit shave that I had to share...They were just as happy about it too.

Babysitting?!?!

So it may sound funny but even living in a house filled with children, one of the happiest sounds I hear is the giggles and laughter that follow the announcement that "auntie" Mariah is babysitting...

Having Friends...

Can I just say that having friends is an incredible blessing and I am always amazed at the incredible way that God places friends in our lives and orchestrates the details of intertwining peoples paths just when we need it the most- He is such a God of details!
   This weekend I was able to spend time with just such friends, women who God wove into the fabric of my world with tiny events that have left them here in a forever sort of way.  I met Terri three weeks before I left for China at Betsy and Richard's wedding that I was helping out with.  We spent a couple days in each others company as she was a bridesmaid and I was the one telling her where to go and what to do (are you surprised?)  In amongst the busy schedule we also had some incredible conversations and she has been one of those long distance cheerleaders ever since.  Then about six months ago her sister-in-law April and her husband visited.  April and I had a wonderful few days getting to know one another while she was here at the Big House.  And Then...

  This weekend through a course of events they both came to visit and I had a piece of home delivered right to my door step- Terri has a home in Charleston and is familiar with the South Carolina Coast- we talk the same language, understand the same foods, places, "misses," and just had an absolutely delightful time talking and sharing with one another.   It was a huge Hug I was needing at just the moment I needed it, so in case you are ever wondering - yes, I did cry when they left!