MILLER TIME

December 2011

2012-01-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

Steph's going to Houston, Texas!!

Time seems to rush by and I'm doing make-up blogs.... December was great. My darling, niece, Stephanie, received her mission call to Houston, Texas. She will be the bomb diggity! Terry got himself a new hawk that he is training. Lots of fun with holidays, but exhausting... must be getting old. Trevor and Whitney came up for a little Christmas cheer. Headed to Bountiful for New Years. So fun to meet up with Mark's cute family from Texas. Thanks to Brenda and family (Sam) for the great accommodations and yummy breakfast crepes, etc. Brent hosted the BYU bowl game and it was a good one. Win for the Y and the next day for the U made the weekend fun. My parents had a lovely party for New Years and the only sad thing was Dad being sick. Hope he is on the mend. Turns out he got walking pneumonia, Brenda ended up with strep and ear infections and Mark in the ER night before returning to Texas. Crazy week. Came back to a big ward boundary change.

This year was full of ups and downs. It is wonderful to have the gospel to rely upon and the constant in our life. Happy new year. Hope and pray its a less eventful one.

November Gone

2011-12-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

Terry had to let "Roy" go .... so sad....

November was crazy and it's long over. We tended grand kids while their parents went cruising. It was fun to have them for Thanksgiving. My sis hosted a grand Thanksgiving feast and all the kids had a blast as did the grown ups. Fun to have Whitney for the following weekend! Terry caught his hawk, but had to let him go because he was too old...that doesn't sound right. Oh well, on to all the Christmas preparations. Happy Holidays!

Southern California

2011-11-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

The first of November we had a fantastic vacation with the Simmons' gang in California. It was so fun to vacation with our sweet little grandboys (and their parents are pretty great as well). The fun never stops and things were full speed all week. Terry and I had a couple quiet days in San Diego after they left, but we missed the frogs terribly. Legoland, Disneyland, Sea World, the Aquarium, sailing, hot tub, fishing, ping pong, movies, fire and s'mores on the beach, shopping, lots of eating and the list goes on and on..... Thanks for a great time Simmons!!

Mountain Time

2011-11-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

We had a little wood gathering and 4-wheeling expedition in the South Hills. Lots of fun.

Latest

2011-10-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

4th Place at Phoenix World's

Beautiful Oak Creek Canyon

Cooperstown Next to Diamondback's Stadium... yummy

Jerome, AZ

Overlooking Sedona, AZ

Jerome, AZ

Beautiful weather and a little lunch in Sedona

Lee's Ferry... now that's a balanced rock

Quite Grand!

Sunset in the Grand Canyon

Angel's Window North Rim

Students from Qingdao--Huntsman Sr. Games

Where did summer go? Life continues to move quickly whether we like it or not. Fall is beautiful, but moving too rapidly. Just returned from two lovely weeks in the heat. The softball champ was great. He played well and we had a blast with the team. Could have won the Huntsman Senior games, but for a small technicality...haha.... Took 4th in the Phoenix World's! Way to go.

We enjoyed St. George, visiting with the Halladays and students from China, and the temple. Terry and I had a fun little jaunt through the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Sedona, Jerome and Prescott on our way to Phoenix. Beautiful country and quaint towns. Loved the heat and hated returning to the cold. I guess all good things must come to an end.

Summer Activities

2011-09-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Softball champ and handsome too!

Wynn Las Vegas

Wynn buffet is unbelievable!

The good life......

Las Vegas Temple with our buddies

So much fun

Gorgeous Turtle Bay Hawaii

Hiked Diamond Head for my birthday 6/28

Quite the view

Proud of our baptism boy

Aloha Simmons

Braydon

Braxdon & Branson aka "Fish Brothers"

Our missionary, Nick

after first temple session.....

We love & miss you Wes!

Eternal Family

Whit loves her Gramps (and his hat)

Whit, Mark, Ryan, Ellie--we love being together

The best of the best!!

Andrea & Tiana--sisters??

Papa Bear, Alyssa & newest Packer, Liberty

Cousin buddies, Spencer & Jaren

I'm lovin me some Ohio and new puppy

Bishop Packer, you're the greatest

Who needs video games. This is way more fun!

Next stop Nauvoo

Joseph & Hyrum

Thanks for a great trip Mom & Dad

Alyssa, Jenna & Jayne (they sure like sheep)

Who are these masked men....Ben & Jaren?

Lucy & Lori you were born in the wrong decade

Kids loved the pioneer village even though the heat was killer

Matchers :)

The fabulous Brent Packer Family..where's Ben..haha

We survived the heat wave

Whatever works!

Lucy & Spencer know how to rodeo

I hope they call me on a mission... Oh, they did...

San Antonio comes to Twin Falls--Justin, Ryan & Haley

Debbie & Steve Sessions do Twin Falls

What's for dinner? Oh, hot dogs!

Mountain biking trip

for Wes & Lori

Happy birthday Ashley--glad I got to join the fun

Some serious cowboying: Julie, Ashley, Hallie, Jacob in the Sawtooths

Last fling for Ryker & Hallie before school starts

Red Fish Lake

Sun Valley isn't complete without a stop at Smokey Mt. Pizza

Mt. Rushmore

Incognito at Sturgis Rally

Fitting new leathers

Wild Hogs in Yellowstone...heehee....

Happy birthday dear Terry

Mr. Falconeer

Family fun in the canyon

Labor Day

Truman kids visit Magic Mountain

Dad gets a little ride before shoulder surgery

Watch out!

Nightie night peanuts

Seems as if there is no time to blog any more, but it weighs on my mind... go figure??!! We had an interesting, heartbreaking, touching and too short summer. It's hard to believe we are at the end of September and into fall already. Activities as follows.....

We went to Hawaii the end of June for our grand son, Braydon's, baptism. So proud of you buddy! We've had two nephews leave on missions. Good luck Nick (Wisconsin) and Bryson (California). We've been to Reno, Sacramento, Salt Lake and Las Vegas for softball tournaments. Terry's shoulders are holding up great and we so enjoy associating with our ball playing friends. We had a fun anniversary trip with our friends the Goodrichs to Las Vegas.

We're mourning with our family over the passing of our dear brother-in-law, Wes. We've marvelled, been uplifted and truly inspired by Wes and Lori and their faithful, beautiful lives. Travel to Nauvoo to see Brent's family in the pageant was amazing and we enjoyed a side trip to Ohio to see Roger be sustained as a new bishop. Our hearts were broken again at the passing of Andrea and Tonya's mother, Irene.

Terry and I were a little depressed by losing out on the home we wanted to purchase and compensated by several rode trips to ride mountain bikes in Sun Valley and Salmon and then riding our Harley all the way to and from Sturgis for the annual rally. Our friends from Denver (Sessions) and my brother, Mark's, family came to visit Idaho for the first time. We took the grand kids camping before school and then went on a final trip to Red Fish Lake with friends. My parents and the Truman kids came for a visit before dad's shoulder surgery and we went after Spence about ran over grandpa on the four wheeler, we were grateful there wasn't an added knee surgery. Terry has been out catching and training falcons/hawks, but we're "bird less" at the moment. Our mission calling is going well and we can't believe we've been at it for five months already. We are truly blessed with amazing friends and family and are so grateful for the many opportunities that come our way.

Quick Update... April and May

2011-06-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

Sweet Macy Lynn on Easter. She was even more beautiful at her blessing!

Mother's Day tea party .... courtesy Lucy Truman

Boys got in on some leftovers Lake Tahoe was beautiful, but chilly Too bad we didn't pan any gold. Great bbq tri-tip though!
Golden Eagle Softball Complex
Star Second Baseman. Go Coyotes!

Life moves right along and here we come to June. I can only hope the weather will finally realize it is summer. Matt and Jennifer blessed little Macy in June and she couldn't be much cuter. Michelle came from Hawaii for the blessing and so we had a family party for several days. Lots of fun.

Terry and I were called as service missionaries and will serve for a year here in the Twin Falls Employment Center. Hope we can help.

Softball is in full swing and we just got back from a tournament in Reno. Some wins and some losses, but Terry played great. Maybe because it was "Golden Eagle" complex and we know how he loves his eagles. Fun to be with all our buddies and enjoy a few days away. Lake Tahoe was beautiful, but the whole week was cold....smile.... Hope the Salt Lake tournament coming up is a little warmer.

General Conference

2011-04-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

I'm turning into my mother and loving General Conference. We went to a session this year and it was special. Super fun weekend in Utah with the Packers and Whitney and Zadoc. Thanks and love you all!

Congratulations Matt & Jennifer

2011-04-07T14:16:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful time of life....Matt & Jennifer Miller were sealed in the temple and a few weeks later had a beautiful, baby girl, Macy Lynn Miller. Gotta love that hair. She's beautiful. So proud of the kids!

March Activities

2011-04-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

Brady Jardine #22

We went to watch Utah State play in the WAC basketball tournament in Las Vegas. They won it all! Way to go Brady and Utah State.

Terry's back on the softball diamond after both rotator cuff surgeries. I told him no heroics.... only counted 5 dives and 1 slide before I gave up! He seems to be good.

Coats Cabin Getaway

2011-04-07T13:19:00.001-07:00

Had a fun overnight at Coats Cabin in the South Hills. We love our friends and enjoy their company. The snow cat ride was great. What a beautiful day!

Richard Miller

2011-04-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

We love you Rich! BtB!

Great Game

2011-02-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

We had a good week....

Terry was able to ordain Matt to the office of Elder on Sunday. We're so proud of him and what he's accomplished. The following day we went to a funeral in Utah and were able to see and catch up with old friends there and the following few days at lunch. Great to see my dad getting around on his new knee! Finally, we went to see Utah State play Nevada and watch Brady Jardine dunk and block and become player of the game. Lots of fun. Ended up sick and spending two days in bed, but getting back on my feet.

Happy New Year...Love Hawaii...Love the Simmons

2011-01-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

Branson...aka the "General"

What a cute father/daughter team

Lovely morning for the temple

Partners in crime.....

Gotta love Turtle Bay

Braxdon the expert

Braydon gets more handsome daily

"Look Mom, no glasses!"

Way to sky Braxdon! Go white!

Three frogs in a pond

Who is the real Avatar???

The beach isn't a bad place to do homework

Newly reopened Temple

Great form Braydon...swish...Go Blue!

Doesn't get much better than walking on the beach and playing in the ocean on New Year's Day...unless, of course, you're doing it with the Simmons. It was a wonderful vacation including, but not limited to, the beach, jet skiing, huge sea turtles, the beach, shopping, fabulous pedicures, the beach, the temple, New Year's party, the beach, Harley ride around the island, date nights, movies, college basketball, the beach, mini-basketball starring the boys, Turtle Bay, Zumba, Chinese exchange students, the beach, great food, snorkeling and the list goes one, but I'm tired of typing and my fingers are cold....haha.... Happy New Year!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year..... We had such a delightful holiday with our family. Nothing beats spending time with loved ones. One of the highlights was a lovely Christmas Party at the Haertels with an incredible nativity put on by the cousins. Right after Christmas Dad had knee surgery and we're hoping he recovers quickly--what a trooper! Congrats to Parker and Jayne on their special baptisms and Logan on his Eagle. You're the best!

Cruizin

2011-01-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

So great to see our friends from China and have a little vacation away from the cold.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

We're so grateful for the most wonderful family and friends in the world. Wishing all a peaceful, safe and tasty day.

Our First Adventure in Europe

2010-10-29T16:32:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Prague

By Night

Anatomical Clock

We thought this was Sleeping Beauty's Castle

St. Nicholas Church

Old Cemetery

View from the old cemetery/church/park

River Walk

Cathedral at the Prague Castle

Got our exercise on the cobblestone streets

Real, live drawbridge.....

Budapest: 2nd largest Parliament in Europe (can't fit into picture)

Hero's Square

Looking over from the "Buda" side to "Pest"

The Chain Bridge

The statuary is unbelievable

Fisherman's Bastille

Window on the world......

We took a spur of the moment trip to Prague and Budapest and it opened a whole new desire to see the sights of Europe. The scenery was fantastic! The company was a blast. Too many photos to post, but we'll try a few. We were only there for a week--I guess we'll have to go back. It was like a storybook....castles, spires, statues, bridges, rivers, parks, gardens and cathedrals everywhere you look. We walked ourselves to death on the cobblestone roads. The history was amazing. Overnight train was fun. I highly recommend it.

The Latest

2010-09-13T10:16:00.001-07:00

He is so brave....give him a lolipop.....or a gun

Lots of great memories at this pad!

Diesel now has a sister named Susie and Gus lives in St. George

Cleaning house and surgery headline our summer activities. I spent several weeks in Utah getting my home of 25 years ready to put on the market. I had so much help from my dear family and good friends. You're all wonderful. The place looks great. It was emotional and the hardest part was finding new homes for my darling pugs. I miss them every day, but I'm so glad they are in loving, caring, wonderful homes. Terry ended the month having surgery to fix his right rotator cuff. He has been a trooper and we're getting through it. He will start on his knees next....smile......

Life Long Friends

2010-08-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

Our first days in China with Roger and Jane

We became professors.....*smile*

Denver.... So excited for the game....didn't even know how good our seats were yet.

Pre-game snacks

Living the dream!

Probably the best thing that we brought home from China was our great friendships. We just returned from Cedar City visiting the Halladays who stayed for a second year. They were our neighbors upstairs and we had so much fun in Qingdao! We got to catch up and spend a little time at the Shakespearean Festival. After being home a few days we took a quick trip to Denver to see Steve and Debbie Sessions who were teachers in Beijing. We had a blast seeing the ski towns of Colorado, eating at fabulous restaurants and sitting in the front row, behind home plate at a Rockies baseball game. Most of all we enjoyed reminiscing about all our days in China.

Summertime Fun and Not so Fun......

2010-07-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

"Let's just do dessert today--not real food" ... Tonya

No better place to kick back with a bad wing than pool side!

Mmmm..... Peach City ice cream!

My gorgeous girls. So great being together.

Uncle Boyd having a chat with Whit and Zadoc.

Nice group shot. Terry found a great place to rest his arm.

So nice to be loved.....

Happy 4th of July!

June is the birthday month around this family (11 of them) so life's been a party for sure. Mid-month we went to Salt Lake for a softball tournament and instead Terry ended up having rotator cuff surgery. We're working through the pain and trying to have patience with the long healing process. The poor guy is looking forward to having the other shoulder done once this one has reached a stable point in the healing process....smile.....

The Packer family had a wonderful reunion on July 3rd. It was a special day listening to Uncle Boyd and catching up with cousins. We enjoyed our traditional Maddox cuisine on the way home. Great memories of boating and then Maddox..... Shane ordering root beer "in a frosty mug!" Whitney loving the after dinner candy sticks, etc.

My good friend Jennifer was in town from California and we were able to catch up one afternoon with our other long lost pal from PBL days, Michelle. I miss these gals they are the best. It is funny, we can go for a long period of time not seeing each other and then when we're together it's like we've never been apart.

The 4th of July is my favorite holiday and it didn't disappoint this year. Party at the pool with loving family, yummy food and fireworks. Thanks for everything Mom and Dad! Doesn't get any better.

"Where's Waldo"

2010-06-06T23:16:00.001-07:00

We hung a bird feeder and it has been fun to watch our colorful, feathered friends outside the bedroom door, but "Where's Waldo?" This sneaky, little intruder enjoys his share of the bird seed every day. Don't worry buddy.... your secret is safe with me.

Memorial Day

2010-06-02T18:45:00.001-07:00

Always a thoughtful day for me.... Missing you Shaner bud. So thankful for the gospel and eternal families. So thankful for the wonderful country we live in and all who have sacrificed for this land and our freedom.

Vegas Baby!

2010-06-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Terry's softball tournament in May was in Vegas. We decided to drive rather than fly so we could take our bikes. Alas, that meant I could stuff the truck full of things I just knew I'd need ... smile.... We had a great time biking in St. George and, of course, I took no pictures. Softball tourney was fun, but not as great as walking the strip, eating too much and see the Lion King at Mandalay Bay. We also managed a visit to the temples in both St. George and Las Vegas. Beautiful. The trip home was topped off with a lovely overnight visit in Provo with the Trumans who were so gracious to put us up and feed us. We even stopped at the BYU Kennedy Center to visit with the China Teacher Program Facilitators, the Evans. Awesome. Missing China.....

Did this really happen??

2010-06-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Was it a figment of my imagination or just a dream I keep wanting to return to...... I have been so behind with my blog that it is embarrassing. Oh well. Just wanted to put some cruise photos on display before I move to the next event. I have not been a good picture taker as of late. Always room for improvement!

Together Forever!

2010-05-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad, you're the best! Thanks for the wonderful cruise, but even more for a lifetime of memories, teaching and example. We had so much fun being with the gang. Terry still wants the DNA checked after the Karaoke performance?! I'm having extreme withdrawals and I'm not talking about the food or the sunshine!

Softball Star

2010-04-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well..... he's still got it. Watching the star play ball is a true vacation. He dives for balls like a 20 year old and looks good doing it. I'm not too good at action photography so here's a picture of some down time.

Hawaii

2010-03-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

Alcatraz

BYU Hawaii -- "We are the champions"

View from our bed......little friends.......

Grand Canyon of Hawaii

Hola Hola

Most of March was spent in lovely Hawaii.....doesn't get much better than that! The weather wasn't great, but a bad day in Hawaii isn't really bad at all. Especially when you have the Simmons family to entertain you. First day we spent up at the church which is on "higher ground" because of the Tsunami evacuation. During our time on Oahu Brandon and Terry headed to San Francisco for a little basketball action and Michelle and I shopped, spa'd (is that a word) and watched the young basketball stars do their thing. It was great fun. We had one day at the beach....smile......

We then hopped over to Kauai for a little fun in the sun with our good friends, the Coats. We still had on and off weather, but had a blast playing tennis, riding bikes, eating and frequenting the most beautiful beaches. We had a beautiful day out on the Hola Hola--snorkeled with 3 seals, sea turtles, watched amazing whales and were surrounded by hundreds (no exaggeration) of spinner dolphins. The Nepali Coast is a glorious sight. The only bad part of the trip was getting on a plane and leaving paradise!

What a Woman!

2010-02-17T15:01:00.001-08:00

Do you know anyone that just makes you smile when you think of them.... I do! Do you know anyone who is completely selfless, positive and has a true Christlike nature.... I do! I'm so lucky to have the most wonderful mother in the universe. I want to wish her a happy birthday and tell her how much I love her. You're the best Mom! Thanks for always being there for me and for your example and love. Have a great day.

CHAMPS! Wahoooooo.......

2010-02-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

Have to give a shout out to the "Who Dat Nation!" Way to go Saints. It's been a long time coming. Gotta love it. After years of being a fan, my team finally went all the way. What a fantastic game.

Softball & Southern California

2010-02-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

Well the champ is back on the field. The tournament in CA was fun, but no "gold medal." We got to enjoy a little warmth, Sea World, The Wild Animal Park and driving the coast with our friends.

Sun Valley

2010-01-29T16:04:00.000-08:00

Our anniversary is in December and our friends, the Coats, celebrate theirs in January. We had a great weekend together in Sun Valley. Good food, great skiing, a sleigh ride and best of all the giant hot pool!

Christmas and New Year's

2010-01-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

I guess this why we diet in January .... good grief

You go Braxdon

Braydon getting down

The holidays were filled with surprises that made the days fly by. Mark's family came to Utah from San Antonio, we had a wonderful visit from the kids in Hawaii and the newlyweds came for New Year's. Lots of snow and family time. It was great. We just have to figure out how we can all be in the same place at once next time.

Thanksgiving!

2009-12-17T18:58:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful and we are thankful beyond words that Terry is doing great after surprising us all with a heart attack two days later. Just a note for everyone to step up their health program...... we thought we were doing pretty well in the health department, but goes to show we can take it up a notch for sure.

What a Celebration!

2009-11-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

Beautiful bride about to get dressed

How about this work of art!

Can't believe my baby is married. She is the greatest daughter!

Newlyweds and married 50 years. Kids take note...

Part of the gang

Now where do you think you're going??

Keep on dancing

Hmmm......who caught the bouquet??

Let's try a little quiet time

So proud of you

Got muscles?! That dress weighs about 100 lbs.

CONGRATULATIONS!

How time flies....the cute couple has been married for 3 weeks today. The wedding was fantastic and fun. Whitney was stunning--pictures do not do her justice. Zadoc was a blast. The ceremony was lovely, food great, flowers beautiful, family supportive and the dancing....well....it continued all night and was hilarious. We especially loved all the guys dancing to YMCA with their hats! Thanks to everyone who made the day such a success. Congratulations to the happy couple. Let your love grow stronger every day, support and take good care of each other and know how proud we are and happy that you are part of our eternal family.

Wedding Day

2009-10-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Aren't they precious..... "the middle couple"

Walking into eternity together

Congratulations darlings!

I am ashamed that I have not been a consistent blogger..... Today is my baby's wedding day and I want to give a quick shout out to Whitney and Zadoc on their big day. We love you! We're so proud of you! Hold onto each other and never let go. You're starting on the path and creating a new family.....what a great day! We'll enjoy celebrating it with you.

Entertainment Korean Style

2009-09-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

A few videos to share from the Korean Folk Village.

This is how we iron.

Watch the ribbons on their hats. It is quite amazing.

They did all sorts of amazing stunts. Do not try this at home.

Horsing Around.

Korea for Dragon Boat Festival

2009-09-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the subway with my capable guide!

The signs in Korea are almost as good as the ones in China!

Guilty as charged.....

Judge and police. Terry really looks HOT.

We hadn't seen Krispy Kream for a while.....pure enjoyment.

It's quite alright to ooh and ahhh

Top of the world-Seoul Tower.

Dividing line between North and South Korea.

Just Lovely.

Trying to catch up.....back to May when our blog was blocked in China.....better late than never. We had a festival three day weekend the end of May and wanted to see Korea as we were just across the Yellow Sea. We were fascinated--50 million people in and surrounding Seoul. I felt it was cleaner than China and more westernized. It was really interesting to visit the DMZ and look into North Korea. We enjoyed a river walk similar to San Antonio. The Seoul Tower had an incredible panoramic view of the entire area and it is mind blowing as to the size of the city. We found an Outback and actually went there twice and stuffed ourselves. The highlight was the temple. We attended two sessions and had to listen through the "translator box." The sessions were packed with people. I had the sweetest, tiny, older sister who struggled to stand from her seat when I came in to help me with my translator box. We went to the Korean Folk Village which was very similar to the PCC in Hawaii and met up with our dear friends from Qingdao, Stella and Young Mi. The subway was crazy and we were in town for the President's funeral so the city was crazy the night before. Our dear friends, the Sessions, who were teaching in Beijing met us and we had a great weekend....we just kept forgetting we were in Korea and our few words of Chinese didn't mean much to anyone. Just wish we had more time there.

Happy Birthday to the Big Dog!

2009-08-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind on my posting--and I will catch up--I think...... but, first I have to give a birthday shout out to my incredible husband who celebrated his 39th (?) on the 16th. What a guy! Doesn't get much more handsome or energetic than Terry Miller. Love you sweetie. Here's to the best year ever.

We're Home and I Need to Catch Up

2009-07-28T23:34:00.000-07:00

Back in the routine of home life.......paperwork! Yikes

Our blogs were blocked the last two months in China. I have felt so out of touch.....and now, I'm out of the blogging habit as well. We returned about two weeks ago to our loving family. We've missed them all so much. It feels like we have never really been gone. Did we go to China? Who are all these cute students I keep thinking about and getting emails from? Where did all this junk--I mean treasures come from? We have many exciting things happening in the next few months--weddings and baptisms and big anniversaries. Love to you all. I'm hoping to do a few posts of our last couple months in China. We travelled to Korea and a few students homes for dinner. We hated to leave. It was the best experience ever.

Sports Meeting

2009-05-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

Girl's relay team....with me and their "coach" Allen.

Hertz and Hank

Sport's Meeting has arrived...QU Stadium

My Freshman are in white with red hats.

Honey & Claire. She is my "honey!" She helps me with everything.

Sunshine and Bryant (with the girl's relay award). My two tallest boys about to participate in the high jump.

Part of the boy's relay team.....(Allen, Potter, James, Terry, Hanley, Rock, Kevin, Jack)

More relay team.... (Jason, Bolt, Sunshine, Eric, Wayne, Charles, Allen, Steven, Henry)

My long jumpers--Bolt and Shane

Dance team....not bad, but Whit could definitely show them a thing or two. (Emily, Sophia Martina, Vivian, Me, Emma, Stephanie)

Sunshine is extremely tall for a Chinese boy and he loves his name!

First races of the day....... Love these kids!

Last week the kids had "Sports Meeting" at the University. It was great because I didn't have to teach on Friday. It was also great because it was excellent weather, a fun competition and the kids are so awesome to be with. Sports Meeting is the equivalent of a big track and field meet. There were kids who were athletes and kids who had never run before. All the students were there cheering their classmates on; opening and closing ceremonies; cheerleaders and dancing groups, etc. My freshman were so excited to have me there--they were constantly taking care of me--coming to find me when I arrived and escorting me to the group, putting paper down to sit on, holding a parasol over my head so I'm out of the sun, bringing me water or a treat and making sure I'm comfortable. I was interviewed by the school newspaper and radio station about 8 times. (The kids brought the newspaper to school and were so "proud of me"....they don't realize that I'm the "token" foreignerI got to wander around on the field because they thought I knew what I was doing. Anyway, back to the grindstone this week. The kids are giving class presentations the next few weeks and they've been really great so far.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-11T03:23:00.000-07:00

Wonderful Mothers!!

There is nothing as special as a mother and our mother's prove just that.... Happy Mother's Day to Mom Packer and Mom Miller--we cherish you and the lives you lead. We thank you for your constant love and examples if goodness. We love that our daughters are such great moms as well--teaching and nurturing and sharing their spirit with their beautiful children. What can I say, but our families are full of good mothers. Our sisters are all working so hard to raise valiant children. We couldn't be prouder. There are so many friends we love that have taught us through example. Happy Day to all! I, of course, have to pay tribute to Whitney who is mothering the pugs while I'm away....a little different, but still demanding....smile..... Now, can you believe this post is not about China!

The Written Word

2009-05-06T03:39:00.000-07:00

I believe this sign was supposed to say "Peak" no "Reak".... there is a legend of the Flying Peak (mountain) coming from India......

I don't think of mentioned the great signs in China. When they are translated into English they are usually pretty funny. This is just a sampling from our last trip, but you get the idea....

Hangzhou, Suzhou & Zhouzhuang

2009-05-05T05:32:00.001-07:00

Beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou

The Chinese are all about posing....the girls taught me this...means I'm cute.....hahaha.

We fit right in.

Spring has arrived and the gardens are gorgeous!

Grand Canal in Suzhou....homes along the canal......

I've got to bring one of these little guys home. Stone pugs!

Hmmmmm......I guess when you gotta go--you gotta go!

Venice of the East.

Lovin' the waterways!

Kept looking for my frogs, but I think they're in Hawaii.

Now we're in Pisa--just kidding, but it is a leaning tower too.

Tiger Hill--3 Tigers together!

The Humble Administrator's Gardens (is that an oxymoron?)

You can hardly imagine the flowering trees and gardens.

So peaceful.

Terry said, "them ain't painted on!"

We had a four day holiday the first of May and took a trip to see what some say is the most beautiful part of China. It didn't disappoint. Hangzhou is so green and lush. We visited the Lingyin Monastery and Hupao Spring Park. Thursday night we walked about seven miles around the famous West Lake or Pearl Lake and enjoyed the afternoon and early evening. It was literally spectacular.....gardens, bridges, quaint pathways, fountains, small cafes, wooden boats.... The next morning we took a boat trip on the same lake. Relaxing and perfect weather.

About an hour bus ride away is Suzhou, home of canals and classic Chinese style gardens sometimes referred to as the "Venice of the East." We took a boat tour on the Grand Canal, visited the largest traditional garden in Suzhou, the 10th century, Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, Museum of Embroidery and finally Tiger Hill, Suzhou's best park. Tiger Hill still contains its remarkable leaning pagoda, a seven story structure dating from 961 AD. We saw Venice and Pisa, both, here in Suzhou.

Finally, we ended the tour in Zhouzhuang a small East China ancient town. We took a boat trip on the canals and visited the old street, the Zhang and Shen Family Mansion. We had the famous, local sweet pig's elbow for lunch and bused back to Shanghai for a flight to Qingdao Sunday evening. Our guide was telling us some stories and mentioned waking up to the "Gooster." (goose--rooster????) Did you know China has such an unusual bird......seriously.....he couldn't say "rooster" even with coaching.

Weifang International Kite Festival

2009-05-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Kite factory and museum

Precious cargo.....

I'm going to help make a picture.

Lovely gardens. Me & Jane B.

Now I'm helping with the picture. I'm going to be famous.

Rows and rows of newly made kites.

Whittling the bamboo for the kite frame.

Ironing the freshly painted silk.

Painting the kites......

Kites in action.....enough people???

Off to market we go.

Zibo guards--big and small.

Buddies!

Coming mom. We're just taking photos on the porch!

Hey, no! pet me....pet me.....!

Streets of Zibo.

Sisterhood.....gotta smile!

This little lady had her feet bound as a child. I wanted to put my foot up as a comparison.......

She was adorable!

The University took us on an overnight tour to Weifang and the International Kite Festival. We walked the streets of Zibo first (ancient commercial center) and the next day visited the kite festival and a kite making factory/museum. It was incredible to see them paint and then iron each piece of material or silk for the kite. There were some pretty spectacular kites--real works of art. Of course, I was more than delighted to play with the pug I found in Zibo! I went to the restroom at the kite festival which consisted of 4 makeshift walls around a trench where 4 ladies could squat side by side (no stalls). I can live without that experience again and I'm actually surprised I haven't seen it before now.

April in China

2009-05-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

My first hair cut in China....7 yuan or $1!

Lovely cherry blossoms. Come on Spring! I loved it and Lucky cried the whole time. When she got of she said, "I'M SO GLAD TO BE ALIVE" and she wasn't kidding or faking.....heehee.......

Not a great photo, but mama isn't happy baby is wandering.....

Not many zoo regulations. I could have touched the grizz. He looks so sad. Needs to be out of the cage!

Tourism Competition. Rita is in the middle--black jacket & white scarf.

Post-graduates having fun at the beach.

Unbelievable.....we are already hitting the first week of May. So much to do, see.....so little time. April was an eventful month filled with my first haircut in China, classes, students, classes, students and so on. We were able to have a BBQ with Terry's students at Old Man Stone Beach. They had prepared so many skewers of meat, vegetables and Tofu we thought we would pop, but they kept feeding us.....I think some chicken hearts....fortunately we didn't get sick. They are so happy to work together and have their foreign teacher join them. They treated us like a king and queen--always polite, respectful and giving.

Later in the month we joined in a competition with my students. My students have a "tourism" major and there was a "tour guide" competition. One of my students (Rita) made it to the finals and asked that Terry and I be her "tourists." She had to lead us on a tour of the Olympic Sailing Center. Each finalist had to lead a tour, answer test questions and then perform a talent. Rita was the only finalist to do her tour in English. Five of the nine finalists were my Freshman students. They were awesome. It was a fun evening as all of my students were there to see the competition. Rita took second place--unheard of for an undergraduate.

The cherry blossoms were out at Zhouzhong Park and all over town. They were spectacular. We had a nice afternoon at the park (which is huge) and ended up riding a carnival ride (well, I did) and going to the small zoo. The zoo was hilarious--one side was small animals--rabbits, monkeys, goats and DOGS. Yes, there were pet dogs in the zoo. The other side housed a couple tigers, lions, grizzly bears, wolves and a beautiful spotted leopard. The leopard had new cubs (3) and she was nervous. The babies would wander out by the fence and she would pick them up by the head and take them back in the cave. The little ones were darling and couldn't have been more than a week old--they could barely walk. I could have watched them all day.

We had to say goodbye to two beautiful girls in our Branch. Young Mei and Stella are both headed back to Korea. Stella is one of my young women and was just baptized in December. It will be wonderful for her to be back with her family in Korea, but we will miss her so much. She is such a light and so sweet. We took her and Christina to lunch after they finished their intensive Chinese language testing. They had lasagna for the first time and loved it. They are so talented and we adore them. We also had two eight year old children baptized at the Branch. What a spirit there. We have a new family from Brazil so our little branch has Chinese, Korean, English and now Portuguese to deal with.

Yangtze River Cruise Day 3

2009-04-28T04:34:00.000-07:00

Leaving the gorges......

Ship loaded with coal next to us in the locks.

Three Gorges Dam (in the fog).

You have to love Chinese signs. "No turning over please."

In other words, don't climb over the fence and fall off the cliff.

Out the bus window--Decorated graves for the Chingming Festival.

This morning we finished going through the locks and disembarked from a delightful cruise. We had a tour of the Three Gorges Dam--the world's largest dam site (haha) and hydroelectric power project. Our bus ride to the airport in Wuhan was about 4.5 hours, but the countryside was lovely. Spring has sprung and the farms and villages along the way were quaint. The Chinese are buried in their fields and all along the road, in the fields and on the terraced mountainside were graves. The reason we had a long weekend was because of Chingming Festival or "Grave Sweeping" holiday (the equivalent of our Memorial Day), so all the graves were decorated with paper flowers, fireworks, etc. It was quite lovely.

Yangtze River Cruise Day 2

2009-04-28T01:09:00.001-07:00

Just entering the ship locks. First of five.

Traditional rain gear. I'm such a good boat driver!

Medium boat that took us from our ship to the small boat.

Look at the small cave in the face of the cliff. There is a small wooden coffin inside.

Entering the first Gorge. Kinda like Lake Powell, but a little different.

We entered passed through the gorges today and the sights were breathtaking. We could see monkeys on the mountain and goats, terraced rice fields and villages. It was interesting to see where the villages had been relocated because of the rise in water due to the building of the dam. The other interesting thing was the "hanging coffins." In ancient times the people would carve a cave out of the sheer cliff wall and put the coffin in it or suspend them down the cliffs. Many are still there and you could see them. It was rainy today, but everything was still beautiful. We took and excursion in a sampan to the mini three gorges. Really fun. Our guide let me try on his rain gear and he even sang to us. Tonight we entered the ship locks and it took about 4.5 hours to get through all of them. Really amazing.

Yangtze River Cruise Day 1

2009-04-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

Ghost City

Captain's Dinner

They had many "tests" to pass in the Ghost City. I made it!

Oops I think he got me......

The cruise ship was really nice. The food and service was great. You couldn't beat the scenery. Fantastic. The first day we visited Fengdu, the Ghost City. Hiked a mountain to get there, but it was incredibly interesting and a little creepy. Supposedly, Ghost City is where all the evil spirits reside and they are supposed to remain there eternally. Included in the city - which sits on top of a mountain - is a replica depicting the awful ways the Chinese tortured those among them who sinned. For example, they cut a person's tongue out if he was a liar; a thief had his fingers cut off, etc. Ghost City is also supposedly the pathway to the "underworld." It is the Chinese way of expressing the atrocities of Hell. Lots of frightening statues in such a beautiful setting. Tonight was dinner with the captain. Always fun visiting and enjoying the company of our dear BYU friends.

Yangtze River Cruise

2009-04-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

Chongqing the "mountain city" and the largest city in China.

Making noodles at the street market.

Enjoying the day!

Stilwell/Flying Tigers Museum.

Some of our delightful traveling companions (Samuel, Linda, Sophie).

Sophie (Yoyo) is our travel guide, Marvin's, daughter and our newly adopted niece. She looks like Lucy (only Chinese).....hahaha....you should see their pictures together and their mannerisms are amazingly similar. She is DARLING.

The Yangtze River is the longest river in China and the third longest in the world. The three gorges (Qutang, Wu and Xiling) are regarded as some of the most spectacular scenery attractions in all of China. The Qutang Gorge is magnificent and precipitous, the Wu Gorge is deep and beautiful and the Xiling Gorge has rapids and many rocks. The water in the Mini Three Gorges is clean and both banks are blanketed by trees and many historical sites, scenic spots and lovely legends. The Three Gorges Dam has just been completed and our tour ended at the dam.

Our river cruise began in the city of Chongqing, the largest city in China--about 32 million strong! It is called the "Mountain city." We saw a bit of the city the first day and it was lovely--rivers, mountains, small villages. What a great place. We visited an ancient town, The Stilwell War Museum and the Three Gorges Dam Museum. All very fascinating.

We Love Chinese Food

2009-04-27T05:30:00.001-07:00

I love this picture so I posted on Packer Place as well. Where's Waldo? This stew actually came from our "canteen" downstairs. Our neighbors got it to go and started eating it before they noticed good old Waldo.

Training!

2009-04-27T00:02:00.001-07:00

Terry and Steve updating their image......

All the island's fresh fruit.....does a body good!

Our new Russian training partner.

Our fresh fruit ice cream goddess--best game in town!

Our new look is complete.......

Forgot to mention how good our diet or "training" efforts were while we were at the beach. We even had to purchase new bathing suits as ours were just not right on our new physiques.

Back to the Beach!

2009-04-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

The end of February was cold in Qingdao and so we decided with three weeks still until the second semester we would head back to Sanya. We met up with the Sessions from Beijing and had a great time. It was great because we did absolutely NOTHING. No bus to catch. No tour to take. Nothing to wait on or prepare for. Every morning we would secure our lounges at the beach; visit over breakfast; people watch, fly kites, lounge, read and then head for our favorite frozen fruit smoothies and lunch.....more of the same until dark and then dinner. We ate Thai food every night! In fact, Terry ate the same dish (Mango Beef) every night. We took a one day break from our very tough schedule and went to the "hot baths." We enjoyed massage, hot pools, mud bath, salt buriel and best of all, fish biting massage--all in gorgeous surroundings.

Qingdao Miscellaneous

2009-04-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

Fish drying in the parking lot near the Pier.

China basketball with our colleagues from BYU.

The 7' white guy is Ty Detmer's brother-in-law. No joke.

The Qingdao Pier

Visiting one of the beach parks

OUCH!!

The acupuncturist's name is Jane. We call her "Jane Pain."

Qingdao's music park on the waterfront.

When we returned home from our Spring Festival tour we still had a few weeks before the second semester so we spent time shopping at Jimo, watching the Qingdao Doublestars, getting some "Eastern Medical Treatments" and basically enjoying down time (although I'm not sure the needles were enjoyable).

Lantern Festival

2009-04-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

On a foggy, cold night (in February) we went in search of the

"Lantern Festival." We went to the park, but found nothing. We had a lovely walk through the park and to Bathing Beach No. 1, but it was deserted. We were headed back to our part of town, (and to McDonalds) but happened to get off the bus at May 4th Square when we saw a Pizza Hut. As we were eating, fireworks started going off...they didn't stop all night.....you think I'm kidding.... We went down on the beach and everywhere people were lighting paper lanterns (kind of like mini hot air balloons) and sending them into the air. Fireworks lighted up the sky in every direction. It was quite fun. We bought some lanterns and sent them up ourselves--sending our wishes and prayers for all back home up to the heavens.

Hochi Minh City...better known as Saigon

2009-04-16T01:33:00.000-07:00

Wow--I can't believe we found the BYU bookstore in Vietnam.

Yes, they really wear these hats every day....not just in the movies. Isn't she beautiful.

Tunnels for hiding and living during the war. As you can see an American couldn't fit too well.

She is a tall lady and I'm not talking about the lady in red.

I don't know that anyone owns a car in this country. There are thousands of scooters as far as you can see.

The last leg of our month long tour ended in Hochi Minh City, Vietnam. We were going 24/7. We visited Hochi Minh City Hall, Notre Dame Church, thong Nhat Conference Hall and the War Museum--that was before lunch time on the first day. We went to the Cuchi Underground Tunnel-a battle field in Vietnam war time close to Saigon. We enjoyed having Brother Orton with us who explained many aspects of the war as he was with government intelligence during the war. On the second day we went to My Tho Town, one of the 11 provinces in the Mekong Delta and then took a boat trip on the Mekong River to a farmer's house and garden, bee raising farm, coconut candy enterprise and had lunch on the river. We had free time and there was a fabulous market where we bought Polo shirts for $3 and True Religion jeans for $10. We found a great hamburger restaurant, The Black Cat, and ate there two days in a row. We also walked through The Rex Hotel one night (where dignitaries stay) and enjoyed an evening on the patio listening to music.

Cambodia

2009-04-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

Floating City.....

Isn't she lovely.....

Those are some serious tree roots. They actually hold the temple up in places.

An afternoon at home on the "houseboat."

Isn't he just the cutest!

Loved Cambodia it was warm, the hotel was nice and we were able to relax a bit. We saw temple after ancient temple and they all sort of run together. We visited the ancient capital of Angkor Thorn with the South Gate and huge statutes depicting the churning of ocean milk. Next was the Bayon Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces, the Elephant Terrace and the list goes on. In the afternoon, we visited the most famous of all temples on the Angkor plain: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag. We took a serious hike to see the sunset from Phnom Bakent which has a spectacular view of the Western Baray and Angkor Wat.

The temple visits continued the next day to Prasat Kravan with its unique brick sculptures, Srah Srang once used for ritual bathing, Banteay Kdei surrounded by four concentric walls, Eastern Mebon guarded by stone figures of harnessed elephants and then Ta Prohm one of the most beautiful temples of the area. It has remained relatively untouched and remains a mystery.

Finally we visited the floating village of the Chong Khneas. We took a traditional wooden boat ride on the Great Lake of Cambodia and the largest lake in Asia. The floating village was a village of homes, repair shops, stores, school, church and even a basketball court/gym all on the water. We stopped at one point to see the alligators. The incredible things was the people lived in the poorest of circumstances and would try to beautify their "homes" with potted flowers or whatever they could find. As my mom would say, "there's a lesson in that!"

Hanoi, Vietnam

2009-04-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

Family togetherness at its best! Family of four out for the day.

Skinny houses and intricate spider webs of power lines.

Ha Long Bay was beautiful.

The brotherhood.......

Feasting on the boat....yum yum......

We arrived in Hanoi for a couple of days--the word to describe Vietnam is "motor scooters." Thousands pack the streets. Families of four are a common sight and we even saw families of five riding on them. There will be a little child on the front playing, then dad and then mom feeding a baby or holding another child and all their gear etc. We saw them carrying building supplies, a very LARGE pig in a cage as big as the scooter, trees and everything you can possibly imagine. The houses are tall and skinny! Upon arrival we visited the Old Quarter of Hanoi and Dong Xuan Market. In the evening we enjoyed a water puppet show. The next day we took a boat tour to Ha Long Bay. We visited islands and caves. It is an immense bay with 5,00 inlets. Our travels then took us to the Hanoi Hilton where the U.S. prisoners of war were kept. It was very sobering.

Dali

2009-03-27T00:55:00.000-07:00

Locals going to market.
Preparing the tie dye "knots."

Beautiful San Ta. Leaning pagoda on the left.

Getting through towns slowly, but surely! I can't believe we've been "back to school" for a month now. I'm ready for another vacation, but still haven't finished posting the last one. Dali was a blast. The historic city is set against a stunning backdrop, Erhai Lake with the imposing Cangshan mountain range behind it. The old section of Dali was wonderful to explore. We enjoyed an evening bargaining in the old town and had so much fun speaking foreign languages (who knows what), dancing and laughing with an old shop owner than we bought many of his wares....probably the plan, but he was fantastic.....as was Terry who can speak some strange Russian and Chinese dialect and a language of his own making......nonsense spoken louder and slower! We visited a tie dye factory where we were shown the intricate process. Takes some serious time. When were were leaving we saw the field behind where they dry the products which were laying all over the ground and bushes. We had a boat ride on a lake that is usually calm. The wind was up and our tour guide was NERVOUS and SICK. The San Ta (Three Pagodas) symbolize Dali. The tallest is 230 ft. and dates back to around AD 800. The pagodas have survived many earthquakes that have destroyed the surrounding villages. The pagoda on the left is leaning reminding you of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Dali was incredibly charming. (photos)

Lijiang

2009-03-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

I told you the bathrooms (or as we call them the "toilet" or the "WC") were interesting around here. Yes, Terry is wearing a fishing hat with a "fur tail." Long story.....

Street vendor making something like a hashbrown. Be careful with that big chopper!

Our good friend.....I have later photos with the infamous BYU bookstore bag.

Local folk enjoying the day.

The canals run through the village and they are used for washing clothes, dishes, vegetables and whatever else needs to be "cleaned?!"

Black Dragon Pool Park. Famous mountain in the background. Many brides were being photographed on the bridge and at the pagoda in the background.

We enjoyed historic Lijiang very near the Tibetan border in northern Yunnan Province. We went to the old town which was a delightful maze of cobbled streets, rickety old wooden buildings, gushing canals, bustling street markets all tended by merchants in traditional Naxi costumes. We visited Shuhe ancient town very near which is an older and more natural local village of the Naxi Minority. Black Dragon Pool Park was very lovely and peaceful. (photos)

Guilin to Kunming

2009-03-18T03:10:00.000-07:00

A little entertainment at the Stone Forest. The traditional singing and dancing was great.

The Stone Forest was a lot like hiking at Lake Powell.....only no red rock and a little colder.....hmmmm........

Don't wake the dragon........

Trunk Hill Park with our tour guide (and brother), Marvin. I wonder why they call it that?

Near Guilin we visited Reed Flute Cave filled with exotic rock formations and fantastic shapes. The cave was lighted by colored lights. In the center of the cave was the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King. The cavern can hold more than 1,000 people. We also visited Trunk Hill Park which is named because the mountain looks like a large elephant with his trunk in the water. It is quite a climb to the top, but the view was worth it. The next day we visited the Stone Forest, a massive collection of limestone pillars eroded by wind and rain to shape fanciful forms. There were minority dancers there to take pictures and entertain us. (photos)

Li River to Yangshuo

2009-03-17T06:27:00.001-07:00

My new friends. They are darling!

I'm getting seriously behind on our travel update. We are now in the third week of the second semester and I haven't finished blogging about our semester break. We left Hong Kong and arrived in Guilin where we took a 4 1/2 hour cruise down the Li River, the connecting waterway between Guilin and Yangshuo. The river forms a green gauze belt, the mountains are like blue jade hairpins. It is extraordinary. It was foggy, but still spectacular. There was bamboo, cormorant fisherman in small boats and picturesque villages along the way. Yangshuo was fantastic. Such a quaint little village with street markets and the mountain backdrop. In the evening we enjoyed watching the cormorants catching fish. The birds dive under water and catch the fish. The fisherman have a cord around the bird's neck so they cannot swallow the fish. Really amazing. We took golf carts on a ride through the countryside to see farming, rice paddies and visit a local home. This was one of our favorite spots on our Southwest China tour. (more photos)

Hong Kong

2009-03-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

The double-decker bus ride to this beautiful bay in Stanley was better than a roller coaster!

We have a couple new stars on the Hong Kong Walk of Fame. Steve and Terry have taken over.

Ready to give our presentations. Glad that is over. The church buildings in Hong Kong are fabulous.

Oh yummy....Western food. Let's see how much we can eat.......

The spectacular Hong Kong Temple. What a wonderful sight.

We had a BYU teacher's conference in Hong Kong. We were anxious to see Hong Kong, but nervous to give our speeches. The city was amazing. There was too much to see and do in four days, but we tried. We watched the laser light show on the waterfront the first night. The second day we went to the Hong Kong Temple. It was quite a humbling experience. We had meetings there with the temple president. We took a ferry and a double-decker bus to Stanley which was a quaint little town on the beach. Picturesque! Lunch on the waterfront and shopping at the street markets was fabulous. We went to the night market and wandered the "walk of fame" along the pier. We rode the world's longest escalators, visited parks and ate lots of good food. We gave our presentations at the conference and had a dinner at Dan Ryan's that was delicious. On Sunday we had a district conference. The church owns some beautiful properties in Hong Kong. There is a gorgeous painting of Jesus and Chinese children in the administration building. The last afternoon we had a relaxing picnic in the park with our pals and departed for our tour of Southwest China. What a whirlwind stop! (Hong Kong photos)

One Day in Shenzhen

2009-03-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

Dad, this rooster is in your honor! The entry to the park was decorated with all sizes of beautifully painted roosters, but this was the "cock of the walk!"

You can just barely see the people on the hand of this Buddha which is built into the side of an entire mountain. I believe it is one of the largest in the world--if not the largest.

Terry just loves walking on the suspension bridge. Almost as much as riding the gondolas. I miss my pugs so I had to find some new friends.....not quite as cuddly and a little heavy to bring home.

We spent a night and day in Shenzhen located very near Hong Kong. They have a folk cultural village there that was patterned after the Polynesian Culture Center in Hawaii. One side is minority villages with homes, shows, traditional costume and crafts and the other is an incredible "miniature China." All the famous landmarks in China are represented in miniature, including "The Great Wall," "the Hanging Temple," famous Buddhas, etc. It was fascinating and we could have spent much longer there. We saw a Mongolian battle on horseback, a Tibetan show and a Muslim celebration. That evening we were treated to back to back night shows. The costumes, acrobatics and special stage affects were wonderful.

Next Stop--Sanya, Hainan Island

2009-02-28T04:04:00.000-08:00

Next on the itinerary was Hainan Island or "Asia's Hawaii." Let me tell you it was pretty tough to take!! We enjoyed the beautiful scenery at "End of the Earth" beach, monkeyed around on "Monkey Island," (Can you tell who the monkeys are?), had a little scuba activity at Yalong Bay and just flat out enjoyed being warm and relaxing with massages and frozen fruit smoothies. We think we'll come back and teach again if we can do it in Sanya.

Shanghai

2009-02-26T05:28:00.000-08:00

The first stop on our whirlwind tour was Shanghai--one of the most fascinating cities in the world. Amazing architecture, skyscraper buildings, old and new combined in a beautiful way. We visited the famous Oriental Pearl TV Tower. I had to drag Terry away from the 70th story bird's-eye view and back to ground level. He loved being up there. We visited a wonderful wax museum and art museum as well. The weather was foggy and freezing, but we managed to enjoy the peaceful Yu Gardens and Bazaar. The shopping was fun as they were preparing for the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. The last stop on the itinerary was a silk factory where we were shown how the little silk worms do their thing.....we really appreciate all the beautiful (yet strong) silk products we love. (Click here for all Shanghai photos)

We're Back!

2009-02-24T05:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know that the blog needs to be updated. We've been doing are best to see all of China during semester break. I am trying to get photos downloaded and thoughts together, but alas there are thousands to choose from and it is taking some time. I guess I will do it a little piece at a time while I am desperately trying to prepare for the second semester (I'm having difficulty focusing). Our love goes out to everyone during this "month of love!"

Harbin

2009-01-07T05:55:00.000-08:00

We spent New Year's in the frozen North, Harbin, Northern China about as close to Russia as you can get....about as cold as you can get too. We braved the icy conditions to see the fantastic cities of ice and world renown snow sculptures. But the best was the tiger sanctuary. Incredible!The town (8 million) has a Russian history and it was very fun. We will be happy to fly "south" tomorrow for our Southern China vacation. Click for more photos

New Year's Dumplings

2009-01-05T06:57:00.001-08:00

It is tradition in China to have dumplings on New Year's. It is lucky and we need all the luck we can get. My students invited Terry and I to make dumplings with them on New Year's eve in their canteen. We had a great time going around to my various classes and learning the process. It is not as easy as it seems. The kids all looked like ghosts because the dumpling making turned into a "flour" war, but they had a blast. They are incredibly hospitable and we enjoy them so much! I confess we left without eating the spoils of our labor, but after watching the dough be dropped and handled we decided to go out to dinner on our way home. We had a quiet dinner together and came home to listen to the fireworks and ring in the new year and pack for our morning flight to Harbin. (dumpling album)

Christmas

2009-01-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a little quiet in China, but nice all the same. On Christmas Eve we tried to make our own version of chicken mezz (can't spell). It was delicious and we had a quiet evening with the neighbors. On Christmas day we had a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and caroled the evening away. Back to work the next day. No rest for the weary. (photo album)

December Activities

2008-12-29T23:57:00.000-08:00

December has been pretty much chaos around this place. We had programs, parties, lessons, grading, Branch and Christmas activities. We still aren't quite recovered. We still have one more day of finals and then grades to get out. I didn't sign up for this part. We leave day after tomorrow for our ice adventure in Harbin. I'm cold already!

Stella's Baptism

2008-12-29T23:46:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas we attended the most special event of the season....Stella's baptism! She is such a gracious and special young lady. It was a touching and spiritual event. The young women sang "I am a Child of God." Stella asked Terry to confirm her and it was a beautiful blessing. We have been truly blessed to have this wonderful young lady share her life and testimony with us.

Anniversary

2008-12-23T05:33:00.000-08:00

Celebrating our anniversary in China was fabulous! I’m amazed at how two years have flown by. After teaching we went to our favorite place for a two and a half hour foot and full body massage…..ahhhhh…..HEAVEN…..followed up by a scrumptious dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. We sat and listened to the piano play and enjoyed the enormous Christmas tree and “Western” atmosphere. There was a chocolate fountain and Cold Stone type ice cream. Yummy! It was nice to have a relaxing evening together and just visit and wind down. I can’t believe we are lucky enough to have found each other and to experience this together. I love you Terry.

Christmas

2008-12-23T04:24:00.000-08:00

Well Santa is alive and well in China. We will make sure he is ready to hit the States soon, but wanted him to play a little tune for us first.

Beijing Album

2008-12-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

More photos of Thanksgiving in Beijing.

Thanksgiving in Beijing

2008-12-08T04:31:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Beijing. It was wonderful. Although we did not have "turkey dinner," we were lucky to have several western meals that were delightful. We went to Sizzler and TGIF. We miss SALAD here in China. Our itinerary included the Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, Olympic Village, the Water Cube, the Bird's Nest and the Great Wall. We tasted Peking Duck and went to an incredible acrobat show. You pretty much cover your eyes the entire time because their feats make you crazy and you wonder if they have any bones in their body the way they twist around. The hotel was delightful. The company was wonderful. Oh, and did I mention bargain shopping....too much fun. Sunday we were able to attend the block of church at a real chapel (in a high rise office building) and the spirit was divine. No pun intended. We arrived back in Qingdao and my suitcase came up missing. Same one that was missing the first day we set foot in Qingdao. I told Terry he is packing in the "unlucky" suitcase next time. They did recover it three days later--I was ecstatic. We are so thankful for our blessings--our beautiful family, the gospel of Jesus Christ, great friends, our experiences in China and especially for each other. Love to all of you.

Eastern Medicine

2008-12-03T01:58:00.000-08:00

Terry has decided to try a new back medicine. Actually we were both going to try a little acupuncture, but she thought we wanted massage (most foreigners don't like needles) and only brought one set of needles. He needs another treatment, but isn't so sure he is going to get one. Big baby. I thought the picture would be better, but he has needles up and down his legs and in his back. They are so tiny you can't even see them....haha.....

My cute young women are so talented! They speak English, Chinese and Korean which is amazing. Christina plays the piano for church (all meetings) and did a violin solo last week. Stella is not a member of the Church, but comes every week and is so anxious to learn and grow. We are having a "cooking" activity this Saturday and I hope I can figure out a dish to cook in the Chinese oven...otherwise known as the "toaster oven."

All That Jazz

2008-12-03T01:11:00.000-08:00

Well, not quite the Jazz, but as close as we can get--The Qingdao Double Stars! Basketball in China and we are the number one fans. The city professional basketball team plays at our university arena and we have been attending the games. In fact, we were on the front of page of the sports section of the city news "Foreigners attend basketball game." Terry was giving high 5's to one Chinese student sitting by us and pretty soon we had a following of our own because everyone wanted to sit by "super fan." They had half time dancers and the equivalent of our dentist who sits behind the basket with his signs and bull horn. It was a good time and we are headed again tonight.

Gratitude

2008-11-19T04:21:00.000-08:00

We are so grateful for all we have and our opportunity to serve in China....some days more than others..... We really are blessed to have the wonderful family and friends that we do. The weeks are rolling by and it seems we never catch up. We will teach our classes about Thanksgiving next week. It is my favorite holiday (next to the 4th of July)! I look forward to talking about it, but do it with mixed feelings as it is hard to be away from our loved ones at this time. The last couple of weeks have been a blur. I had about 80 of my students over to this campus for a make-up class and the "International Fair." Terry was the hit of the party. They arrived toward the end of the Fair and so we gave them a tour around campus...library, basketball arena, theater, etc. They were able to try to different food and speak English for a while. The next day in class my student, Braydon, said, "I think your husband is very happy and you have a very happy life....I love him....!" They are so innocent and sweet.

The facilitators for the BYU program were here last week as well. They came to our classes and we had some meetings and meals with them. It was good to see them and find out we were doing our jobs okay....haha....

Last Saturday was the most incredible experience as one of the sweet sisters in our branch was baptized; something we never thought to experience here. Shelly is married to Peter who is Korean and thus she is able to attend our branch and follow her desire to be baptized. She has a sweet testimony and is so humble. She is trying to learn everything she can and is very grateful for the gospel. I hope we can all be grateful for the little things and for the gospel that gives us such light, hope and peace.

Halloween

2008-11-04T04:25:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I think there has to be a trip or something big before I post. We have been super busy and me a little stressed out. Seems to be no down time. The lessons take so much effort, but the students are so worth it. We taught them about Halloween last week and they had fun. We played some educational games--their teams had to draw a jack-o-lantern by having one person as the artist (who went out of the room during the planning) draw by giving him only instructions in English. They did team creativity trick or treating by coming up with a song, story, poem, skit, dance or whatever dealing with a Halloween creature. Each team member had to participate and speak English. They are do thrilled with every little thing. Little pieces of candy, little decorations, little songs. They thought it was hilarious when I put on a witch's hat and when I lit a little ceramic pumpkin in class they went crazy. Anyway, that was the week at school. We had district conference over the weekend and President Toronto from Beijing was there. Yes, he is John and Carolyn Toronto's cousin. So, we are cousins through a couple marriages or something like that. I can't believe it is Wednesday again and we are half-way through another week. I'm sorry we missed little Spencer's blessing. What a beautiful little boy. The photos we've seen from Halloween back home look great. Keep them coming.

Taishon

2008-10-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a beach party with a class of students. The day started out rainy, but cleared up and was just a little windy. The students (post graduates) were so excited to have a day on the beach. We played volleyball and tug-o-war with a long piece of material they found which they held up for a net and used for the tug-o-war. They are so happy with simple little pleasures. They are so gracious and accommodating to us. It was really enjoyable. We then spent the weekend traveling to QuFu and Mount Tai. This was the home and burial place of Confucius. We went to the Confucius Temple and then the cemetery. Mt. Tai is one of five famous mountains in China and probably the most famous. Many emperors made pilgrimages there. We took a mountain bus partially up, then a gondola and then hiked some 2,000 steps to the top. It was cold....until the hiking began. The views were breathtaking. The legend is that you can see all of China from the top. The locks in the picture signify "locking in your wishes." You can purchase a ribbon (wish) and a padlock to "lock it in." There was a temple at the top and much incense, praying and wishing going on. We wish all the best for our wonderful family and friends!

Married.....again.....!!!

2008-10-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess we have three anniversary dates to remember now. We just renewed our "vows" as part of the Qingdao Annual Beach Festival. They called on us, the token Americans, to join the wedding celebration part of the festival. It was quite the event--held at Bathing Beach No. 1. The festival included dancing boys and girls, speeches, kung fu, ancient Chinese dancing, sand castle/sculpture building and the wedding celebration. We marched onto stage to "dum dum da dum" and then they had the officiant do his speech and popped confetti firecrackers around us. There were then speeches from two gentlemen--a famous Chinese spokesperson and our own, Joe Goodrich, from BYU. We all took hands and went down to the sand for a circle dance and photos. Back up on stage for flowers and certificates and then more photos with the governor and mayor and a special tour of the sandcastle/sand art. The BYU boys had purchased huge, "diamond" rings for us and got down on one knee in the sand. I think we caused quite the stir. We were then driven to a nearby hotel for a special banquet including duck (w/head), fish (w/head), shrimp (w/heads), etc. We even got a special wedding gift--commemorative plate with stand, tee shirts and sheets. That night we watched the fireworks from the balcony of our apartment. Well, I did as my cold finally caught up with poor Terry and he was in bed.

Last Stop: Xi'an

2008-10-10T02:37:00.000-07:00

In Xi'an we went to the City Wall and rode bikes 9 miles around the top. Xi'an is famous for the Terra Cotta soldiers that were buried during the Qin Dynasty about 200 BC. They are excavating more than 6000 Terra Cotta soldiers, horses and chariots. The last evening we attended a dumpling banquet and a Tang Dynasty music and dance performance. The music and dance were wonderful, but very different from American entertainment.

Next Stop: Dunhuang

2008-10-10T02:27:00.000-07:00

This famous city has over 1,000 caves that the Buddhist Monks inhabited nearly 1700 years ago. Inside some 300 caves are Buddhist Statues and other paintings and murals. This entry inside the door has a five-story Buddha in it. This incredible sight could not be photographed. The Chinese are recently learning how to preserve these artifacts and will not allow photos. There was a Buddhist Monk chanting outside of the Mogao grotto, known as the 1,000 caves. We were at the edge of the Gobi desert, where we rode camels out to an Oasis. The Camel ride was very gentle. Going up and coming down is an adventure! The largest sand dune is called Sound Sand Mountain and at the base is a small lake called Crescent Lake--in the shape of a crescent moon. You can tube or sled down the sand dunes as if it were snow. They were using the same tubes that we use at Magic Mountain.

Silk Road continued...

2008-10-10T02:22:00.000-07:00

Next City we visited was Turpan, China. This is one of the most ancient cities still inhabited by Chinese. It dates back 2000 years.

The Silk Road

2008-10-10T00:59:00.000-07:00

China's National Day (our 4th of July) is October 1. The nation takes a week off (including schools) to celebrate. Terry and I joined other BYU China teachers for a week's tour of some great sights along the ancient Silk Road of China. We had paid our money and reserved our seats, but we were in doubt as to going until two hours prior to departure. The school was having problems getting our “resident visas” and they had taken our passports to the police station to get the paperwork done. We made daily contact to see if they'd speed up the process, but no results. We packed our bags and two hours before the bus arrived to take us to the airport we received a call that our passports and visas were back. Off we went to check out the Silk Road of China (ancient road transporting silk across China to Europe). We flew six hours to the farthest northwestern province of China (bordering Russia and Outer Mongolia) and worked our way down through the Gobi Desert, visiting ancient desert villages and ending up in Xi'an, the eastern end of the Silk Road. Our transportation included airplane, bus, train, donkey-cart and camel. All methods of traveling were enjoyed without mishap. On the train we were in sleeper bunks with four to a room (I use the term “room” loosely). At one point, we had over eight folks in our room laughing and having a party. I’m sure everyone who knows me knows how much I enjoyed riding that camel. It was my highlight! Very interesting when they are getting up and down--hold on!It was a glorious six days getting more acquainted with the people, geography, history and customs of these wonderful Chinese people as well as the great BYU China teachers who shared the journey with us. Our flight home was delayed about four hours so we got home, had a couple hours of sleep and went back to teaching classes. Exhausting, but worth the adventure.
Urumqi is 90% Muslim population. This is one of the many mosques in this city.

We started our journey in Urumqi, China at this beautiful lake appropriately named Heavenly Lake.

Still Kickin

2008-09-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

Still Kickin It is a new week and I started my classes Monday. Terry is a seasoned teacher and I am a nervous wreck. I went to his class on Friday and watched the master in action. He is great with those kids. It was helpful because I did get some ideas and see how it was done. I have 70 students in class and that is a handful. Teaching back to back two hour classes is exhausting. I don't know how Terry and the other teachers have been doing it for two weeks now while I just try to "play house" in China. We have a banquet with the mayor that the BYU teachers were invited to on Friday and a banquet/fantango with the University on Saturday.We have a holiday here next week. National Day. We have the week off and we are signed up, paid up and ready to go on the "Silk Road Tour." Only problem is we haven't received our residence Visa. They are having trouble getting it and we have to have it to travel. We go to the police station tomorrow to try and get the ball rolling. We will have to leave our passports and it usually takes 10 days.....hmmm.....let's do the math. We'll see if we get to be tourists on the Silk Road or back to the U.S. on Saturday.

2008-09-14T03:42:00.000-07:00

Too many adventures to write about. Boy do we feel up against the learning curve here. The language barrier is something else, but the people are heartwarming. We went on a hike up Laoshan Mountain. Waterfalls and Daoist carvings on the stones. We went to the paralympic sailing venue yesterday and they were jumping around to take pictures of the foreigners..."us." One little girl handed us torches she had made out of construction paper and wanted us to hold them in a photo. She kept saying, "one world, one dream." Anyway, it is funny to stand out because you have blond hair....only for a few more weeks. Every store is an adventure. Friday night we went to TaiDong where they have an outdoor market at 5:00 p.m. It is a walking street--no cars--a million people selling their wares and all kinds of street food that looked interesting and scary both. Some of the smells were outrageous. We ate at Pizza Hut where building a salad is a work of art for the Chinese. Photos to come. We were able to go to the closing ceremonies for the paralympic sailing venue and the show was fantastic. It was on our campus here. Photos to come (from our neighbor who has the "good" camera). We were able to get our talks out of the way in church today and that was a new experience. I cut out 3 pages and Terry who knows how many because it takes so long for the translation after each sentence. It is hard to keep a train of thought going, but we had so many tell us how spiritual it was. On to lesson plans for the week. We love and miss our family. The days speed by and we are exhausted every night.