And the winner is.....Harms Family!

The winner of our "who are you" blog post is Kim Harms! (cue- loud cheering!)

Now, a word about Kim Harms. I have know her for about sixteen years- ever since college. Her sweet presence on the dorm floor was always a welcome joy. She also has three kids (all boys) and we are able to stay in touch via our blogs. I am thankful for you servant heart to both her family and the nations! She recently rounded up many people in her community to sew dresses for little girls affected by the Haitian earthquake.

We also have in common that we both married men from Fremont, Nebraska. These are special men! Love you Kim Harms and Harms boys! You stuff will be in the mail soon!

Our Meal

Salome's first Thanksgiving. She sat in her highchair all day eating! Chinese people love feeding babies (well who doesn't right?) so she was very well taken care of!

Once a year my dear Joab wears an apron- to carve the Turkey! And he did a great job!

We had a wonderful meal with many of our Chinese friends. For many of them it was their first Thanksgiving meal ever. We are so thankful for friends to celebrate with when we missed so many of our family in the States.

Thankful

She is cute. She is a lot of work. She gets into everything. She is my baby. She is eleven months old today!

A year ago I did not know that I would have a Salome in our lives. I did not know how much our family would need a red haired spunky little girl. For Salome and a million other reasons I give thanks for our blessings.

Mommy, I was made for this

Miraim this week with some of her classmates.

"Mommy, I was made for this" these words were ringing in my ears as I zoomed off in my electric bike after picking Miriam up from school. She was elated as she had been chosen as one of the special room helpers, an honor only six kids got out of her class of 30.



It is a funny thing to raise your kids in an enviroment where you yourself have no cultural bearings. You do not go to the pumpkin patch in the fall with your kids, watch them sing Christmas songs in winter or cheer them on at little league in the summer. Instead you engage in things for the first time and bring your kids along side you. Chinese elementary school is one of those things.



I really had no idea we would get this "far"in Chinese elementary school. I had visions of bribing Miriam with candy to do hours of homework, forcing her daily to get on the bike and not be late for school. Instead I get a little girl who tells me to leave her alone so she can do her homework in peace and quiet and skips off to school almost daily. I have a little girl who really has Chinese friends. Chinese friends she calls on the phone and asks to come over and play. Chinese friends who stick up for her at school and tell her the truth. I have a little girl that says in her own words "Mommy I was made for this". Made in her mind for Chinese school but I know in God's mind so very much more.

Please, remind me when she is 17 and wants to study abroad early and do so many things that will challenge me to trust God more and more that she started off early doing some pretty amazing things.

Christmas Baby

From Thanksgiving to Christmas at our house is one big BIG party and especially this year!

Salome's first birthday will kick off things on December 23rd! The above is Joab and the little elf last year on Christmas Eve. She is only one day old. I think this is one of my favorite pictures of all time.

Than Christmas and Christmas Eve!

Than Miriam turns eight on December 28th!

Salome shares my brother David's birthday on Dec. 23rd. Growing up I vowed not to do this to any of my children (have a birthday near Christmas). But now I have two! Yikes!

Well, I am trying to embrace the parties this year not dread all the work! While I stand amazed God gave me two Christmas babies!

Who are you?

Hello! It is that time again our annual blog contest! We have kept this blog public and now want to know who is reading it! So please take a moment to comment on this post with your name and the best (or one of the best) books you have read this year. I am getting ready to order some from Amazon and want to know some good ones!

Then we will collect all your names and draw one out of the blogging hat to send you one of my best China read for this year- Factory Girls in early December!

I really liked this book for a two reasons. It tells the personal stories behind some of the huge factories in south china and it is written by a Chinese author about Chinese people.

In addition, if you win and have kids I will throw in a book for your kids about China! So what are you waiting for! Please comment!

Siblings

Asa and Salome would play and bathe together all night if I let them! She loves to laugh at all of Asa's tricks! It is very cute.

Miriam has been very into writing signs for Asa lately. This one was on her section of the bunk bed in Chinese and English! At least she said please. However, Asa tends not to "obey" the signs which really drives her nuts!