Catching up

So it has been a long time... too long. So much has happened in our exciting lives over the last month or so. First of all, Jodee made a trip to Xi'an to see the terracotta warriors with some friends from work. She took the over night train there one day and back the next night. She had a great time and it gave me the opportunity for a guys night of movies that Jodee might not like (she has girly taste). After this trip my good friend Jay Wisnand come to visit. He used to work here with me and in fact I took his spot in QC when he left. He came to see his girlfriend Becky (from Canada and teaches with Jodee) whom he proposed to his first day here. He stayed at our place, but we rarely saw him as Becky was his first priority. Shortly after this my parents and sister Shannon came to town. This was their second visit to China, so we passed on a lot of the temples and squares and instead hit the different restaurants and markets Jodee and I have discovered over our time here. While here my sister got in a little shopping (everyday), my dad observed Chinese fishermen (more than once) and they all got massages (as often as time permitted). All in all it was great to see them, and beyond this, they loaded us down with necessities such as chorizo and 100 calories packs. Since my parents have left life has gone back to normal. Jodee is still enjoying school and the embassy is coming along. Beijing, however, is beginning to get on my nerves. Between the concrete, smog, hordes of people, nasty smells and noise I am about to go crazy. I don't think it is Beijing that is such a bad place, but I am realizing that I am not an urban creature. To combat this Jodee and I are taking action. Yesterday the two of us and our best friends over here, Scott and Sylvia, took a van out to an old ruined part of the great wall and went on a 4 hour hike. It was hard, but there were blooming trees everywhere and a few great vistas. We came home and enjoyed the hot tub and steam room at our apartment, so I guess the city is not all bad. Today we took yet further action as we started our first garden. We are growing two types of tomatoes, cilantro, peppers and green onions. Our success is not in question as my father is a perennial powerhouse with his vegetables at the Comal county fair. That stuff runs in the blood. We will of course keep you posted as our plants grow into maturity. We have little time left here in China, some 3 and a half months, which leaves us with mixed emotions. We have enjoyed our church and friends here so much and this is the only home we know together. With that said we are very excited about coming home to see everyone and our next adventure in Paris. Time flies when you have a real job that just keeps going so I am sure August will be here in no time. We hope that all of you are doing well and we hope you have not given up on reading this. See you soon.