Shillig 4 Family

 We worked out in the middle of the night thanks to some jet-lag and hit the city bright and early the next day.  We thought we had found the gardens and were a bit unimpressed.  We weaved our way across this bridge and finally found the real gardens.  We got in line since we were there before they opened and just like always I had to make sure no Chinese people cut in line in front of us.  The Chinese are GOOD at nonchalantly and/or aggressively cutting in line.  This was a beautiful oasis in the big city.  Shanghai is my least favorite city.  There isn't anything unlikable about it, but there is most definitely not anything I love about it.  The rock formations here are similar to those in the Forbidden city. We've discovered in China when visiting a major attraction like this garden or the Forbidden City in Beijing that if you arrive when it first opens you have the whole place to yourself for just a fe...

 This was my 2nd trip to Shanghai, but my first time to visit the Bund. As you walk along the Bund you can see historic European style buildings and then across the water you can see the new and shiny Pudong area. "The Shanghai Bund has dozens of historical buildings, lining the Huangpu River, that once housed numerous banks and trading houses from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Italy, Russia, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the consulates of Russia and Britain, a newspaper, the Shanghai Club and the Masonic Club."  It was just as romantic as we imagined.  Jake first visited the Bund when he was in Shanghai for the summer doing a law school semester there.  I remember him telling me it made him miss me.  When he experiences things for the first time without me it's sweet how he wishes I was there.  I'm hoping I can see Italy since that's another place he did alone and wished I was there too.

This woman has taught me a great many things in my life. Kindness and love have to be the things I love most about her. She is truly an angel on Earth and I am blessed to have her in my life and for my children to have such a close relationship with her. Happy Birthday, Nana! We love you so very very much! Here are some pictures through the years.

I work with the children in our church each week and one week we did this little activity and sent it into our church website.  They shared how they can be like Christ.  It is so enjoyable to live near family, these are some of our nephews and a niece as well as our children.  After church it is so nice to spend time at Kurt's house.  Sometimes Jake acts silly and we all have to laugh.  Elliana and I brought our purses from China with us to church and since we were so matchy matchy we took a picture.  Once a month the Shilligs still have a conference call with all 10 children!  It is so impressive to me to see the dedication and love they have.  Uncle Kurt makes amazing cookies!  Grandpa helps to teach Solomon how to close a zip-loc bag after getting yet another cookie.