Adventures in Innertubing

 Over the weekend, we went up to the mountains to get away for a couple of days with some good friends.

 We're slowly convincing them that board games can be a good thing. :)

Our pile of bedding. 

 Tubing time!

This time I was screaming because I was a little freaked out from spinning in circles... the time I was yelling for a girl to get out of the way was a different time. :)

No near-concussions! A tubing first for me. :)

They sprayed water on the mountain for cool abstract sculptures.

 

Photo op. 

Farmyard friends in the village at the bottom of the mountain.

Love our new home. :)

Celebrations

 It snowed over a foot in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and then never got above freezing. So we had a Christmas "just like the ones I (Rachel) used to know." :) Only probably whiter, due to pollution in Almaty, and sunshine in Colorado.

This year for the first time, a friend from the Netherlands introduced us to the celebration of Sinterklaas. We drew names, and then for our person we were to write a poem about them, get a small present and wrap the present in a paper creation that somehow describes them.

Poem reading

 Josh received an amazingly realistic paper guitar and my poem talked about me being a magnet for people. Inside my paper magnet was super fun, warm socks and homemade chocolate candies in the shape of the letter "R".

The paper "surprise" for a friend who loves cats.

Josh's creation for another friend.

My paper project for our Dutch friend.

She says we did just like it would have been done in the Netherlands. Success! :)

And in our home: 

Nana (Destree)'s Norwegian Yulekake

Grandma Jean (McMichael)'s nativity

Grandmother (Wiley)'s sour cream sugar cookies

Cookie decorating fest with a friend!

Traditional spread for our neighbors. They said, "You food is so strong and nutritious, it makes us full so quickly!" We weren't quite sure if that was a compliment, or just why they didn't eat a whole lot. :)

Christmas morning special breakfast: Stroopwafels from the Netherlands, applesauce from the Destree backyard trees, tea spoon from England,  and yulekake with geitost (goat cheese).

Ready for a Christmas party! 

The tea table spread, pre-crowd.

After taking several days to recover from the Christmas party, we decided to do New Years on a smaller scale. And my friend offered to cook! Even better. :) I washed and peeled veggies, and watched. I'm good at that.

Egg, tomato, and green peppers

Lamb, potatoes, and carrots

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Journey to Zhengzhou

(Journey and Zhengzhou both start with the same sound. I (Rachel) was feeling poetic.) :) 

 I've been getting counseling training in a another city in China, Zhengzhou, and traveled there twice this year.

Noodles. :)

"Western" food

 

Grandmas "plaza dancing." Maybe I'll do it when I grow up, too. :)

Walmart, China-style.

 

This crepe/burrito was my dinner.

I switched seats with her, so she could sit with her boyfriend. And got a flower wreath out of it. :)

"Come on, Mom!!" This little boy sat next to me on the train.

 

Bullet train!

I brought back some local specialties for Josh, which ended up getting shared around at school instead. hehe

What is "fructus momordicae"?

Mini high school reunion in China! (Plus a friend's friend who didn't know we were doing a high school reunion shot... oops)

Doesn't everyone eat pizza with plastic gloves?

Autumn

Here are some pictures of late summer to fall :-)

Starting with birthdays!

Getting old...

Visiting another part of the province.

Culture fair!

Hanging out at the local children's park

And racing some random kids :-)

Supercallefragalistic!!

Josh working on his dombra skills

Yay for fall!

And apple sauce from Josh's parents' apple trees!