Da Sha Gu - and a CAR!!

Some exciting news:  We bought a car -- a used Mitsubishi BK6450 something-or-other: not a brand I have ever heard of before.  We really love having the freedom to get around town, and get OUT of town too - its so nice to get some fresh air in the many mountains and valleys beyond the city.  It was really inexpensive, and Justin already had his license from the Ice Cream Delivery.  He is such a great international driver, which takes SERIOUS skills.  He manages to follow all the rules, even when there aren't any, while paying attention to all the crazies too, and read signs in Chinese.  I could never do it.    

Anyhow, this past weekend we decided to take a drive/adventure with the girls - and explore a new valley that we hadn't been to before.  We went to Da Sha Gu -- about 90 minutes away, with a small fee to enter the "park."  It was really mellow and quiet, which is so refreshing when you are in a city of 4+ million.  I loved the entrance sign that warns you of the wild mushrooms.  I hope you can read the sign, it says = Warm prompt : does not pick, does not buy, does not eat the wild mushroom. 

The park was full of completely man-made rocks (cement formations) and the entire "river" had a cemented bottom.  There were even tree-trunks that were made of cement.  It was so strange.  I don't think the kids noticed really, so we didn't tell them.  This was supposed to be our "escape into nature" adventure.  Only the mountains were real.  Oh, and the crisp mountain air!!...so I shouldn't complain.  

Our favorite part of the day was when we strayed off the normal path to eat our picnic snacks in this huge field, while we watched Kazakh herders galloping nearby, or the tourists (Chinese) riding their horses, while bundling up in our sweatshirts.  We hadn't planned for cold weather!  The girls began a game of spitting their dried garbanzo beans at daddy, which turned into a hilarious war back and forth with beans flying everywhere, and lots of laughter.  I love my little family. 

Here we are....somewhere in the middle of the TianShan mountain range...in NW China.  It still blows my mind sometimes.  I am so very grateful for this opportunity to BE here and share our lives with so many different people groups, and for our girls to see the world this way.

Off we go!!  Its a very cute little car -- and yes!! -- there are seatbelts!!

 

thankful for:
10+ years of marriage to this neat guy
3 amazing, joyful little girls
God's faithful provision in every way
the adventure continues....

The bus ride home.

We opted to take the BUS on our way home from Korla. We figured it would be faster and easier than our last trip! ....which had its pro's and cons too! But you never know in until you try! ...and this was our first time ever taking a BIG travel bus in China as a family!

Here's how we travel : light!!

Sydney loved the little snack boxes that were provided - and she tried everything! Even the unknown meat that was shrink wrapped in spicy oil. She is one brave chica. Her favorite was the dried Hawthorne fruit snacks.

Here is the smelliest, stenchiest, most disgusting bathroom stop ever. And since we have three little girls, guess which parent gets to spend the most time in this lovely place? Bring your own toilet paper, of course!! Fun!! Oh...I am excited to get home.


Bus trip Pro's:
we didn't break down on the highway in the middle of the desert.
the bus was on time!
I was guaranteed my own seat!

Bus trip Con's:
the smell of gas fumes gave me a headache
the AC didn't work, and you can't roll down the windows
we only had 1 main bathroom stop
the Chinese movies were loud, obnoxious and not for kids

Note to self: hiring a driver is the best option! It gives the most flexibility and is often cheaper too. But you never know until you TRY!

Korla life

Korla is a beautiful city!! It is very clean and has lots of open parks and trees! After living in a massive city for 5+ years, Korla felt small & quaint, and the people very friendly & kind. There is a river that flows through the city most of the year - keeping the city abundantly green and fertile. There are lots of farmlands surrounding the area too, the most famous crop being the Korla Pears - they are as sweet as honey! It also attracts lots of migratory birds - including the famous Korla swans!! So amazing! I had no idea that swans would be attracted to this little desert city in the middle of nowhere. Korla is also home to a huge operational center for PetroChina - oil digging!

Here is the view from where we stayed:

Our first night in Korla we went to the park since we'd been cooped up in a car for waaay too long. The kids had fun running free and meeting new friends. Then we were off to find a good restaurant for dinner!

We ate a typical meal of Uyghur noodles and mutton kebabs. YUM!! But first you must wash your hands outside in this nifty water tank/fountain.

Our friends have four kids - ages 5, 4, 2 & 10 months! ...and they are so beautiful!
This is their 1st daughter - two years old, eating right off the skewer!!

Here is Eden (below) with their oldest son (5 yrs old):

Five kids (out of 7 total) all lined up by this bright blue gate.

I couldn't resist.

Here we are (on Mother's Day) on our way to the river. We found this entrance to an old mosque and couldn't resist this picture either. I love the intricate painting, and incredible stone-work and the old archways. It is good to be in this place!


The girls were so excited to see the river - even though the river-bed was pretty much dry. The river has been dammed up for construction. It seems like there is always some sort of building project going on everywhere in China! Even so, the girls couldn't wait to explore the river bed. They are off...in chronological order....A....E....& S bringing up the rear.

Peering over the rail...wanting to somehow get down there!!

Daddy loves some adventure too.

More picts with our sweet friends:

Asia, being a wonderful big sister & helper all weekend long!

Not everyone is paying attention, and three are missing....but its our best group picture!

Thank you sweet friends for the wonderful visit, and for being so patient with us! It took us five years to finally come and visit, but we so LOVE you and your amazing family!! Thanks for sharing your home, your delicious food, your beautiful city and your hearts! We are some of your biggest fans!!

May "vacation" to Korla!

We've been invited to visit some friends in Korla for the past five years....and we are finally taking this opportunity to GO! Planning a road trip in this area of the globe is a bit different than what you might expect. Actually, you probably shouldn't "expect" anything! We booked tickets on the bus - and set out at 7:30am hoping to arrive 6 hours later!

We couldn't catch a taxi to the bus station - so we hopped in a "black taxi" (an unofficial civilian taxi) and he just-so happened to have the day free. He offered to drive us all the way to Korla in his personal car! His price was cheaper than our reserved tickets - so we made a quick change of plans. He was such a nice guy too! ....but we had no idea of the adventures that were to come! The nice thing about having your own driver is that you can stop for snacks, take potty breaks, and see more of the desert if we want to explore! We can roll the windows down...and enjoy the hot breeze. Our first stop was to refuel at a roadside station, which was more like a construction zone.

We bought some snacks for the road...

...and got some of the wiggles out!

Most of the drive was flat desert or this amazing rock/mountainous roads!

Right as we got out of the mountains our driver began driving kinda strange. He would accelerate, and then coast for awhile. We weren't sure if he was trying to save gas or something. Then all of a sudden he pulls over.... his car was overheating!

We were basically stranded in the middle of the desert highway for about an hour. It was hot. Not a single breeze...so we tried to help our driver figure out the problem....and let the girls play in the sand & pebbles on the side of the road. There wasn't much we could do!

I love that the girls found ways to have fun with rocks & empty water bottles.
I just took pictures of the silliness!

We were back on the road shortly, but driving slowly to make sure the engine didn't overheat again. We stopped again to refuel and cool off with some popsicles. The heat of the desert is no joke!

Justin found an old motorcycle cart that was calling his name.

Traveling with our little family is never without adventure!

We kept on going....and 8.5 hours later we arrived at our destination! I think next time we will take the bus?? It was an adventure for sure....but we are certainly glad to be with friends for the weekend! Here's a picture of our driver: His name is Li, but he requested that we call him "Bruce Li" (Lee). hehehe.

travels: just 36 hours. easy-peasy.

After goodbyes are over...traveling isn't so bad. With more practice, it keeps getting easier. Plus - the girls each got a new carry-on, filled with their own special items for the flight(s). They were so proud (and giddy) to wheel their own stuff around the terminals.

On the first flight we even got comments from people sitting around us, that our kids were such easy-going travelers. We were so amazed ourselves! They are world travelers, so I think they are just used to long, cramped flights: not anything special we have done. But it doesn't hurt to be prepared with games, toys, snacks and surprises. This was by far, our best family traveling experience to date.

Asia was quite entertained by her new Journal (a gift) that taught her how to draw Mehndi Art. She literally drew for a hour. Lots of squiggles, curly-ques and swirly lines. I had no idea she could learn it (and love it) so fast. Thank you Dawn+Ella!

The girls also slept for a good chunk of time, sprawling wherever they could ...we all got some needed shut eye. :)

We stayed overnight in Beijing since we got in so late, and had to catch the next flight in the morning. In the morning we had the buffet breakfast - which consisted of tofu, spicy veggies, white rice, tuna dumplings and over-hard boiled eggs. We weren't so daring, but opted for toast and rice. We were all laughing when we realized there was toast, but no knives to spread the butter. The next best thing: a chopstick of course!! Yes, we are back in China!!

Here we are, waiting for our shuttle to the airport (for flight #2) - bright and early. I was scolded a few times for letting the girls take off their bulky winter attire. Not enough layers. :) Yes, we are back in China!!

In the terminal, we used our new-to-us iphone to call uncle Jason on skype for the first time overseas!! It worked!! Now I just need to find a way to unlock it so I can use it in China!!

And since I know you were dying to see what kinds of meals are served on flights in our beloved country....I took a picture for ya. They were out of the "beef dish" so we got some sort of seafood+veggie stir fry with rice, as well as red bean paste in a bun, plain yogurt, melon, and some gelatinous meat dish over cold noodles. Let me just say, I am so glad we brought our own snacks. Justin was the only daring one. :)

But we finally made it!! ...all 8 pieces of luggage, all our layers and happy to be HOME! Now if only jet-lag were this easy!! :)

we miss you daddy: 15 days/15 photos!

Daddy has been gone on a business trip for the last 15 days. This is the longest we have all been in two different places and we've missed him like crazy! We sent him a picture/highlight of each day that he was gone, just to include him in our daily joy. The girls had so much fun deciding when/where to take a picture for daddy, and they smiled extra big since they knew he would smiling be on the other end. This was such a FUN project for all of us!

Day one : driftwood castles on the beach!

Day two : pajama party & crafts

Day three : sand & pine cone picnic with friends
Day four : found a nest! ...picnic outside in the garden!

Day five : two-for-Tuesday @ froyo in SC! (the girls were so excited!)

Day six : fun night with little buddies - Sydney really wanted daddy to see her skinned knee.

Day seven : special breakfast together....

Day eight : park adventures with sweet friends

Day nine : do you remember this place??
This is where I walked down the aisle on our wedding day 9+ years ago!

Day ten : sandy girls! yes, Asia is loving the sand and she is holding part of a dead crab!
Day eleven : a pile of kiddos - the McCarlson's!
Day twelve : peaceful walks with Nana
Day thirteen : Poppa on the puppets = 6 delighted girls!

Day fourteen : bouncing in Poppa's truck

Day fifteen : hugs at the airport (poor daddy is so tired from travel) ...but mommy is so overjoyed!!