Eden Sofia & Sydney Grace.....

So much has been happening lately, that we have a hard time keeping up. Eden & Sydney are changing and growing in leap and bounds, and in light of their big sister's eventful life - I wanted to post some new picts and share about their sweetness and glimpses into their lives. They are so amazing, huh? :)

Here is a beautiful moment with E - she was climbing thru this green tube at the park, and I caught her in action. She looks so grown up to me, and is losing that baby-look. She is full of adventure: daring and curious, yet shy and smart too. She loves to make people laugh.

Eden is also eager to use her blue potty, and attempting to wear big girl undies throughout the day. She is quite proud of her newfound skills. Its so wonderful that she wants to do this on her own! I love this smile...


Sydney is just now showing an interest in food! She is getting most of it in her mouth, and trying new flavors all the time. Her eyes continue to amaze us, with a darker hazel-green tint (like daddy). Each of the girls are so unique & gifted.

Sydney is a fast crawler! She is all over the house, pulling up on furniture, taking small aided-steps with the help of anything she can grab. She loves to play under chairs, in small nooks, or grab the toys A&E might be using too. She is quite vocal, and typically has this sweet smile most hours of the day. She is also getting numerous teeth right now, so her nights are a bit fussy and challenging for all. She is changing so much right now, so she is content to be near momma most of the time.

Since this is *our* blog - we love to revel in the beauty, giftedness, growth and brilliant qualities in our beauties. We cherish them!!

preschool princess

Today was Asia's first day of preschool! She was very excited to go, as we had gone to visit and meet her teachers a few days before. She felt SO grown-up and excited for this big day, especially with her nifty school jacket. If it were up to me (mom), I would keep her home for a few more years. But she really wanted to try it, and we are all FOR her venturing out and making friends. We really hope she can make some neat buddies and learn some language in the process. She also needed a Chinese name (as a formality) so we chose Mei-xing (美星 = beautiful star) in hopes that she can be a bright star in her school. The school is brand new, and only offers classes for children ages 3-6. I was especially thrilled to find a school this small with less older kids around. It makes me feel s bit more at ease, knowing she won't be exposed to too much maturity before she is ready...and its about a 5 minute walk from our apartment.

Here she is - with one of her teachers (Nu Laoshi) on her first day. It took a short time to warm-up, but now they are buddies. Today - Asia was the ONLY student in her 4-year-old class!! She got SO much attention, especially since there are three teachers per class!! I got to stay with her for most of the day, observing and helping her get settled. She doesn't know enough Chinese to communicate, but she is catching on with her hands motions, and short phrases. At one point she was in tears because she was frustrated with her inability to speak - but we know she is motivated to learn! I am not sure how often she will attend, but it will only be part time, since we still have our fun homeschool curriculum that we read thru together, and lots of explorative hands-on excursions as a family.

As we said goodbye to her new friends today, Asia didn't want to leave. As hard as it is for me to entrust her into the care of others, I am so thrilled that she has such a sweet spirit and desires to learn and be a part of this culture. We will see how it goes....one day at a time.

thirty something?

Another year, and still I feel young!! (we'll see how long this lasts!) Justin planned an exciting day together exploring a famous park atop the highest mountain in our city, and we got to overlook an entire 360 degree view. It was fun to go on a special date, view the city from a new vantage point AND eat a delicious lunch too! Here are some highlights...

Riding on the scariest ride EVER - this rickety bike contraption mounted on a flimsy rail high above some concrete. what were we thinking? We pedaled fast!








Here is Justin up on the rock, reaching to the sky and proclaiming victory. It was so fun to conquer the mountaintop and be walking around this historic park. We also ventured across a crooked bridge, and saw a bunch of boys fishing in the pond.

Overall, I had a wonderful day - and even got some chocolate cake to top it off! Good chocolate cake is rare out here!!

Beijing bonding

Asia and I (Justin) just got back from a 4-day excursion to the capital for Asia's gluten blood test, and some quality father-daughter bonding. We saw a western pediatrician: I had to hold Asia down while she had her blood drawn. She is terrified of shots and flips out when she has to have them. She did pretty well though and I was quickly forgiven for helping the nurse. She got to go swimming in the hotel pool, jump on the soft beds and have waffles at the breakfast buffet. I don't often get the chance to spend this much one-on-one time with her, so this was a fun and meaningful trip for me too. She is growing up so fast and becoming a very smart and beautiful little girl. She is also a great traveler - she gets really excited to fly on planes and explore new things. She kept saying, "I am so excited to go on a date with Daddy!" It was cute. :)

Overall, the trip went great and we are awaiting the results of the blood test...hopefully we will hear sometime this next week.

expensive grapes...

my tummy is queasy and my heart hurts. I was just robbed by three Uyghur guys while walking downtown with my two little girls. I was buying grapes, while three guys working together distracted me while one unzipped my backpack pocket - taking all my money. Once I noticed what had happened - the guy who nabbed my cash was already running down the street, and the bigger one was staring at me arrogantly wondering what I might do. There was nothing I could do. I had two small kids, and the rest of the people around me all witnessed the theft....and did nothing. Uyghur men are known for wielding knives and using them. I quickly got into a taxi and just started bawling. I feel so violated and dumb. Why did I leave my money in "that" pocket? How could they steal from a mom & kids? I am so angry at this system...this culture....the evil in this world. I know this battle is not against people, but things like this sure make it more challenging to love them. Maybe I will post a pict of my backpack and expensive grapes! I have learned much thru this experience...and have gotten good, inspiring advice.

a breathe of freshness...

Here we are traveling up to the mountains! We rented a small bus and traveled with some good friends up to Nan Shan to spend the day in the fresh air and exploring the glorious mountains (山 = shan） & valleys. Eden looks unimpressed...
We got to set up camp inside a Kazahk family's Yurt (蒙古包 = měnggǔbāo), while we ventured out to climb the hills, explore the bug-life, and chase flocks of sheep (羊 = yáng). Then mommy & Eden got to ride a horse (马 = mǎ)! Here are some glimpses into our relaxing day as a family.
















A family photo looking downhill with green mountain slopes all around us (Asia-4, Eden-2, Sydney-8 months).
Eden was so thrilled to get up on the big horse with mommy. This was her first time to show any interest in large animals. Usually tiny Chinese puppies freak her out. So this was a huge feat for adventurous Eden!






Daddy imparting wisdom to his eager pupils....

trip to a smaller city...

Last week we traveled to Xining to visit some friends working in a nearby province. It was such a different place - and it felt much smaller, quainter - if you can say that about a city of 1+ million. It didn't feel as crowded or bustling with activity as our home city. We also got to stay in a new youth hostel with great accommodations, attend the grand opening of a new Italian restaurant, as well as see the World Class Rock-Climbing competitions in the park across from our hostel. We got to meet lots of new people and have fun as a family. Here are a few pictures of our trip....

This is Sydney....making a Chinese friend. These two little gals are only 2 months apart!
Here's the Rock Climbing wall & crowds. People came from across the world to compete - from Europe, Iran, China & other parts of Asia. It was amazing to watch the climbers attempt these routes, and also the speed climbing (under 9 seconds!).
Justin & the girls riding double bikes in the main square - they loved this!!
if you want to see some videos of our trip - just click on the McNabbfam video link - on the top right. We just started posting some video's on YouTube! More to come hopefully!

where everybody knows your name

Today I went out shopping with Asia, and as we were coming back - we caught a taxi (chu-zu-che = 出租车) right outside the department store. The lady was a really cute Uyghur lady, wearing a trendy cap and stylish sunglasses. She smiled as Asia got into her taxi, and climbed up into the seat. She was quite talkative with us as we drove, and she mentioned she had a little boy "her age". I told her we were foreign students, and somehow she already knew. Then she said, "Your daughter's name is Asia, right?" I was amazed that this lady (in a city of 3 million) could know my 4 year-old daughter's name!! I asked her how she knew us, and she said a friend had told her about a foreign family living at our college. Crazy!! News sure gets around fast.... Asia's name also seems to be of particular interest, and is also used for Uyghur girls in other forms. Anyhow, its nice to feel loved.