Party in the U.S.A!!!

We pulled the kids out a couple days early from school in order to fly back with Chad home to Minnesota on June 23rd. He had been traveling right up until the night before and then had to get up early and make the long flight with us :( However, thankfully he knew that he would be eating his long awaited Zan's when we arrived so that made him feel a little better!

We stayed in a hotel in Woodbury the first week so he could go in to the office. That was a good time for us to hang out with our neighbors, see our house, and do all of our doctor/dentist appointments.

I see our deck 2 down :) So strange to be so close to your own house, but not be able to go in it!!

Had great seats to a Twins game with our neighbors.

 

We stayed at my parent's house pretty much the whole summer, minus a week down in Mankato. With Val's wedding on July 14 we had plenty to do :) After the wedding, Chad had to go back to Shanghai. It's great having a nice long summer back in the US, but Chad doesn't have that much vacation to stay with us the whole time so it's hard when he has to go back. Also means that I fly solo home on the LONG flight back with the kiddos!

 

4th of July party at my parents

 

 

 Long day out in the sun and in the chlorine :)

 

 

Tubing and hanging out at the lake with some friends

 

Had a great time until it was almost time to leave. Brady mistakenly ate a Reese's Pieces cookie instead of the M & M one he had earlier. He has never had any peanuts as he was diagnosed with a peanut allergy from a blood and skin test when he was a baby. Thankfully, we had a EpiPen on us and I had to inject him with it as throat was starting to swell!! Got him to the ER and was monitored and sent home fine. Although, he kept telling everyone there that his mommy shot him :)

 

Rilynn and Brady were able to enjoy a lot of time with their cousins, Connor and Brady. Rilynn really enjoyed taking care of Ryder!

 

Was able to be with my godson, Ryder, as he was baptized.

Tennis with Grandpa

 

 

3rd tooth gone!

 

While down in Mankato visiting Grandma and Grandpa Reed we went to see 2 days of Vikings Training Camp

 

The kids spent a week with Gma and Gpa Reed down in Mankato. They had a lot of fun and mommy did too :)

 

 

We had a great 6 weeks visiting everyone!! 4 more months and then we'll be back home for good :)

 

Our First Pets..

Another oldie :)

 

Thanks to Brady's teachers I really couldn't say no to taking home these 2 silkworms. I went to pick him up and he comes out with 2 worms on a plate with leaves and was so excited! He named the big one "Henry" and the little one "Perry"

One would think worms would probably be the best pet, however they don't tell you all they do is eat and poop... A LOT!!! And they only eat special Mulberry tree leaves. Thankfully, the teachers sent some home, but then I had to order some more off a website. Only in China can you order leaves and have them delivered the next day for a buck!

BUT... The best part of this pet is that is a very short term pet with (hopefully) no tears involved!! After a week of eating and pooping this is what they turned into..

Henry made his cocoon!

Here is the final product- a lovely MOTH and also a TON of eggs!!

Thankfully, we just happened to be leaving for the summer and told ayi to put them in a nice home outside :) AND, Brady didn't even notice they were gone by the time we came back in August!

Perfect :)

June - Crazy busy!

Here's some old pics from June before we left for the summer. Trying to get caught up!!

 

Started with a double birthday/good-bye party for our great friends who ended up being from Minnesota. Such a small world!! They are going to be living in Singapore now, but look forward to spending time with them when they are back in MN for the summers :)

 

 Brady and his buddy Cooper

 Rilynn loving 'taking' care of the younger girls :)

 Dana with her loot!!

 Brady and his buddy Leighton

 Fun party!!

 

 

Here is a pic of Chad and the kids that was put in a popular magazine, called Shanghai Family. They called me to ask if the kids wanted to do a fun shoot with kabobs. Then they asked if my husband would like to :) I told him the kids we can do, but I'll have to work on Chad! LOL.. He was a good sport about it and the pic turned out cute!

Another gymnastics session done!

Before we all parted ways for the summer, a bunch of girls got together for my first Karoake session. It actually was pretty fun! Figured you can't live in China and not try it once.. They take their KTV pretty serious here!! LOL

We rented our own private room and they kept the beer coming. It was a good time! Some of the videos were by the original artists, but others it was some random Chinese guys. Pretty sure that's not NKOTB!!

Hanging out with buddy Brycen at another bday party. Notice the arm of tats. That's what happens when the kids get up early and we decide to sleep in :)

The kids and Maeve outside the Pearl Tower. I thought we were going there to have an art class with my ayi's friend, but ended up going with our ayi to meet her friend who is an art teacher and look at her students' artwork :) Just a little lost in translation!

Rilynn's Father's Day presentation. Myself and some other mommies had to fill in for their traveling daddies :)

Rilynn and her BFF's from Y1E.

Last day of school with Brady's teachers Ms. Sam and Ms. Laurel

BFF's at their end of school party

Wild Animal Park

Finally had a free weekend so I decided to get some more items checked off of our list to do. First, check out the Wild Animal Park. And second, take the Maglev train. Unfortunately, Chad is going to be traveling for the next couple of weeks, but took a lot of pictures to show him :) Plus, the kids had so much fun I'm sure they wouldn't mind going back with him!!

The Wild Animal Park is about an hour drive from our house out by the airport. So we decided to go to the park and then have Mr. Hou drop us off at the airport and catch the train back close to home then taxi it home.

The park is set up like a zoo and then has a 'safari' type ride. You can either take this coach bus which is included in your ticket or pay extra and ride in the cage bus. From the bus you enter a Jurassic Park cage, only one door opens at a time. You are then inside the bus where tigers, bears, lions, and other animals are free roaming around.

Only in China would this be allowed! Read these signs closely and see what actually happens when you ride the cage bus!

Did you see it? For 60rmb (~$10) you are able to buy a live chicken and feed it to the animals through the bus!!!!

Our safari from the nice coach (fully enclosed) bus!!

Can't visit a zoo here with out seeing pandas!!

Rilynn snuggling with a baby lion!

Brave girl holding a parrot

Zebra rides!!

The kids had a blast being able to ride and hold a bunch of different animals :)

Brady loved the elephant playing soccer!!

The kids thought this was hilarious!!

This video is for Grandpa Nathe. The kids wanted to show you what these bears can do :)

Train time

The Shanghai Maglev Train is the fastest commercial train in the world and is run by magnets. It's fastest speed is 431km/hr, which is 268mph!!  The trip that would've taken us 40 minutes only took 8. Brady really liked it!