One week home

Our trip to China was amazing, we had the time of our lives. The people are beautiful, kind and loving. the country is growing, vibrant and modern. It's in a jux position to the history and architecture that has survived for thousands of years which is now surrounded by subways, skyscrapers and technology. it made us sad to know that some of the oldest parts of town, the hutong, were being torn down for highways and subways but we were glad that we got to visit and experience a piece of that before it is gone completely. One of our favorite spots to visit was the Great Wall, we were in awe of the enormity and the "greatness" of it. Pictures just don't do it justice, we had a very clear day and we could see for miles, the wall climbed up and around the mountains, it was awesome. Nate loved climbing the wall and he loved the adventure of seeing what was ahead. Daddy was a super hero and climbed the wall with nate on his shoulders most of the way to the first tower. Nate was so happy being there and you can see that in the pictures, he had fun.

Our girls are home and thriving, they have gained weight and are getting healthy. they each have had colds since we got home. they are pretty much on our time schedule here, and are still eating with gusto. we have been blessed by many friends who have dropped by with meals and it has helped so much in getting through this first week of jet lag. nate is back to school and i think he likes being back in a routine and having mommy time on the ride back and forth. Each day we are learning a little bit more about the girls, their temperament and what makes them happy. They are both beautiful, healthy, amazing little girls. We are so blessed.

Paige is peaceful, observant and a bit quiet. she chooses her times carefully to be loud to get what she needs, she usually lets her sister do the noise making when needed. she is still guarded with us but has been slowly warming up. She can put down more food than i thought any one child could ever eat and she likes most anything, she is not a picky eater. she is quick to smile.

Phoebe is a fighter, inpatient and charming. she lets you know exactly when she has had enough and right away. she is a little more affectionate right now and likes to be rocked before bedtime. she seems heavy in thought trying to figure things out and watches us very carefully. she is a good eater but a bit more pickier. she is very ticklish and will laugh loudly when you find the right spot. she is saying a few baby words and she can click with her tongue.