On U.S. Soil!

The kids and I arrived at the Minneapolis Airport last night around 8:30pm...a little tired and weary but very excited to see their Aunty Kathy and cousin Kasie (as well as one of Aunty's friends) there to pick us up. After a very long day of travel, it was so nice to be greeted with some hugs...not to mention some homemade spaghetti bake and yes, I'll admit it, a cold Blue Moon when we got to The Beckman Hotel! What a sister I have.

After the first few hours of our journey, my only thought was..."Who's idea was this to take the 4 kids by myself?" And then the little voice said VERY loudly...YOURS!!! Oh yeah. So, mom had to change her attitude if this was going to work. :) A little self-attitude check and we were good to go.

Our most painful part of the journey (at least for mom...which as we know when mom is suffering...everyone MIGHT feel it a little bit too) was Keely's aversion to the dreaded "seatbelt."

Unfortunately, our darling Keely has no memory of what it is like to wear a seatbelt. In Hong Kong, if we travel in a taxi as a family, we are a bit scrunched in and not enough seatbelts for everyone so she usually sits on one of our laps. I know, I know!!! I was aghast too when we first moved, but we are assimilating...in other words, we have no other options sometimes and mom has had to adjust to the reality of NO CARSEAT. Otherwise, we ride the bus and no seatbelts required there either!

So, I knew that when we got here in the States the adjustment to the carseat would be a bit painful. I was not prepared, however, for the all out screaming, flailing arms and legs for protesting the seatbelt on the plane. I'm pretty sure the people around us weren't prepared for it either!! :) Oh well...we survived that also. She adjusted well to the second airplane ride, proudly buckling herself in with no problems at all. I was hopeful about the carseat...but, it was not to be...

As we prepared to leave the airport in my sister's vehicle, trying to get Keely to sit in a booster seat was not pleasant for everyone as she screamed the whole drive to Eden Prairie..."daddy, get me out" "daddy, help me" at the top of her lungs as she's attempting to unbuckle. I think even Trey had had enough when he turned to Keely and said "Keely, daddy is in Thailand...he CAN'T help you!" Not surprisingly, that didn't change her attitude.

Despite those few moments of true embarrassment, the kids were real troopers and did a great job. We are glad to be here and look forward to seeing everyone this summer! Let summer begin...the Sandnesses have arrived :)

The Transient Life of Hong Kong

This side of Hong Kong is truly a transient world. Families are continuously coming and going. Everyone's question is "how long have you been here?" Yesterday, Tyson had to say goodbye to a very good friend. His dad works for Disney and they are headed back to Florida after a few years here in Hong Kong. I've had the pleasure of getting to know his mom briefly and would have loved to gotten to know her more. Maybe we'll get to Florida someday to visit this friend found in Hong Kong.

Tyson and Jack are very similar in many, many ways...he met him through school as he was in his class this year at HKIS. Tyson is very sad to see Jack leave, even though EVERYONE is leaving right now, it is hard knowing Jack isn't coming back in the fall. My "consoling effort" to the kids is this... (and I truly believe it, so that helps) God puts people in our lives with a purpose. Sometimes they stay in our lives forever, sometimes they impact our lives in a brief moment, but never forgotten...some for a few years and we may never hear from them again, etc. We need to realize how blessed we are to meet so many new people, have so many great friends in our lives and not let our location determine what the future is with those friends. We are truly blessed and thankful people...

Basketball Season Comes to a Close

per Trey...

I've noticed as the weeks have passed everyone has gotten more and more tired...not me! I'm moving so fast I'm a blur on my mom's camera :)

per Mom...

In all seriousness, Trey's basketball team ended on a great note. They not only won the championship but they played the best they have played all season. I'm pretty sure they had more rebounds in the final two games than they had the entire season! Our team definitely did not have a height advantage but with superior coaching managed a winning season. :)

Happy Birthday, Craig!

We celebrated Craig's birthday yesterday...Outback Steakhouse was his restaurant of choice, although that might have been because of the pressure he was feeling from me and Trey to have a steak! He succumbed to our way of thinking and we were very appreciative! We then celebrated with a cheesecake with fresh strawberries (his favorite dessert). He received some very interesting and special gifts from the kids. It was a great family evening.

A TRIP TO SHENZEN
I made my first trip into China yesterday!! A good friend of mine here invited me to go with her (her first time also) and another woman who at least had some experience with shopping in Shenzen. It is nothing like I imagined or could truly put to words. I was a little concerned when she half-jokingly asked me if I brought my Ibuprofen (for the headache I would have afterwards). I had no idea what she was talking about. So, we enter a mall of sorts with many, many floors and MANY, MANY small shops and everyone is standing outside their shops in the narrow hallways saying "missy, handbag, missy" "missy, dvds, missy" "missy, missy, watches" etc. depending on what their wares are. My eyes kind of glazed over because acknowledgement is encouragement...so eyes fixed straight ahead is the best option. Luckily, we had specific store destinations in mind, which was SO helpful. It was quite an experience and to think I'm going back again next week. My friends were concerned that I would get stopped at the border because of my visit back to the states last week (VERY protective of the Swine Flu here) so they made me go first in case I was detained! :) I'm not sure if they were looking out for me or if their plan was to ditch me if I got detained?? Anyway...made it through and back with no problems! (with a few purchases...shhh...)

COUNTING THE DAYS!
The kids are truly counting the days until we return to the states for what seems like a short summer. We will be flying out next Saturday, June 13th...and I haven't started packing!! I am leaving with mixed emotions. I will be traveling with the four kids by myself (so any prayers you want to say for me on June 12th/13th would be MUCH appreciated...pray for safety and patience!). So, we will be filled with excitement of seeing all our friends and family back in the states but filled with sadness that daddy is not yet joining us. Very mixed emotions! Hopefully, we will have a chance to see everyone while we are home!

The International Dragon Boat Races

Last Thursday was a holiday here in Hong Kong and Craig took the kids to the International Dragon Boat races in Stanley.

Same Story Different Country

One thing hasn't changed in moving to Hong Kong...Trey still loves basketball and Craig still loves coaching...