What's New: 07/01/2008

Sunday, July 27, 2008

One of the "Java Jewels" daughters got married this summer!!! This was a mile stone as this was the first wedding of our children! The wedding was beautiful and we had a great time being together for the evening.

Deb, Norma, Tracy, Julie, and Penny

We visited several different universities while we were in the Pacific Northwest. This trip was to Tacoma to visit University of Puget Sound.

On the road to Tacoma

Abi was bored with the drive so she started taking pictures of anything and everything...

the toes

Washington scenery

electronic equipment

The sky through the sun roof.....

The jury is still out on which school was the favorite....but now Abi has many options for applications. Her school counselor requires the kids to apply to 6 different schools.....

RoadTrip to Corvallis

Deb with friends Becky, Kim, and Anna (Rachel was out of town)

We all lived in Corvallis together when our kids were young. Anna and I moved from Corvallis to Vancouver and it was great to have a reunion with everyone!

Fourth of July

We had a very impromtu BBQ in our back yard...it was really great to do something so American!!

Tiding up the patio for a BBQ...look at that blue sky!

Playing with fire...

The weather in Shanghai has been gentle to us as we returned to the big city. The weather is much cooler than it has been during the past few weeks. We are very grateful!!! Abi and I actually walked to lunch today and did not melt! The air has been clear and we have been able to see the 4th bridge that Tim discovered this summer. The bad weather in Taiwan has been good for the air in Shanghai.

It is a little weird being back in "the big city". I really enjoyed sitting on our patio, cutting flowers for the house, and using the BBQ. All things that we can not do in the city. One thing we did notice while in Vancouver.....taxis do not come to our driveway. It seemed weird after we have gotten used to very accessible transportation we have in the city. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa loaning Abi a car she was able to have the freedom of the road while we were there. We realized how much we depend on the transportation options available to us in Shanghai.

We are still amused by the number of people that walk around Shanghai in their pajamas....the ladies even wear their high heals with their PJs. It is just too funny to see this and the hot weather seems to increase the number of PJ sightings.

Here are some more pictures from our time in the US...

Laura's birthday....The Pool Cake!

Abi's friend Laura had a birthday while we were home. The "Pool Cake" is sort of a tradition in the Merrett family. My friend Norma made this cake for Laura's sister when she was about five years old. Laura liked the cake so much (and was a bit envious of her sisters cake) she asked for the same cake for her birthday...and for her next birthday and for her next birthday and for many birthdays since then. This year Laura turned 17 and guess what???? She wanted the pool cake again. The pool cake idea came from a magazine picture and Norma recreated it many many times. However.....over the years many of the special pieces of the cake...like the little people... and have disappeared. So...this years cake was a "version" of the original and Norma and Laura told us that is was not as beautiful as past cakes. We thought it looked great all the same!!!!! And.....yes the center of the pool is blue jello!!!!

Abi and Laura after the birthday dinner!

The girls went shopping in downtown Portland for the day in the "Grandma Mobile" and met us at the restaurant for dinner....which was Chinese food!!!

Laura's gift from her parents was a cooking class in Portland. Abi got to join her for the class and they had a great time...

The Class kitchen

The birthday Girl

Playing with the Bud dog.....

Meet Graham Shaw

Graham was born on Abi's birthday in February...He is the son of the Kate and Jon....our friends and youth director at church. This was the first time we got to meet him......what a cutie!!!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Abi and I are back in Shanghai.....our 6 week US visit went by very fast. Tim returned three weeks ago and he and Tucker have hanging out together for the past few weeks. As Abi and I were traveling back to Shanghai....Tim was traveling to Houston. We saw him in the San Francisco airport for about one hour. Ah.....that's life in the crazy lane!!!

Abi and I are fighting jet lag and I think we are winning!!! Last night I forced myself to stay up until 9:00pm. I think it worked because I woke up at 7:30 and felt pretty good. Abi didn't quite make it to 9:00 and was up and ready to roll at 5:00am. Abi up at 5:00am is just not normal....ha ha.

I lots of pictures to post from our stay in the US....it will probably take a few days to get them posted......so here is the first of the pictures....

Alaska.....

Our ship- docked in Seattle

Emergency practice....Tim had a little trouble getting the life vest on correctly.....

On our way.....

Good bye Seattle...

enjoying the patio..

Ahhhhhh.....now this is a relaxing vacation!

The Spofford's go to dinner

And.....our children behave so well.....we are proud!

I don't know were they got their manners?

beautiful dessert...

enjoying the evening cruise

Tucker and Abi have matching shoes....who knew?

So....beautiful

We stopped in Juneau

Our ship in the background..

Sailing to the Hubbard Glacier.....

Ice burgs everywhere...

The Hubbard glacier in the distance

This was the highlight of our cruise....it was sooooooo cool watching the ice fall off the huge wall and crash into the water....the sound was very impressive!!!