Volume 3, Issue 8

With 9 days remaining in our time in the states, we are reminded of all the wonderful people who are behind us supporting the work done in China. Each time we hear someone say how much they enjoy the newsletters or email updates, we are encouraged and spurred on to continue the work set before us.

During the summer, we traveled and spoke at numerous fellowships and other gatherings. We hope you guys enjoyed the talks and for those who weren’t able to make an event we hope to see you guys next year.

Committed…

…to build relationships
We remain committed during the coming year to build relationships with our students, colleagues, and community members. Some of these relationships continue from last year and some will be new. Please remember these relationships especially with the group of 6 roommates we began last year, Zhou Jie our housekeeper, Summer a former student studying in Germany, all of our Pakistani friends and their families, and Young, a new relationship started at the end of the last term.

…to live as servants
Through the many activates during the year we live as servants of the Father, the school, and the students. We are looking forward to beginning some new activities for the students this coming year including more get-togethers with movies, food, games or other events. As well, we will continue to participate in the school events, English corner meetings, and office hours to provide any help we can to the students.

…to testify truth
In all we do in China, we are reminded of our Father and the way we are all called to testify truth in all things. As the semester progresses we will be able to see more clearly the ways truth can be incorporated into lessons, events and conversations. Please remember all the relationships asking for opportunities to testify truth and open hearts and minds to receive this truth.

…to serve in China
We are committed to serve in China long term and need your partnership. We are asking for more monthly and annual pledges that continue year after year. Currently we’ve raised 63% of our 2009-10 goal, lacking about $12,000 before we are fully funded. Please consider any way you can help. And thank you all for your support.

Volume 3, Issue 6

June is here, and with that means our return to the States for the summer. We will be in Texas from June27-August 20. We are splitting the time between parents in Garden City and Quitaque as well as dropping by Lubbock, Midland, San Angelo, Austin, and tons of places in between. We are piecing together the summer schedule and would love to see as many of you as we can. Again, thank you for all your support this past semester and for the support to come!

Salty Conversations
"Being salty is more than just being available." This quote has stuck with me ever since I first heard it this past month. I have been challenged to be salty in my conversations and interactions with students and that includes more than just being available.

In the past week, I have had different opportunities to be salty when talking with students. During class, we were having a circular conversation where students draw a topic and then speak on it before rotating to a new partner. Since some classes had an odd number of students, I got to participate.

The first topic drawn was, "Life has no meaning or purpose." The student shared his thoughts on the topic that his purpose was to achieve his goals to make money and provide for his family. He asks, "What is your purpose?" I was able to share my purpose, to follow closely after the Father even if this means giving up money or comfort to share His love with others. What a different purpose! I know this will stick with the student forever as he continues life searching for his purpose.

Time to rotate to another student. The next topic is "People are basically good" This student agrees with the statement, but I totally disagree! Again I get to add some salt to the conversation challenging her to consider that all have sinned and fallen short.

And as we look forward to the final weeks this term, we are looking and asking for increased opportunities to not only be available for the students, but to also add salt every chance we get. In the next weeks, we are planning to host at least 2 meals for students. We are excited to continue adding salt in the lives of the students.

Even now, we are considering different ways to engage the students early next term with open houses and free talks. And remember to add salt.

Volume 3, Issue 5

As the semester draws to a close, our thoughts are toward the future including summer plans and returning to China next year. Currently we are piecing together our summer schedule trying to arrange ways to see as many of you as possible. You have provided tremendous support and encouragement to our family and the students here in China. Please know that we appreciate each of you deeply and hope to express our appreciation to you personally this summer.

If you are not already, please prayerfully consider partnering together with the Father’s plans for this nation and joining the support team.

Inside Advanced Oral English

“So, you are an English teacher in China. What does that mean? What do you teach and how do you do it?”

I realized that many may not know what happens as an English teacher in China so I thought it would be cool to give you a peek into the classroom, from preparation to students. Advanced Oral English is a class that I could do anything with as long as the students are improving their spoken English and our organization provides a “Resource DVD” filled with curriculums from previous teachers. This semester, since my students’ English level is remarkable, I decided to challenge the students with weekly debates. Each week, the students are given a homework assignment to research information for the next week’s debate. The semester’s topics include the rising tuition costs, unemployment, gun control, examination based assessment, and internet censorship.

The class begins with a simple warm-up activity in which pairs of students talk together each giving their opinion on the topic (ex. Foreign educated Chinese have an obligation to return to their homeland upon graduation for the betterment of China) and the other student plays “Devil’s Advocate.” This activity really challenges the students to think outside the box and examine opinions contrary to their own. The class continues as we learn about the different aspects of the debate including resolutions and syllogisms (ex. Wars cause death and destruction; death and destruction are immoral; therefore, wars are immoral.) before we conclude the class with a formal debate pitting two pairs of students against each other.

We have found that by teaching the students to think critically inside the classroom, they are more likely to begin to think critically outside the classroom. The hope is that this deep thinking will eventually lead the students to question their worldview and examine/consider “the other side of the coin” including eternal matters.

72% of freshmen students responded ‘I am…none’ when asked what they believed; additionally 16% responded ‘I am atheist.’ ”
Freshmen Oral English class survey 2009

Volume 3, Issue 4

Team HEU playing Settlers of Catan

Money to Burn

Today (April 5) is Qing Ming Jie, or Grave Sweeping Festival in China. The holiday is akin to Memorial Day in the states as a day to remember and honor your ancestors. But Qing Ming Jie is about so much more. Qing Ming Jie has religious overtones and turning honoring your ancestors into ancestor worship. In China many believe there ancestors' spirits enter a spirit world that still influences the living world. As a way to remain on the "good side" of these spirits, people burn items the spirits may need in the afterlife; the foremost item is money. Of course no one would burn real money, so vendors throughout town sell paper "hell money". The dead spirits may need other things as well including paper cars, houses, cell phones, bank books, or other paper items. The items are burned at intersections so the dead spirit can travel from any direction and receive the burned offering.

As we walked home observing all the fires burning to spirits my student explained what she thought about Qing Ming Jie. While she does not believe in the tradition, she said seeing all the fires made her afraid. She's afraid of ghosts and afraid a spirit might show up during the festival and scare her. I began to question if this fear actually meant that she did believe in the festival. If she really didn't believe, then she would have no reason to think a spirit might show up. So on one level, as with many Chinese, she does believe.

Upon hearing my birthday is on April 5th, many in China immediately respond with comments like “Oh, what a bad day to be born” or “That’s very unlucky.” I have come to like embrace the date of my birth because I couldn’t choose the date and it leads to an easy transition into a deeper topic. Qing Ming Jie traditions always prompt great conversations with Chinese. So thank you mom and dad for my birthday, because now I can always find a way to bring up the festival anytime of the year because it's always on/near my birthday!

Jiaozi Party


Students over to make jiaozi

We did get to celebrate my birthday with students. As an update on this semester’s goal of doing nothing alone, we have come a long ways. We currently have students over at least once a week and have another group over every week as well.

So for my birthday, a group of freshmen girls came over to cook a birthday meal. They arrived at 9:00 AM and immediately took M’Lynn out to buy the needed vegetables. Once they returned, the cooking began. They were making jiaozi (a traditional Chinese family food akin to boiled dumplings) and also dishes. Jiaozi making is an all day event. First they make the dough while another student chopped the ground pork and cabbage to a fine pulp. Next the dough is rolled out into little circles about the diameter of a small biscuit. Then the pork/cabbage filling is inserted into the circle and the dough is presses to make a dumpling. Finally the dumplings are boiled and served with a soy sauce/vinegar mix.

The students were great! It was amazing to hear one comment that it feels like they are at home in our apartment. We have been meeting with the students all semester and are beginning to see the trust level deepen. We are hopeful for the relationship to continue as the semester rolls on. They will be back here for Easter eggs…

Kanyon Corner


Reading Chinese by hand

Finally, but not least is a little update on the little man. He continues to climb most things including the couch and chairs and loves to read books. The newest addition to his toy box includes a basketball that was a gift to his papa that he just loves. His newest trick is climbing stairs. Up and down all day nonstop. If he notices some stairs while we are out for a walk, he immediately pulls us in that direction.

He doesn’t speak much yet, but can make some word sounds that we could swear sound like he is really speaking. The other day we were singing “Ol McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O” When we got to the next line we stopped to let him fill in the blank, “And on that farm, he had a ___.” And little Kanyon said something remarkably similar to “cow.” So it definitely won’t be long before he is talking up a storm.

Volume 3, Issue 3

Spring time is here! Well actually, the weather is warm one day then snowy the next. The constant change reminds us of the crazy weather back home. Today’s full of snow and next week will be quite warm (35-40 degrees). Each time we walk out in the snow, we are reminded how much we love living here in Harbin. Then we remember each and every one of you who have encouraged and supported us as we work here. We can’t wait to see you guys this summer and share all that’s been going on in this city.



Harbin 2009 – 24th Winter Universiade

“A passionate Winter Universiade in glamorous Harbin China” was on the banners that were all over town. Harbin hosted the Winter Universiade during February for student athletes from all over the world. At first we were a little skeptical about the “international-ness” of the event, but we were surprise to learn the event was truly international.

We jumped at our first chance to watch live sporting events China and immediately researched the event times and locations. A few text messages and emails later, we booked tickets to watch Canada vs. China men’s ice hockey game. The game was on the birthday of a Canadian teacher at another school here in Harbin. Both he and our Canadian teammates were just as excited as us to see live hockey.

Once in the arena, freshly painted for the Universiade, the stands were packed with 3,000 people cheering for the host country. We remained neutral through most of the match, but couldn’t help but cheer for China as the final minutes ticked off the clock hoping for one last chance for a goal. Final score, Canada 13 – China 0.

One event just wasn’t enough to satisfy our appetite for live sporting events and we were determined to watch another event. Back to the ticket office to purchase more tickets, this time women’s figure skating. We really got our money’s worth with this one as we watched over 4 hours of skating, 28 competitors, and a bonus event at the end, synchronized skating.

Synchronized skating is like cheerleaders on ice or synchronized swimming on top of the frozen water where 18 skaters (I would say women but Team Russia did have one man) take the ice for a synchronized routine. Who knew?



The excitement of the Winter Universiade really pumped us up for the beginning of the semester. We realized how much we love China, the people here, and especially the crazy randomness of life.

BREAKING NEWS: Schedule Change

The semester began on Monday, March 2nd like any other semester, full of butterflies to meet the new students and hopefulness that the lesson plans with not flop. So with that I entered the classroom to begin teaching my Selected Readings of British Literature class to junior level students. When I entered the first classroom, I knew immediately that something was not right. I noticed that all my students had a blue textbook on their desks titled “Readings in American Literature”! What a way to begin the semester!

We called the deans, department chairs and talked with the students and indeed found the course was to teach both American and British literature! OK, I can do that. So I made the plan and went back to class Tuesday. By Sunday, the course had been changed back to British Literature only. I informed the students and am finally ready to move forward.

But wait, this just in…the foreign affairs office has a new schedule for our teachers. Another teacher on our team is teaching my Literature class (because of his love for literature) I am now teaching Advanced Oral English beginning Monday, March 16th. I am really excited and hopefully can finally settle into the routine of planning lessons and teaching. But I just never know!!

Happy Birthday M'Lynn!!

We hosted a birthday celebration for M’Lynn’s birthday. The dinner doubled as a Texas Independence Day meal for our teammates. We pounded out Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and for dessert, chocolate pie. Some of our teammates had never had Chicken fried steak! We considered it absolute that they have it and made them promise to order one if they were ever in a restaurant in Texas!

We never realized we had everything we needed for the meal. But now that we know, we’ll be having this meal again, hopefully soon.

Misc. Others

New Website: Our company just launched a brand new website. Check it out to learn more about the work here in China! We are excited about the work and want to share this new resource with you!

Kanyon News: He weighs in at 12 kg and is getting into more and more things. He recently learned to climb on the couch and sit (well really stand and reach for everything he knows he’s not supposed to have. He had be grumpy lately because he’s working on getting more molars. Rib eye steak, here he comes! He still doesn’t speak much (English or Chinese) but can say Daddy in two languages, “dada” and “baba.” Yet he doesn’t say “mama,” except when he’s hungry.

Return to the States: We are setting our return this summer to the US for June 28th. We are excited to see each of you during the two months we are home. We’ll try to get in contact with you guys to set up some times you are available and free to say hi and thank you for all your support!

12:2 Times February 2009

Friends from training visiting our Harbin Guesthouse

Guesthouse & Fireworks

Three great events occurred over the winter holidays between the semesters, opening our home as a Harbin guesthouse, Spring Festival which includes the Lantern Festival, and our Annual Thailand Teachers’ Conference.

Our Harbin guesthouse hosted many of the teachers we had met during training in California. It was exciting to see them all again and show them around Harbin. Beginning in mid-January we would venture out to pick up in the ice and snow from the train station and bring them back to settle them into our 20th floor apartments. (Some of our teammates who had left earlier to travel allowed us to use their apartments for our guests.)

Each morning we would make some breakfast for the group before we took them out for the day. All in all we had about 15 guests either staying or visiting our guesthouse. On the last day before we left for our Annual Conference we hosted the remaining group people for brunch fellowship, a sort of mini-La Quinta, CA training reunion. We loved talking together about the experiences (both good and bad) from the previous semester.

Next up was Spring Festival celebrating the Chinese New Year (Year of the Ox). Spring Festival ends on the 15th day after the new year called the Lantern Festival. Traditionally on this day children go out at night to temples carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns. In modern China, the festival is marked is fireworks. If you can imagine 6 million people shooting fireworks at the same time, then you will understand the enormity of the Lantern Festival. Our night skies were lit with exploding fireworks beginning at 5:00 PM and continuing after we went to sleep at midnight.

It was absolutely incredible to see the city lit with fireworks from the 20th floor windows of our apartment. There are some videos posted online if you want to check out the action for yourself. The Lantern Festival is definitely my favorite Chinese holiday!


Kanyon serving as tour guide around Harbin

Looking Forward

Here is a list of sorts that serves a reflection from the past semester and a beginning point for this next semester offering challenges to us as we live our lives in China:

#1 – TAWG meaning time alone with the Father. This is my new motto as I begin the next semester. I've been challenged to only spend time alone if we are with the Father. All other time should be in relationships with others. If I need to go shopping, why not ask someone to go with me? If I need to buy tickets for the train, ask a student for help. If I want to watch a movie, play a game, or learn Chinese, spend the time building relationships with others.

#2 – Make excellent choices. I have been learning a lot about love this past semester and was challenged to be guilty of committing one intentional act of an excellent choice daily just to stay in shape. These choices come from my love for the Father and demonstrating that love in the way I treat others. So daily I am looking for an opportunity to be guilty of serving others. And this is just to stay in shape; I should be committing these actions all the time every day.


Walking hand-in-hand around Thailand

Baby Food

While in Thailand for the conference, we tried everything to get Kanyon to eat some food, either Thai or the great Western food we were enjoying. Nothing we put in front of him was up to his standards. We started to wonder if he was just not growing much these days and was starting to eat less. He was happy, so we were happy.

Then we returned home to China. Immediately he ate anything Chinese that we put in front of him. And he ate and ate tons of food. We now know just how much Kanyon loves Chinese food.

12:2 Times January 2009

10th Annual Harbin Ice and Snow World

Wintertime Ice

Winter has arrived in Harbin. Average highs during the day struggle to reach the teens and when they do, we are eager to get outside to take a walk around the neighborhood. Winter means the end of the semester, a break from teaching, some traveling, and more time to spend around Harbin.

The largest attraction in Harbin is the Annual Ice and Snow World so of course we had to make a trip to check it out. (In our next newsletter you will hear M’Lynn’s firsthand account of the adventure.)

We walked around for 2 hours in 0 degree weather and thought to ourselves, “This is such a great night to be outside. It’s so mild tonight.” Not once were we cold. Well maybe once our toes got cold as we stood in line on the ice steps waiting for the big slide. We soon realized it was too cold to be standing still and the line was not moving so we jumped out of line to get some frozen fruit and see the other sights.

Among the other sights we saw were great vistas of the entire ice world, giant ice slides, ice skating performances, frozen restrooms, and a snow model of the famous Bird’s Nest Olympic stadium.


Frozen Fruit Vendor

We managed to take pictures of just about every attraction in the park. With the weather so cold, we hoped the batteries in our cameras would last long enough for all the photos we were taking. The batteries held up and so did our hands as we took photo after photo without gloves. We had to remember to hold our breath when taking each photo, both behind the camera and as the subject. Any little breath would fog up the photo, and we have plenty of those. Be sure to check out all the photos from the Ice and Snow World online by clicking the photos link at the top of the page.

Visiting the park once just doesn’t seem like enough. We are already looking forward to next year, or when any visitors come, to return to the park and enjoy the winter wonderland. Don’t worry; we have more than enough clothes to let you borrow some to stay warm.

Indoor Basketball

With the weather being such a factor in all activities, I got to do something the other day that I hadn’t been able to do very often, play basketball. Not only play basketball, but play basketball inside.

Basketball is a one of my favorite ways to get involved with students outside the classroom. As I was walking about my errands around campus making copies and finalizing the semester’s grades, I received a call from my student. His roommates had just reserved the basketball court for later today and I was invited to play. While it is sometimes hard for me to accept the sudden change in schedule I knew this was a great opportunity. Throughout the semester we have been asking for chances to be involved with our students. This was an answer and couldn’t be rejected.

I put on some sports clothes and met the student outside his dorm to walk over to the gym. Soon after, we began playing basketball. We played, without keeping score, for 2.5 hours pretty much nonstop. I was exhausted!

Walking back to his dorm, we chatted for a while and furthered the process of getting to know each other. Please remember these relationships as they continue to be built.

Tonka Trucks

Boys love trucks. That statement is true for Kanyon as well. Christmas brought him at least 10 different Tonka trucks of all shapes and sizes. He has a set of little trucks that he likes to throw and I like to play traffic jam with (see photos online for different jams). Another set is just a little bigger. Then two race cars that when shaken rev up their engines and speed off. And finally a large dump truck to haul around all the other smaller trucks.


Playing with any and all toys

We have been teaching him another boy trick, to slam dunk. (I guess girls can dunk too.) He knows exactly what to do with the orange striped ball, take it to the rim and dunk it in his mini goal. Each dunk is followed with a loud grunt and then clapping. We are still working on the jump shot but maybe sometime soon he will be shooting 3s with the best of them.

The newest little kid trick he learned is to open closed doors. He is now tall enough to reach the door handle and pull it down to open the door. This trick has opened a whole new adventure for us all.

12:2 Times December 2008

Former Russian Orthodox Church, now empty with locked doors

Post Office Run

We received a package notice this week and getting the package requires a trip to the Post Office. Join us as we venture out to retrieve the package.

Step 1: Put on all the layers of clothes you own because its 3 degrees outside.

Step 2: Walk from the apartment building, cross the street, and wait for the bus 14 to stop at the bus stop. While waiting, cover your face so you don't freeze.

Step 3: Push your way onto the 14 bus when it arrives. This bus is a little more crowded than most in town. Find a spot to settle down (I mean stand) on the bus and hold on tight bracing yourself from slamming into the people around you if there's a sudden stop of lane change.

Step 4: Wait for the bus as the drive jumps out of his seat to scrape the ice off the inside of the window so he can see his mirrors. Do the same to your window if you have a seat and want to see outside.

Step 5: Wait again as the bus driver pulls the bus to the side of the road and comes to the back of the bus near where you are standing. He opens a latch in the floor and sticks his head into the hole. He them lights a rag on fire (maybe to serve as a flashlight, but no one on the bus really knows what is going on) and waves the fire-rag around as he dips his head even lower into the hole. When finished, close the latch and return to the driver's seat to continue the journey.

Step 6: While waiting at red lights, or traffic jams, rev the engine as loud as possible.

Step 7: Get off the bus still a stop from the destination because the driver yells something in Chinese and everyone else gets off the bus.

Step 8: Walk to the next bus stop, then head underground to the market. This serves several purposes. First, you can cross the street without watching for cars. Second, you can get out of the cold for a minute. And third, you can pick up some clothes, toys, or food. Head upstairs when you see an exit.

Step 9: Walk to the Post Office. Hand the package slip and your passport to the attendant. Smile when he checks the picture to make sure it's you. Write your name and passport number on the package slip as he directs you in Chinese (at least I think that's what he asked me to do).

Step 10: Get your package and return home. The trip home is smooth. The bus is not broken and you have a seat for the ride.

Step 11: Once home, de-layer all the clothes you had to wear outside and put on some inside clothes (shorts and a t-shirt). Open the package and marvel at all the powdered sugar, pudding, chocolate chips, and brown sugar.

“We must never allow the authority of books, institutions, or leaders to replace the authority of knowing the Son personally and directly. When we [do] we become unconvicted and unpersuasive travel agents handing out brochures to places we have never visited.” Brennan Manning


Kanyon giving a helping hand with assembly

Common Baby Questions

Walking around the neighborhood, riding in taxies, or on the bus, the same questions are asked of Kanyon. Here are the most common ones.

“Nan haizi nu haizi?” Is he a boy or a girl? A common question for any age. Even if the baby is wearing a clear identification such as a bow, the question might still be asked.

“Ta shi yi ge yue ma?” Roughly a question asking his age. The Chinese response is always changing because he is growing so fast.

“Ta hui zou lu ma?” Has he mastered walking? Yes, “ta hui zou lu,” Kanyon cam walk. To get started he still pulls up on anything available, but it won’t be long until he is standing without any assistance to get up.

“Ta shou zhongwen ma?” Does he speak Chinese? Kanyon “bu hui shuo,” or he has not mastered speaking yet. We often say he can’t speak Chinese or English but can say mama, dada, gegege.

12:2 Time November 2008

Halloween English Corner

Even in China, we celebrate Halloween. Our teammates, Calvin, Maddie, and Parker dressed up for Halloween and came to our door for candy. The funny part of the whole deal was that their mom, Joy, gave us some candy to give to them the day before. Probably so we wouldn’t forget to get candy and so that her kids could receive something.


Harbin Engineering University Teammates

After the 20th floor trick-or-treating, we headed out the English Corner. English corner is a weekly event hosted by the English Association on campuses across China. Students are elected officers and run the organization just like any student organization you would find on campuses in America. English corner is a chance for the students to come together with the purpose of speaking and practicing their English. Each week, the topic changes. For weeks past, the topics range from “Take me to your home” to “Movie Appreciation.” Since English was meeting on Halloween, the topic of course was Halloween.

We got Kanyon all dresses up in a makeshift costume. He of course was the hit of the party, which by the way is not because of the costume, but because of the foreigner baby fascination. To celebrate the holiday, there were some carnival type games and prizes. One of the games reinvented bobbing for apples. Instead of bobbing for apples, the students competed to see who could eat an apple the fastest. Another game was a candle blowing contest to see who could blow out a candle from the further away. (Not that candles are really a Halloween tradition other than the ones inside of jack o’lanterns.)

The prizes were just as unique. The winners of the apple eating contest received a special prize they had to drink as fast as they could. Only one catch though, you never knew what you might be drinking. Some cups were filled with Sprite, while others were filled with salt water. Chinese and other eastern cultures love the idea of punishment. This is one reason why the game Uno can be popular for students. The “Draw 4” card is a form of punishment for the other players.


Celebrating Halloween at English Corner

All in all, English corner is a great chance to get to talk with the students outside the classroom. It’s a chance to lead the conversation to deeper heart issues and prod the students to think about things they may not have thought about before. It’s a great way to challenge some of the students’ view of the world.

Crazy Sports World

Every time we leave the country the sports world goes absolutely crazy. And by crazy, I mean crazy good! Just take a look at this year. Texas Tech football is having the best season ever. They are ranked #2 in the nation and have defeated two top ten teams. Given the fact that we are out of the country, I would not be the least surprised if by some crazy miracle Tech ends up in on the best bowls games ever. We are in the same position here as our teammate from Alabama. He’s feeling the same pain as his Crimson Tide are ranked #1 in the nation. We are both hoping for a national championship rematch of the Cotton Bowl a couple of years ago. But there is plenty of football left.

The last time we came to China the sports world also went nuts. M’Lynn’s cousin on the Wall Lady Hawks basketball team made it to the state championship game. The Denver Broncos had one of their best years in recent memory by making it the AFC championship game before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers. The Valley Patriots (Jeremy’s high school) reached the state championship game in six man football.

Baby Kanyon Update

Kanyon has been learning to walk since the airport in Beijing. He is still not to the point of standing and walking on cue, but he is getting better. He often walks before he realizes what he has done, taking 4-6 steps trying to get something he really wants.

His teeth continue to come in. Now he is making the transition from baby food to real food. It’s a good thing, because there are some crazy baby food combinations here (tomato and salmon, tomato and tuna, bone marrow, pumpkin and dates). One of his favorites is lotus seed and tremella. We really don’t know what it is, but it is sweet and he really likes it.

It becomes a chore to bundle up the little guy to venture outside, but we have managed. We even purchased a great snow suit for him. Hopefully soon, we get a video up showing all the layers being put on.

12:2 Time October 2008

Traveling to China

We are so excited to be here in Harbin. We survived the 30 hours of travel and arrived safely in China just over 2 weeks ago. The airplane ride over was great and seemed to pass a lot faster than any other time we have flown internationally. Kanyon probably had a lot to do with this. He kept us so busy on the flight that we forgot to look at our watches and consider how slowly time was passing.

The first night in Beijing we commented to each other that it feels like we returned home. As we drove on the bus to the hotel, I looked out the windows and saw the same China that we left 2 years ago. It was a welcomed and warm feeling to be home in China for this year.

Our first night in China, we didn’t venture out too far from the hotel. We made it to the corner store (actually a great little foreign goods market) and picked up some Kraft Mac and Cheese. We haven’t had to dig into this yet, but one day we will and we will be reminded of home in the states. Our first meal in China wasn’t adventurous either. We ate at the Subway connected to our hotel. This is quite funny, because we don’t even eat Subway in the states, but it was our first meal in China.

We continued to journey the next day with our short flight to Harbin where we were warmly welcomed by our Foreign Affairs Officer who is charged with taking care of us while we are teaching in Harbin.

Good Morning Class

I began teaching this week. My schedule is new to me and was just revealed, or finalized a couple of days before I began teaching. The schedule includes some classes of American Literature and two classes on American Culture. The culture classes are going to be quite fun and interesting. I feel really good about teaching this class.

The literature classes will be more difficult for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I prefer math over literature. I have made the adjustment to teaching with only one minor hitch. One student came to me after class and asked that I speak slower. I forgot how slow “teacher English” feels and tried to remember that for the next class.

It has been incredible to finally get to meet the students in each of the classes. The schedule is such that I have 3 different sets of students, but see each group twice a week. I am excited to get to know each of the students throughout the semester. Hopefully, I will keep the same students next semester.

We are still working out our schedule of office hours and activities with students. I even tried today to go to get a card so I could eat in the cafeteria with the students. As it turned out, the lady who issues the card was eating food and I was asked to come back tomorrow. There will be numerous opportunities to hang out with the students and I am excited to see this process beginning.

Campus Food Court

Halfway from our apartments to the teaching building, (10 min. to food, another 10 min. to teach) there are a group of restaurants where we are regulars.


Outside the teaching building

There is a great selection and variety of food here, much like a mall food court. The food court includes restaurants that serve traditional Chinese dishes, stuffed steamed bread (baozi), Muslim noodles, hotpot, sweet potatoes, kabobs, wraps, and other foods.

Along with the restaurants, this area has a convenience store, fruit sellers, shoe stores, book stores, copy shops, and barber shops all with walking distance of our apartment. Plus a Carrefour, Wal-Mart, and other great street vendors and restaurants.

It is all nice now, but we are curious as to how often we’ll get out once the weather dips and stays below freezing.

12:2 Time September 2008

Stepping Out

I can hardly believe we’ve already been at training for over a week. We’ve settled into the hotel room in La Quinta, California where we’ll be living until September 23. Just in case you’re wondering, we’re not actually staying at a La Quinta in La Quinta. It’s the Embassy Suites. We hear they got a really good deal for our group to stay here as it’s not exactly peak season since the daily weather reports are varying versions of “Abundant Sunshine. Currently 109 degrees.” Word to the wise: don’t leave the hotel if at all possible!


Before stepping out onto the plane

We had quite a goodbye gathering at the Lubbock airport last Friday. We sure were glad to have enough help with the six 50 lb. suitcases we checked (this doesn’t include the two backpacks, one diaper bag, one rolling carry-on suitcase, one computer bag, and the stroller)! To tell the truth, I felt royalty when I finally got to the hotel room in La Quinta because I never had to carry a single one of the big suitcases! We arrived in California and there was a large group waiting to help, then there was more help to get them all to the rooms. I did carry Kanyon & my backpack all day, though! He was a great little traveler! We had 3 take-offs and landings because we were on one of those flights that lands in El Paso but you don’t get off the plane. It was a little harder than a direct flight because as soon as we reached cruising altitude and Kanyon’s ears adjusted it was time to descend! He sure did sleep well when we finally got him to bed that first night.

Training Classmates

There are about 50 of us in the University Teaching Program and around 35 in the China Teaching Fellowship at training. It is awesome to meet people in every stage of life here at training as they are all preparing to serve in China. To name a few, we’re inspired by Andy, the recent college grad who’s never been to Asia, Gene & Michelle and their two daughters, who are three and nine, and Woody & Sherry who are leaving behind their grandchildren! We’re learning a lot about Chinese culture from people like Joanne who is an American who speaks fluent Mandarin and has served in China for the past 24 years.

The training continues through September with the meaty courses in TEFL training. This is not to say the other courses are not meaty, as we have been soaking in everything presented.

30 Hours of Travel

The last day of training can more accurately be described as the longest day ever. We are boarding a bus from our hotel at 2:30 AM on September 23 to travel to the airport in LA. Then board the flight over the Pacific Ocean to China before arriving in Beijing at 2:25 PM on September 24. To try to “beat” jet-lag, we will then try our best to stay awake until an appropriate hour that night to go to sleep. All totaled, we will be traveling, dozing off and on, for at least 30 hours. All that on a less than a full night’s sleep the previous day. So we will be awake for 47 of the last 50 hours.

Stuffing Diapers

As we were preparing to check in for our flight to California, we had some last minute packing to do at the check in counter. Not being able to accurately weigh our bags before the airport, we knew that some of them would be close to the 50 pound limit.

We carefully put each bag onto the scales at the counter and anxiously waited for the weight readout. The firs bag on the scale weighs 52 pounds, over the limit. The next bag weighs in at only 48.5 pounds. So we quickly took things out of the heavy bag and stuffed them into the light weight bag. This continued through all the bags.

Finally the last bags were weighed and were all underweight. To make the most of the opportunity, we stacked diapers on top of the bag on the scale until it reached 50 pounds. It was amazing to see how many diapers we could stuff into the bag.

12:2 Time August 2008

Holding Pattern

We are officially in a holding pattern during the month of August. After living and working in the same place for over 2 years, we both resigned from our jobs and moved out of our apartment at the end of July.


The little red wagon gives them a tour around the farm

We immediately went from our former jobs to our next task. We drove home on our last day of work and returned home to load all the furniture onto a trailer. For the next week, we packed up our apartment and moved out of our apartment. We could not have tackled this project without the help of others and an endless supply of Starbucks coffee.

Being in a holding pattern has kept us very busy visiting with family and friends, many for the last time before we depart for China. The same day we moved the last box out of our apartment, we drove to San Angelo to spend time with family at the 10th annual Gramma Camp. There we painted crafts, took a cousins photo, and played dominoes all hours of the morning. Tagged onto the end of the trip for Gramma Camp was a family reunion which pretty much includes two whole communities.

For the next six weeks, we will be living out of our suitcases, either in our families’ homes or at training in California. The first half of August in Garden City and the last half will be spent in Quitaque.

During this time of transition, we are eagerly looking forward to the transition into our apartment and jobs in China, but also cherishing the time we get to spend with our families and friends.

We look forward to sharing with you the experiences from training and the first weeks in China.

Communication From China

As we transition to our new home in China, we are changing our email addresses, telephone number and other contact information.

We are working on getting our Skype account up and running. We are looking for Skype to be one of our main means of communication back to the states. If you have an account and would like a peek into the experience, give us a ring. (We are even up with a little video chat.)

Other times during the time in China, we will be sending out physical newsletters. The letters will arrive in an envelope labeled “Teacher Update.” We will try to get one of these letters out to you as soon as we are settled in Harbin in early October.

The most common form of communication while we are in China will be through email. Due to the time difference between the US and China (14 hours from US Central Time), email is the most convenient. We love to hear about what is happening in each of your lives. You guys are our window into our home in the States.

We look forward to sharing this experience with each of you. It is such a great opportunity and it could not be accomplished without each of you. We look forward to hearing from you guys.

Final Packing List

As we prepare to depart for China, we are packing the last items in our bags. Some items are purchased and others take up the remaining pounds available before our bags reach the 50 lb limit imposed by the airlines. So here are the final items to make the cut into our bags: 10 month supply of deodorant; Medicines (including Tylenol, Advil, Sudafed, Nyquil, Desitin, etc.); Frisbee; Chapstick; Vitamins; House slippers; Football; Coffee;

We are also packing our first care package to mail to ourselves before we leave: Fisher Price Nativity Set; Ranch dressing mixes; taco seasoning; vanilla; Dream Whip; canned pumpkin pie mix; chili powder; English books (both children and adult);

I’m sure there will be things that we forgot to bring and others we could have left at home. We’ll revisit this list later in the year.

12:2 Times July 2008

All-American Summer

As we cruise through our last months in America before departing for China, we are making a point to enjoy some American summer activities.



Six Flags Over Texas. We had a great time on a weekend without the baby. We arrived in the morning and immediately head for the Titan. (The Titan reaches speeds over 85 mph and the first drop is 24 stories, not the mention the extreme G’s on the corkscrews.) After one spin on the Titan, I was out for the day. M’Lynn however continued to ride coaster after coaster. The lines were amazingly short and we finished the park earlier enough to enjoy the next summer item.

Baseball. We walked out of Six Flags, moved our car to the end of the parking lot, and walked to the Ballpark. The game was full of homeruns and the Rangers even won (not that either of us are Rangers fans). Plus, we’ve watched our share of Rockhounds games here too.



Swimming. What’s a summer without some swimming? No summer at all! We took Kanyon swimming for the first time and he kicked his feet and splashed the water in his face with his hands. Not much different than taking a bath, only this time it was in an extra large tub.

Fireworks. We enjoyed some Fourth of July fireworks and BBQ with family for the holiday. While fireworks are common in China, the BBQ is much different.

BBQ and other foods. Last on the summer list is BBQ and other American foods including hamburgers, steaks, chips and hot sauce, Tex-Mex, Starbucks, and many others. All of these are not available in China, or at least not of the same quality.

Family Reunion



Well, not really a reunion, but rather a wedding of my cousin. It felt much like a wedding as all of my aunts and uncles were together again for the first time in years (first time in year that we have been able to be there). We were missing a few cousins, but it was great to get everyone back together for the wedding.

We traveled down to San Antonio, baby in tow, to see all the folks. Most of the time was spent hanging out before and after the wedding. The wedding itself was great too and was a real Texas Cowboy wedding. After the wedding we drove over to the reception. It was in a great old general store that was cleared out and now functions as a hall. We had a blast! Check out the Texas family photo at the left!

August Finish Line

We have entered our last weeks on the job. Our final day working for both of us is July 25, 2008 (also Kanyon’s last day of daycare). We hope to finish strong and provide a smooth transition to our replacements.

Then after a week of packing and moving out of our apartment, we have a month of time with friends and family. For the first two weeks in August, we will be living in Garden City with M’Lynn’s family. Then we will move up to the panhandle and live with Jeremy’s family for the final two weeks before we depart from training in Los Angeles on August 29, 2008.

We are looking forward to spending time with both families and relaxing the last month in the States. We will be available if you would like us to stop by and talk more about China, or simply to catch up.

Newsletter No. 2

One of our favorite parts of teaching in China is to be able to share the stories, adventure, photos, and work with all of you back home. It is such a privilege to share this with each of you.

Many of you probably received our second newsletter about our return to China. If you did not receive this letter, but would like to receive future letters sent from China, please respond with your mailing address. Or if you have a corrected address, are moving, or know others who would be interested, please send us the information and updates.

We will continue to publish the email newsletter (monthly) in addition to the snail mail version (about every 6 weeks). They will be different and unique from each other and would like all of you to receive both. We’ll have plenty of stories, pictures, and updates to provide from our work in China.

12:2 Times June 2008

Hobbs City Limits

New Mexico, USA

Lovington, NM is home to an amazing group that has been meeting weekly for over 20 years to support each other and more importantly to intercede on behalf of those in need. Through our Life Group at Mid-Cities, we were introduced to this group and had the awesome opportunity to meet with them and share a vision for China. It is absolutely amazing how the Father works to orchestrate the events leading up to our departure for China.

We heard numerous stories of answered requests, and the faithfulness of the Father. We shared a common vision for China and answered any and all questions. Since the baby was at a sitter (thanks Renee) we were able to rest and relax visiting the host family in Lovington. It was incredible to see their hearts for the Father and for the nations.

Coming home to Midland, we passed through Hobbs and had to stop to check out the unique city markers. We parked the car and wandered up to take some photos. Random photos are a little more difficult for us to find here in the States, but we thought these would be pretty good.

Where in the world...?

We know our location in China! But you have to wait a little longer to learn more about the city, university, and our teammates. If you’ve visited the website, then you probably already know.

Newsletter #2 is being prepared now, with more information on our location, teammates, city, and frequently asked questions. If you did not receive the first newsletter and would like to receive this newsletter and all future letters mailed from China, please respond with your mailing address to be added.

Celebrating Four Years

June 4, 2004 began a journey that is now four years into the making. It’s amazing to take a minute to look back at where we’ve been and then at the same time, turn and look forward to where we are heading.

Year 1: We lived in the old college house in Lubbock learning what it was to be married. We continued to grow closer together and realized an important call on our life, to leave what was comfortable and head to China to teach English.

Year 2: We moved to China and continued to learn about each other. We grew and were stretched beyond anything we could have imagined. We made some great friends, including our teammates and those who continuously worked behind the scenes with your thoughts and giving.

Year 3: We returned to Texas in transition as we struggled with what the future held for our young family. We struggled whether to continue living in the States or follow the call placed on our lives two years earlier. It was a great blessing to spend time with family, reconnecting after spending a year apart.

Year 4: We moved into two new chapters in our story. We received our first child and confirmed the call place on our lives. Through the birth of Kanyon, we continued to learn more about how to be married, and now how to be married with a child. At the same time, how to transition into a family living in China.

Year 5+: We look back always remembering from where we have come, and look forward to what the future holds. We thank each of you for allowing us to be apart of your lives and can only imagine what’s next!

Rocky the Rockhound


Kanyon Meets Rocky

We took Kanyon to another Midland Rockhounds’ game in May. We settled into our seats with the largest Coke we could buy and two of the world’s longest corn dogs. In the 5th inning, Rocky the Rockhounds came to our section to cheer on the crowd and Kanyon couldn’t take his eyes off the large dog. Much to Kanyon’s delight, Rocky came to our row and picked him up. The smile on his face says it all, Kanyon adores dogs. Check out the photo and see for yourself.

Maybe we should make it our goal to get a picture with Rocky each month, just to see how much Kanyon grows from month to month. We could probably keep this up for awhile, until he reaches the age of refusing all photos.

12:2 Times May 2008

Kanyon Enjoys a BBQ

Jumping Through Hoops

The process of returning to China is filled with many papers, forms, and hoops (legal documents, etc.). Each item is required to obtain a residence permit allowing us to live and work in China for the year. We went through this same process in 2005. Here are a few odds and ends from the process:

Visa Applications, Photos, and Other Forms: These are routine forms with basic information. The only odd thing is that we are required to send in 10 passport photos of each of us. 10 is a lot when most places sell 2 at a time.

Background Check: A routine event when hired by an American employer, but have you ever tried to get a background check on yourself? That’s what we were up to the middle of April. First we get fingerprinted, and then wait for the results to be sent. And what a surprise, our checks came back with no criminal record.

Health Records: Not much more than a routine physical, but it does include some additional tests (i.e., HIV/AIDS, syphilis, chest x-ray, EKG). All negative again. We then must get the doctor to sign and stamp each page (stamps are often more official than signatures in China).

Document Authentication: We did not do this in 2005 and it became the real beast of a process, but luckily it only has to be done once and never expires. The process involves the Secretary of State for Texas for certification and the Chinese Embassy for final authentication and filing.

We carefully seal the FedEx envelope and drop it in the mail hoping for better results than last time when one passport went missing.

Joys

Thank you to each of you who have been lifting up our specific requests. We have seen these answered time and again. We mailed our document packet to California with all of our forms, visa applications, passports, health records, foreign workers permits, etc. and it has arrived safely. All items safely arrived, including all three passports!

Happy Mother's Day (by M’Lynn)

Now that I’m a mom, I look around me and realize I’m surrounded by moms who constantly inspire me. There are moms in my life of every age and in every stage who encourage me with their example of what it is to be a mother.

Watching my friends from my Life Group with their toddlers gives me a glimpse into my immediate future. Most of them have several young children, and I am always impressed with their example of motherhood. Most of the ladies in my Bible Study are moms that have sent their children, now grown, into the world. They have given me countless insights as they look back on their years as moms. They are always telling me to be thankful for every single moment with Kanyon while he is growing up because kids grow up so fast! I’m surrounded by working moms at my job who constantly amaze me with their ability to take care of their families and do good work outside of the home. Some of them are single moms who somehow manage to keep it all going without the help of a spouse. I am always thankful for my husband, but when I see all the things a single mom has to do on her own, I am even more thankful that I have such a wonderful man named Jeremy in my life!!

Then, there are the moms who have been in my life for as long as I can remember. My own mother’s example urges me to be more generous, self-less, patient and kind. I look at the lives lived by my grandmothers and great-grandmothers and hope that like them, I will one day be able to look at my children and know I raised them right. They are mothers of children who were taught the way of the Father when they were young and have not departed from it now that they are grown. What an amazing family heritage to have!

Thank you to all the moms in my life for your amazing examples.

Stories of Note

King of Western Swing – We traveled home at the end of April to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday and to return to Bob Wills Day in Turkey, TX. I had not been back to Bob Wills Day in 10 years and M’Lynn had never been. Read more.

Lemonade Stand – Walking around our neighborhood, we noticed some kids selling lemonade and we walked the other way, but the sales-kids would not let us get away. Read more.

Waffle Iron Burgers – We hosted a moving away party for our friends and our LifeGroup and asked everyone to bring food and we would bring burgers. Only one problem, how were we going to cook 40 burgers in our apartment kitchen? Read More.

Midland Rockhounds – Kanyon attends his first baseball game. We tucked ourselves in our seats safely behind the net, as not to be hit by any flying objects, baseballs... Read more.

China Update – We are 63% to our goal. The next deadline is 75% by July 15th to have our tickets purchased. Read More.

12:2 Times April 2008

Happy Birthday to All

Within one month we celebrate 2 birthdays! On March 4th we celebrated M’Lynn’s birthday and then on April 5th we get to celebrate Jeremy’s birthday. While the cake is always incredible, I think we can do without so much for a little time now. But there is no rest for the weary as we celebrate another 3 birthdays in April.

M’Lynn’s birthday was low key. Just the two of us on a Tuesday. Her gift arrived in the mail just in time. I ordered it online on Monday, and received a free upgrade to overnight shipping. The package arrived at lunch and was wrapped by the time M’Lynn came home.


Birthday Cake Number Three

M’Lynn went all out celebrating my birthday with two surprise parties and even more cake. It all started on Friday, April 4 with a surprise lunch party at work (of course there was cake there too). Then on April 5, I decided to make a chocolate cake to celebrate (and I had never made one before). Little did I know there was more cake ahead. On Sunday, April 6 as we were meeting together with our LifeGroup I opened the snack box to discover another cake! M’Lynn had planned this one for a while, but didn’t want to stop me from making the cake for myself. All in all, three cakes in three days.

Celebrating Easter

We gathered in Big Spring to celebrate Easter with our family. We had a great time visiting and showing off Kanyon for the first time to some of my cousins. As is custom, we made several trips to Wal-Mart to get more goodies. My brother even purchased all the Cadbury cream eggs from the store, 28 boxes in all!

And what’s Easter without cake! We had cake to celebrate birthdays each day. On Friday, the cake was for M’Lynn and I, on Saturday, the cookie cake was for my cousin, and on Sunday, the cake was for Easter.

China Update

A GIANT thank you to all who have partnered together with us to reach the first goal of 50% before April 15. As of April 9th, we have received 52.5% of the total needed. Thank You all!

We continue to learn about the pre-field training. Training will be held in Palm Springs, CA beginning on August 29th and ending when we depart for China on Sept. 22. In order to earn the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate required to teach in China, I have been given a stack of book to read. In addition to reading the books, additional papers and other assignments are due by the time we arrive at training. The assignment design provides a better understanding of the Chinese culture and an in-depth look into the role of a foreign language teacher.

Visa application and documents continue to be completed and appointments continue to line up. We have scheduled dentist, optometrists, and doctor’s appointment in preparation for departure. (Plus, a medical exam is required to be able to live in China). All forms and documents are due by May 8th.

Little Man Update

Kanyon continues to grow up smiling all the time. At the last weigh-in (aka doctor’s appointment), he weighed 16.5 lbs. He was in the 95th percentile in both length and weight and was in the 97th percentile in head size.

We have not yet seen him roll over, but he awakes most morning on his stomach so we know he can do it. He is almost laughing and I tickle him every day knowing that one day he’ll burst out laughing.

He enjoyed his first taste of real food and ate less than was on his bib. I think he is ready to be a man and eat some steak, but M’Lynn insists he wait.

He really enjoyed the NCAA March madness and watching basketball each weekend for a month. Maybe it reminds him of his first days over Thanksgiving when all we watched was football. FYI: M’Lynn picked Kansas to win it all in her bracket. Next year for a pool, I just have to put money on her selections.

12:2 Times March 2008

Austin, Texas

As you can see from the photo below, we made our annual trip to Austin to watch the Texas High School Girls state championships. While we had a great time watching all sorts of basketball, Kanyon enjoyed being held constantly everyday and sleeping more than the games.


Shock at Seeing Too Much Brunt Orange

We arrived in Austin in time to see the second day of semifinal games on Friday. Four games on Day 1 before we retired at the home of our friends. They were generous to allow us to come home late each night and borrow a bed and bath before we headed out early Saturday morning.

On Saturday, we watched all 6 state championship games. This is the first time we have watched all the games on one day. We were not tired of watching games, only tired of sitting down and going every day. We were able to meet up with some friends and family in Austin in time to watch the last couple of games.

Sunday brought much needed rest and relaxation. We were finally able to catch up with our hosts, Ryan and Becca Edwards. Before leaving town, we had a great lunch with them and my sister, who is also in Austin.

Grandmother Memories

On February 25, 2008, my grandmother passed away. She was 80 year old and was a lifelong resident of Quitaque. I still remember going over to her house and eating Schwan’s ice cream with malt and chocolate syrup as a kid and eating the homemade chocolate chip cookies she kept in the freezer.

While it is never fun to get together at a funeral, it was good to be able to see so many of my Dad’s family together. We were able to visit with several people we had not seen for a while and had a good time visiting together.

10:30 PM

We traveled a lot and like to plan the times we leave and arrive. However, the more we travel with Kanyon, the more we learn about the unpredictable nature of children.
Each time we would leave, we planned to arrive early in the evening so we would not have to drive much in the dark. However, we always arrived at the same time 10:30 PM.
From Midland to Quitaque = 10:30 PM; From Quitaque to San Angelo = 10:30 PM; From Austin to Midland = 10:30 PM. I guess we now know what time to tell people we will arrive, 10:30 PM.

12:2 Times February 2008

Super Bowl XLII

Celebration of the perfect season that was not. For our last Super Bowl in the states, we attended a small event with our LifeGroup from our fellowship. The party was a great time to be with friends we have grown close to over the time we have been in Midland. Kanyon even put on his football jersey outfit for the occasion.

It is a little strange to think that this is going to be the last football we are going to be able to watch on TV for a while. We both love football. We love the games, the stands filled with parents, the student sections, and the Saturdays and Sundays filled with games upon games. We will be able to watch the Super Bowl while in China, but it will begin at 5:00 AM. Hopefully we will be able to get the game taped to watch it at a later time.

It was really different watching the game from another country. The game‘s broadcasters explain every little rule for the foreign audience. Plus the commercials just aren’t the same (even though I thought this year’s ads weren’t all that). Nothing like watching the Super Bowl and seeing ads for the next soccer match up.

We hope you each had a great football season. As Peyton Manning says on one of his Priceless Pep Talks commercials, “Bummed about football season being over? Me too.”

Two Full Time Jobs
M’Lynn returned to work on Jan. 28 meaning Kanyon had to experience for the first time daycare. He is enrolled at a local fellowship only two blocks from Jeremy’s office. And since M’Lynn works outside of Midland near the airport, Jeremy gets the daily daycare duty.

The first week of the new routine went on pretty well. We are still adjusting to the newness of not being able to care for Kanyon all day. And mother is doing pretty well as well. It was, and will be for a while, difficult to leave the baby at daycare, but we know he is well cared for. Each day at pick-up he smiles at us as we put him in his seat to come home.

He did treat us good one night as he slept through the night from 10 pm-6 am. Too bad it was a one night event as he returned to his previous ways the next two nights. Now we know it can be done and we are looking forward to the nights when this is routine.

12:2 Times January 2008

Happy New Year 2008!

Happy New Year to each of you and your families. In the Hebrew calendar, the 8th year is a year of new beginnings. We can only imagine the new beginnings and awesome adventures coming our way in 2008. We hope this year brings the same to each of you.

On the Holidays Trail

The holiday season was a busy one for us. We were not at home for much of the break, but we did return home for the holidays.

The adventure started with a pre-Christmas celebration in Eola with the whole family. It was great to be able to introduce Kanyon to all of his great aunts and great uncles, and not to mention a few of his cousins.

The season continued at warp speed for the next weekend. We traveled home to Garden City to spend some time with M’Lynn’s family for Christmas. During that time, we were able to open all the gifts and watch a couple of great movies. But the fun didn’t stop at GC. For Christmas day we packed up our things and drove to San Angelo to visit extended family for the always fun and extremely loud Christmas celebration there. There is something to the sound of everyone talking at once and ten things going on that makes Christmas so special.

We did return home to Midland, but only for two nights before we headed on the Holiday trail again. This time to visit Jeremy’s family in Quitaque. We were not able to see his sister, but did visit with the parents, brother, and others. We even had more gifts to open there.

And finally after spending most of the holidays on the road visiting family and friends, we returned to Midland to celebrate the new year. We must be new parents, because we only made it to 11:30 PM and rang in the new year with a nap between feeding Kanyon.

Motley County Matadors – State Champs

We had to opportunity to attend the Texas 6-man football state championship games in San Angelo on December 15th. It has almost become a tradition to attend the games as we have been to 3 of the last 4 games, only missing the game when we were in China.

This game was special. While it didn’t include our hometown high schools, it included the Motley County Matadors, Jeremy’ dad’s school for the last 18 years. The Matadors started the game out slow, even allowing a touchdown on their first defensive play, but by the end of the game, they were victorious.

The second 6-man state championship game was less of a nail biter and more of the mark of a high school dynasty. The Richland Springs Coyotes won their third title in four years and completed a four year span with only one lost.

I love watching 6-man football and always miss the season when it is over. Next season hopefully brings just as many thrills. For now, I guess I’ll settle for the NFL playoffs.

Meet the Great Grandparents



Kanyon went on a whirlwind tour meeting all of his great grandparents for the first time, and all on the same weekend.

The first stop on the tour takes us the Big Spring, TX where we meet up with Jeremy’s parents and grandmother on there way to the state championship football games in San Angelo. We spent the night in Big Spring and Kanyon was introduced to Libbie, “you can call me Mamo,” for the first time.

We then drove to Eola for the pre-Christmas celebration where he was introduced to Raymond and Connie for the first time. He spent most of the day being held then passed to the next in line. After the day in Eola, we drove the 30 minutes to meet the other great grandparents, Nolan and Virginia. Since we arrived late, most of the “ga-ga”ing was saved until the next morning and lunch.

It was an incredibly fast weekend and a great way to get Kanyon to meet his “greats” at the same time.

12:2 Times December 2007

Introducing Again, Kanyon

Kanyon arrived at 4:30 AM on November 20, 2007 weighing 8 lbs 1 oz and 20 ¾ inches long. He has quickly learned how to sleep, at least at most times, besides the party he likes to throw for himself just after midnight. We are learning the new parent skill of getting sleep whenever we can. Now sleep is great if we can get it in 3-4 hour blocks.

We are enjoying every minute of being parents. We have been extremely spoiled over the first weeks of his life. Our Life Group members from our fellowship showered us with home cooking for the first week. Renee came into town almost everyday to shower us with some home cooked lunches. I wonder how it will all go when we have to cook our own meals again.

Kanyon has made two successful trips to the doctor, and mom made it successfully too. At his latest weigh-in he had gained weight to 8 lbs 8 oz. Before we know it, he will be bigger and taller than both of us!

We will try to keep the pictures updated online so you can all see him as he grows. Hopefully you can give us some more insight as to who he most looks like. Right now we think he looks like a good combination of the both of us.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

We wish each of you a great holiday season. We ask for safe travel, if your traveling and a great time of fellowship with your friends and family.

We hope that all we do during this season will be honoring to the Father and reflect the true spirit and thankfulness we have for the greatest gift of all. We do hope to remember the season and not get caught up in the materialism that Christmas sometime becomes.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Football Marathon

The greatest thing about bringing Kanyon home over Thanksgiving week has been all the football on TV. While we are sitting around the house changing diapers and doing his laundry, we had football on all the time. The football marathon started on Monday night in the hospital and didn’t end until the following Sunday. That means we were able to watch a total of 12 football games over 4 days, an astonishing 3 games per day!

We were even able to watch the beloved Denver Broncos twice. They did manage to win one of those games, even though this season has been a bust. However, M’Lynn’s Cowboys continue to win and win big. Is a Super Bowl in their future?

I think we watched so much football that little Kanyon is going to need a game on in the background before he can go to sleep. I just hope he enjoys basketball season as much. Now that the football marathon weekend is over I wonder what he'll be watching as I return to work next week. Kanyon will be home alone with his mother, hopefully not watching too much Oprah.

White Thanksgiving

While I had hoped to have a great story about the day that our son was born, it never really developed. We do have a great story about the day we brought him home for the first time.

I arrived at the hospital wearing shorts and a short sleeve shirt, but I would have frozen if I tried to return home in that. All day on Thanksgiving, it snowed and snowed. It rarely snows here, and much less after the temperatures had been in the 80s earlier in the week.

The weather didn’t make it any easier driving home as nervous parents driving with Kanyon in the car for the first time, and much less in the snow. We decided to take the long way home to avoid all the overpasses, that could have been frozen, but probably weren’t. Then we had to carry Kanyon up the snow covered steps to our apartment.

We made it home safe and sound and have since been warm and cozy in our apartment. Kanyon has enjoyed being all wrapped up in blankets and we have been warmed up with endless cups of hot chocolate.