Mel's family at the Cabin

The great year of digging out the Cabin -- walkway, driveway, a good chunk of the actual ROAD!

after all the shoveling 

I had forgot my suit!

This time I borrowed a suit from Cami

Suckered in to jumping into the snow

Colemans Turn

Kaden stayed in the snow the longest

Lucy and Mikelle, helping each other up and over the couch arm chair over and over and over

More fun in the hot tub

So here it is--this is Melanie. Kurt started this blog a year or two ago, made the background black and then never posted anything again. It was a good try. I have recently had many friends and family members talk about all the great things they enjoy about blogs and I have started reading a few myself. I love to read other peoples blogs but it makes me feel really weird to just write out to this big unknown void. Like who am I writing to right now??

My younger sisters will tease me because I am kind of old--school and dip into these innovative trends very slowly. I have to feel it out, question my motives, weigh out it's benifits. I certainly don't plan for this to be a clever or elegant blog like so many I've recently seen (I'm sure I have talents but they will not show on this screen) so then I'm kind of like....hmmm this might not be fun enough for anyone to want to read...so then really who am I writing this to??

I figured in the end I won't worry about the who's. My biggest hope in attempting this blog is that in reflecting about what to write about, I will take greater note of the small but significant moments that make up the best part our life, and show more gratitude for them. That is what reading "your" blogs has done for me. Thanks! And happy blogging to "us" all.

Video?

More Pictures from the Wall

The Annual Great Wall Branch Activity

This was our 4th trip to the great wall with the branch. I guess that means we've been here a while. This is one trip we look forward to every year. We ride up on buses, spend saturday afternoon hiking the wall, have a big buffet dinner (thankfully hot dog are served in addition to the mystery meats and veggies) with skits and fireworks afterwards. Then Sunday morning we wake to a very chinese breakfast and have a short church service before riding the buses back to Beijing. It's always a good time.

Fun In A.F. Canyon

Farewell to the Tie Ladies

This is the tie shop I've been frequenting for over 2 years. I brought Mel and Lucy with me this last time to say goodbye and thanks to our friends who have all now lost their shop and jobs to make room for other silk market goods...I think rugs.

Longshan Park, Shanghai

A Weekend in Shanghai

A day at the Zoo