Budding Photographer

Lily has recently started showing an interest in "taking" our pictures. I thought I would help her really take a picture, so this is the product. I normally really dislike having my picture taken w/o notice or "prep" time, but I thought her first picture wasn't too bad! I just had to share.

Squeaky Shoes and Naptime

Yesterday, I put Lily down for her nap and took off her squeaky sandals. She was not happy. She got up twice and I put her right back in bed. The third time I didn't see her get up, but I heard her! She found her squeaky sandals and had put them on. I love my daughter and think she is one of the brightest little girls ever, but she just wasn't thinking things through!

Today I asked her if she wanted to wear her squeaky shoes for nap. She was thrilled and, of course, I had other motives than making her happy. At least I knew I would hear her right away if she got up, but guess what - She didn't get up once!

The picture is from earlier in the day. She was playing her version of hide and seek and I found her in her bed with only her eyes showing,

It's Official!

Steve resigned from his position as of August 1st of this year! He applied for admission into James Madison University's Physician's Assistant Program last fall. He was interviewed in March and was notified in April that he was on a wait list (approved for admission, but no spots available). Classes start August 24th!

Lily and I will stay here in Lynchburg with me teaching in Amherst. Steve will come home as often as is feasible as JMU is about 1 hr 45 min away. Right now, we are praying for God to provide a family with which Steve can stay as we cannot afford rent for him. We checked into moving to Harrisonburg, but it just doesn't make sense. Housing is much more expensive and God provided a great job for me here.

The program is 27 months long. The first 15 months he would be in Harrisonburg, but the last 12 he could be anywhere in the state of VA (or possibly surrounding states) as he completes his rotations. Lily and I would be left alone that last year anyway. Here we have a church and my parents are only 30 min away!

We have quite a story to tell of God's direction and providence. The next two and a half years are going to just add to that!

Hot, Hot, Hot

Steve just informed me that we are currently in the hottest part of the country! Today's high is 94F, tomorrow and Monday are to be 97F, and Wednesday it is to be 95F. Yuck! We are scheduled to have our heating and cooling system replaced on Monday. Needless to say, I won't be hanging out here at the house while they install the new heat pump!

Popsicles

We are having a hard time getting Lily to consume enough calcium. She basically won't drink milk before it will go bad. I am trying to get creative here. We have found a Yoplait Kids drinkable yogurt that she likes, but doesn't have as much sugar. She won't eat regular yogurt though on most days. She likes fresh steamed broccoli. She does eat 1-2 oz. of cheddar or colby jack cheese a day.

Today I hit the jackpot! I decided to try making miniature popsicles using the ice cube trays, these little popsicle sticks, and yogurt. Well, it was a hit. She loves them and thinks they are a treat! If anyone has suggestions for calcium and healthy fat intake, please let me know!

Water Fun

Yesterday and today we got out Lily's little pool. It is getting warmer here. Today wasn't as much but we wanted to try something new. We got this plastic play set at a local consignment shop. Well, it was a big hit. Lily LOVES being outside, so we are going to be spending sometime in the little pool. We have a bigger one that we bought, but it was too big for her last summer, so we got a smaller one. Now, we can't find the bigger one. This will come in handy as it looks like it will be in the low 90s starting on Wednesday!

Factoids about China

A fellow blogger posted this interesting list of China factoids published by The Independant in Britian. He cut out about half of them to focus on some of the more notable ones, so if you want the whole list, follow the link above.

China: In Numbers
By Simon Usborne
5.7 million: Students graduated from Chinese universities in 2007 (compared with 270,000 in 1977)
10 million: The estimated number of Chinese people who have no electricity
540 million: Number of mobile phone users in China, with an increase of 44 million in the past six months
160: Cities in China with populations that exceed a million. In the USA there are nine; in the UK just two
0: Miles of motorway (freeway) in 1988
30,000: Miles of motorway (freeway) today
6.3 million: The number of passenger cars registered in 2007 (compared with 2.3 million in 2004). More than 1,000 new private cars hit the roads every day in Beijing alone
68: The number of crimes thought to be punishable by death in China, including non-violent offences such as tax fraud, embezzlement and the taking of bribes
350 million: The number of Chinese people who smoke (a third of the world’s smokers). Around a million people a year are thought to die from smoking-related diseases
240 billion yuan: ($34.6 billion)* The estimated amount earned by the Chinese government in tobacco taxes in 2005
1.3 billion: China’s population. The country accounts for one in five people in the world.
400 million: The estimated number of births prevented by China’s one-child policy, introduced in 1979
22: The number of suicides per 100,000 people, about 50 per cent higher than the global average. Suicide is the fifth most common cause of death in China, and the first among people aged between 20 and 35
700,000: The number of people living with HIV or Aids in China. The UN has warned China it could have 10 million cases by 2010 unless action is taken
45 billion: Estimated number of chopsticks China produces every year, the majority of them disposable. In 2006, Beijing introduced a five per cent tax on disposable wooden chopsticks in an attempt to help save the country’s forests
* at the moment, 1 USD is worth 6.9 RMB