The Great Lohse US Summer Tour

5 weeks.  11 airplanes.  6 States.  9 beds (plus a tent).  Loads of fun.

This is how we spent the summer, traveling the east coast of the United States.  While it was exhausting for all of us, it was worth every flight and time we had to re-pack our suitcases.  Being that our family and friends are so very important to us and because we are so far away for 11 months of the year, it is important for us to reconnect real time, face-to-face with as many people as we can fit in.

It has also proven to be an important time for us to ensure that the kids are continually exposed to our home culture.  It is amazing how quickly they take on the culture here as their own.  It's all they know, especially Sophia, as her first memories will be of her time living here in China.  So, in theory, our time in the US will help to reduce the amount of culture shock they will have when we move back to the US.  This visit, Sophia was particularly out of sorts, asking every day to come back to her "real home" here in China.  And we were all a bit overwhelmed by the amount of advertising and stuff that was everywhere we went.  Don't get me wrong, China is actually stockpiled full of stuff everywhere you look.  But it is different.  In the US, it is organized, clean, and displayed in a way that makes it feel like there is more.  Their eyes (and probably mine as well) when we walked into Target said it all.

We are now back to our "real home" here in China and back into our routines.  And I have to admit, it is nice to be back in our own beds.  But looking through all of the pictures already has me a bit sad knowing it will be another 11 months before we get to come to the US again.  Charlie will be walking and talking.  Emma will probably have pig tails and be a full-fledged toddler.  Bella will have shed all her toddler traits and will join her big kid cousins.  And Eric and Sophia will both have the responsibilities of being a big brother and big sister to this new little one that will be arriving in the next few weeks.  Wow...

Thanks again to everyone that put up with our craziness and took the time to meet up with us, house us, feed us, or just humor us with our China stories.  We can't say thank you enough for yet another memorable summer.

Enjoy the pictures! (Click on each of them to see more pictures from that state.)

Maine

Wisconsin

South/North Carolina

Columbus

  

New York

我的肚子 (My Belly)

I am 35 weeks pregnant.  It has been way over 100F for the last month.  My feet are the size of small boats and feel like they have been beaten over and over.  And admittedly, I have *maybe* increased my intake of chocolate and ice cream just a bit.  But if another person, Chinese or otherwise, asks me if I am carrying twins or tells me how big I am, I may lose it.  I have only gained 25 pounds so far and have been pretty content with that.  But twins!!!  Come on people.  I know Chinese people are small and have small babies, so I keep telling myself that is all they have to compare it to.  And I also know that Chinese people in general have no filter, so they just say what comes to mind.  Indeed, my belly is big.  But my body is supporting a growing child, obviously a very large growing child.  But to be honest, I am particularly proud of that.

If you think about everything that has happened in this belly of mine over the last 9 months, it is no surprise that my body is starting to rebel in other ways.  Some days I am housing an acrobat, others a hiccup machine that could easily become an alternative energy source.  But there is a true miracle inside my big belly that to me has been a constant reminder of how amazing my body is, how amazing God is.  Everything just happens.  The heart developed and started beating all on its own.  Fingerprints have developed that will forever ensure this child is unique from the other 7 billion people in the world.  The baby can hear Eric and Sophia scream “Good night baby shu shu!” every night and see the Darth Vader flashlight they insist on putting on my belly.  The baby is given constant access to food and at this point just continues to grow bigger until he or she is ready to meet this very excited family.  And all of this without true intervention of my own or even my doctors for that matter.  

So, yes…I am very pregnant and have a big belly to show for it.  And soon, sooner than I think I will be ready for it, I will be rocking a third miracle in my arms, most likely of the big variety.  But third time in, I am proud, prouder than I ever have been at what my body is capable of doing.  I can finally truly appreciate what is happening without feeling self-conscious of what my body has transformed into.  Bring it on big belly!

You know your child is spoiled when....

Yes, that is a "Babychino"

Summer is Officially Over ;O(