Brianna 2

Bria and Becca

Go Bria Go!!!

Chistmas 2006

Brianna

We are blessed with an amazing daughter! The changes have not always been easy for her but she has a good sense of humor and like a cat has an innate sense of how to land on her feet. The first picture was taken soon after we first came to Shenyang. the rest are pictures of friends she has meet along the way. By the way, in Shenyang she was the middle school arm wrestling champ and one day this fall when I was subbing at her school in Tianjin I heard her name being chanted in the lunchroom and I got there just in time to see her flatten the arm of her male opponent to the table. That's my girl!!!

Happy Birthday Boppa

The kids want to wish their Boppa a happy 70th birthday! We had a great visit with you last summer and thanks for all the fun times . Next time we will have our buckets of water ready! See if you can run fast enough old man! Love you!

views from our window

This is our neighbor. She is one of the reasons that I have an increased desire to improve my Chinese. During the spring we would sit together and try to talk. She speaks no English so we are dependent on my Chinese. She looks out for us and has kept us in fresh fruit. One of the gifts I brought back to her was a bucket of KFC. I'm not sure if she liked it. During the tourist season she gives rides on her horse to the city folk that come out Qing Shan Ling. I see her from early morning until dark walking beside the horse while kids and adults ride. Sometimes they want to go around the mountain which takes her 1 hour. Then she picks up a new customer and continues on. She is my inspiration!!

Dogs are everywhere in Qing Shan ling. We all have had our rabies shots as deaths from rabies was high last year in China. This is the dog next door. He is always chained and since we have been throwing treats his way does not bark at us anymore.

View from our rented house!

Yulei has been an amazing part of Ric's work. Without him Ric would not have even been able to get the project off the ground! Thank You !

This boy captured my attention! The kids of the village are just as curious about us as we are about them. Last May I held an English class in the house and had about 15 kids coming. We made a lot of friends during this time. Now when we walk through the village we get a lot of smiles and hellos!

Now that is what I call a smile!!

B.J. has such a friendly personality! Here he is helping a friend with english.

Brianna playing mastermind. When we are at the site and the village kids do not have school a few come over during the day to see what the forigners are doing. We invite them in and teach them crazy foriegn games.

China Red

CHINA RED

I never knew the fall in China could be so beautiful! But in the countryside it is amazing! We have been in China for three years now and just like the leaves we have changed with the seasons. We have gotten older but also I like to think that we have grown on the inside too. We have meet some wonderful people and have so many great memories. Ric has lost some hair (though you can't tell from the haircut) I have some grey and the kids well look at the pictures and you will see! I hope you will enjoy this blog and as you read remember to lift us up to the father! We miss all of you but are having a great time! Love the Schoons

China Five

Get the message?

When B.J came to China he was only 5. He has grown a lot!! He is as tall as me! :)