rested and refreshed

We walked in the door from our little retreat about two hours ago - Xiao Li, of course, left us with napping kids, a mopped floor, dishes washed, and the last load of laundry in the dryer. That's a GREAT way to re-enter life as a momma! Now I am just eager for the girls to wake up... I can't wait to see their smiling faces :)

She shared that she and her husband had a great fun playing with and taking care of our little girls. I know the feeling is mutual and can't wait for Julianna to tell me all the fun things she did with her "ayi" and "shu shu" (aunt and uncle). I am sure Lydia had fun too, but I fully expect her to attach herself to my knee and not leave my side until bedtime. She is rarely away from me and does not take the separation lightly.

Matt and I had a great time too - the hotel was on the outskirts of the city, and our room overlooked a beatiful lake with mountains on the far side. I woke up the first morning to the sound of geese - it took me by surprise, I couldn't even figure out what the noise was for the first few minutes! As city/apartment dwellers, the first thing I hear in the morning (other than the alarm) is usually the people upstairs moving around, a motorcycle driving past our apartment, or whatever..... city noises.

The closest thing I've heard to 'wildlife' in the past few months was the rooster that our neighbors bought to fatten up for the New Year festival. He crowed. Loudly. Early. A lot. But they killed him last week! I am not sure who was more thankful for the dead rooster - the feasting family across the way, or me and my ears at 5:45 each morning! Anyways, all that to say, geese honking as they fly across a lake is much more my idea of "happy wildlife noises to wake to".

Only one more day in the year of the mouse (rat). Once the girls wake we're going for a walk around town - this is a BIG celebration and the fireworks are already being lit, even though New Years Eve isn't until tomorrow. Maybe I'll take the camera....