Shanghai

I just got back from a girls' weekend in Shanghai. My friend Kylie and I jumped at the chance to visit our friend Courtney (who is having her baby in Shanghai). Courtney lived in Shanghai for two years and even being nine months pregnant didn't slow her down, she was an awesome tour guide. Kylie and I had a great time....lots of shopping, eating delicious food and sightseeing. We walked along the Bund one evening, visited the Yuyuan gardens (my favorite) and went up the Pearl tower. It was fun for both of us rookie travelers to take numberous modes of public transportation... taxis, the subway and the Maglav which traveled 428 kilometers per hour! I can't wait to go back to Shanghai with Damon for a romantic weekend.

Yuyuan Garden
The Bund, the Pearl Tower

Okinawa

This is the well that my grandmother would get water from every day when she was a girl. It was the only fresh water in the village of Kin. Visiting this with my Dad is a day I will never forget.




























In Japan the grave sites are for families, not individuals. We visited the family tombs for my great grandparents.






























Okinawa Beaches are beautiful, it wasn't warm enough to lay in the sun, but the kids loved the sand and it was warmer than the Oregon Coast!

Beijing

My parents came to China for a three week visit. It was SO great to have them here and see Beijing with them. We had five days in Beijing together. Nicole's teacher Ms. Adams and her daughter Grace joined us for the trip. Damon didn't get to join us for this trip, but we'll be back to Bejing again soon. It was only an hour flight from Dalian.

We had a fabulous time seeing the sites, shopping at a bookstore (books in English! YEAH!) and eating at The Outback Steakhouse. It was an unforgettable trip with fantastic weather. We had blue skies and clean air because of the wind that came through.

The Temple of Heaven











The Summer Palace





















The Great Wall at Mutianyu pass was even more spectacular than I had imagined. We got a ride up the hill/mountain on a chair lift, and the moment we stepped off and turned the corner was amazing. It was one of the moments where I felt struck with awe. Everywhere you turned was beautiful. I stood at times imagining the hours, days, months and years of labor it took to put together this enormous project.