It's nice to be home!

So we are back from China.

It seems that the past month went by so fast that it was a blur for me. I took Kai to China, and just when his schedule stabilized Justin and the fam came, we toured around(without Kai), got Kai back with us, came home, jet-lagged for a few days, then Halloween came, then all of a sudden I'm looking at the calender saying November. The thought of 2009 will soon come to an end makes me shudder a little bit. Wow this year went by fast.

So I'll back up just a little bit.

I was saying in my last post how I was dreading taking Kai by myself to China. It turned out that he was a FANTASTIC baby on the flight. He slept and ate (even yucky plane food!) and played, was greatly entertained by two older ladies that were sitting by us (I'm so grateful for them. It would have been a lot harder without their help).

So Kai slept for only the first 3 hours on our long stretch of flight, and stayed up almost the whole rest of the way until the last half an hour of our last flight. I guess it was his way of getting over jet-lag---stay up with the sun. Though he was being good, he still refused to be held by anybody but me, so my shoulders had HUGE knots after the plane trip...

After we finally got home, because he'd fallen asleep on the car-ride, he had a little freak-out moment of about 15 minutes, where he just cried and clung onto me. I ran out of ideas quickly (running on a straight 24 hours with no sleep tend to do that to you...) and just decided to put him in a bath. Good job mom for getting the little plastic blow-up pool for Kai to take baths in---Chinese households generally don't have bath tubs. Kai calmed down right away, and ate a little dinner with smiles on his face. We went to bed that night at around 10:00 PM, and he amazingly slept until 5:30 AM the next day.

Over the next two weeks I mostly hung out at home with him and my parents, trying to get him down to a good schedule and to make sure that he gets familiar with the new environment. He loved anything and everything my Mom made, and would climb onto his high chair to wait to be fed when he felt hungry---it was pretty darn cute. I was worried that he'd get sick in China because the environment is so different, and frankly it is just not as clean, but he was a trooper and didn't even have a runny nose during the whole month that he was there. I snuck in a couple of shopping trips in there but it's just not as fun without Justin around (I know, I actually really like shopping with him, weird huh?)

So then Justin came with Jared, Shannon, Tara and John to meet me in Beijing. It was good to see Justin again after two long weeks. They were all exhausted from the trip and unfortunately my plane to Beijing was late, so they had to sit in a cafe in the airport waiting for me for an hour and half... poor guys. Most of the following days were fun , for me mainly because I'm busy playing the slave-driver herding everybody to do all the things we've (I've) packed into the short schedule.

The funniest thing that happened on the trip was the first dinner we had in China. After we got to the hotel from the airport, everyone was famished and we set out to hunt. After walking past some street vendors selling squid tentacles and restaurants with steaming hot-pots, I decided that a little crowded dumpling restaurant would best suite our various taste-buds (and stomach-strengths--I didn't want anyone to get sick from street vendor food right away). So we walked in and sat down---this whole place had maybe 10 tables and we had to sit smack in the middle... people were gawking all around us. I was starting to feel like a traitor hanging out with a bunch of white people... I had to just press on and order food and hope that people would stop staring.

Food came, everything turned out to be good---Shannon especially enjoyed the cucumbers since that's the only thing she can really eat (poor girl... China sure is an adventurous food world). Just when we were finishing up, a group of local Chinese guys came in and sat at the table behind us. One of them watched us (Justin and the others, not me really) eat and was impressed with their chopsticks skills, and was cracking jokes in Chinese. I translated, and everyone laughed. Just when we stood up to leave, those Chinese guys came to shake everyones' hand and wish us a good trip in China.

The farewell scene got carried away and someone handed Jared a cup of Chinese alcohol. He took a sip and all those guys cheered, and they laughed and clapped for him to keep going---and being Jared, he did (it was a good 3 oz. of 100 proof alcohol... the kind that smell and taste more like a rubbing alcohol than a drink). We left the restaurant, and within three minutes Jared's face was already red. He commented on how strong that drink was, and clutched his stomach:'I think my ulcer is acting up.' Shannon looked at him like he was crazy: 'What are you talking about? You don't have an ulcer.' He said,'I'm starting to get one though.' And then soon after that, he said something, and giggled out loud. So we decided that it was gonna be a great trip because Jared got sloshed within the first 4 hours of being in China.

Well it's getting late and I really should be getting to bed. I guess the rest of the China stories would have to wait (I couldn't have finished all of them in one post anyway) and there'll be pictures to come.


So... until next time!

Quick update & Pics

Well, I guess it is high time I contributed to this thing ;) So before I break out my favorite pics from the past few months, I'll mention a few things. We've gotten quite settled here in Portland. We're still loving our house, (Kai especially) and I'm really enjoying my work for Intel. Mostly we've been consumed with excitement for our trip to China!!! (sorry, it just eeked out again) Right now I'm sitting at home, alone, very sad because Yuan and Kai are already in China. Life seems quite empty home alone, and my video chats with them just doesn't seem to cut it. I've been studying Chinese again to polish up on my reading skills. Kai isn't really doing anything else new. He's got a few words down (mostly Chinese), and has also now mastered "No!" As Yuan mentioned, we had some great recent trips, one down to Ashland, and another out to Boise.


I think this next picture may have been the one that finally made me decide his hair HAD to be cut. That, and the 70's called, and said they wanted their 'do' back.

Poor Kai, losing his hair...

But he soon forgot his missing hair as he dug into this sucker, I mean he really went to town!

How smug does he look here...too cute : )

Somehow he managed to get himself stuck while Yuan we changing the garbage liner...and then he had to wait until mommy got the camera. He was downright irate by the time we actually got him out, but come, this is hilarious right?

Go BYU!!! Kai has actually learned that we want him to smile for the camera, but unfortunately has inherited the Mitchell inability to smile on command.

Oh, I just had to put these two on here...ooo woo! so HOT!

I mean seriously, you can't help but smile back!!

going back

It's been months again... oh well. I'm not even gonna say anything anymore.
Quick update... We went to Ashland for a get-together with Justin's family, and all the babies were able to see each other, which of course was super ultra cute. But the dark side is that Kai scratched Ethan's face and got a bite from Ethan on the arm in return. The boys experienced toys being taken and time outs... I don't know if they enjoyed the get-together as much as the adults did.
During labor day weekend we packed up and went to bother Justin's uncle Glen again (the last time was two years ago). Uncle Glen took us boating and fishing and it was all great fun.
So now the time has come again for me to go visit China. I'm leaving tomorrow early morning and taking Kai with me... Justin will follow with the rest of the troop two weeks later. Yay for family China trip.
Though before I can enjoy time with my family and friends in China, there's the obstacle of taking Kai BY MYSELF on the plane... I must be crazy. Every time I think about the 24 hours that's between leaving our home and getting to my parents house I break out in a cold sweat. I must be crazy. But there also has been numerous examples of fellow Chinese moms doing the exact same thing and sometimes with two or three kids... I can only say that they must be crazy too. The good part is my doctor was being ultra nice and understanding, and told me that I can indeed give Kai benedryl when the time comes... oh how I love my doctor. (I was gonna do it anyway, but it just feels much better with doctor's approval) I know, I'm a horrible mom...
So I will try to update the blog once or twice while we are in China, keep an eye out for it. (And remember that between Justin and I, I'm always the more responsible one)

New pictures!

I hate the blogspot 'posting' features... the pictures jump all over the place, and the copy and paste doesn't work with pictures... ugh!!

So anyway...

We thought it'd be time to post some new pictures.

Kai got a hair cut. After being complimented by strangers how cute of a girl he is, we thought it was time. So though I was super sad to see his curls go, I do see Justin's point of him establishing his identity in this world as a boy :)

Kai can climb onto the chair all by himself now, and he can eat at the table like a big boy. He loves it :) (though I still put him in the high chair most of the time)




Our house-warming party: Justin's work friends came, and Kai likes to be in the middle of the action.

Kai and Owen. They are just so cute...

And Even more pics!

Some Pics!

so we have a house :)

I won't even apologize for our slacker-ness anymore. It's really Justin's fault, not mine. He's supposed to be in charge of this blog!!



So to those that didn't know, we've finally moved to Oregon at the beginning of May, after Justin has successfully completed ALL of the classes required for graduation. Yay for Justin. I was pretty proud of him for finishing an online biology class in 36 hours (sleeping time included!) and got a pretty good grade in it too.

After we moved here we stayed at Jami's house for 4 weeks, I think Jami was happy when we finally moved out :))) It was really fun for us, and I think Kai missed seeing his cousins everyday after we moved out.

However, we did find a house that we absolutely fell in love with that had everything we'd wanted and then some. It was only the 9th or 10th house we saw, and we almost didn't give it a chance because the photos posted online were not impressive(to say the least). But I (the smarter one) saw potential from those photos, and our realtor took us to see it. And the rest is history. The offer went through, the loan got approved fast and at an incredibly low rate, house inspection was great, we closed on the house within 25 days of putting in the offer. We really believed it was meant to be.

So the house is 2300 sqft, 4 bdrms and a bonus room, great room and dinning room, tandem 3-car garage, on a little lot of 0.12 acres... so plenty of room for now if anyone wants to come and visit!! ;) Especially now we've painted over the ugly burnt-orange and moss green that used to be downstairs, hopefully it'll be a little more pleasing to the eyes of our guests.

That's really it for now... we are trying to save up for many things at once to beautify our house... but doing so at a very slow rate so our house might seem empty for a while... but it's ok :) we are just happy to have a house.

Ummm so it's been 3 months...

It makes me feel better when I look at the list of our friends' blogs and realize that we are not the only ones not updating in a timely fashion.

So it's been three months since we've updated our blog... can you tell it's been a busy time for us? The funny thing is though, there's really not much to be listed despite how busy we've been.

Here's the update.

*Kai at 8 months.

In Janurary we were all very upset that there was still a whole semester ahead of us, and because of the cold and snowy weather it seemed even more depressing than it really was. Late Janurary Kai had his first real sickness--the stomach flu. Thankfully it only lasted for a couple of days, and he was so good---not fussy, not whiny,happy as ever--such a little trooper!

*Seconds after this picture was taken, we had an accident in the tub...

In Febuary Justin and I had our four-and-half-year anniversary on Valentine's day... which to celebrate we made yummy dinner at Sheryl and Dave's place, and played our new favorite game--Pirates Cove--afterwards. Then three days after that, on Febuary 17th, Kai started walking (on his own, not holding onto anything), at which time he was 9-months-and-a-week old.


In March we made a trip to Monterey California, and for the first time since our marriage had all of Justin's siblings, their significant other and babies all under the same roof. It was so fun! Kai was able to meet his littliest cousin Owen for the first time, and Ethan, Henry, Kai and Owen (all born within the same year) were so cute together... they became instant friends :)
*All the grandbabies...

Now that we are in April, the end is finally in sight! Justin will be done with school and attend graduation this month, and we'll be packing up and moving to Oregon.

In case we get busy and forget to update in May, here are some anticipated events:

Justin starts working on May 4th.

Kai will turn one on May 9th.

We will be looking at houses/apartments, and hopefully have one under our name by the end of May.

Christmas Vacation and Family Pics

Family Pics!!

Yuan and I recently (okay it was November!) took family pictures and thought we should share.

also if you want to see more, they're posted at http://akstudio.typepad.com/photos/mitchell_family/

As for a quick update:  I'm finally done with the semester from hell! YAY!  I really enjoyed all of my classes...I was just way too busy.  Hopefully next semester should be much better, though still challenging.  I have 12 credits of engineering classes, and 6 other easy credits.  We're still on track to head back to Oregon in May, which we are both very excited about.  

We had a fantastic break.  Jared, Shannon, and Henry visited us in the beginning of December, and then Tara, John, and Ethan visited for two weeks at the end!  It's been great.  We went to a nearby public pool with the babies and loved it.  Here are some great pics (too bad we didn't have the underwater camera when Jared, Shannon, Henry came)