Our China Adventure!

We are back from China!  Because we have Google Phones, China did not like that or our VPINs one bite...so we were not able to post pics or anything for that matter, while we were in China.  But we returned late last night after 12 days, and are exhausted!  But we had the most wonderful time!  We traveled with the Hixon Family, whom we met 12 years ago when we adopted, and have been friends and stayed in touch ever since we met.  So we thought this was the best year to go!  The girls are 13, and Jesse will soon be off to college, so off we went!  We traveled to 5 different provinces...Beijing, Xian, Changsha, Guilin, and Shanghai.  We were treated with the upmost respect the entire time and everyone kept calling the girls "luck girls".  That made us all happy.  We had wonderful guides every step of the way!  The food was something, but we all made do and did the best we could!!

I'm not even sure what the building was, but so pretty and represented the style of so many of the buildings we visited....

The first full day was spent at the Great Wall of China!  We walked from station 14 to station 6 and just loved every second of it! 

John, Lance, and Jesse starting to tire I think!

This is how we recharged our batteries in between stops!

Our guide Kai did a fantastic job in Beijing with us and here were are at Tianamin Square  

All over China are street vendors..and some of these vendors are Michellin starred.  Amazing food at some of them....and of course lots of wierd meats on sticks!  Here is claire with a delicacy called Dragons Breath!

The terracotta warriors in Xian did not disappoint....they are still unearthing warriors today!

 Enjoying a Tang Dynasty Dance and Dumpling Dinner...we discovered we all love Dumplings!!

 We traveled to a new province almost every 2nd or 3rd day...this is how I lived ...out of my bags!

Elephant Trunk Hill in Guilin....We were surrounded by mountains the entire trip!

Jesse learning how to pick tea leaves and make tea at the Guilin Tea Farm....and tea was bought!!!

View from our hotel room in Guilin!

We took a daycruise of the mountains in Guilin and boy was that the most beautiful thing we have seen.......

Shanghai as seen from The Bund!  It puts the NYC skyline to shame.....buildings in all directions as far as the eyes can see!!!

We went to a few temples along the way during our trip and boy do they love their Budda!  But they are beautiful to see and smell of fruit and incense!

The Nighttime Shanghai skyline as seen from our nighttime cruise!

Shanghai has the most beutiful flowers and landscaping I have ever seen.  Flowers and plants are literally everywhere!!! My happy place!!

And yes we went to the top of this......Lance did not like it to say the least....

Yes that is a glass floor 100 floors up!  And no Lance is nowhere near it!

Mary Grace and Claire had a blast all trip long!!!

A typical garden in Shanghai

A gondola ride in Tongli Water Town outside of Shanghai....like  Venice in Chine!

It's popular now for teen girls to dress in their cultural costumes for pictures apparently...so pretty!

OUr view nightly from the restaurant in Shanghai!

And yes I did shop and get the hang of  the bartering thing...just as Lance cut me off!!!

So blessed to have gone on this trip of a lifetime and so glad we arrived to and from each place safely.  So blessed and grateful for Lance for providing this trip for us!  We love you Lance!!!!

She Does It Again!!!

Claire wanted to fit in one more tournament before we leave for China on Wednesday, so we took a break from packing to play in Mississippi at Plantation and she came in second.  She wasn't happy with how she played, but she took the silver, and we are happy for her!!!  Go Claire Go!!

Another Birthday.....

So today is my 46th Birthday...I don't feel it, and I am blessed all around.  Dinner at a wonderful place, and lots of golf.  Claire is getting in as much as she can because we leave in a few day for our Big China Adventure!  Claire placed 3rd twice this week and today on TPC Southwind!  That is the hardest course around, and we are proud of her for not giving up..... off to Starkville tomorrow for Jesse's college orientation...Lord give me strength !  Lots of posts coming up soon!

Go Claire Go...again!

Well, is was a horrible rainy day today at the Drive, Chip, & Putt Competition today at Mirimichi,  and little Claire absolutely turned it on and won 1st Place overall! She won by 40 points!  She would have won even if she had competed in the 14-15 year old division!  So proud of her and all her efforts at golf this past year....she is truly proving herself.  She now will compete in College Park, TN in July at the next round! She placed 1st in Chipping, 1st in Putting, and tied for 1st in Drives. So proud!

She did it again!

Today Claire played in the SNEDS tourney at Cherokee Valley in Olive Branch, MS and came in 2nd!  Her age group is 12-18, so we are so proud of her for battling it out the entire time!  Go Claire Go!!

Go Claire Go!

We are so proud of Claire today for a 1st place finish in her first SNEDS tour event of the summer!!  Glen Eagle on the Navy Base is a challenging course, and she battled through it!  Go Claire Go!!

And her classmate and good friend Tanier placed 2nd! Go girls!!

Top 3 finishers!

May continues on!!

Well, our 23rd Wedding Anniversary was in April, but we have been slammed and were finally able to do it this weekend!  Thank you Lance for being the most amazing husband and provider anyone could ever ask for!! I love you!!

And little Ms Claire had her last day of school Friday!  Straight A's no less!  She worked her tail off this year and we are so very proud of her!!

I finished my final duty as my 3rd year as PTO President by giving out the 2nd Annual Chris Woods Living Life Scholarship.  I was humbled to help start this scholarship and work with the Woods Family throughout the arduous process.....A great note to retire on!  Lots coming up soon!!!