Sunday, May
10, 2009
BEST MOTHER'S DAY EVER!!!!
Ok, so today I got to walk on the
Great Wall with my husband, my daughter and my son – I don’t
think any words can describe how unforgettable, incredible,
unsurpassable that makes today! I could bore you with 40
different photos of the Great Wall of China , but I won’t
(mostly thanks to the good sense of Joe and Jennifer and their
limitations for these daily postings…so thank them).
What can I say? I see why they call it the GREAT Wall – it’s
huge, it’s breathtaking, it took over 2000 years to build….. and
it’s still standing….I’d say that covers the extent of what I
can possibly convey.
What I can add is this – we had the good fortune to have Mrs.
Suun’s daughter, Linda, with us today since its Sunday, and that
proved to be great fun for Emma and Ethan, as they sang 52
verses of Old MacDonald (amidst wild laughter) in the backseat
much to the aggravation of their parents and Veronica.
During our visit to the Wall, Ethan proved himself to be
incredibly resilient, independent, and determined. He made sure
we let him walk the Wall all by himself – including some very
steep stairs that in many cases were as high as his middle
thigh! But he did it, and he refused help – so much for his
heart condition…….
We also went to two amazing factories (and associated stores) –
the jade factory and the cloisonné factory. So guess who got
some pretty cool Mother’s Day gifts???
There is a Chinese tradition where women pass down jade
bracelets from mother to daughter (or daughter-in-law)
generation to generation. Almost every woman we’ve met so far
has a bracelet from her grandmother or great grandmother. Today
I got a gorgeous jade (jadeite) bangle (the most traditional)
with hues of pale purple and green – I love it. Emma is also
getting a child’s version of jade beads in a bracelet – but she
doesn’t know it yet – she will see it tomorrow when we celebrate
her birthday before Gregg leaves. At the cloisonné factory we
also bought a beautiful vase with blues and oranges and reds and
greens, plus a couple of ornaments for the kids. It was
wonderful.
Tonight we ended our best adventure yet with an acrobatic show.
The kids fell fast asleep towards the end, which made getting
home interesting, but it was a great way to end the day.
Emma will share more tomorrow, since she is cuddled up in bed as
I type.
Everyone have a fantastic Mother’s Day – we are sending all our
love and hope you have as happy a day as we have had.
Lots of love, Dawn, Gregg, Emma and Ethan |
Family shot at the Great Wall
The Great Wall is a phenomenal place
Dawn and all the kids
Gregg and Ethan enjoying the view |
