Paper bbbboat races.....

We are going to be on TV....

We had a film crew at our house today....with Chad being the Franklin Graham Festival Director here in Taipei a Christian channel found out about our family, mostly how our family was put together and is interested in doing a piece on us.....'GoodTV' along with teaching English and other various outreach type programs has a personal interest sort of program..... It was a little stressful trying to act 'normal' with cameras in our faces but overall I think it went well....we read, painted and played at the park. Chad and I will go in for the formal interview with an anchor on October 16th.

I dislike being in the limelight so would normally wish these sort of opportunities away but if our story inspires even one Taiwanese family to act counter-culture and adopt then it is well worth it! Chad and I still marvel at our patchwork family...the kids love to point out where they are from on the map.....what international treasures we have!

BBBakery...

So it's 'b' week in the Hammond household and our field trip today was a bakery at the new SOGO Department store....well the 'bakery' ended up being a dumpling shop but at least we got to see something being made....and my friend Anna came with us....daring soul that she is....she may never go anywhere with us again, but today was fun. Tilly (Anna's little one) is a few months younger than Lili and boy are they cute!

Water Park....need I say more?

Prayer walking...

Chad and I took Nykolas to a prayer rally/walk at a church near the venue of the Festival to be held at the end of October. So thrilled to see our little ones involved in what God is doing all over the world. We specifically prayed as we walked around the venue that the children who have never heard about Jesus will truly understand when they are introduced to him at the Festival.

Some People I Know...

Some people I know like to chatter,

While others speak hardly a word;

some think there is nothing the matter

with being completely absurd;

some are impossibly serious,

while others are absolute fun;

some are reserved and mysterious,

while other shine bright as the sun.

Some people I know appear sour,

but many seem pleasant and sweet;

some have the grace of a flower,

while others trip over their feet;

some are still as a steeple,

while some need to fidget and fuss;

yet every last one of these people

is somehow exactly like us.

Loving my new Random House Book of Poetry for Children!

Chinese class at Catrina's house on Monday nights!

Yes that's a tiara she is wearing....I mean everyone needs one at the playground!

Revisiting old haunts with old friends....ok they're not so old....

This week is sponsored by the letter "A"....yes home school has begun....oh help! I feel totally overwhelmed with all the knowledge I want to impart to my little people...and utterly under qualified to be disseminating that knowledge. So far they have been responding very well and love school. Let's see if I can keep their attention.

Our favorite "happy" guard...loves the kids and never stops smiling....

A date with my Mia...

One afternoon with Nykolas and Lili

napping (Mia had already had hers...) my little girl and I headed off for a 'date'. None of my children get too much one on one time with mommy so this was really special to us. As she stirred and sipped her hot chocolate on a rainy Taipei day she kept saying "this is my best date ever!" ....after coffee/hot chocolate we browsed our Lai Lai bookshop for some new favorites.

Our Joy Joy...

Joy traveled with me on our journey home to help out with the kids and stayed almost a week! What a friend.

saying goodbye.....to our dearest....