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away

Both my girls are snoozing and seeing that I had a lovely cup of coffee over lunch with Madeleine and Lilian, I am not.

We ate lunch at Peter's Tex-Mex which is conveniently located near our current apartment. It takes about 20 minutes to walk there while pushing a stroller and walking at a toddler's pace. So, not bad at all...especially if you realize how long it can take to get anywhere at a toddler's pace. Look at a rock, get to the stick stuck behind the bush, rub a hand across the side of each parked car, watch your reflection in the window of every shop, stop the stroller to make sure Lilian is still there every so often...

We're in Chengdu. This is our second apartment to stay in since we got here. We've stopped telling Madeleine we're going "home" we call it "Nana and Gramp's house" or "Dave and Fan Fan's house". So "home" can still be our apartment in Xi'an. This is the 3rd city Lilian has lived in since she was born on June 19 and her fourth apartment. Not bad for such a little kid.

I have felt both of the recent after shocks here in Chengdu. There are hundreds that occur everyday but most aren't felt, especially as far south as Chengdu. I don't like after shocks. They are shocking and make my heart race and so I don't like it. I can't imagine how the folks must feel up in the areas that were really hit hard when they feel the earth moving under them again.

Phil left this morning for another trip. He'll be finishing up an English camp that started on Tuesday. He'll be gone several nights. We miss him. But, man, I am proud of my husband. What lucky gals we are to have such a great man in our lives.

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