Picture Bits

 You guyssssss, the weather & these early fall days are lovely. Just lovely. And being on vacation makes it even better. I spent the day walking around Qingdao, enjoying the sun & cool  breeze with friends and their babies, and now I am spending the evening relaxing at the 'Bucks, (that's what the regs' call it)  next to the hubbs, blogging to you and I'm so thankful for these days lately. I have to remember to cherish them & all that fills them. I want to cherish not only these vacation days, where it's easy, but the busy, work ones, too, though. Because really, if I open my eyes with a thankful heart, the non-vacation days aren't so mundane but also full of beauty and full of moments where I can be & enjoy & praise. I want to catch that beauty, to savor it and to praise God. Having vacations are necessary, though, aren't they? It's these slow days where we really get to reflect & remember to go slow and savor this gift called life. So that's what I'm doing tonight. And it's good. And I'm grateful.

And now, on to a picture overload. In case you didn't get enough randomness Monday, I have some more for you today. 

The view out our apartment window. A huge apartment complex under construction, rundown former village homes and some kind of rock yard. Not so lovely. But it's ours. :)

The natural thing do when you see pumes of smoke ahead is to keep driving towards it, naturally. Thankfully it ended up being nothing except sea fog. That's insane, right?

Amber with baby girl, Violet, and a sun umbrella. Love, love, love these two.

Salad bar and Swedish food at a new buffet restaurant in Qingdao, Swedish House.

Check out that creeper. He's actually having a conversation with someone and not being creepy. I guess I was the creeper taking pictures of him.

Zachary's student, Ji, pronounced Gee, like "What up, G?!"

Linda and Jenny, two of my students. Linda is now in Canada! Which means she can read my blog! "Heyyyyy Linda, heyyyyy!"

Chillaxing, relaxing, playin' bbal after school. Or in this case, chilling out, people watching, after work.

Who's that handsome guy in that red taxi? Hollllllllllla.

Jason, Linda and Jenny looking like a bunch of models.

Just a lot of cuteness going on here.

Dinner at a friends house, prepared by her team of Aunts. These ladies worked so hard to prepare dinner for 20+ people. They were pros. We were the guests of honor, so we sat at the bar with the head of the house and his family.

Their pet grasshopper. He chirped and chirped all night.

Taking pictures without little sister is not a good idea. She loudly let us all know what she thought of not being apart of this family pic!

Diana, who now lives in Canada for highschool. Which means she can read this now, too! Hey Diana, heeey!

Diana and her beautiful cousins.

Diana and her family. Everyone came into town to wish Diana a happy life and time in Canada!

Ocean views.

Mint cocktails and mint lattes. Amazzzzing. Get to your local restaurant and demand one of these two.

Kitchy stuffed animals hanging from car windows, rear view mirrors or lined in windowsills are all the rave here and not considered kitchy at all but instead super cute and normal for male or female. As a side note, I want one of these BYD cars! BYD is one of the cheaper car brands available in China. Cars are heckar expensive here so naturally I want this one, because it's cheap! I've heard jokes though that the BY stands  for "Build-your-own" because apparently they always breaks down. But whatevs' atleast I'd have a car!

I better go, this green tea latte ain't gonna drink itself. :) Readers, savor life today and know you're loved.