Two posts in under a month...must be a new record for us. But a lot has happened since we returned from Australia. First was Madeleine's fifth birthday. She had two parties - one for family on her actual birthday and the second for her friends on Saturday. Here she is finding the clues that led to her presents.
The electricity was off on the morning of her birthday so gifts were opened by candlelight.
We got back from Australia on November 9 and Maddie's birthday is the 10th, so Russ and Patsy stuck around an extra day to help celebrate. The office staff came over for dumplings for lunch.
Maddie's cake was a bunch of cupcakes arranged into an M. She helped ice them herself.
Lilian so rarely falls asleep outside of her bed that this was a photo-worthy occasion.
Putting together a Lego stable.
Maddie and friends all dressed up as princesses.
The kids made their own pizzas for dinner.
The cake was Rice Krispie Treats
Lily fits perfectly in this box. Now we know for those times when she's making us wish we could mail her to another continent.
Madeleine is learning to read and write.
The girls play something...train, maybe?
Our friend Stan came to give lectures on ecotourism to a couple local universities and the department of forestry. It was great to have him visit, and for Thanksgiving too!
An ancient city, Luodai, has been turned into a big tourist trap. But it's fun, and if you want to eat roasted scorpion and centipede you can get them there. The next several pictures are all from our trip to Luodai with Stan.
Stan's eating candied hawthorn (or maybe strawberries or something else entirely) wrapped in rice paper.
Lilian has started sleeping in a big girl bed. She's done very well with it. It's actually our futon.
The apprentice baker helps make pie crust.
The children laborers slave in the kitchen preparing yeast rolls for the Thanksgiving feast.
Salmon cream cheese spread with a smorgasbord of crackers.
Kids put on a Thanksgiving play.
Nearly time to eat. We had about 15 people in the house for Thanksgiving dinner.
Drumstick!
Madeleine and her friend Katelynn had a sleepover on Thanksgiving night.
A Christmas bazaar at one of the international schools in town. Maddie plays the drum.
Packed.
Leftover pumpkin pie!
Getting Christmas decorations out.
Not quite as fun as tramping out to cut your own tree, but Maddie doesn't know the difference.
We drove out to a forest park with Stan. We ate lunch on the way.
We didn't know it when we decided to go, but in August the area experienced a lot of mudslides and rockslides.
Whole first floors of buildings were inundated. They dug out the stairwell of this place and it looks like people are still living in some of the apartments above the ground floor.
Bridges and the road were washed out and covered over.
But we still enjoyed the hike. Destruction of the tourist infrastructure meant that we were alone.
Phil predicted these goats before we ever saw or heard them.
Where the road used to be.
Madeleine LOVES to hike.
Peanut time.
Madeleine the stop sign.
Feeding the squirrels.
The new track and a glimpse of the old road.
The remains of a car.
A view of another valley (not the one we were hiking in) that shows the extent of the mudslides.
Dinner with Stan at our favorite dumpling restaurant.
Our daughter the walrus.
Sillian.
Putting the day's ornament on the Jesse Tree.
Julie and Madeleine took a three-day trip to Hong Kong for a couple meetings.
The hotel had an indoor pool! Swimming cap rental was included with the price of the room.
Star Ferry. One of the most fun, most affordable public transportation experiences in the world.
Back in Chengdu, they're building a new wing on the hospital. It dwarfs the old hospital, which is to the right behind the water tower. It blocks our view of the nice glass and steel building, but it's hard to be annoyed at a new hospital.
The end!
The electricity was off on the morning of her birthday so gifts were opened by candlelight.
We got back from Australia on November 9 and Maddie's birthday is the 10th, so Russ and Patsy stuck around an extra day to help celebrate. The office staff came over for dumplings for lunch.
Maddie's cake was a bunch of cupcakes arranged into an M. She helped ice them herself.
Lilian so rarely falls asleep outside of her bed that this was a photo-worthy occasion.
Putting together a Lego stable.
Maddie and friends all dressed up as princesses.
The kids made their own pizzas for dinner. 
The cake was Rice Krispie Treats
Lily fits perfectly in this box. Now we know for those times when she's making us wish we could mail her to another continent.
Madeleine is learning to read and write.
The girls play something...train, maybe?
Our friend Stan came to give lectures on ecotourism to a couple local universities and the department of forestry. It was great to have him visit, and for Thanksgiving too! 
An ancient city, Luodai, has been turned into a big tourist trap. But it's fun, and if you want to eat roasted scorpion and centipede you can get them there. The next several pictures are all from our trip to Luodai with Stan.
Stan's eating candied hawthorn (or maybe strawberries or something else entirely) wrapped in rice paper.
Lilian has started sleeping in a big girl bed. She's done very well with it. It's actually our futon.
The apprentice baker helps make pie crust.
The children laborers slave in the kitchen preparing yeast rolls for the Thanksgiving feast.
Salmon cream cheese spread with a smorgasbord of crackers.
Kids put on a Thanksgiving play.
Nearly time to eat. We had about 15 people in the house for Thanksgiving dinner.
Drumstick!
Madeleine and her friend Katelynn had a sleepover on Thanksgiving night.
A Christmas bazaar at one of the international schools in town. Maddie plays the drum.
Packed.
Leftover pumpkin pie!
Getting Christmas decorations out.
Not quite as fun as tramping out to cut your own tree, but Maddie doesn't know the difference.
We drove out to a forest park with Stan. We ate lunch on the way.
We didn't know it when we decided to go, but in August the area experienced a lot of mudslides and rockslides.
Whole first floors of buildings were inundated. They dug out the stairwell of this place and it looks like people are still living in some of the apartments above the ground floor.
Bridges and the road were washed out and covered over.
But we still enjoyed the hike. Destruction of the tourist infrastructure meant that we were alone.
Phil predicted these goats before we ever saw or heard them. 
Where the road used to be.
Madeleine LOVES to hike.
Peanut time.
Madeleine the stop sign.
Feeding the squirrels.
The new track and a glimpse of the old road.
The remains of a car.
A view of another valley (not the one we were hiking in) that shows the extent of the mudslides.
Dinner with Stan at our favorite dumpling restaurant.
Our daughter the walrus.
Sillian.
Putting the day's ornament on the Jesse Tree.
Julie and Madeleine took a three-day trip to Hong Kong for a couple meetings.
The hotel had an indoor pool! Swimming cap rental was included with the price of the room.
Star Ferry. One of the most fun, most affordable public transportation experiences in the world.
Back in Chengdu, they're building a new wing on the hospital. It dwarfs the old hospital, which is to the right behind the water tower. It blocks our view of the nice glass and steel building, but it's hard to be annoyed at a new hospital. 
The end!
