Our Adventure to Lamma Island

So one reason I enjoy living in HK is that there are several random holidays scattered around the calendar.  During this last week, we have had two of them.  Last Thursday we had Labor Day, and yesterday (Tuesday) we had Buddha's Birthday.  I'm not a follower of Buddha, but I appreciate his birthday:) Now, it is odd to me that these days are pushed to extend a weekend...I feel like that is done often where we are from in the US. But, I will not complain, and it has actually been nice to break up the week...even though I am totally confused what day it is when we are back into our normal routine.

Last Thursday we joined friends from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand to explore and hike Lamma Island...a 30 minute ferry from Hong Kong. It had been on our list to do, and we thought that even though the weather might not cooperate, we should take the chance and just do it.

Our family caught our shuttle to the MTR station at 7:30am.  We were meeting our friends on the early side so that we could hike before lunch and then take the ferry back from the opposite side of the island. Our family made it to the Central Pier, two minutes late, but well before our 9:00am departure time...and we were not the last ones to meet...miraculous:)

We enjoyed our little ferry ride to the island, then proceeded to "hike".  In this case, hiking is simply following the cement path.  We walked about 30 minutes before stopping at our first destination-the beach.  After about 10 minutes of feeling the water and exploring on the rocks, all the children decided it was worth the effort to change into their bathing suits, or togs.  Unlike our past experience with "beaches," this sand was nice and smooth, and we didn't have any fears of stepping on creatures we could not see. The kids had a blast, swimming, playing in the sand, jumping the little waves that came ashore, and checking out the rocks.  The adults enjoyed the opportunity for nature to entertain our children, as we sat back, relaxed, and soaked in the joy...so much fun! Even Sarah started to enjoy it.  At first she wasn't so sure, but that she just sat in the sand and played.

After about 45 minutes of this fun, it was back on the "road." Kids changed, we had a snack, and then on we went.  The beginning of this leg was steep uphill.  There was some whining, but little compared to what we were asking of little legs.  The view was wonderful.  And to be honest, the weather could not have been better.  The rain had let up, but it was overcast, which probably saved most of us from a mean sunburn.  Also, the children were positive influencers towards each other, which just added to the parent's enjoyment. We finally made it to the top and started our slow descent.  We checked out a cave, smelled the flowers, and made it to our lunch destination by about 12:30pm.  This seafood restaurant was right on the water, and had big enough tables for all 8 adults and Sarah to fit at one table, and all the other 14 children to sit at the other table.  Yes, adventurous, we know!

Finally, the sun came out for a bit, and after picking up popsicles, the kids were able to run around at a playground while the parents enjoyed the peace of a pavilion.  Well, almost all the parents...when you have a curious little 20-month old, there is not much resting:) Then, we took the ferry ride back to HK...passing an enormous ship filled with crates.  It was beautiful to ferry back to see the skyline that we enjoy so much.  And that was our fun random holiday.  Luckily, we were back in plenty of time to get a little HW done and make sure we knew what day it was tomorrow:)

An Easter Gift

We have been rolling along, busy with life, and trying to enjoy the warmer temps without complaining too much about the humidity.  If asked how this winter/spring has gone, I would say it was a blur...but it was defined by our time in the US, supporting our friends.  Since getting back to HK the end of February, life has not stopped.  We landed and we/I hit the ground running...family trip to Guangzhou, running a 10K, guests, trip to Shanghai...all amidst our normal craziness.  So when I was given this gift at Easter, it was exactly what I needed... what my soul longed for...one of the best gifts I could have been given...the gift of solitude.

Two women and I trekked out to the Gold Coast for two nights...Thursday evening through Saturday morning of Holy Week.  One woman was one of my first friends in HK, the other woman was a new friend...but we all shared a desire for some alone time, specifically to be with God. Of course there was lots of talking.  What was supposed to be a 90 minute trip to the hotel turned out to be a five hour evening as we rendevoued, ate dinner, shopped for some breakfast, and had dessert/coffee.  Yes, we took our time, talking the whole way there.  And when we finally arrived shortly after 10pm, the talking didn't stop...but we soaked in the opportunity, got comfortable in our room, shared what our plans were for the following  day, and turned lights out soon after midnight.

What we found the next morning was a delight for my senses.  I am a beach girl...always have been.  And since moving to HK, I've only been to one beach. SO...when we opened the curtains to find water and sand, I was thrilled.  None of us had been there before, so we weren't really sure what we were going to find.  But it was exactly what I needed...a two minute stroll down to the sand.  We had all intentionally woken up on the early side...ready to see what the day had in store for us.  I immediately walked down to find the beach almost empty.  There were a few early swimmers, a couple eager runners, and a few kids playing volleyball, but otherwise I could just focus on what God had placed in front of me.  Now, I sat on a bench under a tent in the sand for about two hours as the beach had gotten increasingly more popular.  The airport is on the other side of the inlet, so I noticed that for the first two hours, the planes were departing HK just in front of me.  Just as I was about to leave, the planes started coming in to HK.  At that moment, these planes gave me a different sense of comfort.  First, these were great big planes filled with hundreds of people.  And yet, they looked so tiny in the sky.  This reminded me how little we are compared to such a big God.  He holds these huge planes in the palm of His hand, and cares/knows about every single person on these planes.  The second comfort these planes gave me was that the next time I am on one, we will be going "home."And as much as I am enjoying Hong Kong, there is great comfort in familiarity.

By the time I walked back up to the room, I had only been bitten by no-see-ems about three times, but the beach was crowded.  After all, it was Good Friday and a public holiday, so I wasn't surprised.  For the rest of the day, I simply enjoyed the quiet and the space I had been given.  It gave me time to pray, to think, to reflect, to read and to listen.  Whether I was inside or outside, I made every moment count...realizing in the midst of it all that I cannot wait so long to do this again!!!

My friends and I reconvened at 6pm, ready to go out to dinner.  We all had thoroughly enjoyed our time, and each of us shared some things we thought about or what we learned.  Of course, we talked most of the evening into the night until we were too tired to talk anymore. And then the next morning we had a leisurely time getting ourselves ready to face our individual realities again.  I know that it was a sacrifice for my family to go without me.  And I am grateful that they love me so much to support me in this time.  But I also know that I am a better wife and mother when I can find these margins in my life...time to reflect, reset, renew, refresh. For years, my husband and I would plan out our "days away,"being sure to take turns a couple times a year for this kind of intentional solitude.  And then all of a sudden, it stopped being a priority...things got in the way.  I am so glad that we were reminded how crucial it is to have this time...time set apart to just be.  It is such a gift:)
PS My husband has his day away in May!

Weekend in Shanghai

My husband and I really try to make a concerted effort to find time alone.  And at least once a year, if not more, we try to get away altogether.  Obviously, this can be challenging with five kiddos.  But God has provided wonderful and supportive friends and family who have helped us in this endeavor.  Last weekend, we were able to give some kid-free time to our dear Aussie friends by watching their four kids...and this weekend it was our turn, as we switched!

We were able to see the kids off to school, then caught a taxi to catch our flight.  I could not believe how relaxing and enjoyable the airport was! We were through in no time, and decided to eat an early lunch.  As we sat at the restaurant I took a deep breath and took it all in.  We were early enough that there were no crowds, and... I looked forward to eating my lunch in peace, conversing with my husband, not worried about anyone else.

Well, they were a bit late bringing us our food, so we were in more of a hurry than we would have liked getting to the gate.  Not stressed, though, since we were not carting around five other people and at least five other pieces of luggage.  No...the stressful part came when we made it to the gate-just in time-only to find out that the gate had been CHANGED! All I could think about as I was sprinting through the airport, looking like one of those crazy people I feel bad for, was we were NOT missing this plane.  Luckily, we got to the gate and they hadn't even started boarding.  I was a sweaty mess...but we were on our way!

One of the reasons we chose Shanghai is because Andy has been traveling there for more than a decade...and loves this city.  He would always come back with great stories and pictures, so when we had the opportunity for me to go with him, he was so excited to share it with me. When we arrived at the hotel, we quickly checked in, then took the 5-10 minute walk to his office so he could check and see that he could get into the office Monday (holiday for China)and so I could meet some co-workers. It was such a beautiful walk, and I immediately took note of green grass and gorgeous flowers.  HK has some flowers...especially out where we live...but I just wanted to soak in the grass...ahhhh.

After our quick trip to the office, we were back at the hotel, changed, and out to eat.  We had taken the recommendation of a friend to go to a restaurant called Lost Heaven.  They make Chinese Yunnan food.  It was amazing!!!!  We ordered too much food, but enjoyed every single dish...thank you, Carly Spiers!!!!

   Then it was off to the The Shanghai World Financial Center. When this opened in 2007 it was the second tallest building in the world, and the tallest in China...standing at 492 meters or 1,614 feet.  Yes, it is tall!!! But, the crazy thing is that it sits across the street from the Jin Mao Tower, which is an 88-story building which at the time was the fifth tallest building...and then on the other side is the Shanghai Tower, which is scheduled to be completed the end of this year.  It will be the second tallest building in the world at over 2,000 meters high and 121 stories high.  Anyway, you get the picture.  Any one of these structures would have taken my breath away...but all three are on the same block!!!

Jin Mao Tower from SWFC

The Peal Tower from SWFC after Jin Mao went dark

Shanghai Tower,  Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center

We closed down SWFC and got the last picture taken.  The next morning was leisurely...with a nice breakfast and then off to the Yu Gardens...a beautiful area of weeping willow trees and old structures from the Ming Dynasty that have been restored.  This area was beautiful, and right in the middle of Shanghai! Then we decided to walk to the Urban Planning Museum.  We did take the "scenic" route, but didn't mind since there was no whining involved:) The Urban Planning Museum is in a beautiful area located near the Shanghai Museum and the People's Court.  We really enjoyed reading about the history of Shanghai from a development standpoint, and had a great time checking out the HUGE model of the city...pretty remarkable.

Met a local who shared some calligraphy with us

Yu Fashion...markets leading up to Gardens

Yu Gardens

A little old with a little new...Shanghai Tower overlooks everything!

Model to scale of Shanghai

Haven't seen this in a long time!

That night we had planned to go out with one of Andy's associates, his wife and his brother, who was visiting from Ireland.  They were on their second expat assignment to Shanghai and we really enjoyed hearing about their experiences and comparing notes.  We started with drinks in the Jin Mao Tower at a bar called Cloud 9...I think we were on the 88th floor?  What a view!!!  We were there for sunset and it was gorgeous.  Then it was off the the other side of the river to the House of Roosevelt...yes, we still love Western food. There, a we were joined by Dutch neighbors, who were relatively new to Shanghai.  We also had a spectacular view of the Shanghai skyline.  Unfortunately, as Andy was suggesting I get the picture, some of the lights went out...at 10 o'clock...this was NOT like HK:)

sunset from Cloud 9

Cloud 9 after sunset

Our view from Roosevelt's

Just missed all the skyline lights!

Our fun crowd:)

Finally, after great company, a great meal, and incredible view...it was time to go back to the hotel.  Especially since I was getting picked up at 5:30am.  And even though I could have stayed longer, I am always ready to get home and see our kids.  One way I know I have changed since this adventure has started is that traveling alone, even in and out of China, doesn't make me anxious.  I had an easy time getting through all the hoops.  I flew through the HK airport, and I was back home by lunchtime...where everyone was still alive:) and having a very good time (thank you, Savy's!!)

A couple things this trip taught me 1.) It is still necessary and fun to go away with my husband 2.) I would like to go back to Shanghai - so much more to see!

Andy's Birthday

Today is my dear husband's birthday.  We celebrated when his parents were here a week ago, we celebrated today with an awesome meal and his second birthday cake, and we are headed on a kid-free weekend to Shanghai on Friday. I have known him for the last 24 of his birthdays, and every year he gets a low-key celebration from me.  Part of the reason I haven't made a big deal is he hasn't liked his birthday.  When he was in elementary school he got sick at school, and he has equated being the center of attention with vomiting in the classroom.  The other reason is that we have five kids...and you only have so much capacity.  The funny thing is that I have always loved my birthday... and he knows it.  He has always made such a big deal of it and makes sure the kids know its an important day, too.

So, even though I don't make a public spectacle of myself in celebrating his birth (a fb announcement doesn't really count), I do love him deeply and think he is an amazing husband and father.  For my purposes of documentation, I wanted to give a few reasons why I feel the way I do:

1) He loves Jesus deeply and does his best to follow Him wherever He leads.

This couldn't be more true in the last two years since we started this adventure.  Even though it wasn't easy, and people thought we were crazy, he faced the doubters, the criticism with steadfast faith. He committed us to praying and solely wanted to come to Hong Kong if that is where we felt the Lord leading our family.  He keeps us focused on the Lord and leads our family with integrity.

2) He's devoted to his wife.

He is the most loyal person that I know, and even when things get hard, he is most often the one who initiates conversation with me so we can get through the hard stuff.  He surprises me with gifts and speaks highly of me in front of our children.  He is not perfect...but he knows that and strives to become a better husband by surrounding himself with strong mentors, reading books, and staying in the Word.

3) He adores his children.

Even though they can be a bit overwhelming, he takes it in stride and seeks to find ways to initiate time and conversation with them.  He has been instrumental in their spiritual growth and development, being the example that they need to look towards.  His work ethic is second to none, but his motivation for this has been his desire to be a witness to his fellow associates and to provide for his family.  His children think he is strong, yet compassionate...and they know he loves them deeply.

I am incredibly blessed to have Andrew Paul Puffenberger as my husband.  We have done a lot of changing since I knew in my heart, over twenty years ago, that we would share our lives together.  But through it all, He has lead us well, pointing us to the Lord with courage and wisdom and strength.  Thank you, Andy, for being you...and for taking me along in this life...love you!

A recent pic of us with some photo bombers:)

One of my favorites with Andy and our crew

A few weeks ago we were blessed with a visit from Andy's parents.  Paul and Linda took a cruise up from Singapore, finishing up their Asian tour with a visit with us in HK.  We had a wonderful time with them, sharing our favorite things, introducing them to friends, touring school, and just enjoying being with them.  The time went too fast, but we were able to sneak in an early birthday celebration for Andy

March Happenings/Guangzhou

We are just over halfway through March and I feel like I am very behind in sharing what we have done.  It has been a bit rough getting back in the swing of things, but we are now firmly in our routine with our sights on the summer:) The weather has finally turned to the humid muggy Hong Kong that we are used to, but I am certainly not complaining...after being on the east coast for only a month and shoveling more snow than I had in MANY years.

Jet lag was as fun as always, and it was joined by a head cold. We took it easy the first weekend back, celebrating Josh's birthday, going to a friend's house for dinner...and then Andy left for Tokyo:) At least we saw each other three full days before he had to leave.

The following Thursday we took the kids out of school early and took a 2 hour train ride north to Guangzhou and stayed in a resort called Chimelong.  This place was amazing.  Andy's associate had been asking us to come and visit for awhile, and even pulled his 10 year old daughter out of school so she could practice her English.  It was perfect for Grace and Emma to practice their Mandarin.

We arrived at the train station around 5:30 in time to get a quick bite to eat, check-in at the hotel, and get to the circus. Yes, a circus.  This show was CRAZY.  I told Andy that some of the entertainers were not paid enough to do what they were doing.  The kids loved it and Sarah almost stayed awake to the end. The next morning, breakfast was next to the white tigers, than off to the resort's amusement park.  Since it was drizzling and a Friday, the park was not nearly as crowded as we were expecting...and we found it to be a very fun park! That night, Andy's associate went back to pick up the rest of his family and joined us for dinner.  We had a wonderful time hearing about cultural differences and watching our girls converse. Finally, the next day was the zoo, which was the best zoo I had ever seen.  We saw some amazing animals pretty up close, fed giraffes, ate lunch next to pandas and handled the crowds and the rain with few complaints.  Then we went into the city of Guangzhou (population...21million) and went to dinner with our hosts and enjoyed one of the tallest buildings in the world-the Canton Tower.  We left the next morning with lots of fun memories of a terrific family bonding experience.

Last week, I had my second tennis match AND my second sub-hour 10 K race.  The tennis matches started this spring when I decided to be a little more serious and practice in match situations.  The 10 K race was fun, even though training was nearly impossible.  It was the first race I was able to run with my running partner, Leslie...and we pushed each other to PR's...and had fun doing it...except maybe the last 2K:)

We also had our wonderful Aussie friend's surprise birthday party and Andy's parents arrived safely yesterday for the week. So it has been a packed March, and it's not even over!!! But I am so thankful to be together as a family and will deal with the schedule as long as we can be together:)

The Canton Tower

Kids playing games on the two hour train ride

There's tall...and then there's a giraffe

Just enjoyed a coaster with our tour guide

Emma and Josh accommodating their mother:)

Abby and Josh had fun, too!

Gifts in the Midst of Grief

Wow...it has been over two months since I have written, so I guess it is about time.  To be honest, it has been a very long two months.  But if I am going to document this journey we are on, I better get going.

Last Wednesday, my two littles and I got home from being back in the States for a month.  It was a very long and exhausting trip, filled with emotional highs and lows.  We went back to support our friends and say goodbye...one of the most painful goodbyes I have ever experienced.

Over 8 years ago, our family crossed paths with the Marlett family.  Our husbands were working for the same company, and we had met here and there at a couple work functions, but it wasn't until we unknowingly bought a house down the street from them that our lives became interwoven...beautifully.
At the time, we both had three children...one boy and two girls, just a different order.  Our children became fast friends and Nicole and I quickly started a routine of walks around the neighborhood and pizza Fridays.  It wasn't a surprise to me when they announced they were expecting baby #4.  And this just reinforced my prior thinking that we should have another baby, too.  So as all of our children are five months younger than the Marlett kiddos, we followed suit.

When Lucy Marlett was born, we were thrilled.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on that child.  She was gorgeous...red hair and blue eyes...different than her siblings.  Her mom declared from the beginning that she was here for a purpose.  Then our Abby was born...a first friend for Lucy.  And my how they grew.  Even though it became apparent early on that Lucy had some major health issues, these two little girls grew and enjoyed each other's company.  Then the diagnosis...Mitochondrial Disease...devastation and heartbreak.  But Nicole was steadfast and determined to live life and I was in awe.  This "living life" included a search for significance...a search for salvation...a search for a Savior.  This was yet another amazing gift I had received from God...to witness this transformation from new found hope.

Fast forward three years and our family was faced with the decision to move abroad.  Andy and I felt peace about going...except for leaving the Marletts.  We had become there "go to" people.  Lucy had been admitted to the hospital so often that I had lost count, and with their extended family so far away, they counted on us to help...whenever and wherever.  This was a privilege and a blessing.  We cherished their friendship and loved them...of course we would be there.  But God was clearly calling us to Hong Kong, so we said goodbye, trusting them in the hands of the Father who loved them more than we did and could fill all their needs.

That brings us to this past January.  Nicole and I had been in close touch, and she was keeping me up to date with Lucy's steep decline in health.  Finally, by mid-January, it was time.  It was time to make that decision to go home...to go home and say goodbye.  Lucy had been given anywhere from 1-4 weeks, so we made quick arrangements to be home by the end of the month.  This was a very hard decision and the longest wait of my life.  Grace had a lead role in her school play, so we decided to wait until she was done...we left the day after her show closed (side note-she rocked Ms. Hannigan in Annie!!!) We had to wait about two weeks from the time we made arrangements to actually leaving.  These were painful days to wait.  We had to trust in the Lord's timing like never before...wondering what would be going on when we got there.

I walked into Lucy's hospital room around 9:00pm on a Sunday night.  She was awake and pleasant, playing and enjoying her time with her family.  What an incredible gift!!!  I really anticipated getting to visit with an unconscious Lucy, if at all...so this was such a sweet blessing that I will carry with me the rest of my life.  The next day, the rest of our family was able to enjoy that same gift...incredible.

The next couple weeks saw an increase in pain and a decline in Lucy's health.  But God continued to shower us with His grace.  The day before Andy and the older kids were to go home, we had a birthday party for Lucy...complete with pizza, cake, singing happy birthday (in English and Mandarin!) and a special movie with popcorn.  While she was only awake for half of the movie, she truly enjoyed the celebration.  The next morning, Lucy took a serious turn for the worse...just after one half of our family went back to Hong Kong...and by the next evening, Lucy left this world, this pain, all the tubes and discomfort, to be with her loving Father in heaven.

Her passing was as peaceful as it was painful...for the rest of us.  The details are only for the family to share, but my arms have never ached so much to squeeze my own five-year old girl, waiting for me when I got home. It was a privilege to have been there, to witness this little life leave her mama's arms to be caught by her Savior's arms...and I am still processing.

What followed were overflowing tears, meetings to plan services, and lots of preparation.  These were conversations no parent should be having...and yet, we live in a very broken and irrational world where things like this happen and they just don't make sense. But through all of this, I was so blessed to be a blessing.  I was privileged to be there, to support, to cry, to enter into their pain with them and try to be their friend.  After all was said and done, and I returned a month later, I wouldn't have done anything different.  My husband is a trooper to hold down the fort for the extra weeks I was gone, and I am so grateful for my flexible children and friends and family who enabled me to be there... available.

As the last week has gone by, and life has resumed, I can't help reflecting and trying to takeaway any lessons I'm supposed to learn.  What has come to mind are three observations I shared about the Marlett family at Lucy's celebration of life service.  1) Live life to the fullest, pack in the memories, no regrets 2)Don't waste time comparing your lot in life to someone else's...just accept your path with grace and move forward. 3)Open your eyes to the Lord's work in your life...His fingerprints are everywhere.

Please join me in praying for this family as they grieve...and feel free to read more about their story and other ways you can honor Lucy Grace Marlett at allthemarletts@blogspot.com

It's hardest living overseas when...

Let me first preface this blog by saying it may sound like a pity party.  I guess that would be fair.  I have just found myself in "the perfect storm." Overall, I really enjoy living in Hong Kong.  But I knew going in that the hardest part for me would be missing home...my friends and family. I guess that is obvious.  And I also knew that another factor to that is time does not stand still.  Just as I am living life and changing because of it, so are those that I love on the other side of the world.  Well, today marks the extreme of this changing.

I have one very good friend who is having a baby today...and I have one very good friend who is in the process of losing her baby.  Both were expected.  It is times like this that I just ache to be home. While I would love to be there to meet that newborn face and congratulate my friend in person, I knew that waiting until that little girl is a few months is one of the sacrifices I was prepared to make for this move.  It's the other life altering event taking place that I'm having a hard time getting a grip on.  I knew that it was a very real possibility that I would never see that sweet little five year old face again this side of heaven, in the back of my mind I thought I would get to kiss her one more time this summer.  That still may be true.  She has certainly surprised us before and surpassed expectations.  But even if that were true, knowing what that family is going through and not being able to be there is heart wrenching. Having walked with them through this for the first 3 1/2 years, I have invested a lot of "blood, sweat and tears...and prayers." Now it looks as if their journey is almost over and their broken hearts scream to me across the miles.  And I am stuck in the predicament where all I can do is pray.  But isn't that the most I should be doing? It doesn't feel like it.

So now it's just a matter of offering my emotions, my concerns and most importantly, their circumstances to Our Heavenly Father.  This is not about me...it's ultimately about Him.  His timing is perfect, His peace is perfect, and He comforts the brokenhearted.  I am determined that as this all plays out, I will trust in His promises, His complete sovereignty, and His love for us. Again, sorry for the pity-party.  Sometimes writing things down makes you feel better and it is easier to process:)