Quick stopover in Beijing

We decided to go to Arizona and Utah for the 3 weeks the kids got off for Christmas break.  3 weeks seemed a really long time to hang out in our apartment, especially if the pollution got really bad.  So we decided to make the trek home.  We get free trips home, otherwise we would never had been able to pay for it.  We were able to fly through Beijing on the way home.  I really wanted to stay for 4 days and hang out with my old friends, but because we were traveling on the governments dime we couldn't have a layover for more than 24 hours in the country you are originating from.  So we were in Beijing for 22 hours.  Enough time to see our favorite people, but not enough time to spend with them.  We asked our old Ayi if she could cook all the yummy things we love to eat for us.  So she got to my friend's Kelli's house around 2pm, cooking up a storm.  She made all our favorites!!!  

Izzy and Bradley got together again.  They sure love each other.  We are already planning for their wedding!!!!  

We celebrated Izzy's birthday at their house.  We also had Izzy's old preschool teacher come over with her kids.  She was so happy to be with her old friends!!!

Izzy's teacher Julie had another addition while we were gone!! Congrats Julie!!!

Love seeing this girl Rebecca!  Haden't seen her forever since she went home to have a baby and never made it back before last summer!  We need to have a girls trip sometime!!!

And so fun to see Charish!!!  I sure miss these ladies.  Charish's daughter was in the same preschool class with Sawyer.  Good Beijing friends!!!

Izzy and Calvin also have a wedding date planned!!!  He keeps running away from her though!

We sure love the Wiltbank family.  They were the first people to welcome us in the branch.  They came to our house after work on their Tuk Tuk, in the ran with their whole family to welcome us to Beijing.  All the kids were already asleep, and Kelly was in bed, but we were so happy to have met such great people!  We only wish the year hadn't ended so quickly.  Luckily their roots are in Arizona so hopefully we will see them in the summers!!!

And my dear friend Kelli!  What would I do without her!!!!