Jason took two business trips to China this year.  The first was for 2.5 weeks in February, and he didn't take any pictures, although I got to see some courtesy of his coworkers' cameras.  The second trip was over the 2 weeks around Memorial Day weekend.  This time, he brought his camera, and although they didn't have time to tour the general metro Shanghai area as they did the previous time, they did have one day off where they visited the World Expo.  The World Expo, as I understand it, is much like the World's Fair of "yore", where various countries of the world each sponsor the construction of their own architecturally distinct pavilion.  In that pavilion, they showcase the things about their country that they find attractive, such as traditions/culture, famous products, or future events that their nation may be hosting.

I am going to do my best to caption some of these pictures as best as I recall Jason's descriptions:

Approaching the entrance to the Expo.  The amount of land occupied for this event probably dwarfs any state fair I've attended.  In the background, you can see the China pavilion (R), and what is known as the Expo Axis (L).

On the Pudong S. Road, approaching the gate.

A closer look at the Expo Axis, which I'm guessing is some kind of welcome center/hub.

The immensely popular China Pavilion.  So popular it was not worth waiting for hours to get in.

I think this photo and the three following are part of the Expo Axis.  The green golf carts help transport people to various zones of the exposition.

   

The Pacific Pavilion.

The New Zealand Pavilion.

More New Zealand Pavilion from the exterior (yet another one they only admired from the outside).

Malaysia Pavilion.

Singapore Pavilion.

Portugal Pavilion.

Cuba Pavilion.  I think the next few pictures are inside the Cuba Pavilion.  I don't know what logic they used as a group on choosing which pavilions they visited.  I'm going to assume there wasn't much of a line to get into the Cuba pavilion, and some of Jason's coworkers may have been interested in certain Cuban products.

I think this is the last picture inside the Cuba Pavilion.  Jim is the coworker in the Steelers shirt you keep seeing, and yes, he is a Steelers fan.

Practical?  Maybe.  Interesting looking?  Sure.

The Brasil Pavilion (or as we like to spell it, Brazil).

Yay, the Nigeria Pavilion!  Oh, we should definitely go inside.

Hello again, Jim Jason's coworker.  When I think of Nigerian opportunities, I think of email fraud.

A parade highlighting Chinese culture.

Jim makes friends in the Caribbean Pavilion.

Finally, the United States Pavilion!  But alas, no pictures of the exterior.  Jason's helpful coworker is pointing to the P&G sponsorship logo.  The woman next to Jason was an engineer from Hong Kong, one of two members of the team who helped with Chinese translation while they were abroad.

This is Jim again.  He is representing the United States cheerfully.  

For lack of a better name, Jason calls this character "Chinese Gumby".  And that's the extent of the pictures from China this trip.

It's been two weeks, so this is sort of old news.  But, as I'm blogging about it now, and there is an off chance someone may not know how the event came about, here's an entry anyway:

Candace and Chad, but mostly Candace, are excitedly planning a wedding ceremony to share with their friends and family in early September.  The thing is, they didn't like waiting that long to be married.  In fact, they had originally wanted a wedding date in June, but then changed their mind based on factors related to the craziness of May and June with graduations, camp prep, and whatnot.  Well, June rolled around, and they decided to go ahead and get married in June after all, but still have the festivities associated with getting married (formal ceremony and reception) in September.  So, the immediate family got a heads up about 24 hours ahead of the vow exchange, and we came to Riverview Park to watch them become husband and wife.

Calvin and Isaac inspect the pavilion and park grounds, and find it to be satisfactory in spite of a lack of formal playground equipment.

Visiting while waiting for Chad's parents to arrive, who had thought the wedding would be taking place at the church building through a miscommunication.

We decided 5:45 was a good time to start the ceremony, so I had to fetch the boys off the stage.

Beginning with the above picture and continuing on, a variety of pictures during the ceremony.

Yep, I think the pictures alone tell the story of the evening well.  May God bless your lives together, Chad and Candace!  Always be thankful for the companion God has provided for you.

Here is one of my blurry "Verity graduating" shots.  She couldn't stop for long because of the school board right behind her, and I couldn't get a non-moving shot because I was deferring to Mom's camera to go first when she would pause.  So, there we have it:

Annnnd, afterward:

Wake up, Isaac, there's still more to come!

Waking up from a Memorial Day weekend nap.  Time to go to Grandpa and Grandma Woody's house!

We celebrated Grace's birthday that evening, and here are some gathering pictures.

The best family pictures I had on my camera:

(Guess I forgot to mention Jason was in China for 2 weeks at this point.  That's why he's not pictured.)

 

Memorial Day:

The boys and I visited the Jefferson Barracks cemetery, where Calvin selected a soldier to honor with a red/white/blue knick-knack bought at the nearby roadside stand.

May was not as busy for us as May usually is, but we still have a few fun memories to share.

Isaac moved in with Calvin in the big boy room, as he'd been requesting to do for months.  Since he wasn't staying in his crib very well overnight anyway, we decided it would be fine for him to start now.  We soon discovered Isaac's fondness for wandering the house at night, regardless of where he starts out at bedtime.  The couch is one of his preferred sleeping places.

Isaac with allergy-eyes and a chocolate mustache.  This spring was the first time we have had to deal with allergies, thankfully, and it seems to be some kind of tree pollen allergy with Isaac.  Breathing treatments were necessary for a couple of days, but since then, a dose of Zyrtec seems to be all that is needed.  He's only needed a couple of doses in May and June, thankfully.

Sprinkler time!!!

(end sprinkler time...tears and screaming are usually a good indicator of fatigue)

First T-Ball Game

Who is literally on second?  Calvin.

Kicking up dust on second.

Calvin running to first base with the helpful direction and encouragement of Coach Kevin.  Coach Kevin is Jason's second cousin, whom he hadn't seen in 20 years or so until we found out he was Cal's coach.

Calvin used to only really enjoy and excel at hitting the ball.  Now, he will often run quickly without concentrating on kicking the dust as he runs instead.  He even ran in several circles for fun along the baseline last week after hitting a foul ball.

 

A Brunch Date with Isaac:

 

I had a gift card to the coffee house, which is next door to where we get the oil changed.  Isaac and I ate fruit and quiche as we waited for the work to be completed.  He is a fine breakfast companion:

 

Chad and Candace's House:

The week of Candace's pinning/graduation from nursing school, we were invited to Chad's house (and Candace's future house) for a family get-together involving grilling out, playing in the yard, bringing a side, and of course, touring the house.  Chad is a gifted handyman, and they have really dressed up the interior with fresh paint, woodwork, a new door, and various fixtures.  Right now (late June) they're working on exposing and refinishing the existing hardwood flooring.  Here are some pictures of the backyard and family fun: 

Watching some of "Where the Wild Things Are" with the Wild Things prior to departing for home.

Miscellaneous May:

Building something new with Daddy with the trusty building tubes.  I forget what the fun tubes are actually called.

Enjoying the Waffle House for the first time, and maybe the last time.  The food was great, but the smoky dining area was not.

One of many visits to Six Flags.  Grandma and PaPa R went this time, and the boys are showcasing their capes (and muscles).

Playing with Aunt Verity on a Sunday afternoon.

And finally, the 20 week ultrasound of Baby 3.  We were very thankful to hear the baby looks healthy, and therefore will likely not have any more ultrasounds this pregnancy.  We bypassed finding out the gender, too; after meeting some very cute boy and girl babies lately, I know I'll be super-excited either way!

We traveled straight from Branson to Kansas in order to celebrate Calvin's birthday weekend with the other side of the family, including Emerald, who was also honored on the occasion of her 3rd birthday.

 

Silas styled his hair especially for the occasion.

Isaac and Emerald relaxing, anticipating the cake to come.

Presents before cake?  Certainly!

Calvin, ready to slay a dragon, although maybe not interested in saving the princesses yet.

Moses polls party-goers on their opinions of presents under consideration.

Buzz and Woody also weigh in on the festivities.

Cookie and cake time!

Our family vacation this year was to Branson, a place we've never gone as a family, or even as a couple.  Calvin loved, loved, loved it; he was a huge fan of the indoor waterpark at the hotel.  I liked the breakfast buffet three mornings in a row, myself (which includes a very grateful baby inside me).  We were there for 3 days before heading over to Kansas for a shared birthday party for Calvin and Emerald.  We left for Branson on Wednesday, Calvin's 5th birthday.

 

Thursday, The Butterfly House:

Jason obliged us by climbing the tree outside.  We had intended for Calvin to follow suit, and although he wanted to and met the height/weight requirement, the harness was still too loose on him for the attendant's comfort.

A butterfly surprises Isaac, much to his delight.

Calvin was very pleased to find this butterfly.

Lots of butterflies, like this one blending in with a leaf.

Frog-Calvin.

In the mirror maze.  The boys *loved it*.  Isaac got a little overconfident toward the end, boldly barreling right into his own reflection, which knocked him forcefully onto his back.  If only I had a video of that...

 

Friday, Silver Dollar City:

Jason's parents joined us in Branson on Thursday night to help celebrate Calvin's birthday as we had no formal party at home this year.  It was nice to have them along, and their help with the boys was most appreciated!

Isaac enjoying the bus shuttle from the parking lot to the park.

Obligatory sibling pose.

While Calvin rode a couple of rollercoasters with PaPa and Daddy, we went on a trainride and met up with these bandits.  Isaac was amused by it all, although the humor was a little over his head.

Isaac likes the rides he's tall enough to ride.

"Helping" with his own stroller.

This is a cheesy grin upon demand--he was having fun, but not quite that much fun.

Kiddie coaster, yayyyy!

The boys in the boat.

Calvin said he didn't want to ride the elephant ride because it was a "girl ride", but we talked him into it somehow.

Mmmm, strawberries and ice cream while we wait for Grandma and Calvin to ride the mine train and PaPa and Daddy were riding one of the bigger coasters.

Fresh off the log flume, a taller and wetter log flume than the Six Flags version.

"Never thought we'd get that wet!"

Water park fun:  Thursday and Friday evenings

Calvin was in constant motion.  It was very hard to get a good picture of him.  Isaac also had fun, but not on the slides just yet.  Instead, he learned to "swim" from Mommy to Daddy in the not-so-hot tub, played in the toddler pool, and took a cruise on the lazy river.

Vacation finale, Friday night and Saturday morning:

We ate at a cafe on-site with an arcade (and the largest banjo in the world, of which I took a too-dark picture).  The boys shot hoops and played a couple of games.

Calvin opened a couple of presents and ate a birthday cookie.

Said presents were a hit.  They liked chasing the stomping dinosaur and ZhuZhu pet around the hotel room.

Hat shopping at the gift shop before departure.  We did not get this particular hat, but we did get 3 other ones that have had lots of use in our dress-up basket (Davey Crockett, rasta-hair hat, and king crown).

 

I believe last time I caught up, we were halfway through April.  So, we'll continue on with the "doings" that month.  On the 17th, Calvin and Isaac were invited to a birthday party for our neighbor Jackson.  It took place at Bounce U, a bouncehouse place that was new to us.  The boys really liked the inflatables there, including inflatable t-ball and inflatable ball launchers in a cage.

The party crew, including Jackson wearing green, and his sister Addie next to him in purple, who is Isaac's age.

Daddy came along for this occasion.

Isaac requested fruit punch with his pizza, and soon after spilled it on the unsuspecting boy next to him in the Darth Vader shirt.

 

The following picture is hard to make out, but in the center is Calvin dressed as Clark Kent/Superman for the Preschool "Fashion Show".  Each classroom had a decade assigned, and Calvin's class was the 70s.  They then were to dress as someone from that decade, either a celebrity or just a general "look" from those times.  It was a fundraiser to buy a new sun canopy for the playground.

Calvin sitting afterward with the rabble, including Speed Racer, Shirley Temple, and a couple of hippies.