May 6 & May 13, 2018 - Steven and Stephanie visit China

After we got back from Guilin, we were very busy catching up on school and preparing as much as we could for the next couple of weeks.  They were going to be busy.  On May 9th, Steven and Stephanie came to visit and were with us until May 17th.  He just finished all his Des Moines University Medical school work, has two weeks off, and will graduate on May 15th.  So, they came to China to celebrate, and then he will graduate and they move to Kansas City, where he begins a pediatric residency.

So, here's their time with us:

Steven and Stephanie arrive in Shanghai.  They look pretty good for having
traveled for 18 hours!

No time to adjust to the jet lag, before we head to Beijing
on the high-speed train.  There are so many roses in Beijing!
And they are beautiful this time of year!

The Great Wall is always a highlight!

They seemed to enjoy seeing this amazing site.

And it is lots of fun, too!

They got to experience Peking Duck, Tianenmen Square, and
the Palace Museum (formerly called the Forbidden City)

We spent hours at the Forbidden City.

And our visitors were very popular - often getting asked for photos!

We enjoyed the Temple of Heaven.

And appreciated that there is a "rose garden" there!

We spent the next day at the Summer Palace. It is huge! One
famous sight (and site) is the Marble Boat.

Then it was back to Shanghai, where they experienced everything from the market where you can get clothes custom made to fit, to the acrobats at the circus, to the "meet market" at People's Square, to as many fun sights, sounds, and foods that we could possibly squeeze in.

They tried hotpot, where you cook your food in a hot broth.

They experienced both the old and the new of Shanghai.

Yuan Garden is fun to explore!

John met a Chinese gentleman who proudly
explained that he has been a member of the
Communist Party for 65 years!

An 8-year-old decided to instruct
Steven on how lily-pads can be used as
tops, how to capture tadpoles, and many
other useful things a Pediatrician
should be aware of.

And gave John cell phone app training....

The Bund is very iconic of downtown Shanghai.

And can be even more beautiful at night!
This is called the Pearl Tower.

Birds-eye view of that same tower from the
Shanghai Tower - 2nd tallest building in the world!

Steven presented at the Medical English class we teach, telling
the attendees about how medical education in America works.

We got to watch these two in action - calling their children
every day, holding hands, and being great examples in all
that they do!

And we added Jeremiah to our household!
We now have a "lucky cricket".......

China is a great place to live, but even more fun when family comes and we can share it!!  It was great having Steven and Stephanie here for a few days to see us in our natural habitat.