I have so many more things to post about our trip to china but I have to put my postings on hold for a while. We are back in the USA getting Maria set up and ready for school. I can't believe she is preparing to be a Freshman in college! We have plenty to do but the best part of this visit is just being back home again in my Indiana home.

Things to do in the US:
1. Buy dorm room stuff for Maria. I have collected every bonus offer from Bed Bath and Beyond plus every Macy's, Kohl's and Best Buy coupon. We are ready to shop!
2. Pull weeds. OH MY GOSH!! My yard has never looked this bad. Would one of you wonderful readers from my hometown please give me a heads up next time? The outside of the house looks like it could belong to the Adams Family or the Munsters. (In all fairness to my wonderful friend, Jennifer, the inside looks great.)
3. Let the twins go...everywhere. Their days will be full. They hit North America on Friday with a list of activities and they are already on their way to fun. In a few days they are headed off to Chattaeu Nana and Papa for swimming, golf and slushy drinks. Being almost 13 is wonderful.
4. Convince Bob to remodel the kitchen. We are already half way there but now the fun part and $$$ spending can begin. It is hard to throw money into a kitchen we rarely use.
5. Eat out! Yeah! Restaurants in the US sell the best salads. Very creative. I plan to try all of them.

The hardest part about this trip will be leaving Maria behind. She is grown up and ready to go off on her own. I am not ready for her to be an ocean away. My wonderful Flemish neighbor told me last week that if you raise a child for 18 years and they are not ready to leave, then you have done something wrong. We must have succeeded in the child rearing because she is definitely ready. I have absolutely no worries about her being able to take care of herself. If I had to think of one word to describe Maria, it would be STRONG. Strong willed. Strong in belief. Strong in devotion. Strong in confidence. She will succeed in college without us holding her hand along the way. We will be there on Skype, texting and phone but I still wish I could see her more often.