a secret....

well, it would seem that even after nine years of marriage, there is still a bit of a language barrier between my husband and i. the main problem is really with this one word: secret. apparently, the definition of secret is different in chinese than it is in english. i had something i needed to tell some friends (it makes it easier for me if i can talk about it...i dont' know if you know this, but i talk a lot). so i did. then fai tells me not to tell people. so i email them not to say anything to anyone else. then someone mentions it to fai that they heard it from someone else. he denies it. they apologize for mentioning it. he says, "that's okay. it's not a secret." so, seeing as how it's not a secret, i start to talk to people about it again. so word starts to get around. he hears it. he denies it. then he tells me to stop telling people. so i do. but people already know. so they ask him about it (apparently there is some confusion at this point since....can't imagine why!) and he says again, "it's not a secret". picture this going on for about a month. finally, i decide to clarify what exactly a secret is. he says to me, "it's not a secret, i just don't want you to tell people so that they keep asking me about it." so i inform him that not wanting me to tell people is the definition of "secret"!!

well, now that that is all cleared up, i have something to tell you!!

the secret is out of the bag. (it's okay now. it's not a secret any more...at least, i don't think it is.)

we are moving. fai has received an amazing offer that we simply can't refuse. believe me. i would if i could, but even i can't bring myself to reject it, and i really hate moving. this summer will be our last here for a while. and when i say "here", i don't mean st. louis (although that is certainly part of it). i mean here in the USA. we are heading to china in august. we will get to visit a couple times a year and you're all more than welcome to visit us!! fai is very excited for this job and i'm happy for the kids to get to know that part of the heritage and to take advantage of the educational opportunities, to learn the language and be able to know their grandparents on that side. i will, though, be very sad to say good bye to my friends and family here. and my house. and my yard. and my dog (anyone want a dog?). it's a lot of preparation to take care of (hence the mess of my house when the cops came), and i'm trying to pack as much into the next few months as possible for the kids. we'd love to see our friends who aren't local before we leave, but i can't promise anything (unless you want to come here....). we love you all and have really loved being here! and we'll be back, so start planning the party now! i will need a big one!