A. I'm a sucker for cute AND easy.

So, what was the question?

Question #1: Why did Ann change to Blogger from her other server?

Question #2: Why did Ann think about, and then decide against trying to make that cute birthday cake that looked like a purse for Sophie's birthday?

Question #3: What did Jeff think when he first saw Ann?

And the answer is, QUESTION #1!

Yes, I traded substance for style. Really, I don't know how much substance this blog platform has yet, I just know that I was having trouble getting all the cute freebies/background options to work on my other blog, and was getting really aggravated...and heaven knows, I need easy when I'm a mom of three--COUNT THEM, THREE kids, and for sure, when we are in China. There's not going to be a whole lot of substance when we are all trying to adjust to the horrific time difference over there while they haul us around from sight to splendid once- or if you're really super-blessed, maybe twice-in-a-lifetime sights in the first 48 hours or so, trying to get you on to China time so you are adjusted to your baby's schedule just in time for it to be completely disrupted in the most earth-shattering experience of their little lives.

Speaking of that trip, I remember arriving in Beijing and we made the decision to go that first evening with the majority of the travel group to see the world-famous Beijing acrobats. Sophie, who had traveled like a pro up to that point, had a major melt-down in the hotel room. In retrospect, maybe we should have just let her sleep, but by golly, we'd paid a bunch of yuan (about $60) to see the show, and we were gonna go! We made it to the bus, and I remember watching an incredible show through eyes that I could barely keep open. Tiny children juggling umbrellas up in the air on the tips of their toes, etc.--it was amazing. Sophie was sacked out next to me, and Jeff was on her other side, catching flies. Every so often they'd rouse from sleep at something really amazing, utter a groggy "Wow..." and pass out again. That was it. The next day was better, and then the next day we started to feel semi-human...I mean, hey, we were on the Great Wall! And, it was Easter Sunday! Someone actually had the forethought to bring along chocolate eggs to pass out to the children (it wasn't me!) Then we had our little angel baby placed in our arms...not a little 6-8 pound newborn, but a 23 lb. baby who wanted mama to hold her all the time. Didn't want to fall asleep because she was afraid of what might happen...a fear she lived with for several years. A new level of exhaustion set in. Then we came home, just when we'd adjusted to the time zone there. I remember her wide awake after her 2 hour "nap" we called bedtime. We played on the floor in her room and found snacks in the still-packed luggage in the middle of the night...fed them to sweet Summer, our dog. Can't believe we're going to do it all again!!! I'm so excited! But we definitely need easy in the blog department. :)