Teng Wang Pavilion

This is an "I'm just up from my nap and not ready to smile yet" face!

Yesterday we went to Teng Wang Pavilion, a pagoda built in the 1500's. It has been destroyed and rebuilt 28 times - we were able to visit the 29th version. It is absolutely gorgeous, the pictures cannot do it justice. The pavilion is surrounded by beautiful gardens we were able to walk through. At the top we were able to see a show with Chinese music and dancing. It was beautiful! The Chinese believe that the numbers 3, 8 and 9 are lucky, therefore everything about the pavilion contains one or more of these numbers. For instance, there are 89 stairs climbing to the top. It's height contains the numbers 589, the year it was built ended in a 3, 8 or 9, etc. The Chinese are very superstitious and we've learned a lot from Sissi about their beliefs which has been very interesting.

Teng Wang Pavilion

Every detail is ornate and beautiful - even the ceilings show master craftmenship. 

Um... maybe the next time they rebuild it they could make the doorways a little taller...

The 2 big sisters and 1 big brother of the group!

My boys by the interior at the top of the pavilion. 

Bonzai trees are all around in the garden and in the pagoda.

This man is carving Jaden's name in English and Chinese on a stone he can wear as a necklace. 

Every good day at a pagoda should be followed by a good meal with friends! This restaurant was just as scrumptious as the one we ate at yesterday. I'm not a huge fan of eggplant, but Sissi ordered an eggplant dish that was to die for! I could have made a meal of it alone! As Sissi sees we are not a stranger to spicy food the dishes she orders keep getting hotter and hotter. Triple Atomic Bryan is thrilled, but there are some in our group that are ready for a less challenging meal. I have thought the spicy meter has been just right so far. 

The Lieber family digging in!

So this is evidence that Jaden hasn't cared for EVERYTHING he's tried on the trip! He's been a great sport taking a taste of it all no matter how different it looks. Some things he's surprised by and some things... well, this was one of those things!

If you are able to pray for us we'd love for you to pray for Bryan's ankle. It's really sore from all the walking these past few days. Tomorrow is Mt. Lushan which will involve more walking. He doesn't want to miss out on any part of learning Lucy's culture. We're praying the Lord will keep his ankle strong and minimize the pain for the rest of the trip. His surgery is Dec. 2nd. Also, Lucy is has a bit of a runny nose and a goopy eye. Our pediatrician sent eye drops as this is a common problem, so we started using those tonight. The doctor here gave her a cold medicine that we're giving her, too. We are so thankful that the rest of us remain healthy and strong! Thank you for lifting us up in prayer!