A Spiritual Weekend

This past weekend was the 5th annual A.S.I.A. Women’s Conference held here in Hong Kong.  I LOVE this conference for two major reasons:  1. the conference itself is amazing (ie. the speakers are incredible, the spirit is so strong, my testimony is strengthened, etc.) and 2. I get to hang with my girls from Taiwan!  Love them so much!!

The wind was perfect for pictures…

We decided if we are so fortunate, this picture will go in Scarlett and Ridge’s wedding video; they are only three-ish months apart.  In fact we were both pregnant at last year’s conference.  (PS why does my midi skirt make me look like I weigh 200 pounds?)

A few notes I’d like to record and share:

I love the gospel!  I know I am so blessed to be a member of the church and have the Holy Ghost to guide me.  During the conference it was very apparent that Heavenly Father knows me and each one of his daughters—no matter where they live and how far they might be from “home.”  He knows what trials we need to go through to refine us, make us stronger, and teach us to rely on Him.  I am so grateful for prayer and repentance.  I’m grateful I can start again each new day and try to do and be better.  One day I might just get this mothering and wife-ing thing right!

I also have a strong testimony of motherhood.  I know that I am supposed to be home with my kids.  While I don’t feel I’m a natural, I know it is the refining I need.  Heavenly Father has reaffirmed to me many times that this is where I’m supposed to be, doing what He wants me to do. 

As a capstone to the conference, a few of us were able to perform sealings in the temple.  Afterwards in the Celestial room, I could feel the spirit so strong as if it were confirming to me what I already believed to be true:  temples are indeed the Lord’s house and are important and sacred.  The work that goes on there is real and our family can be together forever because of it.  I hope I never forget the way that visit strengthened my testimony that day. 

Lastly, I am so grateful for my husband.  Grateful that he would take time off to spend with the kids so I could go rejuvenate myself.  Also, that he would insist that I stay out and hang with friends while he cared for a fussy, sick baby.  What a good man I have!  I love you so much, Cody!!

Valentine’s Roundup

Jade goes to an international school, which means they don’t celebrate all American holidays.  I wanted her to be able to give out Valentines to her class anyway, so I made one using Photoshop and had 40 of them printed.  That way she had plenty for her school class, primary class, and all her other friends.

She drew a personalized picture on the back of each one and we stuck a candy on.  She LOVES making cards and drawing pictures for people, so it was very fun for her.  We split it up into different afternoons so it wasn’t too much work all at once. 

The finished drawings:

A close up of a couple of my favorites.  The one on the left is of the sky getting dark as the sun is going down and the moon coming up, and the grass is changing colors because it is Autumn.  I think the one on the right is self explanatory:  the sun and a flower.

Quick story: While Jade was drawing her pictures, she was naming the people she was going to give them to. Then she told me that “Naughty Cokie” doesn’t get one. I prodded for clarification. She drew me a diagram (left).  It is of a Valentine and Cokie.  She knows signs with an X mean “no,” so she drew her own.

She proceeded to tell me: “Naughtys don’t get Valentines ones.  Teachers like to put Cokie in the thinking chair so he can think what to do but if he is put in the thinking chair he will cry outside. He hits everyone.”  Hhhhmmm… an interesting and humorous communication. 

I told her everyone in her class gets a Valentine and that maybe Cokie just needs a good friend and he will be nice. 

The first to receive Jade’s Valentines were her little friends at the Valentine’s party at Nora’s house. 

Betsey did a great job with lots of fun games, food, and cookie decorating!

The kids put frosting on their cookies and licked it off over and over until the frosting was all gone!  Calvin was smart; he skipped the middle step and went straight for spoonfuls of frosting right out of the bowl!  It didn’t take long for all of them to look like this:

The cupcakes I made for the party:
Jade was THRILLED to get Valentine mail from all her grandparents and cousins!  (THANK YOU!)  Now she wants to check the mail everyday… too bad it is just junk mail and bills from here on out…

 

She has read her book and colored in her coloring book everyday since receiving them!  She also likes to color and tear out the pages to give them to people as cards.   

The day before Valentine’s Day, I made Lemon Poppy Seed Scones for a treat and put one in Jade’s school snack on Valentine’s Day. 

For Valentine’s Day breakfast we had Red Velvet Pancakes.  I actually feel like they were quite gluttonous; they definitely won’t become a common occurrence, but I think Bill Cosby would approve.

 

Jade’s school had dress-up day on Valentine’s Day, so they were allowed to wear something pink or red.

I’m still baffled they had dress-up day for Valentine’s Day and not Halloween. I really don’t get it.

 

Jade passed out her Valentines at school and the class made chocolates. 

For Cody I did 14 Days of Valentines, with some changes to fit his tastes and items we can purchase here.

 

Ridge received everything he could ever want:  lots of loves and cuddles… and milk.

A basket of goodies was waiting for Jade when she got home from school (I promise I haven’t given into the Hello Kitty craze—I still don’t like it, but Jade does so I was lenient on this one little item knowing that she’ll only be wearing the slippers at home).

Cody gave me everything I could want: a postnatal shopping spree, Indian food, a ginormous bouquet of flowers, and time with him. 

 

Ridger Baby

Ridge is smiling more and more. He loves when people look at him and talk to him. Even perfect strangers. He smiles at people in the elevator all the time. Just the other day Ridge kept smiling over and over at a humble little old Chinese man delivering food in our building. He made the man giggle with delight. It was quite sweet! I know he makes me feel like a million bucks every time he smiles at me this way!

Ridge is also starting to laugh more and more. He is quite ticklish! Sometimes he starts laughing when my fingers brush against his ribs and armpit as I’m changing his clothes. I have still been trying to capture his laugh on video, but it is quite elusive! After I grab the camera, he acts like he is no longer ticklish and just stares at the camera. I tried to get Jade’s help videoing once so I could tickle with two hands. It didn’t work too well. We actually did get him to laugh, but she hit the stop button as soon as it started (that and she is kind of loud and obnoxious)! ;)

Ridge got his first sunburn last week. We were spending an afternoon at Victoria Park and it turned out to be a warm, sunny, blue sky day. I didn’t even think about sunscreen when we left the apartment—it is February after all. Apparently shading him as much as possible wasn’t enough to protect his baby skin. I have deemed myself the worst mother ever! I felt terrible every time I looked at his pink cheeks. It has since peeled and healed—I pray for no lasting damage!!

One of our friends is letting us borrow her bouncer. Why has no one informed me of the miracle that is the bouncer sooner? He loves it! What a handy little seat to have around!

Jade still adores her baby…

…maybe a little too much.  She has started getting creative in the ways he can join in playing with her. 

Admittedly, I might be a little bit of an enabler.  Maybe I want them to be able to play together just as badly as Jadyn does.  And maybe I feel like Ridge should get use to having a big sister (and all that goes along with that).  But maybe I just think the things Jadyn comes up with are hilarious.  For the most part Ridge doesn’t seem to mind Jade’s antics anyway. 

新年快樂

This Chinese New Year (CNY), we decided to stay away from the crowds.  We did all the big Hong Kong celebrations last year, so this year we spent the holiday with friends.  It was a nice, relaxing week!  We loved it!

A few weeks before, we hit up the Wan Chai and Marble Street Markets for some decorations and Chinese outfits for the kids. 

Pretty soon our apartment looked like a Chinese market too!  And Jadyn loved getting CNY treats out of our Chinese coin candy dish (below right, on top of the t.v.).   

At the market we also let Jade pick out a bunch of hongbaos.  Then I made a card for her to decorate.  She had a blast sending them to all her cousins in the States and handing them out to her friends here in Hong Kong.

Jadyn’s school had a CNY party and the kids got to dress up in their Chinese outfits.  She loved it, of course.

Like I said, we spent a couple of the days at our friends’ houses.  One of them even lives in a house and has a trampoline in the backyard.  All the kids were in heaven!! 

On the third (and last) day of CNY, we went to the Mandarin branch’s party.  My visiting teaching companion was planning it (she’s from Mainland) and invited a bunch of us from the English branch.  She did an excellent job with the decorations, food, and activities. 

The women wrapped dumplings (see the table of women on the left of the below picture) while the kids played games.  I learned a couple new/better ways to wrap and I am excited!!

Jadyn and Calvin playing pin the head on the dragon (this year is the year of the dragon if you didn’t know). 

Cody taking a stab at the Chinese riddles.

I loved the cute, old man running this game.  I think the point was to use chopsticks to pick up marbles and put them in the cup, but I only saw spoons being used…

Our talented friend, Melissa, made this cute dragon for the kids to run around in.  Also notice the kid in the front playing the drum. On his head.  And please check out that cute baby face in the lower left corner. 

Although Ridge had a hard time being out past his bedtime, I’m still so glad we went.  This party was so much fun!  It also gave me the inspiration and determination to have my own CNY parties when/if we live in the States again! 

Although Ridge wore his Chinese outfit a couple times, this was the only picture we got with him in it!  We seem to always be running late these days (why does it take so long to get out the door with just one extra kid??) and have no time for pics before we leave.  This was the smallest size the market had.  Pretty sure he’ll be able to wear it next year too!

Jadyn thoroughly enjoyed all the festivities and kept talking about a CNY show she was going to put on for all her friends.  We convinced her she could just perform for her family, so last Saturday we set up a “stage” and “curtain” and let her do her thing!

Happy Chinese New Year!!!