Tradition

It's becoming tradition to celebrate Christmas with three friends who grew up in the orphanage, and another college girl who was my student and babysitter when Mike was 3 months old. That college girl slept over at our house last night, fun, and a first time for a former student to sleepover, I think.

This year we were also joined by an auntie (our first friend when we arrived here four years ago!), a high school sweetheart pair who were recently introduced to us by a mutual friend, and Drew's friend/kids' Uncle Li.

The three who grew up in the orphanage are honorary family members. The other day I was perusing adoption advocacy sites and read about a thirteen year-old Changsha girl who is currently waiting and wanting a family to adopt her. My first instinct was to email the writer and ask, "Connect us!? She can be a part of our family any time she likes." (I didn't email him yet, still considering this.) And my thoughts turned to these three who were here again over the weekend. They were never adopted. But we love them; I believe they feel loved and at home here.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

snowfall

watching a grandpa grin when he bought a toy for his grandson

meeting the mysterious grandpa who always throws candy to kids from his 4th floor window

Titus nurturing Michael, feeding him lunch with chopsticks

glass-like pieces of ice, a new wonder for the boys

waking up with a guest in the house

singing and playing guitar to chinese hymn with auntie

sick kid sweetness

thoughtful letter written to me in Chinese

stack of loving Christmas cards from Hutchinson, MN

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Jim & Della

Holidays.

There was a neighbor kids' party at our house.

My one student came over for her own private party.

Jim and Della! Can anyone name that story!? In the annual program at Chinese church Drew sang in the English-group choir, and as usual, had a solo and duet with a girl named Fancy. BUT this year, something new, a skit! Our lines were in Chinese and we're happy to report that not only were there no major blunders, our group leader even cried. She said it was a moving performance, but I think they must have been tears of nervous-relief... I mean, that was a high-risk move casting us in a skit, a Chinese skit nonetheless!

We had a couple gatherings with Family. The music, the cookies (the cookies!), the gingerbread house, kids' swimming, gift exchanges, story-book reading, it was all very merry.

Oh whoa! This girl was passing through Changsha. She used to hang out at Bread Coffeehouse at Emory University, the same campus group where Drew made his home (literally, he lived in the coffeehouse spare bedroom, and hung out with the bros-n-sisters there...) Drew and Ting were at Bread at different times, and a mutual friend connected us and so we met up in Changsha, her friend along too, on Christmas Eve!

I guess I should explain this swimming a little more. We went to our friends' home on Christmas Day, and in the afternoon, hit up the neighborhood children's bathhouse / hot tub pool. This is the most perfect, wonderful winter activity and method to bathe your children. For a modest fee, the staff undress and rinse your kids, let them swim, then thoroughly bathe and redress them for you. They do a great job! (I guess that probably wouldn't fly in American culture, but it's perfect here.) This is so so nice because, bathing in winter is trouble, see, we've got an entirely unheated bathroom, inconsistent hot water and a minimally heated living room. The kids get a bucket bath 1x/week, tops, in winter.

and continue...

We skyped with our families. That's the best of all.

Now for reflections on this holiday. Unfortunately, it was very stressful this year. Oh, it wasn't all bad, we had many good times! but Love - Peace - Joy was a little more like Rush - Freak - Crash. It's not supposed to be that way. Will evaluate and re-prioritize for 2013 :)

I think one stress-contributing factor is that Christmas is not a national holiday, so, life and scheduled obligations continue as usual. I mean, we were lucky Drew had no class on Christmas Day but the rest of the week he was in class and his semester ends Dec. 28th (yeehaw!). Titus skipped school 24-25th. The welfare institute called on the 25th asking us to bring Jon in for immunizations that afternoon! Christmas Day Shots, that's what every kid hopes for right! (apologetically declined, and brought him in the next day...)

counting the graces

thank you Father for

tea kettle whistlin

boys tucked in, listening to chapter book read aloud

crisp stroll, all three along and content

granny on 1st floor giving Michael oranges because he called her nai-nai

early morning dark, glow of Christmas lights in our living room

hot mug of tea to warm hands

Stephen's music

cooperative spirit of teachers at Titus' school
a pause in the rain

November and December look somethin like this.

late autumn lotus pond on campus

donut shop, cherry with sprinkles, whoo hoo! 

we live in top floor of the shorter building second from left, gray roof, tree covering it

center of campus

building adjacent to Titus' preschool

outside a convenience store

watching Brave, film in which the villain is a bear, coincidentally eating gummy bears

grassy field where we often play hide and seek

ginkgos lost their leaves, outside our apartment building

Longde, Titus' classmate who just moved back from Germany, leading the way

they're not really into riding bike yet, but they will be

workbook at the work table

counting the graces

thank you Father for

blue and pink bedsheets hanging out to dry in morning sunshine

witnessing a sister use her gifts today

kids' paintings

caring gift delivered to our home

new storybooks

reminded of my weakness and humbled by my rudeness, again

moment to wonder about Jesus' birth

vegetable soup