Colorful Smiles

When my sweet friend suggested we meet up for the kids to have fun with color powder, I was a bit skeptical though I agreed right away as time together is too rare these days. But this powder seemed a lot for three year olds, when I usually see it used for teens and adults! But I underestimated the absolute fun Dassah - and me! - would have with it. There were a lot of smiles this morning!

Aiden had done it before, so he demonstrated how it should be done...

 The kids soon decided it was more fun to chase and sprinkle me than it was to chase each other. ;) Guess they loved my fake "oh no!" and exclamations. ;) But I really didn't mind. It was beautiful weather to run around with, and the smiles they had couldn't be beat.

 Such pure childhood joy!

 Someone's happy to be all colorful!

 And what fun to do it with a friend!

 We had to get a colored selfie at the end. I want to remember this with my girlie.

The kids liked the flip-up screen that let them see themselves, so another random little boy came over to join the picture too. :)

Clean up took as long as the running and sprinkling fun, but it was worth it for a special time. Dassah always enjoys baths, and the powder washed right out of clothes and hair easily. A fun way to spend a Saturday morning!

Our China Christmas: The Party

We had it! Our first Christmas in China. Well, second for Ryan actually, but the first for us as a family. And while it was hard being away from extended family, it wasn't as hard as I thought... Being with them for two months probably helped! But God was really good. We filled the days Ryan had off from work with friends and good food and fun times as a family, and it was truly a wonderful Christmas. Isn't God so good?

Day one was Wednesday, the 23rd. Ryan had it off from work, so we threw a drop-by Christmas party! I knew better than to try to do a party on a day Ryan was working, because it seems to be Murphy's Law that on days we have a lot of people over, little ones don't nap well and/or wake up cranky. Ryan took Hadassah out for a few hours to play in the morning so I could get things ready, which helped tremendously. Then he helped hold the baby, sweep floors, and distract the toddler (who did wake up early and cranky from her nap - she seems to know when Mama's busy!) so that we had everything ready on time. And yes, we let her watch youtube videos in order to keep her occupied while we did last minute things. There is a time and a place for that! :)

I'd done my fair share of Pinterest research for food ideas, and it actually all turned out well! The only major catastrophe was the cocoa boiling over and creating a burning smell right before the party started. Yes, on a gas stove, it can go from not boiling at all to boiling over VERY quickly (especially when you're taking the toddler to the bathroom!). Thankfully I just took the cover off the cider and soon the wonderful spicy scent covered over the burnt smell. ;) And the cocoa, which I made with dark chocolate cocoa powder, still tasted wow-so-good!

 I paid a bit more for pre-made "puff pastry" dough, but these apple pie roll-ups were amazing. Probably one of the favorite things I made!

 For a Christmas party I love any food that is red and green, and these cherry tomato - fresh mozzarella - fresh basil bites both looked and tasted amazing!

 Many ideas were to do food in a Christmas tree shape. Believe it or not, strawberries are hugely in season (I've had the best strawberries I have EVER had recently!) and they plus grapes made it fun and red and green!

This pull-apart bread (pizza dough filled with mozzarella and cream cheese) was hugely popular and disappeared quickly! The original idea had it in the shape of a Christmas tree, but I made a "wreath" instead... easier to form, especially when my small oven means I had to cook two batches!

 Though it wasted a bell pepper, it was a fun serving idea to put the dip inside one!

Though we weren't intending to serve supper, the party was from 4-7 PM, so I wanted to have something with some protein. Tuna salad with pickles and celery gave something green, but I wanted a red garnish... The ends of the cherry tomatoes I had to cut off of the cherry tomato bites to make them stand up worked perfectly! :)

 Fun treats... the softest, chewiest, delicious-ness molasses cookies, the apple pie roll-ups, and brownies made into "Christmas trees." I also had some oreo-cream cheese balls (dipped in white chocolate). They didn't get coated white, though (probably didn't melt the chocolate right) so while I was going to call them snowballs, I decided they were Alabama snowballs, since those always have dirt mixed with snow. ;) They tasted so so good though!

My trusty oven. It took 5 rounds to cook the molasses cookies, and two to make the rolls, apple pie rolls, and brownies (since only one 9" pie tin comfortably fits). I intentionally didn't bake much more because of this, and spent the days before the party baking in the morning with Hadassah helping with what she could as well as nap times or after kids were in bed to get it all done! But, this oven actually works!! So I'm not complaining about its size. It actually bakes things well and gets them crispy if desired!

 My friend and her daughter showed up right at 4 PM, and we enjoyed catching up after 2 months apart. Hadassah loves her little girl (who is just 3 weeks younger) and was excited to see them! But almost an hour passed with them the only guests, so we started to wonder if this would be a very slow party...

 We needn't have worried! Around 5 PM around 4-5 families showed up, and more kept arriving! We never did get a full count, but many of Ryan's co-workers came with their families, as well as a few other friends from the community, made through the baking classes I did or mutual friends. It was such fun to have our home full of people!

 Everyone was happy and it was great to have a chance to meet many of Ryan's coworkers. The children all loved the toys - never have I seen our toys so scrambled and everywhere. ;) But for good reason - shows everyone had fun!

Despite me putting on the invitation that gifts weren't expected, that this party was just to meet and greet old friends, everyone brought gifts. Chinese people are so good at that! From a fish tank with a sustainable fish environment to toys to bunches of fruit, to this cute Christmas tutu one of them made... We were beyond blessed.

As I did the dishes at the end and we put the house back to semi-rights, Ryan and I were so happy. Yes, it was a lot of work. But I love the excuse to cook goodies, and just love cooking for people. And to have our home full of friends and acquaintances made an otherwise gloomy and high-AQI day so bright, and just felt so festive. It felt like it was the holiday season, and kept us busy so we weren't lonely. We're so glad we decided to have a party!

And that was just the first day of our Christmas celebrations in China... It may be our only one (since it's usually the time we'll go home to visit family) so we took plenty of pictures to document it well. More pictures coming later! :)

Camping with over 100 friends...

Our first weekend in Alabama (October 16-18) also "happened" to be my family's semi-annual camping trip. I say "happened" because they planned it around my younger sister's fall break from college, but kindly moved it from the first weekend of her break to the second weekend of it once they realized we could make it. Having grown up going on this camping trip from the time I was 4 years old, and then missing all but one since getting married (due to distance or having a baby) I was thrilled that we were able to make this one! So I wasn't going to let being 37 1/2 weeks pregnant stop me from going, though we did take my mom up on her offer to let us stay in the comfortable cabin she rents. And it ended up being the least tiring "camping" trip I've gone on. I couldn't play Ultimate Frisbee or volleyball due to not wanting to get injured or jumpstart labor, so I had no way to get exhausted or sore. And we all slept really well in the cabin beds, not having to deal with cold. 

And yes, when I say we camped with over 100 friends, I'm not exaggerating. What started with just us and a few other families has grown over the years, as we made more friends, got to know more people through the productions I directed, and friends invited their friends. So there were a total of 150 people that turned out for this weekend, making it a wonderful time of fellowship!

 Hadassah was a huge fan of camping. Being able to spend ALL day outside (except for a nice nap in the cabin), even eating outside? A toddler's dream. :)

 On Friday night they asked me to call some English Country Dances, something I'd done at many past camping trips. It was nice to have a way to still be involved so it didn't feel like I was missing out too much. But even with a microphone, my voice was hoarse at the end... it's been almost 3 years since I taught dance, so I guess my voice too has gotten less used! ;)

 Ryan danced with Hadassah some on the side, which totally thrilled her. And then Hadassah and Tabitha (H's cousin 3 months younger) started dancing with each other. Incredibly cute!

 On Saturday I got some practice being a mom to two girls as I took Hadassah & Tabitha to play. It was fun. :)

 They enjoyed the swings for quite a while, and then we moved on to the teeter totter and merry-go-round. Thankfully by then two of my older nieces were playing with us too, so they did the teetering and going-around-holding so I could just be a spotter. ;)

 We enjoyed some friends driving from Texas to catch up, as well as catching up with friends from Alabama. An added bonus to being in the cabin was that by the time we put Hadassah to bed a little later due to camping fun, my mom was at the cabin and didn't mind us coming back out to the campfire to enjoy some good late night conversations!

 My sister and her family drove down from Ohio to be there, and she continued her glow stick traditions.

 It was wonderful to see my sister Jubilee and she brought some friends from college. And since we couldn't play many running games, we got some board games in!

 Sunday morning we had a gathering to sing and share what God has been doing, and of course do the traditional "Bind Us Together" song with clapping!

All-in-all, it was a wonderful weekend, and such a blessing to be able to be a part of it! They skyped us in to the Sunday morning gathering our first camping trip missed in China, but it was so much more rewarding being there in person. :)

Picture credits: Thanks to my brother-in-law John who captured most of these great images! And to Lexi Griffin for the one of us playing a game.

"I like new house"

With Hadassah finally feeling better, her "all done new house" phrase was heard less, especially after we had her wave goodbye to each room in our old apartment when we returned the keys. She seemed to understand that it was empty and we were in the new place to stay. Though she was still often "all done" after being cooped inside most of the day due to the heat, Ryan taking her out first thing in the morning and having friends close by to come over during the day helped a lot. I forget exactly when, but after such a time she told me, "I like new house." Finally getting to move her into her room on Friday increased her enjoyment - she brings everyone on skype or in person to her room now, excitedly showing them her "pink room" and the cool flower light that she can turn on and off! :)

 On Monday it was still quite hot outside, and I also had to stay here all morning as three deliveries were expected. As 10 AM approached, though, I could tell Hadassah was getting antsy and tired of being inside. So, I texted the friends in our very building to ask if their little girl wanted to come up and play for an hour. So nice to be able to ask last minute!

These two are almost exactly the same age (just 5 days difference!) and having her here to play made her toys seem new again, as Hadassah loved showing her many different things. They made train tracks and squished play dough balls and stars I made them... So cute to see two little ones playing together!

 Hadassah has really enjoyed the toy piano we got her used too. She was fascinated one Sunday when Daddy let her try out the microphone as he practiced singing before morning worship. So when she saw there was a mic with her piano, she knew just what to do. Daily she "sings," mostly making up her own nonsense-sounding songs, or belting out "I will glory in my Redeemer!" over and over (we taught her that line to sing with us as it repeats many time in the song on Sunday, and she latched on to it - so sweet to hear her singing praise songs!).

Also, when did my little girl get so grown up? Hair in one pony tail really makes that fact real...

 We had the weekly Wednesday fellowship at our apartment this week, providing more play time with friends. Though Hadassah still often prefers to play by herself in groups, she and this little girl climbed up on the couch together and were sharing the stacking cups. So cute!

 The other American family's building is just a few minutes' walk from ours, and this 3-year-old was excited to come over as well. Knowing we'd probably want another diversion on Thursday, I invited her to come for an hour. Hadassah walked over with me to pick her up and drop her off. They played dress up and had a tea party, which Hadassah kept talking about.

 They also "cooked," making a pot of "soup" with the fake food. Ever since, Hadassah does the same thing multiple times a day, down to choosing the same pink and green spoon to use. Whether it's her age or the influence of seeing other kids prefer a certain color, she is getting particular about her favorite thing based on colors. ;)

While playing with this little girl, I realized how I was enjoying interacting with other little girls that could actually understand me. When all you can do is smile at a child, not speak in a way they understand much, you run out of things to do. I used to babysit and teach young ones and enjoy playing with them and their imagination, and with these friends I'm able to do that again. Such fun!

On Friday morning a friend I met when walking to the store one day came over. This picture was taken on their first visit when we were still at our old apartment two weeks ago. When I met them, it was an extremely hot day, I didn't have a stroller, and Hadassah was wanting to be carried as much as I'd let her... I was tired and really wishing I had a car. But when a mom and daughter stopped to talk, I realized that chance meetings like this wouldn't happen if I had a car, so there is some good to having to walk! The mom is Chinese but speaks very good English, the dad Romanian. The little girl is just a few weeks younger than Hadassah, so another cute same-age friend!

By Friday, believe it or not, Hadassah seemed almost tired of being with people! But she still enjoyed having a change by having friends in the house.

Our old neighbors also walked over for a visit Friday evening, and it was so good to catch up with them. Hadassah loved showing them around. :) They ended up staying for 2 hours, which is longer than they usually stayed when we were just next door, so it's fun to have an excuse to have longer conversations by being farther away!

She pulls me or Ryan over to join her for a "picnic" at every opportunity. I think she feels like such a big girl to be able to sit at a small table with real chairs (another secondhand find). Scenes like this melt my heart...

This morning we went to a play time at a Chinese friend's house in the same complex. It's crazy thinking back to lonely days when it was rare that we saw ANYONE we knew during the day. Now, almost every day has involved friends. It was almost too tiring, but we know that at the beginning of life in a new place, it's important to make and accept invitations as you get to know people, otherwise the opportunities can pass by. And it just makes real to me that God provides. Life overseas is still hard, but it so so helps to be a part of community.

As American as...

Yes... Apple Pie!

After last fall's baking class, they asked if I'd be interested in doing it again. My neighbor helped me fill out a volunteer form (since it was in Chinese characters!) as I enjoy being involved in the community when I can. They asked me to read a Christmas story in December at the children's reading group, and I enjoyed sharing the true story of what we celebrate at Christmas. Very powerful to read (with Yinyue translating) how Jesus came to be the king of the entire world...

The organizer of the classes was one we invited to our Thanksgiving meal, and she really liked the apple pie. So, a date finally worked with them and me to teach them how to make it!

 Starting with introductions... I told them (as Yinyue translated) "In America, if something is very common or popular, we say that it is 'As American as apple pie.' 

I was more comfortable this time; the people are so sweet and I feel more at home. I even read off the ingredients in Chinese as I demonstrated, as Yinyue had come over earlier to teach me the pinyin and tones for them. I figured the ingredients were safe to say, since everyone had a copy of the recipe and could read them, and Yinyue still repeated them in better Chinese at times. ;) It was a fun challenge to use some of what I've been learning, though, and yet so helpful to have Yinyue there to translate everything else.

 Rolling out the pie crust... thankfully our "never fail pie crust" recipe hasn't failed me yet. :)

I was very thankful I had cut up most of the apples to save time at home, though. When I demonstrated how to cut the final apple for them, I noticed my hand shaking some and I nearly stabbed myself. So, I guess there were still nerves... speaking in front of people will never fully be easy for me! 

 Demonstrating what the sugar-butter-water mixture consistency should look like. I made this recipe, a new one a friend told me about for Thanksgiving. It's nice for the Chinese, as it doesn't require any hard-to-get ingredients - though butter is more expensive and harder to find here than in America!

 The pies. The one on the left I took home to cook, and the one on the right I made the day before to share in class.

 All of the children were very eager to get a piece!

 With my dear neighbor and friend, and some new friends from the class. I am so thankful and blessed to be included.

 And I wore my Grandma's apron for the demonstration. Just another way in which she finally made it to China... :)

Creating Christmas Cookies

Wanting to not just delay celebrating until we got "home" to America, I decided it would be fun to make Christmas cookies to give out to Ryan's co-workers and some neighbors. After all, the Chinese people seem to enjoy learning about traditions, and this is one I enjoyed doing with my sisters many years. Plus, having something to give at Christmas, along with a letter explaining the true meaning of Christmas, seemed like a good plan.

I invited my neighbor to join me, since she really enjoys learning more about baking and I knew that making and decorating a whole batch of sugar cookies would likely make me go crazy! I'm so glad I asked... Projects like these are definitely not meant to be done alone!

She came over on Thursday to help roll and cut out the cookies. She brought some cookie cutters she had, and we used ones I'd brought here. The recipe I used was great - these were the easiest cookies I ever rolled and cut out! Must have been all of that butter. ;)

It only took 6-7 batches baking in our small oven before they were all ready. By that time, I'd had time to make the frosting and the cookies cooled quickly in the cool house. ;)

 The pretty colors ready to be used...

We were able to decorate about half of the over 80 cookies that night too, finally calling it around a night around 9 PM. While we baked, Ryan and her husband talked for quite a while, getting on some really good topics, truth being shared and discussed. Then he took their son back and Ryan went to get some music ready for Sunday (Hadassah having been in bed for some time already) and it left Y and I with some great time to talk. It's rare that we get uninterrupted time, as one or the other of us is usually busy with a child. :)

 There's something about making something pretty that is so relaxing. Christmas music played in the background, giving some starters for conversation here and there. Y remarked that it had been a stressful week at work, but that this was so restful and fun. As I decorated a sheep, I asked if she'd heard the phrase "counting sheep." She said yes, and that in China they joke that Americans must count sheep because it sounds like the word for sleep (how did I never make that connection?). So she said in China people say to count dumplings, because the word for boiled dumplings sounds like the word for sleep - same spelling and pronunciation, just different tones. It made us both laugh, especially when she said you're not supposed to count too many dumplings, or you'll get hungry and won't be able to sleep!

I enjoyed learning more about Chinese history, sharing some stories from the first Christmas as the music played, and hearing some ancient Chinese stories that are similar.

The next evening, she came over again, to finish decorating the cookies. It was just us, along with music, and as we worked and talked, she remarked on how nice it was to do something creative with a friend. And she truly is a friend. I am realizing how blessed I am - I've never had a friend as such a close neighbor!

We got to know each other more over Christmas cookies. She shared some hard things that have happened in her family. I asked about what they think about life after death, and shared about the peace I have about that in Christ. As music played that my students had danced to, I shared some of the memories. I told her about my favorite and last production, "Creation's Promise" and described the Creation dance. She wanted to see it, so after we finished up the cookies, we watched the recording, as it portrayed creation and the fall. It's really cool to see how things I did in the past - really, God did - are being used even now.

We now have 22 smaller plates of cookies, stacked and ready to give out to Ryan's co-workers. Ryan edited the letter yesterday, to clearly explain the message that brought so much hope so many years ago. There is a reason for this season - and there's a reason why we're here.

Lord, use these cookies, to glorify You, as You already have... 

Community

It's a pretty familiar sight: a gathering of grandmas with babies in strollers, going on an outing together. And the familiar ache hits. I want what they have. Well, not exactly what they have. I know that I could join in - I could leave the dishes, grab Hadassah, run down the stairs, unfold the stroller, and run after them. I'd be welcome. But I'd be the novelty. Everyone here is so kind; they smile quickly, show interest, and remark on how beautiful my daughter is. But we're the curiosity - asking how old she is, remarking on her walking so well, and feeling her jacket because they're sure she's not dressed warmly enough... I love it. I love the opportunities to practice Chinese and the interaction with a friendly face. But my understanding runs out before their words do, and we're left with awkward smiles. We both feel it. They start talking among themselves about us, and eventually I move on.

I'm not complaining. This is what we wanted, to be living right in the culture, with Chinese people as our neighbors. But it's hard. The reality of not having that close-knit, you-understand-each-other community is hard.

Many moms have said that the season with littles is lonely. I understand that now. It's not that I don't love my daughter. She's so sweet and cute and growing so fast that I love being here to share all those moments with her. She makes me laugh and brings such joy. But between naps and meals and chores, going anywhere is difficult. And when the friends from church live an hour away, it's even harder. I wouldn't trade this time; I'm gaining a closeness with Hadassah that I hope will last, as she grows and becomes my right-hand girl. But...

I have it easier than so many. There were women alone on the prairie, women who packed their belongings in coffins to follow their husbands to Africa, and women (my mom included) who received news 6 weeks late when a letter finally arrived. I have weekly skype dates with family and friends, and even a US phone that uses the internet to make unlimited calls and texts. I have dear friends, sisters by heart, who send emails and check up to see how I'm doing. Those things are invaluable - I'm not minimizing them. But...

But I long for a friend that's there, who comes over and we talk while the children play. Who knows the 'rules' of our home and isn't afraid to correct my daughter if she gets into something while I'm in the kitchen getting a snack. Who doesn't have it all figured out (since I certainly don't!), but we can talk through it together. I miss the Titus 2 woman who knows me, knows my circumstances, and offers advice based in knowledge and truth from God's Word. I miss the younger sister who comes over to enjoy a baby and talk about life and hopes and dreams...

Unrealistic? Maybe. At least, hard to come by. And I know it's not just because I'm in China that I'm having these longings. Community is hard to find no matter where you are. Our culture is fast-paced, people are always moving, and we (myself included!) are often too afraid to open up our not-so-perfect homes and be real about our far-from-arrived lives.

But that doesn't mean I don't long for it. The Body of Christ isn't meant to be just a gathering on Sunday morning. Is it better than nothing? For sure. Am I just not being grateful for what I have? Perhaps. And I have a sneaking suspicion that what I long for won't fully be realized until heaven.

Maybe it's just because I know what I'm missing... they say ignorance is bliss. But I've seen a community where parents could supervise a little less, because they all looked out for each other's kids and even the teens kept an eye out for the toddlers. I've seen the moms be real with each other, and the children forge friendships to last. Was it perfect? No. But it was - is - beautiful. I was still a little on the outskirts; I was the teacher who had to stop conversations to let the class start. But I was there. I was included. I had moms who mentored me and younger "sisters" I could take out to lunch. And it's still a place we can go back to and feel included and loved. I'm ever so thankful for that. So why long for more?

There's something about that in-person-ness. (and yes I know that's not a word!) It's kind of ironic to write about this on a blog that's not in person and mainly one-sided... Why even bring it up? Because I believe it's something to be sought after, to look for wherever you are. So if you live in a community that's already there, make the most of it! Don't be afraid to get involved, to invite people over, to be real. If you don't live in community currently, pray for it and work to build it. Do the same things - invite people, open up, and live truthfully as a Body.

Part of me just wants to give up looking for that here. Part of me knows I should keep trying. We are blessed with friends - in 6 months time we've made quite a few. There are always more opportunities to get to know people than there is time. But it's hard for them to be deep, especially when they can only be built during evenings or weekends with a little one with an early bedtime. But... it's worth trying. We're praying for it. We're realizing it may not happen here, and it factors into how long we stay. We're seeing the wisdom in people who move overseas with a team or intentionally live close to those with whom they can form community. But we also know that God has put us where we are right now for a reason. We wouldn't change being close to Ryan's work and allowing us to have more family time. We are thankful for our neighbors and the friends here, and the Sunday morning relationships.

But we're looking forward to more, one day, should the Lord so bless. Because life lived alone with Him is worthwhile and sweet, but "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow" (Ecclessiastes 4:9-10) and "exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13)

So wherever we are, let's be intentional about building community for God's glory.