Sweet Reunion!!!

Ahhh...my family came to visit just a few weeks ago! These next 3 posts are some play-by-plays of wonderful times we shared together!!! While I was dying of anticipation waiting for them to arrive (above), my poor family was suffering through the stressful journey of traveling half-way around the world (below)! Somehow Ross captured this little moment on camera...hahaha...this one's a keeper!!!
But after a couple of days of traveling were over, we finally experienced the moment we'd all been waiting for...our reunion!!! (This is for you Mama... ooxxOOxx hug hug kiss kiss BIG hug leetle kiss)

Exactly 1 year from the day that we'd last seen each other! Oh how I thank you Father!!!

We stayed up super late after they arrived the first night just talking away and enjoying being with each other, and we when we finally got up the next morning we got to share Christmas presents with each other!

One of the things that we love to do together as a family is watch old home movies, so as we were out and about each day my sweet Daddy made sure to capture it all on video...just like he's been doing for the past 24 years!!! :)

We had the best time exploring around the city, and it was awesome getting to watch them take it all in! We all felt like our week together was the best quality time we've ever spent together as a family. Since Val was outta town with her parents, the whole family got to live with me while they were here!

After the first couple of days of being together my heart was overwhelmed with love, thankfulness, and awe at how Father's moved in our lives...I couldn't believe we still had a few more to go!!!

East to West

Thanks for introducing that song to me Daddy! After a couple of days of completely immersing the family into the culture, we took a day of REST and celebrated Mama's birthday! Here's a shoutout to my Mama: So Mama was really craving McDonalds after I'd given them nothing but Asian food...so we started trying to figure out how we could get some without us all having to go out...and Sarah ended up discovering that the McDonalds in our district will deliver to our apartment!!! What what!!! Go Mama!

That night Joy cooked lasagna, and Sarah and I tag teamed on a red-velvet cake!

Ross and I were really enjoying the statues throughout the city!

And the people were really enjoying Ross and Daddy! :)

Nice tights!

Somehow I ended up getting us into one of the busiest districts of town on one of the most crowded nights of the year, New Year's Eve...but they handled it great!!! And we ended up getting to share Pizza and lots of laughs for dinner!!!

Such PRECIOUS times together!!!

Pure Fun!

One of the things that had us laughing the hardest was when we all tried to squeeze into these little mini-taxis together! They're definitely not made for 6 ft. and over (or wider ;) hehe) One of the 1st times we all piled up in the taxi together, the driver immediately got out and went to check the tires on the passenger's side to make sure we hadn't caused them to go flat! Haha...and then another time we could hear part of the tire rubbing on the fender when we were going around curves! Oh, good memories!
Dad got the "priveledge" of riding in the front seat...and his hair always touched the ceiling while his knees were touching the dash!

On New Year's we enjoyed a Western buffet, then headed down to the river for a stroll!

I love my Daddy!

And I love my sweet Mama too!!! For dinner that night she cooked some black-eyed peas and other fixings and Cat came over to enjoy it with us!

The next day my friend from the Yellow Umbrella told me to stop by b/c she wanted to give my parents a gift. Funny story...we had eatten at her restaurant earlier in the week and it was my family's first Asian meal here, so they wer still new at the whole using chopsticks thing, and we were eating noodles (which Daddy's not a big fan of). So after eating a little while my friend, the restaurant owner, was concerned that we didn't like the food b/c it was taking a while for us to eat it with the chopsticks, so I assured her that we did and just told her that they just weren't used to using chopsticks or eating noodles. After a little while later she came back to the table really concerned that Daddy didn't like the food at all b/c he was the biggest and had eaten the least...so Dad let out a big belch for her to show his approval...hahaha...sadly she didn't even notice when he did it, but we sure did get a kick out of it!!! So anyways...she gave them this really nice hanging sign that says "blessing."

Later that afternoon I took them on a tour of my campus, and I talked them into going to my class for just a short while to meet my teachers and classmates. The girls couldn't stop saying how handsome Ross was! :)
We ended that last night together at one of my favorite restaurants, and they got to meet the owner, Mariah!

WOW...what an incredible time together! Words just can't describe the overwhelming feelings of gratitude and amazement that I still have thinking about our time together, the sacrifices they made to come, and the comforts they left just to be here with me! I realized over the past few weeks the depth and dearness of our relationships as a family...that goes beyond love, to deep care for and commitment to one another! Aww...the tears are welling up and the heart's getting all fluttery again just thinking back...

"He has done GREAT things for us, and we are FILLED with JOY..." ps 126

Love you Daddy, Mama, and Ross!!! Thank you Father!!!

Joy to the World...

He has come!!!

Sorry these pics are a little late...I'm thankful for good internet access again!!!"...the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world..."
So thankful that Val's parents were here for Christmas!Along with some special friends!!!I told Santa that he didn't look the same as the one in the States...and he said, "I know." ;)One of our favorite gifts that we opened on Christmas morning...a can of Easy Cheese and a box of Wheat Thins!!!

Christmas Eve

This Christmas Eve was spent like never before! This was my first time going to school on Christmas Eve...and it ended up going really great! Joy brought her guitar and we packed up the manger scene and took it with us to class! We're thankful for the incredible opportunities that day brought!!

That afternoon Joy and I headed out to visit store owners on our street, and deliver goodies. These pics are a few of the highlights of our day. Our first stop was lunch at our favorite restaurant, The Yellow Umbrella (we call it this b/c there are tables with big yellow umbrellas sitting out in front). We brought them a gingerbread house that Sarah had given us...and they loved it! This is the family that runs the Yellow Umbrella.

We went to another of our favorite restaurants to share tea with the owner. We call her Mariah, and her restaurant Mariah's (b/c she used to play a Mariah Carey CD everytime we came in).
This lady and her husband opened the first bakery on our street...something we were very thankful for!!! She gave us these lil Santa hats.

We're so thankful for these neighbors, and the day we were able to share spending time with them!

Christmas Miracles...

Wow...what an amazing Christmas season this has been! We've had a few parties and are having one more this weekend, then on Christmas Eve our teacher wants us to share with her and a few others the good news about this holiday!!!

Last weekend our classmates came over, and after sharing the Christmas story and my own story with them, I found out some exciting news! My classmate, LH, who's Dad has been really sick with cancer, had a visitor come to his hospital room last week. That visitor shared some very good news with her dad and he trusted in that message just a few days ago!!! :) I still can't believe it!!! This past Thursday night her dad passed away, to never be apart from his Maker again! But please lift up LH and her boyfriend with me, as her heart is grieving. She will not be able to return to her home country, and she is so heartbroken! May she find the peace and comfort that only the gift we celebrate at Christmas can bring!!!

These last 2 pics are just for kicks:

(Above) Joy and I piled up 25 deep in our classmates living room last week to have a taste of their home country and celebrate one of their birthdays...memories! (Below) Somehow our lil freezer iced over and we couldn't open most of the drawers...so we got out the hairdryer and a couple of knives, and the ice was gone in no time. :)

THANKS GIVING!!!

So sorry I forgot to share these pics until now! But Thanksgiving was SO great! I had the opportunity to travel and visit some sweet friends of mine! In the first city I went to, the girls and I got to reunite with a precious family that used to live in our city. Thanksgiving Eve was "performance night"...so the girls and I coregraphed a special dance for them!
Thanksgiving Day we had a delicious feast...big thanks to our mommies for the special ingredients yall sent!!!
We had a wonderful time giving thanks to our Father...
not only for the grub ;), but for each other, the opportunity to live here, and for his unceasing goodness!!!

In the next city, I got to enjoy BEAUTIFUL scenery, and visit some DEAR (and also beautiful)friends!!!



The Maker has done great things for us,
and we are FILLED with JOY!!! -ps126.3