CNY & Valentines

Three celebrations this week have kept us jolly: a birthday, Chinese New Year (Sunday) and Valentines Day.  Our adoption agency families met in Blue Bell for a CNY lunch. The girls enjoyed crafts, noodles, and a magician. Pearl assisted with the very first trick, which made her day. Sapphire sat with Nana and kept hollering at the magician "How did you do that?!)"

When we chatted with other families, we compared memories about the epic trip to China.

Here is Ruby checking out the money envelope typically handed out for CNY. The girls were thrilled to each get a "lucky penny" that is really a dollar coin.

We really appreciate our agency, and all the prayer and care that they have put into our family. We were able to at last meet the social worker who stayed up late one night to match us with Ruby at last.  The families were clearly a special group of people, and it was a very positive experience.  

Maybe when the girls are older we will travel to a big city to see how Chinatown celebrates CNY.  We'll have to see real dragon and lion dancers at some point.  

The night before we got the aunts, uncles, and dogs together for an amazing meal. Warning: grown ups just can't manage to blow out their own candles any more, especially now that there are three big helpers. 

And finally, a special message to all our friends and family: