Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Chinese New Year ~ Celebrate!

What a special day!  A day that for the past 30 some years of my life (ahemm) went on like any other day.  How many of us celebrate the Chinese New Year? It was a first of us. And it will now be a day we will celebrate for the rest of our lives.  I love that!
We want her to know her heritage, the traditions, the culture.  It will all become a part of our family, because SHE will!

I remember as a little girl my favorite day of the month was when my Dad's National Geographic magazine would come in the mail.

I would get out a blanket and a pillow and spread it out on the floor in the living room of our military base housing home.  I would read it cover to cover, over and over.  I loved learning about other lands, other people.  I wanted to go there! I wanted to try their food, celebrate their holidays.  I've had a fascination with other cultures for as long as I can remember! I love the world God created! He's so creative! I'm thankful my parents encouraged us to learn about our world outside of our little one we lived in.  We always supported missionaries, invited them into our home, and prayed for their field.

When we shared with our friends who recently adopted their son from China, that we were ready to move forward with our adoption of our daughter, we were invited to celebrate the Chinese New Year with them and other friends who are also adopting.  How exciting!!

I've done a bit of reading about the CNY celebrations and preparations.  It's fascinating!  I've also been reading in the Old Testament about what the Lord required of His people to prepare for the Passover.  I've thought alot about that.  The cleaning, the color red, banners over doorways...
So thankful that to come before our Lord, we no longer have to go through an extensive ceremony.  He is completely and totally WITH us! We have access to Him at all times.  Thank you to His Son for removing the complicated space between us and our Father. 

The CNY for us was pretty emotional, all good though :)
I brought dessert. And there is a little problem with that.  The Asian culture is not nutso on desserts, pretty much a complete contrast to our Western culture.  We are obsessed with sweets!
So I tried my best and came up with this masterpiece...
Let me explain the method to this madness...
Red.  It's *good luck*
So I made Red Velvet Brownies.
Rice Pudding.
So I made Chocolate Rice Pudding with Dark Chocolate & Red Chocolate Chips, blended with whipped cream
Fortune Cookies.
So I crushed them (after paper fortune was removed)
Layered it all up, and there ya go!



Now...I so very proudly shared my slightly crazy recipe with a sweet friend who lives in Asia. And she very graciously said "nice try".  I had the red part right, and the rice.  And that was it.  Everything else is NOT Asian.  oops.  :)

We enjoyed music and the little ones danced. 
 
Her house was blessed with decor that was brought back from their trip to bring home their son.
And we had TONS of super yummy food!
The little girls and the big girls got their precious time together
 
My friend MADE her own fortune cookies!!! And seriously they tasted amazing! But the best part about the cookies was what was inside.  She placed simple words for the children to learn in the Chinese language.  Mostly numbers and short words.  I did hear one of the boys though say that they would like a new fortune cookie.  He was not pleased with the word he had in his ..."LOVE"...ewwww!
The adult's table had our own special fortune cookies.  She shared with us and the other two couples that are adopting that she prayed over each one of these "prayers for us"
And so then the tears came.
Each one SO special for each one of us.
 
See the necklace...more tears as she gave each Momma one.  And that's what is says in the Chinese characters at the bottom corner of the necklace "Mother"
LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!!!
We talked about how NEXT Chinese New Year will be sooooo different for us and two other couples who weren't able to come today.  FIVE more little ones will be with us next year!! Praying for more families we know that are being prompted to move forward!
This little guy will have some new friends soon!
 
This picture will look soooo different next year!! We are praying for each one of our journeys and the the Lord will bless the precious little angels waiting patiently to join their forever families!
 
 
~Amber
 
 
 
 
 
 

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