Monday: Todd started the day off with an early run with Jeff and then off to work. The boys tried out for a basketball team. We were grocery shopping in the grocery store and could hear all the basketballs bouncing in the gym above us. We will find out later this week if they make the team. FHE and letter from Ally. We purchased our tickets to go home this summer. Exciting! We will be the ones kissing the ground at the airport. I'm so looking forward to a drink with ICE. Especially sonic ice.
Tuesday: Brynn, Sophie and I took the shuttle to Metro, Decathlon and Ikea. Sophie didn't want to go at first because she doesn't like the smell of Metro. We bought her a new skateboard helmet, hot pink, so she wore that in lieu of carrying it, all through ikea. She got Brynn to wear it for her, for part of the time. Chineseclass and then another Apple class. Brooke knows most of what the teacher is teaching her, but a few new shortcuts made the class worthwhile. The boys + Dusty and Shane met us at the mall and we went toSimplyLife for dinner. This is the restaurant where we travel to Hong Kong and near Todd's work to eat. We didn't know there was one so close. It was rainy and cold on the way home. Half of us caught a taxi, the other half of us walked home in the rain. Shane and Dusty came over to show us their photos from theirChinese New Year Southeast Asian tour. They went to Bali, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and some spots inChina. Looked like an amazing, once in a lifetime vacation.
Wednesday: SWIC field trip was cancelled because of rain. I was going to eat lunch with Sherley, Cherie, Adi at Cherie's house. She just received her shipment of items from home and we were going to check them out and order takeout. When I arrived she informed us that she had made us lunch, just whipped up...chicken, spinach and tomato stromboli and salad with avocado and tomato and feta. She also had cupcakes and herbal tea. Everything was perfectly delicious. From there I got in a nightmare cab to the police station to register with the city. He didn't know how to get where I needed to go. We drove in circles, stopped in the middle of the road, he called a few people, checked my maps, his maps etc. Finally found the place and I had to grab a number and wait in cold metal chairs. Todd met me there with his passport. On the way out I had to use the bathroom badly so on the street, next to the police station there was a public bathroom. I'm so glad the lights didn't work, because from the smell of things it wouldn't have been pretty. Next to overseas market for cream and parmesan cheese for the YW/YM box dinner date night. It was at our house so we decorated with candy and candles and flowers. Some boys made pasta, garlic bread, salad and I showed them how to make alfredo from scratch. Hey Ho, however, made up a sushi dinner and on the sushi had written " date w/me?" and gave it to Brooklyn. Later that night, he sent her a text, "so is that a YES?" Dusty, Shane, Joyce and Jeff also came over to eat with us. Donna gave them some etiquette tips and we called it a night. Chase, meanwhile, was teaching a missionary discussion to the Marr family. He will meet again with them next Wednesday too. He appreciates the practice.
Thursday: Kathy picked me up to go to Fairy Lake along with some other ladies from the branch. We first stopped at the temples. It was a busy, busy place. Worshippers would light their incense (in groups of three) at a glowing hot fire pit near the alters. On the alters were many plates of food and flowers. There were metal kneeling benches at multiple alters around the temples. The main temple had three giant golden Buddhas with huge ears. Each one had a table in front of it with elaborately decorated fruit bowls-dragon fruit, oranges, apples, bananas. The walls and ceilings were also carved and painted. Tile roof with animals and dragons carved into them. Nasty bathrooms-so bad Kathy made me take a photo. There was a wishing pagoda where people tried to get coins into the top section. I was laughing so hard because just on the other side people were praying/kneeling and they kept getting hit with money as people overshot the pagoda. If they prayed for money, they were most likely instantly answered with coins on their heads and backs. One lady was collecting change and holding it behind her back. We watched her for awhile, stealing people's wishes. We smelled of smoke when we got back to the car. Next onto the botanical garden greenhouses. One had cacti, one succulents, and the third aloe vera and colorful flowers. Some leaves had Chinesecharacters carved into them. After that we went to the actual lake part of the park. There were cobblestone walkways out the the middle of the lake where there was a pagoda. You could rent boats or goose shaped boats to float on the lake. We drove by the petrified wood forest and then climbed to the top of a five or six level pagoda. At the top was an old Chinese woman, meditating. She said she couldn't see well. The view was beautiful. There was a big, open, green field and lots of hiking trails. We had lunch at Cali burger and then headed home. Both boys made the basketball team. American Idol and then Brooke and I went to the gym and called it a day.
Friday: Brynn had a computer class today, Sophie went along too. She wears my camera like a necklace and can get away with taking photos of whoever and whatever she wants. Todd met us there and walked home with us. The girls had tennis and we had a seminary party at our house. Kids packed for youth conference tomorrow.
Saturday: (Todd Here) We left to Hong Kong before 6AM for a youth conference with the international branches from Hong Kong and Taiwan. We hiked Victoria's peak, worked on some service projects and then had a fireside and testimony meeting. The service projects included tying blankets, creating primary materials for some of the smaller branches and packing food and notes for the Philippine sisters who work as maids in Hong Kong and send all their income back to their families. Really good projects. Nice group of youth as well. From all over the world. A few really interesting characters in the group. One of the other leaders asked me if our boys liked to play Pokemon and listen to Disney music. (I told him only Chase :) )
Sunday: Chase spoke in church today (again) and did a nice job. We headed to Hong Kong to the Wan Chaibuilding for a devotional celebrating the 65th anniversary of the church in Hong Kong. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and the G.A. Brother Halstrom and their wives attended the meeting and spoke. Fun to see and be a part of meetings like that one.
Well, it's now 1AM. I hope this reads well.
Have a happy week- Come visit- Keep in touch.
Love from China,
Taylor Fam
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