Dear Family and Friends,
We hope your Christmas was splendid! Ours was...interesting. But good. Highlight of the day, for sure, was our skype with Ally. It was very hard to hang up but we are already on the countdown for the Mother's Day skype, her last one before heading home. She hit her nine month mark on Dec. 27th. Her comment about this, "I still have another pregnancy to go"-that makes both the nine months she's already finished and the next nine to come seem really long. We were talking with her about Chase going, and possibly Brooke, she told them it was stinking hard, but worth the effort, and to be super nice to their siblings because they will miss them SO MUCH. Hearing her speak Swedish was my favorite, and hearing her laugh. I've missed that!
Monday: We skyped into the Taylor family Christmas party right as they acted out the nativity. Fun to see the cousins and guess who the little babies walking around might be as it was blurry. Mr. Li took the girls and me to Luohu to finish up shopping. We found some great luggage for Chase's mission and lots of velvet ribbon. Todd, Chase and Brigham went to another place to shop with our friend Ernesto Tovar. Brooke left some things at the tailor (a gold sparkly top for New Year's Eve) and we picked up some other things. The gift mall is so smoky! Sophie said she hasn't gone one day in China without seeing a black haired person. We also quickly ran through the stationary mall to get some flags, a Chinese flag and some Australian flags, to add to our collection in Chase's honor.
Tuesday: Baked two pumpkin pies. Todd and I ran some last minute errands. Finally finished Christmas gift shopping, I think! The boys played basketball and the girls cleaned and finished decorating the house. We headed down to sea world for dinner at Bombay and then walked around seeing all the vendors. We purchased a few Chinese Christmas ornaments that smell like flowers, and a Chinese flute. Sea world is all lit up for ChineseNew Year. Lights everywhere, and very crowded. We stopped for last minute ingredients from the import stores...marshmallows for fudge and cornflake wreaths. I wanted the chex cereal but couldn't make myself pay $12 for one measly box. Mini candy canes for hot chocolate and sour cream for onion dip. I made some Kneaders via Noel raspberry bread pudding for breakfast, the fudge and the cookies for Santa. We read from Luke, the Christmas story, and had Brigham do a book report from A Christmas Carol, sang a few carols, tracked Santa online, opened Christmas jammies and headed for bed...after gift wrapping the doorway for Christmas morning, of course.
Just a couple of thoughts I had on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. I was watching the workers building the house across the street. It was a normal workday for them. I was thinking that's how it probably was on the day our Savior was born, people just going about their lives as normal. Some knew it was coming, but many had no idea. Most of the Chinese here have no idea about the significance of His birth as we know it. I wished they could take a break and focus on the "most important event in human history" as Alma states. Then I was extremely grateful that I was born in a land that knows and celebrates and was founded as "one nation, under God". This is one lesson of the many we have learned by moving to China that I hope we all remember.
Wednesday: We met the kids at the doorway at 8:00 am. The little girls had a turn to bust through the wrapping this year. Spent the morning just watching the kids and eating. Played settlers of catan. I invited a friend from my Chinese class and her husband and daughter over for Christmas dinner. We had the turkey/mashed potatoes/gravy/stuffing/
Thursday: slept in until 11am, called my family, ate a plate of Christmas leftovers and went back to sleep until 4pm. Guess I was a little worn out from Christmas prep. It was sooooo nice to do NOTHING. Later I went to the gym and library with Sophie, watched a few cooking shows and went to bed. I loved this day. Todd and Brigham went out riding their new bikes with safety lights brightly flashing. The boys were off playing basketball and soccer. Girls went exploring and on a photo shoot with their new cameras. Sophie blew through two packs of fuji film already, and got one cartridge stuck, backwards, inside her camera.
Friday: Girls and I rode subway to meet Todd after work at the apple store. Huaqiang Bay the electronics market, (too crazy, even for me) and starbucks for hot chocolate. Muslim noodle takeout for dinner. We call it the bare butt baby restaurant and today proved, once again, why...when we walked in, the mom was changing the baby on one of the dining tables. So funny! And so gross! And we still ordered food and ATE it! What's becoming of us? Todd and I had a date with one of his co-workers and his wife. Their daughter, Anu, played at our house with Sophie and Brynn. We went to Yes! Thai. It was a NO! I'd been there before and I was giving it a second chance. I just can't do chicken with heads and fish with eyes and shrimp with antenna etc. I would like a nice cube of white meat chicken, not a dark,greasy,skin-on piece hidden in curry sauce. When we got home we all ended up in the office chatting and laughing about something Chase said and for a report of Shane's date.
Saturday: A package we've been waiting for came in the mail today. Phew! BYU game at our house! Chili & cornbread, and tomato soup made by Sarah Warr for half time. Grenatas and Warrs came to cheer on the cougars. Shane took Chase, Brooke, Brigham to Windows of the World for the afternoon and I took the girls to get a FOOT massage. San ge jian an mo. I've never had a more painful massage. The lady was twisting and rotating my arms in ways they have never been before. At one point she grabbed my elbows behind my back up to shoulder height and then put both her knees in my back and cracked it four times. The girls were staring at this lady with the widest eyes wondering what she was doing to their mother. She took two glass cups, sprayed them with alcohol, lit them on fire and stuck them to my heels and wrapped them in towels. She put one hand on my neck and the other hand on my forehead and rotated my head in circles each way. Then she pushed my head down to my shoulder and put her elbow into my neck. To end the session, I was sitting in a chair and she takes my ankle, straight leg and lifts it as high as she can with one hand on my knee so I couldn't bend it. I told her stop and she pushed more and then held it there and smacked my butt. I was laughing it hurt SO BAD.The girls were asking me if I was OK. No, not really. I need to work on my Chinese words because my facial expressions were evidently not enough. I feel bruised all over. We walked to subway (the restaurant) for sandwiches and cookies and then Mr. Li took us home.
Sunday: A Chinese women spoke today with a translator, but still so neat to hear a Chinese national share their testimony in their language. Jameson Nash was baptized in the chilly outdoor font and then we had Hawaiian haystacks. Brynn and Brigham said the prayers and Brooke played for the musical number. Chase set up all the electronics for the grandparents and Todd cleaned out the font. Our favorite primary pianist moved back to UT, so I've been playing for primary. It was nice to not have to make Sunday dinner today. We played a round of Settlers of Catan with Chase and Todd and Shane and then tried to plan a two week menu of healthier dishes. We had toasted baguette with hummus and celery/olive relish on top for dinner and then more games and family movies.
Chinese name this week: Lime. Side note: one year ago today, Dec.29th, we were in Nauvoo on our cross country train trip. Good memories. Wish we could go back and do that again!
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Keep in touch! Come visit!
Love from China,
Taylors
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