Uncle Dan Meets His 'Taiwaniece'

We had a great visit with my brother last week.  Here are a some photo highlights.

The best part of the week, hands down, was watching these two play. 

Watching the dragon boat races from the bridge

Sightseeing on our rented bicycles

Eating huge ice cream cones and walking along the coast in Danshui

Enjoying some fresh sashimi for lunch

All-you-can-eat hot pot buffet.  Happy college graduation, Dan!  

Dan's college friends came over and taught us how to make Taiwanese fried chicken

The "Keira Mobile" made by Dan.  She loved being pushed around in this.
(Sponsored by Taiwan Beer and CoCo Bubble Tea.  #hoping for hair)

No trip to Taiwan is complete without a bowl of beef noodles.

2nd-largest ferris wheel in Asia

We miss you already, Uncle Dan.  Come back soon!

Uncle Dan Is Here!

Moving Day

Today we're moving out of the studio apartment that's been our home the past two years.

This is the home where our marriage grew in grace.  

This is the home where we watched Micah take his first steps.  

This is the home where Keira was born.  

This is the home where I learned to be content with less.

We're going to miss this place. 

We're thankful for our new home, too, which is only a ten-minute walk from here.  Pictures to come!

From now on please use our new address:

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Three Years

Three years ago I married my best friend.

Just for fun, here's a quick photo flashback...

2008

Friends.

2009

Dating.

2010

Marriage.

2 months later...

Moving.

2011

First Anniversary.

2012

Second Anniversary.

Several months later...

Baby.


2013

Third Anniversary.

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 15:5-6

 願賜忍耐和安慰的　神，使你們彼此同心，效法基督耶穌， 同心一致地榮耀我們主耶穌基督的父　神。

(罗马书 15:5-6)

Keira Grace: 7 Months Old

Keira is seven months old!  To view this photo post, click "show encrypted text" below and enter the blog password.  (If you don't have the password, send us an email or fb message).  Thanks!

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Make Your Own Sunscreen

Taiwan's hot and humid summer is here...
so this week's DIY project was natural, cheap, chemical-free sunscreen.

Ingredients:

-1/4 C coconut oil

-1/8 C beeswax granules (adds waterproof properties)

-1/4 C cocoa butter

-2 Tbsp zinc oxide powder (adds SPF properties)

Want to know where to find these ingredients in Taipei?  See this post.

Directions:

1.  In a double boiler (or a pot inside of a water-filled pan), 

melt the beeswax, coconut oil, and cocoa butter.  Whisk together.

2.  Remove from heat and let cool for five minutes.

3.  Whisk in the zinc oxide powder.  

Beat the mixture to get rid of any powder clumps and to whip up the oils a bit.

4.  Pour into a glass jar and let it sit overnight.

5.  Apply liberally and often, and go soak up some sun! 

Note:  This sunscreen has an approximate SPF 20.  We're looking forward to trying it this weekend!

A Midwives Clinic in Taiwan

There's a new midwives clinic in Taiwan!

Our midwife and friend, Mai-Li Wan, opened it last weekend in Yilan.  I think this is the first natural-childbirth-supporting midwives clinic in Taiwan.  We got to travel there with some friends for the opening celebration, and share a little about our home birth experience.

The clinic is peaceful, warm, and inviting.  This is the reception area:

And this is the examination room:

We spent the night on the pull-out couch.  

(Keira slept nearby in her pop-up tent-bed.  It was her first night away from home, and she did great!)

On the third floor, there's a nice space for prenatal education classes which doubled as a play-area for the kids.  (Keira loved practicing her crawling moves all over the tatami mats.)

If you want to check it out, here's the info:

English info:

Mai-Li Wan, Master, RN, CNM

Phone: 886-912-253-841

Email: best.midwife@yahoo.com.tw

BEST Midwives Clinic

No. 28, Ziqiang E. Rd., Wujie Township, 

Yilan County 26845, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

Mai-Li provides prenatal and postpartum care, prenatal and postpartum counseling, birth planning, home birth, professional labor assistance for hospital-birthing families, and lactation assistance.

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On a more personal note, we really enjoyed our weekend in Yilan, thanks to our friends Alberto and Daisy (and their two sweet girls, Pansy and Yue-Ling).  They drove us around, introduced us to some friends, and showed us cool places.  Here we are walking at a nearby forest preserve.

 When we weren't sight-seeing or celebrating, we relaxed at the clinic.  

Pansy calls him, "Kalan Shu-shu" (Uncle Kalan)  :)

Thanks Mai-Li, Alberto, and Daisy for a great weekend!