Pandas!

March Family Update

What?  It's March already?!  The past six months have flown by.  Last Thursday I finished my last semester of Chinese class (for now), and Kalan is getting ready to start full-time study this week.

Grammar notes from my class.  No wonder there hasn't been much time for blogging.  Ha.

We're also getting ready to welcome baby #2 at the end of this month!  I can hardly believe we get to meet him so soon.  These wonderful ladies came over on Saturday to celebrate and pray for us as we get ready to become a family of four.

Having babies in a foreign country is much less intimidating when you're surrounded by such great friends.  :)  Thank you!

36 weeks!

  Keira is 17 months old, and learning new words each week (a mix of English and Chinese).  Recently, her favorite activities include "helping" us with the balcony garden, playing at the Daan Park sandbox (if it's sunny), and playing with homemade clay (if it's rainy).

Keira with her "seeds" (dried beans).  

Uh-oh, Mama, too sticky!

Soon to be a 姐姐 (big sister).

Looking forward to all the exciting changes this month has in store...

Orphanage Cleaning

Yesterday we took a group from Friendship Presbyterian Church to serve at the Garden of Mercy Foundation (a local orphanage).

We mostly cleaned and moved stuff.  

The kids helped too.  :)

Washing windows

Moving dirt

Cleaning out the fridge

Thanks to everyone who came out to help!

Life Lately: Chinese, Gingerbread, Lard, Bubbles, and the Third Trimester!

Daily Chinese homework

Gingerbread house-making

Kitchen experiment: rendering lard (just $1/pound in the local market!)

 New Year's Day brunch with the 室友

 Blowing bubbles at the park

And...hello, third trimester!

聖誕節 Christmas 2013

A few pictures from Christmas 2013... 

Guess who was in charge of the Advent calendar this year?  ;)

Date night

Christmas morning!  聖誕節早上！

Christmas afternoon with friends  聖誕節下午跟朋友們

New Christmas pajamas!  新新的睡衣！

Helping Dad with Christmas dinner
Keira做飯做得很好，像她的爸爸

Helping make Christmas cookies
Keira做聖誕餅乾

Hoping you had a blessed Christmas, and wishing you a Happy New Year!
聖誕節快樂！

Happy Thanksgiving from Taiwan

We are thankful...

 

...for this precious little girl...

...and for wonderful friends...

...and for quirky Taiwanese kitchens...

...for a gluten-free feast...

...and for baby Max, Keira 的朋友...

...for these awesome house-mates...

and for morning-after-Thanksgiving pajama cleaning parties.

...and for all our friends and family across the ocean.

Happy Thanksgiving from Taiwan!