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DSC_0021
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DSC_0038James Chen kindly took these pictures for us on Sunday, January 28, 2007 at the first service. Senior Pastor Bob Stone officiated the Lydia's baby dedication ceremony.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Lydia's Baby Dedication Photos at Shoreline Community Church
DSC_0013 DSC_0021 DSC_0026 DSC_0031 DSC_0038
Lydia's Most Successful Bath -- No Crying !
February 2, 2007 (Friday)
“Perfect love casts out fear” is God’s reassurance to us that comes from chapter four of the book 1st John because everybody fear something(s). Frequent causes of apprehension, anxiety, and even terror are the unknown, death, enemies, failure, loneliness, rejection, and suffering. Embedded in the Chinese culture is the fear of “losing face”. Among children, fear of the dark and fear of being separated from parents are commonplace.
Lydia’s fears include fear of the dark and fear of water. With respect to her first fear, not much has changed since we first received her. At night, she sleeps most comfortably with the main bedroom lights on, which we later turn off once she is asleep. When she awakens, if the night light is turned off, she is terrified and cries inconsolably.
With respect to her second fear, hydrophobia, however, she has gradually become much less intimidated, particularly this week. For Lydia, drinking water has never been a problem; being even minimally immersed in water has always been a problem. Ma and Pa Chin surmise that in China, Lydia rarely received tub baths, so that is the reason why she cried and resisted bathing so much in China and here at home. The staff at the Lakeview Hotel in Nanchang, China informed us that children in China usually receive just one bath per week.
Three people have helped Lydia to overcome her fear of water. Two of them are Pa and Ma Chin since they bathe Lydia with dad gently, but steadily holding her to make sure that she does not fall into the bathtub and mom bathing her. The third is Lucy, one of my cousins and an experienced mother of two young children who recently mailed Lydia a set of green rubber frogs for Lydia to play with during bath time. Tonight, the second time Lydia was exposed to these rubber frogs, she was so preoccupied with catching them in the water that she barely noticed that she was even taking. Prior to tonight, Lydia would always stand in the bathtub, fearful of any contact with water, but tonight, she eagerly stooped in the tub to chase the green rubber frogs and almost sat down there.
After Lydia received her ablutions, Pa Chin accurately called this “Lydia’s most successful bath”.
“Perfect love casts out fear” is God’s reassurance to us that comes from chapter four of the book 1st John because everybody fear something(s). Frequent causes of apprehension, anxiety, and even terror are the unknown, death, enemies, failure, loneliness, rejection, and suffering. Embedded in the Chinese culture is the fear of “losing face”. Among children, fear of the dark and fear of being separated from parents are commonplace.
Lydia’s fears include fear of the dark and fear of water. With respect to her first fear, not much has changed since we first received her. At night, she sleeps most comfortably with the main bedroom lights on, which we later turn off once she is asleep. When she awakens, if the night light is turned off, she is terrified and cries inconsolably.
With respect to her second fear, hydrophobia, however, she has gradually become much less intimidated, particularly this week. For Lydia, drinking water has never been a problem; being even minimally immersed in water has always been a problem. Ma and Pa Chin surmise that in China, Lydia rarely received tub baths, so that is the reason why she cried and resisted bathing so much in China and here at home. The staff at the Lakeview Hotel in Nanchang, China informed us that children in China usually receive just one bath per week.
Three people have helped Lydia to overcome her fear of water. Two of them are Pa and Ma Chin since they bathe Lydia with dad gently, but steadily holding her to make sure that she does not fall into the bathtub and mom bathing her. The third is Lucy, one of my cousins and an experienced mother of two young children who recently mailed Lydia a set of green rubber frogs for Lydia to play with during bath time. Tonight, the second time Lydia was exposed to these rubber frogs, she was so preoccupied with catching them in the water that she barely noticed that she was even taking. Prior to tonight, Lydia would always stand in the bathtub, fearful of any contact with water, but tonight, she eagerly stooped in the tub to chase the green rubber frogs and almost sat down there.
After Lydia received her ablutions, Pa Chin accurately called this “Lydia’s most successful bath”.
Lydia's First Birthday Chinese Banquet Celebration
DSC_0008Lydia's birthday cake
January 27, 2007
DSC_0063T & T Seafood Restaurant
January 27, 2007
DSC_0105
Two of the three adoptive families in our group
Front row (left to right): Rothaus family: Brenda, Taylor, Colton, Mina, and Doug
Second row (left to right): Cochran family: Nella, Brenda, Chelsya, Jerry
DSC_0119Our table:
Front row (left to right): Ma Wee, Lydia, Ma Chin, Pa Chin
Second row (left to right): SiowFong, Tom, Stephan Siew, and Michael Siew
January 27, 2007
DSC_0153Lydia playing with her birthday balloons
January 27, 2007
DSC_0159Lydia's first birthday balloon
January 31, 2007
DSC_0160Lydia being held by Ma Chin with Ma Wee looking on
January 27, 2007
DSC_0166Lydia, Ma Chin, Nella Cochran, Chelsya Cochran
January 27, 2007
DSC_0177Pa Chin cutting Lydia's first birthday cake while Lydia and Ma Chin are looking on
(Brendan Cochran also looking on in right lower part of picture)
January 27, 2007
DSC_0204Peng Liew playing with Lydia at end of the evening by lifting Lydia up and down with both of her arms
January 27, 2007
Thursday, February 1, 2007
More Photos
DSC_0099Lydia touching her hairband
Home
January 26, 2007
DSC_0107Lydia wearing a hairband
Living Room
January 26, 2007
DSC_0134Lydia touching the door to her room, the nursery
January 26, 2007
DSC_0151Ma Chin looking at camera with Lydia in her lap playing with a duck puppet
Pa Chin looking at camera
Living Room
January 26, 2007
DSC_0154Pa Chin with Lydia
Kitchen
January 27, 2007
DSC_0177Ma Chin with Lydia and Lydia's big pink stuffed dog
Living Room
January 27, 2007
January 27, 2007
DSC_0201Lunch with the Chens after church
first row: left to right: Lydia, Ma Wee, Ma Chin, Pa Chin
second row: left to right: SiowFong, Tom, Evelyn Chen, James Chen,
Samuel Chen, and Jenny Chen
Mandarin Gate Restaurant
January 28, 2007
Re-Adoption
January 29, 2007 (Monday)
Re-adoption
When both parents of an adopted Chinese child returns to America from China, they should undergo re-adoption in their state even though the Chinese government and the US federal government recognizes the legitimacy of their foreign adoption. Re-adoption is the name of the legal procedure where the foreign adoption is then formally recognized in the state. The end result of this process is that the adopted child will be issued a state-certified birth certificate, which he or she can obtain in the future for any need.
John Maclean, author of The Chinese Adoption Handbook: How to Adopt from China and Korea (iUniverse Star; 2004, page 238) summarizes the process as follows:
“When your child has to show some school authority or employer his birth certificate it is better to use a derivative document like a state’s Certificate of Foreign Birth than original Chinese documents. If you have to pull out the original amended Chinese birth certificate or decree from the safety deposit box, you will be fearful of losing it and you will have to deal with the Chinese translation issue. It is far better to be able to use the Re-adoption Decree and the state’s birth certificate for this purpose. Furthermore, if you lose the original birth certificate it is practically impossible to get a replacement. Also, there will be no question whatsoever of inheritance rights, and if you ever move to another state that does not recognize the adoption, you have a state adoption decree that the other state must recognize.
The downside to re-adoption is that it may cost money. In some states it is a very simple process and you can do it yourself. In others, it is so complicated that you have to hire an attorney.’”
Lydia’s Re-Adoption Process
Before we left for China, SiowFong visited the county’s courthouse to purchase the re-adoption paperwork packet, and on the week when we returned home, I began filling out the forms. Although I did not have any problems with about 75 % of the paperwork, I encountered enough obstacles to call upon the services of the county’s Neighborhood Legal Clinics, a list of which was included in the packet. I also visited the county’s bar association website to find out more about this program, and I called on Tuesday, January 23 for an appointment at one of the specialty legal clinics entitled the General Family Law Clinics for Monday, January 29, 2007 at 7:15 PM.
Neighborhood Legal Clinics
Our county has neighborhood legal clinics that meet weekly at a number of different locations where residents of the county can meet privately with a volunteer attorney for up to 30 minutes of free legal advice and consultation about civil (not criminal) issues. Unlike many other legal clinics in other cities, counties, and states, these clinics are available to everybody, not just low-income individuals! In addition, interpreters are provided if requested.
Other than the restriction on appointment duration, other stipulations include these: the resident must make an appointment in advance, and the resident must call the day before the appointment to confirm the visit. In addition, the volunteer lawyers will not represent the resident in court or “take the resident’s case”. Finally, although the volunteer attorney may not have the experience or expertise in the area of civil law that is requested, the lawyer will try to respond to a resident’s questions accurately.
Karen H. Nakagawa, Attorney and Counselor at Law
One of the joys of the adoption process has been meeting special people whom we would otherwise not encounter in other circumstances. One of these kindhearted individuals is a professional whom we met tonight at 7:20 PM. Dressed in a light gray business suit, Karen greeted us with a smile shortly after our names were called. As she shook our hands, she simply introduced herself to us as “Karen”, and her affable, easygoing demeanor immediately put us at ease.
Shortly thereafter, she informed us that she elected to help us because a lot of her law practice is adoption work. She later remarked that she volunteers just once every three months, so both SiowFong and I felt extremely fortunate to have her helping us, especially since the other volunteer lawyers on this evening at this site did not do much adoption work.
Knowing that we only had thirty minutes with her, I expected her just to answer some questions and to advise me on how to fill out some of the legal paperwork. Karen did way more than that, including constructing an outline for us so that we would know what papers to bring to court and when to bring them, writing on Post It Note slips of paper exactly what we needed to write to fill in the blanks properly, drawing an extra signature line for SiowFong (the co-petitioner) on the forms that should have her signature as well as mine, bundling our supporting documentation with the right legal cover sheets, teaching us that we needed to have cover sheets (Exhibits A, B, and C) for our supporting paperwork, explaining how the court processes work for re-adoption, and writing detailed notes on another page so that we would not forget any important details. She also informed us that the court’s re-adoption packet was missing two forms, which she would gladly email to us the next day once she received an email from us.
Fortunately for us, nobody else showed up for assistance, and she spent over an hour with us to get all of the above accomplished.
With her friendliness, patience, and attention to detail, Karen demystified all of the paperwork and the entire re-adoption process for us.
For those of you who might be interested in contacting her for help with a family law concern, particularly adoption as that is her specialty, her contact information is as follows: telephone: 206-545-0070; fax: 206-525-5346; website: www.khnlaw.com; email: Karen@khnlaw.com.
Re-adoption
When both parents of an adopted Chinese child returns to America from China, they should undergo re-adoption in their state even though the Chinese government and the US federal government recognizes the legitimacy of their foreign adoption. Re-adoption is the name of the legal procedure where the foreign adoption is then formally recognized in the state. The end result of this process is that the adopted child will be issued a state-certified birth certificate, which he or she can obtain in the future for any need.
John Maclean, author of The Chinese Adoption Handbook: How to Adopt from China and Korea (iUniverse Star; 2004, page 238) summarizes the process as follows:
“When your child has to show some school authority or employer his birth certificate it is better to use a derivative document like a state’s Certificate of Foreign Birth than original Chinese documents. If you have to pull out the original amended Chinese birth certificate or decree from the safety deposit box, you will be fearful of losing it and you will have to deal with the Chinese translation issue. It is far better to be able to use the Re-adoption Decree and the state’s birth certificate for this purpose. Furthermore, if you lose the original birth certificate it is practically impossible to get a replacement. Also, there will be no question whatsoever of inheritance rights, and if you ever move to another state that does not recognize the adoption, you have a state adoption decree that the other state must recognize.
The downside to re-adoption is that it may cost money. In some states it is a very simple process and you can do it yourself. In others, it is so complicated that you have to hire an attorney.’”
Lydia’s Re-Adoption Process
Before we left for China, SiowFong visited the county’s courthouse to purchase the re-adoption paperwork packet, and on the week when we returned home, I began filling out the forms. Although I did not have any problems with about 75 % of the paperwork, I encountered enough obstacles to call upon the services of the county’s Neighborhood Legal Clinics, a list of which was included in the packet. I also visited the county’s bar association website to find out more about this program, and I called on Tuesday, January 23 for an appointment at one of the specialty legal clinics entitled the General Family Law Clinics for Monday, January 29, 2007 at 7:15 PM.
Neighborhood Legal Clinics
Our county has neighborhood legal clinics that meet weekly at a number of different locations where residents of the county can meet privately with a volunteer attorney for up to 30 minutes of free legal advice and consultation about civil (not criminal) issues. Unlike many other legal clinics in other cities, counties, and states, these clinics are available to everybody, not just low-income individuals! In addition, interpreters are provided if requested.
Other than the restriction on appointment duration, other stipulations include these: the resident must make an appointment in advance, and the resident must call the day before the appointment to confirm the visit. In addition, the volunteer lawyers will not represent the resident in court or “take the resident’s case”. Finally, although the volunteer attorney may not have the experience or expertise in the area of civil law that is requested, the lawyer will try to respond to a resident’s questions accurately.
Karen H. Nakagawa, Attorney and Counselor at Law
One of the joys of the adoption process has been meeting special people whom we would otherwise not encounter in other circumstances. One of these kindhearted individuals is a professional whom we met tonight at 7:20 PM. Dressed in a light gray business suit, Karen greeted us with a smile shortly after our names were called. As she shook our hands, she simply introduced herself to us as “Karen”, and her affable, easygoing demeanor immediately put us at ease.
Shortly thereafter, she informed us that she elected to help us because a lot of her law practice is adoption work. She later remarked that she volunteers just once every three months, so both SiowFong and I felt extremely fortunate to have her helping us, especially since the other volunteer lawyers on this evening at this site did not do much adoption work.
Knowing that we only had thirty minutes with her, I expected her just to answer some questions and to advise me on how to fill out some of the legal paperwork. Karen did way more than that, including constructing an outline for us so that we would know what papers to bring to court and when to bring them, writing on Post It Note slips of paper exactly what we needed to write to fill in the blanks properly, drawing an extra signature line for SiowFong (the co-petitioner) on the forms that should have her signature as well as mine, bundling our supporting documentation with the right legal cover sheets, teaching us that we needed to have cover sheets (Exhibits A, B, and C) for our supporting paperwork, explaining how the court processes work for re-adoption, and writing detailed notes on another page so that we would not forget any important details. She also informed us that the court’s re-adoption packet was missing two forms, which she would gladly email to us the next day once she received an email from us.
Fortunately for us, nobody else showed up for assistance, and she spent over an hour with us to get all of the above accomplished.
With her friendliness, patience, and attention to detail, Karen demystified all of the paperwork and the entire re-adoption process for us.
For those of you who might be interested in contacting her for help with a family law concern, particularly adoption as that is her specialty, her contact information is as follows: telephone: 206-545-0070; fax: 206-525-5346; website: www.khnlaw.com; email: Karen@khnlaw.com.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
A Passel of Pictures, Part 2
DSC_0187Lydia staring at the parakeets (budgies), Leura (yellow one on the left) and Kakadu (green one on the right)
Dining Room
January 22, 2007
DSC_0206(on the left): Tom carrying Lydia
(on the right, from front to back): Tom's coworkers (Linda, Amber, Laura, and MJ [who is behind Laura in blue])
BKCHC
January 23, 2007
DSC_0300Lydia holding up her bottle of water while sitting in her high chair, a gift from James and Jenny Chen
Dining Room
January 25, 2007
DSC_0305Lydia standing in the area between kitchen and dining room
January 25, 2007
DSC_0322Lydia playing with her daddy
Living Room
January 25, 2007
DSC_0344Lydia in the living room
January 25, 2007
The main reason for splitting up this batch of thirteen pictures into two groups is because our DSL service occasionally will "time out", so to avoid the loss of a blog posting, the images are being posted on two separate occasions.
A Passel of Pictures, Part 1
DSC_0353 Lydia clapping her hands while sitting beside the large pink dog,
her largest stuffed animal, that was given to us by Luis, Patsy, and Carissa Seuc
Living room
January 25, 2007
DSC_0382Lydia being carried by Ma Chin, her paternal grandmother, in the kitchen
January 25, 2007
DSC_0399Lydia kissing her pink lamb while sitting in her playpen
Our bedroom
January 25, 2007
January 25, 2007
DSC_0408Lydia in her playpen with a toy stuffed bear in her hands
Our bedroom
January 25, 2007
January 25, 2007
DSC_0412Ma Chin and Pa Chin watching some home video in the evening
Living room
January 25, 2007
January 25, 2007
DSC_0420Lydia sitting in living room
January 26, 2007
January 26, 2007
DSC_0428Perhaps the name of this picture should be called "Delight"...
Lydia laying on her dual-colored (pink and blue, 3 foot long x 2 foot wide)
diaper change mat purchased from Malaysia
January 26, 2007
Lydia's Baby Dedication Ceremony at Church
January 28, 2007 (Sunday)
A very significant event, Lydia’s baby dedication, occurred today in Lydia’s life on the first day she attended our home church, Shoreline Community Church.
Biblical Precedent for Baby Dedication
The example from Scripture about baby dedication comes from the Old Testament book of First Samuel when it describes the life of Hannah as follows:
“[Because she did not have any children] in the bitterness of her soul, Hannah [who was married to Elkanah] wept much and prayed to the Lord. And she made a vow, saying, ‘O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life…
So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.’
When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, ‘After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there [in the temple at Shiloh] always…
After he was weaned, she took the boy with her…They brought the boy to Eli [the chief priest of the Lord at the temple in Shiloh], and she said to him, ‘As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.” (1 Samuel 10-11b; 20-21; 24a; 25b-28)
Beginnings
The origins of Lydia’s baby dedication day, however, go back about a month before we departed for China when we formally asked Senior Pastor Bob Stone about dedicating Lydia to the Lord. Pastor Bob replied that he would be happy to officiate the ceremony and stated that he needed more information about Lydia, so we asked him to follow Lydia’s blog, which he read.
Lydia’s Baby Dedication Ceremony
A baby dedication ceremony has two main objectives. The first goal is that the parent(s) publicly promise to rear the child in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and in a manner that teaches the child about Jesus. The second aim is that the occasion provides parent(s) with an opportunity to express thanksgiving to God for the gift of their child.
During the 9:00 AM service, Pastor Bob asked Lydia, Ma Chin, Ma Wee, Pa Chin, SiowFong, and I to stand on the platform with him. After explaining to the congregation the meaning of Lydia’s names (her Western name and her Chinese name), he read a prayer that he prepared (see below). Then Pastor Bob sang a brief, acapella song of blessing on Lydia, which marked the end of the ceremony. Throughout the five to ten minute event, Lydia remained very calm. While I was holding her, she squirmed at times, which meant that I repositioned her in my arms, but she felt comfortable enough to wave to the congregation, something that she had not previously done anywhere else.
Pastor Bob’s Prayer for Lydia
“Our prayer for Lydia is that she will always know she has been specially chosen to be in her family and that she is a very precious gift to them. We pray she will become a follower of Christ at an early age and will be a beautiful light for Him. As she walks in the light as Jesus is in the light, may she experience great fellowship with and cleansing from her Lord – 1 John 1:9.
Likewise, may her inner self be beautiful to see and bring praise to God, even without a word – 1 Peter 3:1-6. May she be known as one who shines with the character of Christ. May she declare and show her faith and love with such accuracy, creativity, and honesty that it will bring illumination to many who are in the dark – Ephesians 5:8-14.
Finally, as she is mentored by her parents, may this precious child also be like Lydia of the Bible and grow up to be one who has unusual prowess in business and resource management. May everything she does reap great financial rewards. Further, we pray that Lydia would be a gracious woman of God, one who joyfully extends God’s abundance, grace, and blessing to her family, her church, and those in need – 1 Thessalonians 5:28. May she be like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden and her good deeds and resources create praise for her Father in heaven – Matthew 5:14-16. May Lydia have a gift of hospitality and be blessed to be a blessing all the days of her life!"
A very significant event, Lydia’s baby dedication, occurred today in Lydia’s life on the first day she attended our home church, Shoreline Community Church.
Biblical Precedent for Baby Dedication
The example from Scripture about baby dedication comes from the Old Testament book of First Samuel when it describes the life of Hannah as follows:
“[Because she did not have any children] in the bitterness of her soul, Hannah [who was married to Elkanah] wept much and prayed to the Lord. And she made a vow, saying, ‘O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life…
So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.’
When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, ‘After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there [in the temple at Shiloh] always…
After he was weaned, she took the boy with her…They brought the boy to Eli [the chief priest of the Lord at the temple in Shiloh], and she said to him, ‘As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.” (1 Samuel 10-11b; 20-21; 24a; 25b-28)
Beginnings
The origins of Lydia’s baby dedication day, however, go back about a month before we departed for China when we formally asked Senior Pastor Bob Stone about dedicating Lydia to the Lord. Pastor Bob replied that he would be happy to officiate the ceremony and stated that he needed more information about Lydia, so we asked him to follow Lydia’s blog, which he read.
Lydia’s Baby Dedication Ceremony
A baby dedication ceremony has two main objectives. The first goal is that the parent(s) publicly promise to rear the child in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and in a manner that teaches the child about Jesus. The second aim is that the occasion provides parent(s) with an opportunity to express thanksgiving to God for the gift of their child.
During the 9:00 AM service, Pastor Bob asked Lydia, Ma Chin, Ma Wee, Pa Chin, SiowFong, and I to stand on the platform with him. After explaining to the congregation the meaning of Lydia’s names (her Western name and her Chinese name), he read a prayer that he prepared (see below). Then Pastor Bob sang a brief, acapella song of blessing on Lydia, which marked the end of the ceremony. Throughout the five to ten minute event, Lydia remained very calm. While I was holding her, she squirmed at times, which meant that I repositioned her in my arms, but she felt comfortable enough to wave to the congregation, something that she had not previously done anywhere else.
Pastor Bob’s Prayer for Lydia
“Our prayer for Lydia is that she will always know she has been specially chosen to be in her family and that she is a very precious gift to them. We pray she will become a follower of Christ at an early age and will be a beautiful light for Him. As she walks in the light as Jesus is in the light, may she experience great fellowship with and cleansing from her Lord – 1 John 1:9.
Likewise, may her inner self be beautiful to see and bring praise to God, even without a word – 1 Peter 3:1-6. May she be known as one who shines with the character of Christ. May she declare and show her faith and love with such accuracy, creativity, and honesty that it will bring illumination to many who are in the dark – Ephesians 5:8-14.
Finally, as she is mentored by her parents, may this precious child also be like Lydia of the Bible and grow up to be one who has unusual prowess in business and resource management. May everything she does reap great financial rewards. Further, we pray that Lydia would be a gracious woman of God, one who joyfully extends God’s abundance, grace, and blessing to her family, her church, and those in need – 1 Thessalonians 5:28. May she be like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden and her good deeds and resources create praise for her Father in heaven – Matthew 5:14-16. May Lydia have a gift of hospitality and be blessed to be a blessing all the days of her life!"
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Box Pictures of Lydia
DSC_0112
DSC_0116
DSC_0120
DSC_0123
DSC_0134
DSC_0137
DSC_0152Pictures were taken in the living room on the evening of
January 22, 2007 where Lydia was standing in an 18 inch x 18 inch x 18 inch
brown mailing box that was covered with a white sheet,
which also served as the backdrop. On-camera flash was bounced off
the ceiling to light Lydia and the background.
Lydia's Chinese Birthday Banquet
January 27, 2007 (Saturday)
Chinese banquet celebrations, which feature multi-course meals, usually commemorate significant life events, including weddings and birthdays. Lydia experienced her first one this Saturday.
Lydia’s Chinese Birthday Banquet Celebration
Thirty-nine family and friends gathered to celebrate Lydia’s first year birthday in the Chinese tradition by attending a banquet in her honor at T & T Seafood Restaurant. Family members included Ma Wee, Pa Chin, and Ma Chin as well as SiowFong and I. Special guests included the two of the three New Hope Group 7 families that traveled with us to China, the Cochrans and the Rothauses (the Bhagwandins unfortunately could not attend due to some last minute circumstances).
Menu items included the following:
Sauteed Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Sauteed Prawns, Scallops, and Squid with Broccoli
Peking Duck
Steamed Black Cod with Ginger and Onion
Chinese Mushroom with Bok Choy
2 Lobsters with Ginger and Onion (two 2-pound lobsters)
Sauteed Beef with Snow Peas
Deep Fried Pork Chop with Honey and Garlic
House Special Chow Mein (Extra Large size)
At the end of the meal, everyone had a chance to sample Lydia’s birthday cake, which Pa Chin meticulously cut into forty pieces.
Throughout the entire event, which lasted three hours, Lydia did well, meeting a number of new faces through the evening. She did not cry even once. Lydia appeared serious and managed only a half-smile at times. Near the end of the evening, however, Lydia relaxed a little. After Peng, our Chinese architect friend, placed Lydia in her arms so that Lydia’s body was stretched out between them and then Peng began to move her arms up and down in a coordinated fashion so that Lydia was moving up and down, Lydia let out a series of laughs and smiles.
Chinese banquet celebrations, which feature multi-course meals, usually commemorate significant life events, including weddings and birthdays. Lydia experienced her first one this Saturday.
Lydia’s Chinese Birthday Banquet Celebration
Thirty-nine family and friends gathered to celebrate Lydia’s first year birthday in the Chinese tradition by attending a banquet in her honor at T & T Seafood Restaurant. Family members included Ma Wee, Pa Chin, and Ma Chin as well as SiowFong and I. Special guests included the two of the three New Hope Group 7 families that traveled with us to China, the Cochrans and the Rothauses (the Bhagwandins unfortunately could not attend due to some last minute circumstances).
Menu items included the following:
Sauteed Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Sauteed Prawns, Scallops, and Squid with Broccoli
Peking Duck
Steamed Black Cod with Ginger and Onion
Chinese Mushroom with Bok Choy
2 Lobsters with Ginger and Onion (two 2-pound lobsters)
Sauteed Beef with Snow Peas
Deep Fried Pork Chop with Honey and Garlic
House Special Chow Mein (Extra Large size)
At the end of the meal, everyone had a chance to sample Lydia’s birthday cake, which Pa Chin meticulously cut into forty pieces.
Throughout the entire event, which lasted three hours, Lydia did well, meeting a number of new faces through the evening. She did not cry even once. Lydia appeared serious and managed only a half-smile at times. Near the end of the evening, however, Lydia relaxed a little. After Peng, our Chinese architect friend, placed Lydia in her arms so that Lydia’s body was stretched out between them and then Peng began to move her arms up and down in a coordinated fashion so that Lydia was moving up and down, Lydia let out a series of laughs and smiles.
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