These two gals I've known since their pre-teen days. They came back from their adventures out in the work force and college back to Shanghai. That night we played settlers and had lasangna at our house. We love Bryan, Shelley, Bryanna & Emma Hunt!!
We love Mr. Hu. Here he is peeling a chinese root herb with a toothpick. Did I eat it? Why not?
We love Pamela. I have been so blessed to live so close to my close friend since our move at the end of Summer last year. She knows my love for wreaths and helps me understand this strange random craving in my life lately for art (since the funerals of my dad and Tim's dad). She says it's "Art Therapy" and she was going to get another degree in it, but just stuck with her Art major.
One day Alena knocked at my door with a bunch of different baking ingredients, just as a gift. Isnt she sweet. LOL, Alena has agreed to keep all the sugar ingredients stocked at her house instead of mine... so its not so accessible!! :)
Alena is always baking and cooking. here she took a stab at poptarts! Genius!
Here is our love Tita, which is Tagolac for Aunty. She cooks dinner for us 4 nights a week, and it's heaven. here she is making lumpia, a filipino dish that makes my mouth water while I type!
After one date night, we met up with MacMillan, ShenYi and baby Sika! We are so thrilled to see this little family grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ and be such a shining example to us!
One Sunday, these fun friends went with me to visit Ms Zhou in the hospital. She could barely stand, but really wanted to take a picture with us. We sang several church hymns, but only in English so we wouldn't be proselytizing the gospel to our chinese friends (China has a law, one that we strongly respect, that foreigners cannot share the gospel with locals... one day, they might have the opportunity, but for now we support our local government).
This particular day made me tear up. Seeing my nephew Gabriel on Skype. He looked just like Terin (my sister's son) at the same age. I feel so connected to my nieces and nephews, like they are my very own kids... melts my heart to see my brother finally be a dad of such a delightful bundle of joy. He also has another son, Bode, and just like Gabe, they are the sweetest cutest little babies...
Sweet Jerry. A boy name, I know. We have such a great history together. When I first tried to get her to deliver flowers to my house, she was not very kind and made rude comments about toys and garbage she found on the side of my house that I hadn't noticed. I was appalled at the side of the house, but even more caught off guard that someone called me on it. I told her that in my culture we don't make rude comments to people unless they have hurt us (haha!!). She then felt really bad and came by whenever she was in the neighborhood to visit me. We eventually became very close friends. She taught my kids how to arrange flowers into floral foam one summer. I had her son over for a play date another day. One time I was at her shop and commented on a really cool looking rustic childs chair that looked like it had a story to tell. She later gave me this chair-- its dirty and old, and yet it's placed right next to my fire place to remind me of what a sweet friendship Jerry and I share.
Since then, I have introduced her to over 50 consistent customers who regularly receive her delivered potted flowers. I'm trying more and more to connect hard working local women like Jerry while helping them find ways to amplify their service/product range (for example, delivering potted flowers and switching out the flowers regularly).
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