Gong Xi Fa Cai

when we went to china to get flower we purchased enough gifts to give flower one each year until she's 18. this year we chose to give it to her for chinese new year. she loved it. actually we all did. :) it's a fun little toy.

we celebrate each year on the first monday after new year starts and always at oriental express. i just love jimmi and chow and they take such good care of us. they gave the girls their red envelopes stuffed with a $2 bill as soon as we arrived. i really need to get their photos!
this year we celebrated on monday the 7th. i'll be honest, because of the loss of the baby just two days prior, i wasn't so sure i wanted to do this. however, i know how important it is that we do this for flower and we needed to be surrounded by the people we love and have our minds on something else for a but. i was still very nervous because i hadn't seen any of them since he died and i knew it would be hard. but it was worth it.
i borrowed the first three photos from amanda because they are cute.

here are the girls cousinsand the boy cousins

ryan and amanda

sandee, roger, alyse, doug and opal at the table to the left
laura, ken, ryan, justin, carol and gordon on the right.

i've developed some social anxiety in the last year and the recent events have made it worse. i stuck myself in the corner for the night and didn't move. i gave kg control of the camera. thanks babe. i did ok. the only time i cried is when my dad hugged me.

kris and jerry

i'm so thankful to everyone for coming. we were surrounded by our favorite people. i am truly thankful for their constant love and support.
when we arrived at oriental express we purchased new dresses for the girls. they modeled them in a photo shoot when we got home. river picked pink and flower picked blue. i adore that blue on flower and was surprised she picked it because she usual wants pink. these make me smile!
i love their feet in this photo.




i love flower's laughter in the next few.





happy chinese new year everyone!