Lanterns. Life. Reflections.

Last weekend we planned a celebration to end the Chinese New Year with our own Lantern Festival. We invited some friends and my parents to a big open field in our neighborhood. It was beautiful and special and exciting and even a tiny bit nerve-wracking. Honestly, we can't wait to do it all over again next year.

The kids were fascinated. Ella was as well but for whatever reason (reminded her of fireworks, maybe?) she was less than cooperative, stand-offish, whiny. Thank goodness our Roz was into it!

 

So beautiful.

And just this past weekend it was life as usual. Larry played his monthly Saturday morning cafe gig. Ella and I turned it into an urban adventure. Eggs, bacon and live music...

...including "You Are My Sunshine" sing-a-long from the ENTIRE cafe. Cindy (playing fiddle) always dedicates that song to our girl. You can almost see her vibrate with excitement and bashfulness.

Then we hoofed it over to the downtown library and got lost in that beautiful beast of a building. We came out with a fabulous selection of books that we quickly devoured before Saturday's nap time.

Ella has become quite the pro at taking pictures with my phone. Saturday night dinner table through her eyes...

And before leaving Ah-men yesterday, she sat down at Larry's kit to make some noise. Today marks

the three year anniversary of our return to the states with this formidable force in tow. What you probably don't know is that once a year, I send this blog to a company who prints it in hardbound books. Pretty awesome, huh? March 4 of each year is always my last entry before the new book begins. While I don't sit down and do the traditional baby book (because there is quite a bit about me that is not traditional), I try very hard to record her life here. One day Ella will have her first years documented. Perhaps the light bulb will go off for her, "Ahhhh...that's why mom was always taking pictures of me!" Blog or not, I would still be in her face with a camera. The best part? We get to pick up these books and reflect back on all of the day-to-day living we may have forgotten.

Another chapter ends today and a whole new world of possibilities await us. Until then, a little flashback to our 'delivery room' at the airport.

~H