We went to a German, Chinese, Brazilian BBQ place for Christmas Eve dinner. We had the traditional Christmas Eve fare: garlic chicken hearts, broiled fish-head included, garlic pickled pork belly. Ya know, all the classics. And who doesn't have a young Chinese guy dressed as a cowboy and outfitted with a medical mask at their party?!
We had a blast with Carrie's sister and her 8 month old, Grae. Grae had all the old ladies cooing when they saw her. They all said she was SO white and SO fat. So for the rest of the time, her Chinese name was "white and fat." I taught my sis how to knit; she met with lots of our friends; we went to parks; made and distributed cookies, cards and gifts; hung out; prayed and drank too much coffee. It was a wonderful balance of hang out time, rest and getting to know China. At the end of her trip, Carrie, Kim and Grae met up with Kim's in-laws in Beijing. We walked around a more traditional area and took tons of pictures. I'll post those another time. My sister's an incredible photographer, so it was really fun for me to get to take pictures alongside her.
This is a frozen lake. People and sheep were skating, sledding, riding and walking all over.
Here's Kim and her mother-in-law eating some local snacks. It was a beautiful day to be outside and enjoy the Beijing smog.
A guy changing some electrical wiring. Who needs ladders really?!
Kesed and his new best friend, Grae. The two of them got along really well, it was really cute.
Having her here was so much fun. She is such a blessing to me, my family and now to our friends here in the city. I've cried now, multiple times. She was here for about 2 1/2 weeks, which was just long enough to make it feel like she was supposed to be living here with us. She was a wonderful minister and friend to all of us. So until next time....We Love You!
