Selah Mei

On February 1st at 8:30 pm our daughter was born. The sound of her cry was incredible. The love at first sight feeling was overwhelming. Our lives are forever changed and our hearts are bursting with love, joy and thanks. We pause and reflect on God's goodness.

January Joys

Our friend Adam came to visit us in January! Adam was an absolutely wonderful guest and we enjoyed all the time we had with him. The main purpose of his trip was a vacation mancation or adventure manventure for Daniel and Adam with a long weekend in Hong Kong. So glad the guys had this time together. Also turned out to be a babymoon for both of them! Adam shared the news of his third child on the way while he was here visiting. A dinner at Lemon Grass hot pot was a treat to end his Taiwan trip and time with us.

These guys are fun! 

Jeremiah is growing and growing. He's almost outgrown his changing table and suddenly changing times have become his reading times. This little big guy has a way of changing our days and ways with his joy and daily antics! Jeremiah turned 22 months on January 19.

Jeremiah had a modeling shoot and there was love :)

Come on get happy! :)

We had a special Chinese New Year chapel and all the ORTV kids under five were invited to join. Jeremiah wore his Chinese outfit gifted to us from a former co-worker. Jeremiah loves being on the fourth floor with the balls and the dear hearts there. Thanks to Ellen Lu for this photo.

Our boss Doris with all the kids and parents after chapel. All the kids got a hung bao (red envelope) in chapel and sang the Chinese New Year Gong Xi Ni song. After chapel the whole gang walked from floor to floor and department to department to get more hung baos and treats. I never knew Chinese New Year was this much fun! Thanks to Jeff Chao for this photo.

Daddy and Kai Kai taking a few quiet moments away from all the celebration and activity on the second floor of our office building. Thanks to Kevin Chang for this photo.

I'm part of a mom's bible study that meets every Friday morning. Our kids have play time while we moms have been going through a book called The Power of a Praying Parent. These dear ladies surprised baby girl and I with a sweet shower the second last Friday of January. Such a time of sweet sparkles! Thanks to Kelly Manske for this photo.

January was my last month of pregnancy. I wrapped up my part-time work for ORTV and started my maternity leave the last week of the month. I took my last prenatal exercise class. I nested in a major way to get our little rooftop ready for another dear heart. And we enjoyed the time with just the three of us together before Mei Mei's arrival. It was also a month of much prayer and once again a heart journey to being back in the delivery room again. But also many joys and so much to give thanks for. Late at night on January 31st, we drove to the hospital to check in and be induced for labour. 

New Year's in Kaoshuing

We spent New Year's Eve in Kaoshuing again this year. It was a blessed weekend of reflection and refreshment for our little family. This "tree" was outside our hotel and we liked the creativity of a fusion Christmas and Chinese New Year tree.

What a room, eh? Our hotel room was niiiiiice! The window display like bathroom window/wall was a great feature. It made Jeremiah's bath time a whole lot of fun! It was also nice for me to rest while our little boy played in the water and I watched and shared in his bubbles of joy!

We enjoyed an outing to an old sugar refinery on the outskirts of the city. We went to this place during our last Kaoshuing New Year's when I was pregnant with Jeremiah. Fun to have him running around this place this time.

Trains, tractors and huge tires! This was Jeremiah's kind of place! Daddy thought it was pretty cool, too!

Our sweet boy in the sunshine.

Caught! Jeremiah thought he could get away with a coin from our hotel's Chinese New Year display!

The high speed rail (HSR) took us from the north to the south and back again. Coconut juice fueled our journey :)

This was also a weekend to remember our dear Isla Noelle on what would have been her third birthday (Dec. 31st). Daniel and I both had a prayer walk through Isla's park close to our hotel her birthday. It was the park where we spent the afternoon of her first birthday in quietness and it's become "Isla's Park" to us. We continued to think back to the day of her birth and death and the vivid memories of that day still on our hearts. We marvel at all God has brought us through and how he has blessed us, healed us, moved us and revealed himself to us. Though tears still fall we rejoice in knowing Isla is in heaven. We rejoice in having her little brother, and at the time her little sister within. Isla is forever our first child and part of our family. This weekend away was a gift for us and we give thanks.