Un-schooled

Since our big Chinese New Year break during the month of February, the girls haven't gone to Chinese Kindergarten. Instead I am homeschooling them and hoping to have Meili up to par for Kindergarten when we get home. But without many outlets or friends, here are some ways that mommy deals with having 3 children at home all the time:
*Go to Scott's High School next door (when the 10,000 students aren't there-which is rare) and go "scooter riding" on the girls' scooters, and don't forget climbing trees and hiking the hills.



*The kids also love it when I put on some classical "ballet" music so they can dance. They also help their brother get on his special dance clothes since he wants to do everything they do, even if it means putting on a tutu...

...or a princess costume. (To which Scott cringes at the mere mention).

*Errands with mommy. These always give us a chance to practice our Chinese skills because everyone stops to see and talk to the waiguoren (foreigner) children. We're going to miss how nice people are, but I don't think that we'll miss being pseudo-celebrities.

*And don't forget, just relaxin'

(by the way, I totally love picnik for fixing our red eyes at the click of a button. Pretty sweet.)
There aren't many pictures of "school", I guess maybe homeschooled means un-schooled.

Small Sweet Moments

Meili heard about a window seat that will be in our new house, so she made her own now because she thought it was such a great idea. I found her reading to her brother there soon after.

And Sophie was reading in her bed...

He's just so cute...

Super Sophie!

Sophie is 4 years old!
Last year Sophie's birthday was while we were on the plane moving to Taiwan. This year, mom was still supposed to be in bed. So next year we owe Sophie a super sweet birthday party with all of the trimmings. Still, this was a unique birthday mostly because it will probably be the only birthday where she will be wearing a tank-top because it is so warm (her birthday is in February) and she got to open presents in her jammies.

Sophie is our little sweetheart:
*She shares EVERYTHING. Even her treats and toys.
*She is silly, especially when taking pictures. It is hard to get a normal smile from her.
*She loves to brush her mommy's hair.
*She wears almost the same size shoes and shirts as Meili.
*She is really tender-hearted.
*She gives the greatest hugs and snuggles.
*She is part werewolf we think because she is always hot and sweaty!
*She is super smart. She is learning to read and still has one more year before Kindergarten.
*She is really good at drawing. Her pictures really closely resemble what she is actually drawing. She stays up for hours sometimes just sketching away in her bed.
*She is a lefty.
*She speaks Chinese without an accent.
And she is really excited to get to our house in America and play in our yard with her grandparents and cousins.

Cinco de Mayo!

At least WE will be partying this cinco de mayo! Where will you be? We will all be on a plane heading back home to America! Yeah!!!
Although things haven't seem to have gone perfectly as we have been preparing to go home (far from, actually), everything has all been for the best. For example, we actually found a house too soon and had to head home to America before we wanted to (we hate to break contract, even if we got a replacement), but because everything happened when it did, we locked in a rate for our home just before they started to rise, we qualified for the tax credit, and we now have a beautiful house that we are excited to make into a home (just to name a few of the blessings we have received lately).
I was reading an article in the Ensign by President Uchtdorf and he said that if we put our faith and trust in our Heavenly Father, that we will start to see His miracles. I have seen the truths of this as I have had to put my plan aside and just trust in the Lord's. Then, I see how His plan was better all along and that, just like any other loving parent, He always has our best interests in mind.

Miracles Never Cease

About mid-February, Scott and I decided to go back home to America at the end of the school year which is the end of June. We felt like we should move to Layton so we could be closer to family. Then, with Scott's family's help, we decided to try to buy a house and take advantage of the $8000 tax credit and good interest rates. We soon zeroed in on one that is a 4 bedroom 2 bath with a huge yard at the end of a cul-de sac. But our favorite part about the house is that we can see Scott's sister's house rooftop from our living room and it is only a 10 minute walk from the kids' grandparents house. Location, location, location.
Our offer was accepted early March and although it was difficult to get a loan approved because we are currently in Taiwan, it happened. And we are set to close on the house at the end of this week or early next week. We found out that at least I (Sidra) will have to live in the house within 30 days or we could get in trouble by our financers. So I prepared myself to travel home alone with 3 children because Scott is contracted until the end of June with the school.
But then another miracle happened and we have found a replacement to come and take his place at the beginning of May and we will all be traveling home together!

Chinese New Year

Because I wasn't feeling too well, during our Chinese New Year break (much like Christmas/Winter break in the States) we didn't go on a super sweet vaca. We just did a couple of small day trips.
We took a few small trips to nearby beaches. It's awesome to be able to go to the beach in February!



Meili also got some serious cash from the tooth fairy because she had to have an extra tooth that was growing pulled by the dentist (her second pulled by a dentist!). She was so brave! The first picture is the "before" where she was a bundle of excited nerves (see the little snaggle tooth hanging in the gap?).

And then the "after" picture.

And then, just before the break was over, we got invited to a nearby beetle nut farm by some old friends from Changhua. We used to teach their now teenage son, Benson, and when we were here last they asked us to name their baby girl. So we named her Flora. She is now 7. We spent Chinese New Year with them 7 years ago and built these same clay ovens on this same farm. It was pretty nostalgic.
To build the ovens, you stack pieces of clay to make an oven shape. Then, you put in a fire until the clay turns all black, then you collapse part of the roof, add the food, and cover with the rest of the clay oven.
Building it is difficult, especially this time we had some bad luck. Here is try, I think 4. They seem pretty focused. Little did they know that it would take about 14 tries to get this one oven built. (There were a total of 3 that were built). Nine more collapses to go, guys!

This is one of the many times that they were so close that they could almost taste the roasted chicken and sweet potatoes!

Yeah! Finally!!!!

The three clay ovens getting hot.

While the kids get down and dirty.


And Euan and I enjoy the show while munching.

Here is the "magic fruit" that grows in some parts of the world which makes bitter fruit, like this mini orange, sweet. Pretty cool!

Here is a cute picture of Flora pulling Euan on a dried palm frond.

So much fun!

Closed doors and opened windows

I was just watching "The Sound of Music" with my girls and I have always loved the line, "When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window". I have seen throughout my life when I have had to go through hard trials that the Lord, in his tender mercy, quickly blesses me with some of my greatest blessings.
The last 5 months have been extra difficult for our family. We recently miscarried a pregnancy. After months of difficult morning sickness, at my 15 week prenatal doctor's appointment to see what the sex of our baby we were having was (they do it earlier here), we found that there was no heartbeat and that I would have to check into the hospital to deliver the baby the next day. Miscarriages are hard. This is my fourth. The first was the hardest; it was also in Taiwan. This one was also very difficult because it was late (all the others were before 9 weeks) and so I was already showing and so we had to tell everyone (really, everyone in our whole city almost) what had happened. Also, it was difficult because it was a very sad end to being nearly bed-ridden with sickness for 3 months (I was still throwing up even the night before checking into the hospital). It is difficult for me to share this story on my blog, or with anyone really. Part of the reason two of the other miscarriages were easier to deal with were because no one really knew about them. But, I decided to share because when it happened I thought a lot of a friend who went through a similar miscarriage and remembering her story on her blog really helped me through my own experience.
I, and my family, are doing much better now. We have had about 6 weeks to recover and in the meantime we have been busy carrying through with a decision we had already made to go back to America. That is the "open window".
We also just got the good news that we will finally (it has been a crazy process since we actually aren't there!) be closing on a house this week in Layton, UT, right near all of Scott's family. I and the kids will be moving back by the end of April, but Scott will most likely have to stay through the end of June. We don't have a job yet, but have put in some applications. We are also trying to start a Chinese Immersion school at our house, with a native speaker and everything! It's all been kind of a whirlwind, but we are really excited and feel really blessed at how many answers to prayers and miracles we have seen in just a short time.
We really appreciate how much support and love we always get from family and friends! We have been blessed to be surrounded by people who are truly amazing! Thank you!