Chinese New Year

Yes, this blog is about a week late...but better late than never.  As usual, getting back in the swing of things was a bit of a challenge and time got away from me...so here is a synopsis of our Chinese New year, which occurred the week of February 9th.

This is one of the biggest, if not the biggest Chinese holidays, so the kids had off all week and it was a Hong Kong holiday for Andy Monday through Wednesday. I didn't spend a lot of time learning about the traditions and meanings behind everything that is done...but we got the basics, and over the year I will learn and be an "expert" by next year. The first weekend, Andy was a rock star dad and took the older three kids ice skating.  None of them had skated before, and it had been a LONG time since Andy was on skates...but it was a great time for all of them.  The skating rink was in a mall, so Abby and Sarah and I met them towards the end of the fun to watch them, then go to lunch in the food court.  We got invited to meet our friends whose son wanted to skate for his birthday. So his dad and two sisters also went, and Andy wasn't alone...although he was praying that they did not have his shoe size:)

On that Monday, we had two families come over for lunch.  One of those families had four kids and the other had three, so with 12 kids everyone had someone to play with.  It was a beautiful day, and we had so much fun that they all ended up staying and ordering pizza for dinner.

The next day Andy took the three olders hiking with our friends whom we went skating. Again, the weather has been gorgeous, and this day was perfect! They were pretty much out most of the day, coming back tired but with lots of stories, bug bites, and laughs.  I was just glad to hear they decided to stop when they got to the point that they needed a rope to pull themselves up...you never know how far dads are going to go.

Wednesday was a laid back day at home...well, at least it was at home:) We "slept" in, did a little cleaning, and then Andy took the kids to the park while Sarah took a nap.  Then Grace had three friends from school come spend the night.  We had a great time playing hide and seek/sardines.  They also painted nails, watched a movie with popcorn, and were actually quiet by 11pm. It was great to be able to host Grace's friends...and it was really sweet of them to include the other kids.

Thursday Andy went back to work...but Emma and I met him for lunch and spent a little time getting a couple more things for Josh's birthday. It's times like this that I love the train because I was able to meet him in about 30 minutes...where it would have taken well over an hour because of traffic.  The traffic around our neighborhood has been more than the norm because we have the "Wishing Tree" close to us...and people flock to make their wish.  I didn't exactly see the tree this year.  Andy and Grace and I ran to and around the parking lot.  To me, it looked like a local carnival.  Lots of New Year decorations, some floats, and a lot of people.

The rest of the week I already shared...Josh's birthday on Friday. On Saturday night, Andy and I actually got a date night to Soho, which is on the Island.  It was a great night, going to a familiar restaurant.  We rode the travelator...which is an escalator going up the hill on the sidewalk.  We actually left to go home relatively "early" around 11:30pm, when things were just picking up.  And they say NYC is the city that never sleeps!

We originally thought we would try to get away for Chinese New Year.  Everyone does, and there are so many interesting places to go.  But we didn't start looking into it until it was too late (November) and by then the options were limited, especially for the prices they wanted.  I am so glad we ended up home...it was a wonderful staycation for our family.  Really, it was the first time we had been together by ourselves for a whole week since July, because Christmas was spent trying to catch up with everyone.  It's funny how God always knows exactly what we need, even before we do!

 Picures above show the kids in their Chinese New Year clothes, worn the last day before vacation.  There was a big assembly in which Josh's Chinese class did a skit about pulling up a turnip

The hikers stopping for a snack.  This picture shows the scenic view...they were overlooking Wu Kai Sha....just beautiful.

                                                          My rock star husband on blades

Josh's 7th Birthday

Joshua turned 7 years old this past week.  I don't remember when he has been more excited for a birthday.  The night before he couldn't sleep from anticipation...and the night of his birthday he didn't want to go to sleep because he didn't want his birthday to end...so we celebrated the next morning as well, while it was still the 15th in the states-and he even got a package that morning!

Birthdays are a big deal here in Hong Kong...most of the time children invite their whole class to their party, and much money is spent. But I am not a big birthday party person, and we don't have a money tree in the backyard where we can do that for our five kids, so we just try to celebrate them as a family and take it case by case, deciding what would be special for that child. Since Josh's birthday falls during Chinese New Year (no school) than we celebrated in his classroom the week before. To be honest, I was planning on just bringing in cupcakes, but another mom, whose son's b-day is the day before Josh's, emailed me to see if we could celebrate the same day. I thought that would be great, so we divided up the tasks. It worked out great...and the boys felt very special. It was also a great surprise because Andy had been in Japan for the week and was able to come straight from the airport to make the celebration...Josh's face was priceless!!!

 

So on his real birthday, this past Friday, we decided to go to Sai Kung.  This area in Hong Kong is on the water, but also has a lot of recreation area...and boasts of a pizza place that is not just good for Hong Kong, but is good for the states, too. After having a morning of opening presents, special cereal, and being laid back in our pj's, we had lunch and trekked off to Sai Kung...with basketball, soccer ball and football in tow.  After taking a shuttle, train and bus, we made it to Sai Kung...and it was a gorgeous day, as it had been all week (sunny, 70's and low humidity).  We also met our special Aussie friends there on a spur of the moment request...so glad they were able to join us!

After playing soccer, passing the football, learning how to play cricket, playing basketball (adults included), and spending some time on the playground, Andy went to get the pizza.  It was the largest pizza I have ever seen...and it was SOOOO good.  We also got to eat it over looking the water, so the scenery was gorgeous. We stayed until dark, took the bus and then a taxi, and got home in time to have some birthday cake.  It was such a great day...and a memorable one, as well.

Six Months Old...Sweet Sarah Jane

This week has been a busy one...we had Chinese New Year,  Josh's 7th birthday and Sarah turned 6 months.  So I apologize for just now catching up on updating you.....

                                                                                                                         Feb. 14, 2013
Our baby turned 6 months old today.  While I am not usually one to make a big deal about these early monthly milestones, this one has been different...for lots of reasons.  I don't know many babies her age who have logged over 45 hours of plane time, countless time on the train, and have been an attachment to me in the front carrier since we arrived five months ago. Another big change for us has been the fact that our children are that much older...including our second youngest being 4 years old, and not 2 years old. The last three times I have had a baby at home, I have also had a toddler...which stretches you in many different ways!  This time around, Abby is not only that much older, but she is in school everyday for half the day...giving me that much more individual time with Sarah.  Finally, the biggest difference for me is the acknowledgement that Sarah is the last child that I will give birth to...(of course unless the Lord does something miraculous).  This idea has motivated me to really soak in every minute of her babyhood...and I believe I can actually see her growing right in front of me! 

I know that the Lord planned from the beginning to entrust us with Sarah. And it amazes me that her temperament has been what is needed for a child to go through what she has been through.  We have always been extremely blessed with pretty laid-back babies who eat and sleep well, and who are generally pretty healthy.  Each time we find out we are expecting, these things are on the list of what we pray for...and they are not taken for granted when the Lord hears our prayers.  But this time around, as this child is exposed to a much different way of life, in a culture where large families are extremely rare, I am reminded on a daily basis how God has had His hand on Sarah (and all of us) during these first 6 months of her life.  Sarah has been so flexible in figuring out a schedule, being squashed on a train, or a bus, or a plane with A LOT of people, and even getting the occasional bug bite...in winter!!!  Not to mention how patient she has been with all the love and attention she receives from her four siblings.

So, I will keep reflecting about this stage that we are in and ways to really live in the moment.  There are definitely times I have had to hold back tears as I watch her rolling over and finally eating some cereal...today.  Packing away clothes she has already grown out of and missing that startle reflex has moved me through this mourning process...and I'm sure it is only the beginning.  Yes, as I watch my almost 20lb baby grow and smile and laugh, I have enjoyed learning more and more about her sweet personality...differentiating her cries, knowing which toy she like best, and watching her explore the new noises she can make. So even in the midst of living in a different country, I will continue to relish this time I am blessed with...and take lots of pictures to try to make time stand still, or at least slow down a little. I do feel like God has been merciful in the fact that she has the same, if not less hair, than she was born with...so at least she doesn't look that much older?

By the way, on a funny note, there is a conspiracy in our family about lying to Sarah about her birthday.  Because our first three children were all born on the 15th of the month, and Sarah was scheduled to be born on the 15th as well, but missed it by 6 hours, Andy has developed a story that the rest of our children plan to adopt.  Since we were already moving to Hong Kong, and Hong Kong is 12 (sometimes 13) hours ahead, my husband believes that her birthday should be the 15th, since it was the 15th in Hong Kong.  Of course, I am not on board with this...but find it funny that my other children really believe they can get away with this lie:)

                                                        Sarah laughing at her sister.

                                                                   Big Blue Eyes!!!

Playing with Daddy

 

 

 

                                                              Finally eating cereal

Keeping In Touch

One of the most challenging things for me is obviously missing my family and friends at home and trying to keep in touch.  It has been difficult to balance being "all in" here where the Lord has us now, and trying to keep up with our loved ones on the other side of the globe.  The irony of our situation is that I have already been through something very similar when I was about Grace's age.  I grew up in a relatively small PA town until my father's company transferred us about 2 hours to DE, where we had a lot of family living and where my parent's grew up.  I remembered being devastated, even in 7th grade, because I had gone to school with the same friends since kindergarten. I tried to keep in touch with  a few friends that I was closer to, but as months and years went by, and I went into high school and became more and more entrenched in our DE life, those friendships faded.  Of course, this is normal.  But after five years of living in DE, my father's job moved back to that small PA town...and so did our family.  There is obviously much more to this story, but the long and the short of it is even though I went to school again with all the same people I did for the first seven years of my schooling, I felt like a "newbie" again.  It was even a little awkward...people looking at me and I could observe them thinking "didn't she live here before?" Now most circumstances then were much different but I must admit that I wished I had kept in touch a little better with certain people.  This has been a regret...yet, who would have known that we would have moved back?

Now we are doing the same thing to our children....but with the luxury (or disservice?) of knowing, Lord willing, we will be moving back in three years. Granted, it's only three years and not five, but it still feels the same.  And to explain the previous statement...I say luxury since we know what the plan is supposed to be, but it could be a disservice if it prevents us from really living here in Hong Kong.  Even my nine year old asked me the other day, "Will my friends still be my friends when we get back, or will they move on without me?" I try to encourage her not to worry about it, but what can I really say to her?  She will be a different person in three years, and so will her friends.  Now, that particular daughter has deeper friendships than the average, so it wouldn't surprise me if she stepped back into what she knows.  But she voiced a concern of mine that I hadn't let surface.  A good friend of mine mentioned to me that one of my biggest challenges would be that life moves on while I am gone...big events happen to those I love and I cannot be there with them.  My grandmother's 90th b-day, a very good friend's sick daughter, my mom's hospitalization...all things I have had to deal with very far away.  The struggle is this time difference.  I have such a desire (and I am probably more relational than normal) to call friends and family and keep up.  Social media is nice, but there is no depth and not a replacement for more personal communication. Unfortunately, my mornings are limited, especially if I have to take Abby in the morning...and my evenings are usually packed until about 9:00pm, and then I am exhausted and soon ready to go to bed.  So it is yet another aspect to this living abroad that I have had to leave in God's hands. I pray that I would follow the nudges of the Spirit...if someone needs a call or an email, I pray that I would take the time to do it.  Otherwise, my prayer is that people know that I miss them and am doing the best I can to keep up.  Being home this past Christmas was a weird feeling...we hadn't been gone that long, and not much had changed, so Hong Kong felt like a dream.  But this stretch will be longer, and I also can't spend my days always planning around my US relationships. So when we move back into life that is familiar, and we step into friendships that we already have, I have to trust the Lord that depth and history will make a difference and that people will still like the "changed Puffenbergers", because Hong Kong will do that to us. I will do the best I can to love from afar, while living in the here and now.  Like so much else in my life...balance is key.

Abby was "King Abigail" in her class's Christmas program

 

 

Guess who's new nickname is "Roly Poly"?

 

Josh and Emma had a great time with Dad building with Lincoln Logs on a Saturday morning