Tet Celebration

THEN & NOW...the first photo was taken of Halle-Grace, Thanh & Isabella on Halle-Grace's adoption day (September 1, 2008) at TQ. The 2nd is the three of them together again at the Tet celebration in Winston-Salem, NC on Jan. 24, 2009!!!
Isabella, Thanh & Halle-Grace with Ngoc at TQ
Halle-Grace, Thanh & Isabella celebrating Tet(Jan. 24, 2009)

We had a great time at the Tet Celebration! It was special to see the most beautiful and amazing children with their forever families! We finally met many CAS parents and their little ones. 4 of the TQ 44 families were in attendance (anyone in the CAS family knows the term TQ 44).
Halle-Grace had a great time strutting around in her red/gold ao dai and playing with the other children. The food was outstanding! Halle-Grace ate like a champ! OK, confession time...Jason, being the great husband that he is, googled "Vietnamese Restaurants" and found an incredible Vietnamese Restaurant in Charlotte (Lang Van on Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215) They prepared an incredible meal for us to take to the Tet Celebration! Now we have a new place to take Halle-Grace and enjoy good food all year round!
CLICK ON PHOTO TO VIEW GALLERY

Tet celebration coming up!

This Saturday we will be attending a Tet celebration in NC. Here's some information I received from another CAS AP...

One of the most popular Tet traditions is the Cay Neu, or Tet pole.
Immediately before Tet, families will choose or plant a bamboo tree in
their front yard, usually a very, very tall one. As tall as 5 or more
meters tall! Most of the branches are stripped, so that the tree is a
single pole, with leaves only at the very top. The cay neu is
decorated with items such as bows, arrows, bells and gongs, to chase
away bad luck and ensure a good new year. Other popular decorations
include colored paper (especially red) on the trunk, origami fish, a
cactus branch and small porcelain plagues that strike each other in
the breeze. In short, anything that symbolizes good luck for coming
year will do.

Now, can you imagine what our neighbors would think if we put a cay neu in our front yard with all the decor hanging from it! LOL

Halle-Grace is 14 months old today! STOP the time clock!

CLICK ON PIC TO VIEW GALLERY

So, what is our 14 month old beauty doing?? We all currently have colds...we continue to share our germs but it is impossible to not love all over her sweet face! She is dancing, singing (finishing the "Halle-Grace...Grace...Grace...has the prettiest face..face...face song that I made up in Vietnam).
We are preparing for Tet (Vietnamese New Year) that begins next Monday (26th). This Saturday we are attending a Tet party in Winston with many other CAS families! We are really excited! We will have a pot-luck lunch consisting of Vietnamese dishes (I need a lot of LUCK to pull this one off)lol! Halle-Grace is going to wear her beautiful red ao dai and I am sure she will entertain the crowd! I will post TONS of photos!
OOOHHHH....and it is REALLY snowing now...yesterday was a tease...15 min. and it was pure rain! I pray it sticks so I can get her in the snow tomorrow (just for a photo...I know we are both sick, but is NEVER snows here anymore) unless you live in the BEST NC town (BOONE, NC...lucky Mary)!!!

Walking, talking, watching it snow!

CLICK ON PHOTO OF HALLE-GRACE TO VIEW GALLERY

Halle-Grace is into everything and exploring her world! She is a smart monkey! She is talking and mimics ANYTHING she sees! She is saying a lot these days and has THE funniest personality! She is definitely a Miss Congeniality! She waves at everyone and tells everyone BYE BYE whether they are coming or going! She LOVES Maa Maa and PaPa and I think they are pretty smitten with her as well. They are such a blessing! They treat and refer to Halle-Grace as one of their grandchildren...that makes it SO easy to enjoy my career and I thank God for them daily! She is doing so much better eating these days and her favorite dish is mash potatoes! She is a "southern belle" when it comes to eating...she will probably be unlike her mom and LOVE sweet tea someday as well!
She is walking around really well. She has been taking steps for sometime now, but really took off this past Monday night!
We are watching it snow...and Halle-Grace is watching her eye lids...I'll type more later, I need to lay her down in her crib.
Love to all! WE ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE OUR TINY MIRACLE, WE ARE SO IN LOVE!

Halle-Grace thinks of "work-outs" in the same fashion as her mama!!!

She is just like me!
Jason wanted a baby jogger/trailer for Christmas and Santa delivered. He went for a three mile jog today and said it was AWESOME! He can also hook it to the back of BELLA (his bike, yes..IT has a name)...and take Halle-Grace around the neighborhood. As you can tell from the photos, she thinks of working out about the same as I do...SLEEP IS BETTER! LOL


Halle-Grace wouldn't eat for me tonight but she is sleeping like a QUEEN! No more stressing over the eating...if she remains in 3-6 months clothes for the next two years...I TRIED! Oh, her jeans were 6-9 months...ignore the sagging! LOL

ONE MORE THING! You must check out this blog http://www.aninvisiblethread.blogspot.com/Melissa is a mom of 4...it gives me the BEST laughs! ENJOY!

"Mama can't cook"

Well Halle-Grace has confirmed that I CANNOT COOK!!! She has been eating like a queen at Maa Maa's house...but NOT at home! We thought, "it's a kid thing, she eats good for everyone but mom & dad kind of thing" WELL NO!!! Jason brought Halle-Grace along with her dinner (compliments of Maa Maa) home tonight and she ate as fast as I would feed her! And I was thinking I would prepare a Vietnamese dish for Tet, what was I thinking???

Great ideas for Tet... cooking/decorating and more

Thanks Mary for sharing the link!
www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog

When you're smiling...the whole world smiles with you!

*click photo for more SMILES*
Today ended the initiative to get your senators/reps to sign the letter to the Prime Minister of VN concerning a new MOU. I called Richard Burr's Washington office late Monday and was told "he signed the letter." I also sent communication to Congressman McHenry and his AWESOME constituent leader, David McCrary, assured me the Congressman would get the information and also advocate to his peers in DC! I hope we will hear GOOD news!
*HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY KENNEDY!!! Kennedy's blog is listed below "Remember Nguyen". I love the name of their blog! Nguyen is a common sir name in VN and to most all TQ angels. It is pronounced "when".
*The hens are preparing for a Tet exchange...
*Tet celebration: Well, I don't have my recipe just yet *Mary, if you are reading this, I am working on it* Actually, Trish, who attends our church is going to help me. Her mom is from VN...so watch out, this might be fabulous! Jason is probably thinking "nothing that comes from Shannon's cooking is fabulous." Maybe that is Halle-Grace's problem...she still is on this strange "refuse food" kick! However, she is incredibly HAPPY as you can tell from the photos!

Prepare to celebrate Tet

CLICK ON PIC OF HALLE-GRACE TO VIEW GALLERY

Tet Nguyen Dan, is the lunar New year Festival and it is the most important Vietnamese holiday. Tet (Vietnamese New Year) is the celebration of the beginning of spring as well as a new year. It is the time for family reunions, exchanging gifs, best wishes and the beginning of a new year. Tet begins Jan. 26th!

HAPPY 1st Birthday Saige! Saige is a TQ beauty! Her blog is listed below as "our Vietnamese Angel" Saige's mom is one of my hen friends! I hope Saige had a WONDERFUL birthday!

"And I think to myself, what a wonderful world"

CLICK ON PHOTO TO VIEW MORE...Halle-Grace continues to grow and explore...she is saying a lot these days and mimics just about anything that we do! She is quite the character and has a winning personality! Everyone says, "she is SO beautiful" and she is, however, true beauty truly is from the inside out and she is ABSOLUTELY beautiful!!!
The only struggle at this point is WHAT WILL SHE EAT? She is ready for some new "taste and texture". We have tried several things yet still trying to find out what type of "eater" she will be. If she takes after me, she will be a "creature of habit" which means I eat the same thing just about everyday. If she is like her dad, she will have a sweet tooth!!!
This morning she refused her oatmeal but enjoyed Dannon plain vanilla yogurt and some cheerios (which are by far her favorite at this point). Jason is cooking in the kitchen to give her a taste test for later! Maybe I should stop eating my usual and see what he stirs up for me?
Speaking of food/recipes, we are going to a TET party this month with other CAS families. TET is the Vietnamese New Year. The party will include a POT luck lunch...so, we will be preparing a Vietnamese dish to take! I'll make sure to post the recipe when we make a decision. TET begins on Jan. 26th...let's get ready to CELEBRATE!!!

A recap of New Year's Eve...

WOW, what a start...I have always heard BAD rehearsal = excellent performance...I hope that statement is true! SO, Jason was sick all night (feeling much better after a Z pack and cough medicine). Nanny fell out of the back door and spent the next day in the ER. Halle-Grace partied ALL NIGHT! She danced and yelled and had too much fun with the girls (Hannah, Nanny, Suzie and myself). We hope Nanny will feel better SOON! She went to Carolina Orthopaedics in Hickory on Friday and has broken toes on one foot (that was from a fall out of the beach the day after Christmas)and the other foot/ankle is in an aircast! Hannah is telling her she is staying at the "Hannah Hotel" in the king suite! Mike, Papa Gene, Hunter and the rest of the hunting boys are in Mississippi!
We are incredibly blessed to be able to ring "DEVINE 09" in with our tiny miracle!
ENJOY the photos!!!
Thanks Hannah for allowing me to practice with my new camera...you make a great model! As I continue to learn more about the camera (haven't used all of the lens yet) I know I have a great model to help me. Halle-Grace is not still enough for practice..more action shots with her!!!

I LOVE THIS BROWN EYED BEAUTY!!!