"Ni Hao!"

We are slowly but surely putting life back together around here post-Christmas. Suitcases have been unloaded. Laundry is done. The grand playroom purge is finished - old toys out in the garage to be rotated back in later this year, new toys happily situated in their new home. I'm still working on processing a lot of the thoughts that I have been having lately related to my Christmas experience this year. I've been doing a lot of reading too - all Africa-related (not a huge surprise) which also has me doing a lot of thinking about the state of the world - again. The last time I did a lot of "thinking" about global issues we somehow ended up with two toddlers. Thinking is dangerous, especially if you are praying too.

I hope to share more on this later. For now, here are some pictures I am loving right now. Big Bear got a gorgeous turquoise Chinese dress from a cousin who lives in Asia. It looked stunning on her against her dark skin. She kept running around the kitchen laughing and trying to run right up to the camera lens. We also taught her to bow and say "Ni Hao" which caused her to laugh even more. Talk about cross-cultural. An Ethiopian child, now living in America as a legal resident (soon to be citizen!) wearing a Chinese dress saying "Ni Hao". That's globalization for you.