Welcoming the Auspicious Dragon Year

Doesn't the word 'auspicious' just make you sound so Asian?! I mean, who else really uses it? Just the other day someone pointed out to me that Baby Boy Montierth will be born under the auspicious sign of the dragon and asked if I was particularly proud of that. (Apparently they expect a population boom in China for this lunar new year for this reason) I proceeded to point out that the sign may be considered a lucky one, but the dragon can be temperamental and unpredictable, so I thought I'd hold out judgement for now! Don't get me wrong, we're totally excited to have this little one coming, but if there's anything the other two have taught me is that they are their own little people long before the Lord sends them to me. It'll take time for this little dragon and I to get to know each other - with a little 'luck' and alot of prayer it'll come together beautifully.

As for our festivities this year, I was into them long before the 23 of the month. There's something about pregnancy that has me aching for the 'Asian' in me. The house was deep cleaned from top to bottom (though you wouldn't know it after all the cooking I did). Isaac even got into the spirit of it, dusting all the shelves in reach meticulously. It was rather evident I hadn't done that in months! Every one's hair was cut or trimmed, meals were planned long in advance and included freezing of extras such as potstickers, wonton meat, baozi, spring rolls, etc for when the baby comes. I even figured out how to make mochi stuffed with peanuts and sesame seed. If there's any truth to the fact that fetus' can taste what you eat during the last part of pregnancy, this one is going to LOVE Asian food. Not that Kent or the kids minded the splurge one tiny bit!

Isaac was particularly excited this year for us to teach his preschool class about the holiday. He wore his 'dragon suit' for the occasion and proudly filled the little red envelopes with candy coins to give to his friends. We made lanterns in class, read stories, 'painted' Chinese words and ate potstickers and New Year candy.





The weekend was spent at the Phoenix festival where we ate lots of Chinese goodies, watch some dancing (Keila: "Pretty Chinese Pin-cess!!") and even met up with Kent's uncle, Jack.





Sunday morning Keila donned her Chinese dress that my mother sent last year to church. She was keenly aware that it made her look every part the Chinese princess and was prim and proper through most of sacrament.




Gung Hei Faat Choi everyone for this auspicious (I just HAD to use that word again!) Lunar New Year!