Family Updates

We are finally back to our routine.   School is going rough.  With the little one around, it is much harder for everyone to focus on school.    I also have less time and energy for them.   But I am grateful that Yan and Yin have been doing a great job working independently.    Just the other day, Yin Yin graded his own math homework from the day before, made corrections,  make a copy of his math test, finished his math test, graded his own math test himself........ came back and told me he finished and got a 96% on the test...    :-)     He is an amazing 11-year-old, a very good boy.       Even though Pearl has been a constant distraction for them during school time, never once any of them complaint about her, never once any of them raise their voices.    It is amazing how much they love and enjoy their little sister from the first day we got her.        It is also funny how Faith sounded just like me when talking to Pearl.   She is a natural little MaMa...   ha,ha...

Many people have told us how lucky Pearl is to be in our family.    But I feel stronger and stronger that it is exactly the other way around - we are totally blessed by her.     Because of Pearl, our three children have all of the sudden became more mature and more independent and responsible.  They've learned how to prepare food for and feed a baby.   They've learned to babysit, and to keep her safe.   They have less fear or hesitation to make friends with people with disability or special needs.    They are learning to appreciate a person's inside, overlooking outward appearance, embrace differences in people.    And most importantly, they learned, and saw it first hand, that there are so many needy children in other parts of the world who needs a home and a family.    They have witnessed the transformation of their little sister in the past month, and have experienced the power of a loving family.       These are all valuable life lessons that they would never learn in school textbooks. 
"Pearl is really different." This is what Yan Yan told me many times in this past two weeks.  She is truly a very different girl now.

We met with Pearl's surgeon this afternoon.      According to the doctor, Pearl's cleft condition should be an easy fix. (yeah!)   She will need a minimum of 3 surgeries.   She will have her first surgery(to fix her lip) in early/mid April.   The second one (to fix her palate) in July/August.    The last one to reconstruct her gum line will be done when she is 8 or 9 years old.    There might be a need for more surgeries in the future to "touch up".

Yan Yan got his PSAT result back!   To our relief, he actually did pretty well!   Praise God!   

Yan Yan sent in an application to the National Marine Corp Museum to apply for summer volunteer position.   This Museum is his favorite place to visit, and History is his passion.   This job should be a natural fit for him.   I pray that he will hear from them soon, and God will direct his path as he is approaching college.


Pui Pui wearing her new ballet slipper sweater that her friend Becca gave her.   She loves it.

Pui Pui doing her science experiment to create a tornado with two empty bottles.

Bible time in the morning.  (Disclaimer: This is a rare "kodak moment".    Our bible time in the morning are usually not as perfect as it looks here...     ha,ha..)

Our four wonderful children - never even dream about having four kids before.   We always thought two was perfect.    But God has a different/better plan.   We have all age-range covered: 1 in high school, 1 in middle school, 1 in elementary school, and 1 toddler....   ha,ha....   They are all four/five years apart - It works out nice, because only one of them in college at a time, but that means we will be paying college tuition for 16 years straight!     Help!!!