Happy Chinese New Year!

(above) Phil and I decked out in our red and black to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (below) Two mini dancing Chinese dragons...I liked them a lot.
So, the Chinese New Year came and went. Usually, I would have no ties to such an event, except for the fact Phil's work holds quite the happenin' Chinese New Year shin dig. We were even encouraged to wear red and black. Except for the 10 course meal I probably took six bites of (With the power combo of new tastes, being pregnant and chopsticks working against me, this is no surprise), the night was quite enjoyable. They entertained us with dancing Chinese dragons, Kung Fu demonstrations and a Chinese childrens' orchestra.
My second tie to the Chinese New Year (I know you're all thinking, "no way! a second tie!") is that this Chinese year is the year of the boar. Some of you may remember one of my previous posts because I was feeling sorry for myself that I found out I was born in the year of the boar. Well, the pity party is over because I discovered something very cool about the 'year of the boar' or 'year of the pig' so they say. Boar or pig...hmm... pigs are dirty, but pink and nice, so I'll go with pig. Anyhow, not knowing any of my thoughts on this, Phil came home and told me that not only was it the year of the pig, but the 'Year of the Golden Pig'. (Gasp!)
Apparently, he was talking to a co-worker who told Phil this bit of info and said that if you have a baby (it's all making sense now, isn't it) in the Year of the Golden Pig--which might I add, happens every 600 years!--your child will grow up to be very prosperous. Phil said his co-worker said, "yeah, my wife and I are trying really hard to get pregant" followed by one of those laughs that they are joking, but not really.
I Googled this and found this informative tidbit...

"Not too long ago I announced that my wife and I are expecting a baby this year as part of our world domination plans. Adding fuel to our plans is the discovery that this year is a special year according to the Chinese Zodiac.
It is not only the year of the Pig, it is the Year of the Golden Pig. According to Chinese Foklore, this is an event that occurs once in every 600 years and will ensure that a baby born on this year will experience a prosperous and wealthy life.
This legend is so popular, that Korea is expected to have a 10% increase in birth rate this year, which is apparently much needed as its birth rate is extremely low. "
It later when on to say, that there are no facts supporting this myth...but why would I want to talk about that?
Anyhow, here is a "Woo, woo!" to anyone having a baby before February 2008! Asian or not, you apparently have a tie to the Chinese New Year as well.

Beautiful


I read this at work as tears streamed down my face. What an amazing person. What missionary work. Enjoy...

(sorry about the symbol transfer...just ignore any /n nonsense)

Subject: FW: Gladys Knight testimony
Tribune, Independent Tribune, Harrisburg Horizons, The Lake Norman Navigator and The Winston Salem Journal

Covering 22 Counties Gladys Knight Tells Floridians, "This is the Light". By Geoffrey Biddulph

Gladys Knight and her 60-person choir of Latter-day Saints gave four performances for more than 5,000 people in southern Florida last week. "This is the way, this is the light", she said in a teary testimony regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gladys Knight is famous worldwide for such songs as "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia". Over the weekend, she, along with her choir and a three-person band gave four shows to thousands of members and non-member investigators, who crowded into the Fort Lauderdale Florida stake center building. They heard Knights renditions of "Because I have been Given Much" and "I am a Child of God", as well as several Gospel songs that are not in the Church hymn book. Knight sang several solos, but she also directed several choir members who also took the stage alone. They sang songs such as "Uphold Me with Thy Sweet Spirit" and "Oh, How I Love Jesus" with a swelling choir behind them.

The highlight of the evening was certainly when the famed singer and her husband both gave their testimonies of the restored gospel. "It is indeed a miracle that I belong to this church", Sister Knight said. "The image of the Church in the past has not been conducive to my being here. It shows His hand in motion. An African-American woman: Who knew I would have a calling such as this"? Knight has indeed been given a special calling by the Brethren to travel throughout the world giving her testimony both in \nspeech and through song. Given her fame and her reputation, \nshe may be a vessel for bringing thousands or tens of \nthousands to investigate the Church. Several years \nago, Gladys Knight's son was the first member of her family \nto look at the Church. After he got baptized, her daughter \ncame next. Sister Knight \ndescribed her search for God's true church, which came after \nthe baptism of her children. "I was raised in a \nBaptist home. We spent all day on Sunday at church. I was \nkind of all over the place religiously. I was a Baptist and then \na Catholic and then I went to several other churches. I was \nseeking. There was something good in every one of those \nchurches, but I thought there's got to be more. My daughter \nKenya said, "talk to the \nmissionaries". I fell in love right away. They were \nrespectful, and the first thing they said was, "Can we \npray?" I believe in the power of prayer. They told me, "You \ncheck it out." I got on my knees and asked the Lord, and I got \nmy answer. I couldn't wait for my next lessons. I said I \nwanted to get baptized \ntomorrow". Very soon after that, she was \nbaptized. Her husband, William McDowell, gave an \neloquent and humor-laced testimony about his courtship and \nmarriage to one of the most famous singers \naround. They met because he was the manager of a spa \nin San Diego. \n"As Gladys", said. "The image of the Church in the past has not been conducive to my being here. It shows His hand in motion. An African-American woman: Who knew I would have a calling such as this"? Knight has indeed been given a special calling by the Brethren to travel throughout the world giving her testimony both in speech and through song.

Given her fame and her reputation, she may be a vessel for bringing thousands or tens of thousands to investigate the Church. Several years ago, Gladys Knight's son was the first member of her family to look at the Church. After he got baptized, her daughter came next. Sister Knight described her search for God's true church, which came after the baptism of her children. "I was raised in a Baptist home. We spent all day on Sunday at church. I was kind of all over the place religiously. I was a Baptist and then a Catholic and then I went to several other churches. I was seeking. There was something good in every one of those churches, but I thought there's got to be more. My daughter Kenya said, "talk to the missionaries". I fell in love right away. They were respectful, and the first thing they said was, "Can we pray?" I believe in the power of prayer. They told me, "You check it out." I got on my knees and asked the Lord, and I got my answer. I couldn't wait for my next lessons. I said I wanted to get baptized tomorrow".

Very soon after that, she was baptized. Her husband, William McDowell, gave an eloquent and humor-laced testimony about his courtship and marriage to one of the most famous singers around. They met because he was the manager of a spa in San Diego. "As Gladys kept traveling around the world, and I kept on \ntraveling around San Diego, it was common knowledge Gladys \nhas lost her mind and had joined those Mormons", Brother \nMcDowell said. He would go to visit her in \nLas Vegas and, \n"There were a lot of young men on bicycles who kept on \nvisiting, hungry young men on bicycles". McDowell added, \n"They kept on saying they belonged to the true church of Jesus Christ. I was raised very Baptist by \ngod-fearing people, my grandparents. How could they not be \nmembers of the true church"? But \nMcDowell said he went to seminary and read The Book of Mormon \nand then got on his knees and asked, and "I received the \nanswers. My grandparents had prepared me to recognize the \nTruth when I saw it". He acknowledged his brother, who was \nin the audience, and said, "This is the first time he has \nheard my testimony. Hopefully I can bring my family to the \ntruth. The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. It \n \nwas restored by \na young boy, Joseph Smith, who in a field saw God the Father\nand Jesus \nChrist". McDowell continued, "Take the time to research and \n \nfind out for \nyourself. Take the time to pick up The Book of Mormon. Ask \nwhether it is \ntrue. If you want to see a miracle, just think that Gladys Knight \nis running a \nchoir in the Mormon Church". He then introduced his \nwife as "Gladys Knight McDowell", and she sang a",1]
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kept traveling around the world, and I kept on traveling around San Diego, it was common knowledge Gladys has lost her mind and had joined those Mormons", Brother McDowell said. He would go to visit her in Las Vegas and, "There were a lot of young men on bicycles who kept on visiting, hungry young men on bicycles". McDowell added, "They kept on saying they belonged to the true church of Jesus Christ. I was raised very Baptist by god-fearing people, my grandparents. How could they not be members of the true church"? But McDowell said he went to seminary and read The Book of Mormon and then got on his knees and asked, and "I received the answers. My grandparents had prepared me to recognize the Truth when I saw it". He acknowledged his brother, who was in the audience, and said, "This is the first time he has heard my testimony. Hopefully I can bring my family to the truth. The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. It

was restored by a young boy, Joseph Smith, who in a field saw God the Father
and Jesus Christ". McDowell continued, "Take the time to research and

find out for yourself. Take the time to pick up The Book of Mormon. Ask
whether it is true. If you want to see a miracle, just think that Gladys Knight
is running a choir in the Mormon Church". He then introduced his wife as "Gladys Knight McDowell", and she sang a
song to \nwhich Brother McDowell wrote the lyrics "He Lives". It was a \nvery moving song about the Savior that Knight sang to a misty-eyed \n crowd. \n"I have to give this testimony of mine", Knight said. "I have no \nother choice. Sometimes the truth is right before you and \nyou don't see it". Knight said that it has sometimes been \ndifficult for her to tell people she is a Mormon. "But this \nis the true church. It has the 12 apostles, just like Jesus' \nchurch. Just like the people in Jesus' day, we need to look \nfarther for the truth. The people in those days got the same \nridicule we get today. I was willing to risk that for the honor \nof serving him". She asked non-members \nin the audience, "At least see for yourselves. At least be \nobedient to that end". She then went into the audience to \nshake hands and give hugs to the many people who adore \nher. Mission President Noel Reynolds said his \nmissionaries received 425 solid referrals from the \nevent. "The missionaries from the Haitian branch \nbrought 17 people, and one young lady asked to be baptized \nright away after hearing Gladys Knights testimony" President \nReynolds said. "Another ward mission leader had been asking \nhis father, a Baptist, to hear the discussions for a year. \nHis father \nfinally agreed with enthusiasm after attending the Gladys \nKnight \nevent".\n",0]
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song to which Brother McDowell wrote the lyrics "He Lives". It was a very moving song about the Savior that Knight sang to a misty-eyed
crowd. "I have to give this testimony of mine", Knight said. "I have no other choice. Sometimes the truth is right before you and you don't see it". Knight said that it has sometimes been difficult for her to tell people she is a Mormon. "But this is the true church. It has the 12 apostles, just like Jesus' church. Just like the people in Jesus' day, we need to look farther for the truth. The people in those days got the same ridicule we get today. I was willing to risk that for the honor of serving him". She asked non-members in the audience, "At least see for yourselves. At least be obedient to that end". She then went into the audience to shake hands and give hugs to the many people who adore her. Mission President Noel Reynolds said his missionaries received 425 solid referrals from the event. "The missionaries from the Haitian branch brought 17 people, and one young lady asked to be baptized right away after hearing Gladys Knights testimony" President Reynolds said. "Another ward mission leader had been asking his father, a Baptist, to hear the discussions for a year.
His father finally agreed with enthusiasm after attending the Gladys Knight event".

Happy February!

We're here, we made it. I think any Seattleite (or anyone with a winter) can agree it feels good to get through January. Not only is one of the coldest months of the year over, but you have a small sense of completion...one down eleven more to go. Or in my case three down, six more to go. Either way, welcome to a new month! February is a good time. It has Valentine's Day, it has Phil's birthday, it has my parents' anniversary, it even has my best friend's wedding (so I get to see my family and friends, woo woo!!) and if none of the above apply to you, remember, it's the shortest month of the year. Another reason month #2 is so cool is because I have this really nifty calendar at work that not only rips off month by month but allows me to see one month behind and even better, two months in adance! So, this morning, while I was getting satisfaction out of ripping the old months away, guess what month now appears on my calendar? April...do you know what April is? Spring! April is totally a spring month. March...kind of, but April--totally. I tell you all of this because I have been getting huge surges of Spring Fever lately, which is probably another reason I like February--one month closer to spring and summer. (I just found a little bit of peanut butter from breakfast on my coat button...hmmm) So, to any of you feeling the winter blues, no worries, because winter is slowly on its way out. Also, I have a matter of business to discuss. Since I sent out this blog in August, I admittedly failed to post consistenly (or failed to post at all for like three months). Anyhow, I just wanted my viewers to know (at this point, mom and autumn) that I am starting anew. I am going to post weekly. Enough to keep ya'll comin back, but not so much that I begin to run out of things to write about. I am also going to make an effort to post photos and graphics...today is my meager attempt at some graphics. All right, that is all. Have fun welcoming in February!!!