China Reunion and Garden Update

China Reunion~

Today was China reunion. What fun. We enjoy it more and more each time we go. This year we got to see our new Chinese cousin at the reunion. That was fun. She loves Meikiina, gives her a big smile every time she sees her. I couldn't take a picture of her because I had lost my camera. Her mama took some pictures of her with my girls and will email them to me. She's such a cutie! We also got to visit with a family that traveled at the same time I did when I went to get Meikiina. We didn't get to visit with them super long, but it's always fun to say hi and keep in touch a little with how they are doing.

At the reunion we got to have faces painted, paint Chinese fans (above), watch awesome drummers, jump in an air jumper, listen to Chinese story tellers, make a Chinese kite, visit lots of vendors with so many neat Chinese items for sale, have snacks, and more.

We also participated in a silent auction. We 'won' 2 items we bid on. Meikiina was very excited about one of the items we won. She so badly wanted to win a Furga brand Chinese baby doll that was displayed there. I really did not think we would have a chance. Only one other family was bidding on it, and we got it. She was so excited that we won. We named the baby Jade Lin. Meikiina has been taking really good care of her. We also won tickets to a Circus Juventas performance of 'Yulong the Jade Dragon' for August 1. Gregg was so excited about that. It will be really fun to go to that. One of our favorite events at Chinese events is the Chinese circus, and this year they were not there. This will make up for that.

All in all - we had a great time and we are all glad that we went.

Garden ~

Now for a garden update picture. The garden is growing like crazy. I still have to finish thinning the carrots and the peas are even crazier, but it's fun!

This is a fun 'garden' picture. Every year I plant flowers in a little spot I made special for flowers when I bought the house. Every year, Gregg tells me he's going to plant peppers in that spot, that it would be a perfect spot for peppers. Every year I tell him, "No way-that is my flower bed." This year when I was planting my flowers there I noticed a different type of flower mixed in with my petunias. I tried to separate the other plant from the petunia, but the roots were just stuck, so I left it and thought, hmmmm...I wonder what type of flower that is. I thought I would just leave it and see what it grew into. One day Gregg called me at work and said, "Did you know you have a pepper plant in with your flowers?" I told him that I did not know that. He said, "And it has peppers already growing on it." Then I realized that it was that plant that I had seen and left in with the flowers. We have laughed about that a lot. He finally got his pepper plant there. See the pepper plant below with the peppers on it.