HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AVA, LOVE NANNA & PAPA

This is Ava's Valentines Day card from her Nana and Papa. It says "Hi, Love Bug-Happy Valentine's Day! All our Love, Nanna and Papa.

XOXO

FOR AVA

A red thread to China was cast today

From us to a child so far away.

This thread symbolizes an attachment of hearts

That distance alone can't keep us apart.

Her mother and I are caught in a chase

That time alone will bring us to face

This loving child we want so much to greet

With love in our hearts before we did meet.

This tiny,thin thread may stretch, tangle or fray

But our love for her grows stronger each day.

Through the test of time it won't break or sever

She'll be part of us forever and ever.

With oceans between us, the distance is spanned

By a love that is greater than man could have planned.

For God in his mercy loved her and us

And decided our family would be a great plus.

So for now we'll just love her and pray every day

That God keeps her and loves her for us till we may

Travel to China, that land of great past,

To the side of our daughter, to hold her at last.

AVA'S FIRST VALENTINE CARD FROM MOMMY!

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"ADOPTION HORMONES????"

I was out at the fabric store yesterday picking up fabric to exchange quilt squares with a couple other IM(Inner Mongolia) families for our "100 Good Wishes Quilts." The woman cutting the fabric just casually asked what I was doing with the fabric...as soon as I started to explain the tradition of the "100 Good Wishes Quilt" I could feel myself getting choked up and my lip begin to quiver...she also must have been feeling the emotion because she told me to stop...she couldn't hear anymore or she was going to start to cry...I could see her eyes watering. They say when you are pregnant your hormones are raging and just about anything can set you off...not sure how it works when "your're pregnant in your heart"...I hope there is such a thing as "adoption hormones"...because if there isn't I guess I'm just cracking up!...and this is NOT a convenient time for this to happen! I can be driving down the street, listening to the radio and all of a sudden something will set me off and the tears start to flow. Now, the rest of you out there, also impatiently waiting for your travel approval...please tell me your are going through the same roller coaster of emotions. I really need assurance that I'm not just loosing it. I'm assuming that having your childs picture and still not being able to hold them in your arms could evoke emotions in a similar way to those that are produced by the hormonal changes in one that is PHYSICALLY PREGNANT.

QUILT SQUARE # 24

This quilt patch was sent by my Aunt Alanna and Uncle Alex. Alanna will be joining me on my journey to China. Their fabric is a very pretty "girlie" print. Their blessing page is a ladybug poem.

QUILT SQARE # 23

This sqare was sent by my cousin Erin, it is a vibrant green shamrock pattern representing her Irish heritage. Her blessing page is an Irish blessing for a child.

MORE QUILT SQUARES ARRIVE!

QUILT SQARE #22
This sqare was sent by my cousin Tara, her husband Andre and their son Mathieu. It is a piece of brightly coloured fabric with crayons and pencils covering it encorporating all of the primary colours...there good wish page has a beautiful song on it called "The World is a Rainbow".

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!!

QUILT PATCHES

QUILT PATCH # 21

This patch was sent by Terry, my cousin Anita's daughter. Terry wrote a message titled: "Don't Believe in Miracles, Depend on Them."

QUILT PATCH # 20

This patch was sent by Hayley, my cousin Anita's granddaugher. Hayley's message is:" Come swim with me....Love Hayley."

QUILT PATCH # 19

This patch was sent by Ashley, my cousin Anita's son Bradley's girlfriend. Ashley wrote: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world." Welcome home Ava Grace! Wish love Ashley.

ALL ABOUT AVA'S HOMELAND!!!!

INNER MONGOLIA(HOHHOT)

Lying in the northern border of China, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous region borders to the north with both the Republic of Mongolia and Russia and is the widest province in China. It is essentially an inland plateau with a flat surface and fringed by mountains and valleys. It endures a long cold winter but a pleasant summer. It is the third largest Chinese province (over 1.1 square kilometers or 424,736 square miles) but is not very populated. The province has about 24 million inhabitants. Many ethnic groups are living in the area including Mongolian, Daur, Orogen, Ewenki, Hui, Han, Korean and Manchu. Hohhot is the capital of Inner Mongolia. In mongolian, Hohhot means the "green city" because of its far flung grassland. Ava is from Hohhot.

It boasts many famous tourist attractions and places of interest such as the Five Pagoda Monastery, Dazhao Temple, Xiletuzhao, Tomb of Princess Wang Zhaojun and Wanbuhuuayanjing.

Dazhao Temple

It is a Buddist monastery and is the oldest building and largest monastery in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.


Five Pagoda Monastery

Five Pagoda Monastery

It is a unique temple in Hohhot as it features classic Indian style architecture. Built in 1732. Over 1500 Buddas are carved into the walls of the temple.

Map of Provinces of China

Map of China showing the autonomous Regions



Genghis Khan Mausoleum

One of Inner Mongolia's most famous past residents was Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan, "Khan of Khans" was the great leader of the Mongolians. At the end of the 12th Century, he united Mongolian tribes and challenged other powers to expand his huge Mongolian empire, which extended from South China to the Caspian Sea. In 1277 Khan attacked the west Xia Kingdom(now Ningxia) and encountered strong resistance. He succumbed to old age and disease. He was later buried secretly according to Mongolian custom. It is said that after the burial 2000 men were killed by some 800 soldiers who were in turn executed so the location of the real tomb remains a secret.

Wanbuhuayanjing

It is named the Wanbuhuayanjing(Ten Thousand Volumes of Huayan Scriptures) Pagoda because, so the legend goes, the thousand volumes of Huayan scriptures were preserved inside. Today no Buddist scriptures are to be found there. It has since been painted white and is known as the White Pagoda by the local people.

Tomb of Princess Wang Zhaojin

It was built to memorialize a Han dynasty concubine.

Xiletyzhao


Xiletuzhao Temple

It is a temple located in the old city area of Hohhot and it's 15m white marble stupa is said to be the most beautiful in Inner Mongolia. It was built in 1585 for the third Dalai Lama and the complex features both Tibetan and Chinese style architecture.

Grasslands of Inner Mongolia

One of the big attractions of Inner Mongolia is to be able to see the grasslands, ride the horses and see the Mongolian way of Life. Inner Mongolia is one part of what was originally the Mongol Homeland, a vast area that also encompasses all of Mongolia(the country), and a large part of Siberia. In the grasslands beyond the Great Wall and the Gobi Desert, the Mongols endured a rough life as shepards and horse breeders. They moved with the seasons in search of food, living in tents known as Yurts(Ger).

Grasslands and farms








Grasslands and horses


Sheep in the grasslands



More grassland pictures

Yurts(Ger) are made of compressed sheep wool and shaped like a squat Native American Teepee. They are windowless. The yurts are made from latticed wood frames, originally designed to be folded up and carried by camel. They have thick rug floors and are usually furnished with blankets, low beds, quilts and pillows.

Horses in the grasslands





Grasslands and horses

Entertainment in the grasslands are many activities including mongolian wrestling, horse and camel riding, rodeo competitions, archery, as well as visiting traditional families. The best time to do all this is during Naadam Festival, in the second half of August when the crowds are out in full and a fair-like atmosphere is created. Naadam means "entertainment" or "game" in mongolian. Horse racing, wrestling and archery are called men's three skills. At this time the city is a burst of colour and activity. Costumes are brightly coloured and beautifully designed. There are performances of traditional dancing, singing and melodies from traditional mongolian instruments, including the sawing charms of the horsehead fiddle(matouquin). Hey Janet...maybe when Ava gets here you'll have another fiddler for your jam sessions?

Yurts(Ger) in the grasslands


Yurts (Gers)

Yurt (Ger)








Mongolian Wrestlers


Mongolian child


Mongolian Women


Traditional Mongolian Dress


Naadam Festival Competitions









Playing the Horse Head Fiddle


Women in traditional Costume


Male wrestlers










Mongolian Cuisine


Mongolian couple outside their Yurt (Ger)
The most famous specialties in Hohhot are the many meat dishes, with the focus mainly on mutton or lamb. The most famous dish in town is undoubtedly the mongolian hotpot, that can be found in most restaurants. The local food of Inner Mongolia is a blend of its changing cultures as the cuisine is representative of both Mongolian and Chinese influences. Most of the food is similar to muslim dishes found in Xinjiang and other minority provinces of China with special emphasis on Lamb. The fertile grasslands of Inner Mongolia also allow for plenty of cattle which in turn adds many dairy products to the daily Mongolian diet. Favorite dishes include: Roast Lamb, butter, Shaomai, Instant-boiled mutton, cheese, Naked oat flour, cooked mutton, sour milk, buckwheat flour,finger mutton and milk tea.
Hohhot boasts a good variety of shopping specialties. For souvenir hunters interesting items include the traditional mongolian knives, mongolian carpets, camel hair products, brass teapots, cashmere sweaters, silver bowls, jade bottles as well as quality leather boots and clothes. Saddles and other horse gear are also available.