Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Transformation Tuesday: Piper

Piper's story is one that starts off heart-breakingly sad. She was born on April 15, 2015, and was found by the local police 7 months later. Piper arrived at New Day Foster Home shortly after that on November 27, 2015, which just so happened to be when the foster home celebrated Thanksgiving Day.


In her bio it was written that Piper, Jewel at the time, was very aware of what was going on and it broke people's hearts when she kept crying and looking for her mother. We were so very thankful for this precious life, but our hearts broke for her as she grieved this sudden change in her life.


As Piper settled in we saw a change in her. We began to see her face light up with smiles and her sweet laughter began to fill to playroom.



In March of 2016 Piper was able to have the heart surgery she needed. After her surgery she continued to grow and shine.


She celebrated her first birthday,


her first steps,


and soaked all of of the love and care from her nannies.


While Piper's beginning will always be part of her story, we are so thankful that it isn't the end.



Piper will soon be joining her forever family and we are so excited for her. We know there will be no stopping her and that her story is really just beginning!


Saturday, January 28, 2017

Happy Chinese New Year!


Thursday, January 26, 2017

Dumplings!

A big part of celebrating Chinese New year is making, and eating, dumplings! Called 'jiǎozi' in Mandarin, they are shaped like a gold ingot (the currency used in ancient times), symbolizing luck and fortune.


There are many varieties of dumplings, and they can vary based on the region of China, but they all include some kind of filling wrapped in dough. The tricky part, at least for the foreigners, is folding them! There are many different ways, but in the end as long as the filling doesn’t fall out when it's cooked you can declare it a success!





The nannies, staff, and foster parents come ready to fold hundreds of dumplings  and the children watch carefully as they learn the fine art of dumpling making.



We thought you might like a recipe to try making your own dumplings for Chinese New Year! This was a little tricky, as Chinese rarely measure anything while cooking and instead throw in a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but we hope you enjoy these!

Pork Dumplings
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetables, minced (carrot, cabbage, or cucumber are great choices!)
1 T finely minced ginger
6 stalks green onions, minced
3 T soy sauce
2 T sesame oil
2T chicken stock
Salt

Mix all ingredients together. Our cook says to mix hard!

Add about a tablespoon of filling to pre-made dumpling or wanton wrappers. Make sure all the edges are sealed.

Place dumplings in boiling water. Cook until they float to the top.


Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Transformation Tuesday: Natalie

Natalie arrived at New Day on July 8th, 2014. She was almost 6 months old and had a serious heart condition.


Her bio says that when she arrived she was very weak but very cute.  Her nannies were ready to pour love into her and as they did they were rewarded wth her beautiful smiles.



Natalie had the heart surgery she needed in October of 2014 and quickly focused on recovering. It was such a joy to watch her regain strength, grow, and experience new things.




Shortly after her first birthday Natalie moved in with her foster family.



We loved seeing her every time they would stop by for a visit, and Natalie was quick to greet people with a wave and her beautiful smile. Natalie quickly grew from a little baby into a very busy little girl!




Last spring Natalie started preschool and we were able to see even more of her sweet personality.






Natalie recently returned to her orphanage in anticipation of her upcoming adoption. While we miss seeing her everyday we are excited for the transformation that will be happening in her life soon, the transformation from orphan to beloved daughter. 


Sunday, January 22, 2017

NDNorth: From the Bottom of our Hearts

Christmas in January... why not? The children and nannies at our In-Orphanage Care Center celebrated a combined Christmas and Chinese New Year party this week. There was anticipation... 


...and snacks for young and old, complete with pumpkin bread and eggnog. 


As everyone gathered round, Christmas songs were sung in cheery Christmas spirit.


The children then helped pass out gifts to their nannies. Merry Christmas, Ida! 



Merry Christmas, Leah!


Rina helped to give Diane her gift.


Why, thank you, Rina!


All of the children received new outfits, and what fun to open them up and try them on! 

Just for you, Ding! 



You're so pretty in yellow and purple, Ruby. 


Rina strikes a pose in her snazzy new jeans


What a little lady, Evangeline! And did you get two dresses?



Chad was adorable with his dinosaur and matching outfit! 


Could Caleb be any more dashing than in a sweater and overalls? We think not. 


All together now! 



All of the children also received a group gift, from generous local sponsors. 






The new toys were so intriguing, even Grace had to try out the tunnel!


But there was more! We not only wanted to wish each other Merry Christmas, but also a Happy New Year. There were reflections from 2016, remembering events that had happened and dynamics that had changed. 2016 saw children adopted, new arrivals, as well as growth and health in the children. 


Traditional Chinese New Year "red envelopes" were given in honor of the upcoming Year of the Rooster!






Belated as it may be, we truly want to wish you and your families all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from the bottom of our hearts! May this year be full of newness, accomplishments, joy, and growth. 新年快乐!