Saturday, August 9, 2008

OH CANADA!
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

Jia’s life has changed so much in the last year and a half. One of the blessings she has received is that she is part of not only a multiracial, multicultural family, but also a MULTINATIONAL family that includes the US and China but also the beautiful country of Canada—

Jia’s awesome DAD is from Canada and most of his family still lives there. Jia got another stamp in her passport when I said goodbye to my “babies” including the big one (just kidding, Drew) at the beginning of July and they traveled to Calgary, Alberta.

A lot of issues (first of which was that we lost our “dog sitter” who was so great with our menagerie), led me to stay home. (Some hilarious Lesa alone, doing stupid things stories ensued, but that is for another day…) Sadly, this meant that I missed the 60th (no, that is not a misprint) anniversary of Doug and Elizabeth, Drew’s parents).

Jia met a lot of her relatives for the first time including her “Pa-Pa” and Drew’s twin brother, Doug whom she adored. She went to the anniversary party, hung out with her Aunties and Grandparents and donned a pink cowgirl hat to go to the Calgary Stampede.

The pictures that accompany this entry are courtesy of Auntie Shannon. One of them in particular is pretty special it is the “kids” at a picnic table that includes Jia’s grown up cousin Christy, (who is a Mommy herself). Which makes it a shot of all the Parnham grandchildren—a very rare moment.

Jia, Anna and Katie are very blessed to have Grandparents like Nona and Grandpa in their lives. We all congratulate them and are in awe of them reaching the astounding goal of a 60th anniversary. In everyway Doug and Elizabeth Parnham are beloved to all of us.

Also a very big hug and thanks to Auntie Shannon who “rocks” in my big girls eyes.

Hopefully, this entry will be followed up almost immediately with more of Jia’s summer adventures…here is a hint:

It's a world of laughter,
A world of tears.
It's a world of hopes,
And a world of fears.
There's so much that we share,
That it's time we're aware,
It's a small world after all.

There is just one moon,
And one golden sun.
And a smile means,
Friendship to every one.
Though the mountains divide,
And the oceans are wide,
It's a small world after all.
~Arthur Levine