A Few More Pictures From Gladney's Chinese New Year Celebration!!

A wonderful time was had by all at the Chinese New Year celebration at the Jing Fong Restaurant in NYC"s Chinatown on Feb. 17, 2007. The food was delicious, the company great and the performances beautiful and exciting! Here, courtesy of Monica, Gladney mom to Katie Xing Xing are a few more great pics from the day!

In the first picture, Gongzhan Wu, Gladney's China Program Manager and Director of the New York Office, addresses the guests.

And exciting and beautiful performers!

Gladney Houston Chinese New Year Celebration!!!

A grand time was had by all at the Gladney Houston Chinese New Year Celebration earlier this month. Lucy and Lily Grace pose fetchingly in their traditional Chinese outfits; Hannah, Abby and Emma pose with the pigs that Gongzhan brought the children; Paul blows up ballons with help from Georgia and Hannah, and finally Gongzhan poses with the children.

Thanks to Pam who sent in all of these wonderful pictures!

Whitney and Grace Visit Chinatown For The First Time!!!

To celebrate Chinese New Year and a couple of very special second birthdays, Whitney and Grace's families went to Chinatown in NYC. We were in the same travel group and the families have become good friends. Grace and Whitney shared a crib at the Dianjiang SWI in Chongqing. Whitney's birthday is February 25 and Grace's big day is February 26. We hope to go to Chinatown every year to celebrate their birthdays. Just like in China, we had our own private room. The dim sum was great and everyone had fun catching up. The children especially liked the dragon parades that we saw all over Chinatown. span>

The pictures show Grace with her big brothers and sister and parents; a dragon parade; Whitney and Mom Beth Anne, and Whitney, Beth Anne and Daddy Jeff!

Joelle and Jessie Welcome The New Year At Gladney's Fort Worth Celebration!

Mom Kathy writes:

Here’s Joelle and Jessie at Chinese New Year in Fort Worth and our Aug/Sept 2006 travel group (Yulin, Guangxi).

Gladney New York CNY Celebration!!

A wonderful time was had by all at the Jing Fong Restaurant in NYC's Chinatown on Feb. 17, 2007. Here Kathryn is getting ready for the big event; then hanging out with her brother James on the stage at the restaurant; then they delighted with everyone else in watching the magician, face-changer, and dancer!!

Happy Year Of The Fire Pig!

Annabelle and Juliette Send New Year Greetings!!

The family writes:

Happy New Year Of The Pig!!

Virginie, Michael, Annabelle and Juliette

Colin and Katie Celebrate The Year Of The Fire Pig!

Katie joined the family just one year ago! It looks like she has adjusted well to life with loving parents and of course a big brother, Colin!

One Year Ago Today...

...a very frightened little girl named Qing Xin Li Tong (Tong Tong) was placed in my arms at the Adoption Registry Office in Guangzhou, while Daddy stood right beside us and her orphanage director and nanny tried to cheer her up.

Flash forward a year and Tong Tong, now Kathryn, is a typical feisty, stubborn, affectionate, smart two-year-old. Here are some then and now pictures. The ones from our "Gotcha Day" are pretty obvious. The three lower pictures were taken on her 2nd birthday, just this past Jan. 1st. Her big brother James is helping her with her gifts.

What a difference a year makes! We love you, Kathryn Tong Tong!

-Mommy (Stephanie), Daddy (Chris), and Big Brother James

Happy Chinese New Year

Dear Friends,

The Gladney China staff wish you all a very Happy Chinese New Year.

We also have a holiday present for your child. This is an e-book titled “Celebrating the Chinese New Year, which is now offered for download on from our China Initiative site.

Thanks to the Shanghai-based Changjiang Publishing Foundation of Cultural Exchanges, this is the first e-book we can offer you, with many more to come. The future e-books will introduce other important holidays. If you feel the e-book is good, please feel free to share it with your local FCC community.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Gongzhan Wu

Mei Joins Her Forever Family!!!

On January 29, 2007 parents Jeannine and Kevin welcomed Baby Mei into their family in Nanchang, China. Here are some pictures from the famous White Swan hotel. Baby Mei is now home with her older siblings! For more details of their exciting trip, see Jeannine and Kevin's blog here.

A Look Back To The Year Of The Dog with Lily and Nathan!!!!

They are posing with mom Amy who writes:

This photo was taken last February before the Chinese New Year Celebration which our church hosts every year for our Friendspeak students. (Students learn English using the Bible) Ryan and I had Lily's dress and my jacket made in Nanchang and purchased our son Nathan's outfit in Guangzho. Nathan's favorite activity was practicing painting Chinese characters taught by one of the students.