The Girls Enjoying the Snow in Minnesota

I think Kyra has been outside nearly every minute possible since we've been here in Minnesota for our Christmas break. And, despite the low temperatures (yes, we are used to a very different climate now) Keely has been out quite often also. Mom outside? Only long enough to take the photo :)

Trey's Cotillion Winter Formal

Trey has been participating in a Cotillion program here and recently had his Winter Formal. He allowed me to take one picture...I never promised I wouldn't put it in my blog. I just had to share. He is growing up so fast!!!

First Communion

Trey, Kyra and Tyson all attended classes over the last couple of months learning about communion and all three had their First Communion last Sunday. We are very proud of all three of them!

Kyra's 10th Birthday

Kyra recently celebrated her 10th birthday. Daddy decorated her cake...poured sprinkles in the shape of the number 10. It's the thought that counts! She is waiting to have her "friend" party after the new year because her mother can't organize something like that during the holiday season :) She has been very patient with me. Happy Birthday Kyra.

Kyra's First Violin Concert

Long ago, Kyra saw one of our babysitters from back home, Katie Grey, play the violin in church and I remember her turning to me saying that she'd like to learn the violin. Well, here in Hong Kong, we had the perfect opportunity to make that happen and she has really enjoyed learning. I'm hoping she will continue on with it. I was very proud to see her and listen to her first strings concert.

Baseball Season Begins...

The baseball games have begun and the season will over some time in March!! The boys have pulled out one win so far but we hope for more!

Swim Meet in Singapore

In November, Trey, Kyra and Tyson competed in a swim meet in Singapore along with their teammates on the Hong Kong Island Stingrays. Tyson received his first medal on his first relay in an official swim meet. He was the lead off swimmer, doing a 200 meter freestyle relay and his team came in second. Yeah Tyson!! All three did a fabulous job giving it their best.

We decided that since we were flying three kids to Singapore and none of us (except for Craig) had been there before, we would spend a couple of days enjoying some fun activities. We filled our one full day with a trip to Universal Studios, a visit to "The World's Largest Candy Store", riding the luge, "driving" a segway, doing the zipline and doing the Night Safari at the zoo. Phew!! Yes, it was a long day for all of us but fun was had by all!

Halloween

Unfortunately, with the chaos of the evening of trick-or-treating, I missed getting photos of all the kids in their costumes this year. Craig was doing magic tricks at the door again, which was a big hit. Tyson was Luigi this year (he was Mario last year) which I wish I would have gotten a photo of, but he was done trick-or-treating and out of his costume by the time I was done taking Keely around. Plenty of candy to be had here in Hong Kong...just like home...

Kyra - Soccer Tournaments

Here are some photos of Kyra's recent soccer tournaments. This year there is a new "D-Grade" team, which mostly comprised of 6th and 5th graders, but Kyra was amongst a few other 4th grade girls that were asked to practice and compete with this newly formed team. They have had great success and Kyra has enjoyed every minute of playing time.

Kyra's Splash N Dash

Another event that took place in October was the last Splash N Dash of the "season" - this one was held at Repulse Bay Beach near where we live. However, there are others held at various other locations throughout Hong Kong. Kyra really enjoyed competing and did quite well. She was the second girl in her age group out of the water and finished fifth after the run! I think she is looking forward to participating in more of these next season.

Kyra's Open Water Swim

I'm playing a little "catch up" here, but it has been an extremely busy beginning of the school year. In October, Kyra competed in her first Open Water swim, a 600 meter swim out in Repulse Bay. She did great despite the clawing by other participants. She even had one girl pull her leg to pull her back! She has participated in these mass starts before in her triathlons, but has never experienced this intensity. Overall, I think she would still say it was a good experience for her.

Keely Learning Mandarin

Although Keely was not accepted into HKIS this year along with her siblings (long story, but our most outgoing and outwardly expressive child chose not to talk - not one word - in her initial "interviews" at HKIS. Now, as you can imagine, some 3-year-olds are a bit shy when being interviewed by adults they don't know. Hmmmm...imagine that...I've moved on, can you tell?), she is attending the same preschool that she attended at the end of last school year. Thankfully, we love the preschool she is at and she is enrolled in the bilingual stream so that a good part of her time in school is spent learning Mandarin. Sometimes I don't know if she is saying words she has learned in Mandarin or if she is making up words (usually to a tune of her own creation) so I often have to wait for the other kids to get home to ask if what she is saying is jibberish or actual words.

Despite this daughter of ours loving to sing and dance and TALK, she seems to shy away when I get the camera out. She requires permission to be given by her in order to take a picture or video tape her and it doesn't happen nearly as often as her picture-taking-hobbyist-mother would like! However, this is one of those moments that she was actually willing to talk while I was video taping and she is telling us about some of the Mandarin she has learned. So much fun to hear from her. Thought I'd share.

Keely's "Boo" Party

Keely had her Halloween party at school today.

Tyson's 8th Birthday

As per the Sandness tradition, Tyson got to pick the restaurant for his birthday dinner. Although he had a few restaurants in mind, he ultimately went with California Pizza Kitchen. We all thoroughly enjoyed the rarity of the "free refills" on the sodas.

Check It Out

If you haven't yet, check out my other blog...just photos for the most part...most with no purpose...

Trey Home from Beijing

Beginning in 6th grade at Hong Kong International School, the kids are required to go away on a PEAK trip (it is some learning related acronym, but I don't know it at the moment). The Middle School is divided into what they call "houses". All the house names are related to areas in Hong Kong. So, Trey is in the Central House, but there are also Lantau, Peak, Shek-O, etc. The 6th grade PEAK trip is the same for everyone. They all go to Beijing, but in stages. So, the first House leaves on Friday, next on Saturday, etc.

Trey left for Beijing last Sunday morning and returned late last night. The 7th and 8th graders have a small variety of trips that they can choose four from, and one is chosen for them. Unfortunately, due to the Typhoon looming, many Middle School trips were either cut short or canceled. Trey really lucked out for timing as his House was able to complete their entire trip with no change in itinerary. What an experience for our 6th grader!! I haven't seen his photos yet, but it sounds like he had a great time...despite some very grumpy adults on the trip. So happy to have him home safe!

4th Grade Camp for Kyra

Well...I have survived another camp! Yes, it is somehow all about me. Well, not really but with a bad back, it truly is about survival with the "hard as rock" beds to sleep on. Starting in 3rd grade here, the kids are required to go away to camp for three days & 2 nights. It is a great way for the kids to get to know each other better and a great way for some of these kids to have their first true experience with independence and personal responsibility (i.e. getting themselves showered and dressed without help). This year I was blessed with a respectful, although energy-filled, group of girls. And although I came away with many stories full of laughs, "shake-your-head" moments, and a severe back ache, I had a great time building memories with my daughter.

Yesterday, Kyra came home with a handful of thank you cards for me that the girls in our bungalow had written and drawn. Many were filled with very thoughtful comments and heartfelt thankfulness, but Kyra's truly brought tears to my eyes and just have to share...

"Dear mom,
Thank you for taking out of your precious time to come to camp with me. I don't know if anyone had as fun of a time as I did. Thank you for watching over us at night and day. I had a blast and I'm sure everyone else did too. I'm so thankful that God made you such a great person. Thank you for helping me get the food from across the table and serving me every meal. Thank you for keeping all your promises. Hope to see you at 5th grade camp! I love you Thanks mom for everything."

That card alone will make me go to 5th grade camp...aiyaiyai! which means I'll have to do what I did last year...go to 5th grade camp straight to 3rd grade camp for Tyson.

Chong Yang Festival

I remember one of the things that we used to joke about when living within the Eden Prairie School District was that there were so many Fridays off of school. Implying that surely there was no other school district with so many Fridays off. Well, I've learned that it happens on the other side of the world as well...except here it seems we are always celebrating another holiday. Although this particular one falls on a Saturday this time, it seems most often they fall on a weekday. There are many and they are hard to keep track of, but thankfully the head of Chinese studies at the kids' school sends out an informative email for us to learn from. I am sharing her words of our upcoming holiday this weekend and hope to share more in the future.

Chong Yang Festival: the 9th day of the 9th month in the lunar calendar (Saturday, October 16th this year)

The 9th day of the 9th month in the lunar calendar is the Chinese Chong Yang Festival and a happy occasion in autumn. According to the traditional theory of Yin (Shadowy side) and Yang (Sunny side), both the 9th month and the 9th day of the month belong to Yang, which means positive and masculine, and Chong means double, thus it is called Chong Yang.

On the double 9th, the Chinese people traditionally go to the hillsides to tend their ancestor's graves, make sacrifices of special paper money and paper winter clothing, after which a picnic is held. Children in many provinces fly kites on this day. Since the weather during this time of year is excellent for kite flying, many families go to the countryside to take advantage of it. In Hong Kong, you will see people hiking in the mountains. It is customary for the whole family to climb high in the mountains and spend the entire day hiking.

The double 9th this year is this coming Saturday. According to the weather forecast, it should be sunny with the daytime high of 28 degrees. Enjoy some hiking in the mountains and kite flying on the beach with family and friends. Wish you a happy Chong Yang and a great family holiday.

"The Princess"

Well...Princess Keely was invited to a "princess birthday party" for one of her friends and, of course, she had to wear her princess gown. She was totally in her element. This dress, which we bought in Stanley Market is probably fancier than any prom dress I ever wore!

Soccer Tournament

Last Sunday, Kyra participated in a soccer tournament hosted by a school in Discovery Bay, which meant an hour+ bus ride...but beggars can't be choosers and Kyra wanted more actual "games" in soccer than what has been offered here in the past. So, they are making great efforts to find more "game" opportunities for our girls to play against other teams, so she was excited for the opportunity.

It was a scorching day of heat and humidity, but I know Kyra had fun. Our school had five teams participating, one Under 8s, two Under 10s and two Under 12s. Kyra was very excited that her Under 10s team "won their age bracket." Despite the fact that even I was dripping wet by mid-day and all I was doing was watching and cheering, it was a good day! Smiles, for any reason, makes for a good day! I think her scoring three goals in one of the games may have contributed to that smile also.

First Swim Meet of the Year

The kids had their first "swim meet" of the year. Throughout the year, the team hosts practice meets so that the kids can work on beating their best times. Today was a Super Saturday meet and was Tyson's first swim meet ever. It involved a lot of waiting between races because the meet was for all levels of swim groups, but otherwise the kids had a great day of races. Trey and Kyra both swam 200 Meter Freestyles as well as a 100Meter of their choice and 50 Meter of their choice. Tyson did a 100 Meter Freestyle and 50 Free and 50 Breaststroke. They did awesome of course!

The video is of Tyson's 50 Meter Freestyle. His time on the clock showed 55 seconds, but actually was 53 seconds after the timer did a self-correction. Yeah Tyson!

"You're Two Short"

Well, we are in the swing of things with school starting here a couple weeks ago and each of the kids is in the midst of getting to know their new teachers for the year. I have to share a story about one of the kids' teachers this year that still gives me a chuckle, although Kyra does not share my humor and I'll explain a little bit why.

I think (and it is just my opinion) that our dear Kyra falls into the category of a "teacher-pleaser" but does not like to be in the limelight or have the attention on her. She generally has loved all of her teachers up to this point, both at Eden Lake Elementary and now here in Hong Kong...and the love has been mutual, which has made for wonderful school experiences. I do believe that ultimately this year will be no different, but she has not exactly come home beaming in the face yet...in fact, has come home wishing her last year's teacher "looped" with her :)

Anyway...her teacher this year happens to be a bit shorter in height than average. That being said, this is the story Kyra came home with one day...

"I finished my writing assignment first today and so my teacher asked me to hand out folders to everyone in the class. She wanted me to save a couple folders for her as well, so I ended up running short of folders. So, I went to my teacher and said "you're two short"...she said "what did you say?" so I said it again "you're two short"...looking a little mad she said again "Kyra, what did you say?" so I kind of sighed and repeated AGAIN..."you're two folders short" after that she laughed at me and told the whole class what I said. I was so embarrassed." Kyra was obviously upset, but couldn't help my chuckle at how funny that obviously came out.

I have to admit that I love these little "snippits" of life that make me laugh...especially when there is so much big stuff in our lives to get bogged down with.

Keely's 4th Birthday..."Princess Style"

Our youngest daughter, Keely, celebrated her 4th birthday on August 23. All she wanted (and repeatedly asked for) was a "princess dress" that she had seen in the market one day and a "princess umbrella" so that she had her own protection from the two weather elements...pouring rain or beating down sun. Well, I knew where the dress was in the market and that was a simple enough purchase and we were more than happy to give it to her. However, it took me a little more effort and a couple different markets to find the princess umbrella. And as most children do, I thought she would enjoy opening just a couple additional gifts as well... While in the market searching for the umbrella I came across a 3-wheeled scooter (princess, of course) and knew she would love it as she had seen some in Target over the summer and I informed her we couldn't buy one then because we wouldn't be able to take it back to Hong Kong with us. After receiving her princess dress and umbrella, she said "this is the most exciting birthday ever" although I'm pretty sure she doesn't remember any other birthdays up to this point. So I told Keely we had one more surprise for her and upon opening it she replied (with dramatic flair) "Oh...this is just too much!" Yet, she readily accepted her additional gift! :)

Congratulations to Tyson!

So, we now have three members of the Hong Kong Island Stingrays Swim Team in the family. We are so very proud to say that Tyson tried out for the team this past weekend and was issued an invitation letter to join the squad. He is very excited and we are VERY proud. Trey and Kyra were so fortunate to participate in an international swim meet in Taiwan last year. It looks like the team will be heading to Singapore this year. What an amazing experience that will be for a 7-year-old! ... not to mention the 9 and 11-year old as well!! :)

"It's a Small World" ...Prairie Pete in Hong Kong

I felt the need to share an "It's a Small World" moment (although I'll warn you I'm a little longwinded getting to the point)...this has been a common thought/phrase for me since moving to Hong Kong...ever since one of the first women I met when we moved here happened to be from Edina, Minnesota...I mean really, what are the chances?

This past week has been filled with some highs and lows that made it feel like I was on an emotional roller coaster. Most of these events would have occurred even if we were still living back in our home in Eden Prairie...new teachers, dealing with changing friendships and making new ones, making choices, dealing with some health issues, entering a new phase/grade in school, etc. but the one thing that has made it a little extra difficult is that one of the kids is having what I refer to as a "Hong Kong moment"...the longing for home. Although these moments have thankfully been few and far between for our family, they have happened to all of us at various times. Honestly, it isn't usually missing home that starts the feelings, but any reason that makes us sad, which then makes us think that maybe it wouldn't have happened if we were back home.

We do what we have to to get through that particularly bad day and the next day is usually "back to normal." We are still trying to get ourselves back into our "usual routine" back here in Hong Kong after being the "on the move" version of the Sandness family back in the U.S. for the summer. So, the kids started school, we are lining up the activities that they are going to be involved in this year and we are back to church.

Unfortunately, being out of the routine of attending church over the summer left our dear children less than eager to go this morning so by the time we all got there (after debates about what clothing was appropriate, the fact that we were actually WALKING to church, including the 150 or so steps to get there, who was sitting next to who, and on and on...) I'm pretty sure there wasn't a smile on anyone's face and dad said to all the kids that there was a "family meeting" after church.

So, between the week's lows and the stressful morning leading into church, I needed to hear God's voice...to feel reassured about so many things in our lives right now...The scripture readings in church today came from Hebrews, Chapter 12 and focused on Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." I was suddenly thinking of our home church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota...Prairie Lutheran...a few years back, I believe that was our church "theme" for the year. I don't remember the specifics, but that verse became ingrained in my memory. God gave me what I needed to hear this morning...he always does when I am available to hear it!

So, we have been blessed with attending a church that is very similar to our Eden Prairie church that we love...we sing many, many of the same songs we used to sing and it has a very familiar feel to the service. As a side note, I am a person that gets just as much out of the music we sing during the service as the words that we speak. We soon come to our closing song and though continually distracted by my children, it feels more than familiar. Craig and I look up at the screen and read at the bottom of the slide "Words and Music by Paul Murakami"...the music director from Prairie Lutheran! It gave the Sandness family a smile to think "hey, we know that guy" Thanks for sharing your gift of music with us, Paul, all the way over in Hong Kong...bet you didn't necessarily plan on that!!

...it truly is a small world we live in.

The Return to Hong Kong

Well, our summer in the states has come to an end once again. It has been a very busy and fun-filled summer, but never long enough! We start our journey back to Hong Kong tomorrow morning with our 12+ bags in tow...hmmm...I think that is how many bags we packed the day we originally moved to Hong Kong...Craig doesn't quite understand how we have so much going back...hmmmm...oh well...perhaps we try and fill our bags with things from home as part of our attempt to get that feeling of home while we are in Hong Kong.

Anyway, we have had some great family and friends time over the summer and tried to pack in as much as we could. We always seem to run out of time to get everyone in our schedule, but we do our best. The kids start school on August 16th so we must return and get acclimated to the time zone and the heat and humidity!

See you all soon!! As always, stay tuned to our blog for some more interesting adventures in Hong Kong over the next year...hoping to explore some new areas this year.

The Unattainable "Trophy"

Kyra chose to do two triathlons this summer, the first one being the Miracles of Mitch triathlon that she completed on July 14. The second one, the Chisago Lakes Kids Triathlon, is one that she's competed in for the last several years. This year she invited her best friend, Grace, to do it also. It was Grace's first triathlon and she did great!

Kyra has a bit of history with this race, which Craig and I find a bit amusing. The first year the kids did this race we really didn't know what to expect and signed them up on the morning of the race...no training, just decided to give it a try. Much to their surprise, Trey and Kyra placed fourth in their respective age categories. We were so proud of them and had a great time cheering them on. They decided they wanted to stay and watch the "awards" handed out, not really knowing what that meant. They watched in awe as the top three finishers in each age category were awarded large trophies. Right then and there, they both decided that they were going to really give it their best and maybe even do a little training before the race the next year...

Well, they were true to their word and gave it their all the next year...they were so supportive of each other and once again we had a great time cheering them on. They worked so hard and both ended up placing in the top three in their respective age categories. They were so excited and could hardly stand the anticipation of receiving their first "real trophies". The awards ceremony soon began and with a bit of disappointment in their hearts, they went up and received their paper certificates...alas...no trophies this year!

Well, despite their disappointment they both chose to participate again in the triathlon the following year, but without as much spring in their step or drive in their race. I wouldn't say they didn't try their best, but perhaps didn't feel the need to push beyond what they thought their "best" was...really...who needed another paper certificate that they know their mom could create at home? So, they did great again and we, again, loved cheering them on...and once again placed just out of the top three in their age categories. Their choosing to stay for the awards ceremony was almost like they wanted to feel like they weren't the only ones who didn't get trophies, like they can relate in their disappointment. But, no, it wasn't meant to be. They magically started pulling out fancy crystal statues as the awards this year. What? No paper certificates? Once again...left the triathlon a little more disappointed...

Oh no, you think the story ends there, but it doesn't!

This brings us up to this summer. Kyra was very excited to do a couple triathlons as she has come a long way in swimming this year being on the swim team in Hong Kong. One of the great things about the Miracles of Mitch actual triathlon is that they HIGHLY encourage the kids to SWIM the swim portion of the race. This is where the Chisago Lakes Kids Triathlon struggles. They generally have the kids swimming at such a shallow level of water that 95% of the kids run in the water instead of making any attempt to swim...because it is faster. I watched in a bit of dismay as the kids who are trying to "swim" get trampled by those who are "running the swim". For that reason, Trey opted out of participating this year...it was just too frustrating. Kyra, however, decided to do it despite that aspect. Coming into this summer she is probably the most fit she has ever been and so she was pretty determined to do her best in an attempt to FINALLY get whatever "trophy" they were giving out this year.

Once again, we loved cheering her on and had the whole family there to support her and her friend Grace. We could see that she was really pushing herself. Much to her pleasure, she placed third in her age category and graciously went up to receive her new backpack at the awards ceremony...huh?...backpack? oh well...she still had a great time...maybe next year???

Now for those of you who are saying she shouldn't be focused on the trophy, I will only say this...there were no expectations of such a thing until the moment they were given out the first year of the triathlon...and I say a little reward to encourage the kids to strive for their best is not a bad thing. Lots of life lessons being learned through these triathlon experiences... :)

Miracles of Mitch Triathlon

Kyra did an amazing job in her triathlon this past Saturday. It was EXTREMELY hot, so it wasn't exactly pleasant, but she pushed herself to do her best which was so fun to watch. It was a bit of a treat when a young lady approached Kyra and said "hi, I'm Amanda" and Kyra recognized her face as the girl that she was "racing for". She thanked Kyra for racing and raising money for the Miracles of Mitch Foundation. It was a great experience for Kyra. Trey and I were running all over the place in our attempts to get photos and video of the race so we were hot and sweaty after her race also! :)

I know that Kyra will be sending out her thank yous, but I want to take a moment and say thank you so much to those of you who donated to her cause...it is greatly appreciated!

July 4th in Minnesota

Well, I guess technically this really isn't part of our "Hong Kong" experience except that because we are living in Hong Kong, we have become somewhat like nomads without a place to really call home while we are in the States for the summer. Because of our change, our summers are quite a bit different than in previous years. The July 4th holiday weekend is normally a big family tradition for us to celebrate in Siren, Wisconsin while we stay at our cabin in that area. Since Craig won't be here until the end of July, I chose not to "open the cabin" on my own with the four kids.

That all being said, we were invited to my sister's place on the lake in Shoreview and the kids had a fabulous time seeing and playing with most of their cousins. The boys basically spent about 8 hours playing playing whiffle ball down on the beach. Throughout the day they seemed to attract various people to play...but the core cousins remained throughout.

The girls seemed to be more attracted to spending time on and in the water and that is what I captured on film this time around and thought I'd share a few photos.

It was a great day had by all!

Summer in the U.S.

Well, I'm not sure how much I'll post this summer, but we are about 3 weeks into our stay in the U.S. We miss daddy terribly but have been trying to maximize our time with family and friends. Kyra has already been to Bible camp, at which she had a fabulous time. Trey will be going to the same camp with a good friend in about a week. It is always a great time for them and I'm so thankful we are able to make it work this summer. I haven't taken a ton of photos yet this summer as we are just taking it all in and we have been moving around a bit, mooching off of our dear friends for places to stay. We are now in one place for the month of July and will hopefully spend the last two weeks here at the cabin with daddy!

Had to post this adorable photo of Keely with her best friend, Elyza!

Had to Share...

Kyra is overjoyed that I finally found a white board here...yes, you can laugh, but it was NOT an easy task. Had to share her latest "drawing"...touches the heart... :) just gotta love that girl!

Keely's Dancing Debut

Keely had her dancing debut on stage this week. Our whole family went to watch her last night and she absolutely loved it. I thought she might be a little intimidated or shy as she was dancing in the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (where the musical Chicago is currently showing) but she was totally in her element. It was so fun to see. Unfortunately, cameras and videotaping were not allowed in the theater so I did not bring my good camera with. I have a couple photos from before she was taken backstage so she isn't in full costume here (missing her crown) and the quality is not so good. Her dance was to Under the Sea and then she was part of the finale.

What a Day!

We had a day filled with "end of season" activities today and what a day it was. The kids' swim team, the Hong Kong Island Stingrays, had the year end celebration today. Both Trey and Kyra received accolades...Trey earned a certificate for 25 Best Times and Kyra earned a certificate for 10 Best Times and a ribbon for the fact that she is the team's current record holder for the 9-year-old girls 200 Meter Breaststroke. We are ending the swimming season on a high note and they both plan to continue swim training over the summer while we are back in Minnesota.

Trey's South Side Hawks basketball program also came to a close. There was a 3-on-3 jamboree, where they divided up and mixed up the regular season teams. Trey was fortunate to have one of the biggest kids of the Under 13 group on his team. So, Trey's team ended up winning the jamboree for the Under 13's. Then, he and his two of his closest friends (who also all play on the same team during the regular season) won awards for their season of play.

It was a great day for them both!