Sorry About the Delay and Happy (Late) Chinese New Year

Here is my family and my cute grandma. Did you notice the flower on the right with red envelopes tied to the leaves? I wonder if there's any money in them? Hmmm...

This is my cute cousin Jaylene and me.

Here is Steve taking in all of the food! He doesn't know where to start!




This is the table where we put all of the yummy homemade Chinese food! There are so many people over that we had to set out 2 tables in my grandma's living room.

Hello again! I know I have been a slacker the past two weeks and haven't posted anything for a while. Sorry to everyone who have been checking my blog and have seen no new posts. I will try to redeem myself and post a few pictures this time. The pictures I will post will be from a couple weeks ago celebrating Chinese New Year! How fun! If some of you don't know Chinese New Year was this month on Feb. 6. It lasts for 2 weeks and it's just a celebration for the new year on the Chinese calendar. On the first day of Chinese New Year we have a big dinner with everyone in my family with real homemade chinese food. Yummy! Red is the big color because it stands for good luck so every where you look red is in the decorations and the clothing. After dinner we all gather in my grandma's living room and pass out the famous red envelopes filled with money. Yes, we get money! The tradition is that anyone who is married gives out the red envelopes to the children in the family or non-married adults to wish them a good new year. Last year Steve and I had so much fun because we weren't married yet so we received a lot of red envelopes, but this year it was a bummer for us because we are married and instead of receiving a lot of red envelopes we had to give them out instead to the youngin's. It was still fun though! Inside the red envelopes there isn't a lot of money because we have to give out so much so the norm is to put $2 in them, but what makes the envelopes even cooler is if you can put actual $2 bills in them! Even though Steve and I had to give out envelopes this year we still received some money from my grandma and mom. So we did get a little something. It was so much fun to get together with my entire extended family to celebrate a new year in the Chinese calendar and I love keeping this part of my Chinese heritage alive. I hope everyone has a great Year of the Rat! Enjoy the pictures and did anyone notice all of the red? I hope that means extra good luck for Steve and I!