Chinese New Year - 2008 The Year of the Rat

On Saturday, February 2, we attended the Dalton China Dolls Chinese New Year Celebration at Ryman Hall in Dalton. The China Dolls are a group we've been involved with since two years before we brought Ellie home. The DCD mission statement is to honor the adopted Chinese daughters of the greater Dalton area by celebrating this Chinese cultural holiday.

As you can see, we have quite a large group now. This is all the girls on stage. They had just been introduced in Gotcha' Day order (the day we got Ellie was June 19th, 2005 = her Gotcha' Day!).

The food was catered by the Fortune Cookie. This is Ellie enjoying a snow pea. She will tell you that she's "a vegetable eater"!

Ellie had a blast running around and giggling with her friends Elisabeth and Anna Grace.

The younger girls in the group did a chopstick dance. It was so adorable!

The girls all lined up at the stage to watch the Traditional Chinese dancing that was our entertainment this year.

Ellie got to try out the handkerchief dance.

Ephraim had fun watching Sissy dance.

Ellie was the head of the lion in the traditional Lion Dance.

We had such a fun time this year. Ellie was really the perfect age to enjoy all the fun. All of her grandparents were there to share the evening with us. There were craft tables for Chinese themed crafts and we had a professional photographer. It is truly a night that I look forward to all year long!

Gung hay fat choy! ("Wishing you prosperity!” in Cantonese.)