Friday Flashbacks - Coming to America Edition

In honor of this week's visit from Uncle WanMa.  This is my sister's husband who drives long haul trucks.  We're always glad when he can stop in Utah, even if it is usually just for a few hours!  He was shocked at how tall Nixon is!

3/6/2011 - Nixon, Easton and WanMa

In 2003, my sister moved in with us while she was expecting her oldest Kairon and wading through ridiculous amounts of paperwork so her true love could come to America legally.  Anyone who has ever been through that process understands at least a little why so many people bypass the legal system to come here - the whole process is confusing, slow, flawed in a million ways and frustrating!  While we waited and waited and waited ... a baby came!  A baby that was loved on not only by his mom and faraway dad, but by all of us too. 

2/11/2003 - Giving Kai his first look at his Papa

It was hard for them to be apart!  Becky would hold the phone up to Kai's ear every chance she got so they could hear each other's voices.  Finally, the paperwork giants had been slain and it was time to pick WanMa up from the airport.  WanMa is Tibetan - his first language is Tibetan, his second is Mandarin (this is the language he and my sister communicated in), and English was about to be learned.  It was a long overdue and happy reunion:

                                  9/15/2003 - Sara, Kai, Nixon, WanMa, Easton and Becky at LAX

We couldn't do much talking with WanMa, but he was a great daddy to Kairon and we loved him right away.  I have two strong memories of that time - one is WanMa walking and walking and walking with Kairon in his arms, he never wanted to put him down!  The second is of WanMa putting this hot hot hot chili sauce on EVERYTHING.  Waffles, toast, roast beef, chicken - you name it, he added the chili sauce!  The stuff would burn my fingers if I touched it while I was doing the dishes.  I also remember that it seemed like we would say something that took 5 minutes to say and Becky would translate it to WanMa with one sentence - I would have loved to know what she was telling him sometimes!  We were all so excited to show off California and America in general to him - I'm super surprised it took us 15 whole days before we went to Disneyland!  His first look at the Happiest Place on Earth:

Becky, WanMa and Kairon - 9/30/2003

We're glad he is part of our family!