Yessi Ye

As part of my adventure blog I've inserted posts about my family.  It's through their eyes, as well as my own, that I see our world.  I've written about my mom and dad, my husband and more recently my son. I have yet to write about the newest member of our family, Yessi.

Sometimes things kinda just happen to us, pretty much out of our control, and sometimes these things are of pure delight.  Yessi came to us this way.  Unexpectedly, from a far off land, and in the form of pure delight.  She and Brad met in New Zealand toward the end of their 2012 solo adventures.

Yessi had been in New Zealand because her country offered 1000 young English-speaking Chinese an opportunity to visit.  Yessi applied and was selected.  Suddenly, this young woman, raised in a traditional Chinese manner, was exploring another country -- working, traveling and testing her classroom English.  It's with awe I look at her courage to just up and go it alone. 

Yessi with brother, sister-in-law, mother
and nieces

Yessi with her mother, father and brother

When in NZ, she hitchhiked...

She skydived...

She kayaked…

And, she hooked up with this guy…

Yessi & Brad

When Brad and Yessi's solo adventures were over, she returned to China and Brad returned to the U.S.  I suspect everyone, including Yessi and Brad, thought that was that, but the communication continued and visits back-and-forth began to happen.  First Brad travelled to China.

And, while there why not Nepal?

Brad & Yessi, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
(Yessi's first long hike.)

Yessi came to the U.S.  Returned to China.  Came back again.  Her mom and aunt came to visit.  The chance meeting of two strangers in New Zealand was blossoming.

Road trip to California

 Hiking, Big Sur, California

Snow play whenYessi's mother and aunt come to U.S. for a visit.

Christmas in Langley

As a result of all this back-and-forth, look what happened...

April 20, 2014

To say we are pleased is an understatement.  We are delighted.  First, we have a wonderful daughter to call our own, plus she makes our son so very happy.

~~~ 

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."

~ Angela Schwindt