Tsai Family of the Parklands

Dear family and friends, 2018 has been a most exciting year.  Below we share our thoughts about this past year and our wishes for the new year. I am grateful for my expanding family. They have truly taught me a lot, especially my two grandchildren, Blake and Sara Sofia. Children are a great blessing! I am thankful to my beloved wife, for helping me cope with my father's death and for accompanying me to Taiwan to resolve my father's business. I am grateful for the blessings of health, freedom, love, and peace. I am grateful for all the learning opportunities in school and in real life. I am grateful for the gospel to lead and guide me. When I am home, I have all the support from my family members; I didn’t know that was the greatest strength to push me through difficulties easily. I thought it was all me who can do that all by myself. As I am here alone at night in Taiwan, I started to re-evaluate my strength. I don’t know what is ahead

親愛的親朋好友: 迎新送舊！願幸福永遠伴隨。 感謝家人，和睦相處，相互授受。 孫子孫女，Blake and Sara Sofia，祝福滿滿。 感謝吾妻，相伴相隨，父親後事，得以順利。 感謝神所𧶽福份，得健康、自由、愛與和平。 感謝神恩常看護，愛在家中學可成。 歸心似箭事難理，毅步毅屈始終成。 家人挺力量自來，勢孤力單事難成。 故鄉人事憶如昨，點點滴滴在心頭。 感念往日神示訓，恩寵笨拙無知的我。 事多變動多祝福！ 政哲工作晉升職，彥承新入幼稚園，致潔忙碌為彥承，游泳溜冰籃球樣樣來。 全職媽媽兼教琴，左鄰右舍齊來學。身體健康多挑戰，心懷感恩歷人生。 用盡假期遊墨西哥，偶爾週末渡小假。 Pratt & Whitney 滿一年，期待聖誕與新年。 祝福大家佳節愉快！ 學士最後一學期，專注Capstone project，上完最後幾堂課， 努力做研究，參加管弦樂團，終於順利畢業。 五月跟隨管弦樂團，澳洲巡迴演出後，緊接續讀BYU碩士班， 跟隨 Dr. David Fullwood研究機械工程。 忙碌中更珍惜享受著每個片段閒暇假期。 祝聖誕快樂！ 今年哈維爾畢業於哥倫比亞大學世貿管理；致慧畢業於楊百翰大學化學工程系。 哈維爾完成了在Libra Group的實習後，順利地進入了 DealerOn 工作。 七月底，我們可愛的寶寶 Sara Sofia 誕生了。 我們深知神的手帶領著我們的小家庭。祝賀聖誕節快樂！新年快樂！ 從哥哥姐姐的畢業丶小姪女的出生丶進入高中最後一年丶 填發大學申請表丶興奮地參加了學校樂團和旗隊， 我覺得最後一年的高中生活滿輕鬆的。 只有四堂課，我可以每天在八點鐘睡覺。 感謝寒冬的美式足球比賽和樂團季節巳過。 挑戰自己的興趣開始繪畫來完成Personal Progress, 彈彈豎琴丶練練鋼琴丶烤些甜點丶洗洗碗丶逛逛街丶練開車丶做卡片…， 期待聖誕假期和新年的來臨。祝佳節愉快！ 祝您闔家平安 ！ 聖誕快樂 ! 新年快樂！ 蔡家庭 格文、麗芳、 致潔及政哲 和彥承、致琦、致賢、致慧、致涵

On a quiet Friday afternoon, we headed for Wheaton for the AALEAD Christmas party. It was still afternoon, but it was dark. After a catered Chinese dinner, the kids competed in a fashion show made from cardboard and paper and created fashion is based on the five elements. I actually won the raffle for Cava. They had a program where people entertained. They even have a young man who sold a Rubiks cube in less than one minute. After the group picture, it’s been a long time saying goodbye with friends.

The first snow fall of the year arrived on November 15.  Due to the inclement weather, school was canceled.  However, I did have to drive to work.  We were dismissed two hours early.

As part of their class, Li-Fang 蔡王麗芳 and her classmate 殷佳子 at Montgomery College organized an art exhibit.  They invited a third classmate and 4 professional artists (Rob Talbert, Anatol Woolf, Frances Luk 譚換芬, and Hua-Sheng Wu 吳華勝) to display some of their artwork in the Kentlands Chapel on November 10 from 4pm to 8pm.  Over 70 people signed the registry.  It was a very successful cultural event.

Jonathan and Joshua returned to Maryland for the baby blessing of Sara Sofia on September 2.  The day before we took Jonathan out to watched “Crazy Rich Asians” at the Rio at 11am.  After the movie, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Guapo’s for lunch.  For his birthday, they sang Happy Birthday to Jonathan, allowed him to wear a sombrero, and gave him a free sundae.  Happy birthday, Jonathan!

On a lazy Monday in August, I took leave from work and stayed home to be with my grandson, Blake.  He wanted to wear Megan's white construction helmet, so I decided to give him a personal tour.  We walked around the construction of the I-270 bridge overpass and saw the cranes and machinery.  It was cool to see the construction site with Blake today.  Hope you can come back and see it when it is done, Blake.  Go, Blake the Builder.

When Jessica and Blake were with us this summer, they wanted to tour the DC Mall.  So, with my Mom, we drove into DC on a Saturday morning.  First, we walked near the Washington Monument and took lots of photos.  Then we waled to the Museum of Natural History.  We took Blake through the Ocean and mammals and gems exhibits before we found out that the dinosaur exhibit was closed.  They had moved it to a smaller exhibit on the second floor.  We took Blake to the smaller exhibit before leaving the museum.  Next, we ate outside under the shade the umbrella chairs.  My mom treated Megan and Blake to a round of the merry-go-round.  Then we went inside the Air and Space Museum.  We went through the rocket.  That's all we had time for that day.  But it was fun to go into DC for a day.

Sara Sofia was born on July 31, 2018.  On this night, I had the opportunity to bring dinner Melinda and Javi at Shady Grove Hospital.  On the way to the hospital, I was listening to General Conference music. All of a sudden, I received an epiphany of sorts. I felt an overwhelming peace exude through my whole body, from head to toe. I received the reassurance that Heavenly Father was real. He lives. The birth of this special girl, like other births, was very sacred. Her birth has helped me re-orient my life, has re-energized my testimony, and has kindled my desire to seek my Heavenly Father. She has been born in a very special time of the earth history. She is a Saturday’s warrior. She has been born in the dispensation of the fulness of times and in the age of advanced technology. This time is the battle between good and evil. She has to be strong. I know that God has sent Sara Sofia to the earth at this time to help build his kingdom. Her parents need to teach her well and prepare

Megan performed in a harp recital.

On this Thursday evening (June 14), we all went to the First Presbyterian Church of Annandale to attend the Mormon Choir Summer Pop Concert.  Javi played the guitar tonight in the mariachi band.  The band played songs for songs from Coco ("Remember Me" and "Un Poco Loco"), "Solamente Una Vez," and "Cielito Lindo."  Li-Fang and I did not sing tonight because we were in Taiwan.

On my first trip back to Taiwan, I was not able to resolve many matters relating to my father's death in one week.  So Li-Fang and I took a trip back to Taiwan at the end of May. The weather was so humid and hot, that it was very difficult to sleep at night. Although the fan was constantly on, it was hard to sleep comfortably. We met many of her old friends, and we met many new ones.  It was an extremely busy 2 weeks, filled with satisfaction of accomplishing many things and with fun in meeting so many relatives and friends, old and new. With the help of several people (Bishop Yeh, Daishu Guo, Sister Lin, Sister Huang), we were able to resolve matters concerning my father's life insurance, insurance payments, Jiading house, bank accounts, and cell phone account. But most of all, I could never have completed so many things without Li-Fang.  She was an extraordinary translator, communicator, detective, and one full of energy and persistence and devotion.  With her as my c