Tsai Family of the Parklands

Dear family and friends, 2019 has been a year of change for our family. Best wishes for the new year. This year I was asked to serve as Vice President of Public Affairs in the Washington DC Temple Choir to arrange choir venues.  Megan's graduation provided a great springboard to our family reunion in Maryland.  We were able to accompany Megan to Utah to help her prepare for college.  Then within two months of returning home, we now have the unique privilege to taking care of Li-Fang's parents in our home.  Then recently Li-Fang and I were assigned to serve on the Washington DC Temple Open House and Rededication Committee to help with Asian Opinion Leader Outreach.  2019 has been a year of many new opportunities to learn and grow for me. In 2019, I returned to Taiwan twice to help my father recover from his stroke in late 2018.  I also had the opportunity to help my daughter with her second baby.  I graduated again from Montgomery Col...

親愛的親戚朋友們, 格文今年被邀請擔任華盛頓DC聖殿唱詩班的大眾傳播副主席一職. 平時白天在聯邦政府上班晚上兼職在大學教書. 加上教會召換擔任高級諮議, 教兒童主日學, 又教高中生的福音進修班. 最近又與麗芳被邀請為DC聖殿重修後對外開放的招集人. 致涵今年高中畢業, 因此聚集了全家在一起. 2018年底到2019因為父親的關係回台兩趟, 最後終於如願以償地將他們帶回美國. 接著去猶他州為女兒坐月子. 感謝親家的體念也來幫我照顧女兒. 今年五月再次畢業於蒙郡社區大學藝術系, 期待2020開始馬里蘭大學繼續學習藝術. 接著, 格文和我終於確定我們可以參加2020教會每年贊助舉辦的戶外大型的克摩拉山劇場表演. 這將會是最後一年. 教會不再贊助此類大型活動. 沒看過的人可別錯過這最後的機會喔! https://www.hillcumorah.org/?page_id=278 奇異恩典! 我們年初時奇蹟般地發現家中將增添新生兒--在神期許的時間. 還好我們先前家庭旅遊計劃都在恩妤出生前就已結束. 所以我們可以盡情的享受家庭歡樂時光. 我們去了台灣,加州迪斯尼, 馬里蘭, Grace 林恩妤在十月二十九日下午五點十分出生. 體重是 六磅十四盎司, 十九點五英吋. 我們好喜歡抱她並真心感謝神回答我們的祈禱. 今年是我反覆自省的一年. 我試著嘗試新事物. 繼續在 Pratt & Whitney 工作, 不過有了一些新的工程和學習新的科技. 雖然沒有機會出國旅遊, 倒是去了許多國內景點(第一次去加州的迪斯尼). 我很高興今年能花比較多的時間與家人相聚. 這是我在楊百翰大學碩士研究的第二年. 我學到很多東西. 雖然很掙扎, 但從這裡一點, 那裏一點的也學習得過來. 我瘦了四十磅, 完成了第一部分的馬拉松以及其他各種不同而有趣的賽跑. 並試著繼續遵行這樣的健康生活形式. 最主要還是要把事情做完可以在明年之前畢業, 然後朝新的生活方向走. 看著蘇菲雅從小嬰兒成長到一歲的小孩是我們最大的喜悅. 她現在可以睡整夜, 用華語和西班牙語說"我愛你" (還會說 "媽媽", "爸爸", "寶貝", "娜娜=b...

The trip began with a two-hour flight to Miami, a metro rail ride to downtown Miami, and a ride on the trolley to the port of Miami. The trolley brought us right to the ship across the street. We checked in and found Room 7310, a small room with a full size bed and 2 bunk beds. With the help of the steward, we were able to set up the bunk beds. With a quick tour around the boat, we discovered lots of small eateries and shops around the ship. All of the food was paid for, except for alcohol and seafood. We ate informally at any time at the eateries, but every meeting we went to the dining room for a formal dinner. We found out that the 1000 plus employees on the ship were mostly on contracts and came from many different countries. Besides eating, they offered various classes, such as the Flattening Stomach class. On the ship, there was a gym, a casino, and many shops. We also were able to enjoy a couple of outdoor movies. Many times on the trip, we had the opportunity to e...

We flew out with Megan to Utah in July.  On the day we arrived, Jessica took us to see Aladdin.  The very next day, we drove down to St. George to see the show at the Tuacahn outdoor amphitheater.  We stayed at an Airbnb with Jessica's friends.  One morning, Josh and I and Mom went for a little hike in the Snow Canyon State Park.  On the way back to Provo, we took a tour of the St. George Temple.  We said goodbye to Megan, but she was able to stay with Jessica for a few weeks.

We took Megan and her two friends and their families to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant this year.  We drove up on a Saturday, visited the Whitmer Farm and the Grandin Bookstore and the Smith family home and the Sacred Grove, and saw the Pageant after dusk.  The next day, we came home, stopping by the Aaronic Priesthood Restoration site.

Megan attended her last year of Girls Camp and served as a YCL (Youth Camp Leader).

On a sunny June day, we decided to drive up to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to visit the Amish farms with a couple of Megan's high school friends, Coco and Kevin. There, we browsed a country store, jam tasting shop, and rode on a horse and buggy tour of Amish country. Our guide was very nice.

Megan's last harp recital took place on Sunday, June 16, at the Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in Frederick, Maryland.  She poses with 3 fellow harpists and their teacher, Astrid, with whom Megan has studied for the last 5 years.

Our last Seminary graduation took place on June 9 at the Washington DC Stake Center. For her last year of Seminary,Megan decided to attend both Early Morning Seminary with the Kentlands Ward and Home Study Seminary in the Montgomery Branch. In this photo, Megan with her fellow graduates proudly display their Seminary graduation certificates. Congratulations, Megan, on 4 years of Seminary.

It was a big deal with Megan graduating from high school. She is the last in a long line of excelling high school graduates in our family. So, we took occasion to make the event into a family reunion. We were so thrilled to reunite with all of our children and their families. Jonathan flew in on Thursday evening, May 30. Joshua, Jessica, Henry, and Blake flew in on Friday afternoon, May 31. The actual graduation ceremony was held on Friday afternoon at 2:30pm at Constitution Hall in Washington DC. We witnessed the 2019 class of Quince Orchard High School walk in their commencement ceremony. After the graduation, we had a great big reunion and enjoyed hotpot together. Then we drove out to Damascus to eat at Jimmie Cone. On Saturday, at about 10:30 AM, I gave Megan a written fathers blessing and presented her the laminated blessing with her name etymology in English and Chinese. It was cool to have my sons, Jonathan, Joshua, Henry, and Javi, helping me in giving her a blessi...