Touch Hands on Christmas morning!

Some of the best memories of Christmas is playing this song on the record player with my dad as loud as we could. This is a CLASSIC! I hope everyone touches hands this Christmas morning and thanks the Lord! Merry Christmas!

Shots, Stories, and Snow Suits

Cassie probably cried more than Maleah when she got her shots...It was like a cruel trick, we stood there laughing and playing with Maleah, but she had no idea what was coming. The nurse was really great. She was in and out in less than 15 seconds and we were able to pick her up and cuddle her. She calmed down really quick and was back to smiling. We thought that was it, but sure enough her little legs got stiff and she started crying. We had to sit down and read a story to make her feel good....Maleah is so fun. One of her favorite things to do is sit in her crib and talk to her bears that hang over her. We were able to sneak some cute pictures and video...Maleah's first Christmas is only a few days away and we are excited. She got this cute snow suit from Grandma K'eah. We were laughing so hard watching her, we can't wait to get her out in the snow. Flash backs of the classic "A Christmas Story," kept coming to my mind...Stay tuned for more Christmas fun...

A Beautiful Day!

We had the wonderful opportunity this last week to bless our little Maleah Grace. It was so nice to be with family and loved ones. Thanks to everyone who offered their love and support to us. It really made for a beautiful day. Maleah is growing so fast, we can't believe it. She brings so much joy to our lives. Isn't she soooooo cute!!! Anyone can easily get lost in those beautiful eyes. I hope that everyone is getting ready for the holidays. Thanksgiving was amazing for Cassie and I. It was a whole lot different then last year, when we were cuddled close in our 380 sq ft. apartment eating a bucket of KFC chicken. This year was definitely one of the best! We love you all!

One day older and wiser too!

They change every day don't they? I love the one of Maleah in her model pose. Life is going great at the Julian house. We are getting excited about the holidays and all the joy that comes with it. Another thing that Cassie and I are excited about is our USANA business. We have been seeing a lot of success and feel blessed to be moving in a great direction. We would really love to share more with all our friends and family. It is a great way to have greater health and more wealth. It might not be for you, but it would mean a lot to us if you would check out this thing that is changing our lives. Give us a call or drop an e-mail.

We can never have too many pictures. Maleah has been such a blast. Today is Halloween so she got to wear the cute ladybug outfit she got from Grandma Janna. We are having so much fun. We are blessed to be able to sleep through the night and have a pleasant baby. Here is a classic dad moment for you. I'm still learning how to handle the natural instinct of babies. I decided I could change her on the couch one morning since I had a blanket underneath her and a diaper ready. Well of course the second I switched out the diaper she started to pee. It was not going to stop on the blanket and started to go through onto the couch so I did the only thing I could...I put her on the morning newspaper that was sitting next to me..... Then there was the World Series. We were all hoping the Rays could pull out a win and we were a little tense putting on our rally caps and shaking our legs all together in hopes of a hit. Well Maleah was a little excited too, and ripped a homer through her pants, blanket, and onto my shirt. I love my little girl. She is the sweetest thing in our lives.

Sooo Cute!

We feel so blessed to have such an amazing spirit in our homes. We still cannot believe that we have Maleah in our lives. Cassie and I just sit and stare..."Oh look she moved! She rolled on her side! That is a cute smile, maybe she has gas." Of course we are creatures of instinct, and yes, Maleah is turning on her baby "in-stink." You'd think that I had learned as a boy with two younger brothers and two younger sisters about the instinct of babies. Last night as I was getting ready to put Maleah down for bed I realized I first needed to change her diaper. I checked it and it was only wet, so I decided that instead of dealing with the changing table I would conveniently change her on the bed. Babies know when Dads are foolish enough not to use the changing table because by the time I turned to throw the dirty diaper in the garbage and back again she was pooping on her clothes and on my bed! After a frantic clean up Maleah was put down...This brings to my knowledge the paradox of cleanliness. Now that we have a baby I have washed my hands so many times they are painfully dry and the lotion doesn't stop. However on the other hand, I am so tired that wiping up baby poop from my comforter with a simple wipe is sufficient enough for me to consider clean. What do you do? We are so happy, and so tired, it is like we are in a dream. Stay tuned for the next posting.

WELCOME MALEAH!!!!

It truely has been a surreal day. Words can not explain the joy and excitement we are feeling. Today October 22, 2008 at 2:30 PM Maleah Grace Julian was born! It was so beautiful, and Cassie was a champ! I honor my wife and all mothers who are capable of accomplishing such an amazing task. Maleah weighed 8.6 lbs. She is strong, and is already holding up her own head. I guess thats what you get for being born so big. She is so cute, and we could not be more excited to have her in our lives. I just look at her and get lost in wishing that "the sun would hide its head so I could watch [her] dream some more." It might not be a warm October night, but it will be one that we remember for the rest of our lives. Thanks to everyone who has helped and supported us along our path. Our parents especially! Also our brothers and sisters, the members and friends we left in Hong Kong, and all of those who welcomed us back. We love you.

Do you want to sleep in your crib?

That was the question Cassie kept asking the baby after we had finished putting together the new crib from Grandma and Grandpa, "Do you want to sleep in your crib?" I am amazed at the strength of Cassie, and of all women who give up their body for nine months to bring a life into this world. It is amazing. Now that we have a car seat to get her home, and a crib to put her in, I think we are ready for this little girl to come into our lives. The doctor told us that she is getting big. She could come at any time. We are so excited. As for everything else that is going on in our lives...School is going good, we are doing great with our USANA business, and life is great. I noticed today that Hong Kong was having a typhoon 8. I wouldn't mind having to stay in for weather purposes. We surely miss our home in HK! This week I take the GMAT which is ironically the last thing I have to do so that I can officially start the MBA program in January. Most people take care of that first, but I like to do it last. Whatever? Well peace out my friends!

We're Baaaackkk!

After much anticipation we are posting again. Its good to be home. We had a great trip to Bear Lake last week. It's always fun to see family and head out to the lake....One of the fun things about being home is doing all the crazy things that people do as a family. Gentry had the task of asking a girl to the Homecoming dance. He was creative with everything else but all he lacked was the delivery. After eliminating dressing up like Kung Fu masters, or carrying Gentry to the girl's house in a suitcase, we ended with dressing up like mafia gangsters and dropping off the package. I think it worked out.

Another tradition at the Julian house is that we are very competative. The neighbors invited us over for a nice friendly game of volleyball and dessert, and we took it as "We challange you to a duel, Fool!" So we slapped on our Under Armour sweatbands and got ready for the game. Cassie tried to sneak in to one of the games, but I was not about to let our little girl be bumped, set, and spiked. Needless to say she was a quick substitute. We were able to control our competitiveness enough to have a fun time. However, I will just let everyone know right now, that if you challange us, you better bring your "A" game!

Back in Business

Sorry folks! It has been way too long for some sweet pictures and an update. We have been trying to get settled back into life here in America, and have managed to fully neglect our blog. We finally got our new computer yesterday so I had to throw down a quick post. I would put some snazzy pictures of me on the first day of school, but Cassie is off to the USANA convention this week and was hoping to get a picture with Robert Kiyosaki so she has the camera. I promise to get some pictures up quick. We are in business now! Cassie is doing good. The baby keeps trying to push her way out, but we keep telling her to just be patient...

The Pictureless Post

WE MADE IT! Yes my friends, we successfully completed our 24 hour journey back to the good ol' US of A. We have already jumped right in to things, getting ready for school, and this cute little baby. We would love to show some pictures, but we are already facing some post-Hong Kong problems. So we bought this sweet camera while in Hong Kong that takes great pictures. We knew that we would have to get an adapter when we came back, but we probably should have got one in Hong Kong because all of the adapters here are for if you are leaving the country.(Just like America not to accommodate anyone coming here. If you go to almost any other country, there are quite a few people who can speak English. Come to America and all we say is "You should learn how to speak English if you want to come here." Lame!) Anyways... We are so happy to be home, and we promise to get some pictures up as soon as we can figure out this little adapter problem.

Bittersweet

The emotional rollorcoaster that we have been on for the last few weeks is just about over. We still can't decide whether we are excited or sad to be leaving Hong Kong. We have met some great people here. We care about them and will miss them so much. We love you Island I Branch, and everyone at Meadow English. We did have to go to Korean Barbecue one more time with the Meadow English crew. The food was great, but we really went to watch the Mr. Hong Kong contest (or pageant? if that's what you call it.) A guy I served my mission with was in the competition, and actually ended up winning. Yeah, we personally know Hong Kong celebrities. I admire him though, his motto or slogan was "No success can compensate for failure in the home."

We had to post a picture of some of the little rugrats at Meadow English. First of all I never thought I would be teaching children English right after graduating from university, but I have learned so much. Probably the most is patience. For all the moms out there yelling at their kids saying, "Are you listening to me?!" for me it was a different experience everyday yelling, "Do you even understand the words that are coming out my mouth Lee?!" They are great kids. The middle student in this picture ranks among my top favorite. His name is Ronnie. His is three years old and can read English books and knows how to spell way more words than a three year old should. We always had a great time each week. This experience for Cassie and I has changed our lives. We have drawn closer together and closer to the Lord. We have realized that anything is possible. We have dreams and if we truly believe in something we can get it. We will never forget this wonderful year in Hong Kong!

Beach Bums

We sat down one night and counted how many Tuesdays we had left, (That's my day off besides Sunday.) It hurt to think that we only had a few and we had to make the most of them. Being one of those Tuesdays we rose early to make the most of it. We headed over to a place called Cyberport which is on the west side of the island and caught an early showing of Batman. (It was a bit disturbing, but Bravo! to the five minute Hong Kong scene. Cassie and I actually saw them getting ready to film one night.) After that we headed to Sek O beach which is on the east side of the island completely opposite of where we were in the morning. The sun was nice, the water was cold, and the people were truly entertaining. I wish you could see the front of this guy who is wearing the snazzy hat on the beach. We bumped into him in the water. He was swimming with his hat on strapped around his nose and gasping for air like the hat might just do him in. We just smiled and splashed around hoping he would keep paddling by. When I saw him again on the beach I couldn't resist, but to snap a pic...Classic! Sadly we don't have a picture of the best thing we swam into. Picture this... an old woman, nigh unto death, wearing a swimsuit straight from the roaring twenties jumps in the water with her bright blue swim cap, black tire tube snugly fit around her waist and a smile that would make the angriest person crack a grin. She was so happy to splash in that water. She swam around for perhaps an hour before we saw her finally get out, that smile was still on her face. It's people like that, that help us know it is the simple things in life that make us happy.

Faces of Food!

Besides working with great people one of the fun things about my job here in Hong Kong is the occasional dinners. It's at these dinners that Cassie has really been submerged into the culture. She has tried whole oysters, fish skin, sushi, cow stomach and even cow tongue. (Don't worry. She has been very conservative since pregnancy.) Tonight was Shanghai cuisine.... We both love Chinese food, and Shanghai knows how to do it. As a missionary in Hong Kong I was trained in the technique of eating a whole fish that had been steamed, deep fried, or dried and seasoned. Eating a whole fish is somewhat of an art, and if you know how to handle the little Flounder you can find the best meat. Take a look at the first picture. Anything missing? Well obviously all the meat is gone, but did you see his EYE! No you didn't, because in picture two I am holding it in my chopstick which is prepared to enter my mouth. (Note to readers: you can only suck the juice off the eye. The rest is hard like a marble.) mmmm, Tasty. You also might notice, referring back to picture one that the tail is missing. That's because Koon, picture three, is feasting on the fancy fin. (Koon owns the center where I work. Great guy.) So from head to tail this fish was fantastic! (Cassie was sad, because she didn't get to eat any. Mercury in fish, yadda yadda...Doctor's orders.) Needless to say we had a great time. Keep it fresh!

One more month...and a bit on Dog Poop.

Today is "The one month left in Hong Kong" day. It really is a bittersweet feeling. We Love Hong Kong! We will miss our friends here, but we are excited to see our family soon, and get this kicking little girl on the outside so we can play with her...On a lighter note,... There is a phenomenon, unexplainable to me that is landing on a sidewalk near you... that's right my friends, Dog Poop! Picture this...its early morning, the sun is shining and people are bustling off to work. The sidewalks are packed with people rushing left and right. Then comes Mr. Casual. He is strolling along at a nice pace, newspaper tucked under his arm, and man's best friend leading on the leash. Seems like Mr. Casual has it easy, dressed in his sweats and Spiderman t-shirt, not having to rush to work with the rest of us. Suddenly Fido can't take it anymore, he is rounding out his spot and is ready to lay down the law on the sidewalk. This is Hong Kong folks, if there is grass, you can't walk on it, Mr. Cas has no other choice. That is when the morning read turns into first class clean up. I hope he had read that page. It seriously is like a game. The dog gives little warning before the owner must position themselves just right so they can get a good placement before droppage. Then comes the scoop, fold, toss. You better land it the first time because it is a crappy job to have to scrape it off the cement. It's kind of is disgusting when you think about it, let alone see it everyday. But don't worry friends,...I'm coming home and people there just leave it on the sidewalk for me to step in. Bless there little hearts.

Live from HK!

This is for the grandmas who keep asking to see "the belly"

As if we don't post enough scenery here is a beautiful sunset I caught while messing around with the camera.

I've been checking out others blogs lately and have realized what makes a great blog...yeah updating it. It's that simple my friends. In our desire to have a nice blog (especially since we are trying to get our families to check it out more.) we are going to try to update each week to keep you coming back for more. Because who can really have enough of Hong Kong? We can't! Today was "Turnover Day." That isn't the official name, but it is a holiday to celebrate the British handing over Hong Kong to China. (For those who might not be as brushed up on their world history, Hong Kong was a British Colony until 1997.) That is why I have a sweet British accent now and I walk around in my trousers, taking out the rubbish and troubling myself with a brilliant spot of tea. I don't think I'll ever get to the point of calling diapers, "nappies" and my stroller a "pram,"... sorry my cute little baby. One final thing... I am really struggling not having a name for this baby. Cassie has passed the "it" stage and is consistently using "she." I simply refer to her as "baby." I suppose I believe in the "you can't name your baby until you see it," theory, but if my baby came out looking like a Gertrude I would probably stick to one of the two we have narrowed down. To protect against name thieves they will not be mentioned here. "What's in a name?".... Well pretty much everything Bill.

Yeah, We live here!

From the backside of the island durning the day........

to the peak at night..............

This last week we have been living in extremes. It started off unbelievably beautiful and clear. It has been raining everyday for the last three weeks and to see blue sky was wonderful. Then yesterday we were smashed with a typhoon. It got me thinking about how much we love this city and how much we are going to miss it. We are excited to come home and each day that brings us closer to our departure makes us even more anxious, but it will be hard to leave Hong Kong. We'll miss our guards at our apartment complex, the old guy who walks around our neighborhood yelling, "Thank You!" every time he sees us, Mrs. Seh the laundry lady,(she tries to carry the laundry up for Cassie but is just as limited with her old age as Cassie is with the baby.) We'll miss the pineapple buns, and the little noodle place that we go to even though we find weird things in our noodles sometimes, but they just keep calling us back. We wont miss the taxi drivers always thinking we want a ride just because we're white, or the crazy bus drivers we entrust our lives with. I look forward to watching a Jazz game instead of listening to Hot-Rod Hundly while I read the play by play on ESPN.com. I could go on, but both of us are just happy that we have the time left that we do to live it up here in Hong Kong.

The Colors of Rain

I just Mr. Miagee'd a nat that has been bothering me while I set up our sweet new playlist. I hope everyone enjoys the mix. After one of our good friends kindly reminded us that we hadn't posted anything in a while we felt guilty, so here it is. (Thanks Martha, Adam and Marian. Enjoy the flight.) Life has been a bit on the exciting side. We have faced floods, typhoons, and even rabid monkeys. When you think you've seen it all... well you haven't. I lay sleeping soundly on my lumpy futon that my pregnant wife and I have shared for the last ten months, the soothing sounds of the waterfall outside our window is calming to my soul. There would be birds singing, and the sweet smell of flowers waiting for me when I woke up...Wait a second we don't have a waterfall near our house... Oh crap! It is pouring rain and we left the window open to keep us cool. The window seal happens to be my closet, and my closet happens to be my suitcase. I've really got to do something about this. I know, I'll cover my suitcase with this plastic bag I got from the Park'nShop last night. I'm not closing the window. It's too hot and I'm too tired. I finally wake up for the day to find they have hoisted the Black Rain warning. No it is not black. My bag managed to weather the storm okay. It's dumping more than 100ml an hour. My friend calls me and says there is a river in front of our house. He speaks English, but sometimes the translation isn't that great, so I wanted to check out the so called "river." Sure enough, in all sense of the word, a five inch raging river was flowing down our road into the ocean. It was unbelievable. I still managed to get some sweet pics. ..Tonight there is a Typhoon, which means I probably wont have to work in the morning. Yes!! This will be the second time weather has kept me from work... In other news the baby is a kicker! She loves to kick on mommy's pants or skirt if she is feel'n any pressure. She is tough! That's my girl!

Daddy's little girl!

There are a lot of things to be excited about in life, but perhaps one of the greatest is knowing that I'm going to be the father of a little girl. That's right my friends. For those who may venture into the depths of our lives, here it is announced, that Cassie and I are going to have little baby girl in October!!! It has been fun keeping it a secret from everyone since we have been living in Hong Kong, but it is time to let the world know!! Mother and baby are doing well. She is an active little thing, and when ever Cassie stops moving the baby starts dancing around. We couldn't be more excited. For those who may be wondering, yes we will be coming back to have the baby so...See ya in August! Peace out!

Sometimes All it takes is a Decision

Life is such an interesting thing. It is fun being young and experiencing life one day at a time. It can, however, be a stressful pandemonium, fraught with decision that will determine the rest of our eternity. We are here to gain knowledge, grow, and progress. It is important that we live astute lives making important decisions at important times. The greatest obstacle I believe is making the decision between two or three good things. It is obvious that I should not dedicate my life to being an NBA player. It would be a bad decision. But to be a lawyer, businessman, or diplomat could all be good things. I find myself stuck, at times, in the middle of great opportunities wondering which way to go. I have learned that when you just make a decision and work towards that goal, Heavenly Father will guide you to the right path. He will fortify you and point you toward the best way. Let us go forth with firmness in our faith, and a smile in our step and make great decisions.

The art of barbecue

There is an art popular to man that foments a primal instinct to boil inside our souls. It can be an art of love, a bellicose art, an art of appetite. It is the art of barbecue. That's right my friends... to take raw meat seasoned to perfection and cooked till golden brown is art! As we experience the tastes of the world in Hong Kong we have the opportunity to see the way other cultures respect this art. Tonight it was Korean. I preface by saying that an American BBQ is great. You pull out the lawn chairs, set up the grill, grab your slab of steak and begin the process. Tonight I gained respect of other ways. Sitting in the middle of my table was a nice round grill. The selection of meat was almost unlimited. We had our staple beef, chicken, and pork. We could also extend our tastes with tongue, octopus, and fish. However, the greatest thing was, after I filled my grill with meat and it was cooked, there was no setting a table or waiting for the potato salad. I took straight from the grill into my mouth. It was beautiful. All the meat I could eat, grilled to my liking, and eaten in an instant. To the Koreans...Respect!