My Birthday

So today was my birthday. It was also the start of the Chinese Spring Festival (previously called Chinese New Year) which is a 2 week long celebration of their new year. Since we began the adoption process, we study China and their culture periodically as we pray for our someday daughter. To celebrate both, we went to PF Chang's China Bistro for lunch. It is one of my favorite restaurants and it's pricey.

Of course at the end of our bill, along with the receipt came Chinese Fortune Cookies. The only thing K#2 said she wanted to eat while we were ordering dinner. She did end up enjoying her lunch though. Much to my surprise, all 3 girls loved their meals. So just for fun we opened up our cookies. I rather enjoyed my fortune today. It read "Big journeys being with a single step." How appropriate for my life right now. They brought us 6 cookies but there were only 5 of us. Since it was my birthday, I got to have the extra one to open up an even better fortune. "Doors will be opening for you in many areas of your life." SUPER! I can't wait. I don't be in these fortunes but thought they were fun for the day.

Chinese fortune cookies aren't even Chinese though. They are American. There are a few different stories behind their origin but I like the following the best:

A Chinese immigrant, David Jung, living in Los Angeles and founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company invented the fortune cookie in 1918.

The story goes that David Jung was concerned with all the poor he saw in the streets near his shop. So he created a cookie to pass out to them for free. Each cookie contained a biblical verse written by the local Presbyterian minister.

Many say it was just a marketing ploy by Jung for his business but I still like the idea behind it. And since it's MY birthday, that's what we are going with around here.

Coincidentally, we had gone out to lunch immediately following going to get the girls passports for our trip to China. Then at gymnastics, I saw my Rep from Great Wall. I haven't seen her in almost a year since we submitted our dossier. So anyways, a great way to have our someday baby in our hearts and minds throughout the day.