Christmas in July (a.k.a. my birthday)

I love it when my family visits (and vice versa)! There's always lots of gifts, just because. I think it's the Chinese way, because as long as I can remember, my parents – and grandmothers and sisters and family friends and their friends – always bear fruit, "lucky money*", and other fun gifts. When I lived in Miami and made weekend visits to my parents' home just north, I always left with fresh groceries, home-cooked food, and supplies. "Take some orange juice, it was buy one get one free!" or "Your dad made a large pot of hot and sour soup!"

This year, my visiting aunt and sis came to Chicago on Thursday, hauling mostly birthday gifts from the family. It's like Christmas in July!

{ colorful birthday presents }

{ i *adore* this handbag, from my mom }

{ Florida mangoes, my mom insisted that my sis haul them all the way to us in Chicago }

{ FurFur + NYC monkey }

*Lucky money is also called "lai see" in Chinese. It's money contained in little red and gold envelopes, given during special occasions or holidays by elders typically to unmarried children. (Funnily enough, my family still gives us lucky money even though we're married now!)