Happy 4th birthday to my newest and youngest nephew, Andrew.
Or should I say, Shēngrì Kuàilè, Youxuan Su!
And now, what would a birthday be without facts about the number!
4 is the number of the world and very often refers to all of the people in the world or all of creation. Here is just a sample of the many, many examples of Biblical fours:- The Garden of Eden was bounded by 4 rivers- Israelites were in Egypt four generations (= in the world)- The tabernacle had four coverings- The four winds from the four corners of the earth are referred to by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John in Revelation- Daniel saw four beasts, four goats, and Nebuchadnezzar's four parts of the statue: all representing kingdoms- Ezekiel and John saw four cherubim with four faces each- Four Gospel accounts record Jesus' earthly life- The parable of the sower and the seed notes four types of soil- Four horsemen of the Apocalypse- All people are often referred to in fours prophetically. E.g.: "families, tongues, lands, nations" in Genesis, "nations, kindred, people, tongues" in Revelation. - Colossians 1:16 refers to everything created and lists "thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers". Similarly, Ephesians 6 refers to the unseen creation as "principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness"- Revelation 5 refers to all creation as "every creature in heaven, and on the earth, and under the sea, and in the sea"- Also, the universe as we know it was created on the 4th day: sun, moon, and stars- And, of course, the Name of God in Hebrew, given to Moses to represent Him to the world, not pronounced by devout Jews, is the four letter yod-he-vav-he or YHVH.The natural world is broken into many fours. Vertebrate animals are most commonly four-footed or four-limbed. Mammalian hearts have four chambers. Our teeth are in groups of fours (4 wisdom teeth, 4 canines, incisors, corresponding molars). DNA has four chemical bases, abbreviated A,G,C,T, making up all living things. Human blood is categorized in four types (A, B, AB, O).We refer to four main compass directions (north, south, east, west). We have four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter). The ancients broke down all matter into four elements: earth, air, fire, water. Four-sided buildings, rooms, fields, sheets of paper, bricks, etc. are common in the human world in many cultures and are very prevalent in European/American culture.The planets may be broken into four inner, 'rocky' planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) and four outer gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). Pluto breaks the pattern, but it has been demoted.Also, although we refer to three dimensions, we also move through time - the 4th dimension. Thus, we have four dimensions which are real to us: forward & back, left & right, up & down, future & past. Other dimensions may exist mathematically, but we have no visible, real-world reference frame for them.In physics, there are four fundamental forces: strong nuclear, weak nuclear, electromagnetic, and gravity. There are also four basic states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.Mathematically speaking, four is the first square (other than one). Four is the only number that results from a number added to itself (2 + 2), multiplied by itself (2 x 2), or to its own power (2^2). 'Four' is also the only number name in English that has the same number of letters as the number it refers to.The 'first' Platonic solid, the tetrahedron (triangular pyramid), has four faces and four vertices (or points).The four basic math functions are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.Many religions note four cardinal virtues: Hinduism, Buddhism, Platonic philosophy, Catholicism, and the Sioux all list four main virtues or attributes to be followed. Buddhism also lists four Noble Truths and several other lists of fours as guiding principles.We have four suits of playing cards, four bases in baseball, and four food groups.Marvel Comics is hugely successful now; their big success began with their first main superhero group: The Fantastic Four. The Beatles were known as the Fab Four.
In China and other Asian nations, the number four is considered unlucky, because its name sounds like the word for death.
But, Andrew doesn't need luck. He is blessed.- Uncle Matt -
(Thanks again~Uncle Matt~)
Andrew loves to swim so was very disappointed when he had to wait to put on his swimsuit. Once we got started on a little hike down this amazing path cut through a sky high wall of rock he settled down and began to enjoy it.
Andrew and Ben meet again. They spent their first few years together in a Chinese orphanage. Ben was fortunate to spend part of that time in foster care but the orphanage workers claimed that the two were best buddies. They had a good time playing together over the weekend. 
Our rustic little cabin. The beautiful park was right across the street.
Andrew, Leah and Ben. As usual the weekend went way to fast and we were soon on our way home. It was a very special time. We enjoyed the company of Ben's Mom & Dad and hope to make this at least a yearly event. As we talked about things on the way home we felt like the Palmer's should have been there. They were our travel companions in Nanjing and also have a special boy from the same part of China. Maybe next year?
