It is that time...

to bid farewell to this blog, Our Journey to Mei Mei. We set up this blog three years ago so that our family and friends could follow our journey towards our second child. Well, Alexia is here and she has been for almost 2 1/2 years!

So our journey is complete and we must move on.

Please join me at Spring Roll & Dumpling for the continuing saga.

Cabane à Sucre... Again!

I will have to start checking my sugar levels after today. Two cabanes à sucre in one week might be pushing it! Today we went with the Adoptive Families of Quebec gang at a traditional sugar shack in St. Eustache and let me tell you, it was yummy! The place was really nice and being there so early in the morning (10AM) really made the experience painless. By the time we left however, the lineups were crazy! After our brunch, we ate our tire on the snow (a must!),we visited the indoor petting zoo, the doll museum (creepy!) and went on an extra long horsey ride. By this time, the sugar highs had worn off and we were good to drive home for an afternoon nap. Here are a few shots of our day. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Welcome!

Spring is here! And so are my croccus!

Gourmet Cabane à Sucre

After reading a review on the Au Pied de Couchon Cabane à Sucre one year ago in the Montreal Gazette, I called to make a reservation. The young lady was kind enough to inform me that they were only taking reservations for the following year. 2010! Having forgotten that I did this, I got a call 2 weeks ago to inform me that it was our turn and that we could come on opening night. So, six of us made the trip to St. Benoit de Mirabel about 45 minutes from Montreal for what was about to be a very memorable night. Not only was the food fantastic, the company was even better! Fixer Mamma was my date as Gord is away and we were joined by C and P and their friends D and P.

So dinner begins with a split pea soup with foie gras, maple-glazed gravlax, homemade creton and maple buckwheat pancakes. Then as a little nibbler, we got BBQ chicken feet (ugh!). Found this to be a little disconcerting but tried it anyway. Then the main dishes arrived and it wouldn't stop. Scarmbled eggs with smoked sturgon and brisket, homemade tourtière with duck meat, salad topped with oreille de christ, beef tongue (more ugh!) and maple-lacquered duck leg and finally the lobster-stuffed cabbage roll and lentils.

And if this wasn't enough, on came the many desserts. Banana split with maple roasted pecans, the most gimormous millefeuille you have ever seen and grand-pères which are fried dough swimming in maple syrup. Oh and we musn't forget the traditional maple syrup on snow.

OMG! It is now over 24 hours later and I am still full. No word of a lie. I woke up at 4AM and could not sleep from the discomfort I was feeling. And I had no breakfast and no lunch today followed by a very small dinner.

I am going to yet another cabane à sucre this Sunday but this time the traditional Quebec kind but I am sure that I will be feeling the same again. Help me!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

TO ALL !

Alexia Sleeping While Skiing!

She fell asleep on the chair lift up. Gord got off, skied down and she never woke up. She then napped over an hour on the picnic table at the bottom of the hill. She was the talk of Morin Heights!

Spring Break

Last week was Spring Break for both my girls and I did manage to take a couple of work days off to have an extra long weekend to spend some time with them. I had big plans... you know, do some arts and crafts with the girls, work on some photography, organise our newly renovated cottage. In the end, we spent the entire time at the ski hill. It was a spectacular 4 days with nothing but sun and more sun! People thought I actually went down south after seeing my tan. Upon arrival at the hill, we spent every second outside including every lunch and happy hour too, of course!

Cara-Li and her friend, J, decided that they would like to try snowboarding. So, off I went to organise private lessons for 2 days. Let me tell you, by the time their lessons were over, they were both snowboard experts! Looks like we are adding another winter sport to our household. That means more equipment to lug around... But I must say, I am extremely proud on how well Cara-Li did (and J too!). Naturals at it almost more so than skiing...

After our Saturday at the hill, we were graced with the visit of N & S and their lovely M who came to spend the night with us and ski with us on Sunday. V & J with their lovely SQ & NJ joined us for a gastronomic raclette dinner. Lots of wine was consumed (Gord only noticed the next day upon emptying the receycle bin) and lots of laughs were had. Thanks all for the wonderful visit.

And for another exciting event, Alexia went up the chair lift for the first time this weekend! How thrilled she was to go up like the big people. Once at the top, Gord put a harness on her and she skied down thrilled to be going so fast!

It's All Over :(

Well, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics have come and gone. Sadly, they are over but frankly I am somewhat relieved. It has been non-stop Olympics at our house and with all the late night watching, I really do need the break! I am so tired, I need a good night's sleep. It is back to regular programming at our house. Family Network for the girls and the Food Network for Mommy! When Gord left on a business trip on Day 2 of the Olympics, I honestly did not think that I would not watch that much without him. But the girls showed so much interest in every event that all our evenings were spent glued to the set. Gord then went on from Arizona to Vancouver for the final 4 days where he luckily got tickets to the 2 semi-final hockey games. He is now back with tons of memories I am sure. A great way to end what started for him on December 10th by carrying the Olympic Torch!

Gord's Olympic Torch Relay Video

After over 2 months, here is the final version of the long-awaited and much anticipated video of that very special moment that he experienced on December 10, 2009. I love watching this video. It really brings back the thrill of that day. Take a look! It's way better than our wedding day video :)

Yet Another Celebration!

Once again, we celebrated Chinese New Year but this time with some of our dearest friends. Every year, we host a dinner at a Chinese restaurant (of course!) and we invite everyone that plays a part in our daughters' lives. We have our old friends that supported us through all the highs and low during both of our adoptions processes, we have the 7 year old girl (who is now 17!) and her family that played a huge part in us deciding to adopt from China and then there are the families we have met over the years who have also adopted. What a great bunch of people and we are blessed to have each and every one of you take part in our lives and most especially in the lives of our daughters. Thank you!

Gung Hay Fat Choy

Happy Chinese New Year to all!

May this new year, the Year in the Tiger, year 4708,

bring you all lots of joy & happiness!

From our family to yours!

Last night, we had the pleasure of ringing in the new year with 144 other people who are members of Adoptive Families of Quebec. We had a lovely (but chaotic!) dinner followed by a show that was put on by a local Chonese school. It was great and it was fantastic to see all the kids interact with one another. After all, this is why we do this. So that the children can spend some time together and have a little fun. I know Cara-Li has formed some friendships from these gatherings and it is nice to see them pick up from where they left off the time before! As you can see from the photos below of only Alexia, Cara-Li was too busy with her friends to pose for some pictures.

My Little Acrobats!

Thanks to this little video that I sent in to Virgin Radio, we won 2 tickets to the new Cirque du Soleil show! I really do think that Cara-Li should join the circus. This is our second win. We won the same contest last year. Hooray for my girls!

The Grammys Through the Eyes of an 8 Year Old

Last night, I watched my first Grammys in oh so many years, since my early adult life, most likely. And the only reason I did was because Cara-Li, my almost 8 year old, wanted to watch it. She was in heaven when she saw the line up. Lady Gaga, Black-Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé. We allowed her to stay up until 9PM to see this. And for the first time, they actually gave up a minute by minute line up. So she knew early on that she would see 3 out of 4 acts. Taylor Swift would come on too late.

First up, Lady Gaga. She came out in a green bodysuit with these huge shoulder thingies that kind of looked like wings. She sang Poker Face which got her thumbs ups by CL but once she began her duet with the Old Man (Elton John), she dropped her thumbs giving her a 16 on 20.

Next up, Beyoncé. She sang If I Were a Boy. She did a great job and CL was giving her an 18 on 20 up until she grabbed her crotch (like guys do) and she dropped down to a 17 on 20. She stated that she did not like that.

Pink was up next. Not exactly on her wanting to see list but she fit into her one hour window ;) She strolls out wearing a white hooded dress singing a ballad (I don't know what it was, I'm not a Pink fan, well not until tonight). And you can tell that this dress was to be removed and CL is anticipating the moment. Off it came and her expression was priceless! It was a quiet 'Oh My God!' Complete with the stunned face, she watched her strut down the walkway in a sheer bodysuit and ribbons covering the all important private areas. Not to mention, she continued on to do a Cirque du Soleilish act all while singing. Impressive! CL gave her a 19 on 20. Frankly, I don't know where she could have lost a point...

Next, Black-Eyed Peas singing Imma Be and I Gotta Feeling. CL liked this performance and gave them an 18 on 20 despite the fact that they did not sound the same as on her ipod. Nonetheless, a very cool number!

At this point, it was announced that her hour was up. Not happy! She missed Taylor Swift but will catch it tonight on the PVR. Frankly, I don't think she'll enjoy it as she sings with the Old Lady (Stevie Nicks) :)

I believe that Cara-Li has a new favorite. Pink. I guess I will be downloading some of her songs tonight...

2010 Resolutions

I'm really off to a slow start this year with my New Year's Resolutions. Usually I get going by the 15th of January but this year it's just not happening! I'll try to give them a go by February 1st.

This year's resolution will be similar to last year's resolutions. I will continue to try to achieve these goals.

1) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I was pretty good last year in reducing and reusing. Recycling wasn't too bad I suppose but I will make a bigger effort this year by actually adding composting to our recycling regime. Then I would feel like I have achieved this resolution completely.

2) Lose Weight

I was pretty successful with this last year. I did lose those 15 lbs. that I wanted to. But during the holidays I did gain 3-4 lbs back. So I will lose those plus an additional 3-4 lbs. to bring me to a weight were Gord has promised to buy me a new pair of very fancy (read expensive!) jeans! I did join Curves last year but that did not go well since I had hurt my knee. Once I was able to return, I had no interest. So for now it's yoga and walking when the weather gets better.

3) Drink more Bubbly!

This is my personal favorite! During the holidays, you tend to drink lots of champagne and sparkling wine. I really do enjoy this including any cocktail made with said wine such as Champagne Cosmos or Kir Royale. So, really, there is no reason why I cannot drink my favorite bubbly regularily. And if there is no one to share with, well, Mimosas it is for breakfast! So I have a case of sparkling wine and this resolution will certainly be easy to start more than likely this coming Saturday!

Road Trip

This past weekend we were lucky enough to go on a road trip. We were expected to go visit our dear friends C, P, and G at their cottage in Jay Peak next weekend but after discovering that ski school was starting that weekend and that our cottage contractor wanted us out for 2 weeks, we decided to move our road trip up a week. Good thing our friends obliged!

It was a long ride to get to Jay Peak through what seemed like every tiny little cow pasture. I am certain we drove by every single farm in Quebec on our way there! Not to mention it was snowing those thick, big, sticky snowflakes, the kind that sticks to every road sign and therefore making it most difficult to find our way. But alas we made it! And we were graciously received on the other end with well-deserved drinks and a fabulous dinner.

That next morning we were set to go skiing on what was to be the coldest day of the winter. What our friends forgot to tell us is that when it is cold, it is bloody cold at Jay! I, literally, have never be this cold in my entire life! Going up the chair lift, better known as The Freezer, I had one of those brain freezes like when you drink a slushy too fast. Except it wouldn't go away! And once at the top, I had to take some pictures because it was just awesome! Remember those thick, big, sticky snowflakes falling the night before? Well, they fell all over the county and they were now so frozen onto the trees making the landscape most incredibly gorgeous! It honestly felt like we were in Alaska. I only managed to take 2 photos before my hands froze to a point of no return. Check it out!

Views from the top of Jay Peak, Vermont

Girls goofing around after supper

We decided to take her easy the following day and just kind of hang around the cottage. So we snowshoed and tobagganed and played in the treehouse. It was much milder weather wise so it was much more pleasant being outside.

View from the cottage property

The 3 Musketeers

G, Alexia and Cara-Li

A big thank you to our friends for being the best hosts and for entertaining us for the weekend. We had a fabulous time!

In Loving Memory

Today was a very difficult day for our family but mostly for my sweet sister-in-law, T, and her family. On Dec. 29th, the world lost a wonderful person... a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother. C. was my sister-in-law's Mom who was taken away from her and her sisters at a too young an age after a very courageous battle with cancer. It was heart wrenching to watch them bury a woman who had so more much living to do. But alas, life is not fair and those who are left behind will pick up the pieces and continue on with life as she would have wanted. Easier said than done.

T, we will remember your Mom forever in our hearts. Big hugs to you and your family. XOX

Holiday Activities

One final post about the different things we did during the holidays. I found some of these pictures in my little camera which I hadn't downloaded in a while.

Cara-Li and Alexia went to a Christmas Wreath workshop here at our local library. They got to decorate a gingerbread wreath with icing and candy. I then put a red pillar candle in the middle of each wreath and used them as my table centerpiece for the holidays.

That same day, they headed off to the university arena to skate with Buzz the Bee, the university mascot. This is a yearly event that we have been attending she Cara-Li was little. It is so much fun for the girls to skate around with Buzz and Santa Claus too. Since this event is always held two Saturdays before Christmas, I am usually never there as I am working at the store. So this is a Dad and daughters event. The girls had to wear their cycling helmets since Dad couldn't find their skate helmets :)

This year we went for Christmas Eve dinner at Gord's brother, G, and sister-in-law, B. We had a lovely dinner with them and our nephews before coming home before Santa's arrival. The girls had to go straight to bed if they wanted Santa to come.

Mom and Dad stayed up to make sure that Santa did come to deliver all the goodies and to make sure that he ate his cookies and drank his milk. The reindeers nibbled on their carrots too.

Christmas day was spent at my parents' house as usual. No turkey to be found there however. Only ravioli and roasted veal. Like good Italians :) Good thing we had our friends over at the cottage a few days later. That's when we had our turkey fill!

Boxing Day was spent doing a whole lotta nothin'. All that was planned was dinner across the lake with J, C and J. And that was enough for me!

At was our turn to host this year's New Year' Eve dinner with J, C and J again. On the menu, lobsters, prime rib and all the fixings. Yummy! Here are the boys playing with their dinner just before intruding him to a pot of boiling water. Just prior, they were holding lobster races in the snow. God help us!

And finally, a day of just playing in the snow. I love watching kids just have a grand old time just jumping around in snow banks. It doesn,T take much sometimes.

And here is Alexia actually enjoying skiing for the first time this season. There is hope for her yet as she was really quite good. Let's see what this winter brings us.

Year 2009 in Review

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all!

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours, may the holiday season bring you all lots of joy and happiness! Here's to a fabulous New Year!