March 25th: Home after 1&1/2 weeks in Cowtown

In Picture: Sydney's getting ready for her second plane ride, thinking: "Hey dad, is this bucket of bolts ready to take off yet, I'm ready to poop in my pants!"



If you would have asked me a month ago (almost to the day) where is the one place that I would want to go to re-charge and re-assess my next five-year plan, I would have almost guaranteed you that "Calgary" would not have been the answer (or even been in the top 5).

However, I'm quickly learning this year that the best laid plans often don't come out as expected. What started as Uncle Lam and Jade convincing me, Geneva, and Sydney to visit Calgary for a weekend for Auntie Hanh's 50th birthday, was extended to a week, and then extended again into a week and a half of re-charging, re-assessing, and re-acquainting with family and friends.

Geneva and I have always agreed that our families have two different "definitions" of what "closeness" as a family means. Geneva's family is more of the tough-love, actions speak louder than words family. My family is expressive, pampering, over-protective, and we talkandtalkandtalk. It's actually a huge difference in our backgrounds and how we define relationships (and seriously, a big part of how we learned to compromise for one another as we grew together). So for me, it was great to get that opportunity to see and be with everyone again. And I know that even though it's different for Geve, that she really does love getting to be a part of a family that's as close as we are (even if half of us are certifiable).

Calgary was fantastic. Sydney, you were so pampered with attention, hugs & kisses... it was too much. Some of the things that you should know:
- Your Po-po and Gong-gong drove down from Edmonton on Monday just for a five hour visit with you.
- You instantly took a liking to your Auntie Jade, who got you yet another outfit (purple... not pink).
- You took a day to warm up to Ba Noi and Uncle Ian (fussy kid). But after a day, you were hanging out with Ba Noi as she carried you around, and you spent a few mornings waking up with Uncle Ian and Auntie Kath.
- Uncle Ian and Auntie Katherine wanted you to stay at their condo so much that they slept on an air-mattress (that they "deflated" after one night's sleep) in their family room for two nights when we visited. I wonder what they were doing to make the mattress deflate after one night...
- Btw, we love Auntie Katherine but she almost traded you away to a chinese waitress for an order of beef satay at the ABC restaurant in Chinatown.
- Your Grand-Uncle Lam twisted our arms into staying for a few extra days (thanks Unc) so that me and your mom could help Co Hanh clear out her fridge (mom is "smoothied" out... I think we finished off six smoothies each in four days). I swear that we both gained a few inches around our tummies.
- Even your Uncle Ben and Aunt Kim made us brunch one day and lunch another day so that you could hang out with your cousin Elia. Check out the phone photo (that's her phone).

Everyone was so nice, it was great. Sydney even got surprise gifts from Daisy and Sunil's (Lamaze toy gifts), and Grand-aunties Thao's and Mimi's cute clothing. At a time when Geneva and I are looking at the options in front of us with regards to our next life-move, it was amazing to know that we have such an incredible family. Special thanks to Co Hanh for ALWAYS feeding us... as jade's friends say, "you have enough food to feed Africa."

A while ago, I told Geneva that I do believe that this will be a good year for us if you believe the signs. She told me that good fortunate and fulfillment this year could come in more or other ways other than financial means. I'm starting to see that there may be a greater purpose to this year for our little family of three than I could have realized. I hope that good fortune will always keep us close to our family, regardless of if we end up in Alberta or not.

Oh, and Vince... you would have never tied our NHL07 series 3-3 if you didn't have Vincent Huynh. Saku Koivu is the MAN (though I may have suped-him up for our super series)... :) !















Enjoy the latest pictures. We love you all. Thanks again to everyone for making Calgary such an inspiring trip.



Sydney getting dressed-up for her trip to Calgary... (she still can't fit Auntie Christina's Vans)




















"Mom, that's SYDNEY's teething-toy!"



















Chillin' with Uncle Ben (no, he doesn't make converted rice)




















"Hello, is Elia there please? PLLLLLEASE?"




















See. Always good with Auntie Jade.















Uncle Ian shows than an xylophone is just as easy to learn as a zither.



















Your grand-uncle Lam... at 4.5 months, you are as tall as he is and you have the same amount of hair. HAHA.


















Happy 50th Birthday Grand-Auntie Hanh! Let's blow out the candles!















Relaxing with Great-grandma at Auntie Thao's fav Viet restaurant




















A throne fit for a suburban princess (Treehouse is playing on a 37" plasma and the corn dogs are in the toaster oven).



















Po-po and Gong-gong in Calgary on a day trip (though Gong-gong clearly had too much coffee).
























Cuddle-time with mom



















Sydney and Elia's first picture together (well, at least with them looking in the same direction).













Uncle Vince shows that Sydney has a photogenic side... and a "too much paparazzi" side.


































Holy cow, when these two have kids, Sydney will be their age!
















Catching some zzzz's after a fun filled time in Calgary. Sydney says "thanks for taking care of me, my daddy, and my mommy in calgary. And Uncle Ian told me to say 'Go Avalanche!'"