We did the unthinkable...

Well, actually... it's not so unthinkable.  Anyone who knows us knows we have been looking for a new house for a long time.  It's not like we're not happy here but it's just not THE house.  I knew when we first bought it 8 years ago.  But it was a stepping stone to THE house.  It was in the right neighborhood and the right size.  Gord has been very patient with me and would go to open houses and private visits every time a new house came up on the market.  Over the years, we have pretty much seen every house in the neighborhood!  He kept asking me what it is I am looking for.  I told him I would let him know when I see it.  Until one Monday evening, as we were visiting a house around the corner, my girlfriend calls me to tell me that a new house just went up for sale a couple of blocks away.  I immediately went to check it out online and felt that this house might be the one.  We made an appointment to visit it a few days later just before Gord left for a business trip.  As soon as we walked in, I knew this was THE house.  It was just what I was looking for and I let Gord know through sign language.  And the good thing is he felt the same way!  It's an old 3 story house built in 1921 that is extremely well kept.  It has such charm with all it's old 'stuff' such beautiful woodwork and stain glass windows.  Best of all, it has a laundry chute!  It needs a new kitchen sooner than later and a new roof too but hey, it's an old house.  That's what you get.  That's what I want.  So now Gord leaves for Florida and I start to get a little ansty over the weekend thinking that this house may sell before he gets back.  So we decide that after only one brief visit that we would make an offer on it.  I forgot to mention that this house was being sold by the owner so no agents.  I certainly did not feel confident on doing this all by myself so we called a friend of Gord's who happens to be a real estate agent for some advice on how to proceed.  He offered to come visit the house with me and the girls and helped me prepare and present an offer.  So while Gord was sipping marguaritas... er... working in Florida, I was buying a house!  What have I done??

Adoptive Families of Quebec

Today was an extra, extra busy day.  My friend S and I have been running the Adoptive Families of Quebec for a few years.  We hold activities for adoptive families in the Montreal area such as Christmas parties and Chinese New Year parties among other activities on a smaller scale.  Today we held our annual Chinese New Year party hosting 120 people!  We normally hold this event in a local Chinese restaurant but for such a large group at such a busy time of year, no restaurant wanted to accomodate us.  So we had to think outside the box.  We rented a reception hall at a local community center and ordered the food in!  And since we had the room to ourselves, with no restauranteur trying to push us out, we planned many actvities for the families.  There was storytelling, movies and arts and crafts for the children including calligraphy, dumpling making for the adults and Chinese fan dance lessons and show for the children.  All this was put together with the help of 17 volunteers from the Chinese community that want to help us teach the Chinese culture to our children.  It was amazing and we could not have pulled it off without them!

Myself and S with our daughters Cara-Li, Alexia and T.  Love this picture!  We all look so good in our Chinese silks!

My lovely Chinese dolls!

Cara-Li learning to calligraphy.  She is taking this very seriously!

Alexia learning the Chinese Fan Dance.

And finally the show the children put on for the parents.  After only 30 minutes of practice they were able to put on the cutest show ever!

Gung hay fat choy!

It is a new year today, the year of the lucky rabbit!

As usual, we hosted our annual family celebration at a local Chinese restaurant who was so gracious to let us have the entire second floor of the restaurant. We were 25 in all. 7 Chinese girls, one Chinese boy, one wanna be tween and 16 adults. The dinner was delicious and the company amazing. How lucky we are to have found such great friends through our journey toward our children. They are all our family, one very large family!