It is Happening - one more bird is ready to fly. As proud as I am - I will miss her just as I missed the boys.

Small things make big difference in life

Sometimes, we forgot the small things in life until one day you lose them. Eye lash and nose hair for example, play important roles in our lives. Now with the side effects of chemo, I lost most of my eye lash and nose hair. I realize how inconvenient it to constantly blow my nose and wrap off my tears. Little things in life can have big effects. Now I wonder what facial hair does. There must be a purpose which I have not figured it out yet.

Facebook took over!

Sorry I have not posted here for a long time. Facebook took over. Check me out on Facebook....

Gerber 2010

Drove 1 hour each way + spent less than 1 hour with my boys at Camp Gerber = priceless memories.

Chinese Cucumber Salad with Tofu

I don't measure things when I cook. Just put as much or as little as you like to your taste.
Shredded Cucumber - slice first then shredded. The finer, the better.

Add Shredded Carrots

Add cooked Chinese Rice noodle - the thin type. Needs only boil for 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water.
Slice firm tofu. Fry them in the pan until golden brown. Then shredded them too.

Add shredded scallions and garlic

Add Asian Ginger Dressing or any of your favorite sauce or dressing.

Toss and serve.

A Valentine's Day Gift!

About 4 weeks ago, we met a dog when we came out of the church. He was a black and white Jack Russell mix, a cute little thing. He was running around with a leash but without a name tag. No one was looking for a dog in the area. With cars coming and going as one church mass was just over and another one started soon, we were afraid that he might get hit by a car. We followed him a while and realized that he had no idea where he was going. In that cold weather, we were afraid that he might get lost in the cold. So we took him home.
As soon as we got home, we put a photo on facebook and on craiglist. We also posted it on telephone poles in the area where we found him. It took about 9 hours until we found his owner.
The dog went home, but the subject of getting a dog in our family resurfaced again. For the longest time that our kids had looked to have a dog, but our busy life style prevent us doing so. This lost dog re-sparked our interest in getting a dog. We struggled what kind of dog we want. Sue found a Jack Russell online she fell in love with simply because it looked just like the one we had found. Unfortunately that did not work out due to some unexpected delay in paper work and change of character of the dog that made him because unsuitable for family with small children. It is hard to look for a dog simply based on colors. There are thousands rescue dogs online. We even could not agree if we want a big or small dog as Joshua likes bigger dog and the girls wants puppy dog. Daddy is afraid small dog barks too much and big dog requires too much exercise....
As we were struggling with our search, our friend Elizabeth found a dog that fits just what we want. Elizabeth had a Border Collie/Spaniel mix dog - Luke. He is a very beautiful dog. Sue had always said that she wanted a mini Luke. A lady just divorced and moved to a small apartment. She could no longer provide the room and care for her Border Collie/Sheltie mix dog. He looked like a mini Luke!
After meeting him, it was not difficult to make the decision taking him home. We have had so much fun since we had him. He is definitely a keeper!

His name is Rex. We think we will keep this name though Mom/Dad think Max would be a better name. Our friend Elizabeth thinks we should call him Wolfgang or Wolfie because he really looks like a wolf when he plays rough. He weighs 20 lbs. He is 9 months old. I am told that he will not grow any bigger so I think he is just perfect to fit everyone's desire - not so big or not so small. On top of this, he does not bark! He does require a lot exercise - but that has been fun. I think it is good for us physically to have an active dog to keep Bert and Sue in shape:)

Do they say, dog is man's best friend? I think dog knows that. Rex follows Bert around everywhere in the house. Happy Valentine's Day to all, especially to Daddy!

Meet Rex. 20lb. 9 month. Border Collie/Sheltie Mix

Rex with Anna and Jenny

Playing in the snow

Rex and Luke

Rex and Luke playing in the snow

So tired!

Man's best friend:)

Swimming Time

We started the winter competitive swimming season short after Thanksgiving. Anna and Jenny have been practicing and competing since. They normally practice three times a week with one hour long of swimming back and forth in the pool. I got exhausted by just just looking at them!
After three dual meets, they have both achieved their personal best record. They both make into "A" meet for their final competition in two weeks.
Way to go, my girls!

Anna's best time:
50 Free 36.72
50 Back 47.57
100 IM 1:40.99
100 Free 1:28.07

Jenny's best time:
25 Free 18.68
25 Back 22.48
25 Fly 21.01
50 Free 42.21

Where did the time go?

Has it really been that long? My last post was right before Christmas. Now it is February already and I had not posted a single post. I guess if I tell you that our Christmas tree is still standing and Christmas lights are still on, you would just forgive me not writing for all these times. Christmas is still no over yet at our house. So the story continue from there:)
We left our house on Christmas day early morning at 4 am. It was no use to sleep anyway after all the excitement of opening the gifts. It was a wet and slurry cold day. It took us nearly three hours just get out of Michigan, normally it would take only a little over an hour. However, once we passed Michigan board, everything was better. With out timing, we zoomed through the most traffic area of Atlanta in the right time without any jams. We stayed a night in Macon, GA - just over an hour south of Atlanta. We arrived Sanibel in the afternoon the next day.
The condo at Sandal Foot we rent is right on the beach, about 1 mile away from the light house. It has three bedrooms and 2 bathroom with living room and a full kitchen. The weather was no too warm, about 73F on the day when arrived. Besides the beach, kids also love the heated swimming pool, the shuffle board game or simply hitting some tennis balls and throwing a football. We were so relaxed and enjoying each other's company.





Sanibel beaches are full of birds and sea shells. Each morning, Sue and Bert would take a long walk on the beach and collecting shells. We also visited a sea shell museum where we learned more about the names and characteristics of these shells. By the time we were heading home, Sue already has a big box of shells. She has all the crazy idea what she wanted to do with them. Unfortunately, once we got home, the reality sank in. When would she have the time to do anything with them? Truthfully, they just look good every you don't do anything with them.

The island is truly a place to relax. We enjoy the fresh air and nature very much. The Ding Darling Reservation is a great place to take a bike ride or a walk. Although we were told that there are a lot of alligators, we saw only one. I think it is because the weather was not warm enough. We did not go out eat too many times, but we indulged ourselves with great food. One of the highlight of the trip was celebrating Bert's birthday and New Year eve with our friends, the Meiser's in Miami.








We will go back there again!

Here are more photos and memories....