ella's new robe

Thank you Santa!!!

Cristmas brunch

Santa at the American Club in Tai Tam










It just isn't Christmaswithout a Chinese Santa







Ella loving the crayons!
Notice the cute new shoes I bought her? I just couldn't handle her in a dress and snow boots!





The food was really good. An imported Butterball turkey, roast beef and yorkies, oysters, crab legs.





Tracey, Anastasia, Sarah, Gustav, Justin

After her bath tonight Ella was really hyper. She wanted in her crib and just started bouncing and jumping. I finally went to get the camera b/c she was just being so funny.
While I was taping her she reached for the camera. I let her have it and it was even funnier! Seeing her expression when she could see Kitty in the screen and then look away and see Kitty in the crib was too funny!

Bella's christening

We were able to go to Bella's christening since we left Vancouver early.

The church was big and really nice inside

Too bad this hat makes me look like a jockey. Just call me Seabiscuit.




Tracey and Bella










Anastasia and her Auntie Maria











Ella was much more interested in the tree outside then the ceremony






























Yah! Bella was so good! No crying.

Ella at the park

Pancake time!



















Ella's friend Ming who lives in our building.
He is very shy compared to Ella. I think he is scared of her :)

my rant

You know what I hate about Hong Kong?
That I had to hit 5 grocery stores to get the ingredients to do my Christmas baking.
And even then I was forced to resort to mass substitutions because so many things aren't available here.

After my mad baking spree I became ill so I didn't even taste any of my creations before I handed them out to my unsuspecting friends. Heaven knows what they now think of me!

Here's my list of subs:

peanut butter chips + a good squirt of caramel sauce = butterscotch chips
full sized regular marshmallows cut up into 4's = small fruit flavor marshmallows
parchment paper = wax paper
shortening and a hunk of butter = golden shortening
pre-made graham crust crumbled up = graham crumbs
Pillsbury pie crust cut up= tart shells
teddy bear cookie cutter = gingerbread man cookie cutter

I think that's all.

Oh and while I'm at it...you what pisses me off? Less than 30 minutes after I changed the bedding Lexi pisses on the bed. Bad Kitty.

K, I'm done.

Merry Christmas!!!

Ella in the snow





























I DON'T WANT MY PICTURE TAKEN!!!!







Matching PJ's








Matching aprons








The 5 cousins








Matching tops and skirts (is there a theme here???)

Moody Park swings









Tobogganing on Seymour Mountain
















Ella tastes Cool Whip :)








Ella's new pink rainboots










Auntie Shannon 'cheers-ing!' with Ella at the Boathouse for Suds birthday




2nd beach

Girls Night!!

Shannon organized girls night dinner at Burgoo.

We all agreed it was very tasty and reasonably priced.




Further cost saving measures including bringing flasks.

baby group one year later

Remember when they were this small?

From left to right
Charlie, Shawn, Ella, Lily, James, Jack
January 22, 2009




James, Jack, Ella, Eve, Charlie
Nov 25, 2009

On Friday we went for a fancy Christmas dinner with friends before we all headed to different ends if the earth to be with our families.
We had Peking Duck at the China Club in Central.

This is a little entertainment at the restaurant...the Noodle Man!!

The Tea Man at the China Club

Congrats to Jay and Chad!

Congrats on your engagement guys!!

Ella on Kuta beach

Ella playing in the waves.

The poor thing. It seems like all I do is videotape her falling while I laugh at her LOL

Ella tries boogey boarding

Whenever we go to a Hong Kong landmark or tourist destination this happens.

Ella gets attacked by Mainlanders.

Notice how the first lady doesn't even ask if she can manhandle my child? Lucky for her I am fairly casual about it. As long as Ella doesn't mind and they don't touch her face, I am fine with it.

We only wanted to film Ella playing in the water but we got so much more LOL

a zeotrope with Toy Story characters at Disneyland.

A zoetrope is a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures

Ella's first word is...........

It took us a week to get it on tape, but here it is!!