Miah's First Dance Recital & Unexpected Emotions

On Saturday Miah had her first dance recital. She was so looking forward to this day...but got a little first time jitters just before the show...her friends Mary and Sylvie were not able to make it and she was lacking that special friend to hang with. With a little pep talk and assigning her to one of the Jr helpers (Thanks Neve!) she regained some of that confidence and she did great! She was so proud of herself!

Mommy was so proud of her sweet Chinese ballerina.  I remember years ago while we were waiting for Miah's referral we were at a dance recital for our older girls.  There was one Chinese girl performing that day. I couldn't help dream of the day when I would be watching my our Chinese daughter dance on stage.  As I was watching Miah I was overwhelmed with emotion, trying so hard to not start crying right there amongst the crowd.  All I kept thinking about is the mother in China who will never see her sweet child dance and experience the beauty and love she has to offer.  Again I thank God for the blessing of Miah and the gift I have been given to be called her mother.

Disneyland 2012

This week we returned from the happiest place on earth!  We had fun playing as a family and just focusing on one another during our 8 nights away. This is the sixth time we have gone to Disneyland with our girls (third time with Miah) and we never tire of the experience...well at least not yet ;)

Our first day on the park fell on leap year. For the first time ever both Disneyland and Disney World stayed open for 24 hours with "One More Day" being the slogan.  On our plane to Anaheim there were people flying down for this one day only.  Noting that is was probably going to be very busy, we opted not to enter the parks at 6:00 am. We heard that the lines were huge that morning.  We arrived a bit later, maybe around 9:00 and the crowds had spread throughout the park.  It didn't feel overly busy during the day (maybe just compare it to a Friday or Saturday) but closer to 8:00pm the lines again started forming at the ticket office.  That was our cue to head back to the hotel and call it a day. It sounded like it went well despite the teens trying to start a mosh pit in Fantasyland.

Miah's only request this trip was to have a turn being transformed into a princess at the Bibbidy Bobiddi Boutique.  Madison had it done in October for her birthday and Miah made sure to remind us of that a few times before we left. it was so fun to see her soak up the experience and enjoy being pampered as every little girl should.

Getting her nails polished....

Choosing just the right color of eye shadow...

A sprinkle of Pixie dust...

And voila...Introducing Princess Miah (she kept saying she looked like Mulan)

California Bound!

Tomorrow are leaving this cold weather and heading south!  We'll play for a few days in Disneyland, watch a Flames/Ducks NHL game and visit again with Miah's friend Tian from China.  Fun photos to come in a few days....

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

The dates for the Chinese New Year coincides with the lunar calendar and the Chinese New Year will always fall somewhere between late January and mid-February.

The Chinese Astrology signs are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Similar to western Astrology, every Chinese Birth Sign has a particular character and qualities. People born in a specific year are believed to take on the character and qualities of the animal after which the year is named.


Occupying the 5th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs. Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful. They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion. 

Our first born Mackenzie was born in the year of the Dragon.  While we do not believe in the Chinese Zodiac, it is fun to read what they write about each year. Drew and I were both born in the year of the Pig and from what we have read pigs should always stay away from other pigs.  We had a good laugh over that one.  Miah was also born in the year of the pig.  Madison is a sheep.

To celebrate Chiense New Years we had lunch with our special friends Sylvie & Mary,then went to dinner with the Wong family.  Needless to say...we did a lot of eating!!!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!

Christmas Productions

Whew!  We made it through a busy three weeks. If we were not at a Christmas dance recital, we were watching the girls in their Christmas musicals, at school and at church.  Add in there a Preschool Christmas performance, Singing at the Mall, a Staff Christmas Party and Mackenzie's term end Musical Theatre performance.  This afternoon Mackenzie and I are taking in the Annie production that is here in town and then we are calling it a wrap of Christmas Productions!

Madison and her best friend Erin sang a duet in our church's Presentation of "Christmas in Reverse." They were dressed as butterflies as they were also in a dance number that took place in the Garden of Eden.

Mackenzie was one of four Narrators in the production and made us proud once again.  This kid loves the spotlight.

Miah was a sheep again in this year's performance.  Her Preschool group came in and sang two songs in the Production.  She was so proud and happy to be on the stage.

Singing at the Mall

Preschool Sunday School Class Performance.  The preschoolers went up on stage to sing one song during the Sunday morning services. For the first service, Miah dressed up as Mary, and the second she chose to be an angel.