I love long weekends.

The meaning of birthday candles.

My dad’s not really into birthdays.

Might’ve something to do with the fact that we don’t know when his real birthday is.  For years, his passport and driver’s license each listed a different date of birth.  And we had no idea which one had a better chance of being right (he eventually had to just “pick one”).

A possible reason for this could be that his Chinese birth certificate (using the Chinese calendar) was translated incorrectly into a date on the Gregorian calendar.  Another possibility could be that his birth certificate was fake.  Or maybe he’s just not into birthdays.

Regardless, my dad’s lack of enthusiasm for birthdays is well-known and consequently, he has never had a birthday party.

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In Husbo’s family, birthdays are a Big Deal.  No matter how crazy life is or what day of the week it is or even if no one can make it: Husbo’s family holds fast to the belief that it is important to blow out your birthday candles, on your birthday cake, on your birthday day.  Period.

So when our niece turned ten on a Tuesday, in spite of it all: we kept the tradition alive.  Construction mayhem in the yard, boxed appliances in the dining room, last-minute cancellations sent over email, Tuesday school night be damned.

At least, and as always, there were candles.

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Where the sun shines.

Also, two posts in one day!  Yay!  High five!  (Or high two?)

The cherry blossoms that bloomed.

So, as it turns out, I missed my April post.  Because it’s May.  (Yeesh.)

While my blog suggests that things over here are still dormant, still underground, still silent and unmoving, we have been capital “B” Busy.  Painting and purging, working and working, shooting and shooting without much time for anything else.  It’s actually been so crazy ’round here lately that I even got a bit sick for awhile, something that hasn’t happened in such a long time that I’d forgotten how crappy it is.

But.  I’ve been feeling better and last night even managed to sleep an entire night without a single coughing fest so I’ll take that a positive sign.

Also, I’ve been taking personal photos again!  Which I intend to post on the blog!  Yes!  (Or, for those of you who hate my photos and this blog, No!)

Of course, they are what they are.  They probably won’t be winning accolades or awards anytime soon but that’s not really the point.  Like the pink petals that line the gutters after the cherry blossoms have bloomed, for me, it’s about finding beauty in the everyday and mundane before they slip away to be forgotten.  Fleeting moments that don’t seem to mean much on their own but, with their slow and gradual accumulation, can define a life.

Snapshots from LA.

Despite all appearances to the contrary, it’s totally not my intention to turn what started as a “photo a day” blog into a “random post once a month” blog.  It’s just kinda… happening that way?

Life has been especially hectic lately and, truth be told, 2012 is turning out to be a challenging year.

But, as a perennial optimist, I’m choosing to look at the bright side.  Remembering the good times and being grateful for all that I have.

Speaking of good times, our little family vacation in LA was amazing.  That California sun really does work some magic.

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I miss you LA.  Hope we see you again soon.

A little “Hello” with a side of “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

Hi.

I know it’s been awhile.  Like, a long long looooong while.  Seriously, where did January AND February go?  And how is it that March arrives tomorrow??

2012 has come in a like a lion which has been an absolute blessing for all things — except this blog.  Not sure if it’s because of the unseasonably warm and snow-less winter we’ve been having but I was really looking forward to a season of hibernating that, alas, never materialized.

As the work came, and the days and weeks slipped on by, I would make mental plans for a long-overdue and long-winded update.  There would be photos and stories and jokes and balloons and everything — and all 2 of you who read this (Hi Mom! Hi Dad!) would be so thrilled.

Unfortunately, this is not that update.

At the moment, Husbo and I are actually on vacation.  We’re soaking up some LA sunshine and spending time with our brand-new niece.  I’m trying hard to avoid my laptop and am only sort of succeeding (I’m here, aren’t I?).

Nonetheless, I am taking lots of photos and once I’m back next week, I will be back with said long and long-winded update.  (You’re excited, I can tell.)

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Until then, I’ll leave you with a little bit of news:

Photos that I took at Rebecca & Jaimes’s Brick Works wedding last year have been featured on The Wedding Co.’s blog and you can see them here!  (Yay!)

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OK that’s all I’ve got for now!  I’ll be back next week and am now “officially” on holidays where my only goal is to teach myself how to relax.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

 

Osso buco is osso awesome.

(In case you were “wondering” — yes, Husbo made this and, yes, he is amazing!)

Friends with breakfast benefits.

Friends can knock you down with too much karaoke and wine but the really great ones will pick you right back up again with a good cuppa coffee and a divine breakfast.

Finally making an appearance.

I have to admit, there is something about snow that gets me in the holiday spirit.  And I didn’t actually know this about myself until we’d experienced the so-called and much-maligned “brown” Christmas.

But then it came.  That white, velvety, hush-hush blanket of snow that we’d all been waiting for.

Okay, so it was a couple of days late but we didn’t mind.

Happy Christmas!

We don’t like to play favourites, especially over the holidays.  But whenever we have to decide where to be on Christmas, Husbo’s family has a distinct advantage over mine: they live a 5-minutes’ drive away.

So instead of flying 1600 miles to spend Christmas with my family, we made the short trip across Dupont to spend time with some of our favourite people (some of whom we just so happen to be related to).

And here are a few snaps:

(And even the newest addition to the family, little Gemma, made an appearance “live via satellite!”  She’s such a Hollywood baby already.)