Monday, January 16, 2017

Milestones with my bestfriend

Its quite hard on a person to be separated from their bestfriend...

I find myself in that situation quite often with my bestfriend Julia!

Julia and I met while we were both working at Bell.
Can I say it was love at first sight?

Julia and I hit it off over a Red Robin Crispy Chicken Salad and Freckled Lemonade!

From that moment, memories were made...

It was a crazy first year together as friends...we did so much!
Thank goodness Julia was such a shutter bug.
Quite a majority of it was documented.

Our friendship was mostly with Julia far far away.
About a year after we became amazing bffs, she moved away to London for school.
Of course finishing school didn't mean she'd come back home.
Nope, she spent a few more years in Europe working.
I managed to visit her once. Talk about an amazing European vacation with my bff!

She did manage to come back home, but it was short lived.
She moved off to Ottawa...and has been there since.

I'm lucky she comes back to visit annually.
I try to visit her, but she's the major traveler of the two.
If you only documented her carbon footprint...hehehe

I keep hoping that she would move back to Vancouver while our kids are young...but of course the real estate is not helping...neither is our government :(

Anyways, milestones...

Being apart never stopped us from sharing many milestones together.

6 months after I got together with Richard, Julia got together with Toby
Just over 6 months after I got engaged, Julia got engaged

Our Stagettes were in Vancouver

2012 was the year we got married
.....We had to travel to each other's wedding
.....We were part of each others wedding party

2013 was the year we became mothers to boys

2016 we multiplied our family with another child, a daughter for her and another son for me

I wonder what the future holds and what other memories and milestones we'll share

Love you lots babe!


Thursday, January 12, 2017

My father


Lan Hoang
30 July 1934 - 27 November 2015
Bac Lieu, Vietnam | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

His Family
2 Biological Children (1 daughter | 1 son)
Sue Ann Selman| Kevin Hoang
2 Adopted Children (1 son | 1 daughter)
Tan Hoang | Thao Evert
3 Children-in-Law
Lap Nguyen | Terence Evert | Richard Selman
4.5 Grandchildren (2.5 grandsons | 2 granddaughters)
Michelle Hoang | Thomas Hoang | Tristen Evert | Logan Selman | (Tiberius Selman...born in 2016)
1 Grandson-in-Law
Mykel Barcena
2 Great Grandsons
Mikaiden Barcena | Maverick Barcena

My father had a very full and interesting life, parts of which are still a great mystery to me.

He was born during the French Revolution in Vietnam. So it was quite interesting growing up in my family, where you have the Asian influence and the French influence. I lived off of Asian food, Chinese and Vietnamese, but there was also French fusion food too, like french toast, crepes, and buttered sugar toast. He was definitely a great help when I needed a study buddy for French class.

From family history...

My father played an important role in getting my mother and her family out of Vietnam during the war. He obtained and captained the boat from Vietnam to Malaysia. Did I mention during the escape, they ran across Thai pirates? Anyways, there was a short wait at a refugee camp in Malaysia before the Canadian government granted him immigration status into Canada.

The family was sponsored to Canada, first stop Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

My father abandoned his English studies and went to work to make money for the family. His work took him to many places, most notable place he traveled to was Houston, Texas, USA. Talk about a well traveled non-English speaking carpenter. By the time my young brother was born, we decided that his travelling needs to stop.

He did one last work trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. He scouted the city before moving us all south.

In Vancouver, he settle us into the back of a laundromat/tailor shop in Chinatown. Mom took in jobs during the day and dad took care of it after he got home from his day job, construction site carpentry. The shop was sold by the time my brother and I went to school.

My childhood was filled with lots of fun memories of my father.
Evening drives around Stanley Park after dinner. Walks to Woodwards on the weekend.
Biking around the seawall. Visits to different parks around the lower mainlands.
The jokes that he cracks to make everyone laugh.

I was lucky, my father was still with us to walk me down the aisle...


He was still with us for my first born...


Just before he left us, I was able to tell him that I was pregnant again with my 2nd child. He was happy to hear about the pregnancy, but sad he wouldn't be around, though he did try very hard to stick around.

Many of our family and friends stopped by to bid him farewell at the simple service / viewing we held. Including my three half sisters...another aspect of my fathers life...told you there's an unsolved mystery, with regards to his life...

It's been a year...and I still miss you so much dad. I saw you smiling in a dream the night before Tiberius' 1 month celebration. I know you are still looking over us. We talk about you all the time, sometimes as if you are just in the other room. Your impact on our lives will never be forgotten.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

49 Days for Grandpa Ham Huynh


Ham Huynh
8 November 1921 – 8 August 2014
Fujian, China | Tay Ninh, Vietnam | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

His Family
8 Children (4 sons | 4 daughters)
Yen Huynh | Long Lu | Tu Anh Huynh | Phuong Lu | Denny Hwang | Michael Hwang | Thanh Huynh | My Huynh
6 Children-in-Law
13 Grandchildren (8 grandsons | 5 granddaughters)
4 Grandchildren-in-Law
3 Great Grandchildren (2 great granddaughters | 1 great grandson)

Day 1 - Aug 8
8 | 8 - My grandfather loved the number 8, as with all Chinese person, how befitting for his last
Day to fall on 8 | 8. How lucky for my mother to be able to be there for him in his final hour too!

Day 2 - Aug 9
My grandfather honours tradition, but he's quite a modern man, who adapts to the changes in his life quite wholeheartedly. I remembered him getting CD player before his kids even got one for themselves and was one of the first get a cell phone among him and his kids. I remembered one of the cousins getting him a Whitney Houston CD.

Day 3 - Aug 10
The love of family! Grandfather loved his family, especially the kids because he's always a kid a heart and proves it to us time and time again. No one loves a party more than my grandfather, especially when he can get the family all together to celebrate with him.

Day 4 - Aug 11
My grandfather left China in his early teens, losing track of his family. Many years later, after arriving in Canada, my grandfather managed to track his family back to China in the Fujian province. There he found his mother...still alive and health. He was able to visit her numerous times and bringing along with him as many of his children as possible to meet their grandmother. Great grandmother passed away at the age of over 100 years...I think 103?

Day 5 - Aug 12
Food! He loves food. I inherited the love of food from my mom, who inherited it from him. The family took him out every
Day during those last days to go out to eat. He has to satisfy his food cravings! I remembered him surprising me one summer, taking me to the mall and ordering a "Donair - no onions" in ENGLISH!

Day 6 - Aug 13
Food...while my grandfather was living in Vancouver for a short time, remembered him waking up my brother and I so we can take a quick walk to Chinatown to "yum cha" with all the other grandpas bright and early! We loved our steamed BBQ pork buns, even half asleep!

Day 7 - Aug 14
Travelling...my mother is so like my grandfather...can't sit still...has to be doing something or going somewhere to do something. I think that's why the family got him a cell phone...so they can find him when he sneaks out of the house to catch the bus to various parts of Edmonton…I swear he has multiple bus scheduled memorized!!!

Day 8 - Aug 15
It was only in the last few years that my grandfather stopped gallivanting around the world. He loves to travel...you guessed it...to eat food from all around the world...he especially loves eating all the variety of food available in Asia!

Day 9 - Aug 16
Grandfather Ham Huynh loves children...he loved his children...loved his grandchildren...and loved his great grandchildren. I am so blessed that he was able to meet Logan, his first great grandson, numerous times! I remembered a trip we took to Whistler where he demanded to stay around the bunny hill to watch the little kids learn to ski...always expressing "oh how very cute they are"

Day 10 - Aug 17
Grandpa Ham Huynh loves to be cool...and he definitely loved Vince H's cars and motorcycle! When given a choice, he'll ride in Vince's sweet rides!

Day 11 - Aug 18
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved to celebrate in style...so he went shopping as soon as he arrived in Vancouver for his Chinese Jacket for my Chinese Engagement! He looked smashing!!!

Day 12 - Aug 19
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved to get dressed up and have cool clothes. I remember for a while, he would only wear Timberland branded clothes...lol...and of course he loved his Hawaiian shirt!

Day 13 - Aug 20
Grampa Ham Huynh loved to get hugs...and he giggles when we rub his Buddha belly...

Day 14 - Aug 21
Grandpa Ham Huynh loves to get mail especially getting registered mail where he has to sign on the electronic pad...so I always try to send him registered mail...addressed to him!

Day 15 - Aug 22
Grandpa Ham Huynh is loved by all of us...and gets teased a lot...don't know how many countless times he's had his shorts pulled by his kids and grandkids...hahaha

Day 16 - Aug 23
14 months ago Logan was born giving grandpa Ham Huynh his first great grandson...we were lucky they were able to spend a few times together!

Day 17 - Aug 24
Grampa Ham Huynh would have enjoyed laughing at all us who has been accepting the #‎icebucketchallenge. He's always out for having a good time and watching the kids do things that will make him hug his Buddha belly and laugh!

Day 18 - Aug 25
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved to eat...he was always leaving the house to go out to eat.

Day 19 - Aug 26
Because he was always going out...the family had to hook him up with a cell phone...a new toy for my gadget happy grandpa.

Day 20 - Aug 27
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved technology...can you imagine what he has seen over the 94 years of his life from rural China to textile industry Vietnam to developed country Canada? Anyways...a fond memory was grandpa being introduced to SKYPE...he got to see Logan play around while we weren't there with him! He loved it!

Day 21 - Aug 28
Grandpa Ham Huynh loves hockey! Who doesn't? Too bad Justin Huynh had him loving the Oilers...lol

Day 22 - Aug 29
Grampa Ham Huynh...he's so adorable...the happiness he gets from just getting a phone call from us is so cute. Makes you remember that the simplest things makes people more happy than you can guess!

Day 23 - Aug 30
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved to get dressed up...when he arrived in Vancouver for my Wedding Engagement Celebration he had to go shopping right away for his Chinese jacket! He loved that jacket!

Day 24 - Aug 31
Grandpa Ham loved to eat and he loved the fact that my mom was just like him about food.

Day 25 - Sep 1
Grampa Ham loved his children...the things he lets my aunts and uncles get away with are funny and would fill books, including pulling down his shorts during a photo op...hahaha

Day 26 - Sep 2
Grandpa Ham loved his grandchildren, and like his children, he lets us get away with a lot of stuff too. Vince H is notorious for pulling down his pants on camera too...or his own

Day 27 - Sep 3
The memories of Grandpa Ham is numerous, but many stick out...I still remember the surprise I got when we went to the food court and he ordered "Donair no onion"...who knew he can order in English...it shouldn't have surprised me since he's self educated in languages to talk to all of us kids and grandkids!

Day 28 - Sep 4
Grandpa Ham Huynh...loved it when we carry on with Chinese traditions but also told us to do away with practices that we have no understanding for...a balance of tradition and the embracing of the future...

Day 29 - Sep 5
Grandpa Ham Huynh...it still makes me giggle that no matter how old uncle Thanh Huynh is, grandpa Ham tells everyone he can't travel for too long or who would look after uncle Thanh...hehehe

Day 30 - Sep 6
Grandpa Ham Huynh probably loved gifts more than the kids do when it comes to birthdays and Christmas...as they say...always a kid at heart...he definitely got a kick out of gag gifts...hehehe

Day 31 - Sep 7
Grampa Ham Huynh's memory was amazing...you can ask him the bus schedule and he would be able to tell you without looking it up.

Day 32 - Sep 8
I think I always loved it when grandpa attempted swear...it reminds me of my attempt to swear...almost non-existent...lol

Day 33 - Sep 9
Grandpa Ham was always up early...one winter while I was visiting Edmonton, he actually woke me up and dragged me through the snow to the bus stop just to get me fed...he was strutting through the snow while I was trying really hard to keep up and not fall...hahaha...boy did I feel old, having trouble keeping up with my grandfather...hahaha

Day 34 - Sep 10
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved food...loves it so much he travels around the world for food...to Asia for papaya...hehehe

Day 35 - Sep 11
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved food so much, he makes my mom Tu Anh Huynh cook food in Vancouver and bring it to Edmonton for him...the last thing she brought him was deep fried lobster tail

Day 36 - Sep 12
As I am looking into booking myself on a cruise for a long awaited vacation...I remember photos of my grandfather Ham Huynh taking a swim off a boat in Asia...and of him eating freshly caught fish...always eating!

Day 37 - Sep 13
Grandpa Ham Huynh made the meanest marinate for meats...I wonder if he ever shared the secret that was passed on to him from grandma...uncle Thanh Huynh do you know?

Day 38 - Sep 14
While pigging out yester
Day with the Blings...I remembered that grandpa Ham Huynh loved ice cream cake

Day 39 - Sep 15
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved to travel, he travelled as often as possible...one of his last trips was to be with family...a trip south to visit Phuong Lu...a trip west to visit Sue Ann Selman

Day 40 - Sep 16
Grandpa Ham is probably as bad as Julia Climie with their carbon foot print with all the travelling around the world that they do.

Day 41 - Sep 17
Grandpa Ham Huynh enjoyed just being out and about...to the very end you would find him and the family daily out at the mall...

Day 42 - Sep 18
Grandpa Ham Huynh...would walk around the house with just his shorts in the summer...rubbing his tummy like Buddha

Day 43 - Sep 19
Grandpa Ham...also has the cutest toothless smile...correction, he has 2 teeth...one on either sides of his smile...lol

Day 44 - Sep 20
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved to fold plastic grocery bags to put it away...hahaha...the family OCD probably originated from him...lol...almost everyone in the family folds away plastic grocery bags...

Day 45 - Sep 21
As I was enjoying some tunes yester
Day I remembered how grandpa Ham Huynh loved to listen to music...Vietnamese music...Chinese music...and Whitney Houston...hehehe

Day 46 - Sep 22
Grandpa Ham Huynh loved to be photographed...I'm glad, because that meant we have lots of photos of him with all of us to remember him by! The last few years, he's loved being included in the cousin's (his grandchidren's) outtings and group photos...because he's always one of us kids!

Day 47 - Sep 23
Grandpa Ham Huynh...always trying and striving for more and better...I will follow his example to enjoy life to the fullest...and always eat what I crave...hehehe

Day 48 - Sep 24
It's quite interesting to remember all that Grandpa Ham Huynh has gone through in his 94 years...a teenager leaving the family/China and venturing south instead of across the pacific to be part of the industrial revolution in textiles...leaving Vietnam due to a war...coming to Canada...returning to China to find his mother and family...great grandmother managed to meet some of my aunts and uncles before she passed away over 100 years old (last of the foot bound ladies). The history of his life...the changes he has seen in the world...baffling

Day 49 - Sep 25

Grandpa Ham Huynh was a very social person. Loved to chat with everyone, especially those who can speak Chinese to him. It always brought a smile to his face when one of my Chinese speaking friends, like Tina Lee, came to Edmonton and paid him a visit!