Mara's World

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Full House

So many changes in my little family!

Steve, Elysia and I have moved from our little home in Langley to an even cozier home in Burnaby. Steve and I want to buy a house, so we figured the best way to do that was to downsize for a while and save up a down-payment. So we moved! Hellooooo Mom and Dad's!!

We did a lot of work getting ready to move in. First we had to get our house ready to be rented out...paint, paint, paint!!! Then we had to get the basement at my parent's home ready for us...paint, paint, paint!!!

It was worth it!

This is my new little sitting room. My Mom painted those lovely pictures behind the sofa. They are now hanging on the opposite wall, and look awesome!

Here is the little fireplace we got to warm up our room. It makes the sitting room so much cozier! Cody likes it too (although he really loves the awesome shag rug!).

This is going to be my spring-time project. I'm going to paint it white. Hope it turns out!

The room is big enough to include our little kitchen table. It's nice that my family can sit together. Steve and I enjoy coffee here, and Elysia likes to play in this room.

There is still a lot more I want to do. First of all, Elysia's room needs a facelift. New paint, curtains and lighting are definitely in order! Then I'm thinking about re-painting my sitting room. I like the room, but it's a bit darker than I really wanted. I would like it lighter and am thinking of a grey-blue. I'm just really getting tired of painting!

Amidst all this redecorating we also had Christmas!

This is Elysia and I on the Stanley Park Christmas Train. It was fabulous! We went with our neighbours from Langley and had a really wonderful evening.

Another train ride! This time it was Lougheed Mall. Dad seemed to enjoy this train ride more than Elysia though.

December is baking time! Here is my first attempt at making a gingerbread man...pretty sad!

Second attempt turned out much better.

Here is my Mom and Dad's lovely tree. I thought it was really pretty.

This is Steve's and my tree. Steve insists on a real tree. I would love a fake one, but I have to admit that the real one is beautiful and smells so nice.

OK, I threw this picture in because I thought it was just so darn cute. Elysia loves making a mess of my laundry. Not fun to clean up, but so adorable to watch her having fun and smiling like this!

This is Elysia wearing her Christmas dress and shopping with Grandma Shaw. We spent the afternoon at this little shop where Elysia got to see Santa and look at the lovely Christmas displays. She looked so cute, but unfortunately her visit with Santa didn't go very well. Hopefully next year the big guy in the red suit won't be so scary!

This is another pic I just had to throw in. Cody decided to take a nap and use Elysia as a pillow. They are such buddies!

The big, goofy dog.

Sigh...what can I say?

It doesn't snow a lot here in Vancouver, so we love it when it does. Driving in it isn't fun though!

Elysia and her Daddy Christmas shopping at Lougheed Mall.

My Mom's Christmas Village. Pretty awesome!

Elysia hanging out in her toy basket.

Elysia at her music class. She loves music! I really hope that is something she always loves.

As you can see, December was a really busy month!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

October was a busy month. It was a month of firsts! Elysia, Steve, and I decided to go to the pumpkin patch. None of us had ever been, and it was a beautiful day, so away we went!

Elysia loved checking out all the pumpkins.

Peek!

Elysia and her daddy.

Elysia and I both had to wear red shirts!

I just love this pic. It looks like heaven is shining down on my little girl.

So many pumpkins to choose from!

Wait for me, Daddy!

It's so hard to get a picture of the two of us. Elysia just loves to be Miss Independent.

That's it, I'm outta' here.

The turkeys were bigger than Elysia.

Hmmm...that pumpkin looks good...

She just can't wait to get her driver's license.

Such fun was had at the pumpkin patch. Can't wait to go again next year!!

We also took Elysia Trick-or-Treating for the first time.

My little Strawberry, all ready to go!

We went with our neighbours and their daughter, Leah. They both looked so cute in their costumes.

Ummm...Mom, I can't see!!

Daddy's turn.

Our fabulous pumpkin!

Elysia LOVED trick-or-treating.

Daddy LOVED all the candy.

Halloween was so much fun!

Elysia also got to go to her very first friend's Birthday Party!

Such a great time to have a Birthday. Beautiful fall colours, and Pumpkins to decorate!

Elysia and Steve's work of art.

The most beautifully decorated birthday gazebo. Sophia had a great birthday, and Elysia had a fabulous time.

Yes, October was a wonderfully busy month. Now for November...

Monday, September 27, 2010

Chef Extraordinaire!

OK, that title may be overstepping a bit, but hey...it's my blog!

When I was little, my mom worked full time and my father did most of the cooking. His veggie choice always consisted of boiled peas (his favourite) that he would prepare and boil early in the day and the meat choice was always heavily peppered. To this day, my brother and I hardly ever eat peas! He did try to be creative though. Just ask him about his 'amazing' creation of adding tuna to the meaty spaghetti sauce, or adding the cheese powder to the boiling water for our macaroni and cheese.

Anyway, as I got older and mom retired, the chef's hat shifted from Dad's head to Moms. My study time didn't present many opportunities to help my Mom in the kitchen, so as I grew older, my cooking skills were rather lacking in skill and creativity. When I lived on my own for the first time, microwave popcorn was a common dinner and my fridge contents consisted of milk and cheese. When I lived in Asia, eating out in restaurants was so cheap that I never had food in my house.

Now that I'm married with a daughter of my own, I find I am bored with making the same dishes night after night. After having delicious home-made tacos at my friend's house the other night, and reading about another of my friends cooking Thai food, I got inspired!

So for the first time, I decided to make Asian Lettuce Wraps. OK, probably not exciting to all you culinary experts out there, but for me it sounded delicious.

Once I decided on a recipe, I had to go shopping!

I had to buy almost everything on the list!! Those of you who know me...yes, that is an ONION in the bottom left corner. I chopped that onion so fine, and only used half. Baby steps. Onions are still yucky.

There's my lettuce, all clean and shiny! =)

Yep, the final product! Eaten up, of course! Pretty messy meal to eat especially when you have a one year old who insists on eating independently.

Perhaps I'm Canada's next top chef.

Now I just need a Chef's hat.

And a new recipe.