avril

April

The roofs are shining from the rain.

The sparrows tritter as they fly,
And with a windy April grace

The little clouds go by.

Yet the back-yards are bare and brown

With only one unchanging tree--
I could not be so sure of Spring

Save that it sings in me.

- Sara Teasdale

After the flurry of activities since Jordan's birthday, I finally have time to sit and breathe. However, I find myself asking, "Oú est avril?" It seems like I bounded from March to May, and I wish I had had more time to savour the first full month of Spring. But isn't that always the case? Wishing there was more time??? But what have I been doing? Well, here is a recap of some highlights of April, or as the french call it, "avril."

In April we left on the 3rd for Dallas, TX to attend Ly and Dana Tran's wedding, visit family and friends. We ate a lot of greasy food, went to Sonic for Happy Hour strawberry limeades (50% off during 2-4pm). We went to a Mavericks game and found ourselves on Dirk Nowitizki's website. We attended a true Texan style barbeque and played Mafia with friends. Shopped at the Allen Premium Outlet and Target... All in all we had a good time.

Drew and I were excited in Dallas to finally take advantage of being close to family and leaving Jordan with them for an evening so we could go out and be wild. Wild? Well, probably not, but I had a hot dog and nachos while screaming "Woo hoo!" for Dirk Nowitzki.

Drew normally isn't able to watch NBA in Montreal since we don't have cable... so he went all out in Dallas, even Jordan got into it.

For Drew's 30th birthday, Wendy, Henry and I threw him a surpise birthday party at Spring Creek BBQ. People waited for us at the restaurant, and nearly spoiled the surprise by standing next to the entrance windows. Henry saved the day with a "So who do you think would win in a basketball game between DCBC (Dallas Chinese Bible Church)'s best female players and the worst guys?" Drew quickly turned his head to answer, while Wendy and I sighed "phew." Quick thinking Henry!

This past trip we were able to spend more time with Drew's cousins and Aunt which was nice, because usually we're in and out of Dallas, able to only drop by and say hello. As soon as Jordan met her cousin Yvonne, she squealed in glee, and immediately took her hand. Moreover, before we left, Drew's cousin U-John and his fiancée Kelly invited us over for an amazing sushi dinner. We were floored by the variety and the presentation of it all... plus it was delicious!

on our way to Drew's goo-goo (in Korean "gomo" or Paternal sister) and his cousins...

Jordan loves Yvonne!

Drew with Ben Affleck...hehe... I mean Bruce MacKenzie

Thanks U-John and Kelly!

Jordan loves Auntie Wendy and Uncle Henry. She would stay awake until they came home often later in the evening like 9 or 10 pm, to play with them. She was completely charmed by Uncle Henry, and refused to go to bed if he was around.

The weather was so warm in Dallas, it felt like summer, especially after leaving behind a still-snow covered Montreal... It was the perfect weather for a refreshing strawberry limeade at Sonic, with an order of Mozarella sticks and cheese-stuffed jalapeno peppers.

Jordan striking a pose on Uncle Henry's SUV

We returned to a different Montreal. Winter was gone and though there was still some snow on the ground, it was obvious that it would soon be gone. It was perfect park weather, and so Jordan and I would go across the street to our park for some fun on the jungle jim.

On hot days Jordan cooled off in the sink... helping me wash the dishes.

On April 22nd I got a call from my cousin Esther asking me if she and Gloria could come visit. They arrived April 23rd at 11:30 pm. The following day we had lunch at Lula Rosa by McGill University, and after a big lunch, the Huh sisters in all their persuasive way convinced me that it would be fun to walk home. 7.4 km... home... it was a nice walk, but I was wiped for the rest of the day... actually for the remainder of the week.

Jordan at Lula Rosa, a great little vegetarian hideaway by McGill campus.
Jordan dined on Carrot Ginger soup with toasted rye bread.

Jordan chilling on our long walk home.

The following day, the Huh sisters were craving Montreal cuisine... being new to the city and still unfamiliar with Montreal cuisine,H I took them to Old Port to feast on baked brie, poutine, and a pitcher of Sangria. Afterwards, we shared beavertails for dessert. After walking around Old Montreal we went to Chinatown where we met Drew for dinner. Esther and Gloria left early next morning to my dismay... I wish you gals were still here!

April was great, and now that we're in May... I'm hoping for even more adventures in the sun.

Cheers!