An Excursion with Grandad

Yesterday was one of those nice warmer days

even though it was kinda overcast - we're expecting snow in a day or two, so we decided to take a short excursion with Grandad to the nearby Lake Fort Phantom, and on to Albany.

Grandad wanted to go see where the new Texas State Veterans Cemetery was, and so that was our first stop. It was quite impressive , in its brand-spanking-newness

Then it was off to Fort Phantom Hill Lake , and onward to Albany!




You can't be out in the country in Texas without seeing some oil rigs pumping away :)




A Picture of Concentration :P




The Beehive didn't get our business for dinner because they weren't gonna be open for another hour.




We ended up at a the Prairie Star Convenience Store, Deli and Grill ( and Gas Station ) for sandwiches






Full and well-er, excursed ( I doubt that's even a word ), we headed off into the sunset.
Homedy homedy home home home.

Jaxon gets a new Cousin

Welcome, Jet Jordan!

David's niece, Stephanie, welcomed her second little boy to their family this morning, and what a darling of a little boy he is!

Hey Jet! :)

Don't YOU look like a big boy next to the teeny baby :)

I miss Chinese New Year

It'll never be the same as when i was growing up,

and I'm not even sure that I can ever be any good at trying to duplicate that excitement and wonderment I had for Chinese New Year ( especially when I was a child ) back in Malaysia. It's just a whole different experience to be immersed in culture and festivities that accompany the celebration, as opposed to when you are at a place where there just isn't that sort of thing. If I lived in San Francisco, or somewhere where there was a significant amount of Chinese people or enclave or a ChinaTown, I'm sure it would be way different. I just wish little Jaxon will have the chance to experience all of that at some point in the future, the way I know he will feel about Christmas.

Meanwhile, I couldn't let the day end without at least cooking Asian food. It may not have been very good, but at least I tried. It's time like these that I miss my grandma and her mad cooking skillz. I also put the rest of the Lotus Root that my brother sent me to good use, although there aren't any pictures of the soup :)

Fried Noodles

Stir Fried Okra





Sweet and Sour Chicken





My Biggest Fan :) Slurp Slurp Slurp



Happy Chinese New Year and a Happy Valentine's Day to all :)

Year of the Tiger, ROAR!

Happy Chinese New Year from the Tan-Woods family

"Little Emperor" pose




"Tiger Tiger Roar!"






Yup, that's snow that's still on the ground on the left of the photo




Jaxon with his Gong Xi Gong Xi hand gesture

Luckily only ONE eye is bad.

We went over to watch the Superbowl

at my FIL's today, and because the child insisted on grabbing my glasses each time I held him, I put them down... and promptly forgot to bring them home with me.

BLEH

And I have no idea where my spare/old ones are.

BLEH BLEH

Almost like Grandma's

I got another care package yesterday.

This time from my brother in Richmond, who sent me, among other things, LOTUS ROOT! Yum yum. The Chinese usually have a soup with their meals, and lotus root soup was one of my favorites - I cooked it with chicken stock, and omitted the usual red dates and stuff. So here was the lineup for dinner tonight.

Lotus Root Soup





Chicken Korma





Stir Fried Bak Choy