I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. Saturday night Alec and I attended my mum/dads' 50th anniversary dinner, AND it was also my grandma's 95th birthday... Chinese food galore. It's always good to see everyone, not everybody showed up, but it was a good enough crowd - 2 large tables. To me - any family celebration is a good celebration. BTW, mum and dad are in the middle sitting down, and the ones in orange and in white are my 2 sisters. A cousin of mine and Alec are being 'sandwiched'. I know I rarely post pictures of my family, but I think maybe it's a good time to start! :-)
This year, I didn't know what to get for my grandmother. I'm proud to say, ah-hem, that I AM her favorite grandchild. eheh! Actually, I'm everyone's favorite. Okay, now I'm pushin' it! My grandma raised me up when I was born and she means everything to me. So thinking of what to get her on her birthday was a bit of a challenge. I've gotten her enough blankets and throws and sweaters and slippers and everything else that she needed. Yet with my grandma, she doesn't really need much. A pair of shoes can last her 5 years! Everything she owns fits into a large duffle bag. Kinda sad isn't it? All ninety-five years into one piece of luggage. But my grandma doesn't need much though. Whenever I see her I always ask her if she needs stuff like denture tablets, hand lotions, Salonpas, etc. This past Christmas I got her another warming blanket. So for her birthday, what's a grandchild to do!?!
So while shopping at a department store, I finally decided to get her a stuffed animal! Yeah, a cute giant ducky to brighten up her room... and a photo album which can house about 200 4x6's. Friday night I promptly uploaded most of the family pictures from recent years and got them printed for Saturday morning pickup. I had to say, once it was all assembled, it turned out really nice. While uploading, I even found some old pictures of me and my sister Medina, who passed away last July, taken back around 2002. She just turned 56 last May. I couldn't help but to cry, cry and cry in front of the monitor...
In the picture above, don't I look like a ganster with long[er] hair? ugh. Anyway, here's another photo of a younger me and grandma, having a birthday lunch for me which my mum/dad treated. I think I look a bit younger with shorter hair. My silvery-grey isn't as noticeable. I think.
All and all, it was really a great evening! Even my aunt & uncle from San Francisco came down for a day just for the dinner. So nice of them. In the topmost picture, they're the two on the far right. You can tell why my Uncle Paul gets along with Alec so much. ehehe!
The following day we also had a Easter Sunday brunch with Alec's grandparents, his aunt and uncles, and a few of his grandparents' longtime friends. So nice to see them all, as always. But we forgot to bring the camera. So no pictures!
Now that I'm older, I would never want to miss another family function, either Alec's or mine. Whether one gets along with his/her family or not, to me, family is still forever. Isn't it?
Comments (12)
Happy belated anniversary and belated bday!
Posted by hot lunch | April 20, 2007 9:33 AM
Posted on April 20, 2007 09:33
Nice photos Robert. You look cute in the beard :) Hugs from Bombay - Sushil
Posted by Sushil | April 15, 2007 3:33 AM
Posted on April 15, 2007 03:33
Thanks for sharing that post!
Grandma's are funny, aren't they? :)
Posted by jase | April 12, 2007 1:53 PM
Posted on April 12, 2007 13:53
What the heck are Salonpas??? Yes, you DO look like a gangster with long hair, heheheh.
I'm sorry about your sister.
I think the photo album was an exceptional gift for your grandma. All those memories and all that love contained on the pages...
Posted by D-Man | April 11, 2007 7:07 PM
Posted on April 11, 2007 19:07
What a beautiful family you have! I sure missed my family this Easter. It's time for me to go home again.
Posted by derek | April 10, 2007 7:54 PM
Posted on April 10, 2007 19:54
:)
Posted by mike.w | April 10, 2007 5:59 PM
Posted on April 10, 2007 17:59
Thanks for sharing such wonderful pictures of your family. Your grandma looks younger than her age--I guess there's something going in Asians who look younger than their age.
My Easter had been quiet since most of my family are half the globe away--but they don't really celebrate anyway. Can you imagine egg-hunt in HK? LOL
Your lovely pictures remind me of family sitting at big round tables with Chinese food galore, and of course, gossips! I guess these pics give me something to look forward to when I get over there.
Have a good one now and, by the way, I love your goatee! :)
Posted by Matt | April 10, 2007 4:42 PM
Posted on April 10, 2007 16:42
i sometimes wish that i could get all my worldly possesions into a duffle bag. so much tat around really. i think the 'gangster' look is more dapper than tough. it suits you. sorry about your sister.
have a lovely day rob
;0)
Posted by pod | April 10, 2007 3:53 PM
Posted on April 10, 2007 15:53
what beautiful pictures robert.
it reminded me of my grandmothers.
thank you again from my heart for the card. one day i hope to cross upon you and alec, shake your hands and hug you all so tight.
*hugs and love*,
dave
Posted by david | April 10, 2007 3:14 PM
Posted on April 10, 2007 15:14
Oh, cool! It's great to put a face to a blog. Very nice. Hope the party was very lovely.
Posted by Howard | April 10, 2007 10:15 AM
Posted on April 10, 2007 10:15
A really lovely post. Can't help not to smile when I see posts about family, just seeing the all the love. I know you know it's a blessing having a loving family around you, though not everyone's as lucky.
Yep, family's family, though some are a bit cuckoo haha
I've been quoting more, but this sorta sums it up perfect. I don't write down who the sources are *grins
"The family - that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to."
Thanks for putting pictures up. You look youngER without your facial hair. The moustache makes you look all distinguished. Oh wait, that's a beard! never mind. Something I can't grow. Yea, I can see why your Uncle Paul and Alec gets along so much, silly!
Posted by Topher | April 10, 2007 7:26 AM
Posted on April 10, 2007 07:26
A very adorable post!
Posted by wilhelm | April 9, 2007 8:21 PM
Posted on April 9, 2007 20:21